<!--quoteo(post=16245:date=Feb 5 2009, 01:37 PM:name=BT)-->QUOTE (BT @ Feb 5 2009, 01:37 PM)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=16233:date=Feb 5 2009, 12:25 PM:name=Andy)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Andy @ Feb 5 2009, 12:25 PM)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->1994 - 27 of 34 1st round picks made the majors. 9 still on MLB roster.
1994 Draft.
1995 - 19 of 30, 12 on MLB roster.
1995 Draft.
1996 - 22 of 35, 12 on MLB roster.
1997 - 31 of 52, 20 on MLB roster.
1998 - 30 of 43, 21 on MLB roster.
1999 - 23 of 51, 19 on MLB roster.
2000 - 23 of 40, 19 on MLB roster.
2001 - 25 of 44, 22 on MLB roster.
2002 - 25 of 41, 24 on MLB roster.
2003 - 25 of 37, 24 on MLB roster.
2004 - 24 of 41, 24 on MLB roster.
2005 - 23 of 48, 23 on MLB roster.
2006 - 14 of 44, 14 on MLB roster.
2007 - 4 of 64, 4 on MLB roster.
2008 - 1 of 46, 1 on MLB roster.
I'm going to remove 2006-2008, because most haven't made it to the major's yet.
Otherwise, it's 297/496 or 60%. The Cubs have had 4 (Wood, Garland, Patterson & Prior) of 14 in that time for 29%.
This doesn't take into account the quality of the player, but it does say that either we draft poorly or our farm system doesn't do a very good job of developing these players.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You are forgetting Montanez, who made it, which makes it 5 out of 14, and if you go back one year, Kieschnick and Orie made it which makes it 7 out of 16, or almost 50 percent. Still not great, but better.
Again, I'm not arguing the Cubs have done a great job, just that looking at failed first rounders doesn't really tell you the whole story. For instance, in 2001, the Cubs drafted Prior, Sisco, Theriot, Nolasco, Harris, Mitre, and Soto (not to mention Khalil Greene, whom they failed to sign). Judging by the first pick, it was a moderately successful draft. Judging by the entire draft, it was a pretty great one.
In 2000, the Cubs drafted 9 guys who made the majors at some point. Great draft? The guys, with the exception of Willis and Wellemeyer, pretty much all sucked, so not a great draft, but it's impossible to tell by just looking at the first rounder.
All that being said, it's almost impossible to say the Cubs didn't draft poorly in the mid-2000's.
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I agree that the first round does not tell the whole story of drafting. The drafts you point out show how important other rounds are. My point is, since the players drafted in the first round are historically the most likely to impact the major league team, you would think (given the number of high picks we've had), that we'd have more to show for it.
I got nothin'.
Andy