Cubs Drafts

[Andy]

To further expand on how bad we've drafted, here are all the players that have actually made it to the Majors since the 2000 draft. Guys that have been above average are bolded.

2000 - Bobby Hill, Todd Wellemeyer, Ryan Jorgenson, <b>Dontrelle Willis</b>, Jon Leicester, Jason Dubois, Buck Coats, Carmen Pignatiello, Jason Szuminski

2001 - <b>Mark Prior</b>, Andrew Sisco, <b>Ryan Theriot</b>, Ricky Nolasco, Brendan Harris, Sergio Mitre, <b>Geovany Soto</b>, <b>Khalil Greene</b>.

2002 - Billy Petrick, Rich Hill, Adam Greenberg, Rocky Cherry

2003 - Jake Fox, <b>Sean Marshall</b>

2004 - Eric Patterson, Sam Fuld, Sean Gallagher, Jerry Blevins

2005 - No one

2006 - <b>Jeff Samardzija</b>

2007 - 2008 - No one

So in the last 9 drafts (450 picks), we've gotten 4 guys that are regulars with us. 28 of those 450 have made it to the majors. To be fair, the last 2 drafts (maybe 3) haven't really gone through the system yet. But let's say, 27 of 300. That's less that 10% of the guys drafted are actually making it to the majors and about 1% have gone on to become regular contributors on the Cubs.

I have no idea what the numbers are around the league, but they have to be better than that.

[Coldneck]

I had no idea we drafted Khalil Green. And you can go ahead and bold Nolasco. He is awesome.

[CFOrfan]

I'd like to see someone have more than one solid year before they are considered awesome

[VanSlawAndCottoCheese]

If you're going to mention Greene, you should mention Lincecum (48th round) in 2003. Neither was expected to sign, I don't think.

[Clapp]

Again, every team has these. Any player that played college baseball was most likely drafted by somebody out of high school as well.

[Addison]

I have nothing to add here. I just like Slaw's name.

Carry on...

[Runnys]

Speaking of draft picks...has Vitters been invited to spring training?

[CFOrfan]

<!--quoteo(post=18883:date=Feb 18 2009, 08:02 PM:name=Runnys)-->QUOTE (Runnys @ Feb 18 2009, 08:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Speaking of draft picks...has Vitters been invited to spring training?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
No, they told him to stay as far away as possible [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]

[VanSlawAndCottoCheese]

<!--quoteo(post=18873:date=Feb 18 2009, 08:43 PM:name=Clapp)-->QUOTE (Clapp @ Feb 18 2009, 08:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Again, every team has these. Any player that played college baseball was most likely drafted by somebody out of high school as well.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I thought Larry Bowa-Tie Pasta Salad would be too cumbersome . . .

[ruby23]

Since 2000, 13360 players have been taken in the MLB draft. Of those, a total of 912 have seen MLB experience for a grand total of 6.8% of players drafted seeing any MLB service time. So, the 10% and 1% numbers that Andy listed in the orignal post seems to be about on par with what should be expected.

For more comparison, in the decade of the 90's, 15830 players were drafted and 1932 of them made it to the MLB. That's an average of 12.2% of those players drafted making it to the MLB.

I think we overblow and exaggerate the troubles the Cubs actually have with drafting.

Link to draft info.

[BT]

Again, the Cubs struggles seem worse because those are the ones we are paying attention to. There is no bigger crapshoot than the major league draft.

That being said, while I certainly have high hopes for Wilken running our drafts, barring a big bounceback year, I think his first pick can certainly be questioned. We took Colvin one pick ahead of Travis Snider. It's still early, but that looks like a pretty big mistake right now.

[The Dude]

I was hoping this thread was about beer.

[Auz]

<!--quoteo(post=18963:date=Feb 20 2009, 01:52 AM:name=BT)-->QUOTE (BT @ Feb 20 2009, 01:52 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Again, the Cubs struggles seem worse because those are the ones we are paying attention to. There is no bigger crapshoot than the major league draft.

That being said, while I certainly have high hopes for Wilken running our drafts, barring a big bounceback year, I think his first pick can certainly be questioned. We took Colvin one pick ahead of Travis Snider. It's still early, but that looks like a pretty big mistake right now.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

That was a very big mistake but I think the Cubs thinking in that year was to sign a cheap first rounder (in Colvin) then go for an expensive late round pick in the Shark.

[savant]

<!--quoteo(post=19162:date=Feb 19 2009, 06:29 PM:name=Dingo)-->QUOTE (Dingo @ Feb 19 2009, 06:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=18963:date=Feb 20 2009, 01:52 AM:name=BT)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BT @ Feb 20 2009, 01:52 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Again, the Cubs struggles seem worse because those are the ones we are paying attention to. There is no bigger crapshoot than the major league draft.

That being said, while I certainly have high hopes for Wilken running our drafts, barring a big bounceback year, I think his first pick can certainly be questioned. We took Colvin one pick ahead of Travis Snider. It's still early, but that looks like a pretty big mistake right now.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

That was a very big mistake but I think the Cubs thinking in that year was to sign a cheap first rounder (in Colvin) then go for an expensive late round pick in the Shark.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
At that time I had a hard time believing that the Cubs were making a first round pick due to signability issues. As it looks now, you are dead on in your opinion Auz.

[cigar]

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Baseball America's Jim Callis notes that the Cubs released "three of their top picks from the last six drafts this spring: outfielder Ryan Harvey, the sixth overall pick in 2003; righthander Grant Johnson, a second-rounder in 2004; and lefty Mark Pawelek, the 20th overall choice in 2005."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->