In recent months, Bleacher Report has been doing re-drafts of MLB drafts of previous years. While these are enjoyable to read, the players become somewhat nondescript towards the end.
After doing a two-round draft of all the players eligible to be drafted in the 1980s and 1990s, let’s now look at the 2000s. Since there are 30 teams, there are 30 players selected per round.
This was far from an easy task, and everyone’s draft would look different from others. What also made it more difficult than the others is that many of the players are still active, so their draft position could move up or down in the future.
Many players who did not quite make it were highly considered including Patrick Corbin, Brandon Crawford, Kyle Seager, Jacoby Ellsbury, Dallas Keuchel, Jake Arrieta, James Shields, Hunter Pence, Daniel Murphy, Jay Bruce, Kevin Youkilis, Grady Sizemore, Gio Gonzalez, DJ LeMahieu, Matt Carpenter, J.J. Hardy, and Justin Turner. Again, in the future some of these players who are active could be included.
(Due to a character limit, blurbs on second round picks were omitted. All stats were taken from Baseball Reference.)
First round
- 1. Mike Trout, CF (2009 - 25th overall)
Still just 28 years old, Trout has a laundry list of accolades in what has already been a historic career. He has won three AL MVPs (been runner-up four times), won eight Silver Sluggers, and owns a career 1.000 OPS through nine seasons.
- 2. Clayton Kershaw, SP (2006 - 7th overall)
One of the most dominant starters of recent memory, a Kershaw has won three NL Cy Young Awards and was the 2014 NL MVP. He has led the NL in ERA five times and WHIP four times while possessing a career 169-74 record.
- 3. Justin Verlander, SP (2004 - 2nd overall)
Verlander is fresh off a 2019 season where he was named AL Cy Young for the second time (also was AL MVP in 2011).
In his 15 MLB seasons with the Tigers and Astros, he has led the AL in strikeouts five times, WHIP four times, wins three times, and ERA once.
- 4. Max Scherzer, SP (2006 - 11th overall)
Since 2013, Scherzer has won three Cy Young Awards (two in the NL, one in the AL) and has a 118-47 record with a 2.82 ERA. He led the NL in ERA and WHIP for three straight seasons from 2016-18.
- 5. Zack Greinke, SP (2002 - 6th overall)
The 2009 AL Cy Young winner, Greinke has also won six Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers, and been named to six All-Star teams. Since 2009, he has a stellar 3.08 ERA and 1.11 WHIP with a 171-78 record.
- 6. Joey Votto, 1B (2002 - 44th overall)
An on-base machine, Votto has led the NL in on-base percentage seven times since 2010. The 2010 NL MVP isn’t just a singles hitter though as he has 284 home runs and 404 doubles in his 13-year career.
- 7. Buster Posey, C (2008 - 5th overall)
A three-time World Series winner with the Giants, Posey was the NL Rookie of the Year in 2010 and NL MVP in 2012. His MVP season saw him win a batting title, and he currently owns a career batting average of .302.
- 8. Nolan Arenado, 3B (2009 - 59th overall)
One of the premier defensive third basemen in league history, Arenado has taken home a Gold Glove in all seven of his seasons. He has also led the NL in homers three times and has top-eight NL MVP finishes in each of the last five years.
- 9. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B (2009 - 246th overall)
In nine seasons, Goldschmidt has blasted 243 home runs (including five seasons of at least 33) and has a superb .916 OPS. He has won four Silver Sluggers, three Gold Gloves, and finished as the runner-up for NL MVP twice.
- 10. Joe Mauer, C (2001 - 1st overall)
Winner of three AL batting titles, Mauer was named the AL MVP in 2009 when he led the league in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage.
He won three Gold Gloves and hit .306 over 15 seasons.
- 11. Giancarlo Stanton, RF (2007 - 76th overall)
It was an incredible 2017 season for Stanton as he was named NL MVP in a year he clubbed 59 homers with 132 RBIs and 123 runs. He has mashed 308 home runs in 1,162 career games.
- 12. Madison Bumgarner, SP (2007 - 10th overall)
While Bumgarner has been an excellent pitcher in the regular season (3.13 ERA, 1.11 WHIP), it’s his postseason heroics that truly make him extraordinary. He’s won three rings with the Giants and has given up just one run in 36 World Series innings.
- 13. Yadier Molina, C (2000 - 113th overall)
One of the best defensive catchers in any generation, Molina has won nine Gold Gloves including eight in a row from 2008-15.
He improved his hitting as his career went along and has made nine All-Star teams while winning two World Series with the Cardinals.
- 14. Cole Hamels, SP (2002 - 17th overall)
Hamels was named both the NLCS and World Series MVP in 2008 as he won a championship with the Phillies. He led the NL in WHIP that same year and his finished in the top-eight of NL Cy Young voting four times.
- 15. Chase Utley, 2B (2000 - 15th overall)
Utley received Silver Slugger honors four straight years from 2006-09 and was named an All-Star each year from 2006-10 (also in 2014). He led the NL in runs in 2006 and drove in over 100 runs four times.
- 16. Josh Donaldson, 3B (2007 - 48th overall)
Had Donaldson receive regular playing time before the age of 27, he’d likely have been named before this.
He was named the 2015 AL MVP and has an .895 OPS since 2013.
- 17. Corey Kluber, SP (2007 - 134th overall)
Another late bloomer like Donaldson (didn’t become a regular starter until 27), Kluber won the AL Cy Young in 2014 and 2017. From 2014-18, he went 83-45 with a 2.85 ERA and 1.02 WHIP.
- 18. Andrew McCutchen, CF (2005 - 11th overall)
McCutchen was seen as one of the league’s best players during a four-year stretch in which he finished third, first, third, and fifth in NL MVP voting from 2012-15. During that stretch, he hit .313 with a .926 OPS.
- 19. Craig Kimbrel, RP (2008 - 96th overall)
First joining the majors in 2010, Kimbrel has a microscopic career ERA of 2.08 and 0.95 WHIP. He is already 13th all-time with 346 saves and led the NL four straight years from 2011-14.
- 20. Cliff Lee, SP (2000 - 105th overall)
In 2008, Lee won the AL Cy Young finishing with a 22-3 record and 2.54 ERA. He had four other seasons where he finished in the top-seven of Cy Young voting (two in the AL, two in the NL).
- 21. Jon Lester, SP (2002 - 57th overall)
A winner of three World Series (two with the Red Sox, one with the Cubs), Lester owns career marks of a 2.51 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in 154 postseason innings. The five-time All-Star is 10 away from 200 career wins.
- 22. Dustin Pedroia, 2B (2004 - 65th overall)
Pedroia won two World Series with the Red Sox and was named the 2008 AL MVP in a year he led the AL in runs (118), hits (213), and doubles (54). He finished just shy of a .300 batting average (.299) for his career and won four Gold Gloves.
- 23. David Wright, 3B (2001 - 38th overall)
Wright had an eight-year stretch from 2006-13 where he made seven All-Star appearances. During that period, he hit for a .301 batting average and .887 OPS with 181 homers, 286 doubles, and 160 stolen bases.
- 24. Evan Longoria, 3B (2006 - 3rd overall)
The 2008 AL Rookie of the Year, Longoria has three Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger to his name. Through 12 seasons, he has driven in more than 1,000 runs and sits just three homers shy of 300.
- 25. Freddie Freeman, 1B (2007 - 78th overall)
Freeman has emerged into one of the better hitters in the game and has three finishes in the top-eight of NL MVP voting over the last four seasons. Since 2016, he is batting .303 with 123 home runs and a .944 OPS.
- 26. Ian Kinsler, 2B (2003 - 496th overall)
A four-time All-Star, Kinsler reached triple-digits in the runs department six times in his career. He hit 257 home runs and 416 doubles, stole 243 bases, and won two Gold Gloves.
- 27. Mark Teixeira, 1B (2001 - 5th overall)
In 14 MLB seasons, Teixeira went over 100 RBIs eight times and finished his career with an excellent .869 OPS. He also fielded his position well and received five Gold Gloves.
- 28. Stephen Strasburg, SP (2009 - 1st overall)
The reigning World Series MVP, Strasburg has a career 3.17 ERA and has struck out 10.6 hitters per nine innings. His 242 strikeouts in 2014 led the NL, and he also won a Silver Slugger in 2012 for his hitting prowess.
- 29. Troy Tulowitzki, SS (2005 - 7th overall)
If it weren’t for injury woes throughout his career, Tulowitzki would likely be much higher. He made five All-Star teams over six years (2010-15), won two Gold Gloves, and had three top-eight NL MVP finishes.
- 30. Anthony Rizzo, 1B (2007 - 204th overall)
Over the past six seasons, Rizzo owns a .901 OPS while averaging approximately 30 homers, 33 doubles, and 99 RBIs per year. He has also won three Gold Gloves in the last four years.
Second
- 31. David Price, SP (2007 - 1st overall)
- 32. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B (2000 - 1st overall)
- 33. Jose Bautista, RF (2000 - 599th overall)
- 34. J.D. Martinez, RF/LF (2009 - 611th overall)
- 35. Curtis Granderson, CF (2002 - 80th overall)
- 36. Ryan Howard, 1B (2001 - 140th overall)
- 37. Prince Fielder, 1B (2002 - 7th overall)
- 38. Ben Zobrist, 2B (2004 - 184th overall)
- 39. Edwin Encarnacion, DH/3B (2000 - 274th overall)
- 40. Adam Wainwright, SP (2000 - 29th overall)
- 41. Brandon Webb, SP (2000 - 249th overall)
- 42. Jonathan Papelbon, RP (2003 - 114th overall)
- 43. Brian McCann, C (2002 - 64th overall)
- 44. Adam Jones, CF (2003 - 37th overall)
- 45. Tim Lincecum, SP (2006 - 10th overall)
- 46. Lorenzo Cain, CF (2004 - 496th overall)
- 47. Brett Gardner, LF (2005 - 109th overall)
- 48. Jered Weaver, SP (2004 - 12th overall)
- 49. Justin Upton, LF/RF (2005 - 1st overall)
- 50. Russell Martin, C (2002 - 511th overall)
- 51. Matt Kemp, CF (2003 - 181st overall)
- 52. Ryan Zimmerman, 3B (2005 - 4th overall)
- 53. Charlie Blackmon, CF (2008 - 72nd overall)
- 54. Dan Haren, SP (2001 - 72nd overall)
- 55. Jason Heyward, RF (2007 - 14th overall)
- 56. Michael Brantley, LF (2005 - 205th overall)
- 57. Matt Cain, SP (2002 - 25th overall)
- 58. Alex Gordon, LF (2005 - 2nd overall)
- 59. Howie Kendrick, 2B (2002 - 294th overall)
- 60. Nick Markakis, RF (2003 - 7th overall)