2021 Draft Review

[Commissioner Erick]

More than any other year, the 2021 PBA draft saw top talent going outside the first picks in the first round. Star-level talent was taken not only early on but late in the first round, the second round, and hell, Cy Young-level arms were taken in the fourth and ninth rounds. Kevin Brancaccio was an All-Star in 2025 after being taken in the 16th round, while not to be outdone, Danny Richardson earned a trip to the All-Star Game in 2026 after being a 30th round selection.

Pitching and defense were found throughout the draft, with some sluggers being taken early on. With talent to be grabbed all over the draft though, supplementing an early round hit, or nailing multiple picks were the moves that set the best teams apart. Conversely, walking away with nothing was a huge fail in a draft with talent dispersed the way it was in 2021.


Arizona Diamondbacks:


First Round: (21) Pick traded along with Arturo Escobar, Ronald Acuna, and Wilmer Difo to Cincinnati for Isan Diaz and Tyler Stephenson. Pick turned into Harlan Guenette.
Second Round: (27) Juan Alvarado—P
Second Round: (31) Ian Filo—P (Pick acquired along with fourth rounder (Art Winkler), Brayan Hernandez, and Yeikel Blandin from Colorado for Jasrado Chisholm)
Third Round: (36) Jeremy Bloomer—SS—UNSIGNED

Best Player: Juan Alvarado—P

Best Deep Cut: (21) Nathanaël LaBarrie—P

Total ML WAR: 2.5

Review: The Diamondbacks draft started with an interesting trade. Isan Diaz and Tyler Stephenson were acquired as part of a trade that gave away their first round pick to the Reds. Stephenson was then lost weeks later in the Rule V draft. The pick that the Reds acquired was wisely spent on 3B Harland Guenette, who has developed into a very solid Third Baseman. Diaz was a key piece of the Arizona team that won it all in 2023 though, so the Dbacks are still probably happy with this trade.

Their second rounder, Juan Alvarado, debuted last year and looks like he will be a solid #4 or 5 starter. They acquired another second rounder as part of a trade that sent Jazz Chisholm to the Rockies. It was spent on Pitcher Ian Filo, who was a top 100 prospect at one point before injuries hit. This was a poor trade. None of the players they got back in this trade have been anywhere near as good as Chisholm, who has had a solid career as a ML Shorstop. This trade shows why trading away Major League level players for draft picks can be a risky business. The Dbacks failed to sign their third rounder in 2021. Jeremy Bloomer never turned into anything besides minor league filler though so maybe this is a blessing in disguise.

The Dbacks have one notable late round pick from this draft. Nathanaël LaBarrie was selected in the 21st round. He has poor movement on his pitches but enough stuff to stick in the PBA as a possible swingman. That's a win for a pick that late.

Grade: C. The Isan Diaz acquisition helped the Dbacks to win a WS but they traded away an infielder who turned out to be just as good in Chisholm too. There's no telling if they would have picked Guenette but he was a solid acquisition with the 1st rounder they gave up as well. Ultimately this draft was a lot of moving parts for the Dbacks that really didn't seem to make the team that much better.


Atlanta Braves:


First Round: (17) Rickey Dempsey—P
First Round: (32) Steve Goode—CF—Compensation for not signing Luis Montoya
Second Round: (19) Steve Ryan—P—Compensation for not signing Ignacio Vigil
Second Round: (22) Zack Wilkinson—P
Third Round: (26) Ian Martin—P—Compensation for not signing Mike Devenport
Third Round: (27) Ken Spraglin

Best Player: (16) Kevin Brancaccio—P

Best Deep Cut: Kevin Brancaccio—P

Total ML WAR: 14.6

Review: Atlanta selected Dempsey 17th overall, a slow-moving pitcher who was serviceable out of the pen last year. Dempsey keeps the ball in the park, but walks too many hitters to be more than a fringe player. Better pitchers were on the board.

Their next two picks came as a result of not signing Luis Montoya or Ignacio Vigil in 2020, two pitchers who will never pitch in the pros. Instead of signing those two, the rolled over picks turned into Steves Goode and Ryan. Goode has been a big time slugger and solid defender in the pros, while Ryan is a fringe pitcher. Goode is in the top five in position player WAR, and is similar in production to Tim Elmore who was picked in a similar range. A number of pitchers went in the second round, and few look like impact arms, which helps the case of the Ryan pick. Chris Davis would have been a nice get though.

Zack Wilkinson was one of the many underwhelming arms taken in the second round of the 2021 draft. He’s been a positive WAR back-end starter. Pat Clemens may have been the stronger selection as a big time reliever taken a spot later.

In the third round, Atlanta got an extra pick for not signing Mike Devenport a year prior. Devenport last pitched in 2023, while Ian Martin looks like a replacement-level arm in Double-A. It’s a slight upgrade, but the Braves didn’t get much there. Their own third rounder was spent on Ken Spraglin. While Spraglin has struggled his first few seasons in the PBA, he projects to be a mid-rotation arm and was a good get for the third round.

Atlanta didn’t get much out of the rest of their single-digit picks, though a few players look like they’ll be decent in Double-A. Most of their selections are still active, so the Braves get some credit for taking pitchers who still have a chance, but while the quantity was good, the quality wasn’t.

In fact, many of Atlanta’s best picks were in the teens. Kevin Brancaccio is an ace with some of the best arm action in the league. He’s whiffed 517 batters the past two years, producing 8.2 WAR despite working his age 23 and 24 seasons. His selection was one of the best of the draft as he’s fourth in WAR produced so far.

17th rounder Toji Fujimoto is coming off a couple of strong seasons in Atlanta’s upper minors. He has good stuff and throws strikes and may one day pitch in the majors if he stays in the US. 14th rounder Ryo Hyashi struggled with the long ball in Triple-A last year, but throws five pitches, three very well, and is on the radar of PBA teams.

20th rounder Robby Staley can play Shortstop, steal bases, and make contact. He was selected in the Rule V draft prior to 2026, and has a chance to stick as a utility infielder. Even 28th rounder Kymani Brazley hangs too many pitches and has too little command to stick, but he misses bats with four plus pitches and should hang in the upper minors. Those are outstanding selections deep in the draft.

Grade: A-. It’s quite an inverted draft, but Atlanta got a lot of talent. Brancaccio is a gem of a pitcher taken deep in the draft, Goode is a starting outfielder, and Spraglin is a starting pitcher. Some of the depth pieces have a chance of hitting as well, and all the players Atlanta didn’t sign in 2020 turned out to be awful.


Baltimore Orioles:


First Round: (7) Jorge Ontiveros—P
Second Round: Forfeited as a result of signing A.J. Pollock
Third Round: (7) Andy Modrall—P
Third Round: (14) Jeremy Voss—RF—Compensation for not signing Andy Fleck

Best Player: (29) Jake Shirey—P

Best Deep Cut: Jake Shirey—P

Total ML WAR: 3.4

Review: The Orioles drafted Jorge Ontiveros seventh overall in 2021. After cups of coffee in 2024 and 2025, he had a solid first full year in 2025 winning 10 games alternating between the rotation and pen. Last year he was a full time starter and had a 4.68 ERA, allowing 23 homers in 142.1 innings. Next year will be a huge year for Ontiveros to finally show that he has the goods to be a solid starting pitcher before beginning a second act as a journeyman.

The Orioles didn’t have a second rounder as it was forfeited to sign comp free agent A.J. Pollock. The outfielder played one year in Baltimore for $14.5 million and put up -0.8 WAR. Somehow he was claimed by Boston the following year, but he put up -3.0 WAR after signing the 5-year deal that brought him to Baltimore. Bob Beasley and Curt Gemma was Supplemental picks that year, making the Pollock signing a colossal failure.

Andy Modrall was taken in round three and hasn’t escaped Double-A. He looks like he can succeed in Triple-A, but isn’t a PBA arm. They got an extra third rounder for not signing Andy Fleck in 2020. Fleck had a strong cup of coffee as a rookie for the Twins last year, but Voss has a lightning quick bat and lightning quick feet, despite having no patience, power, or clue in the field. Fleck vs Voss can go either way, but Fleck has already demonstrated success in the majors, giving him a slight edge.

Baltimore’s fourth rounder won’t escape the low minors, but their fifth rounder, Josh Shaw, has made 67 career starts as an overmatched youngster. Shaw hasn’t hit at all in the majors yet, but the current Athletic has a major league skillset, especially as a backup.

Eighth-rounder Jonathan Kelly has a respectable bat and eye, and he brings some speed and defense. He might be an upper minors outfielder.

Their very best pick may be 29th rounder Jake Shirey. After toiling in the minors, San Diego snapped Shirey in the Rule V Draft and watched him win 11 games and strike out 144 in 154.2 innings as a rookie last year. The lefty has a durable arm, three solid pitches, and he throws strikes. He’s also only 23, giving him a lot of time to ply his craft.

Grade: D. The early part of Baltimore’s draft was pretty decrepit, with Ontiveros an underwhelming arm, Modrall a career minor leaguer, and the A.J. Pollock signing a disaster. Ontiveros isn’t a failure though, and enough solid picks later on give the Orioles a passing grade.


Boston Red Sox:


First Round: (10) Joe Caulder—P
Supplemental Round: (2) Steve Hartman—P—Compensation for not signing Jackie Bradley Jr.
Second Round: (7) Juan Garza—CF—Compensation for not signing Jonathan Carrillo
Second Round: (10) Juan Inzunza—RF
Third Round: (8) Juan Betancourt—P
Third Round: (10) Kevin Sexton—P—Compensation for not signing Rory Scearce
Third Round: (21) Stephon Simien—P—Compensation for not signing Jonathan Mueller
Third Round: (30) Bob Lacy—RF—Compensation for not signing Mike Phelps

Best Player: Steve Hartman—P

Best Deep Cut: (16) Chris Cate—P

Total ML WAR: 5.3

Review: The Red Sox got a lot of relievers from the 2021 draft, but at least they’re good relievers. The 10th overall pick Joe Caulder is perpetually injured but had a good run earlier in his career before arm issues sapped his command. Due to how unreliable he’s been, better options were available with the pick.

Boston let Jackie Bradley Jr. walk as a free agent and he played just two more seasons in the majors, a respectable 2021 in Texas, and a replacement level campaign in 2022 with the Cubs. For letting him walk, Boston got a supplemental pick they used on Steve Hartman. Unlike Caulder, Hartman has a clean sheet when it comes to arm issues. He was wild his rookie year in 2024, but has honed his command every season, allowing him to lead the league in Saves last year. Hartman’s turned into a top tier closer, a splendid outcome for a supplemental pick.

Their initial second round pick was a comp pick for not signing Jonathan Carrillo the year prior. Carrillo has torn up A-ball, but doesn’t look like more than a mid-minors bat. The comp pick turned into Juan Garza, who never got above High-A and retired this past offseason. That was a not a good use of the pick.

Their other second rounder is a two-way player, Juan Inzunza. As an outfielder, Inzunza will play in the majors. He has a good, quick bat with power. He also runs well and can play Center Field. He hasn’t reached the majors yet, but he’s an intriguing player. He also has a decent arm on the mound, but one that’s not good enough for the pros. He may save some relievers some innings in blowouts though.

The Red Sox had four picks in the third round. The first one was used on Juan Betancourt. He made the majors fairly quickly and had a strong rookie year in 2024, going 5-2 with a 3.03 ERA. He had elbow surgery in 2025 and hasn’t been the same since, losing some command, causing his stuff to play down.

Their second pick was Kevin Sexton, a comp pick for not signing Rory Scearce. Scearce put up -2.3 WAR in the minors before retiring, never making it above Low-A. Sexton, meanwhile, had an excellent year last year allowing just four home runs in 62.2 innings, fanning 72, and producing 1.3 WAR in relief. Boston made the right call.

Third rounder number three was used on Stephon Simien, after the pick went unsigned and rolled over since 2018. Donnie Sellers, Zach Farrar, and Jonathan Mueller were drafted and unsigned to allow Boston to pick Simien. All parties have retired except Mueller, who’s had a nice career in the Cuban League. Terrible draft pick management for Boston.

Their final third rounder went unsigned and rolled over every single year of the PBA, finally turning into a player in 2021. Bob Lacy is an adequate Right Fielder with a poor approach, an adequate bat, an adequate glove, and adequate legs. He’ll be an adequate Triple-A Right Fielder. Tyler Freeman, Nick Donnelly, Julian Infante, and Mike Phelps were tossed aside to get Lacy. Infante has been a sub-replacement major leaguer for a while, while Freeman looks like an outstanding backup shortstop. One of those two should have been signed.

Boston’s fourth and fifth rounders, Jorge Santana and Juan Escoto, have already retired, but if sixth rounder Ken Sweet beats elbow reconstruction surgery, he can be a Quad-A arm with his high 90’s fastball.

The only late-rounder of note is pitcher Chris Cate, who reached the majors last year. Cate throws hard and throws strikes. If he can locate his pitches better to bring down his exorbitant home run rate, he’ll be a decent long man in the pen. He’s still young enough where if he develops his changeup, he can be a starting arm.

Grade: C+. There’s some good here. The Hartman pick is an A+, with Sexton an A and Inzunza earning a B+. The Betancourt pick is a C+ as a third rounder, as is Sweet. The Caulder selection is a D in hindsight, especially with the injuries sapping his career. Garza, Simien and Lacy are F’s, as are Santana and Escoto. There’s not much in the lower rounds aside from Cate, so that’s a C-. Add it together and it’s a pretty average draft.


Chicago White Sox:


First Round: (27) Joe White—CF
Supplemental Round: (3) Alfredo Medrano—P—Compensation for not signing Danny Salazar
Second Round: (35) Nate Berrios—SS
Third Round: (44) Bob Kaiser—2B—UNSIGNED

Best Player: Alfredo Medrano

Best Deep Cut: (11) Ed Odle—P

Total ML WAR: -1.2

Review: Chicago’s first pick was late in the first round. They selected Clemson outfielder Joe White. The outfielder’s been a nice Center Fielder in the majors, but he hasn’t hit enough to warrant a starting job. Though he did lead the league in triples in 2024, his .214 career average in 357 games leaves much to be desired. Steve Goode and Tim Elmore would have been better selections.

The White Sox let Danny Salazar go in free agency, netting a pick that turned into Alfredo Medrano. The tall righty hasn’t cut it as a starter, but has a fastball/slider combo that could excel in relief. Chicago was a World Series contender earlier in the decade though, and Salazar was coming off a strong 16-win season. Salazar had a nice year in Texas in 2022, but blew out his elbow. He returned and produced 2.4 and 2.5 WAR in 2023 and 2024 before a poor 2025 ended his career. Salazar still would have been useful for Chicago, so the decision to let him go and draft Medrano is a D+.

The White Sox turned their attention to the infield with their next two picks, grabbing Shortstop Nate Berrios in round two and Second Baseman Bob Kaiser in round three. Berrios never developed his bat and is mid-minors fodder. Kaiser wasn’t signed, despite looking like a solid backup infield prospect. The rolled over pick became Ed Gallego, who is out of baseball.

Chicago swung some trades with its mid-round picks. They got Sonny Gray from Milwaukee in exchange for their fourth rounder, ninth rounder, and Bryan Lara. Lara and Randy Boshears weren’t arms who’d leave a mark in the majors, but the fourth rounder became Mike Arnold, perhaps the best pitcher in the game. Oops. Gray had one nice season with the White Sox, but keeping Arnold would have been a franchise changer.

They traded Triple-A First Baseman Peter Maris for a fifth rounder that became replacement level arm Ian Sherman. That was a nice swing. They also picked up Turner Larkins for a sixth and 10th round pick. Larkins spent the year in the low minors and retired the following year. The picks turned into players who wouldn’t see the majors. No harm, no foul.

The mid-round picks Chicago had remaining didn’t turn into too much, with Ed Odle being the only one of note. The righty had a wild 2024 that saw him give up a bunch of homers and walks, while striking out everyone else. He had a somewhat respectably 4.83 ERA, but an unsightly -0.9 WAR. The command issues are still there, but his fastball and slider still have him on the major league radar.

Grade: F. Essentially giving away Mike Arnold is a mortal sin, and only getting a few replacement level relievers and backups isn’t enough to make up for it. Sonny Gray was pretty good for them, but Danny Salazar would have provided similar production. Just not a good draft


Chicago Cubs:


First Round: (29) Pick traded along with Second Round Pick* (Sean McDermott) and Albert Almora to Milwaukee for Michael Lorenzen, Corey Knebel, Bowdien Derby, and $1.5 million. Pick turned into Chad Woods
Second Round: *
Third Round:Forfeited as a result of signing Yoenis Cespedes

Best Player: (10) Omari McCoo

Best Deep Cut: (11) Ben McGuirt

Total ML WAR: -0.1

Review: This draft coincided with Chicago’s period of trading away all their draft picks in a quest to win a title that never came.

The picks that turned into Chad Woods and Sean McDermott were swapped for Cowboy Lorenzen, Corey Knebel, Bubba Derby, and cash. Lorenzen had 10 wins, 3.1 WAR, and a 1.98 ERA his lone season as a Cub, Knebel had a 2.49 ERA his lone season as a Cub, and $1.5 million in cash never hurts. Derby never amounted to more than s sub-replacement arm, but the Cubs had an elite bullpen in 2021.

They gave up Woods, who has hit over .300 throughout the minors and could be a second division starting Second Baseman, though McDermott has been overmatched in full season ball and won’t have a major league career. Almora was still useful as a glove-only outfielder, and while the downgrade to D.J. Wilson wasn’t a severe one, it was still a downgrade. Considering the relief arms only pitched for one season in Chicago, it’s a roughly neutral trade. The bullpen was terrific but they lost potential years of value with Woods, and Almora was a better player than what Chicago trotted out as their third outfielder the next decade.

The Cubs signed Yoenis Cespedes in Free Agency, forfeiting their third round pick in the process. Cespedes clubbed 44 home runs his season in Chicago, and helped the Cubs make the NLCS. Chicago didn’t sign their other early picks, meaning the first pick that signed was their sixth rounder, Jorge Bustos, a player with no big-league future.

The only player Chicago signed that has any sort of potential is big-armed Third Baseman Omari McCoo. McCoo hit just .243 in the Pacific Coast League this past season, and hit .213 with a .567 OPS in 40 PBA starts. His arm plays in the majors even if his bat doesn’t, and replacement level from a 10th rounder is perfectly fine.

Grade: C-. The Cubs get slight positives for the trade that sent out their first two draft picks and their decision to sign Yoenis Cespedes. They also get a slight positive for drafting McCoo. It balances out the total lack of depth in the class, though the acquired talent did lead to them having a strong 2021.


Cincinnati Reds:


First Round: (3) Billy Olds—3B
First Round: (21) Harland Guenette—3B—Pick acquired along with Arturo Escobar, Ronald Acuna, and Wilmer Difo from Arizona for Isan Diaz and Tyler Stephenson
Second Round: (2) Ezequiel Ferrales—2B
Third Round: (3) Phil Purvis—P

Best Player: Harland Guenette

Best Deep Cut: (16) Robby Beam—3B

Total ML WAR: 11.4

Review: Most picks from this draft didn't materialize but the two that did are the type you build teams around and that is ultimately what you hope to achieve from a draft. Their 11.4 WAR is currently 5th highest from 2021.

Their first pick had promise but perhaps there was some ominous, superstitious, foreshadowing in picking someone named Olds; for that he became quickly. But this was quickly forgiven by their solid score at 21st in the 1st round. Harland Guenette has produced 6 WAR in his first two years, has gold glove and all-star potential and a very bright future at 26 years old. They gave up a fair bit to acquire this pick, but their bold move probably still wins them the trade with Arizona. Isan Diaz has had a pretty decent career at 17 WAR but getting Ronald Acuna along with choosing Guenette and they take this prize.

Their other picks really are lackluster. Ferrales in the 2nd round looked very strong for a couple of years and he even moved to 87# ranked prospect in 2023 but he began to regress shortly after and appears unlikely to break the majors. Their third round pick of Purvis had a fair bit of promise and he had smoking velocity and stuff, but he lost his control and doesn't appear able to likely regain.

The other big catch and deeper cut was AJ Masucci in the 7th Round. However, the pick comes with a wound as the Reds gave up too early on what now looks to be a bonified frontline starter for the Phillies. AJ struggled with his control the first two years and the Reds cut him loose only for Philly to pounce and potentially land a franchise pitcher.

The only other two players who have broken ranks and made major appearances are fourth rounder Dan Norton with Cleveland with two dismal seasons and also Robby Beam in the 16th Round in Cleveland. He has some good hands and glove but seems destined to a fringe bench role.

Grade: A. To land potentially two all-star, franchise players in a draft where you don't have picks beyond your allotted ones is a boon. They earn the A with Guenette, Masucci, and for edging out in the trade in acquiring the 21st overall pick in the 2021 Draft.


Cleveland Indians:


First Round: (28) Danny Bilbrew—CF
Second Round: (36) Bobby Sheesley—3B
Third Round: (45) Jacquan Chassagne—P

Best Player: Jacquan Chassagne

Best Deep Cut: (25) Dave Duson

Total ML WAR: 3.2

Review: Cleveland drafted a very young first rounder, Danny Bilbrew, who hasn’t cracked the majors yet. Bilbrew’s been moved to Right Field and looks like a big slugger with some swing and miss in his game. The archetype may be Steve Goode, who was drafted a few spots later. Goode was older, but has been productive in the majors thus far. Bilbrew will likely have to match his production going forward to earn a positive mark. For now, it’s a C pick as Bilbrew has the potential to be a difference-making bat, while also having major downside risk.

Sheesley has settled in as a Triple-A Third Baseman. He doesn’t have a bat dynamic enough to play in the majors, and doesn’t provide value with his legs or glove.

Cleveland hit with its third round pick. Chassagne was called up in 2025 and immediately closed for Cleveland with 28 Saves. He was traded to Kansas City, where a high BABIP masked a successful season. Chassagne looks like one of the best relievers in the draft.

Cleveland signed the rest of its early picks, though few have been productive. Jorge Saldana and Dermott Brugwin were grabbed in Rounds four and five respectively and both look like Triple-A players. Saldana is similar to Bilbrew in that he has a lot of downside risk, but does carry major power potential. Brugwin is similar to Sheesley in that he has a balanced approach that likely won’t be good enough for the majors, though his glove and legs help him a bit more.

Cleveland did find a high-schooler in the 25th round that may be something. Dave Duson gets great movement on his two-seamer, and has carved out a terrific slider. There’s a possibility he becomes a starter in the PBA before too long.

Grade: C. Cleveland’s drafted players are so young there’s still a lot of room for the grade to change. Their one sure thing is an effective closer, and their next most likely outcomes are a very strong Triple-A team. One of the outfielders can turn into a player, and maybe Duson can put a career together. The 10-year review may see a very different grade, both up or down.


Colorado Rockies:


First Round: (23) Juan Marrufo—1B
Second Round: (31) Pick traded along with fourth rounder (Art Winkler), Brayan Hernandez, and Yeikel Blandin to Arizona for Jasrado Chisholm. Pick turned into Ian Filo.
Third Round: (39) Jeff O’Connell—CF

Best Player: Juan Marrufo

Best Deep Cut: (16) Luis Castillo

Total ML WAR: 5.6

Review: There is a lot of ambiguity in the 2021 Draft for the Rockies. On the one hand, they currently sit with the 11th best current WAR from all players of that draft. On the other hand, it's all from one player.

Having one player on a major roster producing since the draft puts Colorado tied for last with 4 other teams in this category. This lone star is none other than 1B Juan Marrufo; and while shining alone from this draft class of the Rockies, it twinkles. Larry Walker twinkle? Not yet. Needs a little more polishing and a few more 4.1 WAR seasons like 2026 to earn that recognition.

There isn't any ambiguity to remaining picks simply because there isn't really any to speak of. They did trade their second and fourth round picks to yield results and we will get to that, but not much more. Their third netted LF Jeff O'Connell, who at best will be an above average minor league player.

Is there a shimmer of hope beyond that? A small sliver in outfielder Juan Carrasco who was their fifth rounder and plying his trade in Triple-A for Baltimore. At best he could be a major league back up player it would appear. The only other sliver would be Ismael is this worth even writing about but need to make space Vallejos. Could he ever see the light of Colorado's dugout? Slim chance. Even slimmer when you are sporting a 6.49 ERA in AAA.

Since I can't really apply any deep cuts I'll supplement their trade for Jasrado Chisholm. He turned into a dependable, above-average player and ultimately that is a win in a draft and when the players and picks you give up don't yield significantly. Of the picks and players packaged for Chisholm, the only plausible positive may be CF Brayan Hernandez who put up 1.4 WAR last year. His career arc doesn't really seem much higher than this and that ultimately gives the Rockies a resounding win with Chisholm and his 14 WAR over six years.

Grade: C. They get great marks for drafting Juan Marrufo but with their yielding of only one performing player in the Majors, that grades them a fail with an F+. We gave them an extra mark for winning the trade by moving their second and fourth round picks and some prospects for Chisholm.


Detroit Tigers:


First Round: (8) Mike Specht—P
Second Round: (11) Phil Knightner—SS
Third Round: (12) Jimmy Tiner—CF

Best Player: Phil Knightner—SS

Best Deep Cut: (16) Chris Hodge—SS

Total ML WAR: -0.8

Review: The Tigers front office was dealt a huge blow when first round pick Mike Specht opted for a career in football over taking the mound for Detroit.

Second round Shortstop Phil Knightner somewhat made up for it. Knightner currently ranks as a Top 100 prospect after posting an .889 OPS in Triple-A last season. Detroit seems to be attempting to clear room for Knightner on opening day, and projects as an above average middle infielder.

Unfortunately, the third round provided a case of deja vu for Detroit. CF Jimmy Tiner retired in 2024, one season removed from winning the Double-A Gold Glove award.

Detroit was able to nab a solid bullpen arm in Luis Urena in the fourth round. Despite struggling in 2026 for the Diamondbacks, he projects to be a reliable bullpen arm. The Tigers also drafted Second Baseman Tim Harris in the seventh round, who spent last season as the Cubs starting Second Baseman and likely has a career as a fringe middle infielder in his future.

Grade: D+. Acquiring an above average middle infielder in the draft is always a big win, but losing two of your top three selections to retirement is a huge disappointment. There were a couple decent picks later in the draft, but no one that will make a major impact.


Houston Astros:


First Round: (11) Bobby Pecorella—P
Second Round: (20) Sergio Murillo—P
Third Round: (23) Robby Bloomquist—CF
Third Round: (31) Jonathan Lawhorn—CF—Compensation for not signing Steve Wilkens

Best Player: Sergio Murillo—P

Best Deep Cut: (15) Jorge Ramos—CF

Total ML WAR: 0.8

Review: Pecorella retired shortly after being drafted to become a professional golfer, giving Houston nothing with that pick. Sergio Murillo has already paid off as a second rounder with several huge playoff performances during Houston’s surprise 2026 playoff run. Murillo struggled during the regular year but has a power arm and a power slider. If his curveball comes around, he’ll rack up the strikeouts in his career.

Third rounder Rooby Bloomquist has been used as a two-way player in the minors. He looks like a Triple-A arm, but also looks like a Triple-A Right Fielder. Being a two-way player gives him an extra path to the majors, but he looks like a Triple-A player no matter the position.

Houston got an extra third rounder for not signing Steve Wilkens the year prior. Wilkens fell off in college at NYIT and has dropped out of pro baseball, while the comp pick turned into successful major leaguer Jonathan Lawhorn. Lawhorn hasn’t developed, but he hit well in 2026 and should be serviceable in an outfield corner. He’s much better than Steve Wilkens.

Houston traded their sixth rounder and Ian Krol to Philadelphia for Stephen Piscotty and Ricardo Pinto. The sixth rounder turned into Pete Boley, a decent reliever for the Phillies. Krol had a reasonably successful career for the Phillies as well. Pinto fell off after reaching Houston and was a sub-replacement pitcher afterwards. Piscotty put up 0.7 WAR for Houston in 2021 in 105 games and never played in the majors a season after being acquired. Houston lost that deal.

Seventh rounder Wally Sidney has a huge arm and a decent power bat. He was fine in Triple-A last season, but looks like he’ll top out there. None of Houston’s picks in deeper rounds look like they’ll contribute in the future.

Grade: C. Houston got a starting pitcher and a decent corner outfielder with their picks. They missed with their first rounder, and with the Krol trade. It was a fine haul, but not a particularly impressive one.


Kansas City Royals:


First Round: (6) Jimmy Whittaker—P
Second Round: (6) Jeremy Anderson—CF
Third Round: (6) Kurt Mann—P

Best Player: Jimmy Whittaker—P

Best Deep Cut: (11) Josh Weyer—3B

Total ML WAR: 7.1

Review: Kansas City had a strong draft. They took Whitaker with their first pick, sixth overall. He was a very slow developer, blowing out his elbow and struggling with the long ball until putting things together last year. He looks like a frontline arm if he could put his injury issues behind him. He hasn’t quite been as good as Pat Cypert, but the pick was still a strong selection.

The Royals’ second rounder hasn’t turned out. Jeremy Anderson will be an outfielder in A-Ball and not the PBA. Kansas City selected a pair of PBA pitchers in rounds three and four. Kurt Mann has been too wild to put everything together but still has the potential to be a successful reliever. Zhi-peng Thum was selected in the fourth round and has been a replacement-level arm thus far. He throws in the high 90s though with movement and is only 26. He should become a solid arm going forward.

Kansas City’s fifth rounder, Ismael Valenzuela, doesn’t look like more than an A-ball arm, but their sixth rounder, Joey Young, is a solid Second Baseman in the pros, which is a major win.

Kansas City also grabbed a terrific bat in the 11th round in Josh Weyer. Like many of Kansas City’s picks, it took Weyer time to find his way, but he became an All-Star as a 28-year old in just his second year in the majors. Weyer has huge power and should be a middle-order bat for a few years.

Kansas City also received Parker McFadden and Jorge Guerrero from the Brewers for their ninth rounder and Whit Merrifield. McFadden and Guerrero never made the majors, while the ninth rounder turned into Kevin Miller. Miller also never reached the majors, while Merrifield produced negative WAR in his Brewers career. The deal is neutral.

Grade: A-. Kansas City found a frontline Starter, a starting Third Baseman, a useful Second Basemen, and two relievers who should have nice careers. The only thing working against Kansas City is that some of their players were older and took time to develop so the Royals may not see a ton of career value out of their picks.


Los Angeles Angels:

First Round: (12) Sergio Ramirez—P—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (17) Juan Orozco—P—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (19) Jeff Watase—P—UNSIGNED

Best Player: (15) Juan Mercado—3B

Best Deep Cut: (15) Juan Mercado—3B

Total ML WAR: -0.6

Review: The Angels didn’t sign any of their top five picks. Their top three unsigned picks shouldn’t come back to haunt them, but many of their early picks have been rolled over for years, lost to compensation free agent signings, or consolidated into trades moving up in the draft. The picks gained for unsigned draft picks haven’t born fruit.

Their sixth and seventh rounders look like possible upper-minor leaguers. Gene Webb is a Right Fielder grabbed in the sixth round. He has a little bit of power, a little bit of patience, a little bit of speed, and a good arm. He’ll be a solid Triple-A starter. Seventh rounder Gabe Genn throws hard and keeps the ball on the ground. He doesn’t have a plus secondary pitch, nor does he have good command. He should also be a good Triple-A arm.

None of their other picks look like they’ll turn into anything more than mid-minors fodder other than maybe Juan Mercado. Mercado has great patience and a huge arm. That might make him a valuable Triple-A Third Baseman, but he won’t have a PBA career.

Grade: F. The Angels had the worst haul of anyone in the draft, and the rolled over picks haven’t turned into anything either. The 2021 draft was nothing short of a total failure for the Angels.


Los Angeles Dodgers:


First Round: (25) Jon Todd—P—UNSIGNED
Supplemental Round: (5) Ben Sweitzer—P—Compensation for not signing Joc Pederson—UNSIGNED
Supplemental Round: (6) Jamie Ison—P—Compensation for not signing A.J. Pollock—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (33) Arturo Figueiedo—P—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (42) Raheem Owusu—P—UNSIGNED

Best Player: (22) Mike Gifford—P

Best Deep Cut: Mike Gifford—P

Total ML WAR: 0

Review: The Dodgers appeared to have boycotted the 2021 draft, not signing a single player in the first three rounds, despite having five picks. In hindsight, this may have been the Dodgers organization realizing that they did a poor job drafting, and negating their losses by rolling the picks over the 2022.

All three of the Dodgers first round picks have turned out to be career minor leaguers at best. The biggest what-if right now is Arturo Figueiedo. "Hangover" took his talents to college, and was selected in four separate drafts before finally signing with Baltimore in 2026. However, Figueiedo tore his labrum shortly after signing, and likely won't pitch above A-level before his age-25 season, so maybe crisis averted there?

The Dodgers did much better rolling these picks over. The following year they took P Dale Messina, whom has ace potential, and OF Jayden Howell, which were key trade pieces that brough Jeren Kendall to LA. The other two picks turned out to be pitchers John Thacker and Jonathan Roman, both of which have already made it to the big leagues.

Despite giving zero effort to sign any of their draftees in 2021, the Dodgers found a gem in the 22nd round, P Mike Gifford. Gifford has struggled beyond AA, and been selected in two seperate Rule 5 drafts, but is still just 24 years old and has a chance to become a backend starter if he ever figures it out.

Grade: D-. In the larger scheme, Los Angeles maximized the value of their picks with a strong 2022 draft. However, they could have, and should have, done a better job drafting in 2021, and instead went the year without really stocking the farm.


Miami Marlins:


First Round: (12) Luis Castillo—2B
Second Round: (12) Pick traded along with Edward Cabrera, Luis Robert, and Welbin Bautista to Minnesota for Nick Gordon and Nick Burdi. Pick became Ernesto Rueda
Third Round: (15) Shamar Gullatte—P

Best Player: (6) Jim Robinson—P

Best Deep Cut: (29) Devin Reding—P

Total ML WAR: 0.6

Review: Miami's first round pick landed them what could be one of the best young Second Basemen in the PBA in Luis Castillo. However, Castillo has some red flags at this point, he has yet to hit above an .700 OPS at any level beyond A-ball. Also as a result of the 2026 Rule V draft, he skipped Triple A and spent an entire season struggling on the Pirates big league team. The jury is out on whether Castillo can reach the potential that scouts see in him.

Miami traded its second rounder with future All-Star Luis Robert, future champion reliever Edward Cabrera, and future career minor leaguer Welbin Bautista for Nicks Gordon and Burdi. The second rounder turned into Ernesto Rueda, a Triple-A Shortstop who hasn’t hit in the majors yet. Robert is a PBA star, and Cabrera was a solid arm for the Twins 2023 World Series winner.

The Marlins received Nick Gordon in the deal though, and while Gordon didn’t play very much in 2021, he had a tremendous 2022 where he hit .326 and put up 5.5 WAR. Gordon was traded after 2023, but whenever he’s been healthy, he’s produced—a similar story to Robert. In fact the two players are separated by roughly one career WAR. The Marlins also received Nick Burdi, who became Miami’s closer and has been one of the more steady bullpen arms in the league. The value is fairly equal on both sides, with Rueda heading away from Miami slightly tipping the deal out of Miami’s favor.

The Marlins took pitcher Shamar Gullate in the third round. Gullate had a solid year in the pen for Miami in 2026, which he should find a role for years to come.

If Castillo doesn't figure things out, the best player of the Marlins draft class will likely be pitcher Jim Robinson. "Husky" was taken in the sixth round by Miami, and showcased his potential this last season for Arizona with 22 saves and a 3.63 ERA as closer. At just 24 years old, Robinson has the makings of a dominant closer in PBA for the next decade.

In addition, the Marlins did grab potential big league talent with Catcher Jim Dathe (fifth round), Catcher Eric Adams (eighth round), and Pitcher Devin Reding (29th round).

Grade: B. Overall the Marlins had a good draft, nabbing six players that will likely be big league players. If Castillo reaches his full potential, this is likely closer to an A draft class, but at this point, it's difficult to argue he'll be more than a fringe starter.


Milwaukee Brewers:


First Round: (5) Mike Perches—LF (Pick acquired along with Fifth Round pick [Sean Capps], Sixth Round pick [Josh Blystone], Jeff Samardzija, and Kean Wong from New York Mets for Orlando Arcia)
First Round: (16) Mike Gaylord—P
First Round: (29) Chad Woods—2B (Pick acquired along with Second Round Pick* (37) and Albert Amora from Chicago Cubs for Michael Lorenzen, Corey Knebel, Bowdien Derby, and $1.5 million)
Second Round: (21) Sean McDermott—P
Second Round: (37) Zion Gones—C*
Third Round: (24) Chad Woodworth—P

Best Player: Mike Arnold

Best Deep Cut: (14) Mike Realmuto

Total ML WAR: 23.5

Review: The Brewers got a gigantic haul for Orlando Arcia, including the fifth overall pick they used on Mike Perches. Perches looks like a star with a fast bat and huge power. He was an All-Star his rookie year and will play next year as a 24-year old. He’s the odds on favorite to be the best bat in the class when everyone’s career wraps. Milwaukee got a pick they didn’t sign in Sean Capps, but their sixth rounder turned into Josh Blystone, a strong reliever. Jeff Samardzija was serviceable for a year, and Kean Wong was better than replacement level. While Arcia has continued his stellar career, Milwaukee got a fine haul. Overall value may be even—Arcia has been really good—but Milwaukee absolutely nailed the drafted players they got in return.

Mike Gaylord has been a touch disappointing as he never developed his Circle Change enough to make him a starter. His fastball/curveball combination is terrific though, and his floor is as an impact reliever.

Milwaukee made another trade for a second rounder, getting Chad Woods, Zion Gomes, and Albert Almora for Michael Lorenzen, Corey Knebel, Bowdien Derby, and cash. Lorenzen and Knebel were awesome relievers that didn’t have a place on Milwaukee, while Derby didn’t develop. Milwaukee got Woods, a potential second-division starting Second Baseman, plus a pretty good backup Catcher in Gones. It’s probably fair to get a low-end starter and good backup for two terrific relievers.

Milwaukee used its own second rounder on Sean McDermott and its third rounder on Chad Woodworth, and neither will factor in the majors.

Milwaukee made a few small trades in the middle of the single-digit rounds, one of which changed their trajectory. In two deals, they traded Sonny Gray and Turner Larkins for fourth, sixth, ninth, and 10th round picks. Three of the picks turned into Joe Kelly, Randy Boshears, and Mike Donovan—nobody who will play in the majors. The other turned into Mike Arnold.

Known as Hawkeye, Arnold was picked in the fourth round in 2021 and from 2022 onward he looked destined for greatness. He dominated the mid-minors as a reliever, was made a starter in 2024, made the majors as a swingman later that year, and won 19 games with a 5.8 WAR the next season. As an encore, he won the Cy Young last year with a league-leading 2.47 ERA. He has the most WAR of anyone in the class, and is on a spectacular trajectory. Sonny Gray has been pretty good and Turner Larkins never made the majors, but Arnold may be a Hall of Famer.

Milwaukee also acquired Whit Merrifield and a ninth rounder that became Kevin Miller for Parker McFadden and Jorge Guerrero. McFadden was decent in Double-A but never cracked the majors, while Guerrero is a career minor leaguer. Miller is also a career minor leaguer, while Merrifield produced negative WAR in Triple-A for the Royals. The deal is a wash.

Milwaukee selected Josh Agboola with their own fourth rounder and he looks like the definition of a Quad-A pitcher. Dominant in Triple-A, and sub-replacement in the pros. He’s worth another crack in the PBA, but his ultimate destiny, especially with Milwaukee’s depth, may be Korea.

Milwaukee also grabbed Mike Realmuto in the 14th round. Selected last year in the Rule V, he struggled in his rookie year, but was only 23 years old. He may have a future as a lefty mashing First Baseman in a platoon.

Seventh rounder Jeff Rast doesn’t have the defense to play a position effectively, but his bat has played well in Double-A. 16th rounder Alfredo Medina has the stuff to start, but not the command. He may top out at Triple-A, but with 154 strikeouts in 108.1 innings for Augusta in San Francisco’s High-A, he’s worth monitoring. That’s a win as a 16th rounder.

Grade: A. Milwaukee did a good job with its Perches pick. While the value swap is probably a B-, Milwaukee understood its place in the contention cycle, plus nailed the selection, giving the overall grade at least a B+. The Gaylord and Woods picks and trade also grade out in the B to B- range, while McDermott and Woodworth get low marks. Grabbing Hawkeye elevates everything though, as he’s been the best player in the class and far better than Sonny Gray has turned out. Milwaukee also got decent value with several later picks. The overall package is a solid A.


Minnesota Twins:


First Round: (15) Jim Morgan—P
First Round: (21) Phil Plechaty—P (Pick acquired with Wessel Russchen, Dan Straily, and Thomas Dillard from Oakland for Jose Berios)
First Round: (33) Luis Montoya—P—Compensation for not signing Kevin Hess
First Round: (35) Tim Elmore—CF—Compensation for not signing Federico de Loa
First Round: (37) Pat Cypert—P—Compensation for not signing Danny Marshall
Second Round: (8) Mike Llewellyn—P—Compensation for not signing Pete Boley
Second Round: (9) Joe Martin—P—Compensation for not signing Phil Stella
Second Round: (12) Ernesto Rueda—SS (Pick acquired along with Edward Cabrera, Luis Robert, and Welbin Bautista from Miami for Nick Gordon and Nick Burdi)
Second Round: (13) Jeff Payton—P
Second Round: (23) Pat Clemens—P—Compensation for not signing Luis Chavira
Third Round: (9) Josh Graham—P Compensation for not signing Jonathan Lawhorn
Third Round: (11) Amari Toure—P—Compensation for not signing Chris Littleton
Third Round: (16) Jake Groves—P
Third Round: (32) Steve Bates—P—Compensation for not signing Nate Sauceda

Best Player: Pat Cypert

Best Deep Cut: (14) Bob Solarzano—P

Total ML WAR: 21.7

Review: It’s an incredibly involved draft with a huge quantity of picks due to absentee GMing and a number of trades. Minnesota’s first pick was their own 2021 first rounder, Jim Morgan. Morgan progressed nicely through the minors and had a strong rookie year last year as a relief arm with the Braves. There’s a chance he moves into a starting role in the majors, and a chance he turns into a starting third baseman, but his most likely outcome is to be a good reliever. Other talented arms were taken right after him in Mike Gaylord and Ricky Dempsey. A reliever with upside, taken around a starting pitching prospect and a super reliever, is a B- move.

The Twins struck a deal to acquire their next pick, which they used on Phil Plechaty. Plechaty is a curious player—an impatient slap hitter, who puts the bat on every pitch and hits .300 despite no power. While Plechaty’s value is between useful and really good depending on the beholder’s eye, the trade to acquire the pick was a home run. Oakland acquired Wessel Russchen, the game’s best young player, plus useful pieces in Dan Strailey and Thomas Dillard for a pitcher in Jose Berrios who immediately fell apart. Russchen has turned into an MVP candidate who put up 7.9 WAR as a rookie, giving the deal to acquire him an A+ grade.

Minnesota’s third First Rounder was used on Luis Montoya, their reward for not signing Kevin Hess the year prior. Hess looks like a potential Plechaty, but one who can play Second Base. Montoya, like Plechaty, eventually followed Aaron Dunham to Atlanta, and had a strong 2024. Injuries have dogged him since then and it doesn’t appear he’ll be a major league caliber arm again.

Their fourth pick in the first round came around due to the team not signing Jimmy Whittaker in 2019. It eventually became Tim Elmore, a very nice outfielder for Milwaukee. Elmore is good, but Whittaker is too, and postponing the pick for years robbed Minnesota of players that could have entered their system in the interim.

Their final first rounder came about from not signing Seth Romero back in 2018. A string of players who never reached the bigs were picked with the comp picks, and subsequently weren’t signed. Finally, the pick turned into Pat Cypert, the 2025 Rookie of the Year runner up. Cypert is by far the best pick in the chain of draft picks that stemmed from the Romero selection, but it’s still a situation where the Twins went four years without value, which takes a toll on a team, and takes a cut of the pick’s grade.

The first of Minnesota’s five second rounders was used on Mike Llewellyn. He’s had success in the minors and was taken in the Rule V draft this past season. The pick stems from not signing Parker Kelly in 2019, or Pete Boley in 2020. Kelly is likely a Triple-A arm, but Boley has already had success in the majors as a member of Philadelphia’s bullpen in 2026. Minnesota should have just signed Boley.

Their next pick came about from not signing Nate Pearson back in 2018. The selection was used on Jim Martin, another good reliever and future Brave. Martin is better than anyone else in the chain, but Pearson had a couple of successful seasons as a swingman. Four years of a draft pick wasted to wind up with a solid reliever is a bit much.

The Twins next pick in the round was acquired via a trade. Minnesota sent away future All Star and Gold Glove winner Nick Gordon, plus future championship reliever Nick Burdi to Miami for Luis Robert, Welbin Bautista, Edward Cabrera, and the pick that became Ernesto Rueda. While oft-injured, Robert is in the same ballpark as Gordon as a player. Cabrera was an underwhelming reliever, Welbin Bautista didn’t amount to anything, and Ernesto Rueda is a Quad-A player. Minnesota lost the trade.

They drafted Jeff Payton with their own first rounder next, and Payton looks like a longtime starting pitcher. He’s put up 1.9 career PBA WAR in roughly a season’s worth of starts, and while the raw numbers aren’t good, he’s still extremely young. Jeff Henry was the next pick and would have been a better selection, but Payton was by no means a miss.

Their final pick in the second round was Pat Clemens. The righty, now a reliever in the Tampa system, has two plus pitches and good control. That allowed him to work to a 3.38 ERA for the Rays last year in 93.1 innings. If Clemens develops his slider, he can become a starting pitcher, but if he doesn’t, he looks like a standout reliever. That’s a better outcome than if they had signed their 2020 pick, Luis Chavira, who is now working in Mexico.

The Twins only had four third rounders, the first of which they used on Josh Graham. After tearing up Double-A, Graham made the majors last year as a replacement level arm. That’s not a horrible outcome for a third rounder, but they signed Jonathan Lawhorn the year prior, a starting outfielder. Minnesota should have signed their 2020 pick.

Their next third rounder was used on Amari Toure. Toure looks like a Triple-A pitcher despite his pick being rolled over after the Twins failed to sign Alek Thomas in 2018. Four years of rolling over picks to sign a Triple-A arm. Their own third round pick was used on Jake Groves, a likely Triple-A arm. Their final fourth rounder was used on Steve Bates, who has been sub-replacement in the majors. The pick was rolled over from not signing Luis Sauceda in 2020, who looks like a similar player.

The Twins got a couple of other decent players with some of their more mid-round picks. Ernesto Roca was taken in the fourth round and been hit or miss in his pro career, with a great partial season in 2024, a stinker in 2025, and a useful year in a smaller role in 2026. Getting a useful player in the fourth round is a win, even if better players were popped in the back of the fourth round.

Minnesota also signed slugging First Baseman Vladihen Semihatov in the sixth round. Semihatov doesn’t have the versatility for the pros most likely, but he has good power. A little luck could result in a possible major league career, or he could be a dynamic bat in either The International League or an international league.

Finally, Peter Fort is a dynamic arm popped in the 10th round. He throws four pitches, he might be able to start, and he throws strikes. Not a bad grab for that spot in the draft.

Grade C. There are so many moving parts to analyze. The Morgan pick is a B-, while the Russchen trade is an A+. The rest of the first round picks add up into a B-. Their second round moves likely coalesce into a C-, with their third rounders faring worse and turning into a D- on the whole. They also get some credit for Roca and Fort. Considering the curving of not having any picks for years, the haul was pretty ordinary. The Twins don’t even have the most WAR from the class thus far as that honor goes to the Brewers. All-in-all, they did an adequate job, which is a simple C.


New York Yankees:


First Round: (19) Frazer McWhir—RF—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (26) Juan Aponte—P
Third Round: (33) Gil Caldwell—LF—UNSIGNED

Best Player: (7) Luis Villareal—P

Best Deep Cut: (15) Robby Mathews—P

Total ML WAR: -0.1

Review: The Yankees didn’t sign most of their picks, leading to a lackluster class. Frazer McWhir looks like a potential starting outfielder with a big bat and the defense to hang in the outfield corners. However, he wasn’t signed, and the rolled over pick was lost when the Yankees signed Danny Salazar.

They grabbed Juan Aponte in the second round, but Aponte only appeared in 295 minor league innings before retiring from pro ball. Gil Caldwell was picked in 2021. He went unsigned, but he’s already retired. The extra pick eventually turned in Keith Walling in 2023, a player likely to top out in the minors.

The best player the Yankees grabbed was Luis Villareal, a star pitcher with major injury concerns. Villareal has missed time with shoulder inflammation, a torn UCL, and a torn labrum. He has fantastic stuff, but has had medical concerns since reaching pro ball. The Yankees didn’t get anyone of note with their sixth, eighth, or ninth picks, and only two picks taken afterwards are still playing baseball.

Grade: D. The Yankees did get Villareal in the draft, who looks like a strong pick, but they didn’t get anything else. They should have signed McWhir instead of rolling him over, leading to the Yankees not getting anything of value with their first five picks. Even Villareal looks too busted to be counted on reliably, despite his potential. With so many teams getting so many good players, the Yankees getting a player too injured to contribute barely makes up for a goose egg everywhere else.


New York Mets:


First Round: (5) Pick traded along with Fifth Round pick (Sean Capps), Sixth Round pick (Josh Blystone), Jeff Samardzija, and Kean Wong to Milwaukee for Orlando Arcia. Pick became Mike Perches
Supplemental Round: (1) Lothar Vorstermans—Compensation for not signing Yoenis Cespedes—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (4) Dan Yates—P
Third Round: (4) Luis Chavira—P

Best Player: (8) Mike Wheeler—CF

Best Deep Cut: (13) Josh Mills—SS

Total ML WAR: 0.3

Review: The Mets traded away a bunch of picks to acquire Orlando Arcia. Arcia had a strong two seasons in New York and has had a stellar career in San Francisco after. However, the first round pick they gave up became a superstar in Mike Perches. They also gave up a pick that became a good arm in Josh Blystone, plus respectable players in Kean Wong and Jeff Samardzija. Arcia was terrific, and helped the Mets win 88 games in 2021. Still, the team only had him for two seasons. The deal is likely a slight negative overall due to the Mets not making the playoffs with Arcia, and the fact that Arcia was only around for two seasons.

The Mets let Yoenis Cespedes walk after the 2020 season. Cespedes became functionally a DH afterwards. He had huge power numbers, but never earned 2 WAR a season after. Letting him go was the right move. Lothar Vorstermans looks like he may be a starter in the majors, but still has some developing to do However, New York didn’t sign him. The unsigned comp pick became Ron Proffitt the next year. Proffitt has huge stuff and absolutely no control, likely topping out in Double-A. The Mets didn’t make the right call after letting Cespedes go.

They drafted pitchers Dan Yates and Luis Chavira in the second and third round. Yates, similar to Proffitt, doesn’t appear to have the command needed to pitch in the majors. Chavira has good movement, but is a bit of a soft tosser and doesn’t have great stuff. He’s already left the PBA and is pitching in Mexico. Better pitchers were available in the third round.

The Mets’ seventh and eighth rounders are fourth-outfield types. Seventh rounder Ron Del Mastro doesn’t have the bat to be more than a replacement level outfielder in the upper minors. Eighth rounder Mike Wheeler has made the majors and earned 0.4 WAR in 114 Games last year. He’s likely a replacement level backup outfielder focused on speed and defense.

The Mets do have a fair amount of players taken deeper in the draft who are still active, but none that look like potential major leaguers, even as Quad-A types.

Grade: D. In a deep draft, the Mets got two seasons of Orlando Arcia and some upper minor types. Compared to other teams, and considering they had the fifth overall pick, that’s extremely disappointing.


Oakland Athletics:

First Round: (21) Pick traded with Wessel Russchen, Thomas Dillard, and Dan Straily to Minnesota for Jose Berrios. Pick became Phil Plechaty.
Second Round: (28) Pick traded along with Will Banfield and Skylar Szynski to Pittsburgh for Clay Holmes. Pick became Ignacio Vigil.
Third Round: (21) Juan Villegas—P

Best Player: (5) Tony Ryan—SS

Best Deep Cut: (13) Sean Damon—P

Total ML WAR: -0.1

Review: The trade Oakland made with their first round pick turned out to be disastrous. Wessell Russchen was sent away in the deal and he has already been an MVP runner-up. The draft pick turned into Phil Plechaty, coming off a season with a .303 average. Dan Strailey was an All-Star in 2022 and a champion in 2023. Even Thomas Dillard just put up 0.9 WAR in fewer than 40 games. All that was sent away so the A’s could acquire Jose Berrios, a pitcher who would never have an ERA under 4 for Oakland, and whose WAR totals suffered stark declines every year as an Athletic.

Oakland traded its second round pick in another ill-fated deal. Clay Holmes suffered through a 5.70 ERA his first year in Oakland, then tore his labrum his second year, ending his career. Oakland didn’t give away too much to acquire Holmes, as Ignacio Vigil never pitched in the majors, Will Banfield hasn’t been productive, and Skylar Szynski put up 1.2 WAR his first season in the majors, 1.4 WAR his next two combined, then -2.3 his last three years.

Juan Villegas was nabbed in the third round. He’s been decent in the low minors, but doesn’t project to be more than a Triple-A arm. Fourth-rounder Joe Taylor hit well in a very limited sample for the Giants last year, and looks like a really good utility infielder. Fifth-rounder Tony Ryan hasn’t hit yet in Triple-A, but projects to be a strong middle infield defender with a good bat.

In later rounds, seventh-round selection Phil Kennedy looks like a decent Triple-A arm, while 10th rounder Juan Moreno has a big arm, a good eye, but no speed. He could be a good Triple-A outfielder. 13th rounder Sean Damon doesn’t have great control, but has the stuff to pitch in Triple-A. For those rounds, Triple-A outcomes are pretty good.

Grade: F. The Athletics got decent mid-round value, but their first round pick was catastrophic. They gave away a potential Hall of Famer and a number of talented players, for Jose Berrios. Even though Berrios’ recent performance overshadows a strong first two seasons in Oakland, it’s still a franchise-altering trade. The small wins Oakland picked up later don’t overcome for their colossal mistake to trade away Russchen.


Philadelphia Phillies:


First Round: (26) Ignacio Tonche—CF
Second Round: (34) Danny Herring—C
Third Round: (43) Mike Preston—3B

Best Player: Igancio Tonche

Best Deep Cut: (16) Josh Grayson

Total ML WAR: 0.5

Review: Tonche was picked in an area of the draft filled with quality defenders, some of whom also provide value with the bat. Joe White and Dan McDade are glove-only players, while Steve Goode and Bob Beasley provide enough with the bat to be two-way players. Tonche was selected when he was very young, so he only has 72 PBA games under his belt. He struggled defensively last year, but projects to stick at Shortstop and be a strong bat with the chance to steal 20 bases. The PBA’s current number five prospect, Tonche looks like a strong pick.

Danny Herring has never developed and won’t make it out of A-ball. Zion Gones should have been the pick if the Phillies were set on drafting a Catcher. Mike Preston was another High School pick, and he hasn’t hit in the mid-minors. He does still have some upside to be a second division starter thanks to his power potential. There are some picks taken in the fourth round that look to be safer bets to have better careers than Preston.

The Phillies did get terrific value from picks 4-9. Josh Lerner made the PBA as a fourth round pick last year, and should have enough of a bat to serve as a backup outfielder who can play great defense in Left Field. That’s an adequate pick, though the next pick was Mike Arnold.

Fifth-rounder Jim Rogers could be better than Lerner. He’s adept at all three outfield positions, has a decent bat and some solid pop. He’s also extremely young, drafted as a 17-year-old. It’s possible to squint and see him as a starting Center Fielder. That’s a huge win for a fifth-round pick.

The next three picks were relievers who have a chance to be valuable. Pete Boley had a 2.09 ERA and 0.88 WHIP for the Phillies in 36 Games last year. Juan Castillo throws 100, and is likely too old to learn to stop hanging pitches in Triple-A, but he has major league stuff and is on the fringe of the majors. Jon St. Claire may be better as a starter with four pitches, but like Castillo, hangs too many pitches to be inside the fringe. Nonetheless, Philly had three lottery tickets, Boley hit, and the other two are worth it to keep scratching.

Grade: B-. Philadelphia got a valuable two-way player with its first pick and a lot of depth in the back half of the single digits. Missing on picks two and three brings the grade down, as does taking Josh Lerner just ahead of Mike Arnold.


Pittsburgh Pirates:


First Round: (18) Josh Simpson—CF
Second Round: (25) Chris Myers—3B
Second Round: (28) Ignacio Vigil—P (Pick acquired along with Will Banfield and Skylar Szynski from Oakland for Clay Holmes)
Third Round: (29) Andy Wagner—P

Best Player: (15) Dan DeLay—P

Best Deep Cut: (15) Dan DeLay—P

Total ML WAR: 0

Review: It’s an interesting draft in that virtually all the value came from one player taken deep in the draft. Their first round pick, Josh Simpson, looks like a Double-A Center Fielder. Harland Guenette and Juan Marrufo were taken shortly after adding to the sting. Chris Meyers looks like a backup corner infielder Not many other talented position players were taken late in the second route, and Meyers produced in the majors in 2025, so that’s not a bad pick.

The Pirates traded Clay Holmes after a career year and he was mediocre in Oakland. They got back Skylar Szynski, who had success early in his Pirates tenure and has been awful more recently, plus Will Banfield, a backup Catcher, and Igancio Vigil, a player who has already retired. Everything is more or less a wash.

Pittsburgh’s fourth and sixth rounders have each reached the majors. Nate Sauceda appeared in three games in 2024 and looks more like a Triple-A arm. Jared Peiffer reached the bigs this year, but put up -0.8 WAR. None of the Pirates other early picks look like anything more than minor league fodder, though they deserve some credit for all of them still being active.

The Pirates also saw 14th rounder Chad Kersey reach the majors as he was taken by the Cubs in the Rule V draft last year. Kersey walked a lot and was okay on the bases, but was overstretched as a Center Fielder. He’s likely a Triple-A corner, but isn’t a bad pick for the 14th round.

Pittsburgh’s 15th rounder also made the majors, but Dan DeLay was overtaxed as a rookie starting pitcher with an ERA near 6. Once moved to the pen, DeLay had a 1.98 ERA and nine saves in 13 appearances. He has good arm action with a cutter, slider, and fantastic changeup. He may return to the rotation at some point, but a closer is a tremendous get with a 15th round pick.

Grade: D-. Pittsburgh got a good closer deep in the draft, plus Myers and Kersey look interesting. Still, this was a deep draft and Pittsburgh didn’t come away with much.


San Diego Padres:


First Round: (9) Jonathan McGrew—P
Second Round: (14) Jeff Henry—P
Third Round: (17) Chris Littleton—CF—UNSIGNED

Best Player: Jeff Henry

Best Deep Cut: (12) Shawn Forrest

Total ML WAR: 9.4

Review: The Padres missed on their first rounder as Jonathan McGrew has been stuck in the minors and looks like a Triple-A arm. He’s not a starter and better relievers were taken after him, let alone position players. The Padres hit on their second rounder though as Jeff Henry has been a terrific arm. He’s gotten better every year and put up 4.4 WAR last year as a 26-year-old.

San Diego didn’t sign their third rounder, Chris Littleton, an outfielder who looks like a Triple-A corner outfielder. However, their rolled over pick turned into Andy Bartron, a player who has already retired. El Paso could have used an outfielder.

The Padres missed on all their other early picks. Their seventh rounder, Juan Romero, looks like he can make the upper minors, their 12th rounder Shawn Forrest Shawn Forrest also looks like a possible upper minors arm. Nobody else looks like they’ll do anything past the low minors.

Grade: C-. The Padres got Henry which is a nice win, but they got nobody else in a deep draft. They picked early and missed with their first round pick. In a deep draft, they needed to get more.


San Francisco Giants:


First Round: (2) Steve Thomas—P
First Round: (31) Teofilo Torrez—P—Compensation for not signing Jimmy Whittaker
First Round: (36) Shamar Polite—P—Compensation for not signing Teofilo Torrez
Supplemental Round: (7) Curt Gemma—P—Compensation for not signing Robby Bloomquist
Supplemental Round: (8) J.J. Ratliff—P—Compensation for not signing Josh Allen
Second Round: (5) Arturo Granados—CF
Second Round: (18) Jon Wills—CF—Compensation for not signing Yan C. Rocketts
Second Round: (24) Rodolfo Galarza—P—Compensation for not signing Jimmie Tiner
Second Round: (29) Chris Davis—P—Compensation for not signing Juan Castillo
Third Round: (5) Luis Pistone—3B
Third Round: (25) Jorge Meza—C—Compensation for not signing Nate Berrios
Third Round: (35) Zach Stone—LF—Compensation for not signing Shamar Motin

Best Player: (4) Juan Campos

Best Deep Cut: (13) T.J. McDonald—LF

Total ML WAR: 10.8

Review: Years of absenteeism led to a load of draft picks and webs that make analysis difficult. The Giants have the sixth most WAR from the class so far—but of course they do with more bites at the apple.

Their initial pick, Steve Thomas, is a bust. He was taken second overall and will likely never advance above Double-A. A better pick would have been Jimmy Whittaker—who San Francisco drafted in 2020 but didn’t sign. The Whittaker pick rolled over into Teofilo Torrez—who San Francisco drafted in 2020, but didn’t sign. What a mess.

Whittaker is the better player, a frontline starter for Tampa Bay who didn’t really put things together until his late 20’s. Torres has less upside, but has been a really good swingman for the Giants and is younger. Polite also has star upside as a frontline pitcher, and will be just 24-years-old next year. The Thomas pick is an F, drafting Torrez twice is a C-, and exchanging Whittaker for Polite is a C+ as Polite is younger.

San Francisco rolled over Robby Bloomquist, who looks like a Triple-A pitcher or maybe a swingman, while Curt Gemma is an All Star closer. They rolled over Josh Allen, who looks like a Triple-A slugger with some potential—and was redrafted by San Francisco in the fourth round—while J.J. Ratliff is a Triple-A starter with no control. Aside from getting better value for Allen, that ultimately is a wash.

In the second round, Arturo Granados, makes contact, plays defense, has speed, and there are very few outfielders taken after him in the second and third rounds that have major potential. Granados may not be more than a backup, but the pick looks okay. Jon Wills plays more defense, has more speed, but doesn’t have a bat to play above Triple-A. Yan C. Rickets, the rolled over player to get the Wills pick, looks like a Triple-A pitcher so that move is lateral. Rodolfo Galarza also looks like a Triple-A arm, whereas unsigned 2020 pick Jimmie Tiner is out of baseball. A Triple-A arm with a chance is better than a player who will make it to Double-A then leave baseball.

The best transaction San Francisco made was with their final second round pick. Juan Castillo is an older Triple-A reliever. He was rolled over for Chris Davis, a pitcher in the 60s of the Top 100 prospect list for a few years now. Davis went 8-2 in his rookie year last year with a 2.58 ERA and looks like a future star. The churn was worth it to get him in the back of the second round.

Luis Pistone was San Francisco’s own Third Round pick and he looks bound for Double-A. Dermott Brugwin may have been a better Third Baseman to grab? Jorge Meza could be a backup Catcher someday, while Nate Berrios is unlikely to make the majors. Zach Stone’s had success in the majors as a balanced outfielder, while Shamar Motin won’t make the majors.

Looking back at the original unsigned players from 2019 that started San Francisco’s chain of a thousand early 2021 draft picks, many of them haven’t worked out. Kelyn Klattenburger is a star, and the Giants needed to send Brandon Waddell to Atlanta to get him on their club. He’d have been better than Curt Gemma. One could argue Juan Ochoa is better than Shamar Polite as well. Arguably though, the Giants strategy left them with better players in 2021 than if they signed their picks in 2019 and 2020.

The crazy thing about all San Francisco’s extra picks is that the most exciting player they drafted was their own fourth rounder. Juan Campos looks like a star. Currently the number 38 prospect, Campos is a big slugger with a special bat. He doesn’t hit lefties, and he could do with better pitch recognition, but he controls his bat extremely well, and when he makes good contact, he vaporizes balls. He could be the best pure hitter in the draft when we look back at it.

Fifth-rounder Alex McKee has carved out a nice role the past two years in San Francisco’s pen and looks like a top reliever going forward. Seventh-rounder Jonger Caulee plays great defense, has good wheels, and has hit enough in Triple-A where he may be a fifth outfielder in the pros. Eight rounder Ajani Loving has good wheels and a good glove at Shortstop. He’s a bit reckless on the bases though, but his bat is good enough to carve out a backup major league role if he develops.

10th rounder T.J. McDonald has great wheels that plays up since he always gets his bat on the ball. A fantastic defender, the Cubs selected him in the Rule V draft. 20th rounder Josh Riley has great control and decent stuff. If he can add deception so his straight fastball isn’t so hittable, he may be able to make it as a swingman.

Grade: A-. The sheer depth is impressive, even without considering the extra picks. The Giants generally made better selections in 2021 than they did with their picks in 2019 and 2020 they didn’t sign. The players who haven’t hit are at least in Triple-A, which gives San Francisco a ton of outs for more guys to work out. They found a few stars in the draft, and got value in the early, middle, and late rounds. If more of their picks had hit, they’d get a straight A, but enough C’s, a total whiff on Steve Thomas, the curve of having multiple options, and good work from other teams keeps it an A-.


Seattle Mariners:


First Round: (1) Josh Simpson—CF
First Round: (24) Pete Dailey—P (Pick acquired along with Second Round Pick (32*), Tyler J. Watson, Stephen Strasburg, and Daniel Johnson Jr. from Washington for Collin Rea.
Second Round: (1) Yan C. Ricketts—P
Second Round: (32) Andy Stratton—C*
Third Round: (1) Ken Stockwell—P

Best Player: (23) Ernesto Ortega—P

Best Deep Cut: Ernesto Ortega—P

Total ML WAR: 4.7

Review: Seattle had the first pick in the draft and ended up with a player that may eventually be the best player from the class, but those two statements are unrelated. Seattle whiffed with the first overall pick as Josh Simpson has fallen on hard times and no longer looks like an impact major leaguer. His defense is still strong and he runs the bases well, but his bat is too weak to warrant anything more than maybe the last man on a roster.

Seattle absorbed Stephen Strasburg’s enormous contract and gave Washington useful arm Collin Rea in exchange for a number of useful pieces. The 24th overall pick was the best asset, and it turned into Red Sox All Star Pete Dailey, a fine outcome for taking on Strasburg’s contract. Daniel Johnson Jr. never walked and was sub-replacement in his time in the majors, while Tyler J. Watson retired before making the show. The second rounder turned into Andy Stratton, who flamed out of the minors but just won the Silver Slugger for Catcher in the Mexican League, which is something. Daley alone hitting makes the grade a strong one.

Yan C. Rickets has suffered from injuries throughout his pro career and hasn’t developed as a result. Ken Stockwell has developed a little better, but has been even more injury prone in his career.

Seattle spent picks four and five on a Tyler Hardman and an Alpha Hardmon. Hardmon may be the alpha, but Hardman is the one who may carve out a pro career, with a good glove, good speed and a track record of success in the Pacific Coast League.

Seattle best pick was taken deep in the draft as Ernesto Ortega was the PBA’s number four prospect in 2026. He posted 3.3 WAR in his rookie year, and is still developing his stuff. Mike Arnold’s presence makes this extremely unlikely, but one can envision a scenario where Ortega is the best player in the class. That’s a fantastic find.

Grade: B. The Simpson gaffe is inexcusable, but the Mariners picked up a star late in the draft. Plus they did well with the assets they received in exchange for taking on Stephen Strasburg’s contract, and they picked up a few decent depth pitchers. It’s a successful draft on the whole.


St. Louis Cardinals:


First Round: (4) Chris Cammett—P—UNSIGNED
Second Round: Forfeited as a result of signing Joc Pederson
Third Round: (2) Deshawne DeLaine—CF

Best Player: Deshawn DeLaine

Best Deep Cut: (12) Kaohu Hall

Total ML WAR: 0.1

Review: The Cardinals failed to sign Cammett with the fourth overall pick, watching him go to Rice and get taken by the Phillies in the 2025 draft. Cammett is already older, so he doesn’t have much time to reach his full potential, but there’s a frontline starter there if Philadelphia can develop him. The rolled over pick was forfeited in the Addison Russell signing.

St. Louis forfeited its second rounder to sign Joc Pederson. Pederson struggled last year and in 2021, but had a very nice 2022 and solid seasons from 2023-2025. He’s put up jus shy of 15 WAR in 6 seasons, albeit for $150 million. The Cardinals have made the playoffs just once during Pederson’s time in St. Louis as well. Not a terrible signing, but given the production, the contract, and the contention cycle, probably a C- grade.

DeShawne DeLaine was the first player the Cardinals drafted and signed in 2021 and he looks like a player. He just led the league in triples for Arizona and can pull the ball into the gap, has great wheels, and covers ground in the outfield. Not many position players were taken in the third or fourth round, and DeLaine looks like one of the best of the bunch.

St. Louis drafted a power arm in the fourth round, Luis Zamudio, and while wild, he had a successful year out of the pen for Arizona last season. While not quite other fourth rounders Mehki Lias or Mike Arnold, It’s not a bad pick at all for the fourth round.

Fifth rounder Danny Rogers has already retired, but sixth rounder Josh Robert made the Cardinals last year. He really struggled as he didn’t hit a lick, posting a -0.8 WAR in 55 games, which is impressively awful. Already 28, Robert doesn’t project to have a PBA-caliber bat, but his glove and legs make him a decent Triple-A outfielder. That’s fine for a sixth rounder.

Eighth rounder Aruro Garces also looks like a Triple-A outfielder. He doesn’t have the arm for Right Field or the legs for Center, but he plays a decent Left Field. He’s a weapon on the bases, and makes contact enough for it to play up. His lack of outfield versatility and power leave him a minor leaguer, but he’s a good eighth rounder.

St. Louis also drafted four players after round 10 that look like Triple-A contributors in Mike Koch, Kaohu Hall, Yasuju Kinishige, and Mike Robinson.

Grade: C-. The Cardinals get an F for wasting their first rounder, a C- for the Pederson signing, an A- for DeLaine, and a B- for Zamudio. They also get some consideration for a number of high-minor leaguers they picked up. Missing on their first rounder really hurts though, and they don’t have the star power to make up for it.


Tampa Bay Rays:

First Round: (22) Steve Mulvey—2B
Second Round: (30) Humberto Argueta—P—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (28) Ismael Carnero—P—Compensation for not signing Steve Ryan—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (38) Jonathan DeLay—P

Best Player: (4) Mehki Lias—P

Best Deep Cut: (17) Arturo Cardoso—CF

Total ML WAR: 12.5

Review: The star of the 2021 Tampa draft was one of the young faces of PBA, Mekhi Lias. Lias was selected in the fourth round, and has blossomed into a sure-fire ace after being traded to San Francisco. "Tripod" has earned All-Star appearances each of the past two seasons, and finished second in the NL Cy Young Award voting in 2026.

While overshadowed by Lias, the Rays' first round pick Steve Mulvey was a solid selection. Mulvey has been around the block, being traded three times in one season before being drafted in the Rule 5 draft by Milwaukee in 2024. Mulvey has been a staple on the Brewers bench the past two seasons, and would likely be a starter on many other teams.

Third round pick Jonathan DeLay has been bouncing between Triple-A and PBA for the Royals and their sixth-best pitching staff in PBA. While not spectacular, DeLay has proven capable of holding his own.
One final pick with big league potential—P Bob Luptowski—was taken in the sixth round and could crack the big leagues this season. He projects to be an above average reliever that could be called upon in high leverage situations.

Two of Tampa's picks in the first three rounds did not sign. In the case of Ismael Carnero, that's probably for the best, as it's unlikely he ever amounts to much in PBA. The jury is still out on Humberto Argueta, as he decided to go to college and later on was drafted by the Yankees organization, where he looks to start 2027 in Triple-A and projects at best a mid-rotation guy, and at worst a high-leverage arm in the bullpen.

Grade: A-. Five of Tampa's first seven picks will end up making the big leagues, including "Tripod," who is one of the best young pitchers in the game. That's the kind of success many clubs could only dream of. The only draft-related gripe would be not signing Humberto Argueta, but that's minor when looking at the overall success of this class. It's unfortunate for Tampa that all of this talent is benefiting other organizations.


Texas Rangers:


First Round: Forfeited as a result of signing Cole Hamels
Second Round: Compensation for not signing Alfredo Carillo—Forfeited as a result of signing Danny Salazar
Second Round: Forfeited as a result of signing Jackie Bradley Jr.
Third Round: (34) Luis Ramos—P—Compensation for not signing Juan Avalos
Third Round: (41) Kevin Flippo—P

Best Player: (7) Estaban Valadez

Best Deep Cut: (27) Jim Parker—C

Total ML WAR: 7.4

Review: Texas’ early draft picks were forfeited as the result of signing a number of Comp Free Agents. Cole Hamels was a disastrous signing, as he had a 6.63 ERA in 2021, didn’t pitch in the majors in 2022, and retired soon after. Texas wasted $29 million as well as their first round pick.

They didn’t sign their second rounder in 2020, a pitcher who never pitched above rookie ball in Alfredo Carillo. They forfeited that pick to sign Danny Salazar to a one-year contract. Salazar went 13-7 in his season with Texas with 2.4 WAR despite a 4.80 ERA. They lost their own second round pick to sign Jackie Bradley Jr. He was only given a $6.5 million contract and had a decent year with 28 home runs and 91 RBIs. Those were solid decisions.

Texas failed to sign Juan Avalos in 2020, an outfielder who made it to the upper minors and has struggled mightily since 2024. They drafted Ramos with the compensation pick, but he’s already retired. Signing Avalos would have been the better move. Kevin Flippo was Texas’ other second rounder, and he’s been a decent swingman.

The only other picks Texas signed in the first 10 rounds were seventh-rounder Jorge de la Fuente and ninth rounder Esteban Valadez. Valadez was the 2026 Cy Young Winner, one of the best ninth-round picks in history. De la Fuente is an intriguing pick in his own right as he looks like a possible reliever.

Grade: B+. It’s a bit of a complicated draft. Their most important thing was draft Valadez in the ninth round, and they also get Bs for the free agents they signed to forfeit their second round picks, as well as Flippo in the third round, with de la Fuente grading as a B+. They lose marks for not signing most of their picks they did draft, for not signing Juan Avalos in 2020 to draft Luis Ramos in 2021, and for not having much depth from late rounds. They get an F for the Hamels signing. Texas was trying to contend in 2021, so the Hamels failure tips the scale from an A- to a B+.


Toronto Blue Jays:


First Round: (14) Joe Knight—P—UNSIGNED
First Round: (30) Dan McDade—CF—Compensation for not signing Pete Dailey
First Round: (34) Wing-fung Qu—RF—Compensation for not signing Jamie Ison—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (15) Phil Wittwer—P—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (16) Mike Sorensen—P—Compensation for not signing Gabe Genn
Third Round: (18) Ben McGraw—RF—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (20) Juan Campos—3B—Compensation for not signing Jorge Santana
Third Round: (22) Jeff Smart—SS—Compensation for not signing Chris McBee—UNSIGNED


Best Player: (30) Danny Richardson—P

Best Deep Cut: (30) Danny Richardson—P

Total ML WAR: 4.5

Review: The Blue Jays had a complicated draft, the result of having multiple extra picks, not signing most of them, not getting a ton of value out of the ones they did sign, and then popping a solid player in the very last round.

Their top pick was used on Joe Knight, a pitcher they didn’t sign. Knight looks destined to a career as a Quad-A reliever, while the rolled over pick turned into future Brewers star Matt Aceto. That essential swap produced good value for the Blue Jays.

They signed their next first rounder, 30th overall pick, Dan McDade. The speedster looks like a decent fourth outfielder. He can play a good Center Field, makes great contact, and has some gap power to offset an impatient approach and a lack of over-the-fence pop. The pick isn’t horrendous, but Tim Elmore was selected a few spots after. Also, the pick was a comp pick from not signing Pete Dailey the year prior, with Dailey becoming an All-Star. Toronto made suboptimal decisions twice with the pick.

Their third pick in the first round was an unsigned pick, Wing-fung Qu. The pick originally stemmed from the Blue Jays not signing Jamie Ison the year prior. Qu, a former Murry State Racer, was drafted three times and has already retired, while Ison looks like a Triple-A arm. The 2022 pick became solid Catcher Eric Walker, another example of an unsigned pick turning into a solid selection in a future draft.

In the second round, Toronto drafted Phil Wittwer, a High School arm who went to college, got redshirted, got drafted but not signed in 2026, and is still not on a team. At this point he looks like a mid-minors reliever. The pick turned into Devon Roedahl, an upper-minors stalwart who is 29 and hasn’t cracked the majors, but may be able to hold his own. Their other second rounder became Mike Sorensen. Sorensen struggled in the majors last year, but was very good in the upper minors. He has outstanding stuff that plays well even as a starter. Toronto got that pick as a result of not signing Gabe Genn the year prior. Genn has made the majors and struggled, and looks like an upper minors arm. Sorenson has much more potential.

In the third round, Toronto picked Ben McGraw and didn’t sign him. McGraw has already retired, while the comp pick became Sergio Ramirez, a player whose control will keep him in the mid minors.

Toronto’s next third rounder was Juan Campos, a comp pick for not signing Jorge Santana the year prior. Santana has already retired, while Campos has failed to hit in Triple-A. Campos should turn it around in the upper minors, but shouldn’t have much of a major league career.

Toronto’s final third rounder came from not signing Blake Sabol and Chris McBee. They selected Jeff Smart, and also failed to sign him. The pick finally settled as Chris Littleton. The lot of players are destined for Triple-A, and going years without a pick just to settle on Littleton is disappointing.

Toronto grabbed Pat Strand in the 10th round, a very successful pick. Strand went 4-3 for Boston last year and looks like a mid-rotation arm. Toronto’s best pick however, was its last one. Danny Richardson was an All-Star last year with seven wins, 11 Saves, and 3.1 WAR. He had a 2.05 ERA, allowed just six home runs, and is a weapon out of the pen. He’s easily the best 30th round pick in PBA history.

Grade: B-. Toronto, for the most part, got good value in rolling over their own picks. That value is mitigated by the fact that some of the picks went four seasons between conveying into a player. The Blue Jays also got good value with some of their later picks with Strand and Richardson. Turning Pete Daley into Dan McDade is a demerit. Overall though, Toronto did okay with the decisions they made.


Washington Nationals:


First Round: (24) Pick Traded along with Second Round Pick* (became Andy Stratton*), Tyler J. Watson, Stephen Strasburg, and Daniel Johnson Jr. to Seattle for Collin Rea. Pick became Pete Dailey
Supplemental Round: (4) Bob Beasley—3B—Compensation for not signing Cole Hamels
Second Round: *
Third Round: (40) Jon Klock—P

Best Player: Bob Beasley—3B

Best Deep Cut: (27) Jeff Rung—P

Total ML WAR: 6.5

Review: Bob Beasley has been a tremendous hit with the comp pick the Nats received in 2021. He is by far their best pick from this draft. Bob is coming off a year where he led the NL in doubles while playing great defense. Once in Edwin Diaz trade talks, the Nats are likely happy they held onto him. The Nats didn't have a normal first rounder or a second rounder this year. These picks were used to dump Stephen Strasburg's bloated salary in order to clear space to sign Mike Trout. The picks turned into Pete Dailey who had a solid debut season for the Red Sox last year, and Andy Stratton who might be a decent DH type. Neither of them is as good as the 70 mil AAV man from Millville though.

The Nats spent their third rounder on Jon Klock who was dealt to Cleveland as part of a trade to acquire Andrew Miller. Klock might be a swingman but not much more than that.

Jeff Rung was the Nats best deep cut in this draft. He was picked in the 27th round and had a 0.5 WAR season last year out of the Nats bullpen. Going forward he projects as an average middle reliever.

Grade: A. The Nats wouldn't have been able to sign Trout without using some of their picks this year to clear salary. None of those picks turned into difference makers. Trout was key to them winning the World Series in 2021. Bob Beasley has also blossomed into an above average Third Baseman. This was a very good draft for the Nationals.

[Commissioner Erick]

Total PBA WAR from the 2021 Draft


Milwaukee Brewers 23.5
Minnesota Twins 21.7
Atlanta Braves 14.6
Tampa Bay Rays 12.5
Cincinnati Reds 11.5
San Francisco Giants 10.7
San Diego Padres 9.3
Texas Rangers 7.5
Kansas City Royals 7.1
Washington Nationals 6.6
Colorado Rockies 5.8
Boston Red Sox 5.3
Seattle Mariners 5
Toronto Blue Jays 4.5
Baltimore Orioles 3.4
Cleveland Indians 3.2
Arizona Diamondbacks 2.3
Houston Astros 0.8
Miami Marlins 0.6
Philadelphia Phillies 0.4
New York Mets 0.3
St. Louis Cardinals 0.1
Los Angeles Dodgers 0
Pittsburgh Pirates 0
Chicago Cubs -0.1
New York Yankees -0.1
Oakland Athletics -0.1
Los Angeles Angels -0.6
Detroit Tigers -0.8
Chicago White Sox -1.2


Special thanks to Luke Grimmelbein, David Boyer, and Tim Lentz for contributing to this analysis!