Opening Eyes to the HS Trend

In the first round of the MLB draft yesterday, 17 pitchers were selected. Ten of those seventeen were right-handed. Let’s take a look at the first eight…

Pick 8: Casey Weathers, RHP, Vanderbilt – Colorado: A reliever
Pick 9: Jarrod Parker, RHP, Norwell HS – Arizona
Pick 11: Phillippe Aumont, RHP, Ecole Du Versant HS (Quebec), -- Seattle
Pick 17: Blake Beaven, RHP, Irving HS – Texas
Pick 20: Chris Withrow, RHP, Midland Christian HS – LA Dodgers
Pick 22: Tim Alderson, RHP, Horizon HS – San Francisco
Pick 24: Michael Main, RHP, Deland HS – Texas
Pick 26: James Simmons, RHP, UC Riverside – Oakland

Seven of the first eight 1st round picks in this 2007 MLB draft that went to right-handed pitching either went to high schoolers or relievers. (And one was even French-Canadian).

I don’t know if any of those other guys are bad, or if James Simmons is any good. And of course, being a high school first round pick isn’t always bad. It’s just more often a complete waste. The gap is narrowing, but it is still a foolish practice to take a high school pitcher at all in the first round.

I guarantee you, each time a high schooler’s name was called out, Oakland GM Billy Beane’s heart pitter-pattered with glee. With the 26th pick, Oakland took the first collegiate right-handed starting pitcher in the entire draft. Pick freaking 26.