Editor’s note: The Major League Baseball draft is this week, starting Thursday and running through Saturday. NESN.com is revisiting the top drafts of the last 10 years and redrafting those drafts.
The impact of the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft is being felt all across the league this season.
Five years removed from the draft, some of its most notable selections are making noise from coast to coast. In Miami, highly touted right-hander Jose Fernandez is in the midst of an incredible run, winning his last eight decisions, posting a 1.38 ERA and striking out 78 batters in 52 innings on the strength of a 14-strikeout performance Sunday against the New York Mets.
In Pittsburgh, Gerrit Cole — the No. 1 selection in the 2011 draft — is one of the only bright spots in a Pirates pitching rotation that’s putting another playoff run in jeopardy. In Oakland, meanwhile, the A’s have a decision to make about Sonny Gray’s future while the right-hander struggles for the first time in his career.
But the real story, as it pertains to the 2011 draft, is what’s happening in Boston. The Red Sox are one of the best teams in baseball, thanks in large part to the contributions of players such as Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr., Blake Swihart, Travis Shaw and Matt Barnes. All of those guys are — you guessed it — 2011 draft picks.
But what if we gave everyone a do-over? NESN.com’s Mike Cole and and Ricky Doyle looked back at the 2011 draft and they re-picked the first round (including compensation picks) to decide who those teams would take today if given another chance.
The two alternated picks, with Ricky winning the coin toss and making the first pick. Here’s how it all shook out.
1.Pittsburgh Pirates — Jose Fernandez, P
Jose Fernandez is a legitimate ace when healthy, and he’s probably one of the five best pitchers in baseball. Plus, he’s turning just 24 years old this summer. I understand he’s already had Tommy John surgery in his young career, but perhaps no hurler other than Clayton Kershaw has a higher ceiling. -RD
Actual pick: Gerrit Cole
2. Seattle Mariners — Francisco Lindor, SS
Lindor is just 22 years old, and he’s already one of the best shortstops in baseball. Assuming the Mariners still would sign Robinson Cano, can you imagine what that middle infield would be like? -MC
Actual pick: Danny Hultzen
3. Arizona Diamondbacks — Mookie Betts, 2B/OF
Betts has tools about most players can only dream. He’s an absolute stud and has superstar potential as an everyday player, giving him the edge over a couple of intriguing arms high on my draft board. -RD
Actual pick: Trevor Bauer
4. Baltimore Orioles — Gerrit Cole, P
The Orioles thought they were getting a stud when they took Dylan Bundy with the No. 4 pick, but injuries have prevented that from happening. In Cole, Baltimore would have a No. 1 to solidify an otherwise questionable rotation. -MC
Actual pick: Dylan Bundy
5. Kansas City Royals — Sonny Gray, P
Gray’s 2016 season is worrisome. His small frame also concerns me a little bit from a durability standpoint, especially as he gets deeper into his career. But there’s no denying he was awesome for his first three seasons. The Royals gladly will take a pitcher with top-of-the-rotation upside. -RD
Actual pick: Bubba Starling
6. Washington Nationals  — Anthony Rendon, 3B
The Nats got this one right. Rendon often is overshadowed by the team’s better-known stars, but when healthy, he has shown the ability to be one of the best third basemen in baseball. -MC
Actual pick:Â Anthony Rendon
7. Arizona Diamondbacks (compensation for unsigned 2010 pick) — George Springer, OF
Springer has gotten better in each of his three major league seasons. He’s an exceptional athlete with plenty of right-handed power, which is at a premium these days. This was a no-brainer. -RD
Actual pick: Archie Bradley
8. Cleveland Indians — Joe Panik, 2B
Is this a reach on my part? Probably. Then again, Panik was considered a reach when he was picked late in the first round in 2011, and he has proven people wrong (when healthy, of course). He has a good glove and is a patient hitter, and he’d probably hit for more power if he didn’t play in San Francisco. -MC
Actual pick: Francisco Lindor
9. Chicago Cubs — Tyler Glasnow, P
This is a selection based purely on potential, as the 22-year-old hasn’t started a single major league game at the time of this draft. But man, is there potential. At 6-foot-8 with swing-and-miss stuff, Glasnow could up being a steal at No. 9 if he reaches his ceiling as a front-line starter. -RD
Actual pick: Javier Baez
10. San Diego Padres (compensation for unsigned 2010 pick) — Trevor Bauer, P
Trevor Bauer as the third pick was “meh.” Trevor Bauer as the 10th pick, staying in Southern California and pitching in a pitchers’ ballpark? Sign me up. He still doesn’t throw enough strikes, but the stuff is too good to pass up here. -MC
Actual pick: Cory Spangenberg
11. Houston Astros — Blake Swihart, C
We’ll take Swihart here and groom him as the Astros’ catcher of the future. He’s still raw defensively and from a game-calling standpoint, but his athleticism and offensive upside at a position of scarcity give him the edge over other considerations at this point in the draft. -RD
Actual pick: George Springer
12. Milwaukee Brewers — Jackie Bradley Jr., OF
This was one of the most difficult picks. If JBJ plays to his ceiling, he’s one of the best outfielders in the game. Even if he doesn’t hit, though, his defense still makes him a valuable asset. If he falls somewhere in between that, he’s an everyday player at a premium position for a long time, which is more valuable than most realize. -MC
Actual pick: Taylor Jungmann
13. New York Mets — Blake Snell, P
Like the Glasnow pick, this was made based solely on upside. Control has been an issue at times for the left-hander, but he has improved throughout his minor league career. We’ll roll the dice in the hopes he’ll become the pitcher we’re confident he can be. -RD
Actual pick: Brandon Nimmo
14. Florida Marlins — Archie Bradley, P
The Marlins aren’t afraid of drafting high school pitchers — this is where they nabbed Fernandez — and while Bradley hasn’t yet scratched his potential, he has the size and explosive fastball you want from a top-of-the-rotation guy. The only question would be whether the Marlins would be patient enough with the youngster. -MC
Actual pick: Jose Fernandez
15. Milwaukee Brewers (compensation for unsigned 2010 pick) — Joe Ross, P
Ross doesn’t quite have the ceiling of some of the other pitchers in this draft, but he has good command and could carve out a very nice career as a middle-of-the-rotation-type pitcher. -RD
Actual pick: Jed Bradley
16. Los Angeles Dodgers — Kolten Wong, 2B
Wong is an interesting guy here. His 2016 performance might be cause for concern, but he showed in 2015 the ability to be a solid everyday second baseman, which again, is something you’ll take at this spot in the draft. The only real hesitation is how much of that is the player and how much of it is the Cardinals’ player development system. -MC
Actual pick: Chris Reed
17. Los Angeles Angels — Javier Baez, SS
Baez struggled with plate discipline in his first taste of the bigs, and there’s a chance — perhaps even a good one — he’ll never live up to the lofty expectations that scouts had for him after he was selected No. 9 overall by the Cubs in 2011. But the power potential from a middle infield position is enough to drool over. The Angels will roll with him and hope he continues to cut back on the strikeouts. -RD
Actual pick: C.J. Cron
18. Oakland Athletics — Adam Conley, P
So far, so good for Conley, who has been one of the better finds in the 2011 draft. With a do-over, Billy Beane and the A’s can get a nice college left-hander from the West Coast … who they can eventually trade for more prospects. -MC
Actual pick: Sonny Gray
19. Boston Red Sox (compensation for losing Victor Martinez) — Robert Stephenson, P
Stephenson has a fastball that can touch the upper 90s. So long as he controls it and continues to develop his curveball and changeup, the Red Sox could be landing a rotation stalwart with three plus pitches in the middle of Round 1. -RD
Actual pick: Matt Barnes
20. Colorado Rockies — Michael Fulmer, P
There’s probably some recency bias here, given how Fulmer is 4-0 with a 0.32 ERA in his last four starts for the Tigers, but you also could view that as a young pitcher coming into his own. And as you might have heard, the Rockies have had issues with starting pitching since pretty much forever. -MC
Actual pick: Tyler Anderson
21. Toronto Blue Jays — Daniel Norris, P
The Blue Jays won’t be able to wait around and draft Norris in the second round, like they actually did in 2011. Norris hasn’t looked like a world beater yet, but he has given me enough reason to believe he’ll stick around in the bigs, even if it’s as a back-of-the-rotation innings eater. -RD
Actual pick: Tyler Beede
22. St. Louis Cardinals — Trevor Story, SS
We saw early in 2016 what kind of power Story possesses, though saying he needs to cut down on the strikeouts (about one strikeout every three plate appearances!) is an understatement. He also has a solid glove and plays hard every day. Add it all up and put him in the St. Louis system, and you’ve probably got a darn good fit. -MC
Actual pick: Kolten Wong
23. Washington Nationals (compensation for losing Adam Dunn) — Cody Allen, P
Allen is the best closer in this draft class. He led all major league relievers in WAR in 2015, edging out the likes of Aroldis Chapman, Dellin Betances, Zach Britton and Andrew Miller, among others. -RD
Actual pick: Alex Meyer
24. Tampa Bay Rays (compensation for losing Carl Crawford) — CJ Cron, 1B
This might not be an ideal fit given how little Cron — who has flashed impressive power in parts of three seasons — walks. But the Rays probably wouldn’t mind throwing this guy in the middle of the order. -MC
Actual pick: Taylor Guerrieri
25. San Diego Padres — Ken Giles, P
The Astros surrendered a lot to the Philadelphia Philles in exchange for Giles before the 2016 season. It’s because the young right-hander is downright filthy when he’s on. He strikes out batters at a high clip and is the second-best reliever in this class behind Allen. -RD
Actual pick: Joe Ross
26. Boston Red Sox (compensation for losing Adrian Beltre) — Travis Shaw, 3B
We’re dealing with some pretty big ifs here, but imagine if the Red Sox took Shaw and imagine if they used him primarily as a third baseman. Not only would they have a power-hitting threat who plays a competent third, they probably would have refrained from giving Pablo Sandoval a huge contract, too. -MC
Actual pick: Blake Swihart
27. Cincinnati Reds — Josh Bell, 1B
The power hasn’t quite been there down in the minors, but it could come as the 6-foot-2, 245-pound, switch-hitting slugger continues to work on his approach. The Reds will take his offensive upside late in the first round, thinking the pick could be a steal down the road. -RD
Actual pick: Robert Stephenson
28. Atlanta Braves — Matt Barnes, P
We’re making this pick off of Barnes’ 2016 showing and assuming the Braves would use him as a relief pitcher. Given the evolution of major league bullpens and the emphasis on power arms in the back of the bullpen, Barnes at the very least could be a trading chip for Atlanta. -MC
Actual pick: Sean Gilmartin
29. San Francisco Giants — Kyle Hendricks, P
Hendricks gets lost in the shuffle pitching in a Cubs rotation featuring Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester, John Lackey and Jason Hammel. But Hendricks has been extremely steady, albeit not flashy, and could be a huge bargain with the 29th pick based on his consistency. -RD
Actual pick: Joe Panik
30. Minnesota Twins — Dylan Bundy, P
We’ve passed on Bundy’s big surgically repaired right arm long enough. Bundy’s professional career obviously has been a struggle to this point, but given the whole Jake Arrieta thing, maybe pitching somewhere other than Baltimore would make things different for Bundy. -MC
Actual pick: Levi Michael
31. Tampa Bay Rays (compensation for losing Rafael Soriano) — Henry Owens
Owens hasn’t been able to take that next step with Boston, and he still projects as a mid- to back-end starter. The pickings are getting slim from a starting pitcher standpoint, though, and it’s a worthwhile gamble right here for the Rays to take someone who might be able to give quality innings down the line, especially with Tampa Bay holding back-to-back picks. -RD
Actual pick: Mikie Mahtook
32. Tampa Bay Rays — Kevin Pillar, OF
The idea of an outfield featuring both Pillar and Kevin Kiermaier is way too much to pass up. -MC
Actual pick: Jake Hager
33. Texas Rangers (compensation for losing Cliff Lee) — Carter Capps
Capps is sidelined for the 2016 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He also throws funny, which is a bit unsettling for someone battling back from such a serious procedure. That said, Capps was a lights-out reliever for the Miami Marlins in 2015. Why not hope he comes back and returns to form? -RD
Actual pick: Kevin Matthews
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
