The dust has settled from the 2021 MLB Draft. We just received word on Sunday that the New York Mets are not going to get their first-round pick Kumar Rocker signed and you can’t help but feel bad for them. A great player like that fell to them and but now he is going to be redrafted next season. It makes you look at our Chicago White Sox and start to appreciate what they have been able to do in the draft over the years.
They weren’t always good at drafting but things have turned around for them in that department lately. 18 White Sox draft picks, including eight of their last nine first-round picks, have contributed to their team this season. This isn’t just any team either. This is a team that is in first place by 9.0 games with real aspirations of winning the World Series. They lead the league with the most first-round picks on the roster.
Carlos Rodon, Tim Anderson, and Andrew Vaughn are obvious names that have been first-round picks that contributed to their success. There are also some unsung heroes that were White Sox draft picks as well like Aaron Bummer, Adam Engel, and Gavin Sheets. Hitting in rounds outside the first is also something the White Sox are clearly good at by looking at those names.
Recent years have been especially good. In 2018, they took Nick Madrigal. He was so good that they were able to turn him into Craig Kimbrel last week. Andrew Vaughn, their 2019 first-rounder, is one of the best young hitters in the game already. They were even able to get their 2020 first-round pick, Garrett Crochet, in the big leagues right away. The COVID-19 pandemic helped that out a little bit but it is still impressive.
The Chicago White Sox need this good drafting that they’ve done to continue.
Drafting these players is half the battle. Getting them signed and developing them in your system is the other half. They have been good at identifying talent in the draft, getting them signed, and developing them lately but they need it to continue. They are an elite team on the MLB level right now but they need to keep supplementing it as the years go on or it will fall off.
The 2021 MLB Draft is looking nice for the White Sox. Colson Montgomery, Wes Kath, and Sean Burke were the first three picks that they made and they are all awesome. We will see if they ever make it to the big leagues. They will be given every opportunity as the team wants to keep its Minor League system strong. Hopefully, this trend of great drafting over the last decade continues because they need it now more than ever.