4. John Mozeliak and Mike Girsch, St. Louis Cardinals, +17.89
Mozeliak has been a top Cardinal executive since 2008, Girsch joining him as general manager when Mozeliak became team president prior to the 2018 season.
Since Mozeliak’s arrival, the Cardinals have drafted and signed 66 players who later saw Major League action, combining to produce 214.7 WAR.
Mozeliak began with a splash. His supplemental first-round pick that year, the 39th player taken overall, was Lance Lynn. Lynn won 72 games in six seasons with the Cardinals before gravitating to Texas, Minnesota, New York and Chicago, where — when not injured — he now pitches for the White Sox.
In 2010, Mozeliak’s draft latched on to 10 future Major Leaguers. By name, the big catch was first rounder Shelby Miller, who never truly developed his performance to match his reputation and gifts.
But there were others, among them reliever Joe Kelly, infielder Matt Carpenter — who would become a Cardinal mainstay — and reliever Trevor Rosenthal. Mozeliak landed infielder Kolten Wong with the 22nd overall pick in 2011. Two years later he hit twice — perhaps eventually three times — in succession. With the 100th overall pick, he drafted and signed outfielder Harrison Bader, now the club’s center fielder. With the 105th pick, he got reliever Jordan Hicks, who the Cards still believe will produce. Then with the 131st pick, he got Paul DeJong, still a middle infielder.
One year later, Mozeliak drafted and signed outfielder Dylan Carlson, pitcher Dakota Hudson, and infielder Tommy Edman in, respectively, the first, first, and sixth rounds. All three are regulars for a contending Cardinal team today.