First-Year Player Draft History

Draft Report: 2000s

2000

The Florida Marlins made Adrian Gonzalez of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, CA the first overall selection in the 2000 First-Year Player Draft. Gonzalez, who was rated as the best pure high school hitter in the draft by Baseball America, was the first high school first baseman taken first overall since the New York Yankees chose Ron Blomberg in 1967. In his senior year, Gonzalez hit .645 with 13 home runs and 34 RBI.

Among the college players chosen was David Parrish, son of former major leaguer Lance Parrish, by the New York Yankees with the 28th pick. In addition, David Espinosa, a high school shortstop from Miami, FL, became the first RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) alumnus ever selected in the first round of the draft.

Infielder Xavier Nady, second round pick of the San Diego Padres out of the University of California, went straight to the Major Leagues in 2000. He became the 19th player to do so since the draft started in 1965.

First Round

Pick	Team	Player	Position	College/Hometown
1.	Marlins	Adrian Gonzalez	1B	Chula Vista, CA
2.	Twins	Adam Johnson	RHP	San Diego, CA
3.	Cubs	Luis Montanez	SS	Miami, FL
4.	Royals	Mike Stodolka	LHP	Corona, CA
5.	Expos	Justin Wayne	RHP	Honolulu, HI
6.	Devil Rays	Rocco Baldelli	OF	Warwick, RI
7.	Rockies	Matt Harrington	RHP	Palmdale, CA
8.	Tigers	Matt Wheatland	RHP	San Diego, CA
9.	Padres	Mark Phillips	LHP	Hanover, PA
10.	Angels	Joe Torres	LHP	Kissimmee, FL
11.	Brewers	Dave Krynzel	OF	Henderson, NV
12.	White Sox	Joe Borchard	OF	Camarillo, CA
13.	Cardinals	Shaun Boyd	2B	Oceanside, CA
14.	Orioles	Beau Hale	RHP	Mauriceville, TX
15.	Phillies	Chase Utley	2B	Long Beach, CA
16.	Mets	Billy Traber	LHP	El Segundo, CA
17.	Dodgers	Ben Diggins	RHP	Phoenix, AZ
18.	Blue Jays	Miguel Negron	OF	Caguas, PR
19.	Pirates	Sean Burnett	LHP	Wellington, FL
20.	Angels	Chris Bootcheck	RHP	LaPorte, IN
21.	Giants	John Bonser	RHP	Pinellas Park, FL
22.	Red Sox	Phil Dumatrait	LHP	Bakersfield, CA
23.	Reds	David Espinosa	SS	Miami, FL
24.	Cardinals	Blake Williams	RHP	San Marcos, TX
25.	Rangers	Scott Heard	C	San Diego, CA
26.	Indians	Corey Smith	SS	Piscataway, NJ
27.	Astros	Robert Stiehl	C	Torrance, CA
28.	Yankees	David Parrish	C	Yorba Linda, CA
29.	Braves	Adam Wainwright	RHP	St. Simons Island, GA
30.	Braves	Scott Thorman	3B	Cambridge, Ontario

2001

The Minnesota Twins selected St. Paul, MN native Joe Mauer with the number one pick in the 2001 draft. The 18-year-old Mauer, a catcher from Cretin High School in St. Paul, became the seventh Minnesotan to be selected in the first round and the first to be chosen number one overall. The switch-hitting back-stop was a member of the USA Junior National Team and won a gold medal at the world tournament in Taiwan in 1999. He was also a High School football standout as a quarterback and signed a letter of intent to play football at Florida State University before being drafted.

Right-handed pitcher Mark Prior of the University of Southern California was selected by the Chicago Cubs with the second overall pick in the draft. Prior, who was previously selected in the supplemental first round of the 1998 draft by the Yankees, was the first college player chosen in the 2001 draft. Prior won numerous National Player of the Year awards after going 15-1 with a 1.69 ERA and 202 strikeouts to lead the Trojans to a College World Series berth in his junior year.

First Round

Pick	Team	Player	Position	College/Hometown
1.	Twins	Joe Mauer	C	Cretin-Derham Hall HS, St. Paul
2.	Cubs	Mark Prior	RHP	U. of Southern California
3.	Devil Rays	Dewon Brazelton	RHP	Middle Tennessee State U
4.	Phillies	Gavin Floyd	RHP	Mt. St. Joseph HS, Baltimore
5.	Rangers	Mark Teixeira	3B	Georgia Tech
6.	Expos	Josh Karp	RHP	UCLA
7.	Orioles	Chris Smith	LHP	Cumberland (Tenn.) U
8.	Pirates	John VanBenschoten	1B-OF	Kent State U
9.	Royals	Colt Griffin	RHP	Marshall (Texas) HS
10.	Astros	Chris Burke	SS	U. of Tennessee
11.	Tigers	Kenny Baugh	RHP	Rice U
12.	Brewers	Mike Jones	RHP	Thunderbird HS, Phoenix
13.	Angels	Casey Kotchman	1B	Seminole (Fla.) HS
14.	Padres	Jake Gautreau	3B	Tulane U
15.	Blue Jays	Gabe Gross	OF	Auburn U
16.	White Sox	Kris Honel	RHP	Providence HS, New Lenox, IL
17.	Indians	Dan Denham	RHP	Deer Valley HS, Antioch, CA
18.	Mets	Aaron Heilman	RHP	U. of Notre Dame
19.	Orioles	Mike Fontenot	2B	Louisiana State U
20.	Reds	Jeremy Sowers	LHP	Ballard HS, Louisville
21.	Giants	Brad Hennessey	RHP	Youngstown State U
22.	D-Backs	Jason Bulger	RHP	Valdosta State U
23.	Yankees	John-Ford Griffin	OF	Florida State U
24.	Braves	Macay McBride	LHP	Screven County HS, Sylvania, GA
25.	Athletics	Bobby Crosby	SS	Long Beach State U
26.	Athletics	Jeremy Bonderman	RHP	Pasco (Wash.) HS
27.	Indians	Alan Horne	RHP	Marianna (Fla.) HS
28.	Cardinals	Justin Pope	RHP	U. of Central Florida
29.	Braves	Josh Burrus	SS	Wheeler HS, Marietta, GA
30.	Giants	Noah Lowry	LHP	Pepperdine U

2002

The Pittsburgh Pirates selected 21-year-old right-handed pitcher Bryan Bullington with the first overall pick in the 2002 First-Year Player Draft. The 6'5", 225-pound hurler was ranked by Baseball America as having the best breaking ball and best command among all college pitchers.

In his three-year career at Ball State, Bullington posted a 29-11 record, 13 complete games and a 3.36 ERA in 46 games (42 starts). He is the university's all-time leader in strikeouts (357) and was a member of the 2001 USA National team. As a freshman, Bullington garnered all-conference honors and led the MAC in strikeouts. He was also named MAC Pitcher-of-the-Year for 2001 and 2002. Bullington set a MAC record in strikeouts and led the league in victories and ERA in 2002.

Other notable selections in the first round included Prince Fielder (Brewers), son of former Major Leaguer Cecil Fielder; and John Mayberry Jr. (Mariners), son of former Major Leaguer John Mayberry.

First Round

Pick	Team	Player	Position	College/Hometown
1.	Pirates	Bryan Bullington	RHP	Ball State U.
2.	Devil Rays	B.J. Upton	SS	Greenbriar Christian, Chesapeake, VA
3.	Reds	Chris Gruler	RHP	Liberty HS, Brentwood, CA
4.	Orioles	Adam Loewen	LHP	Fraser Valley Christian, Surrey, B.C.
5.	Expos	Clint Everts	RHP	Cypress Falls HS, Houston
6.	Royals	Zack Greinke	RHP	Apoka HS, Orlando
7.	Brewers	Prince Fielder	1B	Eau Gaillie HS, Melbourne, FLA
8.	Tigers	Scott Moore	SS	Cypress (Calif.) HS
9.	Rockies	Jeff Francis	LHP	U. of British Columbia
10.	Rangers	Drew Meyer	SS	U. of South Carolina
11.	Marlins	Jeremy Hermida	OF	Wheeler HS, Marietta, GA
12.	Angels	Joe Saunders	LHP	Virginia Tech
13.	Padres	Khalil Greene	SS	Clemson U
14.	Blue Jays	Russ Adams	SS-2B	U. of North Carolina
15.	Mets	Scott Kazmir	LHP	Cypress Falls HS, Houston
16.	Athletics	Nick Swisher	1B-OF	Ohio State U.
17.	Phillies	Cole Hamels	RHP	Rancho Bernardo HS, San Diego
18.	White Sox	Royce Ring	LHP	San Diego State U.
19.	Dodgers	James Loney	1B-LHP	Elkins HS, Missouri City, TX
20.	Twins	Denard Span	OF	Tampa Catholic HS
21.	Cubs	Bobby Brownlie	RHP	Rutgers U.
22.	Indians	Jeremy Guthrie	RHP	Stanford Univ.
23.	Braves	Jeff Francoeur	OF	Parkview HS, Lilburn, GA
24.	Athletics	Joseph Blanton	RHP	University of Kentucky
25.	Giants	Matt Cain	RHP	Houston HS, Germantown, TN
26.	Athletics	John McCurdy	SS	U. of Maryland
27.	D-backs	Sergio Santos	SS	Mater Dei HS, Hacienda Heights, CA
28.	Mariners	John Mayberry Jr.	1B	Rockhurst HS, Kansas City
29.	Astros	Derick Grigsby	RHP	Northeast Texas, CC
30.	Athletics	Ben Fritz	RHP	Fresno State U.

2003

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays selected Camarillo High School outfielder Delmon Young with the first overall pick.

Young (6-3, 205 pounds) batted .541 (33-for-61) with seven home runs, 28 RBI in 22 games as a senior this spring for Camarillo. He was named Baseball America's High School Player of the Year in 2002 and was one of only three juniors selected as first team 2002 All-Americans. He became the first junior to be named California State Player of the Year since Eric Chavez in 1995.

At the World Junior Championships in Sherbrooke, Quebec, he helped lead Team USA to a bronze medal while batting .513 with a tournament-record eight home runs and 19 RBI in 38 at-bats.

The 17-year-old Young is the younger brother of Dmitri Young of the Detroit Tigers, who was an expansion draft pick of the Rays, but never played in the organization. They became the first set of brothers to be taken within the first five selections of the draft. Dmitri was the 4th player selected by the Cardinals in the 1991 draft.

Pitchers Ryan Wagner (Cincinnati), Chad Cordero (Montreal), David Aardsma (San Francisco) and infielder Rickie Weeks (Milwaukee) all reached the Major League level in less than a year.

First Round

Pick	Team	Player	Position	College/Hometown
1.	Devil Rays	Delmon Young	RF	Adolfo Camarillo HS
2.	Brewers	Rickie Weeks	2B	Southern U A&M
3.	Tigers	Kyle Sleeth	RHP	Wake Forest U
4.	Padres	Timothy Stauffer	RHP	U Richmond
5.	Royals	Christopher Lubanski	CF	Kennedy-Kenrick Catholic
6.	Cubs	Ryan Harvey	CF	Dunedin HS
7.	Orioles	Nicholas Markakis	OF	Young-Harris College
8.	Pirates	Paul Maholm	LHP	Mississippi State U
9.	Rangers	John Danks	LHP	Round Rock HS
10.	Rockies	Ian Stewart	3B	La Quinta HS
11.	Indians	Robert Aubrey	1B	Tulane U
12.	Mets	Lastings Milledge	CF	Lakewood Ranch HS
13.	Blue Jays	Aaron Hill	SS	Louisiana State U
14.	Reds	Ryan Wagner	RHP	U of Houston
15.	White Sox	Brian Anderson	CF	U of Arizona
16.	Marlins	Jeffrey Allison	RHP	Veterans Memorial HS
17.	Red Sox	David Murphy	CF	Baylor U
18.	Indians	Bradley Snyder	RF	Ball State U.
19.	D-backs	Conor Jackson	3B	U of California
20.	Expos	Chad Cordero	RHP	California State U.
21.	Twins	Matthew Moses	3B	Mills E. Godwin HS
22.	Giants	David Aardsma	RHP	Rice U.
23.	Angels	Richard Wood	SS	Horizon HS
24.	Dodgers	Chad Billingsley	RHP	Defiance Sr. HS
25.	Athletics	Bradley Sullivan	RHP	U of Houston
26.	Athletics	Brian Snyder	3B	Stetson U
27.	Yankees	Eric Duncan	3B	Seton Hall Prep School
28.	Cardinals	Daric Barton	C	Marina HS
29.	D-backs	Carlos Quentin	OF	Stanford Univ.
30.	Royals	Mitchell Maier	C	U of Toledo

2004

The San Diego Padres stayed close to home with the first overall pick of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft, tabbing high school shortstop Matthew Bush from Mission Bay (CA) High School. Bush, the first high school shortstop taken first overall since the Seattle Mariners chose Alex Rodriguez in 1993, batted .450 with 11 home runs, 35 RBI and 12 stolen bases during his senior year. The 18-year-old helped lead the Buccaneers to two San Diego Section Division III championships in three years, setting state records for career hits (211) and runs scored (188) in the process.

Pitchers from Rice University were the most popular choices in the early going of the draft. Three Owl hurlers went among the top eight selections.

The 2004 amateur draft saw 31 players drafted whose fathers played professional baseball at some point in their career. One such player was the Pittsburgh's top pick, Neil Walker, the son of former Expos pitcher Tom Walker. In addition, two younger brothers of Major Leaguers went in the first round. The Angels selected Jered Weaver, brother of Dodgers right-hander Jeff. The Arizona Diamondbacks went with Stephen Drew, brother of J.D. and Tim.

First Round

Pick	Team	Player	Position	College/Hometown
1.	Padres	Matthew Bush	SS	Mission Bay HS
2.	Tigers	Justin Verlander	RHP	Old Dominion U.
3.	Mets	Philip Humber	RHP	Rice U.
4.	Devil Rays	Jeffrey Niemann	RHP	Rice U.
5.	Brewers	Mark Rogers	RHP	Mt. Ararat School
6.	Indians	Jeremy Sowers	LHP	Vanderbilt U.
7.	Reds	David Bailey	RHP	La Grange HS
8.	Orioles	Wade Townsend	RHP	Rice U.
9.	Rockies	Christopher Nelson	SS	Redan HS
10.	Rangers	Thomas Diamond	RHP	U New Orleans
11.	Pirates	Neil Walker	C	Pine Richland HS
12.	Angels	Jered Weaver	RHP	Long Beach State
13.	Expos	William Bray	LHP	College of William & Mary
14.	Royals	Billy Butler	3B	Wolfson Senior HS
15.	D-backs	Stephen Drew	SS	Florida State U.
16.	Blue Jays	David Purcey	LHP	U of Oklahoma
17.	Dodgers	Timothy Elbert	LHP	Seneca HS
18.	White Sox	Joshua Fields	3B	Oklahoma State U.
19.	Cardinals	Christopher Lambert	RHP	Boston College
20.	Twins	Trevor Plouffe	SS	Crespi Carmelite HS
21.	Phillies	Gregory Golson	CF	Connally HS
22.	Twins	Glen Perkins	LHP	U of Minnesota
23.	Yankees	Philip Hughes	RHP	Foothill HS
24.	Athletics	Landon Powell	C	U of South Carolina
25.	Twins	Steven Waldrop	RHP	Farragut HS
26.	Oakland	Richard Robnett	CF	Fresno State U.
27.	Marlins	Taylor Tankersley	LHP	U of Alabama
28.	Dodgers	Blake Dewitt	2B	Sikeston HS
29.	Royals	Matthew Campbell	LHP	U of South Carolina
30.	Rangers	Eric Hurley	RHP	Wolfson Senior HS

2005

The D-backs used the top overall pick on high school shortstop Justin Upton and thus made him and older brother, B.J., the highest selected pair of brothers in the history of the draft. The Devil Rays selected B.J. with the second overall pick of the 2002 draft. With the fourth overall pick, the Nationals chose one of Upton's AAU teammates, third baseman Ryan Zimmerman of the University of Virginia. Zimmerman and B.J. Upton played in the same AAU infield as New York Mets third baseman David Wright in their youth.

College third basemen accounted for three of the top five selections. A total of 13 pitchers went in the first round, 10 of whom came from the college ranks.

Rice pitcher Wade Townsend was the eighth overall pick in the first round for the second straight year. After failing to reach terms with the Orioles last year, Townsend re-entered the draft pool and was selected by Tampa Bay.

Three 2005 first-round draft choices saw action before the conclusion of the Major League season. Atlanta's Joey Devine became the first Brave since Bob Horner in 1978 to appear in the Majors the same year he was drafted. Devine joined Ariel Prieto (OAK-1995), Chad Cordero (MON-2003) and Ryan Wagner (CIN-2003) as the only draftees of the last 15 years to reach the Majors before September 1st the same year. Zimmerman and Boston's Craig Hansen joined their Major League clubs in September 2005.

Stanford outfielder John Mayberry, the son of the longtime Major League first baseman of the same name, was drafted by the Rangers with the 19th overall pick.

Pick	Team	Player	Pos.	School	Hometown
1.	D-backs	Justin Upton	SS	Great Bridge HS	Chesapeake, VA
2.	Royals	Alex Gordon	3B	Univ. of Nebraska	Lincoln, NE
3.	Mariners	Jeffrey Clement	C	Univ. of Southern Cal.	Marshalltown, IA
4.	Nationals	Ryan Zimmerman	3B	Univ. of Virginia	Virginia Beach, VA
5.	Brewers	Ryan Braun	3B	Univ. of Miami	Granada Hills, CA
6.	Blue Jays	Ricardo Romero	LHP	Cal St. Fullerton	Los Angeles, CA
7.	Rockies	Troy Tulowitzki	SS	Cal St. Long Beach	Sunnyvale, CA
8.	Devil Rays	Wade Townsend	RHP	Rice University	Dripping Springs, TX
9.	Mets	Michael Pelfrey	RHP	Wichita State Univ.	Augusta, KS
10.	Tigers	Cameron Maybin	OF	TC Roberson HS	Arden, NC
11.	Pirates	Andrew McCutchen	OF	Fort Meade HS	Fort Meade, FL
12.	Reds	Jay Bruce	OF	Westbrook HS	Beaumont, TX
13.	Orioles	Brandon Snyder	C	Westfield HS	Centreville, VA
14.	Indians	Trevor Crowe	OF	Univ. of Arizona	Aurora, CO
15.	White Sox	Lance Broadway	RHP	Texas Christian Univ.	Mansfield, TX
16.	Marlins	Chris. Volstad	RHP	Palm Beach Gardens HS	Palm Beach Gardens, FL
17.	Yankees	C.J. Henry	SS	Putnam City HS	Oklahoma City, OK
18.	Padres	Cesar Carrillo	RHP	Univ. of Miami	Hammond, IN
19.	Rangers	John Mayberry	OF	Stanford Univ.	Overland Park, KS
20.	Cubs	Mark Pawelek	LHP	Springville HS	Springville, UT
21.	Athletics	Clift. Pennington	SS	Texas A&M Univ.	Corpus Christi, TX
22.	Marlins	Aaron Thompson	LHP	Second Baptist School	Houston, TX
23.	Red Sox	Jacoby Ellsbury	OF	Oregon St. Univ.	Madras, OR
24.	Astros	Brian Bogusevic	LHP	Tulane Univ.	Palos Heights, IL
25.	Twins	M. Albidrez-Garza	RHP	Fresno St. Univ.	Fresno, CA
26.	Red Sox	Craig Hansen	RHP	St. John’s Univ.	Glen Cove, NY
27.	Braves	Joseph Devine	RHP	North Carolina St. Univ.	Junction City, KS
28.	Cardinals	Colby Rasmus	OF	Russell County HS	Phenix City, AL
29.	Marlins	Jacob Marceaux	RHP	McNeese St. Univ.	Jennings, LA
30.	Cardinals	James Greene	SS	Georgia Tech Univ.	Plantation, FL

2006

Pitching accounted for 18 of the 30 selections in the first round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, including the top choice, righthander Luke Hochevar, who was chosen by the Kansas City Royals. The University of Tennessee product pitched for the Fort Worth Cats of the Independent League after not reaching terms with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who selected him in the sandwich round (40th overall) of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft.

Six of the first seven picks and nine of the first 12 selections were pitchers. In addition to the 18 hurlers, seven outfielders, three third basemen and two catchers made up the rest of the first round.

The first six picks were from the college ranks. University of North Carolina pitchers Andrew Miller (6th overall, Tigers) and Daniel Bard (28th, Red Sox) and University of Texas teammates Drew Stubbs (8th overall, Reds) and Kyle McCulloch (29th, White Sox) went in the first round.

Detroit’s Miller would become the first player from the 2006 Draft to reach the Major Leagues. He debuted in relief during a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium on August 30. He would make eight relief appearances for the Tigers during their pennant-winning season.

Kyle Drabek, the son of longtime Major League pitcher Doug Drabek, was chosen by the Philadelphia Phillies with the 18th pick.

Pick	Team	Player	Pos.	School	Hometown
1.	Royals	Luke Hochevar	RHP	Univ. of Tennessee	Wray, CO
2.	Rockies	Greg Reynolds	RHP	Stanford Univ.	Pacifica, CA
3.	Devil Rays	Evan Longoria	3B	Cal. St. Long Beach	Downey, CA
4.	Pirates	Brad Lincoln	RHP	Univ. of Houston	Clute, TX
5.	Mariners	Brandon Morrow	RHP	Univ. of Cal.-Berkley	Rohnert Park, CA
6.	Tigers	Andrew Miller	LHP	Univ. of North Carolina	Earleton, FL
7.	Dodgers	Clayton Kershaw	LHP	Highland Park HS	Dallas, TX
8.	Reds	Drew Stubbs	OF	Univ. of Texas	Atlanta, TX
9.	Orioles	Billy Rowell	3B	Bishop Eustace Prep	Sewell, NJ
10.	Giants	Tim Lincecum	RHP	Univ. of Washington	Bellevue, WA
11.	D-backs	Max Scherzer	RHP	Univ. of MO-Columbia	Chesterfield, MO
12.	Rangers	Kasey Kiker	LHP	Russell County HS	Phenix City, AL
13.	Cubs	Tyler Colvin	OF	Clemson Univ.	North Augusta, SC
14.	Blue Jays	Travis Snider	OF	Jackson HS	Lynwood, WA
15.	Nationals	Chris Marrero	OF	Monsignor Edward Pace HS	Hialeah Gardens, FL
16.	Brewers	Jeremy Jeffress	RHP	Halifax County Sr. HS	South Boston, VA
17.	Padres	Matt Antonelli	3B	Wake Forest Univ.	Peabody, MA
18.	Phillies	Kyle Drabek	RHP/SS	The Woodlands HS	The Woodlands, TX
19.	Marlins	Brett Sinkbeil	RHP	Missouri State Univ.	Sand Springs, OK
20.	Twins	Chris Parmelee	OF	Chino Hills HS	Chino Hills, CA
21.	Yankees	Ian Kennedy	RHP	Univ. of Southern Cal.	Huntington Beach, CA
22.	Nationals	Colton Willems	RHP	John Carroll HS	Ft. Pierce, FL
23.	Astros	Maxwell Sapp	C	Bishop Moore School	Orlando, FL
24.	Braves	John C. Johnson	OF	A. Crawford Mosley HS	Panama City, FL
25.	Angels	Hank Conger	C	Huntington Beach HS	Huntington Beach, CA
26.	Dodgers	Avery Morris	RHP	Motlow St. CC	Tullahoma, TN
27.	Red Sox	Jason Place	OF	Wren HS	Easley, SC
28.	Red Sox	Daniel Bard	RHP	Univ. of North Carolina	Charlotte, NC
29.	White Sox	Kyle McCulloch	RHP	Univ. of Texas	Fulshear, TX
30.	Cardinals	Adam Ottavino	RHP	Northeastern Univ.	Brooklyn, NY

2007

When 17 high school players were selected in the opening round of the First-Year Player Draft, it seemed as if the young would rule the two days at Disney World. But as the second day of the Draft unfolded, it became apparent that the new rules eliminating draft-and-follows as well those setting a firm signing date for draftees were having an impact on the proceedings.

When the 1,453rd and final pick was made, there were some significant changes in the approach to drafting high school players. For starters, there were only 476 prep players chosen, which represents the lowest total since 415 high school players were chosen in 1987. It was also only the second time in the past two decades that the number of high school players chosen dipped below 500.

There were 66 fewer prep players chosen than last year. In addition, high school players represented only 32.7 percent of those drafted, which is the lowest percentage since 32.8 percent of players chosen in 1987 came from the prep ranks.

Pick	Team	Player	Pos.	School
1.	Devil Rays	David Price	LHP	Vanderbilt Univ.
2.	Royals	Michael Moustakas	SS	Chatsworth HS
3.	Cubs	Joshua Vitters	3B	Cypress HS
4.	Pirates	Daniel Moskos	LHP	Clemson Univ.
5.	Orioles	Matthew Wieters	C	Georgia Tech
6.	Nationals	Ross Detwiler	LHP	Missouri St. Univ.
7.	Brewers	Matthew LaPorta	LF	Univ. of Florida
8.	Rockies	Casey Weathers	RHP	Vanderbilt Univ.
9.	D-backs	Jarrod Parker	RHP	Norwell HS
10.	Giants	Madison Bumgarner	LHP	South Caldwell HS
11.	Mariners	Phillippe Aumont	RHP	Ecole Du Versant
12.	Marlins	Matthew Dominguez	3B	Chatsworth HS
13.	Indians	Beau Mills	1B	Lewis & Clark St. Col.
14.	Braves	Jason Heyward	OF	Henry County HS
15.	Reds	Devin Mesoraco	C	Punxsutawney Area HS
16.	Blue Jays	Kevin Ahrens	SS	Memorial HS
17.	Rangers	Blake Beavan	RHP	Irving HS
18.	Cardinals	Peter Kozma	SS	Owasso HS
19.	Phillies	Joseph Savery	LHP	Rice Univ.
20.	Dodgers	Christopher Withrow	RHP	Midland Christian HS
21.	Blue Jays	Jonathan Arencibia	C	Univ. of Tennessee
22.	Giants	Timothy Alderson	RHP	Horizon HS
23.	Padres	Nicholas Schmidt	LHP	Univ. of Arkansas Fayetteville
24.	Rangers	Michael Main	RHP	Deland HS
25.	White Sox	Aaron Poreda	LHP	Univ. of San Francisco
26.	Athletics	Donald Simmons	RHP	UC Riverside
27.	Tigers	Fredrick Porcello	RHP	Seton Hall Prep School
28.	Twins	Ben Revere	CG	Lexington Catholic HS
29.	Giants	Wendell Fairley	CF	George County HS
30.	Yankees	Andrew Brackman	RHP	North Carolina St. Univ.

2008

Georgia high school shortstop Tim Beckham grabbed the top spot in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft, but all 30 clubs went college heavy in the 50-round affair, and a record-tying 21 collegiate players were chosen in the first round -- an indication of what was to come. Only 485 prep players were selected out of the 1,504 names that were called, the 485 prep players drafted representing the second-lowest total in 21 years. High school players represented 32.2 percent of the players drafted, the lowest since 32.8 percent of the players selected in 1987 came from the prep ranks.

Vanderbilt third baseman Pedro Alvarez was the obvious choice at No. 2 and, despite the prospect of a hefty bonus and the possibility of a Major League contract, the Pirates took him. For the third straight Draft, the Royals took a Boras-advised player with their first pick, selecting first baseman Eric Hosmer from American Heritage High School in Florida. The Giants took Buster Posey at No. 5 overall despite huge demands being floated in the hours prior to the Draft, and the Reds took Yonder Alonso at No. 7 because they believed he was the best player on their board, ignoring what many thought was a high price tag.

Major League Baseball's Urban Youth Academy made its presence felt, with two players selected in the first round (Kyle Skipworth, sixth to the Marlins) and Aaron Hicks (14th to the Twins) and two more in the compensation round.

Pick	Team	Player	Pos.	School
1.	Rays	Tim Beckham	SS	Griffin HS
2.	Pirates	Pedro Alvarez	3B	Vanderbilt Univ.
3.	Royals	Eric Hosmer	1B	American Heritage HS (Fla.)
4.	Orioles	Brian Matusz	LHP	Univ. of San Diego
5.	Giants	Buster Posey	RHP	Univ. of Cal.-Berkley
6.	Marlins	Kyle Skipworth	C	Patriot HS (Calif.)
7.	Reds	Yonder Alonso	1B	Univ. of Miami
8.	White Sox	Gordon Beckham	SS	Univ. of Georgia
9.	Nationals	Aaron Crow	RHP	Univ. of Missouri
10.	Astros	Jason Castro	C	Stanford
11.	Rangers	Justin Smoak	1B	South Carolina
12.	Athletics	Jemile Weeks	2B	Univ. of Miami
13.	Cardinals	Brett Wallace	1B	Arizona St.
14.	Twins	Aaron Hicks	OF	Wilson, HS (Calif.)
15.	Dodgers	Ethan Martin	RHP	Stephens County HS (Ga.)
16.	Brewers	Brett Lawrie	3B/C	Brookswood SS (B.C.)
17.	Blue Jays	David Cooper	1B	California
18.	Mets	Ike Davis	1B	Arizona St.
19.	Cubs	Andrew Cashner	RHP	Texas Christian
20.	Mariners	Josh Fields	RHP	Univ. of Georgia
21.	Tigers	Ryan Perry	RHP	Univ. of Arizona
22.	Mets	Reese Havens	SS	South Carolina
23.	Padres	Allan Dykstra	1B	Wake Forest
24.	Phillies	Anthony Hewitt	SS	Salisburty School
25.	Rockies	Christian Friedrich	LHP	Eastern Kentucky
26.	D-Backs	Daniel Schlereth	LHP	Univ. of Arizona
27.	Twins	Carlos Gutierrez	RHP	Univ. of Miami
28.	Yankees	Gerrit Cole	RHP	Orange Lutheran HS
29.	Indians	Lonnie Chisenhall	SS	Pitt CC
30.	Red Sox	Casey Kelly	RHP/SS	Sarasota HS (Fla.)

2009

The Draft enjoyed its prime-time television debut in 2009, with the first round broadcast live from MLB Network's Studio 42, and expanded to a three-day affair for the first time. The excitement that built in the weeks leading into the Draft about presumptive first overall pick Stephen Strasburg, the San Diego State star, came to a peak when Commissioner Bud Selig announced that, indeed, the Washington Nationals had taken the 21-year-old wunderkind with that pick.

The first night was certainly not lacking in star power, as Commissioner Selig read off the names of the 32 first-round picks and a host of baseball luminaries -- including Hall of Famers Al Kaline, Billy Williams and the irrepressible Tommy Lasorda -- announced the rest of the picks. One of the night's highlights was the warm welcome afforded to New Jersey prep outfielder Mike Trout, who was on hand at Studio 42 with a host of family and friends. When the Angels took him with the 25th overall pick, the room erupted in cheers as he strode to the podium to receive his first Angels cap and jersey from Commissioner Selig.

The first round was a perfect split: 16 pitchers and 16 position players; 16 polished college products and 16 promising high school prospects. A total of 1,521 players were drafted and, again, nearly an even split: 765 pitchers, 756 hitters.

Second overall pick Dustin Ackley, regarded as the top college bat in the Draft, was taken by Seattle. Rounding out 2009's top five picks were: Five-tool outfielder Donavan Tate, the first high school player taken, who went third overall to San Diego; polished Boston College catcher Tony Sanchez, the No. 4 pick by Pittsburgh; and right-hander Matt Hobgood from Norco (Calif.) High School, the first high school pitcher off the board at No. 5 by Baltimore.

Pick	Team	Player	Pos.	School
1.	Nationals	Stephen Strasburg	RHP	San Diego St.
2.	Mariners	Dustin Ackley	OF	Univ. of North Carolina
3.	Padres	Donavan Tate	OF	Cartersville HS (Ga.)
4.	Pirates	Tony Sanchez	C	Boston College
5.	Orioles	Matt Hobgood	RHP	Norco HS (Calif.)
6.	Giants	Zack Wheeler	RHP	East Paulding HS (Ga.)
7.	Braves	Mike Minor	LHP	Univ. of Vanderbuilt
8.	Reds	Mike Leake	RHP	Arizona St.
9.	Tigers	Jacob Turner	RHP	Westminster Christian Academy (Mo.)
10.	Nationals	Drew Storen	RHP	Stanford Univ.
11.	Rockies	Tyler Matzek	LHP	Capistrano Valley HS (Calif.)
12.	Royals	Aaron Crow	RHP	Fort Worth (American Assoc.)
13.	Athletics	Grant Green	SS	Univ. of Southern Calif.
14.	Rangers	Matt Purke	LHP	Klein HS (Texas)
15.	Indians	Alex White	RHP	Univ. of North Carolina
16.	D-Backs	Bobby Borchering	3B	Bishop Verot HS (Fla.)
17.	D-Backs	A.J. Pollock	OF	Notre Dame
18.	Marlins	Chad James	LHP	Owasso HS
19.	Cardinals	Shelby Miller	RHP	Brownwood HS (Texas)
20.	Blue Jays	Chad Jenkins	RHP	Kennesaw St.
21.	Astros	Jiovanni Mier	SS	Bonita HS (Calif.)
22.	Twins	Kyle Gibson	RHP	Univ. of Missouri
23.	White Sox	Jared Mitchell	OF	Louisiana St.
24.	Angels	Randal Grichuk	OF	Lamar Consolidated HS (Texas)
25.	Angels	Mike Trout	OF	Millville HS (N.J.)
26.	Brewers	Eric Arnett	RHP	Univ. of Indiana
27.	Mariners	Nick Franklin	SS	Lake Brantley HS (Fla.)
28.	Red Sox	Reymond Fuentes	OF	Fernando Callejo HS (PR)
29.	Yankees	Slade Heathcott	OF	Texas HS (Texas)
30.	Rays	LeVon Washington	2B	Buchholz HS (Fla.)