2009 MLB Draft Revisited

[z - El Guapo - retired]

How about a flashback to what a draft can bring you? Stephen Strasburg went 1.01 in 2009, and of course the Angels struck gold with Mike Trout at #1.25. After that few guys have reached the majors, let alone achieved notability.

AJ Pollack looks pretty strong, but other than Randall Grichuk, Mike Leake, Nick Franklin, the overall the talent remains largely unfulfilled: Zach Wheeler? Drew Storen? Tyler Skaggs? Garrett Richards? Shelby Miller?

The top of the draft after Strasburg turned out shockingly weak:

1.02 Dustin Ackley OF/SEA
1.03 Donavan Tate OF/SD
1.04 Tony Sanchez C/PIT
1.05 Matt Hobgood SP/BAL

2009 FIRST ROUND

1. Washington Nationals -- Stephen Strasburg, RHP, San Diego State
2. Seattle Mariners -- Dustin Ackley, OF, Univ. of North Carolina
3. San Diego Padres -- Donavan Tate, OF, Cartersville (Ga.) HS
4. Pittsburgh Pirates -- Tony Sanchez, C, Boston College
5. Baltimore Orioles -- Matt Hobgood, RHP, Norco (Calif.) HS
6. San Francisco Giants -- Zack Wheeler, RHP, East Paulding HS, Dallas, Ga.
7. Atlanta Braves -- Mike Minor, LHP, Vanderbilt
8. Cincinnati Reds -- Mike Leake, RHP, Arizona State
9. Detroit Tigers -- Jacob Turner, RHP, Westminster Christian Academy, St. Louis, Mo.
10. Washington Nationals -- Drew Storen, RHP, Stanford
11. Colorado Rockies -- Tyler Matzek, LHP, Capistrano Valley HS, Mission Viejo, Calif.
12. Kansas City Royals -- Aaron Crow, RHP, Fort Worth Cats
13. Oakland Athletics -- Grant Green, SS, University of Southern Calif.ornia
14. Texas Rangers -- Matt Purke, LHP, Klein HS, Spring, Texas
15. Cleveland Indians -- Alex White, RHP, Univ. of North Carolina
16. Arizona Diamondbacks -- Bobby Borchering, 3B, Bishop Verot School, Fort Myers, Fla.
17. Arizona Diamondbacks -- A.J. Pollock, CF, Notre Dame
18. Florida Marlins -- Chad James, LHP, Yukon (Okla.) HS
19. St. Louis Cardinals -- Shelby Miller, RHP, Brownwood (Texas) HS
20. Toronto Blue Jays -- Chad Jenkins, RHP, Kennesaw State University
21. Houston Astros -- Jiovanni Mier, SS, Bonita HS, La Verne, Calif.
22. Minnesota Twins -- Kyle Gibson, RHP, Univ. of Missouri
23. Chicago White Sox -- Jared Mitchell, OF, LSU
24. Los Angeles Angels -- Randal Grichuk, LF, Lamar Consolidated HS, Rosenberg, Texas
25. Los Angeles Angels -- Mike Trout, CF, Millville (N.J.) HS
26. Milwaukee Brewers -- Eric Arnett, RHP, Indiana Univ.
27. Seattle Mariners -- Nick Franklin, SS, Lake Brantley HS, Altamonte Springs, Fla.
28. Boston Red Sox -- Reymond Fuentes, CF, Fernando Callejo HS, Manati, P.R.
29. New York Yankees -- Slade Heathcott, CF, Texas HS, Texarkana, Texas
30. Tampa Bay Rays -- Levon Washington, OF, Buchholz HS, Gainesville, Fla.
31. Chicago Cubs -- Brett Jackson, OF, Univ. of Calif.ornia
32. Colorado Rockies -- Tim Wheeler, OF, Sacramento State

COMP ROUND A

33. Seattle Mariners -- Steven Baron, C, John A. Ferguson HS, Miami
34. Colorado Rockies -- Rex Brothers, LHP, Lipscomb University
35. Arizona Diamondbacks -- Matthew Davidson, 3B, Yucaipa (Calif.) HS
36. Los Angeles Dodgers -- Aaron Miller, LHP, Baylor
37. Toronto Blue Jays -- James Paxton, LHP, Kentucky
38. Chicago White Sox -- Josh Phegley, C, Indiana
39. Milwaukee Brewers -- Kentrail Davis, CF, Tennessee
40. Los Angeles Angels -- Tyler Skaggs, LHP, Santa Monica (Calif.) HS
41. Arizona Diamondbacks -- Christopher Owings, SS, Gilbert (S.C.) HS
42. Los Angeles Angels -- Garrett Richards, RHP, Oklahoma
43. Cincinnati Reds -- Brad Boxberger, RHP, USC
44. Texas Rangers -- Tanner Scheppers, RHP, St. Paul Saints
45. Arizona Diamondbacks -- Mike Belfiore, LHP, Boston College
46. Minnesota Twins -- Matt Bashore, LHP, Indiana
47. Milwaukee Brewers -- Kyle Heckathorn, RHP, Kennesaw State University
48. Los Angeles Angels -- Tyler Kehrer, LHP, Eastern Illinois
49. Pittsburgh Pirates -- Victor Black, RHP, Dallas Baptist University

[Deleted]

Insult to injury, I remember Billy Hamilton was selected 2nd round and Nolan Arenado right after him. Kipnis soon after those 2 and Matz followed him.

[Deleted]

I started playing this format around that time and people were selling their farms for Bobby Borchering. LOL

[Dodgers GM (Rob)]

Unfortunately, I was one of those guys Yankees lol. Should of went after a guy who was picked later on in this draft named Paul Goldschmidt.

[Marlins GM (Anthony)]

Actually not a terrible draft, and some of these guys were good to great prospects that just never panned out at the ML level. Dustin Ackley in particular. Book is still out on guys like Shelby Miller, Skaggs, Grichuk and Wheeler.

More reason though, and not just for fantasy purposes, but for fans as well to never invest too much in prospects or the potential of prospects becoming stars. They'll disappoint more times than not.

[z - El Guapo - retired]

We were mostly astonished by picks 1.02 to 1.05 being so frickin lousy.

There are a few guys throughout the round who have made the bigs and some who may yet, but it was not a very good round near the front after Stras. Shows the risk of mining the draft to build your club (aka El Guapo), especially trading away top talent for early picks. heh heh

[Brewers GM (Brad)]

First round is sparse, but I bet by sheer combined WAR, it outpaces any other draft in the last fifteen years (one Mike Trout goes a long way in such deliberations).

Later on the draft you had Kyle Seager, Matt Carpenter, Goldy, Kipnis, Brian Dozier, Arenado, DJ Lamehieu, Trevor Rosenthal, Drew Hutchinson, Dan Straily, Patrick Corbin, Mike Leake...

Pretty nice top end talent (exceptional really). Interesting that most of it wasn't in the top 35 picks.

[z - El Guapo - retired]

Reds took Mike Leake at 1.08.

But, yeah, we agree there was some nice talent scattered throughout the 2009 draft. Just noticed that the early picks were really busts.

[Angels GM (Scott)]

Prospecting is rough. But so fun to dream on.