Re-Drafting the 2005 MLB Draft Using Advanced Analytics
What Happened
Here's a look back at which players were selected, along with their position and what their career WAR is at the moment.
| Pick | Team | Player | Position | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona Diamondbacks | Justin Upton | OF | 26.7 |
| 2 | Kansas City Royals | Alex Gordon | 3B/OF | 32.6 |
| 3 | Seattle Mariners | Jeff Clement | C/1B | -1.2 |
| 4 | Washington Nationals | Ryan Zimmerman | 3B | 33.8 |
| 5 | Milwaukee Brewers | Ryan Braun | 3B/OF | 44.4 |
| 6 | Toronto Blue Jays | Ricky Romero | LHP | 9.7 |
| 7 | Colorado Rockies | Troy Tulowitzki | SS | 43.7 |
| 8 | Tampa Bay Devil Rays | Wade Townsend | RHP | N/A |
| 9 | New York Mets | Mike Pelfrey | RHP | 6.0 |
| 10 | Detroit Tigers | Cameron Maybin | OF | 11.3 |
From the top of the draft, Justin Upton and Alex Gordon have become better than above-average hitters, while Gordon has proven himself to be one of the best defensive outfielders in game. Between them, the two have 372 home runs, 1,266 RBI and 6 All-Star appearances.
Then there's Jeff Clement, who just never found a way to stick in the majors. He played in a total of just 152 games with 14 homers and 39 RBI.
As for the two Ryans -- Ryan Braun and Ryan Zimmerman -- they've both found their way in the bigs. On one hand, Braun has shown he's one of the better hitters in the game -- steroid issues aside -- and has an MVP to show for it. On the other hand, Zimmerman hasn't played to that same level, but he does have one All-Star showing in addition to two Silver Sluggers and one Gold Glove.
With Ricky Romero, the run skips a beat. Besides a three-year average of 14 wins between 2009 and 2011, Romero has been just another arm bouncing around the league. Troy Tulowitzki, however, has been a top-notch hitting shortstop for the past several years. He has been to the All-Star Game on five occasions, earned a Silver Slugger Award twice and tallied 217 dingers across 11-plus seasons.
Of the last three top-10 picks, none have been more than serviceable players. Townsend never pitched an inning, Mike Pelfrey has 65 wins in 11 seasons and Cameron Maybin has 46 home runs and 252 RBI in his big-league career.
