Redrafting the top 10 picks in every MLB draft from 2015 to 2024
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David Schoenfield
The 2025 MLB draft is around the corner, with the first round beginning July 13.
There are a lot of challenges in baseball. Hitting sometimes seems impossible given the velocity and stuff from pitchers these days, and for those pitchers, throwing quality strikes is a test and staying healthy a huge challenge. But the most difficult thing in the sport might be drafting. It’s one thing to scout tools, it’s another to project an 18-year-old high school kid as a 25-year-old major leaguer. Finding the baseball players among the athletes or the velocity kings seems more difficult nowadays than ever.
How difficult is it? We went through the past 10 drafts, from 2015 through 2024, and redrafted the top 10 selections. Leaving aside the two most recent drafts, whose players are still very early in their evaluation, only 16 of 80 top-10 selections made the redrafted top 10. Two of the drafts are 0-for-10 in any of their top-10 selections ranking in the redrafted top 10. This helps explain why teams such as the Colorado Rockies, Pittsburgh Pirates and Miami Marlins remained mired in the muck of the standings: They haven’t drafted well. (Although the Pirates at least got the No. 1 pick in 2023 right and might have crushed last year’s top-10 pick as well.)
Let’s go back through the past 10 drafts to see what the redrafts look like right now. View this through the lens of a specific moment in the baseball timeline. If we redo this piece in a few years, it will look much different than it does now, especially for the more recent drafts.
Jump to a draft:
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019
2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024
2015
New pick: Alex Bregman | Original pick: Dansby Swanson
Where new pick was originally drafted: 2
New pick: Kyle Tucker | Original pick: Alex Bregman
Where new pick was originally drafted: 5
New pick: Austin Riley | Original pick: Brendan Rodgers
Where new pick was originally drafted: 41
New pick: Dansby Swanson | Original pick: Dillon Tate
Where new pick was originally drafted: 1
5. Houston Astros
New pick: Ian Happ | Original pick: Kyle Tucker
Where new pick was originally drafted: 9
New pick: Walker Buehler | Original pick: Tyler Jay
Where new pick was originally drafted: 24
New pick: Andrew Benintendi | Original pick: Andrew Benintendi
New pick: Brandon Lowe | Original pick: Carson Fulmer
Where new pick was originally drafted: 87
9. Chicago Cubs
New pick: Cedric Mullins | Original pick: Ian Happ
Where new pick was originally drafted: 403
New pick: Tyler Stephenson | Original pick: Cornelius Randolph
Where new pick was originally drafted: 11
Other notable players from 2015: Harrison Bader, Jake Cronenworth, Paul DeJong, Trent Grisham, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Ryan Helsley, Ryan Mountcastle, Josh Naylor
Best draft: Houston Astros. They crushed it by taking Bregman and Tucker with the second and fifth picks, plus eight others who made the majors, including Myles Straw and Patrick Sandoval. Indeed, while Bregman currently has about 17 more career WAR than Tucker, given that Tucker is three years younger, he might end up as the best player in this draft.
Honorable mention goes to the St. Louis Cardinals, who drafted Bader and Jordan Hicks in the third round and then DeJong and Helsley in Rounds 4 and 5.
Top pick that hasn’t worked out: Cornelius Randolph. Viewed as perhaps the top high school bat in the draft, Randolph ended up the second high school player selected after Tucker in a college-heavy first round. Randolph didn’t hit for average or much power and never made it past Double-A — although he’s still playing professionally in the Mexican League.
Overview: This wasn’t viewed as a strong draft at the time — Keith Law, then an ESPN analyst, had called it the weakest at the top since 2000 — and that has held true a decade later, with a dearth of stars and even some of the better players such as Swanson relying heavily on defense for their value.
The Astros had the second pick for failing to sign Brady Aiken the year before, and Bregman was in the big leagues for them a year later. Tucker was chosen with their regular selection at No. 5, and then they used another first-round pick to select Daz Cameron, who turned into one of the key players used to acquire Justin Verlander in 2017.
The oddest story out of this draft came courtesy of the short-lived Tony La Russa/Dave Stewart regime in Arizona. After selecting Swanson with the first pick, the Diamondbacks traded him and a good outfielder in Ender Inciarte (coming off a 5.0-WAR season) to Atlanta for Shelby Miller in December 2015.
“I think the Diamondbacks are nuts,” Law said at the time. “It’s one thing to win now. It’s another to just give away surplus value.”
The deal backfired for Arizona when Miller immediately got hurt to start the 2016 season and struggled thereafter, contributing to the team going 69-93, which cost La Russa and Stewart their jobs.
2016
1. Philadelphia Phillies
New pick: Will Smith | Original pick: Mickey Moniak
Where new pick was originally drafted: 32
New pick: Corbin Burnes | Original pick: Nick Senzel
Where new pick was originally drafted: 111
New pick: Pete Alonso | Original pick: Ian Anderson
Where new pick was originally drafted: 64
4. Colorado Rockies
New pick: Bo Bichette | Original pick: Riley Pint
Where new pick was originally drafted: 66
New pick: Zac Gallen | Original pick: Corey Ray
Where new pick was originally drafted: 106
New pick: Shane Bieber | Original pick: A.J. Puk
Where new pick was originally drafted: 122
7. Miami Marlins
New pick: Tommy Edman | Original pick: Braxton Garrett
Where new pick was originally drafted: 196
New pick: Bryan Reynolds | Original pick: Cal Quantrill
Where new pick was originally drafted: 59
New pick: Sean Murphy | Original pick: Matt Manning
Where new pick was originally drafted: 83
10. Chicago White Sox
New pick: Michael King | Original pick: Zack Collins
Where new pick was originally drafted: 353
Other notable players from 2016: TJ Friedl, Tony Gonsolin, Austin Hays, Josh Lowe, Nathaniel Lowe, Gavin Lux, Jesus Luzardo, Brandon Marsh, Cole Ragans
Best draft: Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers snagged Lux with the No. 20 pick and then college catcher Smith with the 32nd selection — and 12 others who have reached the majors. Gonsolin and Dustin May are two of those players and have shown flashes of success interspersed with many injuries, but both remain on the Dodgers’ roster (Gonsolin is currently injured again). Another honorable mention to the Cardinals for their midround magic, taking Gallen in the third round and Edman in the sixth, although Gallen was traded alongside Sandy Alcantara to the Marlins as part of the Marcell Ozuna trade.
Top pick that hasn’t worked out: Riley Pint. A high school right-hander from Kansas, Pint routinely hit 100 mph — topping out at 102 — and was regarded as perhaps the hardest-throwing high school pitcher of all time. The Rockies took him with the fourth pick, with some viewing him as possessing the highest ceiling in the draft. Alas … that was not the case.
“Despite his clean arm action, he has a head-jerk at release that could make it hard for him to throw consistent strikes,” Law wrote on ESPN. Pint did have trouble throwing strikes, and while he retired temporarily in 2021, he at least managed to briefly reach the majors with the Rockies in 2023-24.
Overview: In a draft that lacked a clear-cut No. 1 selection, the Phillies went with California high school outfielder Moniak, regarded as the best pure hitter in the draft. He has made more than 1,000 plate appearances in the majors but has never mastered the strike zone and has a career on-base percentage under .300.
He’s not the only first-round pick who didn’t make it big, however. In fact, the top 30 picks have combined for just one All-Star appearance — Ragans, the 30th selection, made it last year with the Royals. But that doesn’t mean there wasn’t talent available. The 10 players we redrafted above have combined for 18 All-Star appearances and two Cy Young Awards, from Burnes and Bieber. They were both fourth-round picks, Burnes out of Saint Mary’s College and Bieber out of UC Santa Barbara. Burnes just underwent Tommy John surgery, though, while Bieber is on the mend from his TJ surgery last year, so their career values might now be more limited.
2017
1. Minnesota Twins
New pick: Hunter Greene | Original pick: Royce Lewis
Where new pick was originally drafted: 2
2. Cincinnati Reds
New pick: Daulton Varsho | Original pick: Hunter Greene
Where new pick was originally drafted: 68
3. San Diego Padres
New pick: MacKenzie Gore | Original pick: MacKenzie Gore
New pick: David Peterson | Original pick: Brendan McKay
Where new pick was originally drafted: 20
5. Atlanta Braves
New pick: Royce Lewis | Original pick: Kyle Wright
Where new pick was originally drafted: 1
6. Oakland Athletics
New pick: Bailey Ober | Original pick: Austin Beck
Where new pick was originally drafted: 346
7. Arizona Diamondbacks
New pick: Brent Rooker | Original pick: Pavin Smith
Where new pick was originally drafted: 35
8. Philadelphia Phillies
New pick: Mark Vientos | Original pick: Adam Haseley
Where new pick was originally drafted: 59
9. Milwaukee Brewers
New pick: Heliot Ramos | Original pick: Keston Hiura
Where new pick was originally drafted: 19
New pick: Jose Caballero | Original pick: Jo Adell
Where new pick was originally drafted: 202
Other notable players from 2017: Shane Baz, Griffin Canning, Jeremiah Estrada, Tanner Houck, Jake Meyers, Clarke Schmidt, JP Sears, Taylor Walls
Best draft: Minnesota Twins. The Twins drafted three players who made our top-10 redraft list in Lewis (whom they did choose with the first overall pick), Rooker (No. 35) and Ober (a 12th-round pick), although Lewis’ ranking remains more speculative in the hopes that he can figure out a way to remain healthy and produce some offense. He hasn’t done either so far in 2025.
Top pick that hasn’t worked out: Keston Hiura. While other picks — such as McKay and Wright — were sidetracked by injuries, Hiura quickly reached the majors in 2019 and looked like a future star after hitting .303/.368/.570 in 84 games. A lot of players had phony numbers that season, however, and his high strikeout rate caught up to him in 2020. He has spent most of the past three seasons in the minors.
Overview: In the 2015 overview, we pointed out that year’s draft class was viewed as the worst since 2000. Well, 2017 was viewed at the time as perhaps even weaker than 2015.
“You’ve probably heard by now, from me or from others who cover the draft, that this year’s class is weaker than normal,” Law wrote in his draft rankings. “I still believe this is true, perhaps even more today than I did a month ago.”
While there is still time for some players here to improve, they’re running out of time: The college players are now 29 or 30 years old, and the high school draftees are in their mid-20s. The only players with even 10 career WAR so far are Varsho and Greene, with Ober getting close. Heck, Taylor Walls, a player with a career average under .200, actually ranks fourth in career WAR thanks to his outstanding defense — but that merely confirms how weak this class has been.
In fact, at the time of his ranking, Law wrote that even the 2000 class had produced eight players with 30 WAR (it’s now nine). That class also has two potential Hall of Famers in Yadier Molina and Chase Utley, a 200-game winner in Adam Wainwright and Cy Young winners in Cliff Lee and Brandon Webb (plus some great hitters in Adrian Gonzalez, Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista). While the first round in 2000 was weak, there was plenty of talent later in the draft. The 2017 draft was weak in both areas — and maybe will go down as the weakest draft of all time.
2018
1. Detroit Tigers
New pick: Tarik Skubal | Original pick: Casey Mize
Where new pick was originally drafted: 255
New pick: Cal Raleigh | Original pick: Joey Bart
Where new pick was originally drafted: 90
3. Philadelphia Phillies
New pick: Jeremy Pena | Original pick: Alec Bohm
Where new pick was originally drafted: 102
4. Chicago White Sox
New pick: Steven Kwan | Original pick: Nick Madrigal
Where new pick was originally drafted: 163
5. Cincinnati Reds
New pick: Nico Hoerner | Original pick: Jonathan India
Where new pick was originally drafted: 24
New pick: Logan Gilbert | Original pick: Jarred Kelenic
Where new pick was originally drafted: 14
7. San Diego Padres
New pick: Jarren Duran | Original pick: Ryan Weathers
Where new pick was originally drafted: 220
8. Atlanta Braves
New pick: Joe Ryan | Original pick: Carter Stewart
Where new pick was originally drafted: 210
9. Oakland Athletics
New pick: Brice Turang | Original pick: Kyler Murray
Where new pick was originally drafted: 21
10. Pittsburgh Pirates
New pick: Lawrence Butler | Original pick: Travis Swaggerty
Where new pick was originally drafted: 173
Other notable players from 2018: Kyle Bradish, Kris Bubic, Triston Casas, Brendan Donovan, Xavier Edwards, Ryan Jeffers, Shane McClanahan, Lars Nootbaar, Logan O’Hoppe, Drew Rasmussen, Grayson Rodriguez, Brady Singer
Best draft: Seattle Mariners. You could go with the Tampa Bay Rays, who showed their penchant for identifying pitchers with Matthew Liberatore (first round), McClanahan (first round), Taj Bradley (fifth round) and Ryan (seventh round). The Tigers also got Mize, Skubal and Parker Meadows. But we’ll go with Seattle’s draft, even though it’s just two players in Raleigh and Gilbert. Given the scarcity of good catchers, Raleigh has a case as the potential No. 1 pick in a redraft, especially with what he’s doing in 2025, but Skubal might be on his way to a second straight Cy Young Award, giving him that first selection in our redraft.
Top pick that hasn’t worked out: Kyler Murray/Carter Stewart. This draft had two of the more curious outcomes in recent draft history. Murray’s story is well known. The A’s pulled a mild surprise in taking him ninth overall even though he had played just one full season of baseball at Oklahoma. They gave him a $4.66 million signing bonus and agreed to let him play one more year of college football before beginning his baseball career. Murray won the Heisman Trophy that fall and ditched baseball for the NFL.
Stewart’s story is less known. A big high school right-hander from Florida, Stewart was up to 98 mph with a high-spin curveball. He was No. 2 on ESPN’s draft board and No. 5 on MLB.com’s, and he went eighth to the Braves. A wrist injury reportedly caused the Braves to lower their bonus offer, which Stewart declined to sign and he enrolled in junior college instead. Rather than waiting for the 2019 draft, however, he signed to play in Japan with the Fukuoaka Soft Bank Hawks on a six-year deal worth a reported $6 million — becoming the first U.S.-born first-round pick to sign his first professional contract with a Japanese team.
After some time in the Japanese minor leagues, Stewart had a breakout season in 2024, posting a 1.95 ERA in 120 innings. Along the way, he signed a two-year, $10 million extension. He has been injured so far in 2025 and hasn’t pitched, but he would still be just 27 when he becomes an unrestricted free agent after 2026.
Overview: While this draft hasn’t necessarily produced a long list of big stars, the overall depth is impressive — even though the top 10 selections have been underwhelming, with India leading that group with less than 7 career WAR. Mize was the no-doubt top pick after a dominant junior season at Auburn and, after a slow start to his career and Tommy John surgery in 2022, is having his best season in 2025. The Giants would have been better off selecting a different ACC catcher than Bart (Georgia Tech) as the Mariners got Raleigh (Florida State) in the third round.
The steal of the draft, of course, has been Skubal, a ninth-round pick out of Seattle University. He had Tommy John surgery in 2016 and missed the 2017 season, although he returned to throw some bullpens before the draft. The Diamondbacks took him in the 29th round, but he returned to school. Even though he was up to 95 mph, his wildness scared teams off.
A key to the long-term value of this draft will be the health of the pitchers. Mize, Rasmussen and Bubic have already returned from injuries (multiple Tommy John surgeries in Rasmussen’s case). Bradish, McClanahan and Rodriguez have yet to pitch in 2025, and Gilbert is currently on the injured list as well.
2019
New pick: Bobby Witt Jr. | Original pick: Adley Rutschman
Where new pick was originally drafted: 2
New pick: Gunnar Henderson | Original pick: Bobby Witt Jr.
Where new pick was originally drafted: 42
3. Chicago White Sox
New pick: Corbin Carroll | Original pick: Andrew Vaughn
Where new pick was originally drafted: 16
4. Miami Marlins
New pick: Riley Greene | Original pick: JJ Bleday
Where new pick was originally drafted: 5
5. Detroit Tigers
New pick: Adley Rutschman | Original pick: Riley Greene
Where new pick was originally drafted: 1
6. San Diego Padres
New pick: CJ Abrams | Original pick: CJ Abrams
7. Cincinnati Reds
New pick: Hunter Brown | Original pick: Nick Lodolo
Where new pick was originally drafted: 166
8. Texas Rangers
New pick: Michael Harris II | Original pick: Josh Jung
Where new pick was originally drafted: 98
9. Atlanta Braves
New pick: Anthony Volpe | Original pick: Shea Langeliers
Where new pick was originally drafted: 30
10. San Francisco Giants
New pick: George Kirby | Original pick: Hunter Bishop
Where new pick was originally drafted: 20
Other notable players from 2019: Michael Busch, Kerry Carpenter, Brenton Doyle, Tyler Fitzgerald, Hunter Gaddis, Nick Lodolo, Vinnie Pasquantino, Ryan Pepiot, Josh Smith, Spencer Steer, Bryson Stott, Matt Wallner
Best draft: Baltimore Orioles. Rutschman was the consensus top player after a stellar career at Oregon State that saw him hit .411/.575/.751 his draft year, and the Orioles ended up going chalk by taking him at No. 1 after some smoke they might go in a different direction. Henderson was the first pick of the second round out of an Alabama high school, with concerns about his ability to stay at shortstop and ultimate power upside, but he has proven skeptics wrong on both accounts. The Orioles also got Kyle Stowers later in Round 2 and Joey Ortiz in Round 4, both later traded for pitching help.
The Diamondbacks drafted eight players who have since made the majors, including Carroll out of a Seattle high school with the 16th pick. Another honorable mention to the Braves, who got Harris in the third round, Langeliers in the first round (part of the Matt Olson trade) and Vaughn Grissom in the 11th round (traded for Chris Sale).
Top pick that hasn’t worked out: Andrew Vaughn. The third pick out of Cal, Vaughn was viewed as a sure thing, a polished college hitter on par with Rutschman. In college, he combined a high average with power and plate discipline (104 walks to 51 strikeouts his sophomore and junior seasons), but he has hit just .248/.303/.407 in the majors. The White Sox finally gave up and recently traded him to the Brewers, who sent him to the minors. His plate discipline didn’t translate to the pros and a slow bat has limited damage on contact.
Overview: Witt gets first slot in the redraft over Henderson. Witt was second or third on most predraft boards, although there was some concern that he was already 19 years old at draft time — a big red flag for teams who follow draft models that view older high schoolers as a negative. Obviously it wasn’t, and Witt is now one of the game’s biggest stars. I have Greene ahead of Rutschman in the redraft on account of age — he’s three years younger — and current level of production. You could make a similar argument for Abrams. Brown is climbing this list, while Harris burst on the scene with a Rookie of the Year season in 2022, but his offense has stagnated the past two seasons due to a hyper-aggressive approach that has him with one of the highest chase rates in the majors.
Still, after the mediocre returns from the 2015-17 drafts, this looks a little more like what you might think a top 10 should look like, with at least three major stars in Witt, Henderson and Carroll leading the way. It’s not a historic class, but it’s a reminder that most drafts aren’t loaded with future stars.
2020
1. Detroit Tigers
New pick: Pete Crow-Armstrong | Original pick: Spencer Torkelson
Where new pick was originally drafted: 19
2. Baltimore Orioles
New pick: Garrett Crochet | Original pick: Heston Kjerstad
Where new pick was originally drafted: 11
3. Miami Marlins
New pick: Spencer Strider | Original pick: Max Meyer
Where new pick was originally drafted: 126
4. Kansas City Royals
New pick: Masyn Winn | Original pick: Asa Lacy
Where new pick was originally drafted: 54
5. Toronto Blue Jays
New pick: Austin Wells | Original pick: Austin Martin
Where new pick was originally drafted: 28
6. Seattle Mariners
New pick: Jordan Westburg | Original pick: Emerson Hancock
Where new pick was originally drafted: 30
7. Pittsburgh Pirates
New pick: Evan Carter | Original pick: Nick Gonzales
Where new pick was originally drafted: 50
8. San Diego Padres
New pick: Jared Jones | Original pick: Robert Hassell III
Where new pick was originally drafted: 44
9. Colorado Rockies
New pick: Kyle Harrison | Original pick: Zac Veen
Where new pick was originally drafted: 85
10. Los Angeles Angels
New pick: Spencer Torkelson | Original pick: Reid Detmers
Where new pick was originally drafted: 1
Other notable players from 2020: Mick Abel, Patrick Bailey, Dillon Dingler, Bryce Elder, Colt Keith, Coby Mayo, Cade Smith, Tyler Soderstrom, Gavin Stone, Jordan Walker
Best draft: Atlanta Braves. In a draft shortened to five rounds because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Braves selected three major leaguers in their four picks, including Strider in the fourth round and 2023 All-Star Elder in the fourth. Strider had undergone Tommy John surgery at Clemson in 2019 and made just four appearances in 2020 before the pandemic, so scouts had a limited post-surgery look at him. The Orioles could also be here with Westburg, Kjerstad and Mayo, but the latter two have yet to do any damage in the majors despite their high prospect rankings.
Top pick that hasn’t worked out: Jordan Walker. The Cardinals took Walker with the 21st pick, and it soon looked like he might end up as the top player from this draft after he zoomed through the minors and reached the majors in 2023 at age 21, hitting a more-than-respectable .276/.342/.445 with 16 home runs in 117 games. But he has been unable to come close to that production the past two seasons as he has struggled to make contact. The raw tools — bat speed and projectable power — are still there and he’s still just 23 years old, but it has been a frustrating two years.
Overview: The 2020 draft was always going to be unpredictable as college seasons shut down after a few weeks because of the pandemic and some high school seasons never even got going, so scouts had limited spring viewings of prospects. The draft was limited to five rounds, and teams focused on college players early, with eight of the first 10 picks from the collegiate ranks.
Still, even by these difficult measures, we haven’t seen great results from those first 10 picks, with only Torkelson making the redraft top 10 — and even then, you could argue for Tyler Soderstrom, defensive stalwart Patrick Bailey or Cade Smith, who has excelled as a reliever after Cleveland signed him as an undrafted free agent. There remains a lot of unknowns for some of the players in the redraft top 10: Jared Jones had Tommy John surgery this season, Evan Carter had a breakout postseason in helping the Rangers win the World Series in 2023 but had injury issues last season, and Harrison was just traded to the Red Sox.
There’s no doubt about the top guy at this particular moment, however, as Crow-Armstrong, on his way to a possible 40-40 season in his first full year in the majors, leaps over Crochet and Strider. Unfortunately for the Mets, who drafted him 19th overall out of famed Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles, they traded him to the Cubs for Javier Baez in 2022.
2021
1. Pittsburgh Pirates
New pick: James Wood | Original pick: Henry Davis
Where new pick was originally drafted: 62
2. Texas Rangers
New pick: Jackson Merrill | Original pick: Jack Leiter
Where new pick was originally drafted: 27
3. Detroit Tigers
New pick: Marcelo Mayer | Original pick: Jackson Jobe
Where new pick was originally drafted: 4
4. Boston Red Sox
New pick: Spencer Schwellenbach | Original pick: Marcelo Mayer
Where new pick was originally drafted: 59
5. Baltimore Orioles
New pick: Bryan Woo | Original pick: Colton Cowser
Where new pick was originally drafted: 174
6. Arizona Diamondbacks
New pick: Bryce Miller | Original pick: Jordan Lawlar
Where new pick was originally drafted: 113
7. Kansas City Royals
New pick: Tanner Bibee | Original pick: Frank Mozzicato
Where new pick was originally drafted: 156
8. Colorado Rockies
New pick: Andrew Abbott | Original pick: Benny Montgomery
Where new pick was originally drafted: 53
9. Los Angeles Angels
New pick: Bubba Chandler | Original pick: Sam Bachman
Where new pick was originally drafted: 72
10. New York Mets
New pick: Andrew Painter | Original pick: Kumar Rocker
Where new pick was originally drafted: 13
Other notable players from 2021: Noah Cameron, Ben Casparius, Colton Cowser, Harry Ford, Sal Frelick, Brady House, Jackson Jobe, Kyle Manzardo, Matt McLain, Mason Miller, Max Muncy, Ben Rice, Carson Williams, Gavin Williams, Jacob Young
Best draft: San Diego Padres. The Padres are often unpredictable in the draft, but they love high-upside talent and might have gotten the two best players from this draft in Wood and Merrill. Merrill was the 27th overall pick, the highest-drafted Maryland high school player this century. He was a late riser whom many scouts hadn’t even seen until a couple weeks before the draft. Wood went with the 62nd pick out of IMG Academy in Florida, and scouts knew all about his power but had concerns about his hit tool. Well, he has figured out the hit thing and will be headed to the All-Star Game … as a member of the Nationals, after he was traded in the Juan Soto deal.
Honorable mention to the Mariners, who drafted collegiate pitchers Miller in the fourth round and Woo in the sixth, with both rising quickly to the majors and having immediate success in Seattle (although Miller is currently injured). Catcher Harry Ford was their first-round pick, and he’s a consensus top-50 prospect playing well in Triple-A, while second-round pick Edwin Arroyo was a key player dealt to Cincinnati in the Luis Castillo trade.
Top pick that hasn’t worked out: Henry Davis. There was no consensus best player in 2021, so the Pirates went with Louisville catcher Davis and signing him to a below-slot bonus to spread their pool money around (four of the next five picks each received a higher bonus). Davis was viewed as having the highest floor of the potential top choices, but he just hasn’t hit in the majors and is the backup catcher for the Pirates with a sub-.200 career average. With the savings on Davis, however, the Pirates did give third-round pick Bubba Chandler $2 million above slot to pull him away from a Clemson football scholarship, and he’s now the top pitching prospect in the minors.
Overview: This draft looks like it will be pretty deep in talent, especially on the pitching side — depending on long-term health. For now, I’ve slotted the pitchers who have proven themselves in the majors ahead of the ones who haven’t, but in a few years, it’s certainly possible that Chandler and Painter will be the top pitchers from this draft.
Wood or Merrill for the top player? There’s a case to be made for Merrill, because he plays center field while Wood is in left, but Wood’s bat is already special, with huge raw power and a good eye at the plate. He could be on his way to a 40-homer season in his age-22 season. Merrill is more aggressive, which might ultimately limit his OBP upside in comparison to Wood. If Wood was a bad corner outfielder, you might still go with Merrill, but at least for now Wood still runs well and plays an above-average left field.
Mayer slots in third. He was the top player on some draft boards and has played well in the minors with the range to play shortstop (although the Red Sox have used him at third base since his callup). Shortstop Carson Williams of the Rays, a late first-round pick, had helium entering 2025 but has struggled to make contact in Triple-A, he so falls out of the top 10 redraft — though, he has the talent to eventually climb back in. Lawlar ranked seventh on Kiley McDaniel’s recent top 50 prospects update, but he has had some injury issues in the minors and is 4-for-50 in a couple of major league trials. He merits consideration for the top 10, although he’s now blocked at shortstop in Arizona by Geraldo Perdomo.
2022
1. Baltimore Orioles
New pick: Roman Anthony | Original pick: Jackson Holliday
Where new pick was originally drafted: 79
2. Arizona Diamondbacks
New pick: Zach Neto | Original pick: Druw Jones
Where new pick was originally drafted: 13
3. Texas Rangers
New pick: Jackson Holliday | Original pick: Kumar Rocker
Where new pick was originally drafted: 1
4. Pittsburgh Pirates
New pick: Jacob Misiorowski | Original pick: Termarr Johnson
Where new pick was originally drafted: 63
New pick: Drake Baldwin | Original pick: Elijah Green
Where new pick was originally drafted: 96
6. Miami Marlins
New pick: Dalton Rushing | Original pick: Jacob Berry
Where new pick was originally drafted: 40
7. Chicago Cubs
New pick: Cade Horton | Original pick: Cade Horton
8. Minnesota Twins
New pick: Jett Williams | Original pick: Brooks Lee
Where new pick was originally drafted: 14
9. Kansas City Royals
New pick: Noah Schultz | Original pick: Gavin Cross
Where new pick was originally drafted: 26
10. Colorado Rockies
New pick: Victor Scott II | Original pick: Gabriel Hughes
Where new pick was originally drafted: 157
Other notable players from 2022: Hayden Birdsong, Justin Crawford, Chase Meidroth, Chandler Simpson, Drew Thorpe, Jonah Tong, Cole Young
Best draft: New York Mets. Williams, the 14th overall pick, is one of the top shortstop prospects in the minors while Tong, a seventh-round pick out of Canada, is having a monster season in Double-A averaging more than 14 K’s per nine. Third-rounder Blade Tidwell has also reached the majors. Kevin Parada, a catcher from Georgia Tech taken three spots ahead of Williams, has struggled to hit, however.
Top pick that hasn’t worked out: Elijah Green. The 2022 draft featured several talented high school position players, with Holliday, Jones, Johnson and Green all going in the top five picks. Holliday quickly became the top prospect in the minors and is playing well for the Orioles, but the other three have all struggled to live up to the hype so far. Green was always the riskiest of the group but had physical tools that drew comparisons to Ronald Acuna Jr. Concerns about his contact rate have proven true, however, and after whiffing 206 times in Single-A in 2024, he’s hitting under .200 in High-A this year.
Overview: While the top high school bats have yet to perform, the Red Sox got Anthony at the end of the second round with the 79th pick. His status as the top prospect in the minors before his recent call-up earns him the top slot in this redraft. Just to show how difficult drafting is, however: The Red Sox drafted two high school shortstops before they selected Anthony.
I have Neto ahead of Holliday for now, in part because Neto is a shortstop while Holliday has had to move to second base (and not just because of Gunnar Henderson — Holliday’s range and arm wouldn’t play at shortstop). Holliday is three years younger and just 21 years old, so there’s still plenty of time for his bat to improve. Neto was the 13th pick out of Campbell, in the Big South Conference — a late riser his draft year. He reached the majors with the Angels in 2023, and his power has been even better than projected, with 23 home runs in 2024 as part of an impressive 5.1-WAR season. You’d like to see him improve his strikeout-to-walk ratio, but he’s the best Angels draft pick since Mike Trout.
2023
1. Pittsburgh Pirates
New pick: Paul Skenes | Original pick: Paul Skenes
2. Washington Nationals
New pick: Jacob Wilson | Original pick: Dylan Crews
Where new pick was originally drafted: 6
3. Detroit Tigers
New pick: Wyatt Langford | Original pick: Max Clark
Where new pick was originally drafted: 4
4. Texas Rangers
New pick: Max Clark | Original pick: Wyatt Langford
Where new pick was originally drafted: 3
5. Minnesota Twins
New pick: Walker Jenkins | Original pick: Walker Jenkins
6. Oakland Athletics
New pick: Kristian Campbell | Original pick: Jacob Wilson
Where new pick was originally drafted: 132
7. Cincinnati Reds
New pick: Dylan Crews | Original pick: Rhett Lowder
Where new pick was originally drafted: 2
8. Kansas City Royals
New pick: Colt Emerson | Original pick: Blake Mitchell
Where new pick was originally drafted: 22
9. Colorado Rockies
New pick: Kevin McGonigle | Original pick: Chase Dollander
Where new pick was originally drafted: 37
10. Miami Marlins
New pick: Chase Dollander | Original pick: Noble Meyer
Where new pick was originally drafted: 9
Other notable players from 2023: Bryce Eldridge, Zyhir Hope, Luke Keaschall, George Lombard Jr., Aidan Miller, Arjun Nimmala, Nolan Schanuel, Matt Shaw, Kyle Teel
Best draft: Detroit Tigers. Certainly, it’s way too early to tell here. Maybe it’s just the Pirates with Skenes. The Red Sox got Campbell in the fourth round with first-rounder Teel going to the White Sox in the Garrett Crochet trade. But let’s go with the Tigers as Clark and McGonigle, both high school selections, have hit well in the lower minors and could be excellent all-around players if their power develops. Second-rounder Max Anderson is having a big season in Double-A, and fifth-round pitcher Jaden Hamm, out of Middle Tennessee State, has also been in Double-A all season after having a strong year in 2024 in High-A.
Top pick that hasn’t worked out: Dylan Crews. By no means are we writing Crews off — we still have him going seventh in the redraft — but his early scuffles in the majors, including a .196 average in 2025, are surprising given the numbers he put up at LSU (.426/.567/.713 as a junior). The plate discipline he had in college hasn’t translated to the pros, and he didn’t tear up the minors in 2024. His MLB numbers also pale in comparison to Langford, who went two picks later. Still, we need more than 300 plate appearances before passing final judgment.
Overview: Remember, it wasn’t a slam dunk for the Pirates to take Skenes. Pitchers come with their obvious injury risks, while Crews and Langford were two of the more accomplished college hitters in recent years. But still, they clearly made the right choice.
Wilson was a bit of a surprise pick at sixth overall for the A’s. Scouts loved his elite contact ability coming out of Grand Canyon University, but you don’t project anyone to hit .350 in the majors and Wilson has a chance to do that. His power has been the biggest surprise, as he’s already exceeding the Nico Hoerner comparisons. He’s not going to be a Gold Glove shortstop, but he’s competent enough there to slot ahead of Langford in the redraft at No. 2. The ultimate strength of this draft will rely on the talented group of high school hitters — Clark, Jenkins, Emerson, McGonigle, Miller, Eldridge, Nimmala and others — who look good so far with some of them starting to get tested in the upper minors. Eldrige is super intriguing: The 6-foot-7 slugger is just 20 years old and already in Triple-A for the Giants.
2024
New pick: Jac Caglianone | Original pick: Travis Bazzana
Where new pick was originally drafted: 6
2. Cincinnati Reds
New pick: Chase Burns | Original pick: Chase Burns
3. Colorado Rockies
New pick: Konnor Griffin | Original pick: Charlie Condon
Where new pick was originally drafted: 9
4. Oakland Athletics
New pick: Nick Kurtz | Original pick: Nick Kurtz
5. Chicago White Sox
New pick: JJ Wetherholt | Original pick: Hagen Smith
Where new pick was originally drafted: 7
6. Kansas City Royals
New pick: Travis Bazzana | Original pick: Jac Caglianone
Where new pick was originally drafted: 1
7. St. Louis Cardinals
New pick: Cam Smith | Original pick: JJ Wetherholt
Where new pick was originally drafted: 14
8. Los Angeles Angels
New pick: Bryce Rainer | Original pick: Christian Moore
Where new pick was originally drafted: 11
9. Pittsburgh Pirates
New pick: Hagen Smith | Original pick: Konnor Griffin
Where new pick was originally drafted: 5
10. Washington Nationals
New pick: Charlie Condon | Original pick: Seaver King
Where new pick was originally drafted: 3
Other notable players from 2024: Slade Caldwell, Theo Gillen, Braden Montgomery
Best draft: Kansas City Royals. It’s way too early to do anything but guess here, but the Royals are obviously ecstatic getting Caglianone with the sixth overall selection. He has a chance to be the power hitter from this draft and a potential star to line up next to Bobby Witt Jr. Second-round high school lefty David Shields has impressed early in Single-A, while a couple of pitchers out of the University of Tennessee, Drew Bream and A.J. Causey, could advance quickly.
Top pick that hasn’t worked out: Charlie Condon. As with Crews, we need to give Condon a lot more time, but after one of the most dominant seasons in NCAA history at Georgia (.433, 37 HRs), Condon’s initial returns in pro ball have raised concerns — especially given what Caglianone and Kurtz have done to already reach the majors. In 25 games in High-A after getting drafted, Condon hit .180 with 34 strikeouts and four walks. He then fractured his wrist in spring training. He’s back at High-A Spokane and has hit better (.333/.457/.457) and at least improved his walk and strikeout rates (22 walks, 24 strikeouts). Still, High-A isn’t much of a challenge for an SEC performer like Condon, so the Rockies will need to get a read on him in Double-A.
Overview: We did a lot of moving around in the top 10 redraft, but this already looks like one of the most interesting drafts in a long time. Really, you could already make the case for five or six different players now going first, including Bazzana, the actual top overall pick.
Would Caglianone really go No. 1? Maybe not, given the bias against first basemen going first overall, but we’re at a moment when it appears Caglianone might have the highest ceiling of any player given his plus-plus-plus power potential. Kansas City is trying Caglianone in right field, and that is a work in progress, but it would be a huge boon to the Royals if it did work out, as they’re desperate for outfield power and Vinnie Pasquantino is locked in at first base. Caglianone’s high chase rate remains an issue, but he has already been improving from his college days and is striking out just 20% of the time in the majors (compared to 32% for Kurtz, who has tapped into more power so far than Caglianone).
Griffin is also an exciting player to watch. A two-way talent from a Mississippi high school where he was the national player of the year, Griffin had perhaps the highest ceiling in the draft and is showing that so far, hitting .344/.408/.552 in Single-A, already earning a promotion to High-A and looking good at shortstop so far.
As for Bazzana, he’s currently out because of an oblique strain, but his pro numbers have been underwhelming, hitting .238 last year in 27 games at High-A and .252 with 39 strikeouts in 33 games so far in Double-A this year. At the same level, Wetherholt has hit .322 with more walks than strikeouts and has the defensive chops to remain in the infield (most likely at second base, especially with Masyn Winn entrenched at shortstop in St. Louis) while Bazzana might end up moving from second base to left field.
Still, with Smith already performing for the Astros after the Cubs traded him in the Kyle Tucker deal and Kurtz producing for the A’s, plus Caglianone and Moore in the majors as well, the early returns from this draft look excellent. Besides Griffin, some of the other high school selections such as Rainer, Gillen and Caldwell look promising.
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David Hale
CHRISTIAN FAURIA HAD heard all the rumors about his new head coach long before he arrived in New England.
It was 2002, and the former second-round pick had just turned 30. He was a free agent for the first time in his career, on the verge of a decent payday, but he had endured countless ankle injuries, and his primary goal was to protect his body for the long term. Bill Belichick did not seem like the guy to do it.
“The reputation [Belichick had], whether he knew it or not, was he wasn’t good when it came to protecting his players,” Fauria said. “It was rumored to be really tough, and he was supposedly really snarky and unapproachable.”
Still, the New England Patriots were fresh off a Super Bowl, so Fauria rolled the dice. During his initial visit, he had told Belichick about his injury history and his hope to be handled with care to maximize his impact on Sundays, but he hadn’t held out much hope the coach would follow through.
Then came the first week of padded practices in preseason camp. Fauria was jogging out to the field when a trainer stopped him.
“You’re down today,” the trainer said.
Half the team stared at Fauria. He remembers Ty Law chirping, “Why’s he getting a day off already?” He felt a bit guilty, he said, but what was clear is Belichick had kept his word.
As the 2002 season wore on, Fauria realized, more and more, that all the rumors he had heard about his head coach were garbage. Belichick was nothing like he had assumed.
“Everybody has a different experience with Bill,” Fauria said, “but for me, I instantly trusted him, and as a coach, that’s the No. 1 thing you’re trying to achieve.”
What’s it like to play for the greatest coach in NFL history? That’s lesson No. 1. The public image looks nothing like the guy behind the curtain.
As Belichick settles into the coaching job at North Carolina — his first season in college — there are plenty of big questions about what this experiment will look like. Belichick, himself, admits he still has no idea just how good this team can be. But if the setting is new, the Belichick image — and its more grounded counterpoint — look about the same as they did during Fauria’s time in New England. Belichick is a football-obsessed, details-oriented coaching machine, who’s also a teacher at heart and, believe it or not, a pretty funny guy.
“It definitely wasn’t what I expected it to be,” Fauria said of his time with Belichick. “I thought I’d be miserable there, but it was the best four years of my playing career. [Belichick] could not have been more open and honest and approachable. More than any coach I’d ever had, really.”
WHEN QUARTERBACK Gio Lopez jumped from South Alabama to North Carolina this past spring, he knew his new home would come with its share of surreal moments, and he had been waiting for this one.
Here he was, a once-unheralded recruit, now sitting in a film room with a six-time Super Bowl champion head coach, breaking down film of Belichick’s most prized protégé, Tom Brady.
The way Lopez had always studied film was pretty straightforward: Here’s the concept. Here’s your first read, second read and so on. Belichick saw things at another level.
“He’s talking about how a fumble in the second quarter changed the way a play unfolded in the fourth quarter,” Lopez said.
Belichick is the Roger Ebert of game film. He’s obsessed, he’s critical and he sees details in what transpires on film that no one else does.
More importantly, former Patriots great Tedy Bruschi said, Belichick can translate all that information into something easily consumed by the average player in a way few others can.
“As much information as he’ll try to give you, he’ll give it to you in the simplest form he possibly can,” Bruschi said. “He teaches it where you can understand it, digest it and, OK, for my particular job, what I have to do on this play, I’m clear on that. And that’s all he wants you to think about.”
See job, do job. Leave the hard stuff to Belichick.
And so Lopez settled in to watch film of the most successful QB in NFL history with the most successful coach in NFL history expecting Belichick to gush over just how beautifully the system works.
Click.
Brady drops back. Brady unleashes a pass. Julian Edelman hauls it in for a first down.
Thoughts?
“I just thought it was a good play,” Lopez said.
That’s the mistake, Belichick explained. No play is pass-fail. There are degrees of success, and on this one, Brady had fallen well short of the mark.
“If he’d put the ball another 2 feet to the outside,” Belichick explained, “Edelman gains 15 more yards on the play. That changes the entire course of this drive.”
And the outcome of that drive changes what happens on the next one, impacts decisions made late in the game, shifts what the defense is asked to do — dominoes, each one knocking over another before reaching a final score.
Lopez shook his head. This is why he chose North Carolina. This was the secret sauce that made Belichick great, and here he was, a month removed from playing in the Sun Belt, being taught by the master.
“This guy knows it all,” Lopez said. “It’s one of those situations where you sit back, zip your lips and open your ears.”
ALGE CRUMPLER WAS at the tail end of his career when he landed with the Patriots in 2010. He was a star with the Atlanta Falcons, but his body was battered and, if he was being honest, his contributions to an NFL offense were limited now. He could block, which in New England was still a prized asset. He could teach, and the Patriots wanted a mentor for a talented young tight end by the name of Rob Gronkowski, whom they had drafted that year.
That’s what Belichick needed from Crumpler. No more, no less.
“He only puts you on the field to do the things that you’re good at,” Crumpler said.
So Crumpler was a bit surprised when he was tabbed as part of the Patriots’ leadership council that season — a backup tight end winding down his career, sharing the job with Brady, Jerod Mayo and Vince Wilfork. The way Crumpler saw it, he had no business being in the same room with those guys, so he mostly kept his mouth shut.
“I’m sitting there in that room with Tom and Jerod and Vince, and [Belichick’s] getting in-depth with them, and they’re being very candid,” Crumpler recalled. “I didn’t want to say a thing. Why do I need to say anything with this group that’s been here so many years?”
After a few minutes of conversation with the stars, Belichick finally turned and glared at Crumpler, who was silently watching the proceedings.
“You’re here for a f—ing reason,” Belichick said. “Open your mouth.”
Suddenly, a light switched on. The man at the top had given Crumpler his blessing to offer real insight on a team he’d just joined.
“It created a dialogue,” Crumpler said, “and it was a great season.”
Bruschi was already a fixture in the Patriots’ locker room when Belichick arrived in 2000, and at the time, he was best known, as Bruschi said, as “the coach who failed in Cleveland.”
That turned out to be a luxury, Bruschi said. The pair “grew up” together, a relationship of mutual respect in which the player felt empowered to push back.
After three Super Bowls, however, Bruschi saw things begin to change as new players arrived. Belichick certainly wasn’t a failure, but neither was he a normal coach anymore.
“They’d see Belichick as a legend,” Bruschi said. “It’s going to be difficult for these kids to get over the fact that he’s highly accomplished, and he’s just a coach that’s trying to get you better.”
The image is tougher to dismiss when a horde of cameras follows Belichick at every public appearance, and his girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, is a social media star.
For Belichick, however, it’s all “noise.”
“It is what it is,” Belichick said, in his typically subdued tone during an interview with ESPN.
And yet, inside the football facility, it’s an image Belichick has tried to discourage. His first team meeting he wore a suit and tie, receiver Jordan Shipp said, and after that, it was all cut-off sweatshirts.
He has made a point of being accessible to players, getting involved in all segments during practice, insisting on an air of approachability.
“Some of it is me coming to them,” Belichick said.
It’s the side of Belichick few outside the locker room see, but, if anything, it’s the real Belichick.
“You’ll see Coach laugh,” Crumpler said of his time in New England. “You never see it in the media. He can tell a story every day that will make you laugh, but still be serious at the same time. That was great.”
It was mid-May, however, and Shipp had to go to his head coach with a request for some time away.
There were meetings scheduled Shipp knew were important, but his younger brother was going to graduate that week, and …
Belichick stopped him in his tracks.
“That’s something you don’t miss,” Belichick told him.
Skip the meetings. Go home. Be with family. That mattered more.
If there’s anything the UNC sophomore has learned about his new head coach in the past eight months, it’s that the image Belichick has curated with the media has never matched reality for his players.
“Sometimes you forget it’s the greatest coach of all time,” Shipp said. “His office is always open. I can go in and watch film whenever. It’s a safe space with him at all times.”
JAMIE COLLINS HAD crushed the combine in 2013, and a slew of requests followed from teams hoping for private workouts ahead of the draft. He had participated in his share, but by early April, he was done. He had called his agent and given an ultimatum: no more.
It was a little strange then that his phone kept buzzing one morning soon after his edict. He had calls from his agent, a few coaches, some teammates. He ignored them all.
Then came the beating on his bedroom door, his roommate yelling, “Bill Belichick wants to see you.”
Belichick was interested in drafting Collins, and no mandate against additional private workouts was going to stop him from seeing the guy play, so he simply showed up in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, unannounced, and expected Collins to comply.
Collins did.
“He put me through it, man,” Collins said. “He tried to break me.”
Collins’ determination was the last thing Belichick needed to see before the Patriots drafted him in the second round. He would spend seven years playing for Belichick before following him into coaching this year at North Carolina.
That’s the other part of Belichick’s magic formula, Collins said. He wants players willing to maximize all Belichick has to teach them. It’s a two-way street. He demands much, but the buy-in from his players — they have to provide that willingly. That’s the test they must pass before they can gain access to the vault of football knowledge Belichick has to share.
Upon arrival in Chapel Hill, Belichick branded the Tar Heels as “the 33rd NFL team,” conjuring an image of militaristic fervor — all football, all the time. And yet, UNC’s players insist it’s not that way at all. If anything, they’re enjoying more freedom than ever.
“I was expecting him to be a lot of what you see in interviews — very mundane, always cussing you out,” safety Will Hardy said. “He’s an encourager.”
Yes, Belichick has brought a lot of the NFL to UNC — GM Michael Lombardi, a former Patriots strength coach, a chef.
But, Lopez said, there are fewer meetings than he was used to at South Alabama, and while the players are expected to work with a sense of professionalism, Belichick and his staff have largely allowed them the freedom to do so without micromanagement.
“They expect you to want to be great,” Lopez said. “It’s more like they expect you to want to learn it. It’s a lot different than South Alabama. They give you more room to function.”
He did that in pros, and he’s giving the Tar Heels the same freedom to choose their path.
“He treats you like a grown man,” Collins said. “And he’s going to provide everything you need to be successful. That’s where that expectation comes from. He’s not going to ask anything from you that he hasn’t already given you [what] you need to accomplish it.”
There are ample questions about how Belichick’s NFL pedigree will translate to the college game, and his interactions with 18- to 22-year-old players is at the top of the list.
But Collins admits that might be the one way his old coach has changed. Belichick has softened around the edges a bit.
“I’ve seen the Bill that was coaching us,” said Collins, UNC’s inside linebackers coach. “And I’ve seen a different side of Bill coaching these guys. That’s the eliteness of him, understanding situations. It’s what makes him great. It’s still Bill though.”
Fauria thinks the new age of college football actually lends to Belichick’s strengths. Players view themselves as professionals more than ever before, and in a game increasingly determined by dollars and cents, the old rules of placating personalities rather than simply paying for talent are out the window.
“If this was 10 years ago, I don’t know if he’d have the stomach for it,” Fauria said. “I’m not sure if he’s willing to go to someone’s house and do ‘The Electric Slide’ in someone’s living room. But Bill is prepared for this. He’s tailor-made for this job based on how it has evolved.”
Will it look a little different at North Carolina? Probably, but the core of the process, Bruschi said, won’t change. From those first days in the Patriots’ locker room in 2000 to the first days in Chapel Hill now, Belichick is the same guy with the same laser focus on football and the same approach to building a team. The success or failure of that methodology will, according to the players who’ve won rings with him in New England, depend on how much these Tar Heels are willing to maximize the experience, not on how well Belichick adapts to his new surroundings.
“If you’re looking for structure, you’re going to get it,” Fauria said. “If you’re looking for knowledge, you’re going to get it. If you’re looking for a road map and directions and information and the why — why are we doing this? — he literally tells you. He’d give you examples. Tons of information. When people say he’s going to have you more prepared than anybody, I don’t think that’s hyperbole. It’s demanding and it’s hard, but if you crave the challenge and appreciate the grind and you love football, there’s nobody better.”
ARLINGTON, Texas — Nathan Eovaldi‘s impressive streak for Texas ended with a dud, but without a decision in a victory that the wild card-chasing Rangers really needed.
After going 6-0 with a 0.47 ERA in six starts since the start of July, Eovaldi was tagged for three home runs while allowing season highs of five runs and eight hits in five innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night. The Rangers were down 5-1 when he exited, but won 7-6 in 10 innings to end their four-game losing streak.
“That’s all that matters at the end of the day,” Eovaldi said. “Regardless how well I do out there or anything, it’s about the team winning the games. Especially with where we are at this point of the season and everything.”
The 35-year-old right-hander struck out three, walked one and hit two batters. He got a no-decision because Rowdy Tellez homered in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game, and Jake Burger delivered a pinch-hit RBI single in the 10th.
“Nate’s been so, so good. And he just showed that, hey, you’re gonna have occasional games where you don’t quite command it as well. And they took advantage of it,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “But he’s picked us up so many times. So man, what a great job by the boys. And find a way to win that ball game with just a gutty effort by everybody, bullpen, hitters. We needed this one.”
Eovaldi had given up only six runs total over his previous seven starts, and half of those runs came in the same game. There had only been two long balls against him his past 14 games.
When he pitched one-hit ball over eight innings in a 2-0 win over the New York Yankees last Tuesday, it was the 13th time in a 14-game span allowing one or zero runs. Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson is the only pitcher since 1900 to record that kind of streak, according to STATS, and he did it in 1968, the season he won both the NL Cy Young and MVP awards.
“I’ve got to make better pitches, stick to my strengths and what’s worked for me all year,” Eovaldi said. “And I kind of got away from that a little bit tonight.”
Even though Evoladi’s overall ERA rose from 1.38 to 1.71, that is still better than the 1.94 of qualified MLB leader Paul Skenes. The AL leader is reigning Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal at 2.35.
Eovaldi, who missed most of June with elbow inflammation, has thrown 116 innings in the Rangers’ 120 games. Pitchers need one inning per team game to qualify as a league leader.
Arizona’s first five batters were retired before rookie first baseman Tyler Locklear homered in the second. Jake McCarthy opened the third with a double and Corbin Carrol followed with his 26th homer, a shot that ricocheted off the right-field pole. Ketel Marte was then hit by a pitch on his left elbow before Geraldo Perdomo’s 12th homer for a 5-0 lead.
“I didn’t feel like my splitter was as good as it has been. I thought I threw a lot of pitches up at the top of the strike zone, and I feel like that’s where a lot the damage was,” Eovaldi said. “I fell behind in some of the counts. The Perdomo at-bat, I yanked a fastball right down the middle. … The two-run shots, they hurt.”
Eovaldi benefitted from double plays in both the fourth and fifth innings to avoid giving up any more run. The Dbacks were coming off a 17-hit game in their 13-6 win at home over Colorado on Sunday, when they set a franchise record with nine consecutive hits in the fifth inning – all with two outs.
Only four MLB pitchers since 1920 had a lower ERA than the 1.38 for Eovaldi in the first 19 starts of a season, with Gibson’s 1.06 for St. Louis in 1968 the lowest.
This is Eovaldi’s third season with the Rangers, who gave him the $100,000 All-Star bonus that is in his contract even though he was left off the American League All-Star team last month.
HOUSTON — Astros‘ All-Star closer Josh Hader was unavailable Monday night after experiencing shoulder discomfort.
Manager Joe Espada said after Houston’s 7-6 win over the Red Sox that the left-hander said “he just did not feel right” after a workout Monday, and the Astros sent him for testing.
“We’re waiting on those results, and we should have something more tomorrow,” Espada said.
Espada didn’t specify which shoulder was bothering Hader.
Hader, who is in his second season in Houston, is 6-2 with a 2.05 ERA and is tied for third in the majors with 28 saves in 48 appearances this season.
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