The 2010 MLB Draft was loaded with talent, and plenty of players from that draft class have gone on to become superstars in the big leagues.
Despite that, there are definitely a few MLB clubs that would love to go back in time and change their selections.
Now that over a decade has passed since the 2010 draft, there’s enough information available to compare the way the draft actually went with the way it should have gone.
Today, we’ll essentially be re-doing the top five picks of the draft based on the way players’ careers have panned out over the years.
Any player who was drafted in 2010 (and signed) is eligible to crack our new top five.
Before we get started, let’s take a look at how the top five picks of the draft actually looked:
- 1st overall: Bryce Harper — Washington Nationals
- 2nd overall: Jameson Taillon — Pittsburgh Pirates
- 3rd overall: Manny Machado — Baltimore Orioles
- 4th overall: Christian Colón — Kansas City Royals
- 5th overall: Drew Pomeranz — Cleveland Guardians
Now, let’s take a look at our new top five.
1. Bryce Harper
The Nationals got it right with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.
Harper has nine seasons of MLB experience under his belt, and he has accomplished plenty.
He broke into the big leagues with a bang, winning Rookie of the Year honors in 2012.
He didn’t stop there.
During his time in the majors, the superstar has also earned two MVP awards, six All-Star selections, and two Silver Slugger awards.
He has a career OPS of .916 and OPS+ of 142, and he averages a bWAR of 4.8 per 650 plate appearances.
Bryce Harper broke his bat on this swing and he STILL hit a homer 😳 pic.twitter.com/2vnEP8bncw
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 17, 2018
Harper has lived up to the hype that he brought with him when he entered the big leagues.
2. Jacob deGrom
A healthy Jacob deGrom is the best pitcher in baseball today.
Unbelievably, he wasn’t selected until the ninth round of the 2010 draft.
That’s tough to fathom.
The righty was on pace for one of the most dominant seasons in MLB history in 2021 before his year got derailed by injury, but over the years, he has had enough injury-free seasons to show the world who he really is.
In 2018, for instance, he posted a 1.70 ERA, 218 ERA+, and 1.98 FIP across 32 starts.
The following year, he registered a 2.43 ERA over 32 outings while leading the league in strikeouts.
The Stetson University product took home Cy Young honors in both of those seasons.
For his career, deGrom boasts a 2.50 ERA, 2.64 FIP, and 1.01 WHIP.
In addition to his two Cy Young awards, he has earned four All-Star selections, one ERA title, and a Rookie of the Year award.
3. Chris Sale
Chris Sale was the No. 13 overall pick in this draft.
Given what we know now, it’s clear that he should have gone much earlier.
The lefty has put together an outstanding MLB career so far.
Sale has earned seven All-Star selections and is a perennial Cy Young candidate.
Although he’s never won the award, he has finished in the top six of the race in six different seasons.
The 32-year-old won a World Series in 2018 with the Boston Red Sox and played a huge part in the team’s run to the title.
Sale has a career ERA of 3.03, FIP of 2.92, and WHIP of 1.04.
Chris Sale, Devastating 80mph Slider…and Sword. ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/dhySzpdxOU
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 13, 2019
He also holds an insane career strikeout-to-walk ratio of 5.33 and averages 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings.
4. Christian Yelich
Christian Yelich was selected with the No. 23 pick in the 2010 draft.
It’s safe to say that he has played like a guy that should have gone in the top five.
Although Yelich has had two straight underwhelming seasons, his overall body of work speaks for itself.
The 30-year-old has earned one MVP award, three Silver Slugger awards, two batting titles, two All-Star selections, and a Gold Glove award.
Yelich also lays claim to one of the most dominant two-year spans in recent memory.
From 2018 to 2019, he maintained an absurd OPS of 1.046, OPS+ of 171, and posted a total bWAR of 14.2.
During that span, he averaged 47 home runs per 162 games.
For his career, he holds a solid slash line of .292/.379/.477.
5. Manny Machado
Manny Machado was drafted with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2010 draft.
He has certainly lived up to expectations, but he comes in at No. 5 on this list merely because the draft class produced so many other stars.
Machado has been in the majors for 10 seasons and played for three teams.
So far, he has racked up five All-Star nods, two Gold Glove awards, and one Silver Slugger award.
He has finished in the top 10 of MVP voting four different times, including three finishes in the top five.
The 29-year-old is a career .280 hitter with an OPS of .826 and OPS+ of 122, and he’s far from finished.
SLAM DIEGO!!!
Grand Slam for Manny Machado 💪 pic.twitter.com/GbsCwKZxpi
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 26, 2021
Machado is hoping to lead the San Diego Padres to the postseason in 2022.
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