As the stage is set for the 2015 MLB amateur draft, it seems fitting to reflect on what was a decade ago. If you were a club slotted to pick inside the top dozen, it was tough to miss. Maybe the player who was drafted did not initially pay huge dividends for the team that selected them, but mostly all went onto be serviceable Major Leaguers.
The Seattle Mariners picking third and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays picking eighth were the only two teams in the top 12 who didn’t get anything out of catcher Jeff Clement and RHP Wade Townsend, respectively. There were a number of steals later on in the first round, though.
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Choosing 23rd overall, the Boston Red Sox hit the nail on the head taking Jacoby Ellsbury out of Oregon State University. Ellsbury made one All-Star Game for the BoSox, led the American League in stolen bases three times and compiled a WAR of 21.1 over his seven seasons in Beantown. He also led the team in batting average in the 2007 World Series, hitting .438 with four doubles and three RBI en route to the Red Sox sweeping the Colorado Rockies in four games. Ellsbury was also the starting center fielder for Boston when he won his second WS ring in 2013.
After that, RHP Matt Garza (Twins, 25th), OF Colby Rasmus (Cardinals, 28th) and RHP Clay Buchholz (Red Sox, 42nd) round out the names of memorable players taken in the first round. Outside of the first round, the 2005 MLB draft also saw a number of players overcome the odds by reaching the big leagues and becoming quality players. Here’s a brief overview of some of those names:
- OF Michael Brantley: 7-205, 14.6 WAR
- LHP Jon Niese: 7-209, 7.1
- OF Will Venable: 7-218, 13.0
- OF Austin Jackson: 8-259, 21.1
- OF Peter Bourjos: 10-313, 9.7
- OF Matt Joyce: 12-360, 9.4
- 1B Chris Carter: 15-455, 2.3
Focusing once more on the first dozen players selected, Atlanta Braves outfielder Cameron Maybin had the distinguished privilege of being the 10th overall pick. The problem is, the Detroit Tigers selected the outfielder one pick before the Pittsburgh Pirates took another outfielder, 2013 NL MVP Andrew McCutchen.
Cutch has translated into a franchise player with a career WAR to date of 34.8 since breaking into MLB in 2009. He’s revitalized a Bucs franchise by helping to berth them in two of the last postseason’s, has made four All-Star Games and as mentioned, won an MVP.
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Maybin, meanwhile, has bounced around. He was however a key piece of the trade with the Florida Marlins that netted the Tigers Miguel Cabrera in a 2007 transaction. But since playing for the Marlins, a stop in San Diego produced little. Now 28 and with the Braves, Maybin appears poised to experience his long-awaited breakout season. He’s slashing an impressive .296/.371/.428 in 2015 across 47 games, adding to that five home runs, 26 RBI and nine stolen bases. Acquired as part of the Craig Kimbrel haul, Maybin is under control through the 2016 season. If the Braves choose to extend him at some point, he could be their starting center fielder for years to come.
The Cincinnati Reds selected OF Jay Bruce one pick after McCutchen to round out the top 12. While Bruce has never again come close to posting the .281 BA he had in 2010, he has supplied the Reds with six seasons of 20-plus home run productivity and two top 10 finishes in NL MVP voting.
Picks one, two, four and five in the 2005 MLB draft have not disappointed. Justin Upton (1st) is the only player not still with the team that originally drafted him. He’s having a great year right now for the Padres and it looks like he will be cashing in big in free agency. The 27-year-old’s right-handed bat should be one of the most coveted ones on the market come this offseason.
Little needs to be said about Alex Gordon (2nd, 30.9 WAR), Ryan Zimmerman (4th, 33.7) or Ryan Braun (5th, 37.5) to round out the top five. Each one has appeared in at least one All-Star Game and all have developed into strong everyday players for their respective clubs.
Taken sixth overall was southpaw Ricky Romero by the Toronto Blue Jays. While he’s on the bubble for being a bust, the Jays still managed to get 51 wins out of him over a five year run, including a 15-11 season in 2011 where he posted a 2.92 ERA and finished 10th in AL Cy Young voting.
After Romero, the Colorado Rockies landed shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. Of all players taken in the top dozen of this draft, none have a higher career WAR than Tulo (38.2), who is also a lifetime .299 hitter first breaking into the Majors with the Rox back in 2006. The 30-year-old has been a mainstay ever since.
The last player within the top 12 to talk about is RHP Mike Pelfrey, selected ninth overall by the New York Mets. Never a dominant pitcher by any stretch, Pelfrey has at least been somewhat reliable and capable of eating innings. Three times in his career he has reached double digits in wins and at 31 is having his best season to date with the Minnesota Twins. Pelfrey is currently 5-2 with a 2.28 ERA.
With the 2015 draft only hours away, it will take a lot of hard work and determination for any of its selections to live up to the standard of excellence that came a decade before them. The first round of the 2005 MLB draft has produced All-Stars 18 times over, 17 Silver Slugger awards, 10 Gold Gloves, two MVP’s, a Rookie of the Year and a home run champion.