Ostrowski: Epstein, Hoyer and McLeod know their draft stuff
The MLB Draft starts on Monday and the Cubs have two picks in the first round. In addition to the 27th pick, they'll select 30th as compensation for losing Dexter Fowler to the Cardinals. A scary thought for the rest of baseball.
For nearly 15 years, the team of Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer, and Jason McLeod have used the draft to land all-star after all-star, with even a couple of MVPs thrown in. Hoyer and McLeod ran the Padres drafts in 2010 and 2011, before putting the band back together on the north side in late 2011.
So let's take a look back at the Top 10 draft picks from the trio of baseball greats Epstein, Hoyer, and McLeod:
1) Kris Bryant, 3B, Cubs (2013 1st round, 2nd pick)
In 2015, Bryant received all 30 first place votes for Rookie of the Year. In 2016, he garnered 29 of 30 first place votes for MVP. He's on his way to his third All-Star Game in three seasons. Bryant gobbled up the final out of the 2016 World Series.
2) Dustin Pedroia, 2B, Red Sox (2004 2nd round, 65th pick)
Like Bryant, Pedroia followed up his Rookie of the Year campaign, with an MVP season in 2008. This 51.2 career WAR player has two World Series, four all-stars, and four gold gloves. He has the 3rd best fielding percentage (.9914) all-time at second base.
3) Mookie Betts, OF, Red Sox (2011 5th round, 172nd pick)
Betts may have won the MVP over Bryant last year if he played in the National League. Since he's in Mike Trout's league, he finished second. Betts' 32 defensive runs saved was 10 more than anyone else.
4) Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Cubs (2007 6th round, 204th pick)
Rizzo has back-to-back 4th place MVP finishes in 2015 and 2016. One of the first things that Epstein, Hoyer, and McLeod did after arriving at Wrigley Field was trade for Rizzo.
5) Jacoby Ellsbury, OF, Yankees (2005 1st round, 23rd pick)
Ellsbury won two titles, finished 2nd in 2011 MVP after an 8.1 WAR season, and got a $153 million dollar contract from the Yankees.
6) Jonathan Papelbon, RP, Former Red Sox/Phillies/Nationals (2003 4th round, 114th pick)
Papelbon's 368 saves is 9th all time. 17 of his first 18 playoff appearances were scoreless.
7) Clay Buchholz, SP, Phillies (2005 1st round supplemental, 42nd pick)
Buchholz was at his best in 2010 when he finished 6th in Cy Young voting with a 2.33 ERA.
8) Jackie Bradley Jr., OF, Red Sox (2011 1st round supplemental, 40th pick)
The center fielder had a 29-game hit streak in 2015.
9) Kyle Schwarber, LF, Cubs (2014 1st round, 4th pick)
It's been an awful 2017 start, but I'm weighing 5 home runs in the 2015 playoffs and a .500 on-base percentage in the 2016 World Series more heavily than two months of regular season baseball.
10) Jedd Gyorko, 3B, Cardinals (2010 2nd round, 59th pick)
Gyorko is hitting cleanup and top 10 in WAR among position players.
Others receiving votes:
Josh Reddick OF, Astros, Travis Shaw 3B, Brewers.
Drafted but didn't sign:
Brandon Belt 1B, Giants, Charlie Blackmon OF, Rockies, Yasmani Grandal C, Dodgers.
• Joe Ostrowski is a co-host of the "Hit & Run" baseball show from 9 a.m. to noon Sundays on WSCR 670-AM The Score with Barry Rozner. Follow him on Twitter@JoeO670.