The 2011 Major League Baseball Draft was an exciting event for all baseball fans as the future of MLB teams took shape. On June 6 – 8, teams gathered at Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey to select players that they believed would become their stars of tomorrow. This draft featured many talented prospects and will be remembered for years to come with its first overall pick—Gerrit Cole out of UCLA by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
1. Sonny Gray
Minnesota Twins
Career
- 2× All-Star (2015, 2019)
Sonny Gray was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the first round of the 2009 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut with the Athletics in 2013 and has since been a mainstay on their rotation.
In 2017, he had an excellent season for Oakland pitching to a 3-1 record and 2.89 ERA over 67 innings pitched. The following year, 2018, Sonny Gray was traded to the Yankees where he continued his stellar play as one of their top starters (he finished second in AL Cy Young voting).
In 2019, Sonny Gray underwent Tommy John surgery which caused him to miss most of that season but is expected to be back in 2020 ready for another great campaign at Yankee Stadium. Sonny Gray has had a successful MLB career, posting an earned run average of 3.56 and striking out 1,338 batters in 980 games played.
Sonny Gray was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 2nd round of the 2013 draft and he made his MLB debut with them later that year.
In 2017 Sonny Gray was traded to the Yankees where he spent two seasons before being dealt to Cincinnati at the trade deadline in 2019. With Minnesota Sonny Gray will wrap up his nine-year MLB career having played for three different teams (Oakland, New York Yankees, and Cincinnati).
2. José Fernández
Miami Marlins
Career
- 2× All-Star (2013, 2016), NL Rookie of the Year (2013)
José Fernández was born on July 31, 1992 in Santa Clara, Cuba. He played baseball for the Cuban national team before defecting to the United States in 2012.
Fernandez made his MLB debut with the Miami Marlins in 2013 and went on to have a successful career with them. On September 25, 2016, José Fernández died after suffering from an apparent brain injury.
While pitching for the Miami Marlins against the San Francisco Giants His death shocked many baseball fans and left behind a wife and two young children Fernández is a two-time All Star who was named NL Rookie of the Year in 2013.
Fernández has had a successful MLB career, compiling an 38-17 record with 2.58 ERA and 589 strikeouts. He will be remembered most fondly for his role in helping lead the Marlins to their first World Series appearance in franchise history in 2016.
José Fernández is beloved by Miami fans thanks to his personality and passion on the field which always seems to shine through no matter what challenge he's faced thus far in his storied baseball career.
Also Played For: florida marlins, miami marlins
3. Kolten Wong
Seattle Mariners
Career
- 2× Gold Glove Award (2019, 2020), 3× Fielding Bible Award (2018–2020)
Kolten Wong was born in Hawaii on October 10, 1990. He attended the University of Hawai'i and played for their baseball team. Wong was drafted by the St.
Louis Cardinals in the third round of the 2009 MLB Draft and made his debut with them that season as a reserve infielder. In 2013, he signed with Seattle Mariners and became their starting second baseman.
He finished second in voting for Rookie of The Year honors behind Mike Trout that year Kolten Wong has been with three different teams during his four-year career – St Louis (2013-2015), Seattle (2016) and Miami (2017).
Kolten Wong is a left-handed batter who throws right-handed . His Wiki page lists him at 6 ft 1 in tall and 190 pounds . Kolten Wong is married to Alyssa Chang, an American actress best known for her role on ABC's "Fresh Off The Boat".
They have one child together - a son named Knox Walker Wong – born December 16th, 2017.
4. Danny Hultzen
Tacoma Rainiers
Danny Hultzen is a left-handed pitcher who played for the University of Virginia in 2009. He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the first round of the 2010 MLB draft and made his major league debut with them that year.
In 2013, he was traded to the Boston Red Sox and finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting that season. He signed with the Houston Astros as a free agent in 2017 and had an outstanding season, leading all American League pitchers in win percentage (.827).
In 2019, he was traded back to Seattle where he pitched until being released at the end of September 2020 Danny Hultzen was selected in the first round of the MLB draft by the Seattle.
Mariners back in 2012. After spending two seasons with the Mariners minor league system, he made his debut for their Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma at just 19 years old.
He started 2016 with Seattle but got traded to Houston midway through that season and then spent all of 2017 pitching for their Double.
A affiliate Corpus Christi before being called up to make his Major League debut with Seattle towards the end of 2018. In 2019, he pitched for Chicago Cubs where he posted a 0–0 record, ERA of 0 and 5 strikeouts over 2 appearances (1 start).
The 23 year old is currently a free agent and has yet to announce any plans about his future career path.
Also Played For: virginia cavaliers baseball
5. Dylan Bundy
Baltimore Orioles
Dylan Bundy was born on November 15th, 1992 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is a pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles and has been playing professionally since 2011.
Dylan made his major league debut in 2016 and had a successful season, going 10-5 with a 3.22 ERA in 26 games (25 starts). In 2017, he improved even more, going 14-8 with a 2.93 ERA and 202 strikeouts over 225 innings pitched (23 starts).
He's got electric stuff," said one scout of Bundy after seeing him pitch this spring training "He can really spin it."
The O's seem to be building around him as their number two starter behind Chris Tillman.(source) Dylan is eligible for arbitration for the first time in 2018 and could earn up to $10 million if he remains healthy throughout the year and pitches at least 200 innings.(source)
6. Bubba Starling
Omaha Storm Chasers
Career
- Thomas A. Simone Award (2010)
Bubba Starling is an outfielder for the Kansas City Royals. He made his MLB debut in 2019 and played with the team until 2020. His batting average was .204 in those three seasons.
Bubba's primary position is right field, but he has also played center field and left field during his time in the majors.
He attended Gardner-Webb University before signing with the Royals as a free agent in 2018 Bubba Starling is a Kansas City Royals outfielder who has been in the league for five seasons.
He was born on October 1, 1992 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and attended Stetson University where he played college baseball. In 2018, Bubba hit .269 with 24 home runs and 85 RBIs which led the American League in both categories.
At the 2019 All-Star Game, he became just the second player (joining Sammy Sosa) to record four hits in an ASG game while also recording two home runs...the first being Willie Mays back in 1957.
The Slugger will be playing his sixth MLB season with the Royals this year after signing as a free agent prior to Spring Training he's looking to help KC make it back to the postseason for the first time since 2015.
7. Archie Bradley
Arizona Diamondbacks
Archie Bradley made his MLB debut in 2015 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was drafted by the team in 2009 and finished his college career at Oklahoma.
Archie is a right-handed pitcher who throws 104 mph on the mound. His main goal is to keep batters off balance, which he has done well so far in his career.
In 2019, Archie was traded to the Detroit Tigers but didn't have much success there either as he was released after just one season with them. Now free agent, it's uncertain where Archie will end up next year...but we're sure he'll continue to put on an exciting show for fans.
Bradley is a talented pitcher who has had some success in the past. Bradley is coming off of an injury-plagued season, but he should be ready for next year.
Bradley will need to work on his control if he wants to continue having success in the MLB. Bradley was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks and has spent most of his time with them thus far in his career.
Bradley is a strikeout machine, averaging nearly five per game over the course of his career so far. There are concerns about Bradley's durability and whether or not he can keep up this level of play for an extended period of time - we'll see how things go next year.
The Diamondbacks may look to trade him at some point during the upcoming season as they try to rebuild their team - stay tuned.
Also Played For: reno aces
8. Blake Swihart
Boston Red Sox
Career
- World Series champion (2018)
Blake Swihart was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the second round of the 2010 MLB Draft. In 2016, he hit .253 with 11 home runs and 49 RBIs in 129 games for the Red Sox.
He became a free agent after spending 2017 with the Houston Astros and 2018 with the Detroit Tigers. In 2019, Swihart signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers but was released before appearing in a game.
Blake is married to actress Jenna Dewan Tatum and they have one child together named Everly Braxton-Swihart (born July 8, 2019).
Swihart was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the first round of the 2012 MLB draft. He is a left-handed batter and has played most of his career at either first base or left field.
Swihart hit .243 with 12 home runs and 67 RBIs in 496 games with the Red Sox over six seasons before being traded to Arizona in 2019. In 2018, he led all American League hitters with a .
361 batting average while helping lead the Red Sox to their fourth World Series title since 2004. Swihart also won an Gold Glove Award as a left fielder for his performance that season.
After spending two seasons playing for Arizona, he signed with Japanese team Chiba Lotte Marines during the 2020 winter league season where he will play until 2021 when he will return to play for Boston again next year.
Also Played For: portland sea dogs
9. Taylor Jungmann
Milwaukee Brewers
Career
- Dick Howser Trophy (2011)
Jungmann made his MLB debut with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2015. Jungmann pitched for the NPB's Yomiuri Giants in 2018 and was released by them on July 1st.
Jungmann has a 3-1 record with a 2.48 ERA in nine appearances (seven starts) with the Brewers over three seasons. Jungmann throws right-handed and bats left-handed, meaning he can play both first base and pitcher if need be.
Jungmann is a successful MLB pitcher who has had a 9-13 win-loss record in his career. Jungmann's ERA was 4.54 during the 2015 season and it dropped to 4.86 in the 2018 season, indicating he has been improving over time.
Jungmann also struck out 126 batters in 162 innings pitched in the MLB, which shows that he can be very effective when pitching well.
Jungmann signed with the Yomiuri Giants of NPB for the 2019 season after spending two seasons with Milwaukee Brewers.
Also Played For: texas longhorns baseball
10. Alex Meyer
Los Angeles Angels
Alex Meyer was born in Greensburg, Indiana on January 3, 1990. He attended college at the University of Kentucky and played for their baseball team from 2008-2011.
In 2012 he was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels and made his Major League debut that year, pitching to a 5-4 record with a 2.66 ERA in 66 games (60 starts).
The following season he had an even better campaign posting a 12-11 record with a 2 .84 ERA in 32 starts while striking out 152 batters over 153 innings pitched.
In 2016 Alex Meyer once again put up great numbers going 14-8 witha 3 .68 ERA in 33 starts while also tossing 222 strikeouts over 221 1/3 innings pitched. Alex Meyer made his MLB debut for the Minnesota Twins in 2015.
In 2017, he was traded to the Los Angeles Angels and ended up playing his last season with them. Meyer has a record of 5-8 with a 4.63 ERA in 107 strikeouts over two seasons with two teams.
He is best known for being one of baseball's top draft picks back in 2014, when he was selected by the Twins as number four overall pick in the amateur draft.
11. Taylor Guerrieri
Tampa Bay Rays
Guerrieri is a pitcher who has been in the major leagues for four seasons. Guerrieri was drafted by the New York Yankees in the first round of the 2011 draft.
He made his debut with the Yankees on April 7, 2013 against the Baltimore Orioles and pitched two innings without giving up any runs or hits. On September 25th of that same year, he earned his first win as a Yankee when he shut down Tampa Bay Rays ace David Price over 6 innings at Yankee Stadium.
In 2015, Guerrieri signed with Miami Marlins but only played in 23 games before being traded to Detroit Tigers along with Starlin Castro and Dee Gordon for Christian Yelich, Jordan Zimmermann and Javier Baez on July 30th of that year.
In 2017, Guerrieri signed a three-year contract with Oakland Athletics worth $28 million dollars which includes an option for 2020 if desired.
12. Matt Barnes
Boston Red Sox
Career
- All-Star (2021), World Series champion (2018)
Matt Barnes is a 32-year-old pitcher who has played for the Boston Red Sox since 2014. In his MLB career, Barnes has compiled a win-loss record of 30–32 and an earned run average of 4.07.
He was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2008 but never made it to the major leagues. After being traded to the Red Sox, he bounced around between Triple A and the majors before settling into a regular role with Boston in 2014.
Barnes throws right-handed and bats left-handed; he is considered one of baseball's more inconsistent pitchers due to his often wild pitches/errors that can lead to runs being scored against him.. Barnes was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 2007 and made his debut with the team in 2009.
He has played for the Red Sox since then, appearing in over 2,000 games and recording over 1,500 hits. In 2018 he led the Red Sox to their first World Series title since 2004, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1 in a thrilling series finale.
Barnes is known as one of Boston's most consistent hitters - having reached base at least once every 10 plate appearances during each of his ten seasons with the club (2015-2018).
Outside of baseball, Barnes is also a successful entrepreneur; he co-founded an online clothing store called 'The Athlete Collection' which now operates internationally.
13. Jed Bradley
Brevard County Manatees
Jed Bradley debuted in the MLB with the Washington Nationals in 2014. He has a career record of 7-8 and an ERA of 4.14. Bradley was originally drafted by the Rays in 2008, but he never signed with them and instead played for their minor league affiliate, the Durham Bulls, from 2009 to 2013.
After being released by Washington, Bradley signed a Minor League deal with Baltimore Orioles and made his debut there on September 1st of that year. In January 2015, he was traded to Washington for Steve Lombardozzi.
With Washington, Jed finished 2016 as their closer after injuries forced other pitchers out of commission early in the season - including top prospect Lucas Giolito who had been given up on by many teams due to injury concerns (Giolito eventually recovered).
The Nationals re-signed him at the end of 2017 but traded him back to Baltimore during Spring Training this year where he is currently pitching for their Triple A affiliate Norfolk Tides.
14. Joe Panik
San Francisco Giants
Career
- All-Star (2015), World Series champion (2014), Gold Glove Award (2016)
Joe Panik was born in Yonkers, New York on October 30th, 1990. After attending college at Fordham University, Panik was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the seventh round of the 2010 MLB Draft.
He made his MLB debut with the Giants in 2014 and has since played for them exclusively. In 2021, he signed with the Miami Marlins and spent three seasons there before retiring at age 33 after a final appearance with them in September of 2021.
Joe Panik is a left-handed hitter who has played for the San Francisco Giants, New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays in his career. Joe Panik was born on December 13th, 1990 in Santa Clara, California. In high school, Joe Panik was a three-sport star at Jesuit High School where he also played baseball and basketball.
He was drafted by the St Louis Cardinals in 2011 but did not sign with them due to NCAA rules which required him to play one more year of college baseball before being eligible for the draft.
The Giants signed Joe Panik as an amateur free agent after he attended their pre-draft tryout camp in 2010 and he made his Major League debut that season playing third base for the team against the Houston Astros .
His first two seasons were spent primarily as a utility player but during the 2013 season he started 19 games at second base before earning himself a long term contract extension through 2020 with an option for 2021.
In 2018, Joe panik won his first World Series championship with the Giants defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers five games to one. On July 30th 2019 it was announced that Joe Panik had been traded to the Mets along with Johnny Cueto , Jeff Samardzija and Jay Bruce.
15. Joe Ross
Washington Nationals
Career
- World Series champion (2019)
Joe Ross is a right-handed pitcher who was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the first round of the 2013 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut with the Nationals in 2015 and had a 2.53 ERA over 41 games, including 38 starts.
In 2016, he had a 4-6 record with an 8.02 ERA over 26 starts for Washington before being traded to Oakland in July.
In 2017, he pitched for Tampa Bay and Cleveland and had a combined 14-8 record with 3 saves and an 8th place finish in voting for AL Cy Young Award honors Joe Ross is a young, talented pitcher who has the potential to be one of the best in baseball.
He had an impressive rookie season in 2015 and continued that trend during his second year with Washington Nationals. Ross is known for his strong arm and ability to control the strike zone, which makes him a very dangerous opponent on the mound.
His team has not been as successful as they would have liked since he joined them, but Joe Ross still shows promise for future success.
He will need to continue improving if he wants to become one of the top pitchers in baseball - something that looks inevitable based on his talent level alone.
16. Cory Spangenberg
San Diego Padres
Cory Spangenberg is an infielder who has played in MLB and NPB. He was drafted by the Padres in the 2nd round of the 2010 MLB draft, but didn't sign with them.
He signed with San Diego as a free agent on September 1st, 2014 and made his debut for them later that season. In 2016 he was traded to the Cubs, where he spent all of 2017 playing before being released at the end of the year.
He returned to NPB signing with Saitama Seibu Lions on June 19th 2020 Cory Spangenberg is a talented second baseman who has played for the San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers in MLB.
Cory Spangenberg was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the third round of the 2014 MLB draft.
Cory Spangenberg made his major league debut with the Padres in 2018. In 2019, he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers and starred for them throughout the season, finishing as runner-up in MVP voting behind Christian Yelich . He will join St Louis Cardinals for 2022 season.
17. Tyler Beede
Pittsburgh Pirates
Tyler Beede is a pitcher for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan's Nippon Baseball League.
He was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the fourth round of the 2012 MLB Draft and has since pitched for both teams.
Beede attended Worcester State University where he played baseball and earned All-American honors as a senior in 2014.
Between 2013 and 2016, Beede made 134 appearances (123 starts) with Triple-A Fresno, posting a record of 47-39 with 4.22 ERA over that time span.
In 2016, Beede made his Major League debut with San Francisco and went 2-0 with 0 saves in 36 innings pitched before being traded to the New York Mets midway through 2017 season along with Travis d'Arnaud for Amed Rosario, Noah Syndergaard and Jay Bruce.
TylerBeedeNYMTS With New York he posted an 8-6 record including 3 complete games while averaging 9 strikeouts per nine innings pitched despite missing two months due to injury.Yankees Acquire Tyler Bede from Mets On July 25th 2018.
it was announced that Beede had signed a minor league contract extension with the Giants which will keep him under team control until 2020.
Also Played For: vanderbilt university baseball, sacramento river cats
18. Robert Stephenson
Colorado Rockies
Career
- Win–loss record: 14–16
- Earned run average: 4.90
- Strikeouts: 329
Stephenson made his MLB debut in 2015 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is a right-handed pitcher and bats lefty. Stephenson was drafted by the Pirates in the first round of the 2013 MLB draft out of Stanford University.
In 2017, he had a breakout year pitching for Pittsburgh, posting a 2.35 ERA and earning an All-Star nomination. Stephenson is known for being one of the most consistent pitchers in baseball over his career.
He has never finished lower than sixth in any season since making his MLB debut Stephenson is a talented starting pitcher who has put up good numbers in his career.
Stephenson had some struggles early on in his career, but he's been able to turn things around lately and be successful. Stephenson throws a fastball, slider, and changeup which are all effective pitches for him.
Stephenson is under contract with the Reds through 2022 which gives him plenty of time to continue putting up good stats and develop further as a pitcher.
Stephenson is someone fans can look forward to watching over the next few years as he continues to progress into one of the best pitchers in baseball.
Also Played For: pittsburgh pirates
19. Levi Michael
Levi Michael is a 31-year-old second baseman/outfielder who was previously with the Seattle Mariners. Levi played college baseball at UCLA and was drafted in the fifth round of the 2010 MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics.
He made his debut with Oakland in 2012 and spent most of his rookie season on their minor league team, batting .259/.313/.359 with 10 home runs over 137 games played.
In 2013, he got a call up to Oakland's major league squad and had an outstanding year, finishing third in American League MVP voting behind Mookie Betts and Mike Trout while batting .316/.406/.563 with 27 home runs over 147 games played.
The following year saw him post even better numbers as he hit 34 home runs over 153 games - good for fourth place in all of baseball - while also posting a slash line of .338/.449/.627 which led all players at either position (second only to Bryce Harper).
Levi as injuries hampered him throughout much of the season; however, he still managed to bat .291/.361./470 with 18 home run over 151 games played before being traded to Seattle midway through the campaign where he posted some solid numbers (.276 / 336 / 455) before being dealt again late into 2017.
this time landing on Atlanta's roster where things have gone from bad to worse (-21 OPS in 172 PA).
20. Chris Reed
New Orleans Baby Cakes
Reed is a left-handed pitcher who made his MLB debut in 2013. He has spent time with the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox, but currently pitches for the St Louis Cardinals.
Reed was born in London, England, and played college baseball at The University of Oklahoma before being drafted by the Cubs in 2008. His big league career began slowly, but he has since become one of the better pitchers in baseball - earning a 3rd place finish on ESPN's 2017 Ultimate Pitcher List.
Chris Reed was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2009 MLB Draft by the Miami Marlins. He made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast League Marlins and played with them until he was promoted to Single-A Jupiter Hammerheads in 2012.
Reed finished 2013 season playing Double-A Jacksonville Suns before making his Major League Debut on August 3, 2015 for the Miami Marlins as a starting pitcher against Atlanta Braves at Turner Field.
In 44 appearances (43 starts) with Miami, Chris Reed posted an 0–0 record, 4.50 ERA, 1 strikeout and 27 walks over 98 innings pitched . On December 8th, 2016 it was announced that Reed had been traded to Houston Astros for cash considerations and a player to be named later.
21. Mikie Mahtook
Toledo Mud Hens
Mahtook is an outfielder who played most of his career with the Detroit Tigers before signing a free agent contract with the Kansas City Royals in 2017.
Mahtook has had moderate success throughout his career, hitting over .270 each season and posting 10 or more home runs twice. He is considered to be a good fielder and possesses speed that makes him difficult to double up.
Mahtook will turn 34 years old during the 2019 season and may no longer have many years left in the tank at elite level play, so he'll need to continue producing offensively if he wants to remain employed moving forward. Mikie Mahtook is a powerful hitter with excellent plate discipline.
He has averaged over .300 in each of the last three seasons and has hit 33 home runs during that time. Mahtook was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2015 and made his MLB debut with them that season. He played for Detroit Tigers from 2017-2019, where he continued to hit well, averaging over .275 per season.
Mikie Mahtook is an important part of both teams he's been on since making it to the big leagues; he will be a key player for whichever team drafts him next year as he looks to continue his impressive career trajectory.
22. Sean Gilmartin
New York Mets
Gilmartin is a free agent after spending the 2016 season with the Mets. Gilmartin has been a starting pitcher in the majors for six seasons, and has experience at both the left and right handed pitching positions.
He was drafted by the Diamondbacks in 2007, but did not sign with them and instead played college baseball at Cal State Fullerton. Gilmartin made his MLB debut with Arizona in 2009, going 2-5 with a 5.06 ERA in 15 games (12 starts).
He spent two years on waivers before being acquired by Toronto via trade for cash considerations on July 30, 2011.
In 2012 he had his best year as an MLB starter, posting a 16-11 record with 3.86 ERA while playing for Toronto and Kansas City simultaneously during that season's postseason run.
Injuries derailed his 2013 campaign which was only 7-8 innings pitched due to thoracic outlet syndrome surgery followed up by Tommy John Surgery. After bouncing around between teams during 2014 including stints with Baltimore Orioles (MLB).
Cleveland Indians (MLB), Seattle Mariners (), Miami Marlins () ,and New York Mets (), Gilmartin signed a one-year deal worth $850K+ incentives to return to Mets organization on January 9th of this year.
His comeback lasted 10 starts until he was placed back on waivers where he was claimed by Tampa Bay Rays.
Also Played For: las vegas aviators
23. C. J. Cron
Colorado Rockies
Career
- All-Star (2022)
Cron made his MLB debut in 2014 with the Los Angeles Angels. Cron is a first baseman and designated hitter who has played for the Rockies since 2021. Cron has a batting average of .253 with twelve home runs and fifty-one RBIs in four seasons with the Rockies.
Cron is a career .261 hitter who has 175 home runs and 567 RBIs in 806 games. Cron signed with the Angels as an undrafted free agent out of Western Kentucky in 2014 and played for them through 2017.
Cron was traded to the Rays in 2018, where he had his best seasons statistically (hitting .309 with 37 HRs and 127 RBIs).
In 2019, Cron was traded to Minnesota where he hit just .222 but still managed to collect 41 HRs and 111 RBIs over 157 games played.
He finished off his stint with Detroit this season where he posted a disappointing batting average of .220 on only 45 hits over 123 games played before being traded back to Colorado at the end of the year.
24. Dante Bichette Jr.
Dante Bichette Jr. is a third baseman and first baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays. Dante was drafted by the Blue Jays in the second round of the 2010 MLB draft.
He made his debut with Toronto on July 2, 2013 against the Baltimore Orioles and hit his first major league home run that same day off Ubaldo Jimenez. In 2016, he led all American League third basemen in hits (167) and ranked fourth in batting average (.273).
On October 22nd, 2018, Bichette became only the fifth player in baseball history to record four hits in five consecutive games and also registered three RBIs during that stretch while scoring two runs apiece at bat both nights.
Including an eventual walk-off homerun against Boston Red Sox pitcher Rick Porcello which clinched a postseason berth for Toronto as they ultimately won their divisional series 4-1 over Texas Rangers.
25. Jake Hager
Arizona Diamondbacks
Hager played shortstop and second base for the Tampa Bay Rays organization until he was released in 2016. He signed a minor league contract with the Miami Marlins in December of that year, but never appeared in a game for them.
Hager spent 2017 with both the San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies organizations, batting .247/.309/.419 with 10 home runs in 257 plate appearances between those two clubs. On July 30th, 2018, Hager agreed to a one-year deal worth $600K with the Cincinnati Reds organization.
In 133 games at second base this season, Hager has tallied 38 hits (including 11 doubles), seven stolen bases and an on-base percentage of .342 while striking out only 72 times total - good for an OPS of 1.013 overall (.367 vs lefties).
His eight home runs are third most among National League second basemen behind Nolan Arenado (11) and Jose Peraza (10).
26. Tyler Goeddel
Philadelphia Phillies
Tyler Goeddel was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 5th round of the 2012 MLB draft. He made his major league debut for the Phillies in 2016 and currently plays for their AAA affiliate, Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Tyler has also played for three other teams over his career including Oakland Athletics (2013-15), Tampa Bay Rays (2016) and Houston Astros (2017). In 2018, he led all minor leaguers with a .341 batting average and won both MVP honors as well as Rookie of the Year honors from Baseball America magazine.
Tyler is married to Kaleigh Morley and they have two children together - Sadie Mae and Tatum Jameson Goeddel. Tyler Goeddel made his MLB debut for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2016.
Tyler is a young outfielder with some upside, and he performed well during limited time on the field. He batted .192 with 4 home runs and 16 RBIs in just 116 games played over two seasons with the Phillies.
Tyler will look to improve upon those numbers next season while hopefully making an impact at the major league level sooner rather than later.
27. Grayson Garvin
Tampa Bay Rays
Grayson Garvin is a pitcher who has played in the MLB for the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers. Grayson Garvin began his career with the Detroit Tigers in 2009, and he spent 4 seasons there before moving to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2013.
In 2018, Garvin had a solid season with the Tampa Bay Rays, going 10-11 with a 3.86 ERA and 171 strikeouts over 191 innings pitched. At age 33, Grayson Garvin is still young enough to have many years of good pitching ahead of him if he can stay healthy.
Grayson Garvin is a right-handed pitcher who attends Suwanee High School in Georgia. He has been playing baseball since he was young and began to gain recognition during his junior year, when he pitched for the state championship team.
Grayson Garvin stands at 6'4" and weighs 225 pounds, making him one of the bigger players on the field.
His fastball usually ranges from 88-90 mph and his slider can be anywhere from 73-77 mph, giving him a lethal combination of pitches that opponents have trouble hitting.
Grayson Garvin hopes to play college ball at an Division I program and continue developing as a pitcher after graduation.
He also enjoys participating in community service projects with local youth groups, hoping to give back something valuable in return for all that they've given to him over the years.
28. Keenyn Walker
Keenyn Walker is an outfielder for the Minnesota Twins. He was signed as a Minor League free agent by the Twins in 2011. Walker played collegiate ball at Oklahoma State University before being drafted by the Twins in 2010.
In 2013, he had a breakout season batting .290 with 12 home runs and 58 RBIs in 132 games played. The following year, Walker enjoyed another solid year batting .287 with 11 home runs and 53 RBIs in 139 games played for Minnesota.
Keenyn's younger brother, Jarrod also plays professional baseball; he currently bats cleanup for the independent Wichita Wingnuts of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball (AAIPB).
Keenyn married his high school sweetheart on December 20th, 2016 Keenyn Walker is a pitcher for the Salt Lake Bees of the Pacific Coast League.
She was signed as an undrafted free agent out of college by the Boston Red Sox and made her debut in 2017. In 2018, she pitched to a 2-1 record with a 3.06 ERA in 34 games (25 starts).
Walker has worked on developing both her fastball and slider since being drafted and says that they are now her most dominant pitches.
Her father, Keith Walker, played shortstop in Major League Baseball for six seasons with the San Diego Padres and Miami Marlins before retiring in 2002 due to injury.
Keenyn is married to current Utah Jazz player Trey Burke and they have one daughter together named Tatum Mae Burke born in December of 2019.
29. Dwight Smith Jr.
Toronto Blue Jays
Dwight Smith Jr. was born on October 26, 1992 in Peachtree City, Georgia and is an outfielder for the Lexington Legends. Dwight played college ball at Louisiana State University where he compiled a .321 batting average with 38 home runs and 113 RBIs over three seasons.
He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the first round of the 2013 MLB Draft but did not sign and instead opted to play in Japan for two seasons before returning to professional baseball in 2017 with the Texas Rangers.
In 2018, he signed with the Orioles once again and hit .269/.343/.467 with 10 home runs and 55 RBIs over 147 games played during his first season back in Baltimore.
In 2019, Smith had a breakout year as he batted .282/.362/.484 with 23 home runs and 85 RBIs across 157 games played – good enough for 3rd place on Oriole's leaderboard behind Chris Davis (29) & Manny Machado (24).
30. Kevin Comer
Kevin Comer is a pitcher with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has been in the majors for six seasons and has a career record of 34-24. His best season came in 2017 when he went 14-6 with a 3.36 ERA and 197 strikeouts in 202 innings pitched.
Prior to joining the Diamondbacks, Kevin played for the Cleveland Indians from 2013 to 2016 where he had a 54-48 record and 469 strikeouts in 602 2/3 innings pitched.
Kevin was originally drafted by the Houston Astros out of high school but did not sign because he preferred to play college baseball at Louisiana State University instead.
After spending one year at LSU, Comer signed with Cleveland and made his major league debut that same year Kevin Comer is a right-handed pitcher who was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the fourth round of the 2007 MLB Draft.
He made his professional debut with their Rookie League team in 2010 and spent two seasons there before being promoted to the Class A Short Season Williamsport Crosscutters.
In 2013, he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals and spent most of that season with their AAA affiliate, Memphis Redbirds. He returned to St.
Louis for 2014 and threw a shutout against Pittsburgh Pirates on September 25th, earning him National League Pitcher of the Week honors (he finished 2015 with an 8-6 record).
On July 30th, 2016 he signed a major league contract with Atlanta Braves and made his debut later that month against Miami Marlins as part of a doubleheader; he allowed one run over six innings but was unable to complete the second game due to injury.
31. Michael Kelly
Michael Kelly is a pitcher for the Cleveland Guardians. He was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2012 draft by the Tampa Bay Rays. In 2017, he was traded to Cleveland where he has been since then.
Michael Kelly has a 8-7 record with a 4.12 ERA in 28 games (27 starts). His best season came in 2018 when he had a 13-9 record and led the American League with 204 strikeouts over 161 innings pitched.
Michael Kelly will turn 30 years old this year and is in his prime as an MLB pitcher. Michael Kelly made his MLB debut with the Philadelphia Phillies in June of 2022. Michael was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 6th round of the 2018 amateur draft, but he opted to sign with Philadelphia instead.
In his rookie season, Michael pitched to a 2-0 record and an ERA of 2.25 before being traded to Atlanta Braves on July 20th for cash considerations.
Michael finished his first MLB season with a win over the St Louis Cardinals and an ERA of 3.11 in 41 innings pitched across 4 starts/5 relief appearances spread out over 8 months from late May until early October.
On November 1st, Michael agreed to terms on a contract extension with Philadelphia that will keep him through 2024.
32. Adam Conley
Miami Marlins
Adam Conley was drafted in the first round of the 2009 MLB Draft by the Marlins out of high school. He made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast League Marlins in 2010 and had an impressive year, going 10-5 with a 2.68 ERA in 26 games (22 starts).
After being promoted to Double-A Jacksonville for 2011, he continued to put up good numbers, posting a 9-4 record with a 2.98 ERA in 19 starts. His 2012 campaign was less successful as he posted a 5-10 record but did have better control, walking just 3 batters per nine innings while striking out 7 batters per game on average.
In 2013 Conley finally broke through and had one of his best seasons yet, posting career highs across the board including 15 wins (tied for second all time among Mariners farmhands), 4 shutouts (tied for third all time) and an opponent batting average of .217 (seventh lowest ever recorded by a Mariner starting pitcher).
Despite missing some early action due to injury, Conley finished 2014 strong whereupon he signed another contract extension with Seattle that will keep him at Safeco Field through 2019.
which is pretty damn sweet if you ask me.
Also Played For: washington state university baseball
33. Williams Jerez
Pawtucket Red Sox
Williams Jerez is a left-handed pitcher for the Staten Island FerryHawks. He was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 2nd round of the 2010 MLB Draft, but did not sign.
He signed with the Portland Sea Dogs in 2015 and had an excellent season, posting a 3.41 ERA in 66 relief appearances. Jerez was traded to the New York Mets along with Jeurys Familia and Dilson Herrera for Amed Rosario and Noah Syndergaard on July 31st, 2017.
In 68 games (25 starts) with New York, he has a 5-10 record and 4.11 ERA while striking out 95 batters in 132 innings pitched Williams Jerez made his MLB debut with the Los Angeles Angels in 2018. He had a record of 1–0 and an ERA of 5.33 in his lone season with the team.
Williams Jerez also pitched for the San Francisco Giants in 2019, Pittsburgh Pirates in 2019, and has notched 24 strikeouts over 25 innings pitched during that span.
34. John Hicks
Texas Rangers
John Hicks made his MLB debut with the Phillies in 2013. He has since played for the Tigers, Red Sox and Yankees, accumulating a .259 batting average over those years.
He was an All-Star in 2017 after hitting 23 home runs and driving in 85 runs. In 2018, he batted just .202 but still managed to hit 12 home runs and drive in 37 RBIs while appearing at all three outfield positions (left field, center field and right field).
Hicks is currently a free agent after being released by the Yankees earlier this month Hicks was drafted in the first round of the 2015 MLB draft by the Seattle Mariners. Hicks made his professional debut with the Mariners' rookie affiliate, the RSL Tigers, in August of that year.
He appeared in 94 games for Seattle's main team over two seasons before being traded to Detroit midway through 2019 season. In total, Hicks has played 266 games across three organizations and has hit .236 with 32 home runs and 97 RBIs on the field.
Hicks is considered a key player for both Seattle and Detroit heading into 2021 as he looks to solidify himself as an everyday starter at any level of baseball he plays at moving forward.
35. Cory Mazzoni
San Diego Padres
Cory Mazzoni is a 33-year-old pitcher who has played for the New York Mets. He attended Evans City High School and then went on to play college baseball at Mercyhurst College before being drafted by the Mets in 2012.
Cory made his major league debut with the Mets during the 2016 season, after spending time in their minor league system. In 2017 he had a successful season.
Finishing fifth in NL Cy Young voting and leading the majors with an ERA of 2.38 – which was also good enough for second place in MLB history behind Pedro Martinez’s record of 2.51 set back in 1999.
Mazzoni will be part of Team USA at this year's World Baseball Classic where he is expected to contribute significantly as they look to win their fourth title ever. Cory Mazzoni made his MLB debut for the San Diego Padres in 2015.
He pitched well in his first season, going 1-0 with a win-loss record of 1 and an ERA of 11.72. Cory continued pitching well in 2016, posting a 2-1 record with a similar earned run average (ERA).
However, he had some struggles in 2017 and was traded to the Chicago Cubs midway through the year. In 2018, he reestablished himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball by going 3-0 with an ERA of 0 and 19 strikeouts over 27 innings pitched.
36. Carson Smith
Boston Red Sox
Smith was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 7th round of the 2009 MLB Draft. He made his major league debut with Seattle in 2014, and has since pitched for them intermittently.
Smith had a breakout year in 2017, posting a 3.54 ERA and striking out 174 batters over 176 innings pitched. Smith - he's struggled to maintain control while also averaging less than 5 strikeouts per 9 innings - but he remains under contract through 2020 with a team option for 2021 worth $10 million dollars ($1 million buyout).
Carson Smith made his MLB debut with the Seattle Mariners in 2014. He was traded to the Boston Red Sox in 2018 and ended up playing for them until he was released earlier this year.
Smith has a 4-6 record with an ERA of 2.21 and 129 strikeouts in 153 innings pitched over three seasons in the majors. The left-handed pitcher is known for being able to get hitters out by mixing speeds, deception, and location well on pitches down in the zone or away from batsman's hands.
His release from Boston may be due to injury concerns as he had been having issues with his arm since early May which forced him into emergency surgery. As of now, it seems that Carson Smith will not return to baseball next season but we'll have to wait and see what happens next.
37. Charlie Tilson
Charlotte Knights
Charlie Tilson is a 30-year-old center fielder for the Chicago Dogs. Tilson was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third round of the 2010 MLB draft out of Illinois State University, where he played in 133 games and hit .272 with six home runs and 45 RBIs.
He made his big league debut with the Dodgers on September 4, 2012 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, going 0 for 3 at bat but playing a solid defensive game in left field.
After hitting .196/.269/.316 with three home runs and 12 RBIs over 81 games split between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2013, Tilson was traded to Chicago along with Pedro Baez for Scott Van Slyke and Ryan Goins on December 16th.
In 47 games for Chi Cubs this season, he's batting .239/.334/.446 (76 OPS+) with eight homers and 38 RBIs – good enough for eighth place among all National League outfielders despite missing nearly two months due to an ankle injury sustained while running into a wall during spring training.
Tilson has been very valuable defensively as well - ranking fifth among NL outfielders according to Fangraphs' Defensive Runs Saved metric (-10).
His average range factor per 9 innings (.906) ranks sixth best behind only Gold Glove winners Lorenzo Cain (1.044), Ian Desmond (1.052), Carlos Gomez (1.055), Mike Moustakas (+0 DRS/9 IP) & Troy Tulowitzki (-0 DRS/9 IP).
Final Words
. . The 2011 Major League Baseball Draft was an exciting event for all baseball fans as the future of their favorite team was on the line. The draft produced some great players, who have since gone on to become superstars in the sport.
Some of the best players from this year’s draft include Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, and Nolan Arenado. These three stars are sure to lead their teams to success in years to come and will be remembered as some of the best players ever to play professional baseball.
