Looking back at the best and worst of the D-backs draft history
Jun 3, 2018, 3:17 PM
(AP Photos by Alex Brandon, David Zalubowski and Tony Gutierrez)
(AP Photos by Alex Brandon, David Zalubowski and Tony Gutierrez)
With the MLB Draft on Monday, the Arizona Diamondbacks are primed to add some key players to the farm system with picks No. 25 and No. 39.
David Schoenfield of ESPN.com recently looked at all 30 teams in the MLB and analyzed each team’s best first-round selection, best late-round selection and the best player who they let get away.
Max Scherzer (11th pick, 2006) was chosen as the D-backs best first-round pick. Scherzer was in the D-backs organization until 2009 when he was traded for Ian Kennedy and Edwin Jackson.
Although Kennedy helped the D-backs to a 2011 NL West crown, the D-backs probably regret trading away the three-time Cy Young winner and five-time all-star.
Mark Reynolds was awarded the honor of late-round gem.
He played four seasons with the D-backs after being drafted in the 16th round of the 2004 draft. His best year came in 2009 when he blasted 44 homeruns and stole 24 bases.
Since then, Reynolds has been somewhat of a journeyman bouncing to eight different teams over his 12 year career. He is a career .238 hitter and has 287 career homers.
The one that got away was Ian Kinsler.
Kinsler was born in Tucson and drafted out of high school by the D-backs in 2000. However, he opted to go the college route playing ball at Central Arizona College.
In 2001, Kinsler was drafted again by the D-backs but snubbed the club one more time by transfering to ASU.
After his career at ASU he was chosen by the Texas Rangers in the 2003 draft and the rest was history.
The D-backs have had success with first round picks in recent drafts. A.J. Pollock, Chris Owings, Archie Bradley and Braden Shipley were all first-round draft picks by Arizona and all are currently on the 40-man roster.
