- Washington Nationals: Christian Yelich, 1B/OF, Westlake HS (Westlake Village, Calif.)
Picked: Bryce Harper, OF, JC of Southern Nevada
Yelich’s tools might not be as loud as Harper, and his ascent to the top was a bit of a slow burn but Yelich is clearly the best value in this draft class. - Pittsburgh Pirates: Jacob deGrom, RHP, Stetson
Picked: James Tallion, RHP, The Woodlands HS (TX)
And we’re still waiting for James Tallion to produce. He’s with the Yanks, so we’ll see, but he just couldn’t get it done in Pittsburgh. At two, the Pirates would’ve had a generational type of ace with DeGrom. DeGrom is a Tom Brady-like story. He was drafted with the 272nd pick. Eye-raiser, right? - Baltimore Orioles: Manny Machado, SS, Brito Miami Private HS (Miami)
Picked: Manny Machado, SS, Brito Miami Private HS (FL)
Baltimore got it right. They valued Machado high and should’ve. He’s still a threat at the plate. Only change, really, besides playing for San Diego now is that he plays third base. - Kansas City Royals: Bryce Harper, OF, JC of Southern Nevada
Picked: Christina Colon, SS, Cal State Fullerton
K.C. would’ve gotten a steal! Well, not really, even if not selected first he probably would’ve have dropped to four. Harper’s Youtube videos and social media presence was 75% of the reason he went number one. If the Nationals thought they were getting a future .275 hitter and future, and lone, 2015 MVP, I still think they would’ve drafted him. Fan ticket sales alone to watch the young hitter would’ve been good for the brand. - Cleveland Indians: Chris Sale, LHP, Florida Gulf Coast
Picked: Drew Pomeranz, LHP, Ole Miss
Gotta hand it to Pomeranz, he’s still kicking around. And he’s not doing too shabby in Boston at the moment. But, if the Indians had it their way right now, they would’ve drafted Sale here at five long ago. Despite recent comeback injury, Sale is still a for sure bet to enter the Hall of Fame one day. - Arizona Diamondbacks: J.T. Realmuto, SS, Albert HS (Midwest City, Okla.)
Picked: RHP, Barret Loux, Texas A&M
D-backs didn’t give a you know what about catchers back then. Especially hitting catchers. Realmuto, like Yelich, was a bit of a slow burn, but Miami saw the potential in him when they took him with 104th pick in the third round. I have to give former Miami GM some credit, he had a great eye for talent. Holding on to them in the long run is a different story, but to think Miami at one time time had Giancarlo Stanton, Christina Yelich, Marcell Ozuna and JT Realmuto on one team is hard to believe. What could’ve been? - New York Mets: Andrelton Simmons, SS, Western Oklahoma State JC
Picked: Matt Harvey, RHP, UNC
Matt Harvey was so good. “Was” being the key word. At one point, he looked to be an ace the Mets could build their franchise around, but due to injuries it just didn’t happen. If they were to go back, Andrelton Simmons would’ve been a better piece to build around. Whether he’d be on the club today is highly skeptical, but Simmons’ skills could’ve shined much more. - Houston Astros: Whit Merrifield, OF, South Carolina
Picked: Delino Deshields Jr., 2nd, Woodward Academy (GA)
This would’ve been a hard selection for the Astros, regardless. Jose Altuve would’ve been their premiere second baseman to begin with. Deshields never quite struck. Merrifield would’ve added a great middle of the lineup, bat. But 2010 was the start of a rebuild that brought them the ’17 title. If Deshields didn’t stick, I don’t think Merrifield would’ve either. - San Diego Padres: Noah Syndergaard, RHP, Legacy HS (Mansfield, Texas)
Picked: Kartsoen Whiston, RHP, Chipley HS (FL)
Chosen in the 38th pick, the Padres would’ve been ridiculed for the reach early on, but would’ve been laughing right back years later. Syndergaard is still a feared pitcher, despite his latest comeback injury. Plus, the Padres would’ve had a clear direction if they had picked him. - Oakland Athletics: Adam Eaton, OF, Miami (Ohio)
Picked: Michael Choice, OF, Texas-Arlington
Eaton’s has to be here, right? Not Harvey, and not Joc Pederson or Nicholas Castellanos. Eaton is fast, comes up big in desperate situations and can bat anywhere in the lineup. Is he a superstar, no, but he’s a quality hitter/fielder most would love on their roster.
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