Tell you what, this wasn’t a bad draft at all! Plenty talent beyond the top-10. Also, pretty damn good year for the state of Florida in my opinion. Five out of the top-10 hailed from the sunshine state.
- Pittsburgh Pirates: Mookie Betts, OF, Tennessee
Picked: Gerrit Cole, RHP, UCLA
From the fifth round, to the first pick, is quite the Cinderella story. The very moment he stepped foot on a pro field, Betts was born to play at the highest level. Can’t fault other teams for not seeing that back then, but the Pirates still try to forget he was even in this draft. Even if they drafted him, they wouldn’t have known what to do with him. Much like Josh Bell, who was selected by them later in in the second round, they would’ve peddled him for spare parts. - Seattle Mariners: Gerrit Cole, RHP, UCLA
Picked: Danny Hultzen, LHP, Virginia
One spot drop. Cole was number one in 2011 and in our re-draft time machine he only slides a single spot. Much like the other top prospects to follow in Pittsburgh, they let Cole walk and didn’t look back. That was unfortunate for them. Good for Houston and good for the New York Yankees, though. If it were the Mariners, I bet they would’ve retained him no matter the price, however. - Arizona Diamondbacks: Trevor Bauer, RHP, UCLA
Picked: Trevor Bauer, RHP, UCLA
No change. Bauer remains a top-five pick. I battled between Blake Snell and Bauer here, but Bauer has came through in bigger games, which ultimately swayed my choice. - Baltimore Orioles: Blake Snell, LHP, OF, JC of Southern Nevada
Picked: Dylan Bundy, RHP, Owasso HS (OK)
If they hadn’t taken Manny Machado the year before, Javier Baez would’ve been the pick here. Dylan Bundy was considered a steal to drop four to the Orioles in ’11, but looking back now, especially after seeing the studs they missed on. Ouch. Snell would’ve been - Kansas City Royals: Fransisco Lindor, SS, Montverde Academy (FL)
Picked: Bubba Starling, OF, Gardner Edgerton HS (KS)
While KC needed some hitting outfielders injected on the farm at this time, they would’ve never passed on Lindor. Lindor was considered then a high-ceiling guy and today he’s hit his ceiling. While 2021 he’s off to a slow start, it doesn’t take away from the overall package of big-smiling shortstop with crazy hair. - Washington Nationals: Trevor Story, SS, Irving HS (TX)
Picked: Anthony Rendon, 3B, Rice
I’m very low on Rendon, always have been. Funny enough, Washington would a few years later draft Trea Turner who was drafted in this draft in later rounds and didn’t sign. If Story got drafted at six by the Nats, he’d still be there and his star status would amount to the same heights as Turner’s right now. - Arizona Diamondbacks: George Springer, OF, Connecticut
Picked: Archie Bradley, RHP, Broken Arrow Senior HS (OK)
Where would the ’17 Astros be without Springer? Hard to imagine. Had the D-backs known what they know now about Springer, they’d race to the podium to get the five-tool outfielder. - Cleveland Indians: Javier Baez, SS, Arlington Country Day School (FL)
Picked: Fransisco Lindor, SS, Montverde Academy (FL)
Cleveland still gets their shortstop in the future here. Baez’s hype was real and he’s continuing it in Chicago to this day. Maybe had he been drafted here, he would still be there, unlike Lindor, who they refused to resign and then traded to the New York Mets. - Chicago Cubs: Anthony Rendon, 3B, Rice
Picked: Javier Baez, SS, Arlington Country Day School (FL)
I don’t think Rendon’s selection here would’ve killed the Kris Bryant pick a few years later. Probably would’ve still happened. It would be fun to think of a lineup where Bryant, Rizzo, and Rendon if it actually happened. Big power. Lots of RBIs. Scary team. - San Diego Padres: Tyler Glasnow, RHP, Hart HS (CA)
Picked: Cory Spangenberg, 2B, Indian River State College (FL)
By this time next year, my thoughts on the ’11 draft could change. Glasnow is having a Cy Young season, and makes the Snell-to-San Diego deal not sting as much. Glasnow was originally drafted by the Pirates, and while they knew what they had, they ultimately traded him. Still scratching my head about that.