The 2021 MLB Draft has come and gone, and it was full of surprises.
From the very first pick of the night, it was evident that things weren’t going to go as expected.
The unpredictable nature of this year’s draft made for a highly entertaining event, and it also allowed several teams to select players that probably shouldn’t have been available when they were on the clock.
Amid the chaos, which MLB teams fared the best?
Let’s find out.
3. Pittsburgh Pirates
On the whole, the Pittsburgh Pirates had a very solid draft.
After all, it’s hard to go wrong when you have the No. 1 overall selection.
The Pirates surprised everyone when they selected Henry Davis with the top pick, but even though it was unexpected, Davis is a great addition to any franchise.
He is one of the best catching prospects we have seen in many years, and if you want evidence, look no further than his college stats.
Davis batted .337 with a 1.001 OPS over three seasons at the University of Louisville.
Very rarely do you see a catcher with that sort of offensive ability.
Davis aside, the Pirates pulled off some nice value selections.
Among them, Anthony Solometo, Lonnie White Jr., and Bubba Chandler.
2. Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers quietly had a great MLB Draft this year.
They opened things up by taking Boston College outfielder Sal Frelick at No. 15, which was an excellent value pick.
Frelick was a menace at BC, batting .345 with a .956 OPS while also adding some stellar outfield defense.
Boston College entered the 9th down 9-1. Sal Frelick led off with an opposite field single, and he now ties it at 9 with a 3-run bomb. What a comeback and what a swing from Frelick. pic.twitter.com/BWnLVjp9rq
— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) March 7, 2021
He was one of the best players in the ACC this past season, and he fell right into the Brewers’ lap.
Milwaukee also added some sneaky-good prospects later in the draft.
Among them, Tyler Black (out of Wright State University), Russell Smith (out of Texas Christian University), and Alex Binelas (out of the University of Louisville).
It was a very successful draft for the Brewers.
1. Boston Red Sox
Many Boston Red Sox fans were disappointed when highly-coveted pitching prospect Jack Leiter was taken at No. 2 by the Texas Rangers, but Boston had an absolutely phenomenal draft despite missing out on Leiter.
The Red Sox started their draft by stealing Marcelo Mayer with the No. 4 pick.
With the 4th pick in the 2021 #MLBDraft, we have selected shortstop Marcelo Mayer from Eastlake High School (CA).
Welcome, Marcelo! pic.twitter.com/rmX5ptFTaC
— Red Sox (@RedSox) July 11, 2021
Mayer was considered the consensus No. 1 pick in the draft before the night started.
He was a career .363 hitter in high school with a ridiculous 1.303 OPS.
He homered 14 times during his senior season and reached base at an absurd .555 clip.
He was somehow still available when the Red Sox were on the clock, and Boston swooped him and snagged him.
Boston also added Jud Fabian, a player who was regarded as one of the best bats in the draft before he had a difficult spring season in 2021.
He definitely has a lot of upside, and it was surprising to see him available in the second round.
The Red Sox also added Tyler McDonough, Elmer Rodriguez, and Nathan Hickey in rounds 3-5.
The dominoes fell Boston’s way on draft night, and that was exactly what the organization needed as it is still trying to replenish the farm system in the aftermath of the Dave Dombrowski era.
