Checking In on Every MLB Team's 1st-Round Pick from the 2021 Draft
Before we dive in to our coverage of the upcoming MLB draft, let's first look back at last year's first-round picks and how they're doing in their first full professional seasons.
Jordan Lawlar (No. 11 prospect), Marcelo Mayer (No. 12), Henry Davis (No. 17), Jack Leiter (No. 34), Andrew Painter (No. 38), Kahlil Watson (No. 59), Jackson Jobe (No. 67), Brady House (No. 68), Gavin Williams (No. 71), Will Bednar (No. 85), Colton Cowser (No. 94) and Sal Frelick (No. 95) each occupied a spot in Bleacher Report's most recent top 100 prospects list.
If those 12 players represent the cream of the crop from the most recent draft class, how have the other first-round picks fared?
American League East
1 of 6
Baltimore Orioles: CF Colton Cowser (No. 5 overall)
The O's cut a below-slot deal with Cowser, signing him for $4.9 million against a $6.2 million slot value. He has already reached Double-A, and he has an .839 OPS with 29 extra-base hits and 17 steals in 71 games in High-A and Double-A.
Boston Red Sox: SS Marcelo Mayer (No. 4)
A serious candidate to be the No. 1 overall pick, Mayer fell into Boston's lap and has emerged as the top prospect in the system. The 19-year-old is hitting .291/.385/.519 with 22 doubles, seven home runs and 12 steals in 46 games in Single-A.
New York Yankees: SS Trey Sweeney (No. 20)
Sweeney annihilated lesser competition at Eastern Illinois, hitting .382/.522/.712 with 14 home runs and 58 RBI during his junior season. The 22-year-old has posted a .230/.320/.414 line with a 26.7 percent strikeout rate in High-A, but he does have 23 extra-base hits and 15 steals in 18 attempts.
Tampa Bay Rays: SS Carson Williams (No. 28)
One of the youngest players in the class, Williams just turned 19 on June 25, and he's holding his own at Single-A Charleston with an .850 OPS, 32 extra-base hits and 21 steals in 67 games. Those numbers mask a 34.7 percent strikeout rate that will need to improve as he moves up the ladder.
Toronto Blue Jays: RHP Gunnar Hoglund (No. 19)
Hoglund never threw a pitch in the Toronto system. He was recovering from Tommy John surgery when he was selected, and the Blue Jays sent him to the Oakland Athletics with three other prospects for third baseman Matt Chapman during the offseason. Toronto's third-round pick, Ricky Tiedemann (2.13 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 103 K, 67.2 IP), has been perhaps the most impressive pitcher in the entire class.
American League Central
2 of 6
Chicago White Sox: SS Colson Montgomery (No. 22)
The White Sox were linked to Montgomery throughout the predraft process. He hit .324/.424/.477 in 205 plate appearances in Single-A, earning a promotion to High-A in late June. Questions remain about his long-term defensive home, but he's still manning shortstop.
Cleveland Guardians: RHP Gavin Williams (No. 23)
Williams' draft stock soared last year when he went 10-1 with a 1.88 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 81.1 innings at East Carolina, and he is shaping up to be one of the steals of the draft. The 6'6", 255-pounder has a 1.48 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP and 86 strikeouts in 61 innings this season, and he's already pitching at Double-A Akron.
Detroit Tigers: RHP Jackson Jobe (No. 3)
The consensus top high school pitcher in the class, Jobe will be brought along slowly in a system that has done a solid job of developing pitchers in recent years. The 19-year-old is making his pro debut in Single-A, and he has a 4.46 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 36.1 innings as one of the youngest pitchers in the Florida State League.
Kansas City Royals: LHP Frank Mozzicato (No. 7)
The biggest reach of the first round, Mozzicato signed for $3.5 million, saving the Royals nearly $2 million against slot value, which they diverted to above-slot deals for Ben Kudrna (second round) and Carter Jensen (third round). Mozzicato has a 6.31 ERA, 1.87 WHIP and 33-to-22 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 25.2 innings at Single-A Columbia.
Minnesota Twins: RHP Chase Petty (No. 26)
Arguably the hardest-throwing pitcher in the class, Petty tossed just five innings in the organization before he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in the Sonny Gray deal during the offseason. The 6'1", 190-pounder has a 3.38 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP and 54 strikeouts in 56 innings at Single-A Daytona.
American League West
3 of 6
Houston Astros: N/A
The Astros did not have a first- or second-round pick as part of the punishment for their sign-stealing scandal. Their first selection was prep shortstop Tyler Whitaker in the third round, and he's hitting .169 with 111 strikeouts in 304 plate appearances.
Los Angeles Angels: RHP Sam Bachman (No. 9)
With a 70-grade fastball and 65-grade slider, Bachman has an electric two-pitch mix that would play in an MLB bullpen right now. He also has a playable changeup and a 6'1", 235-pound frame, and the Angels are developing him as a starter. He is sidelined with biceps inflammation.
Oakland Athletics: SS Max Muncy (No. 25)
Muncy is hitting .242/.365/.466 with 15 doubles, 15 home runs and 50 RBI in 74 games in Single-A, and he has a 14.3 percent walk rate. Despite his success, Oakland's best pick might be second-rounder Zack Gelof, who hit .316/.372/.458 in 39 games in Double-A before he tore the labrum in his left shoulder.
Seattle Mariners: C Harry Ford (No. 12)
An elite athlete at the catcher position with the tools to play elsewhere, Ford has a .388 on-base percentage and 17.5 percent walk rate with 19 extra-base hits and 11 steals in 56 games in Single-A. The 19-year-old is just scratching the surface of his multifaceted potential.
Texas Rangers: RHP Jack Leiter (No. 2)
Leiter was given the largest bonus of any 2021 pick at $7.9 million after he went 11-4 with a 2.13 ERA, a 0.85 WHIP and 179 strikeouts in 110 innings during his final season at Vanderbilt. He was aggressively assigned to Double-A to begin his pro career, and he's taking his lumps with a 5.36 ERA in 48.2 innings, but he's also playing in a hitter-friendly home ballpark.
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National League East
4 of 6
Atlanta Braves: RHP Ryan Cusick (No. 24)
Cusick showed premium stuff during his junior season at Wake Forest, racking up 108 strikeouts in 70 innings, and he logged a 34-to-4 strikeout to walk ratio in 16.1 innings in Single-A in his pro debut after signing. Atlanta then sent him to Oakland as part of the Matt Olson blockbuster during the offseason, and he has allowed 46 hits in 27.2 innings en route to an 8.13 ERA in Double-A.
Miami Marlins: SS Kahlil Watson (No. 16)
Watson was a candidate to be picked No. 1 overall after a terrific year, but he slipped to the Marlins, and his $4.5 million bonus was well above the $3.8 million slot bonus. He went 13-for-33 in his pro debut last year, but he's hitting .221/.274/.372 in Single-A with an ugly 39.3 percent strikeout rate.
New York Mets: RHP Kumar Rocker (No. 10)
After Rocker reportedly agreed to a $6 million signing bonus, he did not sign after the Mets said they had concerns about his shoulder and elbow. Rather than return to Vanderbilt, he joined the independent Tri-City ValleyCats, and there's a good chance he'll find his way into the first round again. New York received the No. 11 pick in the 2022 draft as compensation for failing to sign Rocker.
Philadelphia Phillies: RHP Andrew Painter (No. 13)
After striking out 12 in six scoreless innings last summer, Painter laid waste to Single-A competition at the onset of this campaign, posting a 1.40 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 69-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 38.2 innings. That earned him a promotion to High-A Jersey Shore in June. The projectable 6'7", 215-pounder will be 19 years old for the duration of the season.
Washington Nationals: SS Brady House (No. 11)
House hit .322/.394/.576 with three doubles and four home runs in 66 plate appearances in rookie ball, and he has a strong case for the title of No. 1 prospect in the Nationals system. The 6'4", 215-pounder hit .278/.356/.375 in 203 plate appearances in Single-A before landing on the injured list with a back ailment, but it's only a matter of time before his power shows up in games.
National League Central
5 of 6
Chicago Cubs: LHP Jordan Wicks (No. 21)
Wicks fit the prototypical polished, high-floor college lefty profile, and for an organization that has struggled to develop pitchers, he was a great fit. The 6'3", 220-pounder has a 3.94 ERA and 76-to-15 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 61.2 innings in High-A, and a 2023 MLB debut is not out of the question.
Cincinnati Reds: SS Matt McLain (No. 17)
McLain was picked No. 25 in the 2018 draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, but he chose to honor his commitment to UCLA. The first college middle infielder chosen last year, he is hitting .237/.353/.470 with 12 home runs and 16 steals in 59 games in Double-A and could be one of the first hitters from the class to reach the majors. He is currently sidelined with an undisclosed injury.
Milwaukee Brewers: CF Sal Frelick (No. 15)
One of the best pure college hitters in the class, Frelick hit .359/.443/.559 with 25 extra-base hits and 13 steals during his junior season at Boston College. The Brewers added him to an increasingly impressive collection of young outfielders, and he's hitting .290/.364/.429 with 20 extra-base hits and 10 steals in 56 games in High-A and Double-A.
Pittsburgh Pirates: C Henry Davis (No. 1)
The Pirates saved nearly $2 million against slot value by taking Davis with the No. 1 pick and signing him to a $6.5 million bonus, which ranked just fifth in the class. He could still easily wind up being the best player from this draft, and he's hitting .269/.399/.483 with 17 extra-base hits in 41 games across four minor league levels this year.
St. Louis Cardinals: RHP Michael McGreevy (No. 18)
With a solid history of developing high-floor college pitchers, the Cardinals were a logical fit for McGreevy, who posted an absurd 115-to-11 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 101.2 innings in his junior season at UC Santa Barbara. The 22-year-old is already in Double-A, and he has a 3.12 ERA in 89.1 innings over two levels.
National League West
6 of 6
Arizona Diamondbacks: SS Jordan Lawlar (No. 6)
Viewed by many as the best all-around talent in the class, Lawlar is backing up the hype. The 19-year-old has already made it to High-A, as he was promoted July 4, and he's hitting .347/.447/.579 with 23 extra-base hits and 25 steals in 51 games overall.
Colorado Rockies: CF Benny Montgomery (No. 8)
A tooled-up prep outfielder in the mold of previous Rockies first-round picks David Dahl and Zac Veen, Montgomery was one of the best athletes in the class. He has moving parts to his swing and is still growing into his 6'4", 200-pound frame, so patience will be key. But he has posted a .783 OPS and nine extra-base hits in 100 plate appearances across two levels.
Los Angeles Dodgers: LHP Maddux Bruns (No. 29)
Bruns was a bit of a reach, as he checked in at No. 48 in Baseball America's predraft rankings. With three 60-grade pitches but below-average command, he's a boom-or-bust prospect, and his 22 walks and 38 strikeouts in 22.2 innings speak to the refinement he still needs.
San Diego Padres: SS Jackson Merrill (No. 27)
The biggest surprise of the first round was Merrill, who landed at No. 101 in Baseball America's prospect rankings and was nowhere to be found in mock drafts. But he is making the Padres look smart. After impressing in rookie ball, he hit .455/.500/.667 with nine extra-base hits in 17 games before he was sidelined with a wrist injury.
San Francisco Giants: RHP Will Bednar (No. 14)
Bednar sent his draft stock soaring with brilliant starts against Texas (6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 15 K) and Vanderbilt (6.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K) in the Men's College World Series, and he was the fourth college pitcher off the board after Jack Leiter, Sam Bachman and Kumar Rocker. With a 4.19 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP and 51 strikeouts in 43 innings in Single-A, he was off to a solid start before he was shelved with a back injury.
Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and accurate through Friday's games.
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