Having a top pick like Ike succeed a big boost

The Mets had no way of knowing that the promotion of Ike Davis would coincide with a 9-1 homestand. Only three weeks earlier, Omar Minaya had been adamant about keeping him in Triple-A Buffalo rather than using him as a replacement for the injured Daniel Murphy.

But with the Mets limping back to New York after a 2-4 road trip, and sinking fast under the weight of a 4-8 start, that phone call to Buffalo eventually launched Ike Mania, one of the many subplots during a resurgent 10 days for the franchise.

Would the reception have been the same for spring training hero Chris Carter? Or even the return of Murphy from the disabled list? No chance. The positive feeling around Davis comes with being an organization's top-tier prospect, and in his case, the Mets' first-round pick (No. 18 overall) in the 2008 draft.

"I think people like to see something new, something fresh," Minaya said. "When you have a young player like Davis coming in, there's an energy that he brings with him."

There's been more attention on the team's younger players lately, and the emergence of Davis is a reminder of just how valuable a first-round pick can be with the draft approaching June 7. That is even more important this year as the Mets hold the No. 7 overall pick, which is the club's highest position on the board since they selected righthander Philip Humber at No. 3 in 2004.

Last weekend's visit by Braves phenom Jason Heyward, the 14th overall pick in the 2007 draft, also showed what kind of buzz a rising young star can generate. It's unusual for 20-year-old prospects to be swarmed by the New York media in a clubhouse that also includes Billy Wagner and that famed Mets antagonist, Chipper Jones.

But there is an electricity that crackles around a homegrown talent, and the Braves have noticed the positive vibe of the Heyward Effect, even when he's not hitting 450-foot home runs, as he did in his first major-league at-bat on Opening Day at Turner Field.

"New blood is always good," Jones said. "And with Jason, I've never seen a kid cause that much excitement in Atlanta since Mike Vick. Atlanta's a football town, and Georgia's a football state, so that's surprising in and of itself that he was able to cause that much of excitement for the game of baseball in Atlanta.

"He's the real deal. It's my job to groom him to be the next middle-of-the-order superstar in Atlanta."

Minaya already has spent the past few weeks on scouting missions looking for the next Heyward, David Price or even Mike Pelfrey, who was the No. 9 pick overall in 2005. When he was hired as the Mets' GM in 2004, one of his primary goals - and listed strengths - was to sign international talent, which is comfortably outside of the draft's jurisdiction. Courting 16-year-old future stars is a tricky business, but even the draft, as orchestrated by Major League Baseball, has its own intrigue.

With an eye on protecting the smaller-market clubs, the Commissioner's Office sends each team its recommended "slotting" guidelines for its position in the draft, basically a ceiling for how much bonus money that pick should receive. Some teams, like the Mets, normally follow those guidelines to the decimal point and players can go unsigned as a result.

With the No. 7 pick, money is going to be a factor, and the Mets are situated below a half-dozen teams with considerably less financial resources - in order, the Nationals, Pirates, Orioles, Royals, Indians and Diamondbacks. Last year, the Braves gave Vanderbilt lefthander Mike Minor, the No. 7 overall pick, a $2.42-million signing bonus, which was $242,000 over that slot.

Minor's bonus was the highest ever for a No. 7 pick, topping Prince Fielder, who received $2.4 million from the Brewers in 2002. This year, the Mets' negotiations will be watched closely by the Commissioner's Office as well. But the emergence of Davis during this past week, and maybe a battle with Heyward looming for Rookie of the Year, may help convince the Mets that spending a few extra bucks can ultimately be worth it.

"For an early first-round pick, it does take a lot of money," Minaya said. "But when they come up and perform, you don't think too much about that."