2019 PBA Draft Review

[Commissioner Erick]

The 2019 draft was far different than previous drafts for a number of reasons. For starters, while prior drafts had a handful of superstar talents who developed quickly and made an impact early in their professional careers, the 2019 draft has not had that situation. The most talented players either weren’t signed or were extremely young and haven’t had a chance to make a mark.

Furthermore, pitchers were primarily taken in the early rounds with varied success. Some pitchers were slow-developing, and have extreme variability, ranging from front-line starters to bullpen arms. A number of other pitchers were flat out busts. The most reliable picks were straight bullpen arms who were able to arrive in the majors early and contribute from an early age.

The overall talent level is weak with few talented players selected after the second round. Few teams have more than a pair or trio of talented players taken in the draft, and a number of the better players taken were random pop-ups taken deep in the draft. The depth of the class also tended to be older and weaker, and as a result, a significant percentage of selections in later rounds have given up on baseball entirely, something that was not the case in the 2017 and 2018 drafts.

The relative dearth of talent led to curving the draft grades to account for the difficulty in finding talent. However, most teams were able to come away with a starting-caliber player or impact reliever and a depth piece, so the grades then had to be re-curved downward.

While the draft was certainly unique when looking at prior and future classes, that doesn’t mean talent wasn’t to be had and certain teams navigated the situation well. Some teams forfeited picks to sign compensation free agents, a decision that paid off, while others turned unsigned selections into better players in future drafts.


Arizona Diamondbacks:

First Round: (9) Tristan Casas—P
Second Round: (5) Nick Donnelly—1B—Compensation for not signing Thomas Burbank
Second Round: (9) Cal Conley—SS
Third Round: (5) (9) Zeke Young—P—Compensation for not signing Cole Wilcox
Third Rounder: (8) G.T. Blanden—P

Best Player: Tristan Casas

Best Deep Cut: (13) Colt Gorman

Total ML WAR: -0.9

Review: Arizona had the misfortunate of having a number of rolled over picks, and to date the class has accumulated -0.9 WAR, but looking deeper, it wasn’t a poor draft. Tristan Casas’ two-way nature has stunted his development but splitting its focus. He still has the raw tools to be a good hitter though, and showed last year in eight outings, he can be an effective major league future. He’ll only be 25-next year, so he has a lot of potential upside despite being such an actively hurtful player in his rookie season in 2023.

Not signing Thomas Burbank to get the opportunity to draft Nick Donnelly is a failure, with better picks taken right after him, including Dave Simon. Cal Conley has been atrocious offensively in his PBA career, racking up -0.9 WAR last year with a 46 OPS+ at Shortstop. He still can be a decent backup with some development at least.

Zeke Young has retired already, so his pick over Cole Wilcox was not good, though G.T. Blanden can be a pretty good reliever. Fourth rounder Jon Olsen and 13th Rounder Colt Gorman look like respectable Quad-A swingmen.

Grade: B: The Casas pick likely gets an A- as Casas still has the potential to be a terrific player and better than anyone chosen after him. Picking Donnelly and Young are F’s. Cal Conley is likely a C- option, and Blanden is an A. There are a lot of competing factors working, and a lot is still to be determined by players who have not proven success, but you can imagine Casas being a starter, Blanden being a good relief pitcher, and Conley being a major league backup. Throw in a few depth pieces, and that’s worth a B in this draft


Atlanta Braves:

First Round: (2) Bobby Witt Jr.—3B
Second Round: (4) John Malcom—1B
Third Round: (4) Joe Salisbury—P

Best Player: Bobby Witt Jr.

Best Deep Cut: NA

Total ML WAR: 1.0

Review: Atlanta didn’t mess around with the second pick of the draft. After Boston picked Sergio Ochoa, the Braves grabbed Witt Jr. Witt turned into a future Top-10 prospect and should be a Top 10 Third Baseman or Shortstop for a half decade. With so many misses in the draft, Atlanta grabbed someone who has a strong bat and a strong glove and who will challenge for the best player in the class.

John Malcom is a quad-A type player as a First Baseman who has cleaned up the International League but struggled in his stint in the majors. There were some players picked after him who have had better careers, but a quad-A player in the second round of this draft isn’t a death sentence.

Joe Salisbury, picked in the third round, has no big-league future, but fourth-rounder Blake Paugh is a replacement level corner infielder in Triple-A. Anthony Molina is their other player still playing professionally. He was Atlanta’s eighth-round selection and looks like a decent Triple-A pitcher.

Grade: B+: Atlanta grabbed a player that could be the best player in the draft, and added to that with a few Triple-A players who may be able to contribute with some slight development. That’s a win.


Baltimore Orioles:

First Round: (17) Mike Sempek—3B
Second Round: (21) Tommy Stanfield—P
Third Round: (22) Josh Smith—3B

Best Player: Tommy Stanfield

Best Deep Cut: (22) Luis Ortega

Total ML WAR: 2.0

Review: Mike Sempek has a bizarre profile as a terrible defender with no power and fantastic bat-to-ball skills. How much production can you get out of a guy who swings at everything, hits everything, but can’t pop the ball over the fence as a First Baseman, Designated Hitter, or a defensive liability? That being said, there could be a player here and Sempek hit for an .817 OPS with the Orioles last year in an extremely small sample. Sempek has virtually no experience above Rookie Ball and is still a bit of an enigma. Jimmy McCabe was picked early in the Second Round, and maybe some middle infielders would have been safer options, but again, Sempek could be something if he hits .300 with some doubles.

Stanfield is a potential mid-rotation starter popped in the Second Round. He has the most WAR to date of any starter in the class, and has the upside to lead the class when it’s all said and done. He features four pitches, has great breaking balls, and keeps the ball on the ground. He’s a standout selection.

Baltimore doesn’t have a ton of high-potential players picked after Stanfield, but every player they signed until the 12th round is still active, as are numerous others picked after. In fact, 22nd rounder Luis Ortega made five appearances for the club last year, and while he had a 6.63 ERA, he also had positive WAR with 19 strikeouts in 19 innings. Ortega has carved up the minors the past two years and could be a good starting pitcher.

Grade: B+: The Orioles got a clear PBA starter in Stanfield, plus a potential starter deep in the draft. Sempek is a player to watch as well, and with a lot of guys still active, there are bites at the apple. In a weak draft, this is about the best you can hope for.


Boston Red Sox:

First Round: (1) Sergio Ochoa—P—UNSIGNED
First Round: (30) Jon Waitz—P—Compensation for not signing Tristan Lutz
Second Round: (2) Andrew Mundy—P
Second Round: (23) Gilbert de Vries—P—Compensation for not signing Mitch Hickey
Third Round: (2) Bo Weiss—P
Third Round: (19) Zach Farrar—CF—Compensation for not signing Donnie Sellers—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (28) Julian Infante—3B—Compensation for not signing Nick Donnelly—UNSIGNED

Best Player: Bo Weiss

Best Deep Cut: (16) Jeffrey Barton

Total ML WAR: -0.1

Review: Boston had seven picks in the first three rounds, including two first rounders, including the first overall pick, and came away with no sure major leaguers. Sergio Ochoa has star potential, but went unsigned, turning into Mike Billings the following year—a huge downgrade and a waste of a first overall pick. The move from Tristan Lutz to Jon Waitz isn’t a huge downgrade, but there were better options than Waitz available.

Andrew Mundy will not have a major league career, and while moving on from Mitch Hickey was fine, Gilbert de Vries will not pitch in the majors either. Bo Weiss is merely a fringe major leaguer, as his stuff has not shown it can play in the bigs.

Zach Farrar was the product of a pick cycled from 2017 through 2021 and ending with a player whose career will die in the minors or overseas. Julian Infante has made the majors and has a future as a second-division corner infielder. Boston kept the pick unsigned, having it turn into potential second division corner outfielder Bob Lacy. They might as well have kept Infante.

They didn’t get much else of note, though Jeffrey Barton is a development success as a Quad-A starter picked in the 16th round. He’s produced replacement level results in 13.1 big league innings.

Grade: F: Throwing away the number one pick is a severe F, compounded by numerous other failings. Bo Weiss is a slight positive, as is Barton, as is the fact that at least a number of picks are still active. Still, having that many bites at the apple and missing out on the few talented options the draft contained is a failure.


Chicago White Sox:

First Round: (28) Pick traded, along with Second Round pick (36)*, Charlie Tilson and Jorge Polanco to Milwaukee for Corey D. Ray, Danny Salazar, and Lorenzo Cain. Pick turned into Talbot Owlry
Second Round: (36) Pick turned into Austin Bodrato
Third Round: (1) Tim Cate—P (Pick acquired from Kansas City for Micker Adolfo)
Third Round: (39) Micah Watson—1B

Best Player: Micah Watson

Best Deep Cut: NA

Total ML WAR: 2.5

Review: Milwaukee traded their first two picks in the draft, which was a smart move without any further details. However, while Talbot Owry doesn’t look like a future major leaguer, Austin Bodrato looks like a second-division major leaguer, though he’ll be a 28-year-old with no big-league experience.

Chicago gave up those picks plus Charlie Tilson, who’s speed and defense made him a positive player for a few seasons after the trade. Chicago also gave up Jorge Polanco, whose strong average and doubles pop also made him a positive player. Chicago ended up getting Corey D. Ray, whose power made him a strong player for a few years, and a player who made an All-Star team. However, while Ray was more of an offensive force, he wasn’t a radically better player than Tilson. Danny Salazar didn’t have the best 2019, but had a strong 2020 for Chicago as a 16-game winner. Lorenzo Cain was on his last legs. Looking back, the major leaguers in the deal roughly cancel each other out, but losing Bodrato and Owry may tilt the deal to a slight loss.

In the third round, Tim Cate was acquired from Kansas City for Micker Adolfo. Adolfo never made it above High-A before deciding to go overseas, while Tim Cate was a solid swingman last year for Miami. Give Chicago credit for making a rare trade to acquire a useful drafted player in this barren draft. Chicago also picked Micah Watson in the third round, a player who had 22 home runs and 70 RBIs for Chicago in 2019 despite getting fewer than 100 starts.

Chicago has only two other players still active in the draft. Ike Freeman was popped in the fourth round and his speed and glove will play in the PBA, but the bat is a High-A bat. Chris McGuinn, a ninth rounder, is also still bouncing around the minors, but will only ever be a minor-leaguer.

Grade: B+: The trade involving the first two picks probably grades out as a C- or a D+, though the decision to acquire Cate is an A, as is the Watson pick. There wasn’t much depth in the draft either. Still, Chicago has the fifth most WAR from the two players they picked that ended up making the majors. Watson can be a starting First Baseman in the league. That’s enough for a B+ grade.


Chicago Cubs:

First Round: (20) Pick traded along with Jason Heyward, Christopher Morel, and David Berg to Seattle for Hiwasashia Iwakuma. Pick turned into Shane Tucker
Second Round: (26) Billy McKay—P
Second Round: (32) Adley Rutschman—P—Compensation for not signing Ben Jordan
Third Round: (26) Bobby Gibson—P
Third Round: (32) David Carpenter—P—Compensation for not signing Mitchell Kilkenny
Third Round: (35) Mitchell Traver—P—Compensation for not signing Ricky Tyler Thomas

Best Player: Bobby Gibson

Best Deep Cut: (17) Quinn Hoffman

Total ML WAR: 0

Review: The Cubs traded away their first-round pick, plus Jason Heyward’s expensive contract, defensive prospect Christopher Morel, and relief prospect David Berg to get 54.1 innings of a 6.46 ERA from Hisashi Iwakuma. The lost pick didn’t amount to anything, and getting off Heyward’s money was nice, but The J-Hey Kid had four more seasons left as a solid regular. Morel can still be a backup utility player. On many fronts, the deal was F.

Billy McKay has been good in the upper minors and held his own in the majors, which is a nice win. Bobby Gibson is a potential impact reliever making his way through the upper minors. He’s also a nice win. Chicago then had the misfortune of having a number of compensation picks in this draft.

Instead of signing flameout Ben Jordan in 2018, the Cubs selected and signed disappointing two-way player Adley Rutschman. They passed on signing Florida State grad and underwhelming player Mitchell Kilkenny to grab David Carpenter, who is out of baseball. In passing on Ricky Tyler Thomas in 2018, a player now out of baseball, they selected Mitchell Traver. A player who is now out of baseball. All those picks amount to a D+ as the Cubs has opportunities and failed to capitalize on them.

They did do better a bit later on, grabbing Hunter Barco in the ninth round. Barco was terrible for the Tigers last year, amassing -0.9 WAR in just 30.2 innings, thanks to 11 homers and a 7.92 ERA. Nonetheless, he throws near 100 and snaps a great curveball. When he learns to stop tipping his fastball and avoid the middle of the plate, he can be a good one.

Grade: C-: The Cubs had a number of opportunities to do well in the 2019 draft, but they made their major league team worse and took a bunch of non-entities. On the other hand, those non-entities at least were free plays as compensation picks, and the club did get up to three useful relievers in the draft. It’s a bit underwhelming, but not drastically so.


Cincinnati Reds:

First Round: (11) Seth Romero—P
Second Round: (12) Eric Dusing—P
Third Round: (11) Zack Thompson—P—UNSIGNED

Best Player: Eric Dusing

Best Deep Cut: NA

Total ML WAR: -0.9

Review: Only three players drafted by the Reds are still playing baseball, and two are players with no major league future ahead of them. Romero had a fringe major league future, but was kept in the low minors and released. His experience caused him to retire early and Cincinnati got nothing from the pick.

Dusing has developed slowly and battled arm injuries, meaning he may be a reliever. His rookie season in Baltimore was a disaster last year, but the Orioles were the worst defensive team of all-time. Dusing throws five pitches and has a tremendous slider and changeup, but he hasn’t proven he can work deep into games. He may end up a reliever, but could be one of the better ones in the class. Being a reliever isn’t a death sentence considering the context of the 2019 draft.

Zach Thompson wasn’t signed. He went drafted in the 14th round the following year and has already retired. The compensation pick they acquired was rolled over and rolled over until John Davis was picked in 2022.

Cincinnati’s fifth rounder, Connor Eason, has turned into a decent arm in the Mexican League, which is something. He was unlikely to have ever contributed positive value for a PBA club. Their 10th-round pick is shortstop Beau Campana, a player unlikely to ever exceed Double A.

Grade: D+: Dusing may be a pretty good player, and his selection counteracts some of the lack of value obtained with their busted first round pick. Eason gets the slightest of credit for being a positive professional. The fact that there’s nothing else of note brings the grade down to a D+.


Cleveland Indians:

First Round: Forfeited as a result of signing Mark Melancon
Second Round: (34) Josh Merola—CF
Third Round: (37) Andy Buzzell—P

Best Player: (28) Luis Esparza

Best Deep Cut: (28) Luis Esparza

Total ML WAR: -0.3

Review: Cleveland punted on the first round of the draft by signing compensation free agent Mark Melancon before the season. Melancon saved 66 games for Cleveland the next four years, produced 7.8 WAR, and helped the team win a championship. Considering the success rate of the first round of the class, that’s an A+ decision.

The Indians then, somehow, found a 6-8, 17-year-old Nicaraguan lefty in the 28th round who looks like a future starter. Luis Esparza struggled with the long ball in his debut season in 2023, but he’s struck out a ton of hitters wherever he’s pitched. If he can learn to sequence a little bit, he has a big future ahead of him.

Cleveland’s second-rounder, Josh Merolo, has never hit, precluding him from a big-league future. Andy Buzzell, though, made it to the majors with Miami last year as a swingman and produced positive WAR in 60.1 innings. Fourth-round reliever Ron Arnold has enough command to be a Triple-A arm, while 11th-round pick Mekhi Loving has a good approach and some gap power that will play in the International League.

Grade: A+: Cleveland got a World Championship and Melancon was a huge part of that. They also dug up a potential frontline starter deep in the class, and rounded out the draft with some upper minors depth. Solid work.


Colorado Rockies:

First Round: (19) Bobby Ferrarelli—CF
Second Round: (25) Alek Thomas—CF
Third Round: (25) Morgan McCullough—SS

Best Player: Alek Thomas

Best Deep Cut: (23) Kees Lenstra

Total ML WAR: 0

Review: The Rockies didn't draft a single major leaguer in this class but they got several elite stud AAAA talents. So they had a decent draft for 2019 standards. The Albuquerque Istopes owe a lot to this class.

In the first round they selected Center Fielder Bobby Ferrarelli. Ferrarelli is a game changer at the Triple-A level where his ability to play multiple positions gives the Istotopes much needed versatility. While he may be listed as a Left Fielder don't let that fool you. Bobby can play a little Second Base and Center Field as well. Bobby is intelligent on and off the field and gives his all out there on the diamond. Just don't ask Bobby to hit.

In the second round the Isotopes got their Center Fielder of the future in Alek Thomas. Alek has provided the Isotopes with 4 WAR over the last few seasons with a decent bat making up for poor Center Field defense. Unfortunately for Thomas, his talent-level is likely not much better than that. With an inability to field Center Field at a Major League level and a weak bat for a corner outfielder, Thomas is probably best suited entertaining Isotope fans instead of being in over his head trying to cover ground in Coors. He's on the Rockies 40-man roster though so maybe he will get his cup of coffee one day.

Morgan McCullough was the year's 3rd rounder. Morgan has a great name, a great glove, and a great personality. But he's not great at hitting. He finally made it to AAA last year at age 26 and made the most of the opportunity by hitting for a 96 wRC+. The Isotopes have a utility infielder who looks to entertain fans for years to come.

Kees Lenstra is the deep cut of the draft. Kees was picked in the 23th round and has put up an impressive 10 minor league WAR. The Aruban can throw the ball hard but he doesn't know where it's going. He doesn't mind though. Kees is spontaneous and carefree and Albuquerque fans are going to love him. He's the Kees Knee's.

Grade: D+: The Isotopes had a great draft, getting several contributors to their pursuit for Pacific Coastal League glory. The Rockies not so much. If one of these guys somehow makes it on a ML roster the Rockies probably deserve a C for this draft considering the draft’s overall dearth of talent.


Detroit Tigers:

First Round: (8) Mike Fitzgerald—RF
Second Round: (3) Tim Portwood—P
Third Round: (3) Chad Lewin—SS
Third Round: (17) Luis Bencomo—C—Compensation for not signing Mason Englert

Best Player: Mike Fitzgerald

Best Deep Cut: (18) Arturo Salgado

Total ML WAR: 0.7

Review: Mike Fitzgerald is a bit of a polarizing figure as a huge bat, but one without a position. Still, he has All-Star potential and should be a positive contributor even as a Designated Hitter. There isn’t a hitter in the class with his kind of offensive upside and Detroit did well to snag him.

Tim Portwood is a young power arm who had success out of the Cubs’ bullpen last year. He may not have the consistency needed to be a starter, but there’s still a chance. If not, he’s shown he can be a good reliever. Chad Lewin is a terrific defender and has shown enough doubles pop and stolen base potential in the minor leagues to give hope that he’ll be more than simply a defensive replacement in the majors.

Mason Englert went unsigned in 2018 and looks like a potential major leaguer, while Luis Bencomo is probably a career minor league Catcher. Detroit should have signed Englert.

Fourth-rounder Joe LeMerise looks like a backup outfielder in Triple-A, which isn’t a terrible outcome for a drafted player, especially after grabbing a potential star and a reliever. Eighth-rounder Nick Madrigal could have joined him as a Triple-A backup infielder, but he’s made his way to the Korean minor leagues. Ninth-rounder Drew Mendoza already is a Triple-A backup, and has been for two years. He’s produced a 123 OPS+ in both his seasons as a Triple-A backup and likely wouldn’t embarrass himself with a bigger role, though he does lack upside.

Arturo Salgado, popped in the 18th round, has popped as a potential major league pitcher. He’s just emerging out of the low minors, but has had success as a closer (32 saves in 2022) and starter (3.1 WAR in 2023) in various A-ball levels. Injury troubles make it questionable that he could start in the majors, but he could be a swingman.

Grade: A: Detroit got perhaps the best hitter in the class, a few pitchers who could succeed in the majors, a good-looking backup infield prospect, and a lot of Triple-A depth. They aggressively targeted young players too, so a number of their early draft picks are still playing. The strategy has paid off as the Tigers have given themselves chances for more production as well as their star and depth pieces.


Houston Astros:

First Round: (22) Cameron Cannon—SS—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (28) Shawn Forrest—P—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (29) Joe Perez—P—UNSIGNED

Best Player: (6) Michael Busch

Best Deep Cut: NA

Total ML WAR: 5.2

Review: Houston’s draft is pretty absurd. They didn’t sign any of their picks in the first five rounds and partly as a result, only one player from the draft is still active. However, that one player has generated the most WAR of anyone in the class, leading the Astros to have generated the most WAR from the class as any team. Michael Busch followed up a Rookie of the Year 2023 with a pedestrian 2024, and may be pedestrian going forward, but he’s the only player in the class to have an All-Star season so far.

Houston passed on a few fringe big leaguers in the class, but did get Steve Hall and Steve Lewis the following season with those picks.

Grade: A: Houston gets an A for popping Michael Busch in the sixth round of a draft that has no depth, and made off with better picks in 2020 than the unsigned guys they drafted in 2019. Their only demerit is that they didn’t get any depth from the class.


Kansas City Royals:

First Round: (3) Chris Harmon—P
Second Round: (1) Jimmy McCabe—LF
Third Round: (1) Pick Traded to Chicago White Sox for Micker Adolfo. Pick turned into Tim Cate

Best Player: Jimmy McCabe

Best Deep Cut: (21) Tyler A. Williams

Total ML WAR: 4.5

Review: Kansas City had the third overall pick and selected a guy who had a -0.8 WAR last season in A-Ball. That was a big waste of a pick, but Jimmy McCabe has become a big-time slugger with a big future ahead of him. Considering the weak class, getting a 36-home run slugger in the second round is an A+ mark.

Kansas City traded away potentially useful pitcher Tim Cate to get Micker Adolfo, who never played above High-A for the Royals.

The Royals picked up several respectable players in the middle rounds who could theoretically provide upper minor league depth if they were all still stateside. Third-rounder Mike Osborn can still fulfill that role as a relief arm for the Giants, while seventh-rounder C.J. Pruitt is serving that tole for Kansas City. Catcher Michael Amditis, picked in the sixth round, can’t fulfill that role as he’s currently playing in Japan.

Grade: B-: The McCabe pick gets star marks, and most everything else is a failure. Still, getting a first-division starter, no matter the missteps, makes for a successful draft for 2019.


Los Angeles Angels:

First Round: (14) Doug Syverson—P
Second Round: (14) Kody Clemens—3B—Compensation for not signing John Malcom
Second Round: (18) Todd Peterson—P
Third Round: (18) Pat Roudebush—P

Best Player: Doug Syverson

Best Deep Cut: (12) Jake Pries

Total ML WAR: -2.0

Review: There was once hope that Doug Syverson could be a starting pitcher. Those days have passed, but he still profiles as an impact arm and potential closer. He’s starting to hone in a wild walk rate that has hurt his early career and prevented his stuff from being maximized. Even if he’s only a reliever, he has the potential to be one of the best relievers in the class.

Kody Clemens looks maxed out as a replacement level Triple-A Third Baseman. Now 28, there’s not much hope he becomes more than that. Signing John Malcom the year prior would have been preferable. Todd Peterson is a failed reliever selected six spots ahead of Jon Carter and three spots ahead of Tommy Stanfield. That’s a big miss. Third-rounder Pat Roudebush has big stuff, but hasn’t put together the command or movement to be more than replacement level in A-ball or Double-A. Russell Thompson, picked in the 11th round, may be able to make it to the majors as a reliever.

Jake Pries, a career low-minor leaguer, was given 207 inexplicable plate appearances last year, where he produced a -2.3 WAR. He hit .150/.213/.224 with 70 strikeouts to eight walks, plus he pitched in -5.0 in Zone Rating in Left Field, and was caught in his only steal attempt.

Grade: D+: Syverson is solid as a talented young arm, and the Angels got some upper-minors depth. They missed out on some talent though, and should have signed Malcom in 2018. Put it together and you have an adequate draft, but not a good one.


Los Angeles Dodgers:

First Round: (25) Ryder Green—P—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (31) Reiss Knehr—P
Third Round: (34) Brandon Martorano—C

Best Player: (8) Tyler Wyatt

Best Deep Cut: NA

Total ML WAR: 0

Review: The Dodgers passed on signing Ryder Green, opting to take their chances with a more talented option in 2020. That talented option, Kevin Carver, retired to play football. Reiss Knehr was signed, but he too is out of baseball. Brandon Martorano is still putting on a glove, but he looks destined to a Triple-A backup Catcher. Fourth-round selection Will Etheridge also looks like a Triple-A player, though scouts put him on the fringe of the majors.

Either-rounder Tyler Wyatt has been the best of the bunch as he’s had success in Triple-A with his defense carrying him to 0.6 WAR last year. He also has two minor league Glove Wizard awards. Still, he too looks like a Triple-A player.

Grade: F: Ryder Green looks like a possible major leaguer. Kevin Carver looks like an NFL player. Reiss Knehr gave the Dodgers nothing, and it’s likely Martorano will either. There’s some Triple-A depth, but it’s a very poor draft.


Miami Marlins:

First Round: (12) Akinori Hayashida—P
Second Round: (15) Keenan Bell—LF
Third Round: (13) Brian Hoeing—P

Best Player: Keenan Bell

Best Deep Cut: (14) Doug Nikhazy

Total ML WAR: -0.3

Review: Akinori Hayashida has had a terrible start to his PBA career, posting a -1.78 WAR over his career, and going 2-16. He had 3.1 WAR in Triple-A last year though, and with four pitches and a good work ethic, still projects as a big-league starter. In a few years more, we’ll know more about his career, but he doesn’t look like a bad pick at 12 overall so far.

Keenan Bell only hit .229 last year and struck out 174 times his rookie year, but he also blasted 39 home runs, drove in 102 RBIs, and played strong defense in Left Field. His hit tool limits his all-around profile, but he’s still a starting major league player.

Bryan Hoeing has put up a 3.64 ERA in 113.2 career innings as a reliever. Hoeing is good in the clubhouse as well, and has the arm strength to work as a starter if needed. For a third rounder, he’s a nice pick. Miami’s eighth-rounder Garrett Gonzales looks like a Triple-A Third Baseman as he put up 3.5 WAR in Double-A last year. Triple-A depth has some value and is a slight positive.

Grade: A-: Miami got three players that look like major leaguers in the draft, which is a terrific outcome. Even though it’s possible that Hayashida and Hoeing are relievers and Bell never develops into more than a flawed slugger, it’s still a pretty good haul and better than most teams in the class.


Milwaukee Brewers:

First Round: (10) Chris Primavera—RF
First Round: (28) Talbot Owry—LF (Pick acquired along with 2nd round pick (36)*, Charlie Tilson, and Jorge Polanco from Chicago White Sox for Corey D. Ray, Lorenzo Cain, and Danny Salazar)
Second Round: (17) Dave Prosser—1B
Second Round: (36) Austin Bodrato—CF*
Third Round: (16) Devon Roedahl—P—UNSIGNED

Best Player: (15) Tim Kierstead

Best Deep Cut: (15) Tim Kierstead

Total ML WAR: 0

Review: The most notable thing about the Brewers draft is the presence of Tim Kierstead who may be an ace. Popped in the 15th round and drafted as a 6-9 curio, Kierstead only had two real pitches when he was picked. More than five years later, he’s developed his changeup from a telegraphed hanger to one of the most devastating change of paces in the minors. His pick is a huge win for Milwaukee.

Their top of the draft is less of a home run. Chris Primavera had a lot of potential when he was picked, but his approach was a question mark. That lack of patience is a reason he’s still in Low-A and doesn’t look like he’ll play above Double-A.

In picking up some extra draft picks, Milwaukee selected a few more impatient outfielders. Owry is a similar player to Primavera, but with less speed. Austin Bodrato, however, will take some pitches and has a nice ability to make contact on some tricky pitches and shoot the gap. He could be a major leaguer. Milwaukee got those two in a deal where they also got a couple of good years from Charlie Tilson before he fell off and a pair of successful seasons from Jorge Polanco. The cost was giving up Lorenzo Cain’s dead money, an increasingly costly Danny Salazar, and a player in Corey Ray who fizzled out early in his career.

With where Milwaukee was, picking up the two picks was a good piece of business, and they maintained respectability in the short term as well.

Milwaukee passed on signing University of Florida grad Devon Roedahl in the third round, using the compensation pick to pick Florida State’s Kyu-Cheol Kym. Roedahl is in Triple-A in Toronto’s system with a chance to contribute to a major league team, while Kym played 116 games and produced a negative WAR for the Lotte Giants in Korea last year. It’s an expected outcome for anyone who turns down a Gator for a Seminole.

Grade: A: Kierstead is the type of player who changes franchises, and Milwaukee popped him in the 15th Round. They also did a nice piece of business to get Bodrato and some competent major leaguers in the Ray trade. If they got any other player who looks like a major leaguer, it would have been an A+.


Minnesota Twins:

First Round: (7) Jimmy Whittaker—P—UNSIGNED
First Round: (29) Tristan Lutz—RF—Compensation for not signing Seth Romero—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (8) Parker Kelly—P—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (10) Jared Horn—P—Compensation for not signing Nate Pearson—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (7) Eric Fooshee—P—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (9) Ben Jordan—P—Compensation for not signing Alek Thomas—UNSIGNED

Best Player: Ernie de la Trinidad (27)

Best Deep Cut: Ernie de la Trinidad (27)

Total ML WAR: 0

Review: Only three players from the class are still playing professionally, with nobody from the first six rounds signed. That gives the Twins a failing grade in terms of talent acquired from the draft. Looking at assets, the Twins had a bunch of picks coming from unsigned picks in prior drafts, leading to an armada of selections in the 2021 draft. Sure the 2021 draft was fine, but going so long without a pick leads to an underdeveloped system for a long time.

This is true especially when looking at some of the unsigned players. Jimmy Whittaker would be the best player in the class if he were signed and was a Top 20 Prospect. Parker Kelly looks like a big leaguer. Nate Pearson and Alek Thomas look like fringe major leaguers, and the Twins didn’t get any fruit from those two picks from 2018 until 2021.

Grade: F: The Twins didn’t sign any of the talented players they picked, even with a huge haul of selections. Their stash of picks didn’t bear fruit the next year either, meaning the club went three years without an infusion of talent into their minor league system. Just an abject falure.


New York Yankees:

First Round: (23) David Hamilton—2B
Second Round: (29) Josh Cranford—P
Third Round: (31) Tyler Duncan—CF

Best Player: Tyler Duncan

Best Deep Cut: NA

Total ML WAR: 3.7

Review: Only two players from the Yankees draft are still playing baseball, and both have punched above their weight in their professional careers. Nonetheless, the Yankees have the third-most WAR to date of the class, which is pretty remarkable.

Hamilton is a glove-only middle infielder with smooth actions and sure hands. More than a third of his career professional home run total came in a 20-game cup of coffee with Oakland in 2023, where he popped three home runs in 70 at bats. Combined with a .300 average and his great glove, it gave him 0.7 WAR for the year. In roughly three full seasons worth of games in the Pacific Coast League, Hamilton has 18 home runs and a .242 average. It’s a very fluky 0.7 WAR.

That being said, Hamilton is a difference-making defender and perfectly adequate as a backup glove or Triple-A defender. Jimmy McCabe would have been a better pick, but Hamilton isn’t a total bust.

Tyler Duncan also defied OSA scouts and turned in a .304 average with 15 home runs in under 100 games last year. He hit everywhere in the low minors, but had no track record above High-A, before turning into New York’s second-straight unheralded center field success story. He’s one of the most intriguing players in the draft going forward.

Grade: C+: The Hamilton pick is a C- as Hamilton is a backup infielder at best. The Yankees grade also gets dinged for having literally only two players still playing baseball. However, they did get an impact starter out of the draft, which is a notable accomplishment.


New York Mets:

First Round: (19) Nate Pearson—P
Second Round: (27) Brandon McIlwain—C
Third Round: (27) Brock Love—P

Best Player: Nate Pearson

Best Deep Cut: NA

Total ML WAR: -0.3

Review: The Mets drafted one major leaguer in this draft and he is currently sitting at a career -0.35 WAR and buried on the bullpen depth chart for the Braves. The Mets deserve some credit however. They managed to trade Pearson and a few other prospects for a partial season of Matt Andriese where he put up 2 WAR. It’s a credit to Mets management to at least get something out of Pearson. However, the rest of the Mets draft was atrocious with no one else looking like they will ever make the majors and 12 out of the 30 total picks having negative minor league WAR. That’s almost half of the Mets class. Arguably the Mets draftees from this year made the organization worse as a whole rather than better. One “highlight” is 29th rounder Nolan Bumstead (the jokes write themselves) who retired with 11 career PA and negative WAR, a microcosm for the Mets draft, and what the 2019 draft was as a whole.

In the second round the Mets made a good pick relative to this class with outfielder Brandon McIlwain. McIlwain once had a lot of potential with the bat, but his hitting never developed. Still, he managed to reach Triple-A last season and a win a PCL Gold Glove in Left Field. That’s not nothing for this class. Still he isn’t someone who should ever really be in the majors.

In the third round the Mets took a man named Brock Love, who hails from Rainbow City, Alabama. Brock is a pitcher who never had more than 1.5 star potential according to OSA so it’s hard to see what the Mets scouting department was thinking there. Love actually has good minor league numbers these past two seasons, which might seem like a plus, but he is already 28 and doesn’t have major league ability to locate his pitches. Even for 2019, this seems like a bad pick. Brock is the Mets leader for minor league pitching WAR for this class.

There is no one else worth writing home about.

Grade: D: A Triple-A talent and managing to trade their first rounder for a useful season of a major leaguer saves the Mets from an F.


Oakland Athletics:

First Round: (6) Jon Gagen—P
Second Round: (13) Jon Courtemanche—P
Third Round: (12) Thomas Dillard—C

Best Player: Jon Gagen

Best Deep Cut: (11) Michael Farley

Total ML WAR: -0.5

Review: Jon Gagen, nicknamed Dingo, was brutal in his debut season last year, producing a 7.69 ERA, including a 10.26 ERA as a starter. His changeup hasn’t developed, making him a sinker/slider pitcher, with no real way to get lefties out. He may be a good reliever, but he lacks the repertoire to be a starter. Even in a weak class, and even as an impact reliever, that’s still a disappointing outcome for the sixth overall pick.

Jon Courtemanche could not stop giving up home runs for Baltimore this year, but the pitcher had an excellent 2023 and profiles are a good control arm when he isn’t giving up bushels of homers in small samples. Thomas Dillard put up replacement level numbers as a backup Catcher for Milwaukee in 2023. Oakland has a handful of mid-round picks still playing baseball, but they’re all either in the low-minors or overseas.

Grade: C-: The Gagen pick has to be a bit of a disappointment as he hasn’t turned into a starter. He could still be a useful reliever, but Mike Fitzgerald was picked two spots after him. Courtemanche has developed into a talented pitcher, even if the results haven’t been there on a defensively-challenged Orioles team. That’s a win for Oakland. Dillard is a C+ pick as a guy who can be a passable backup.


Philadelphia Phillies:

First Round: (5) Mason Englert—P
Second Round: (7) Dave Simon—P (Compensation for not signing Tyler Freeman)
Second Round: (11) Jeremiah Jackson—SS
Third Round: (10) Joe Ferland—P

Best Player: Dave Simon

Best Deep Cut: Chad Bryant (16)

Total ML WAR: 3.3

Review: Mason Englert looks like an average Triple-A arm taken fifth overall. There were a lot of busted pitchers in the first round which tempers the fact that the Phillies will get little out of such a premium pick, but it’s still a bad pick. The Phillies failed to sign Tyler Freeman in 2018, and went with a safe reliever in Dave Simon with their initial second round pick. Freeman may be a major league backup, while Simon is one of the best PBA relievers in any situation that isn’t a Game 7 against the Cubs.

Jeremiah Jackson did not hit in a half season with Baltimore last year, but he has the defensive versatility to make himself a long-term PBA backup. Joe Ferland is another unsexy option as a reliever, but he struck out 79 hitters in 53.1 innings for the Phillies last year. That’s talent plucked in the third round, and no pitcher picked after him has produced more WAR to date.

Fifth rounder Alfredo Trevino had 3.2 WAR in Triple-A last year, giving hope that he may be able to cut it as a future backup Catcher. Unlike some teams, Philadelphia also has multiple players still active across the PBA minors, giving hope that one of them may catch lightning in a bottle and develop to a point to provide even more value.

Grade: B-: Outside of the Englert pick, Philadelphia had a strong draft. The Phillies didn’t force things, taking relievers and getting production out of them, where other teams took position players or starting pitchers and got nothing. Getting a couple of players who legitimately look like major league backups are also victories in the context of the draft class, and having some random mid-level picks still applying their crafts in the minors is a small win as well. It was a very well executed draft after their first pick.


Pittsburgh Pirates:

First Round: (18) Thierno Danna—P
First Round: (32) Kollin Schrenk—P (Compensation for not signing Jeremiah Jackson)
Second Round: (22) Thomas Burbank—P
Third Round: (23) Mitchell Kilkenny—P

Best Player: Thierno Danna

Best Deep Cut: (11) Jake Slaughter

Total ML WAR: -0.2

Review: Pittsburgh drafted pitchers in 2019, lots and lots of pitchers. In fact, their first seven 2019 draft picks were pitchers. And as any long-time PBL GM can attest, young pitchers are a crapshoot and often very tough to develop.

So, hats off to the Pirates front office who took some risks drafting young pitchers, but have done an admirable job developing several of them into quality prospects.

Danna is the cream of the crop. He has been a top-100 prospect for most of his minor-league career, peaking at no. 55 in 2022. With a devastating splitter and the potential for a solid changeup, he could eventually front the Pirates’ rotation and develop into a real workhorse. His 2024 debut was certainly promising, racking up 0.7 WAR in relief with a 2.93 FIP and 127 ERA+. And at age 24, there’s plenty of room to improve further from there.

While none of Pittsburgh’s other pitchers taken in 2019 have kept pace with Danna, several have either already made the majors or look poised to do so shortly including Schrenk, a soft-tossing righty with a great curveball/changeup combination but questionable command, Burbank, a quality starter who could pair with Danna atop the Pirates rotation for years to come if he can successfully recover from a ruptured UCL that sidelined him during the second half last season, fifth-rounderCole Wilcox who appears to be a serviceable starter who could land at the back-end of a rotation, and seventh-round Third Baseman Steve Besteder, a possible Gold Glove candidate at the hot corner who put up a 120 OPS+ at AA Altoona last year.

Grade: A: It’s possible that the Pirates nabbed three major league starters in the 2019 draft (possibly four if Schrenk can iron out his control issues), plus a solid third baseman. That’s a heck of a return in any year, but particularly in what appears to be a fairly talent-starved draft.


San Diego Padres:

First Round: (4) Jorge Navarro—2B
Second Round: (6) Will Coronado—P—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (6) Jordan McFarland—LF—UNSIGNED

Best Player: Jorge Navaro

Best Deep Cut: Patrick Naughton (29)

Total ML WAR: 0

Review: San Diego spent their first-round pick on Jorge Navarro, a low-upside middle-infielder making his way through San Diego’s low minors. Navarro is only 23, and after a rough start to his professional career, has developed and turned in a nice season in 2024 in Fort Wayne. Navarro doesn’t have great range or a dynamic bat, making him most likely a Triple-A player, as he’s not likely a starter, nor is he flexible enough to be a backup. Getting a player who isn’t guaranteed to make the majors with the fourth overall pick is not a good look.

Will Coronado wasn’t signed, which might have been a blessing as he was injured and done as a professional player after 2022. Jordan McFarland also wasn’t signed and isn’t a great loss to the team. The draft picks turned into Tristan Lutz and Kevin Podolak in 2020, and slightly better players.

The Padres, in fact, didn’t sign any of their non-first-rounders until Round 6. The only players from the draft aside from Navaro still playing pro ball are seventh rounder Kai-Ge Shao, an outfielder who hasn’t escaped the low minors, and three pitchers towards the back of the draft still working as non-entities in the low minors.

Grade: F: The Padres get a slight passing grade from not signing several dreadful picks and getting better value in future drafts. Still, there were competent players taken in the Second and Third rounds that the team missed out on, and their first rounder won’t be an impact player. They didn’t get any depth from the draft either. With a strong possibility of a 0-WAR class, the team’s grade has to be an F.


San Francisco Giants:

First Round: (24) Juan Ochoa—P—UNSIGNED
Supplemental Round: (1) Kelyn Klattenburger—RF—UNSIGNED—Compensation for not resigning Mark Melancon
Supplemental Round: (2) Billy Cushing—P—UNSIGNED—Compensation for not resigning Michael Brantley
Second Round: (30) Carlos A. Cortes—2B—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (33) Zach Attianese—P—UNSIGNED

Best Player: (7) Austin Shenton

Best Deep Cut: (11) Jonathan Eliott

Total ML WAR: 0.1

Review: San Francisco had a few extra picks in this draft as a result of losing several key free agents as they started a rebuild. However, they didn’t sign any of their early picks. In fact, it wasn’t until 2021 that they signed early picks. As a result, in the case of Juan Ochoa, a pretty good-looking pitcher, they didn’t get a player for not signing him until they popped Shamar Polite in 2021. Polite is also a pretty good-looking pitcher, and in the case of similar value, you’d rather get it sooner over later.

Mark Melancon and Michael Brantley still had several seasons of good play ahead of them, but San Francisco did opt to rebuild. They used their pick on Klattenburger who looks like a star, but didn’t sign him, getting Curt Gemma instead. Gemma could be a closer and looks like a terrific reliever, but Klattenburger looks like an offensive superstar. The Giants eventually got Klattenburger back in their system, but had to give up assets to do so. With their other supplemental pick, they passed on signing Billy Cushing who looks like a low-minors reliever, eventually using the pick to take J.J. Ratliff, who looks like a Triple-A reliever.

In not signing Carlos A. Cortes and Zach Attianese, both non-entities, the Giants were able to get starting pitcher Chris Davis and outfielder Zach Stone. Both look like future pros, so that worked out well for the Giants.

In picks they actually signed, only two are currently active. Austin Shenton looks like a backup player on the left side of the field in some capacity. In getting him in the seventh round, San Francisco did very well. They also still have 11th-rounder Jonathan Eliott playing, but he’s a low-minors First Baseman with no power.

Grade: D+: Losing Ochoa just to sign Polite is a D- move as it simply kept talent out of San Francisco’s system for two years. Likewise, losing Melancon, not signing a potential star with the compensation pick, and letting that pick linger for two years is also a D- move, with only the fact that Curt Gemma looks like a really good reliever keeping it from being an F. Likewise, the Giants essentially turned Michael Brantley into a Triple-A reliever, an F move. In later rounds, the Giants did better. In not signing their second and third round picks, they passed up on signing valueless players. Two years later, they got major league caliber players. They also got a major league caliber player in Shenton in the seventh round. Those moves allowed San Francisco to have a passing grade.


Seattle Mariners:

First Round: (16) Sam Hodge—P
First Round: (20) Shane Tucker—P (Pick Acquired from Chicago Cubs with Jayson Heyward, David Berg, and Christopher Morel for Hisashi Iwakuma)
Second Round: (20) Jacob McCarthy—LF
Third Round: (14) Dante Biasi—1B
Third Round: (21) Cooper Johnson—C (Compensation for not signing Joseph Mercado)

Best Player: Sam Hodge

Best Deep Cut: (13) Josh Bush

Total ML WAR: 0.6

Review: Sam Hodge has been a middlingly-effective reliever for four seasons, despite the fact that he largely only has one pitch, a mid-90’s cutter. He’s one of the few pitchers in the league who also has multiple home runs though, which is pretty cool. Seattle also got the still useful Jason Heyward, plus a draft pick and filler, for Hisashi Iwakuma. There were a host of players Seattle could have taken instead of the now-retired Shane Tucker, but they still got value in the process of acquiring the pick.

Jacob McCarthy is a low-minors outfielder, and Dante Biasi is retired. Cooper Johnson can be an upper-minors Catcher, a far better outcome than Joseph Mercado who only appeared in 23 minor league games. Sixth-rounder Michael Toglia has hit in the minors and looks like a Triple-A player with local ties to Seattle. That’s not bad value for the sixth round. Josh Bush looks like a speed-and-defense Center Fielder who can probably be a backup in Triple-A. Not the worst pick in the 13th round.

Grade: C-: There’s a lot of underwhelming, but decent moves at play with Seattle’s draft. They got a useful reliever, but not particularly a standout with their first pick. They got a solid enough outfielder in taking on their second first round pick, but Heyward’s contract was pricy and they didn’t get much else. Passing on Mercado take Cooper Johnson is decent. Getting good minor leaguers in the middle rounds is decent. Add it all together and you get a decent grade.


St. Louis Cardinals:

First Round: (13) Ignacio Vigil—P—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (16) Vince Morgan—P
Third Round: (15) D.J. Neal—RF

Best Player: Vince Morgan

Best Deep Cut: (22) Ken Vaughn

Total ML WAR: 0.9

Review: St. Louis didn’t sign Ignacio Vigil in 2019, which was smart as he turned into an injured wreck in the Pirates system. The rolled over pick turned into Jake Sanfilippo, who was just taken by Boston in the Rule V draft. The decision to not sign Vigil was a smart move in hindsight.

Vince Morgan made it to the PBA last year as a relief arm and had a successful year, with a 3.35 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 94 innings. He looks like a successful relief pick. D.J. Neal is a speedster in Double-A without a major league future ahead of him. Fourth-Round closer Austin Drury struggled in Double-A and also likely doesn’t have a major league future ahead of him. Sixth-rounder Serafino Brito was picked out of Farleigh Dickinson, and after a .640 OPS in Triple-A as a Designated Hitter last year, I’m Farleigh Certain he won’t have a major league future ahead of him.

Deep in the draft, the club picked Ken Vaughn. He only has two pitches at this point, but scouts think he could be a viable option thanks to a mid-90’s heater and a terrific slider. He hangs those pitches too frequently, but he can miss bats.

Grade: C+: The Cardinals got a good reliever, a decent Second Baseman in 2020, and a potential swingman out of the draft, which is about what’s needed to have the draft be a success.


Tampa Bay Rays:

First Round: (26) Tyler Freeman—SS—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (33) D.J. Roberts—P
Third Round: (36) Nicholas Quintana—3B

Best Player: (14) Collin Snider

Best Deep Cut: (14) Collin Snider

Total ML WAR: 0

Review: Collin Snider, picked up in the 14th round, is the only player from the draft class still playing professionally. The under-talented 28-year-old Right Fielder looks like a low-minors caliber player through-and-through meaning the Rays didn’t get any value out of the draft.

The one piece of business that worked out was punting on signing Tyler Freeman, opting to get a pick in 2020 that turned into current Braves starter Nate Capriglione. Freeman looks like a fantastic defender who might be able to hit enough to start. Capriglione, as a clear starting pitcher, has worked out better than Freeman has.

That’s all that Tampa Bay got out of 30 available picks.

Grade: F: Essentially flipping Tyler Freeman for Nate Capriglione was a good decision, but the Rays got nothing else out of the class despite decent relievers and upper minors depth lurking. To get so little brings the grade down to just shy of failing.


Texas Rangers:

First Round: (27) Matthew Thompson—P
Second Round: (35) Austin Langworthy—LF—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (38) Austin Becker—P

Best Player: Matthew Thompson

Best Deep Cut: NA

Total ML WAR: 0

Review: The Rangers signed 25 draft picks in 2019. None of them are currently with the organization. Twenty-four have retired from professional baseball and one, first-rounder Matthew Thompson, has bounced around the minor leagues with four different organizations.

That’s not to say Thompson is bereft of promise. He’s a hard-throwing 24-year old reliever with a decent fastball and a fringy curve and slider. He put up a great year for the Phillies’ AAA squad in 2024, with a 1.01 ERA and jaw-dropping 385 ERA+ over 53 innings. While that may be an outlier – it was certainly has best professional season by far – he looks like the type of guy who could fashion a decent major league career at the back-end of a major league bullpen.

The only other 2019 Rangers draft pick still in the majors is Austin Langworthy, their second-round pick who they failed to sign. He was taken in the 8th round by the Royals the following year and is currently in the Angels system. While he had some success early in his career, including a 2021 Platinum Stick Award in the Appalachian League, at 27 and coming off a very forgettable 2024 AAA campaign, he’s likely to join the ranks of retired Rangers draft picks shortly.

Grade: D+: On one hand, the Rangers drafted a guy with their first-round pick who looks like he will eventually make the majors. Not for the Rangers mind you, but at least for some club. And the Rangers astutely moved him in 2020 with a package of other prospects to Seattle for perennial All-Star pitcher Marcus Stroman, so he did end up contributing quite a bit to the Rangers organization even though he wasn’t around long. But on the other hand, outside of Thompson the Rangers got almost no value from their 2019 picks. Most washed out of professional baseball within a couple of years, with the rest following shortly thereafter.


Toronto Blue Jays:

First Round: (15) Loeck Roenhorst—P
Second Round: (19) T.J. Collette—C
Third Round: (20) Blake Sabol—C—Unsigned

Best Player: T.J. Collette

Best Deep Cut: Cody Morris (11)

Total ML WAR: 1.2

Review: Roenhorst had a better postseason then regular season his rookie year, but he has some potential as a future back-end starting pitcher as a hard thrower with a good splitter and changeup. There are some better arms are younger who were taken after him, but looking at other potential options, he’s not a miss. Collette has had the most WAR to date out of the Catcher spot and looks like perhaps the best Catcher of the class. He showed his talent with a .783 OPS his rookie year.

Blake Sabol was picked and unsigned. He went in the 16th round the next year, so not the worst pick to discard. Brayden Theriot can be a back-end of a bullpen guy in the ninth round. There’s very little depth, but that’s an issue that will pop up for nearly every team.

Grade: A-: Collett is one of the best players in the class, and Roenhorst has a chance to be decent as well. Toronto even saved money by not signing their third-round pick. They didn’t get anything after Roenhorst and Collette, but in a draft this bad, two good players is enough for an excellent grade.


Washington Nationals:

First Round: Forfeited as a result of signing Michael Brantley
First Round: (31) T.J. Walker—P (Compensation for not signing Ryder Green)
Second Round: (24) Jon Carter—P
Third Round: (24) Luka Dalatri—1B
Third Round: (30) Grant Wolfram—P (Compensation for not signing Kody Clemens)

Best Player: Jon Carter

Best Deep Cut: NA

Total ML WAR: 2.4

Review: The Nationals lost their first-round pick as a result of signing Michael Brantley in the offseason. Brantley hit .286 with 86 RBIs in 137 games as Washington went 100-62 and made the playoffs for the first time in the PBA. Considering how weak the draft turned out, substituting a draft pick for two seasons of solid offense for a team developing into a powerhouse was worth it.

Washington didn’t sign Ryder Green in 2018, getting T.J. Walker as a result. Walker will likely never be a major league contributor, while Green ended up a first-round pick in three drafts and looks like he could be a decent bat or a decent reliever. That pick was a bust.

Jon Carter has turned out to be an excellent pitcher. He’s fifth in the class in WAR as a short relief arm. He’s been an explosive, if volatile, reliever for three seasons now, and despite a lack of command, has such a dynamic fastball-curveball combination that it hasn’t mattered. Even though he’s just a reliever, he was a great pick.

Luka Dalatri and Grant Wolfram were released after three seasons. Wolfram was compensation for Washington not signing Kody Clemens the year prior. Clemens is still playing baseball—albeit replacement level Triple-A baseball—while Wolfram is retired, giving that pick a slightly negative grade.

Sixth-rounder Nate Walker is in Triple-A, as a replacement-level arm, while seventh-round outfielder Cade Cabbiness is also a replacement level player in Triple-A. That qualifies as decent depth in this class.

Grade: B+: Giving up the pick to sign Brantley and drafting Carter are standout moves. Not signing guys in 2018 hurts as the players they failed to sign were much better than the players they picked as compensation. Still, given the low bar, coming away with Brantley and Carter is strong work.



Most WAR
Houston Astros 5.2
Kansas City Royals 4.5
New York Yankees 3.7
Philadelphia Phillies 3.3
Chicago White Sox 2.5
Washington Nationals 2.4
Baltimore Orioles 2
Toronto Blue Jays 1.2
Atlanta Braves 1
St. Louis Cardinals 0.9
Detroit Tigers 0.7
Seattle Mariners 0.6
San Francisco Giants 0.1
Chicago Cubs 0
Colorado Rockies -
San Diego Padres -
Los Angeles Dodgers -
Milwaukee Brewers -
Tampa Bay Rays -
Minnesota Twins -
Texas Rangers -
Boston Red Sox -0.1
Pittsburgh Pirates -0.2
Cleveland Indians -0.3
Miami Marlins -0.3
New York Mets -0.3
Oakland Athletics -0.5
Arizona Diamondbacks -0.9
Cincinnati Reds -0.9
Los Angeles Angels -2

[Commissioner Erick]

Dave Twibell, and Luke Grimmelbein contributed to the reviews

[Commissioner Erick]

The 2019 draft was far different than previous drafts for a number of reasons. For starters, while prior drafts had a handful of superstar talents who developed quickly and made an impact early in their professional careers, the 2019 draft has not had that situation. The most talented players either weren’t signed or were extremely young and haven’t had a chance to make a mark.

Furthermore, pitchers were primarily taken in the early rounds with varied success. Some pitchers were slow-developing, and have extreme variability, ranging from front-line starters to bullpen arms. A number of other pitchers were flat out busts. The most reliable picks were straight bullpen arms who were able to arrive in the majors early and contribute from an early age.

The overall talent level is weak with few talented players selected after the second round. Few teams have more than a pair or trio of talented players taken in the draft, and a number of the better players taken were random pop-ups taken deep in the draft. The depth of the class also tended to be older and weaker, and as a result, a significant percentage of selections in later rounds have given up on baseball entirely, something that was not the case in the 2017 and 2018 drafts.

The relative dearth of talent led to curving the draft grades to account for the difficulty in finding talent. However, most teams were able to come away with a starting-caliber player or impact reliever and a depth piece, so the grades then had to be re-curved downward.

While the draft was certainly unique when looking at prior and future classes, that doesn’t mean talent wasn’t to be had and certain teams navigated the situation well. Some teams forfeited picks to sign compensation free agents, a decision that paid off, while others turned unsigned selections into better players in future drafts.


The 2019 draft somehow largely looks worse with time. A notoriously weak class, the fringe players largely didn’t hit, and the compensation picks in future years also tended to not turn into spectacular successes. A few picks at the very top of the draft hit, some second and third rounders turned into stars, and then some mid-round and deep picks turned into stars in a very random fashion.

Grading the draft required a more forgiving attitude than other drafts. Getting players who had a couple of strong individual seasons in otherwise uneventful careers results in a good grade. Grabbing multiple successful relievers is a win. Lucking into a star gets you right to the top. A curve was applied to try to get the average grade in the C range. Since not netting any PBA players is essentially an automatic F, and most teams got something from the class—cups of coffee, a mediocre reliever, a backup infielder—grades tend to be clustered around the C range, with players getting more earning Bs, or lucking into stars getting As.



Arizona Diamondbacks:

First Round: (9) Tristan Casas—P
Second Round: (5) Nick Donnelly—1B—Compensation for not signing Thomas Burbank
Second Round: (9) Cal Conley—SS
Third Round: (5) Zeke Young—P—Compensation for not signing Cole Wilcox
Third Round: (8) G.T. Blanden—P

Best Player: Tristan Casas

Best Deep Cut: (13) Colt Gorman—P

2024 Total ML WAR: -0.9
2029 Total ML WAR: 5.8

2024 Review: Arizona had the misfortunate of having a number of rolled over picks, and to date the class has accumulated -0.9 WAR, but looking deeper, it wasn’t a poor draft. Tristan Casas’ two-way nature has stunted his development but splitting its focus. He still has the raw tools to be a good hitter though, and showed last year in eight outings, he can be an effective major league future. He’ll only be 25-next year, so he has a lot of potential upside despite being such an actively hurtful player in his rookie season in 2023.

Not signing Thomas Burbank to get the opportunity to draft Nick Donnelly is a failure, with better picks taken right after him, including Dave Simon. Cal Conley has been atrocious offensively in his PBA career, racking up -0.9 WAR last year with a 46 OPS+ at Shortstop. He still can be a decent backup with some development at least.

Zeke Young has retired already, so his pick over Cole Wilcox was not good, though G.T. Blanden can be a pretty good reliever. Fourth rounder Jon Olsen and 13th Rounder Colt Gorman look like respectable Quad-A swingmen.

2029 Review: Tristan Casas has had an interesting career. He’s been an okay pitcher, winning double digit games four times. He’s never had a spectacular year as a pitcher though. He’s only had one year where he had a significant number of at bats as a hitter and he had a solid .779 OPS before being moved full time to the mound. He’s been a better hitter than Jimmy McCabe though, who is the first good position player taken right after him. He’s been worth about as much as Doug Syversen in terms of WAR, though Casas got a bit of a late start due to confusion over what to do with him.

Arizona had a pair of second round picks. They didn’t sign Thomas Burbank in 2018, using the pick on Nick Donnelly. Donnelly had one good season in the minors before blowing up in the Meridian League, but Thomas Burbank has been a solid back-rotation starter for awhile. Arizona’s other second rounder was used on Cal Conley, a solid backup infielder and a decent enough pick.

Arizona failed to sign Cole Wilcox, a pitcher with a decent cup of coffee in 2023. The compensation pick was used on Zeke Young who never pitched in the PBA. That was a neutral move. Their other third rounder, G.T. Blanden, has been a decent Triple-A arm that hasn’t pitched in the PBA yet, but has a chance. Fourth rounder Jon Olsen pitched five years for the Marlins ineffectively and has been worth -3.6 WAR in his career. No other player has played in the PBA.

2024 Grade: B. The Casas pick likely gets an A- as Casas still has the potential to be a terrific player and better than anyone chosen after him. Picking Donnelly and Young are F’s. Cal Conley is likely a C- option, and Blanden is an A. There are a lot of competing factors working, and a lot is still to be determined by players who have not proven success, but you can imagine Casas being a starter, Blanden being a good relief pitcher, and Conley being a major league backup. Throw in a few depth pieces, and that’s worth a B in this draft.

2029 Grade: B-. Getting Casas and Conley at their spots in the draft were solid, if not spectacular picks. Donnelly’s shown something in the Meridian League, but Burbank should have been signed in 2018. As a result, it’s a good draft, but not a great draft.


Atlanta Braves:

First Round: (2) Bobby Witt Jr.—3B
Second Round: (4) John Malcom—1B
Third Round: (4) Joe Salisbury—P

Best Player: Bobby Witt Jr.

Best Deep Cut: (15) Grant Meylan—CF

2024 Total ML WAR: 1.0
2029 Total ML WAR: 17.5

2024 Review: Atlanta didn’t mess around with the second pick of the draft. After Boston picked Sergio Ochoa, the Braves grabbed Witt Jr. Witt turned into a future Top-10 prospect and should be a Top 10 Third Baseman or Shortstop for a half decade. With so many misses in the draft, Atlanta grabbed someone ho has a strong bat and a strong glove and who will challenge for the best player in the class.

John Malcom is a quad-A type player as a First Baseman who has cleaned up the International League but struggled in his stint in the majors. There were some players picked after him who have had better careers, but a quad-A player in the second round of this draft isn’t a death sentence.

Joe Salisbury, picked in the third round, has no big-league future, but fourth-rounder Blake Paugh is a replacement level corner infielder in Triple-A. Anthony Molina is their other player still playing professionally. He was Atlanta’s eighth-round selection and looks like a decent Triple-A pitcher.

2029 Review: It’s a pretty cut-and-dry draft. Atlanta had an early pick and grabbed the best position player in the class. Witt has toggled between Third Base and Shortstop in his career, and while the glove hasn’t quite played there, the bat made him a terror, and he’s hit well enough at Third Base to be a weapon there as well.

In the second round, Atlanta picked John Malcolm who has quietly had a nice career as a second division starting First Baseman for Oakland, with steady averages, decent pop, and a good glove.

Atlanta didn’t get anything else from the draft.

2019 Grade: B+. Atlanta grabbed a player that could be the best player in the draft, and added to that with a few Triple-A players who may be able to contribute with some slight development. That’s a win.

2024 Grade: A-. Malcolm’s steady career raises the grade to an A-. Getting a second starter to complement an All-Star in Witt is great work.


Baltimore Orioles:

First Round: (17) Mike Sempek—3B
Second Round: (21) Tommy Stanfield—P
Third Round: (22) Josh Smith—3B

Best Player: Tommy Stanfield

Best Deep Cut: (22) Luis Ortega—P

2024 Total ML WAR: 2.0
2029 Total ML WAR: 24.6

2024 Review: Mike Sempek has a bizarre profile as a terrible defender with no power and fantastic bat-to-ball skills. How much production can you get out of a guy who swings at everything, hits everything, but can’t pop the ball over the fence as a First Baseman, Designated Hitter, or a defensive liability? That being said, there could be a player here and Sempek hit for an .817 OPS with the Orioles last year in an extremely small sample. Sempek has virtually no experience above Rookie Ball and is still a bit of an enigma. Jimmy McCabe was picked early in the Second Round, and maybe some middle infielders would have been safer options, but again, Sempek could be something if he hits .300 with some doubles.

Stanfield is a potential mid-rotation starter popped in the Second Round. He has the most WAR to date of any starter in the class, and has the upside to lead the class when it’s all said and done. He features four pitches, has great breaking balls, and keeps the ball on the ground. He’s a standout selection.

Baltimore doesn’t have a ton of high-potential players picked after Stanfield, but every player they signed until the 12th round is still active, as are numerous others picked after. In fact, 22nd rounder Luis Ortega made five appearances for the club last year, and while he had a 6.63 ERA, he also had positive WAR with 19 strikeouts in 19 innings. Ortega has carved up the minors the past two years and could be a good starting pitcher.

2029 Review: Despite missing on Mike Sempek in the first round, a player who’s never hit at the PBA level, the Orioles had a great draft. Tommy Stanfield had an excellent career with Baltimore, going 18-0 in 2025 and being worth 17.8 WAR with Baltimore, second most in the draft class.

Third rounder Josh Smith never made the PBA, but fifth round Catcher Zack Smith did, as a sub-replacement level backup in 2026. Sixth round pick Juan Acevedo also made the PBA when he shouldn’t have—he played one year back in 2024, and was worth -0.8 WAR in 20 games as he simply wasn’t good enough for the PBA but the Astros needed bodies.

Baltimore made two good picks late in the draft. In the 16th round, they popped Aydan Beaubien, a Canadian Catcher who did a good job defensively in 2027 to be worth 1.0 WAR. They then took Luis Ortega in the 22nd round. Ortega was a solid reliever in the later half of the decade for Baltimore and hasn’t had an ERA below 3.10 after his rookie season.

2024 Grade: B+. The Orioles got a clear PBA starter in Stanfield, plus a potential starter deep in the draft. Sempek is a player to watch as well, and with a lot of guys still active, there are bites at the apple. In a weak draft, this is about the best you can hope for.

2029 Grade: A: Baltimore did a great job grabbing Tommy Stanfield and Luis Ortega, and got decent depth with Aydan Beaubien. Getting that despite missing on their first rounder in a weak draft is excellent work.


Boston Red Sox:

First Round: (1) Sergio Ochoa—P—UNSIGNED
First Round: (30) Jon Waitz—P—Compensation for not signing Tristan Lutz
Second Round: (2) Andrew Mundy—P
Second Round: (23) Gilbert de Vries—P—Compensation for not signing Mitch Hickey
Third Round: (2) Bo Weiss—P
Third Round: (19) Zach Farrar—CF—Compensation for not signing Donnie Sellers—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (28) Julian Infante—3B—Compensation for not signing Nick Donnelly—UNSIGNED

Best Player: Bo Weiss

Best Deep Cut: (16) Jeffrey Barton—P

2024 Total ML WAR: -0.1
2029 Total ML WAR: -0.1

2024 Review: Boston had seven picks in the first three rounds, including two first rounders, including the first overall pick, and came away with no sure major leaguers. Sergio Ochoa has star potential, but went unsigned, turning into Mike Billings the following year—a huge downgrade and a waste of a first overall pick. The move from Tristan Lutz to Jon Waitz isn’t a huge downgrade, but there were better options than Waitz available.

Andrew Mundy will not have a major league career, and while moving on from Mitch Hickey was fine, Gilbert de Vries will not pitch in the majors either. Bo Weiss is merely a fringe major leaguer, as his stuff has not shown it can play in the bigs.

Zach Farrar was the product of a pick cycled from 2017 through 2021 and ending with a player whose career will die in the minors or overseas. Julian Infante has made the majors and has a future as a second-division corner infielder. Boston kept the pick unsigned, having it turn into potential second division corner outfielder Bob Lacy. They might as well have kept Infante.

They didn’t get much else of note, though Jeffrey Barton is a development success as a Quad-A starter picked in the 16th round. He’s produced replacement level results in 13.1 big league innings.

2029 Review: Boston drafted Mighty Mouse first overall, but didn’t sign him. Ochoa was a huge bust, turning into a mediocre reliever, but the compensation pick didn’t bear great fruit for Boston. Lottery rules meant the pick turned into a 30th rounder the next year, and Boston drafted Mike Billings—a mediocre reliever. Boston did save money, so in some respects the decision was the right one?

The Red Sox failed to sign Tristan Lutz the year prior, a smart decision given that Lutz has still never played a PBA game. They signed Jon Waitz with the compensation pick and Waitz has pitched in one PBA game—where he allowed three walks and a homer in 0.2 innings, leading to a 40.50 career ERA. His career in the Meridian League has been slightly better, but the decision is a wash.

Andrew Mundy was Boston’s second round pick, a total bust of a pick. Boston had an additional second rounder from not signing career minor leaguer Mitch Hickey in 2018, but they drafted Gijsbert De Vries with that pick and he never reached Double-A before retiring.

Their own third rounder was used on Bo Weiss, a replacement level arm who hasn’t pitched in the PBA since 2024. They had the 19th pick in the third round that year as a result of failing to sign Donnie Sellers the year prior. Sellers only pitched 16 games above Rookie ball, so not signing him was a good decision. Boston picked Zach Farrar with the comp pick—and didn’t sign the career minor leaguer, rolling the pick into Stephon Simien in 2021, who never pitched in full season competition.

Boston’s other third rounder had a similar journey. It began as second-division Shortstop Tyler Freeman in 2017; became Meridian League standout Nick Donnelly in 2018; turned into defense-oriented Julian Infante in 2019, who finally had a good year with the bat for Cleveland in 2029; flipped into longtime A-ball pitcher Mike Phelps in 2020; before mercifully ending up with a signed player, Bob Lacy, in 2021. Lacy played 13 career games at a sub-replacement level for Boston in his career. The Red Sox should have just signed Tyler Freeman.

Boston did have 16h rounder Jeffrey Barton make the majors. He was replacement level in seven games in 2024, but he did whiff 17 in 13.1 innings.

2024 Grade: F. Throwing away the number one pick is a severe F, compounded by numerous other failings. Bo Weiss is a slight positive, as is Barton, as is the fact that at least a number of picks are still active. Still, having that many bites at the apple and missing out on the few talented options the draft contained is a failure.

2027 Grade F: None of Boston’s rolled picks from the draft worked out, and the best of their own picks was Bo Weiss, a Quad-A arm. The Red Sox had the number one pick in the draft and walked away with so little. That’s a severe failing grade.


Chicago White Sox:

First Round: (28) Pick traded, along with Second Round pick (36)*, Charlie Tilson and Jorge Polanco to Milwaukee for Corey D. Ray, Danny Salazar, and Lorenzo Cain. Pick turned into Talbot Owry
Second Round: *(36) Pick turned into Austin Bodrato
Third Round: (1) Tim Cate—P (Pick acquired from Kansas City for Micker Adolfo)
Third Round: (39) Micah Watson—1B

Best Player: Micah Watson

Best Deep Cut: (18) Trey Jeans—RF

2024 Total ML WAR: 2.5
2029 Total ML WAR: 9.9

2024 Review: Chicago traded their first two picks in the draft, which was a smart move without any further details. However, while Talbot Owry doesn’t look like a future major leaguer, Austin Bodrato looks like a second-division major leaguer, though he’ll be a 28-year-old with no big-league experience.

Chicago gave up those picks plus Charlie Tilson, who’s speed and defense made him a positive player for a few seasons after the trade. Chicago also gave up Jorge Polanco, whose strong average and doubles pop also made him a positive player. Chicago ended up getting Corey D. Ray, whose power made him a strong player for a few years, and a player who made an All-Star team. However, while Ray was more of an offensive force, he wasn’t a radically better player than Tilson. Danny Salazar didn’t have the best 2019, but had a strong 2020 for Chicago as a 16-game winner. Lorenzo Cain was on his last legs. Looking back, the major leaguers in the deal roughly cancel each other out, but losing Bodrato and Owry may tilt the deal to a slight loss.

In the third round, Tim Cate was acquired from Kansas City for Micker Adolfo. Adolfo never made it above High-A before deciding to go overseas, while Tim Cate was a solid swingman last year for Miami. Give Chicago credit for making a rare trade to acquire a useful drafted player in this barren draft. Chicago also picked Micah Watson in the third round, a player who had 22 home runs and 70 RBIs for Chicago in 2019 despite getting fewer than 100 starts.

Chicago has only two other players still active in the draft. Ike Freeman was popped in the fourth round and his speed and glove will play in the PBA, but the bat is a High-A bat. Chris McGuinn, a ninth rounder, is also still bouncing around the minors, but will only ever be a minor-leaguer.

2029 Review: Chicago traded picks that became Talbot Owry and Austin Bodrato, plus major leaguers Charlie Tilson and Jorge Polanco to Milwaukee for Corey D. Ray, Danny Salazar, and Lorenzo Cain. Owry never made the majors, and Bodrato has been a replacement level outfielder for the Astros. Tilson was good for two years and then okay for two years before drifting around in Triple-A, while Jorge Polanco had a good stretch from 2019-2022 before struggling after leaving his prime.

For that group, Chicago was able to acquire Corey D. Ray, who had a nearly decade long run as a starting outfielder. They also picked up Danny Salazar who had a couple of excellent years with the team, plus Lorenzo Cain’s dead money has he was worth -0.4 WAR for Chicago before moving on.

Ray’s ability to continue to produce into his early 30s ultimately tips the deal. Salazar was very good, but for a short amount of time, canceling out the more modest, but longer-term value Polanco and Tilson provided. With the draft picks not providing anything, Ray’s ability to be a good player for nearly 10 years looks like a terrific get.

Chicago made a good move getting an extra third rounder, acquiring the pick that became Tim Cate for Micker Adolfo. Adolfo had a fantastic 2023 in Korea as their Newcomer of the Year, but never played in the PBA and only played 40 other games as a professional the rest of his career, spending most of it in the Korean minors. Chicago was able to turn him into Tim Cate, a pitcher who lost a ton of games by virtue of spending six seasons in Miami, but also a pitcher who had a few solid seasons as a back-end arm. That’s certainly a win over a player who only had one good season and it was in Korea.

Chicago used its own third rounder on Micah Watson, a slugger who had a promising 2024 before injuries sapped his next two years, likely putting a ceiling on his career. He had a rough go of it in St. Louis in 2027, and has been in the minors since. In this draft though, an .897 OPS for a year in the third round is a good find.

2024 Grade: B+. The trade involving the first two picks probably grades out as a C- or a D+, though the decision to acquire Cate is an A, as is the Watson pick. There wasn’t much depth in the draft either. Still, Chicago has the fifth most WAR from the two players they picked that ended up making the majors. Watson can be a starting First Baseman in the league. That’s enough for a B+ grade.

2029 Grade: B+: The White Sox decision to trade their first two picks looks really good in hindsight, especially with the career Corey D. Ray has had. Watson was a good selection in the third round, and trading Adolfo to acquire Cate was solid as well. Three solid moves means a B+.


Chicago Cubs:

First Round: (20) Pick traded along with Jason Heyward, Christopher Morel, and David Berg to Seattle for Hiwasashia Iwakuma. Pick turned into Shane Tucker
Second Round: (26) Billy McKay—P
Second Round: (32) Adley Rutschman—P—Compensation for not signing Ben Jordan
Third Round: (26) Bobby Gibson—P
Third Round: (32) David Carpenter—P—Compensation for not signing Mitchell Kilkenny
Third Round: (35) Mitchell Traver—P—Compensation for not signing Ricky Tyler Thomas

Best Player: Bobby Gibson

Best Deep Cut: (17) Quinn Hoffman—2B

2024 Total ML WAR: 0
2029 Total ML WAR: 6.1

2024 Review: The Cubs traded away their first-round pick, plus Jason Heyward’s expensive contract, defensive prospect Christopher Morel, and relief prospect David Berg to get 54.1 innings of a 6.46 ERA from Hisashi Iwakuma. The lost pick didn’t amount to anything, and getting off Heyward’s money was nice, but The J-Hey Kid had four more seasons left as a solid regular. Morel can still be a backup utility player. On many fronts, the deal was F.

Billy McKay has been good in the upper minors and held his own in the majors, which is a nice win. Bobby Gibson is a potential impact reliever making his way through the upper minors. He’s also a nice win. Chicago then had the misfortune of having a number of compensation picks in this draft.

Instead of signing flameout Ben Jordan in 2018, the Cubs selected and signed disappointing two-way player Adley Rutschman. They passed on signing Florida State grad and underwhelming player Mitchell Kilkenny to grab David Carpenter, who is out of baseball. In passing on Ricky Tyler Thomas in 2018, a player now out of baseball, they selected Mitchell Traver. A player who is now out of baseball. All those picks amount to a D+ as the Cubs has opportunities and failed to capitalize on them.

They did do better a bit later on, grabbing Hunter Barco in the ninth round. Barco was terrible for the Tigers last year, amassing -0.9 WAR in just 30.2 innings, thanks to 11 homers and a 7.92 ERA. Nonetheless, he throws near 100 and snaps a great curveball. When he learns to stop tipping his fastball and avoid the middle of the plate, he can be a good one.

2029 Review: The Iwakuma trade remains a bad one. Iwakuma put up 0.6 WAR for one season, while Jason Heyward a solid outfielder for a few seasons, and David Berg was fine as a reliever. Christopher Morel never made it out of the minors, and Shane Tucker never did much of anything, so the deal doesn’t look as bad with time simply due to the fact that the prospects never hit.

Chicago’s compensation picks didn’t amount to much. The Cubs drafted bad players in 2018, didn’t sign them, and used the comp picks to sign bad players in 2019. At least Adley Rutschman had 37 plate appearances in the PBA. Take that Ben Jordan.

In a crappy draft, sometimes the best you can get is a mediocre reliever, and Chicago got Billy McKay, Bobby Gibson, and Hunter Barco. Traded away for Josh Donaldson, McKay’s been a solid part of some good Blue Jays teams for a half decade now. Traded away for Josh Donaldson, Hunter Barco has been a fringy part of some up-and-down Tigers teams for a half decade now. Not traded away for help, Bobby Gibson’s been a solid part of some bad Cubs teams for a half decade now.

2024 Grade: C-: The Cubs had a number of opportunities to do well in the 2019 draft, but they made their major league team worse and took a bunch of non-entities. On the other hand, those non-entities at least were free plays as compensation picks, and the club did get up to three useful relievers in the draft. It’s a bit underwhelming, but not drastically so.

2029 Grade: C+: As time has solidified the 2019 draft as a horribly weak thing, the Cubs picks look a little better with time. Three decent relievers and a Quad-A Catcher is a solid haul right in the B-/C+ range. They get dinged a bit for the Iwakuma trade, but in hindsight, they were perfectly respectable with their moves.


Cincinnati Reds:

First Round: (11) Seth Romero—P
Second Round: (12) Eric Dusing—P
Third Round: (11) Zack Thompson—P—UNSIGNED

Best Player: Eric Dusing

Best Deep Cut: (13) Collin Sullivan—P

2024 Total ML WAR: -0.9
2029 Total ML WAR: 4.7

2024 Review: Only three players drafted by the Reds are still playing baseball, and two are players with no major league future ahead of them. Romero had a fringe major league future, but was kept in the low minors and released. His experience caused him to retire early and Cincinnati got nothing from the pick.

Dusing has developed slowly and battled arm injuries, meaning he may be a reliever. His rookie season in Baltimore was a disaster last year, but the Orioles were the worst defensive team of all-time. Dusing throws five pitches and has a tremendous slider and changeup, but he hasn’t proven he can work deep into games. He may end up a reliever, but could be one of the better ones in the class. Being a reliever isn’t a death sentence considering the context of the 2019 draft.

Zach Thompson wasn’t signed. He went drafted in the 14th round the following year and has already retired. The compensation pick they acquired was rolled over and rolled over until John Davis was picked in 2022.

Cincinnati’s fifth rounder, Connor Eason, has turned into a decent arm in the Mexican League, which is something. He was unlikely to have ever contributed positive value for a PBA club. Their 10th-round pick is shortstop Beau Campana, a player unlikely to ever exceed Double A.

2029 Review: Seth Romero never pitched above Double A, making Eric Dusing the only Reds pick to make the PBA. Circus Dusing got off to a slow start in the PBA, but he’s evolved into an excellent reliever with good control and great stuff. He’s had a very strong career with Baltimore.

Zack Thompson, a pitcher who never worked above Rookie ball, wasn’t signed in the third round. The compensation pick turned into John Davis, an arm that never pitched above High-A. That was a missed opportunity.

2024 Grade: D+. Dusing may be a pretty good player, and his selection counteracts some of the lack of value obtained with their busted first round pick. Eason gets the slightest of credit for being a positive professional. The fact that there’s nothing else of note brings the grade down to a D+.

2029 Grade: C: Dusing has turned into a good enough arm where his presence alone is enough for the Reds to earn a C.


Cleveland Indians:

First Round: Forfeited as a result of signing Mark Melancon
Second Round: (34) Josh Merola—CF
Third Round: (37) Andy Buzzell—P

Best Player: (28) Luis Esparza—P

Best Deep Cut: Luis Esparza

2024 Total ML WAR: -0.3
2029 Total ML WAR: 14.3

2024 Review: Cleveland punted on the first round of the draft by signing compensation free agent Mark Melancon before the season. Melancon saved 66 games for Cleveland the next four years, produced 7.8 WAR, and helped the team win a championship. Considering the success rate of the first round of the class, that’s an A+ decision.

The Indians then, somehow, found a 6-8, 17-year-old Nicaraguan lefty in the 28th round who looks like a future starter. Luis Esparza struggled with the long ball in his debut season in 2023, but he’s struck out a ton of hitters wherever he’s pitched. If he can learn to sequence a little bit, he has a big future ahead of him.

Cleveland’s second-rounder, Josh Merolo, has never hit, precluding him from a big-league future. Andy Buzzell, though, made it to the majors with Miami last year as a swingman and produced positive WAR in 60.1 innings. Fourth-round reliever Ron Arnold has enough command to be a Triple-A arm, while 11th-round pick Mekhi Loving has a good approach and some gap power that will play in the International League.

2029 Review: Cleveland gave up a 2019 first rounder to sign Mark Melancon, who helped the Indians win a championship and who had four excellent seasons with the club. In a weak draft, that was an excellent call.

Cleveland didn’t get much else out of the top of their draft. Josh Merola is still playing in the DAHL, but he never played in the PBA, while Andy Buzzell is a replacement level arm who once lost 23 games for Miami. Fourth rounder Ron Arnold has been a replacement level relief arm for Cincinnati for the last few years.

However, Cleveland discovered Luis Esparza way down in the 28th round. Esparza has been a strong arm for half a decade, earning an All-Star berth in 2025, leading the league in strikeouts in 2026, and topping the league in wins in 2027. Getting him deep in the draft is a huge success.

2024 Grade: A+. Cleveland got a World Championship and Melancon was a huge part of that. They also dug up a potential frontline starter deep in the class, and rounded out the draft with some upper minors depth. Solid work.

2029 Grade: A. Esparza is a top notch pitcher, and Melancon was a fantastic reliever who helped seal a championship. Cleveland also got a pair of serviceable arms as well. All-in-all, outstanding work.


Colorado Rockies:

First Round: (19) Bobby Ferrarelli—CF
Second Round: (25) Alek Thomas—CF
Third Round: (25) Morgan McCullough—SS

Best Player: Alek Thomas

Best Deep Cut: (23) Kees Lenstra—P

2024 Total ML WAR: 0
2029 Total ML WAR: -1.0

2024 Review: The Rockies didn't draft a single major leaguer in this class but they got several elite stud AAAA talents. So they had a decent draft for 2019 standards. The Albuquerque Istopes owe a lot to this class.

In the first round they selected Center Fielder Bobby Ferrarelli. Ferrarelli is a game changer at the Triple-A level where his ability to play multiple positions gives the Istotopes much needed versatility. While he may be listed as a Left Fielder don't let that fool you. Bobby can play a little Second Base and Center Field as well. Bobby is intelligent on and off the field and gives his all out there on the diamond. Just don't ask Bobby to hit.

In the second round the Isotopes got their Center Fielder of the future in Alek Thomas. Alek has provided the Isotopes with 4 WAR over the last few seasons with a decent bat making up for poor Center Field defense. Unfortunately for Thomas, his talent-level is likely not much better than that. With an inability to field Center Field at a Major League level and a weak bat for a corner outfielder, Thomas is probably best suited entertaining Isotope fans instead of being in over his head trying to cover ground in Coors. He's on the Rockies 40-man roster though so maybe he will get his cup of coffee one day.

Morgan McCullough was the year's 3rd rounder. Morgan has a great name, a great glove, and a great personality. But he's not great at hitting. He finally made it to AAA last year at age 26 and made the most of the opportunity by hitting for a 96 wRC+. The Isotopes have a utility infielder who looks to entertain fans for years to come.

Kees Lenstra is the deep cut of the draft. Kees was picked in the 23th round and has put up an impressive 10 minor league WAR. The Aruban can throw the ball hard but he doesn't know where it's going. He doesn't mind though. Kees is spontaneous and carefree and Albuquerque fans are going to love him. He's the Kees Knee's.

2029 Review: The Rockies drafted a bunch of Quad-A types, but only drafted a single Major Leaguer—Mike Harp, who was worth -0.1 WAR in the PBA. First rounder Bobby Ferrarelli earned a few minor league All-Star appearances, and had a decent 2028 in Germany, but never did anything in the PBA. It’s a similar story for second rounder Alek Thomas. A three-time minor league All Star and South Atlantic League MVP, he never played a PBA game. Third rounder Morgan McCullough never even had a career that gave him a minor league All Star nod.

All told, 10 players drafted by Colorado in 2019 earned a minor league All Star nod. Seven earned at least three. And one, Laney Orr, was a Platinum Stick winner six times in six different minor league levels. Those player should be very proud, but none ever played in the PBA or even contributed significantly in a foreign minor league.

2024 Grade: D+. The Isotopes had a great draft, getting several contributors to their pursuit for Pacific Coastal League glory. The Rockies not so much. If one of these guys somehow makes it on a ML roster the Rockies probably deserve a C for this draft considering the draft’s overall dearth of talent.

2029 Grade: F. Even in a weak draft, Colorado didn’t get any player that helped their PBA team. That’s poor drafting, despite the minor league successes.


Detroit Tigers:

First Round: (8) Mike Fitzgerald—RF
Second Round: (3) Tim Portwood—P
Third Round: (3) Chad Lewin—SS
Third Round: (17) Luis Bencomo—C—Compensation for not signing Mason Englert

Best Player: Mike Fitzgerald

Best Deep Cut: (18) Arturo Salgado—P

2024 Total ML WAR: 0.7
2029 Total ML WAR: 10.5

2024 Review: Mike Fitzgerald is a bit of a polarizing figure as a huge bat, but one without a position. Still, he has All-Star potential and should be a positive contributor even as a Designated Hitter. There isn’t a hitter in the class with his kind of offensive upside and Detroit did well to snag him.

Tim Portwood is a young power arm who had success out of the Cubs’ bullpen last year. He may not have the consistency needed to be a starter, but there’s still a chance. If not, he’s shown he can be a good reliever. Chad Lewin is a terrific defender and has shown enough doubles pop and stolen base potential in the minor leagues to give hope that he’ll be more than simply a defensive replacement in the majors.

Mason Englert went unsigned in 2018 and looks like a potential major leaguer, while Luis Bencomo is probably a career minor league Catcher. Detroit should have signed Englert.

Fourth-rounder Joe LeMerise looks like a backup outfielder in Triple-A, which isn’t a terrible outcome for a drafted player, especially after grabbing a potential star and a reliever. Eighth-rounder Nick Madrigal could have joined him as a Triple-A backup infielder, but he’s made his way to the Korean minor leagues. Ninth-rounder Drew Mendoza already is a Triple-A backup, and has been for two years. He’s produced a 123 OPS+ in both his seasons as a Triple-A backup and likely wouldn’t embarrass himself with a bigger role, though he does lack upside.

Arturo Salgado, popped in the 18th round, has popped as a potential major league pitcher. He’s just emerging out of the low minors, but has had success as a closer (32 saves in 2022) and starter (3.1 WAR in 2023) in various A-ball levels. Injury troubles make it questionable that he could start in the majors, but he could be a swingman.

2029 Review: Mike Fitzgerald has had a good career as a power hitting slugger. The defense never developed, forcing him to DH, but the offense has been good enough where it hasn’t mattered too much. He was a good pick at number eight.

Detroit drafted Tim Portwood and Chad Lewin in the second and third round. Portwood was a replacement level in the middle of the decade, while Lewin has been a replacement level infielder.

The Tigers picked Mason Englert in 2018, but didn’t sign him. Englert was sub-replacement level for three seasons, but the compensation pick was used on Luis Bencomo who never played in the PBA, so they didn’t take advantage of the situation.

Ninth round pick Drew Mendoza had a respectable 2025, and was an African League All Star in 2029, and Arturo Salgado was good in a cup of coffee with Arizona last year.

2024 Grade: A. Detroit got perhaps the best hitter in the class, a few pitchers who could succeed in the majors, a good-looking backup infield prospect, and a lot of Triple-A depth. They aggressively targeted young players too, so a number of their early draft picks are still playing. The strategy has paid off as the Tigers have given themselves chances for more production as well as their star and depth pieces.

2029 Grade: B+: Detroit got a really good hitter and a lot of replacement level depth. The depth hasn’t really contributed too much for Detroit, but it still contributed to a successful draft.


Houston Astros:

First Round: (22) Cameron Cannon—SS—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (28) Shawn Forrest—P—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (29) Joe Perez—P—UNSIGNED

Best Player: (6) Michael Busch

Best Deep Cut: (18) Nick Wojtysiak—P

2024 Total ML WAR: 5.2
2029 Total ML WAR: 5.9

2024 Review: Houston’s draft is pretty absurd. They didn’t sign any of their picks in the first five rounds and partly as a result, only one player from the draft is still active. However, that one player has generated the most WAR of anyone in the class, leading the Astros to have generated the most WAR from the class as any team. Michael Busch followed up a Rookie of the Year 2023 with a pedestrian 2024, and may be pedestrian going forward, but he’s the only player in the class to have an All-Star season so far.

Houston passed on a few fringe big leaguers in the class, but did get Steve Hall and Steve Lewis the following season with those picks.

2029 Review: The only player Houston signed who played in the PBA—Michael Busch—didn’t do much after 2024. 4.4 of his career 5.9 WAR came in his Rookie of the Year 2023 season. He played only 58 games combined in 2025 and 2026 before bouncing around the minors. His pick looks a little bit worse with time, though he’s still an excellent sixth round selection.

The players Houston didn’t sign didn’t come back to hurt them. Their compensation picks turned into solid long-time reliever Steve Hall, serviceable swingman Steve Lewis, and in 2021, replacement level starting Center Fielder Jonathan Lawhorn. Those players are upgrades on their unsigned 2019 picks.

2024 Grade: A. Houston gets an A for popping Michael Busch in the sixth round of a draft that has no depth, and made off with better picks in 2020 than the unsigned guys they drafted in 2019. Their only demerit is that they didn’t get any depth from the class.

2029 Grade: B+. Houston’s decisions to roll over their picks in the first three rounds look like slight positives, and getting Michael Busch in the sixth round is a good piece of talent identification. With Busch tailing off, the grade no longer deserves an A, but it’s still a success.


Kansas City Royals:

First Round: (3) Chris Harmon—P
Second Round: (1) Jimmy McCabe—LF
Third Round: (1) Pick Traded to Chicago White Sox for Micker Adolfo. Pick turned into Tim Cate

Best Player: Jimmy McCabe

Best Deep Cut: (21) Tyler A. Williams—RF

2024 Total ML WAR: 4.5
2029 Total ML WAR: 9.8

2024 Review: Kansas City had the third overall pick and selected a guy who had a -0.8 WAR last season in A-Ball. That was a big waste of a pick, but Jimmy McCabe has become a big-time slugger with a big future ahead of him. Considering the weak class, getting a 36-home run slugger in the second round is an A+ mark.

Kansas City traded away potentially useful pitcher Tim Cate to get Micker Adolfo, who never played above High-A for the Royals.

The Royals picked up several respectable players in the middle rounds who could theoretically provide upper minor league depth if they were all still stateside. Third-rounder Mike Osborn can still fulfill that role as a relief arm for the Giants, while seventh-rounder C.J. Pruitt is serving that tole for Kansas City. Catcher Michael Amditis, picked in the sixth round, can’t fulfill that role as he’s currently playing in Japan.

2029 Review: Chris Harmon was a bust of a pick as he’s played one career game above A-ball. Jimmy McCabe had a good run earlier in the decade as a premier slugger for Atlanta for several years before falling off. Amazingly, he only played 516 games in his career though, but was still a good pick.

Kansas City traded a pick that became Tim Cate for Micker Aodolfo. Adolfo never played in the PBA, while Cate has been a serviceable pitcher in the PBA. No other player has made the PBA.

2024 Grade: B-. The McCabe pick gets star marks, and most everything else is a failure. Still, getting a first-division starter, no matter the missteps, makes for a successful draft for 2019.

2029 Grade: C+. The Harmon pick was a bust despite being third overall, and the Adolfo trade wasn’t a good one. McCabe was a good pick, but it’s lost some of its luster as McCabe’s peak was short-lived. A successful draft, but not a great one.


Los Angeles Angels:

First Round: (14) Doug Syverson—P
Second Round: (14) Kody Clemens—3B—Compensation for not signing John Malcom
Second Round: (18) Todd Peterson—P
Third Round: (18) Pat Roudebush—P

Best Player: Doug Syverson

Best Deep Cut: (12) Jake Pries—LF

2024 Total ML WAR: -2.0
2029 Total ML WAR: 7.4

2024 Review: There was once hope that Doug Syverson could be a starting pitcher. Those days have passed, but he still profiles as an impact arm and potential closer. He’s starting to hone in a wild walk rate that has hurt his early career and prevented his stuff from being maximized. Even if he’s only a reliever, he has the potential to be one of the best relievers in the class.

Kody Clemens looks maxed out as a replacement level Triple-A Third Baseman. Now 28, there’s not much hope he becomes more than that. Signing John Malcom the year prior would have been preferable. Todd Peterson is a failed reliever selected six spots ahead of Jon Carter and three spots ahead of Tommy Stanfield. That’s a big miss. Third-rounder Pat Roudebush has big stuff, but hasn’t put together the command or movement to be more than replacement level in A-ball or Double-A. Russell Thompson, picked in the 11th round, may be able to make it to the majors as a reliever.

Jake Pries, a career low-minor leaguer, was given 207 inexplicable plate appearances last year, where he produced a -2.3 WAR. He hit .156/.213/.224 with 70 strikeouts to eight walks, plus he pitched in -5.0 in Zone Rating in Left Field, and was caught in his only steal attempt.

2029 Review: One of the best pitchers in the class, the Angels did a good job selecting Doug Syversen. After a rough start to his career, he landed in Cincinnati in 2025, was named the team’s Closer, and blossomed into one of the best relievers in the NL for half a decade. He was a 2026 All Star and the 2027 Reliever of the Year. He’ll likely end up with at least 200 Saves in his career. In a weak draft, getting an elite reliever is a win.

Los Angeles didn’t get much else. Kody Clemons never made the PBA despite being picked ahead of TJ Collett, Tommy Stanfield, and Thomas Burbank. He was a comp pick for unsigned John Malcolm, who has had a successful PBA career. That was a big miss. LA’s other second rounder, Todd Peterson never made it above Double A, while its third rounder, Pat Roudebush, also topped out in Double-A.

The only other pick that made the PBA was 12th rounder Jake Pries, who hit .156 with eight walks, 70 strikeouts, and was worth -2.4 WAR in 2024. He was worth negative WAR for his career in Triple-A too.

2024 Grade: D+. Syverson is solid as a talented young arm, and the Angels got some upper-minors depth. They missed out on some talent though, and should have signed Malcom in 2018. Put it together and you have an adequate draft.

2029 Grade: C: The draft looks better with time because Syversen has become an outstanding pitcher. Even with the mistake of not signing Malcolm, or picking Collett, Burbank, or Stanfield, they still got one of the best players in the class.


Los Angeles Dodgers:

First Round: (25) Ryder Green—P—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (31) Reiss Knehr—P
Third Round: (34) Brandon Martorano—C

Best Player: (8) Tyler Wyatt, Brandon Martorano

Best Deep Cut: (15) P.J. Martino—P

2024 Total ML WAR: 0
2029 Total ML WAR: 0

2024 Review: The Dodgers passed on signing Ryder Green, opting to take their chances with a more talented option in 2020. That talented option, Kevin Carver, retired to play football. Reiss Knehr was signed, but he too is out of baseball. Brandon Martorano is still putting on a glove, but he looks destined to a Triple-A backup Catcher. Fourth-round selection Will Etheridge also looks like a Triple-A player, though scouts put him on the fringe of the majors.

Either-rounder Tyler Wyatt has been the best of the bunch as he’s had success in Triple-A with his defense carrying him to 0.6 WAR last year. He also has two minor league Glove Wizard awards. Still, he too looks like a Triple-A player.

2029 Review: Los Angeles didn’t have a single pick from the draft make the PBA. Brandon Martorano ended up with a couple of decent years in the KBO, but overall it’s a disappointing class. Ryder Green went unsigned in the first round; he at least made the PBA in his career. The compensation pick became Kevin Carter who made the pros, but in the NFL, not the PBA.

2024 Grade: F. Ryder Green looks like a possible major leaguer. Kevin Carver looks like an NFL player. Reiss Knehr gave the Dodgers nothing, and it’s likely Martorano won't either. There’s some Triple-A depth, but it’s a very poor draft.

2029 Grade: F. The Dodgers didn’t get a single player from the draft class, even with the compensation pick from their unsigned first rounder. That’s a bad draft.


Miami Marlins:

First Round: (12) Akinori Hayashida—P
Second Round: (15) Keenan Bell—LF
Third Round: (13) Brian Hoeing—P

Best Player: Keenan Bell

Best Deep Cut: (14) Doug Nikhazy—P

2024 Total ML WAR: -0.3
2029 Total ML WAR: -1.8

2024 Review: Akinori Hayashida has had a terrible start to his PBA career, posting a -1.78 WAR over his career, and going 2-16. He had 3.1 WAR in Triple-A last year though, and with four pitches and a good work ethic, still projects as a big-league starter. In a few years more, we’ll know more about his career, but he doesn’t look like a bad pick at 12 overall so far.

Keenan Bell only hit .229 last year and struck out 174 times his rookie year, but he also blasted 39 home runs, drove in 102 RBIs, and played strong defense in Left Field. His hit tool limits his all-around profile, but he’s still a starting major league player.

Bryan Hoeing has put up a 3.64 ERA in 113.2 career innings as a reliever. Hoeing is good in the clubhouse as well, and has the arm strength to work as a starter if needed. For a third rounder, he’s a nice pick. Miami’s eighth-rounder Garrett Gonzales looks like a Triple-A Third Baseman as he put up 3.5 WAR in Double-A last year. Triple-A depth has some value and is a slight positive.

2029 Review: Miami’s draft looks way worse now compared to 2024. Akinori Hayashida was traded to San Diego for Phil Maton and struggled for four years. He has negative career WAR in the PBA, though he did end up in his native Japan last year and had a good year.

Keenan Bell had 39 homers in his rookie year as a slugger with good power, but a lot of swing-and-miss in his game. He never was able to reach those lofty marks in future years and ended up as a force in the Meridian League for a couple of years. Similarly, Brian Hoeing had a decent rookie year and never was able to put it together in future seasons. Like Hayashida, he has negative career WAR.

2024 Grade: A-. Miami got three players that look like major leaguers in the draft, which is a terrific outcome. Even though it’s possible that Hayashida and Hoeing are relievers and Bell never develops into more than a flawed slugger, it’s still a pretty good haul and better than most teams in the class.

2029 Grade: C-. The Marlins drafted two good seasons of play from the entire draft. Bell was able to have one more respectable year and the gang had good overseas careers, so it’s an adequate haul compared to other teams, but not more than that.


Milwaukee Brewers:

First Round: (10) Chris Primavera—RF
First Round: (28) Talbot Owry—LF (Pick acquired along with 2nd round pick (36)*, Charlie Tilson, and Jorge Polanco from Chicago White Sox for Corey D. Ray, Lorenzo Cain, and Danny Salazar)
Second Round: (17) Dave Prosser—1B
Second Round: *(36) Austin Bodrato—CF
Third Round: (16) Devon Roedahl—P—UNSIGNED

Best Player: (15) Tim Kierstead

Best Deep Cut: (15) Tim Kierstead

2024 Total ML WAR: 0
2029 Total ML WAR: 21.4

2024 Review: The most notable thing about the Brewers draft is the presence of Tim Kierstead who may be an ace. Popped in the 15th round and drafted as a 6-9 curio, Kierstead only had two real pitches when he was picked. More than five years later, he’s developed his changeup from a telegraphed hanger to one of the most devastating change of paces in the minors. His pick is a huge win for Milwaukee.

Their top of the draft is less of a home run. Chris Primavera had a lot of potential when he was picked, but his approach was a question mark. That lack of patience is a reason he’s still in Low-A and doesn’t look like he’ll play above Double-A.

In picking up some extra draft picks, Milwaukee selected a few more impatient outfielders. Owry is a similar player to Primavera, but with less speed. Austin Bodrato, however, will take some pitches and has a nice ability to make contact on some tricky pitches and shoot the gap. He could be a major leaguer. Milwaukee got those two in a deal where they also got a couple of good years from Charlie Tilson before he fell off and a pair of successful seasons from Jorge Polanco. The cost was giving up Lorenzo Cain’s dead money, an increasingly costly Danny Salazar, and a player in Corey Ray who fizzled out early in his career.

With where Milwaukee was, picking up the two picks was a good piece of business, and they maintained respectability in the short term as well.

Milwaukee passed on signing University of Florida grad Devon Roedahl in the third round, using the compensation pick to pick Florida State’s Kyu-Cheol Kym. Roedahl is in Triple-A in Toronto’s system with a chance to contribute to a major league team, while Kym played 116 games and produced a negative WAR for the Lotte Giants in Korea last year. It’s an expected outcome for anyone who turns down a Gator for a Seminole.

2029 Review: Milwaukee drafted the best player from the class, Tim Kierstead. The Heater from St. Peters is a two-time All-Star and a two-time champion. He has the fourth most WAR since 2025 with 21.2 and is a legitimate ace. That Milwaukee discovered him in the 15th round is amazing.

Milwaukee’s early picks weren’t as great. Chris Primavera was taken 10th overall, but never played in the PBA. Their second rounder Dave Prosser also didn’t play in the PBA.

The Brewers ended up with extra first and second round picks based on a trade they made with the White Sox. They acquired picks that became Talbot Owry and Austin Bodrato, plus Charlie Tilson and Jorge Polanco. They had to send away Corey D. Ray, Lorenzo Cain, and Danny Salazar.

Owry never played in the PBA and Bodrato has been a negative WAR player in the PBA. Tilson was solid for three of his four years in Milwaukee, and only played 18 games after that. Polanco also had two good years with Milwaukee before moving on to the Yankees where his career went into a tailspin. It wasn’t a terrible haul, but the Brewers gave up a good amount of talent. Corey D. Ray was worth 17.2 WAR over his career, and Danny Salazar had five excellent seasons after being traded. Losing those two wasn’t worth the haul they brought in considering they missed on the draft picks.

The Brewers didn’t sign Devin Roedahl, getting a compensation pick they used on Kyu-Cheol Kym, who didn’t play in the PBA. Roedahl struck out 19 batters in 17.1 career innings.

2024 Grade: A. Kierstead is the type of player who changes franchises, and Milwaukee popped him in the 15th Round. They also did a nice piece of business to get Bodrato and some competent major leaguers in the Ray trade. If they got any other player who looks like a major leaguer, it would have been an A+.

2029 Grade: A-: Kierstead was one of the best picks in the draft. Losing the Corey D. Ray trade and not getting anything else from the draft dings it very slightly, but getting Kierstead still makes it an A, albeit with a minus sign at the end.


Minnesota Twins:

First Round: (7) Jimmy Whittaker—P—UNSIGNED
First Round: (29) Tristan Lutz—RF—Compensation for not signing Seth Romero—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (8) Parker Kelly—P—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (10) Jared Horn—P—Compensation for not signing Nate Pearson—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (7) Eric Fooshee—P—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (9) Ben Jordan—P—Compensation for not signing Alek Thomas—UNSIGNED

Best Player: Ernie de la Trinidad (27)

Best Deep Cut: Ernie de la Trinidad (27)

2024 Total ML WAR: 0
2029 Total ML WAR: 0

2024 Review: Only three players from the class are still playing professionally, with nobody from the first six rounds signed. That gives the Twins a failing grade in terms of talent acquired from the draft. Looking at assets, the Twins had a bunch of picks coming from unsigned picks in prior drafts, leading to an armada of selections in the 2021 draft. Sure the 2021 draft was fine, but going so long without a pick leads to an underdeveloped system for a long time.

This is true especially when looking at some of the unsigned players. Jimmy Whittaker would be the best player in the class if he were signed and was a Top 20 Prospect. Parker Kelly looks like a big leaguer. Nate Pearson and Alek Thomas look like fringe major leaguers, and the Twins didn’t get any fruit from those two picks from 2018 until 2021.

2029 Review: The Twins punted on the draft, not signing anyone in the first six rounds. The Twins had a ton of extra picks from punting the 2018 draft, but only Nate Pearson did anything in the majors as a low-end pitcher. Most of the passed on 2019 players also amounted to little, but Jimmy Whittaker at least had a very good 2026 with Tampa. His comp pick eventually turned into Tim Elmore, who has had an up-and-down career, with more ups than Whittaker.

The rest of the rolled over comp picks from the draft turned into Pat Cypert, Mike Llewellyn, Joe Martin, Josh Graham, and Amari Toure. Graham, Martin, and Toure have had brief, but relatively successful PBA careers, and Cypert is still a terrific arm. With those selections, it means the decision to not sign anyone from the 2019 class isn’t a total failure.

2024 Grade: F. The Twins didn’t sign any of the talented players they picked, even with a huge haul of selections. Their stash of picks didn’t bear fruit the next year either, meaning the club went three years without an infusion of talent into their minor league system. Just an abject failure.

2029 Grade: D. The Twins got some good players because of their 2019 decisions, it just took a while. Most of the players have had very small PBA roles, so the time offset of not getting talent into the system washes out the slight upgrade in talent. Turning Seth Romero in 2018 into Pat Cypert in 2021 is worth it, even with the delay, making the grade a passing one.


New York Yankees:

First Round: (23) David Hamilton—2B
Second Round: (29) Josh Cranford—P
Third Round: (31) Tyler Duncan—CF

Best Player: Tyler Duncan

Best Deep Cut: (12) Sean Cook—P

2024 Total ML WAR: 3.7
2029 Total ML WAR: 6.1

2024 Review: Only two players from the Yankees draft are still playing baseball, and both have punched above their weight in their professional careers. Nonetheless, the Yankees have the third-most WAR to date of the class, which is pretty remarkable.

Hamilton is a glove-only middle infielder with smooth actions and sure hands. More than a third of his career professional home run total came in a 20-game cup of coffee with Oakland in 2023, where he popped three home runs in 70 at bats. Combined with a .300 average and his great glove, it gave him 0.7 WAR for the year. In roughly three full seasons worth of games in the Pacific Coast League, Hamilton has 18 home runs and a .242 average. It’s a very fluky 0.7 WAR.

That being said, Hamilton is a difference-making defender and perfectly adequate as a backup glove or Triple-A defender. Jimmy McCabe would have been a better pick, but Hamilton isn’t a total bust.

Tyler Duncan also defied OSA scouts and turned in a .304 average with 15 home runs in under 100 games last year. He hit everywhere in the low minors, but had no track record above High-A, before turning into New York’s second-straight unheralded center field success story. He’s one of the most intriguing players in the draft going forward.

2029 Review: Three players from the draft class made the PBA. David Hamilton played in 28 career games as an injury replacement and hit .300 in 79 plate appearances for Oakland back in 2023. It’s not a great pick, especially in the first round, but it’s not nothing.

Third rounder Tyler Duncan hit 54 home runs playing about three-quarters of the year of four seasons. In a weak draft, he’s a strong find in the third round as a respectable starting outfielder. Sixth rounder Cuba Bess had one career plate appearance and he drew a walk giving him a career 1.000 OBP.

2024 Grade: C+. The Hamilton pick is a C- as Hamilton is a backup infielder at best. The Yankees grade also gets dinged for having literally only two players still playing baseball. However, they did get an impact starter out of the draft, which is a notable accomplishment.

2029 Grade: C. C is an appropriate grade. The Yankees drafted an adequate starting outfielder, and a pair of players who played well in extremely limited time. That’s an acceptable piece of drafting.


New York Mets:

First Round: (19) Nate Pearson—P
Second Round: (27) Brandon McIlwain—C
Third Round: (27) Brock Love—P

Best Player: Nate Pearson

Best Deep Cut: (13) Davis Moore—P

2024 Total ML WAR: -0.3
2029 Total ML WAR: 0.9

2024 Review: The Mets drafted one major leaguer in this draft and he is currently sitting at a career -0.35 WAR and buried on the bullpen depth chart for the Braves. The Mets deserve some credit however. They managed to trade Pearson and a few other prospects for a partial season of Matt Andriese where he put up 2 WAR. It’s a credit to Mets management to at least get something out of Pearson. However, the rest of the Mets draft was atrocious with no one else looking like they will ever make the majors and 12 out of the 30 total picks having negative minor league WAR. That’s almost half of the Mets class. Arguably the Mets draftees from this year made the organization worse as a whole rather than better. One “highlight” is 29th rounder Nolan Bumstead (the jokes write themselves) who retired with 11 career PA and negative WAR, a microcosm for the Mets draft, and what the 2019 draft was as a whole.

In the second round the Mets made a good pick relative to this class with outfielder Brandon McIlwain. McIlwain once had a lot of potential with the bat, but his hitting never developed. Still, he managed to reach Triple-A last season and a win a PCL Gold Glove in Left Field. That’s not nothing for this class. Still he isn’t someone who should ever really be in the majors.

In the third round the Mets took a man named Brock Love, who hails from Rainbow City, Alabama. Brock is a pitcher who never had more than 1.5 star potential according to OSA so it’s hard to see what the Mets scouting department was thinking there. Love actually has good minor league numbers these past two seasons, which might seem like a plus, but he is already 28 and doesn’t have major league ability to locate his pitches. Even for 2019, this seems like a bad pick. Brock is the Mets leader for minor league pitching WAR for this class.

There is no one else worth writing home about.

2029 Review: The Mets picked one player who played in the PBA—first round pick Nate Pearson. The righty did a good job of keeping the ball in the park over his career, a trait that was balanced by a lack of control. He was an okay reliever for parts of five seasons, not a great outcome for the 19th pick in the draft.

Second round pick Brandon McIlwain won some Best Fielder Awards in the minor leagues, and third rounder Brock Love nabbed a few minor league All-Star awards in the mid-minors, but that was about all from the Mets draft.

2024 Grade: D. A Triple-A talent and managing to trade their first rounder for a useful season of a major leaguer saves the Mets from an F.

2029 Grade: D-. D- feels about right. The Mets got little more than an okay reliever and some minor league awards out of their draft.


Oakland Athletics:

First Round: (6) Jon Gagen—P
Second Round: (13) Jon Courtemanche—P
Third Round: (12) Thomas Dillard—C

Best Player: Jon Gagen

Best Deep Cut: (11) Michael Farley

2024 Total ML WAR: -0.5
2029 Total ML WAR: 3.1

2024 Review: Jon Gagen, nicknamed Dingo, was brutal in his debut season last year, producing a 7.69 ERA, including a 10.26 ERA as a starter. His changeup hasn’t developed, making him a sinker/slider pitcher, with no real way to get lefties out. He may be a good reliever, but he lacks the repertoire to be a starter. Even in a weak class, and even as an impact reliever, that’s still a disappointing outcome for the sixth overall pick.

Jon Courtemanche could not stop giving up home runs for Baltimore this year, but the pitcher had an excellent 2023 and profiles are a good control arm when he isn’t giving up bushels of homers in small samples. Thomas Dillard put up replacement level numbers as a backup Catcher for Milwaukee in 2023. Oakland has a handful of mid-round picks still playing baseball, but they’re all either in the low-minors or overseas.

2029 Review: Oakland’s first three picks all made the PBA with uninspiring results. Dingo Gagen had a respectable year as a starting pitcher in 2025, transitioned to the bullpen afterwards, and has been a pretty unimpressive reliever for the most part. That’s not a great grab for the sixth overall pick.

Jon Courtemanche had a very successful year for Baltimore in 2023 and was mostly sub-replacement around that year. That’s not a great pick in the second round. Third round pick Thomas Dillard was a decent enough backup Catcher for a few seasons, but nothing more. On the one hand Oakland had three players with fairly lengthy careers with some successful moments. On the hand, aside from individual seasons, none of the players is a standout in anyway.

2024 Grade: C-. The Gagen pick has to be a bit of a disappointment as he hasn’t turned into a starter. He could still be a useful reliever, but Mike Fitzgerald was picked two spots after him. Courtemanche has developed into a talented pitcher, even if the results haven’t been there on a defensively-challenged Orioles team. That’s a win for Oakland. Dillard is a C+ pick as a guy who can be a passable backup.

2029 Grade: C-. C- remains a fair grade for a mostly uninspiring draft, but one that still turned out three modestly successful PBA players.


Philadelphia Phillies:

First Round: (5) Mason Englert—P
Second Round: (7) Dave Simon—P—Compensation for not signing Tyler Freeman)
Second Round: (11) Jeremiah Jackson—SS
Third Round: (10) Joe Ferland—P

Best Player: Dave Simon

Best Deep Cut: Chad Bryant (16)

2024 Total ML WAR: 3.3
2029 Total ML WAR: 4.8

2024 Review: Mason Englert looks like an average Triple-A arm taken fifth overall. There were a lot of busted pitchers in the first round which tempers the fact that the Phillies will get little out of such a premium pick, but it’s still a bad pick. The Phillies failed to sign Tyler Freeman in 2018, and went with a safe reliever in Dave Simon with their initial second round pick. Freeman may be a major league backup, while Simon is one of the best PBA relievers in any situation that isn’t a Game 7 against the Cubs.

Jeremiah Jackson did not hit in a half season with Baltimore last year, but he has the defensive versatility to make himself a long-term PBA backup. Joe Ferland is another unsexy option as a reliever, but he struck out 79 hitters in 53.1 innings for the Phillies last year. That’s talent plucked in the third round, and no pitcher picked after him has produced more WAR to date.

Fifth rounder Alfredo Trevino had 3.2 WAR in Triple-A last year, giving hope that he may be able to cut it as a future backup Catcher. Unlike some teams, Philadelphia also has multiple players still active across the PBA minors, giving hope that one of them may catch lightning in a bottle and develop to a point to provide even more value.

2029 Review: Philadelphia had six players from the draft class make the PBA, with four contributing positive WAR. First rounder Mason Englert was not one of the four. He didn’t have the stuff to be a starter, didn’t have enough control to be a reliever, and mostly just soaked up innings in Triple-A before leading the Mexican League in ERA in 2029.

Philadelphia didn’t sign Tyler Freeman, who would go on to be an underwhelming starting Shortstop, but a starting Shortstop nonetheless. The compensation pick was used on Dave Simon though, who has had a respectable career, despite posting positive WAR in only three of his seven seasons and only one of his last five. He’s mostly been replacement level and has 50 career Saves.

Philadelphia’s other second rounder was used on Jeremiah Jackson, a replacement-level backup infielder. Their third rounder was spent on Joe Ferland, a reliever with a weird career. Homers led to sub-replacement WAR for Ferland towards the later half of his time in Philadelphia, but he still managed double digit saves in 2027, and double digit wins in 2028. In a weak draft, in the third round, that’s not nothing.

Fourth rounder Nick Swan never pitched above Double-A, but fifth rounder Alfredo Trevino has become a pretty decent Catcher in Arizona. Finally, 16th rounder Chad Bryant held his own as a replacement level reliever the last two years, and could be a little better if he cuts the homer bug from his game.

2024 Grade: B-. Outside of the Englert pick, Philadelphia had a strong draft. The Phillies didn’t force things, taking relievers and getting production out of them, where other teams took position players or starting pitchers and got nothing. Getting a couple of players who legitimately look like major league backups are also victories in the context of the draft class, and having some random mid-level picks still applying their crafts in the minors is a small win as well. It was a very well executed draft after their first pick.

2029 Grade: B. Philadelphia didn’t get much quality from the draft, but the quantity they got of pretty okay dudes is impressive enough for a B.


Pittsburgh Pirates:

First Round: (18) Thierno Danna—P
First Round: (32) Kollin Schrenk—P—Compensation for not signing Jeremiah Jackson
Second Round: (22) Thomas Burbank—P
Third Round: (23) Mitchell Kilkenny—P

Best Player: Thierno Danna, Thomas Burbank

Best Deep Cut: (11) Jake Slaughter—1B

2024 Total ML WAR: -0.2
2029 Total ML WAR: 10.8

2024 Review: Pittsburgh drafted pitchers in 2019, lots and lots of pitchers. In fact, their first seven 2019 draft picks were pitchers. And as any long-time PBL GM can attest, young pitchers are a crapshoot and often very tough to develop.

So, hats off to the Pirates front office who took some risks drafting young pitchers, but have done an admirable job developing several of them into quality prospects.

Danna is the cream of the crop. He has been a top-100 prospect for most of his minor-league career, peaking at no. 55 in 2022. With a devastating splitter and the potential for a solid changeup, he could eventually front the Pirates’ rotation and develop into a real workhorse. His 2024 debut was certainly promising, racking up 0.7 WAR in relief with a 2.93 FIP and 127 ERA+. And at age 24, there’s plenty of room to improve further from there.

While none of Pittsburgh’s other pitchers taken in 2019 have kept pace with Danna, several have either already made the majors or look poised to do so shortly including Schrenk, a soft-tossing righty with a great curveball/changeup combination but questionable command, Burbank, a quality starter who could pair with Danna atop the Pirates rotation for years to come if he can successfully recover from a ruptured UCL that sidelined him during the second half last season, fifth-rounder Cole Wilcox who appears to be a serviceable starter who could land at the back-end of a rotation, and seventh-round Third Baseman Steve Besteder, a possible Gold Glove candidate at the hot corner who put up a 120 OPS+ at AA Altoona last year.

2029 Review: The Pirates draft looks so different in hindsight. It’s pretty remarkable. The biggest lesson time has taught us from 2024 is that Thomas Burbank was the real standout. Burband isn’t a star or anything, but he developed with age and became a quality, steady back end starting pitching option. In a weak draft, that’s a major win. People thought Thierro Danna would be the standout from the draft class, but it was Burbank.

Danna never really developed a third pitch and was a weak starter, once leading the league in losses in 2025. He did pitch 454 career innings at a serviceable level, so that’s good, but he hasn’t been more than a decent body out there.

The Pirates got an extra first rounder they used on Kollin Schrenk as a result of not signing Jeremiah Jackson in 2018. Schrenk struggled in the high minors and then in the Meridian League and never pitched in the PBA. Jackson had one really good year for Baltimore in 2026 as a backup infielder and was sub replacement level most years aside from that. Still, that’s more than Schrenk provided.

Fifth rounder Cole Wilcox eventually made the PBA with a nice 12 game stretch in 2023, but never returned to the PBA. Seventh rounder Steve Besteder had a good stretch as a pinch hitter in 2026, but struggled in a similar role in 2027. 13th rounder Andy Baker got stuck pitching for a terrible Cleveland team in 2023 and had a 10.46 ERA in 37 terrible innings.

2024 Grade: A. It’s possible that the Pirates nabbed three major league starters in the 2019 draft (possibly four if Schrenk can iron out his control issues), plus a solid third baseman. That’s a heck of a return in any year, but particularly in what appears to be a fairly talent-starved draft.

2029 Grade: B+. Burbank became a great pick, making up for the fact that Danna never panned out. Wilcox and Besteder had a few moments as well. It’s not an A with only one real hit and a relative modest one at that, but it’s a solid B+.


San Diego Padres:

First Round: (4) Jorge Navarro—2B
Second Round: (6) Will Coronado—P—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (6) Jordan McFarland—LF—UNSIGNED

Best Player: Jorge Navaro

Best Deep Cut: (29) Patrick Naughton—P

2024 Total ML WAR: 0
2029 Total ML WAR: 0

2024 Review: San Diego spent their first-round pick on Jorge Navarro, a low-upside middle-infielder making his way through San Diego’s low minors. Navarro is only 23, and after a rough start to his professional career, has developed and turned in a nice season in 2024 in Fort Wayne. Navarro doesn’t have great range or a dynamic bat, making him most likely a Triple-A player, as he’s not likely a starter, nor is he flexible enough to be a backup. Getting a player who isn’t guaranteed to make the majors with the fourth overall pick is not a good look.

Will Coronado wasn’t signed, which might have been a blessing as he was injured and done as a professional player after 2022. Jordan McFarland also wasn’t signed and isn’t a great loss to the team. The draft picks turned into Tristan Lutz and Kevin Podolak in 2020, and slightly better players.

The Padres, in fact, didn’t sign any of their non-first-rounders until Round 6. The only players from the draft aside from Navaro still playing pro ball are seventh rounder Kai-Ge Shao, an outfielder who hasn’t escaped the low minors, and three pitchers towards the back of the draft still working as non-entities in the low minors.

2029 Review: San Diego missed on its first round pick, fourth overall Jorge Navarro. The Second Baseman had some real good years at age 23 and 24 at A-Ball, but he never played above the level. That was a big whiff of a pick.

San Diego didn’t sign its second or third rounders, a pair of players who made no impact at all. The compensation picks became Tristan Lutz and Kevin Podolak, a pair of players with 21 career PBA plate appearances between them, all by Podolak in Cleveland in 2025.

As a result, no Padres pick made the PBA.

2024 Grade: F: The Padres get a slight passing grade from not signing several dreadful picks and getting better value in future drafts. Still, there were competent players taken in the Second and Third rounds that the team missed out on, and their first rounder won’t be an impact player. They didn’t get any depth from the draft either. With a strong possibility of a 0-WAR class, the team’s grade has to be an F.

2029 Grade: F: The Padres didn’t get any value from the draft, and their rolled over picks didn’t provide either. San Diego got nothing from the draft.


San Francisco Giants:

First Round: (24) Juan Ochoa—P—UNSIGNED
Supplemental Round: (1) Kelyn Klattenburger—RF—UNSIGNED—Compensation for not resigning Mark Melancon
Supplemental Round: (2) Billy Cushing—P—UNSIGNED—Compensation for not resigning Michael Brantley
Second Round: (30) Carlos A. Cortes—2B—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (33) Zach Attianese—P—UNSIGNED

Best Player: (7) Austin Shenton

Best Deep Cut: (11) Jonathan Eliott

2024 Total ML WAR: 0.1
2029 Total ML WAR: -0.8

2024 Review: San Francisco had a few extra picks in this draft as a result of losing several key free agents as they started a rebuild. However, they didn’t sign any of their early picks. In fact, it wasn’t until 2021 that they signed early picks. As a result, in the case of Juan Ochoa, a pretty good-looking pitcher, they didn’t get a player for not signing him until they popped Shamar Polite in 2021. Polite is also a pretty good-looking pitcher, and in the case of similar value, you’d rather get it sooner over later.

Mark Melancon and Michael Brantley still had several seasons of good play ahead of them, but San Francisco did opt to rebuild. They used their pick on Klattenburger who looks like a star, but didn’t sign him, getting Curt Gemma instead. Gemma could be a closer and looks like a terrific reliever, but Klattenburger looks like an offensive superstar. The Giants eventually got Klattenburger back in their system, but had to give up assets to do so. With their other supplemental pick, they passed on signing Billy Cushing who looks like a low-minors reliever, eventually using the pick to take J.J. Ratliff, who looks like a Triple-A reliever.

In not signing Carlos A. Cortes and Zach Attianese, both non-entities, the Giants were able to get starting pitcher Chris Davis and outfielder Zach Stone. Both look like future pros, so that worked out well for the Giants.

In picks they actually signed, only two are currently active. Austin Shenton looks like a backup player on the left side of the field in some capacity. In getting him in the seventh round, San Francisco did very well. They also still have 11th-rounder Jonathan Eliott playing, but he’s a low-minors First Baseman with no power.

2029 Review: The Giants didn’t sign their first round pick, Juan Ochoa, who has mostly worked as an underwhelming reliever in his career. The compensation rolled around for a couple of years, turning into Shamar Polite, who has been better pitcher than Juan Ochoa.

The Giants failed to sign Kelyn Klattenburger with a comp pick acquired as a result of not signing Mark Melancon. Melancon was still really good for a few years, helping take Cleveland to a championship, and his loss hurt on the field for a competitive Giants team in 2019. Klattenburger would have been an excellent compensation pick, but he went unsigned. The pick eventually turned into longtime successful reliever Curt Gemma in 2021.

San Francisco also moved on from Michael Brantley, who still had a few good years left. San Francisco rolled over Billy Cushing, a non-factor, to sign J.J. Ratliff in 2021. Ratliff never played in the PBA, making that string of moves a failed one.

San Francisco’s second and third rounders went unsigned, with the rolled picks becoming Chris Davis and Zach Stone. The 2019 picks never played in the PBA, but Chris Davis was a solid swingman and Stone is a Quad-A piece knocking on the door. The rolled over picks were wins for the Giants.

San Francisco’s only signed player who made the PBA was Austin Shenton, a seventh rounder with a career -1.9 WAR as he’s never hit as well as scouts have hinted at.

2024 Grade: D+. Losing Ochoa just to sign Polite is a D- move as it simply kept talent out of San Francisco’s system for two years. Likewise, losing Melancon, not signing a potential star with the compensation pick, and letting that pick linger for two years is also a D- move, with only the fact that Curt Gemma looks like a really good reliever keeping it from being an F. Likewise, the Giants essentially turned Michael Brantley into a Triple-A reliever, an F move. In later rounds, the Giants did better. In not signing their second and third round picks, they passed up on signing valueless players. Two years later, they got major league caliber players. They also got a major league caliber player in Shenton in the seventh round. Those moves allowed San Francisco to have a passing grade.

2029 Grade: C+. Not signing Ochoa looks great in hindsight as his career has been stuck in neutral, while Shamar Polite has been a valuable piece of some good Giants teams. The Giants didn’t get anything out of not signing Michael Brantley though. Mark Melancon turning into Curt Gemma is good, but he could have also turned into Kelyn Klattenburger. Getting a comp pick that turned into Chris Davis is a win. There was a tax for having to wait to actually get those players in the door, but San Francisco’s decisions to punt until 2021 ultimately looks like the right call.


Seattle Mariners:

First Round: (16) Sam Hodge—P
First Round: (20) Shane Tucker—P—Pick Acquired from Chicago Cubs with Jayson Heyward, David Berg, and Christopher Morel for Hisashi Iwakuma)
Second Round: (20) Jacob McCarthy—LF
Third Round: (14) Dante Biasi—1B
Third Round: (21) Cooper Johnson—C—Compensation for not signing Joseph Mercado)

Best Player: Sam Hodge

Best Deep Cut: (13) Josh Bush—CF

2024 Total ML WAR: 0.6
2029 Total ML WAR: 8.5

2024 Review: Sam Hodge has been a middlingly-effective reliever for four seasons, despite the fact that he largely only has one pitch, a mid-90’s cutter. He’s one of the few pitchers in the league who also has multiple home runs though, which is pretty cool. Seattle also got the still useful Jason Heyward, plus a draft pick and filler, for Hisashi Iwakuma. There were a host of players Seattle could have taken instead of the now-retired Shane Tucker, but they still got value in the process of acquiring the pick.

Jacob McCarthy is a low-minors outfielder, and Dante Biasi is retired. Cooper Johnson can be an upper-minors Catcher, a far better outcome than Joseph Mercado who only appeared in 23 minor league games. Sixth-rounder Michael Toglia has hit in the minors and looks like a Triple-A player with local ties to Seattle. That’s not bad value for the sixth round. Josh Bush looks like a speed-and-defense Center Fielder who can probably be a backup in Triple-A. Not the worst pick in the 13th round.

2029 Review: Seattle’s first pick in the first round was used on Sam Hodge, a reliever who moved quickly and provided quality relief work for Seattle for nearly a decade. That was a solid pick.

Seattle then acquired Jason Heyward, David Berg, Christopher Morel, and a pick that became Shane Tucker for Hisashi Iwakuma. Heyward produced 2.5 WAR in four of the next five years, making his acquisition a success on its own. Berg was good for a couple of years before falling off hard in 2021. Morel never played in the PBA, and neither did Tucker. However, Heyward and Berg were acquired for Iwakuma who had one solid season left in the PBA before pitching a year in Japan and then retiring. Getting Heyward for that looks like more of a steal looking back.

Seattle’s other early round picks never played in the PBA. They got an extra third rounder for not signing Joseph Mercado in 2018, but neither Mercado nor comp pick Cooper Johnson, played in the PBA.

To find another player who did play in the PBA, you have to go to the 13th round. Josh Bush debuted in 2028, nearly a decade after he was drafted. He started 124 games that year, hit .300, and stole 23 bases, good for 4.0 WAR, and finishing up as the Rookie of the Year runner up to Gabe Bonilla. Bush fell off in 2029 and then tore his achillies so 2028 will almost certainly be the high point of his career—but what a high point it was.

2024 Grade: C-. There’s a lot of underwhelming, but decent moves at play with Seattle’s draft. They got a useful reliever, but not particularly a standout with their first pick. They got a solid enough outfielder in taking on their second first round pick, but Heyward’s contract was pricy and they didn’t get much else. Passing on Mercado take Cooper Johnson is decent. Getting good minor leaguers in the middle rounds is decent. Add it all together and you get a decent grade.

2029 Grade: B+. Seattle got a starting outfielder, a good reliever, and a flash in the pan Center Fielder from the draft. Even if Heyward cost a lot of money, that’s a very good outcome.


St. Louis Cardinals:

First Round: (13) Ignacio Vigil—P—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (16) Vince Morgan—P
Third Round: (15) D.J. Neal—RF

Best Player: Vince Morgan

Best Deep Cut: (22) Ken Vaughn

2024 Total ML WAR: 0.9
2029 Total ML WAR: 2.8

2024 Review: St. Louis didn’t sign Ignacio Vigil in 2019, which was smart as he turned into an injured wreck in the Pirates system. The rolled over pick turned into Jake Sanfilippo, who was just taken by Boston in the Rule V draft. The decision to not sign Vigil was a smart move in hindsight.

Vince Morgan made it to the PBA last year as a relief arm and had a successful year, with a 3.35 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 94 innings. He looks like a successful relief pick. D.J. Neal is a speedster in Double-A without a major league future ahead of him. Fourth-Round closer Austin Drury struggled in Double-A and also likely doesn’t have a major league future ahead of him. Sixth-rounder Serafino Brito was picked out of Farleigh Dickinson, and after a .640 OPS in Triple-A as a Designated Hitter last year, I’m Farleigh Certain he won’t have a major league future ahead of him.

Deep in the draft, the club picked Ken Vaughn. He only has two pitches at this point, but scouts think he could be a viable option thanks to a mid-90’s heater and a terrific slider. He hangs those pitches too frequently, but he can miss bats.

2029 Review: St. Louis didn’t sign Ignacio Vigil, a player who was oft-injured in the minors and never had a PBA career. The compensation pick turned into Jake Sanfilippo, a good power-hitting Second Baseman at his peak with Boston. That was a smart move.

Second round pick Vince Morgan has had a successful career as a reliever and sometimes starter since 2026. There were better arms to take with Thomas Burbank and Tommy Stanfield still on the board, but the pick wasn’t a terrible one. Morgan was the only Cardinal pick who was signed who saw the PBA.

2024 Grade: C+. The Cardinals got a good reliever, a decent Second Baseman in 2020, and a potential swingman out of the draft, which is about what’s needed to have the draft be a success.

2029 Grade: B-. St. Louis got a decent reliever and a starting Second Baseman out of the draft. That’s a good haul.


Tampa Bay Rays:

First Round: (26) Tyler Freeman—SS—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (33) D.J. Roberts—P
Third Round: (36) Nicholas Quintana—3B

Best Player: (14) Collin Snider

Best Deep Cut: (14) Collin Snider—RF

2024 Total ML WAR: 0
2029 Total ML WAR: 0

2024 Review: Collin Snider, picked up in the 14th round, is the only player from the draft class still playing professionally. The under-talented 28-year-old Right Fielder looks like a low-minors caliber player through-and-through meaning the Rays didn’t get any value out of the draft.

The one piece of business that worked out was punting on signing Tyler Freeman, opting to get a pick in 2020 that turned into current Braves starter Nate Capriglione. Freeman looks like a fantastic defender who might be able to hit enough to start. Capriglione, as a clear starting pitcher, has worked out better than Freeman has.

That’s all that Tampa Bay got out of 30 available picks.

2029 Review: None of Tampa Bay’s signed picks made the PBA. The team didn’t sign its first rounder, Tyler Freeman, getting a compensation pick that became Nate Capriglione. Capriglione has been a good mid-rotation arm for a decade, while Freeman has been an underwhelming Shortstop, who should probably be a backup.

2024 Grade: F. Essentially flipping Tyler Freeman for Nate Capriglione was a good decision, but the Rays got nothing else out of the class despite decent relievers and upper minors depth lurking. To get so little brings the grade down to just shy of failing.

2029 Grade: D+. The 2024 grade was too harsh. Essentially “drafting” Nate Capriglione with the 2019 pick is a good look, and better than signing Freeman would have been. Capriglione would honestly be the best pitcher taken in the first few rounds of the 2019 draft. Freeman is still a decent enough player, and the Rays got nothing else out of the draft, so the highest the grade can go is a D+.


Texas Rangers:

First Round: (27) Matthew Thompson—P
Second Round: (35) Austin Langworthy—LF—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (38) Austin Becker—P

Best Player: Matthew Thompson

Best Deep Cut: (11) Maddux Conger—P

2024 Total ML WAR: 0
2029 Total ML WAR: -0.2

2024 Review: The Rangers signed 25 draft picks in 2019. None of them are currently with the organization. Twenty-four have retired from professional baseball and one, first-rounder Matthew Thompson, has bounced around the minor leagues with four different organizations.

That’s not to say Thompson is bereft of promise. He’s a hard-throwing 24-year old reliever with a decent fastball and a fringy curve and slider. He put up a great year for the Phillies’ AAA squad in 2024, with a 1.01 ERA and jaw-dropping 385 ERA+ over 53 innings. While that may be an outlier – it was certainly has best professional season by far – he looks like the type of guy who could fashion a decent major league career at the back-end of a major league bullpen.
The only other 2019 Rangers draft pick still in the majors is Austin Langworthy, their second-round pick who they failed to sign. He was taken in the 8th round by the Royals the following year and is currently in the Angels system. While he had some success early in his career, including a 2021 Platinum Stick Award in the Appalachian League, at 27 and coming off a very forgettable 2024 AAA campaign, he’s likely to join the ranks of retired Rangers draft picks shortly.

2029 Review: Nobody Texas drafted is still active, save Matthew Thompson, who has four terrible games for Philadelphia in his career PBA ledger and is currently on Egypt’s IL with a torn rotator cuff. A longtime sub-replacement pitcher for Lehigh Valley, he’s the best Texas did in the draft. Most of the players retired early and didn’t accomplish much in their minor league career. Even the compensation pick fornotsigning Austin Langworthy bounced around a bit before being lost when Texas signed Danny Salazar before the 2021 season.

2024 Grade: D+: On one hand, the Rangers drafted a guy with their first-round pick who looks like he will eventually make the majors. Not for the Rangers mind you, but at least for some club. And the Rangers astutely moved him in 2020 with a package of other prospects to Seattle for perennial All-Star pitcher Marcus Stroman, so he did end up contributing quite a bit to the Rangers organization even though he wasn’t around long. But on the other hand, outside of Thompson the Rangers got almost no value from their 2019 picks. Most washed out of professional baseball within a couple of years, with the rest following shortly thereafter.

2029 Grade: F: It’s a weak draft, but Texas got nothing out of it, not even a blah reliever or a good Quad-A guy who tore up Triple-A.


Toronto Blue Jays:

First Round: (15) Loeck Roenhorst—P
Second Round: (19) T.J. Collett—C
Third Round: (20) Blake Sabol—C—UNSIGNED

Best Player: T.J. Collette

Best Deep Cut: Cody Morris (11)—P

2024 Total ML WAR: 1.2
2029 Total ML WAR: 13.2

2024 Review: Roenhorst had a better postseason then regular season his rookie year, but he has some potential as a future back-end starting pitcher as a hard thrower with a good splitter and changeup. There are some better arms are younger who were taken after him, but looking at other potential options, he’s not a miss. Collette has had the most WAR to date out of the Catcher spot and looks like perhaps the best Catcher of the class. He showed his talent with a .783 OPS his rookie year.

Blake Sabol was picked and unsigned. He went in the 16th round the next year, so not the worst pick to discard. Brayden Theriot can be a back-end of a bullpen guy in the ninth round. There’s very little depth, but that’s an issue that will pop up for nearly every team.

2029 Review: Toronto nailed its first two picks. Loeck Roenhorst was a solid reliever for a time and helped Toronto win the 2024 World Series. There weren’t many pitchers picked later in the first round or the early second who were demonstrably better than him.

In the second round, Toronto drafted T.J. Collett, the 2025 AL Platinum Stick winner at Catcher. Collett has clubbed 115 homers in his career through 2029 and been worth 11 WAR. While 2025 was an outlier for him, getting a player with that kind of single season upside was an excellent stroke of genius by Toronto.

They didn’t sign their third rounder Blake Sabol, turning the compensation pick into Chris Littelton in 2023, another player who never played in the PBA.

The Blue Jays didn’t get much else from the draft, though ninth rounder Brayden Theriot had a decent career as a KBO reliever through the end of the 2020s.

2024 Grade: A-. Collett is one of the best players in the class, and Roenhorst has a chance to be decent as well. Toronto even saved money by not signing their third-round pick. They didn’t get anything after Roenhorst and Collette, but in a draft this bad, two good players is enough for an excellent grade.

2029 Grade: A-: Toronto got a decent reliever and a very good Catcher. That’s solid work in this draft.


Washington Nationals:

First Round: Forfeited as a result of signing Michael Brantley
First Round: (31) T.J. Walker—P—Compensation for not signing Ryder Green
Second Round: (24) Jon Carter—P
Third Round: (24) Luka Dalatri—1B
Third Round: (30) Grant Wolfram—P—Compensation for not signing Kody Clemens

Best Player: Jon Carter

Best Deep Cut: (14) Ryan Hoogerwerf—1B

2024 Total ML WAR: 2.4
2029 Total ML WAR: 6.6

2024 Review: The Nationals lost their first-round pick as a result of signing Michael Brantley in the offseason. Brantley hit .286 with 86 RBIs in 137 games as Washington went 100-62 and made the playoffs for the first time in the PBA. Considering how weak the draft turned out, substituting a draft pick for two seasons of solid offense for a team developing into a powerhouse was worth it.

Washington didn’t sign Ryder Green in 2018, getting T.J. Walker as a result. Walker will likely never be a major league contributor, while Green ended up a first-round pick in three drafts and looks like he could be a decent bat or a decent reliever. That pick was a bust.

Jon Carter has turned out to be an excellent pitcher. He’s fifth in the class in WAR as a short relief arm. He’s been an explosive, if volatile, reliever for three seasons now, and despite a lack of command, has such a dynamic fastball-curveball combination that it hasn’t mattered. Even though he’s just a reliever, he was a great pick.

Luka Dalatri and Grant Wolfram were released after three seasons. Wolfram was compensation for Washington not signing Kody Clemens the year prior. Clemens is still playing baseball—albeit replacement level Triple-A baseball—while Wolfram is retired, giving that pick a slightly negative grade.

Sixth-rounder Nate Walker is in Triple-A, as a replacement-level arm, while seventh-round outfielder Cade Cabbiness is also a replacement level player in Triple-A. That qualifies as decent depth in this class.

2029 Review: Washington forfeited its first round pick to sign Michael Brantley to a pair of one-year deals. Brantley hit for an .859 OPS in his two years in Washington and Washington was a World Series contender, so the loss of the draft pick was justified.

The Nationals passed on signing Ryder Green in 2018, getting T.J. Walker with the compensation pick. Green debuted last year as a 29-year old with a .185 average. Walker hasn’t played in a professional league yet though, so Washington should have held on to Green.

Their other compensation pick was in the third round. The team let Kody Clemons go in 2018, signing Grant Wolfram with the compensation pick. Neither Clemons, nor Wolfram played in the PBA.

Washington made two picks that appeared in the PBA. Jon Carter, their second rounder, has had a long successful career in the bullpen. Sixth rounder Nate Walker saw some action with the Cardinals in 2026 and had good results, going 1-0 with a 3.22 ERA in 23 Games.

2024 Grade: B+. Giving up the pick to sign Brantley and drafting Carter are standout moves. Not signing guys in 2018 hurts as the players they failed to sign were much better than the players they picked as compensation. Still, given the low bar, coming away with Brantley and Carter is strong work.

2029 Grade: B+. Signing Brantley and drafting Carter were the right moves, though the Nationals should have just signed Green in retrospect. Still, an All-Star caliber outfielder and a top notch reliever are good hauls from the draft.




2029 WAR Total

Baltimore Orioles 24.6
Milwaukee Brewers 21.4
Atlanta Braves 17.5
Cleveland Indians 14.3
Toronto Blue Jays 13.2
Pittsburgh Pirates 10.8
Detroit Tigers 10.5
Chicago White Sox 9.9
Kansas City Royals 9.8
Seattle Mariners 8.5
Los Angeles Angels 7.4
Washington Nationals 6.6
New York Yankees 6.1
Houston Astros 5.9
Arizona Diamondbacks 5.8
Chicago Cubs 5.1
Philadelphia Phillies 4.8
Cincinnati Reds 4.7
Oakland Athletics 3.1
St. Louis Cardinals 2.8
New York Mets 0.8
Boston Red Sox -0.1
Texas Rangers -0.2
San Francisco Giants -0.8
Colorado Rockies -1
Miami Marlins -1.8