Sportsmeat

Today marks the beginning of the crapshoot better known as the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, and thanks to Baseball Reference, I've been browsing the recent history of first-round picks. Most teams have selected at least one first-rounder since 2000 who is now contributing to a major league team -- players like Jered Weaver, Prince Fielder, Jeff Franceour, Jeremy Bonderman, Mark Teixeira, Justin Verlander, and Khalil Greene. But there also are plenty of recent picks who have yet to fulfill their promise. The Cardinals, for instance, have picked 11 first rounders since 2000, and not one has played in the majors yet. The best round-one drafters include the A's (Huston Street, Nick Swisher, Bonderman), Brewers (Fielder and Ricky Weeks), Devil Rays (Delmon Young, B.J. Upton, Rocco Baldelli), Giants (Matt Cain, Noah Lowry), and Phillies (Chase Utley, Cole Hamels). Many of those teams have had the advantage of drafting early in the first round. But one who has not may be the most impressive of all: the New York Metropolitans. Since 2000, the Mets have picked eight players in the first round, and all eight have had at least a cup of coffee in the bigs. Included in that group are David Wright, Scott Kazmir, Aaron Heilman, and Lastings Millidge. Who knew?