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Half Of Opening Day Starters Were First Rounders

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 30, 2011 at 9:15pm CDT

Even though former top picks such as Zack Greinke, Adam Wainwright and Stephen Strasburg are currently sidelined, a substantial number of one-time first rounders will open their teams' seasons this week. Half of baseball's 30 Opening Day starters were once first round selections.

Five Opening Day starters - Felix Hernandez, Ubaldo Jimenez, Fausto Carmona, Livan Hernandez and Edinson Volquez – were not drafted, which means 60% of the starters who were at one point draft eligible came from the first round (15/25). As Keith Law recently pointed out at ESPN.com, "the vast majority of impact players" who enter pro ball through the draft were selected early on.

Of the 15 first rounders to become 2011 Opening Day starters, David Price (2007) was drafted most recently and Chris Carpenter (1993) was drafted longest ago. The opening round of the 2006 draft produced the most Opening Day starters, with four. Luke Hochevar (1st overall), Clayton Kershaw (7th), Tim Lincecum (10th) and Ian Kennedy (21st) all went early on in the '06 draft.

Roy Halladay (1995), C.C. Sabathia (1998), Brett Myers (1999), Jeremy Guthrie (2002), Tim Stauffer (2003), Justin Verlander (2004), Jered Weaver (2004), Ricky Romero (2005) and Mike Pelfrey (2005) join Price, Carpenter, Hochevar, Kershaw, Lincecum and Kennedy in the group of first rounders who got the Opening Day nod this year.

This isn’t to suggest that becoming an Opening Day starter is the standard that draft prospects like Gerrit Cole, Jed Bradley and Sonny Gray should aspire to. Clearly, there are more effective ways of measuring a pitcher’s value than the day on which his manager asks him to throw his first pitch. But it’s worth noting that so many Opening Day starters come from the first round and it'll be worth watching which starters get selected early this June.

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15 Comments

  1. Alan

    14 years ago

    You mean Jered. 🙂

    Reply
  2. Tim Agla

    14 years ago

    I’m guessing you meant to reference Jered Weaver, Jeff doesn’t even have a major league job at the moment, let alone a chance to start Opening day.

    Reply
  3. notsureifsrs

    14 years ago

    hear that? andrew friedman is laughing

    Reply
  4. Matt Lucas

    14 years ago

    good to see the guys that run this site ARE human.

    it’s okay MLBTR. we’ll forgive you

    Reply
  5. picked_u_off

    14 years ago

    Archie Bradley…not Jed Bradley. 😉

    Reply
  6. BrandonG

    14 years ago

    “”the vast majority of impact players” who enter pro ball through the draft were selected early on.”

    Thanks, Keith Law.

    Reply
  7. Jeffy25

    14 years ago

    I heard Johnny Sanchez was starting opening day for the fiants

    Reply
    • Gbo Madasinavathapudi

      14 years ago

      And that would be wrong. Good job.

      Reply
  8. bluejaycountry

    14 years ago

    LIVAN IS STARTING OPENING DAY?? LIVAN????

    Reply
    • Cameron Nelson

      14 years ago

      Have you seen the patchwork that is the Washington rotation? Their most talented guy is Oliver Perez.

      …I will repeat that. Oliver Perez.

      Reply
      • yahoo-FHJ4CLAFB7SSE6COSQ5KTYLH5A

        14 years ago

        Jordan Zimmermann. That is all.

        Reply
  9. superman

    14 years ago

    Doc Halladay was drafted in 1995.

    Reply
  10. Mike K

    14 years ago

    And then there’s 38th rounder Mark Buehrle.

    Reply
  11. websoulsurfer

    14 years ago

    You forgot the guy who will be facing Carpenter, the Padres Tim Stauffer. 4th overall pick in 2003

    Reply
  12. websoulsurfer

    14 years ago

    WTF. This wont let me edit my comment. I F’d up and cant edit it.

    Reply

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