Grading Every MLB Team's 2006 Draft Haul

Unlike many of the drafts that followed, the 2006 MLB draft did not have a clear-cut No. 1 overall prospect, and the Kansas City Royals wound up selecting Luke Hochevar with the top pick after he had failed to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers the previous year and spent the spring pitching in the independent league.

Despite a lack of consensus at the top, the 2006 first round produced some legitimate star power, with Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, Tim Lincecum and Evan Longoria all among the draft's top-tier prospects.

With more than a decade to digest how things have played out, we've gone back through the draft haul of all 30 MLB teams and slapped a letter grade on the talent they acquired.

We went with A, B, C, D or F as the possible grades based on the amount of MLB talent a team's draft class produced, how the team did with its first-round pick and how it used prospects to improve its roster in other ways, such as trades.

Previous draft grade articles: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015

First-Round Picks: RHP Max Scherzer (1-11), RHP Brooks Brown (1-34)

Other MLB Players: LHP Brett Anderson (2-55), RHP Hector Ambriz (5-147), RHP Daniel Stange (7-207), RHP Tony Barnette (10-297), C John Hester (13-387), RHP Chad Beck (14-417), LHP Clay Zavada (30-897)

After debuting in 2008, Max Scherzer spent one full season in the Arizona Diamondbacks rotation the following year, posting a 4.12 ERA with 174 strikeouts in 170.1 innings. The 24-year-old was then shipped to the Detroit Tigers in a three-team, seven-player deal that brought Ian Kennedy and Edwin Jackson to Arizona and sent Curtis Granderson to the New York Yankees.

Whoops.

Kennedy had a few solid seasons atop the rotation, but trading a future Hall of Famer at the onset of his career is a tough pill to swallow in any circumstance.

The D-backs also dealt a young Brett Anderson to Oakland as part of a six-player package to acquire Dan Haren prior to the 2008 season. They also sent future NL batting champ Carlos Gonzalez to Oakland in that deal.    

Grade: B  

First-Round Picks: OF Cody Johnson (1-24), RHP Cory Rasmus (1-38), LHP Steve Evarts (1-43)

Other MLB Players: LHP Jeff Locke (2-51), RHP Kris Medlen (10-310), RHP Deunte Heath (19-580)

This was not a good first round for an Atlanta Braves team that has generally drafted well at the top over the years. Cody Johnson and Steve Evarts never reached the majors, while Cory Rasmus was an average middle reliever for a few years with the Los Angeles Angels.

Atlanta did salvage things a bit with 10th-round selection Kris Medlen, who posted a 2.47 ERA in 335 innings between the 2012 and 2013 seasons before injuries sidetracked him, and he resurfaced in the Kansas City Royals bullpen.  

Left-hander Jeff Locke was an All-Star with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2013. He was traded to Pittsburgh along with Charlie Morton and Gorkys Hernandez in exchange for Nate McLouth during the 2009 season.   

Grade: D

First-Round Picks: 3B Billy Rowell (1-9), RHP Pedro Beato (1-32)

Other MLB Players: 3B Ryan Adams (2-58), LHP Zack Britton (3-85), IF Blake Davis (4-115), RHP Jason Berken (6-175)

"The only question about [Billy] Rowell offensively is how well his enormous batting practice power translates to top game competition, but he has played well in some elite showcase events," Baseball America wrote in his predraft scouting report.

"Not well" was the answer.

He hit .261/.329/.389 with 594 strikeouts in 550 games in the minors, topping out at the Double-A level in 2011.

Left-hander Zack Britton saved an otherwise cringe-worthy draft class, as he was a two-time All-Star while racking up 139 saves in seven-plus seasons with the Orioles. He finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting in 2016 when he converted all 47 of his save chances with a 0.54 ERA in 67 innings.   

Grade: D

First-Round Picks: OF Jason Place (1-27), RHP Daniel Bard (1-28), LHP Kris Johnson (1-40), RHP Caleb Clay (1-44)

Other MLB Players: RHP Justin Masterson (2-71), 1B Aaron Bates (3-83), LHP Dustin Richardson (5-163), IF Kristopher Negron (7-223), OF Ryan Kalish (9-283), OF Josh Reddick (17-523), 1B Lars Anderson (18-553)

Jason Place and Caleb Clay both failed to reach the majors, and Kris Johnson made a grand total of seven appearances in the big leagues. But it looked like the Red Sox hit on their selection of Daniel Bard.

He had a 2.88 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 9.7 K/9 in 192 appearances over his first three seasons, but his command abruptly disappeared in 2012. He didn't pitch in the majors for six years before resurrecting his career with the Colorado Rockies in 2020, and he has 26 saves the past two seasons.

Justin Masterson (to CLE for Victor Martinez) and Josh Reddick (to OAK for Andrew Bailey) were both traded before breaking out.

The Red Sox went above-slot to sign Ryan Kalish ($600K) and Lars Anderson ($825K) later in the draft, but neither delivered on his top prospect potential. Fun fact: They are now co-owners of a baseball bat manufacturing company called Birdman Bats.   

Grade: C

First-Round Picks: OF Tyler Colvin (1-13)

Other MLB Players: RHP Jeff Samardzija (5-149), C Steve Clevenger (7-209), RHP Blake Parker (16-479), RHP Marcus Hatley (39-1,169)

Outfielder Tyler Colvin hit .356/.419/.609 with 13 home runs and 70 RBI in 69 games during a breakout junior season at Clemson, and in a thin draft for college bats, he soared into the first-round conversation before the Cubs picked him at No. 13 overall.

He had a 113 OPS+ and 20 home runs as a rookie in 2010, but he regressed the following season before he was traded to Colorado along with a young DJ LeMahieu in an ill-fated deal for third baseman Ian Stewart.

It was fifth-round pick Jeff Samardzija who stole the headlines on draft day, as he was an All-American wide receiver at Notre Dame, hauling in 155 receptions for 2,266 yards and 27 touchdowns during his junior and senior seasons with Brady Quinn under center.

With a 3.97 ERA and 639 strikeouts in 666 innings during his time on the North Side, he is arguably the team's best homegrown pitcher since Kerry Wood.    

Grade: B

First-Round Picks: RHP Kyle McCulloch (1-29)

Other MLB Players: RHP Brian Omogrosso (6-195), RHP Kanekoa Texeira (22-675), LHP Hector Santiago (30-915)

"[Kyle] McCulloch's stuff isn't as sexy as the pitchers ahead of him on this list, though he's a better bet to reach his ceiling as a No. 3 or 4 starter than most," Baseball America wrote.

However, that high-floor outlook never came to fruition, and he ultimately failed to advance beyond Triple-A, posting a 4.64 ERA and 1.49 WHIP in 711.1 innings in the minors.

Hitting on 30th-round pick Hector Santiago is the only thing that saves this from being an "F" draft class. The left-hander posted a 3.93 ERA and 108 ERA+ in 352.1 innings with the White Sox while filling a variety of roles on the staff.

Grade: D

First-Round Picks: OF Drew Stubbs (1-8)

Other MLB Players: IF Chris Valaika (3-84), RHP Josh Ravin (5-144), RHP Jordan Smith (6-174), 3B Justin Turner (7-204), RHP Josh Roenicke (10-294), OF Chris Heisey (17-504), C Eddy Rodriguez (20-594), OF Danny Dorn (32-954)

Drew Stubbs took over as Cincinnati's starting center fielder in 2010 and posted a 22-homer, 30-steal season while tallying 3.0 WAR. He averaged 17 home runs and 33 steals in three seasons in the everyday lineup, but he also struck out nearly 30 percent of the time, including an MLB-leading 205 strikeouts in 2011.

He was traded to Cleveland prior to the 2014 season in exchange for reliever Josh Outman.

The black eye here is giving up on seventh-round pick Justin Turner far too early. He was traded to the Baltimore Orioles after the 2008 season in the deal that brought catcher Ramon Hernandez to Cincinnati. The Orioles and New York Mets also pulled the plug too early before he eventually broke out with the Dodgers.

Grade: C

First-Round Picks: LHP David Huff (1-39)

Other MLB Players: RHP Steven Wright (2-56), IF Josh Rodriguez (2-57), C Matt McBride (2-75), RHP Chris Archer (5-161), RHP Paolo Espino (10-311), RHP Josh Tomlin (19-581), RHP Vinnie Pestano (20-611), LHP John Gaub (21-641)

Left-hander David Huff spent parts of five seasons in the Cleveland rotation, going a combined 18-26 with a 5.40 ERA and 1.56 WHIP in 288.1 innings while making 52 starts. He was claimed off waivers by the New York Yankees early in the 2013 season and spent a few years as a passable middle reliever.

Fifth-round pick Chris Archer and 21st-round pick John Gaub were both traded to the Chicago Cubs following the 2008 season in exchange for Mark DeRosa. The Cubs then flipped Archer to Tampa Bay in a blockbuster deal for Matt Garza, and Archer developed into an All-Star.

The most significant impact in Cleveland came from late-round picks Josh Tomlin (183 G, 144 GS, 61-53, 4.77 ERA, 898.2 IP) and Vinnie Pestano (192 G, 11 SV, 66 HLD, 2.93 ERA, 10.8 K/9). Pestano was then traded to the Los Angeles Angels for a young Mike Clevinger.    

Grade: B

First-Round Picks: RHP Greg Reynolds (1-2)

Other MLB Players: C Michael McKenry (7-198), RHP Will Harris (9-258)

Right-hander Greg Reynolds struggled through his first two seasons at Stanford before taking a step forward during his junior season, but even with his mid-90s fastball and plus command, his limited track record of success made him a major risk at No. 2 overall.

In a 2006 first round that included the likes of Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer and Tim Lincecum, the Rockies walked away with a pitcher who finished his MLB career with a 7.01 ERA in 123.1 innings.

Reliever Will Harris bounced from Colorado to Oakland to Arizona before finding a home in the Houston Astros bullpen, where he was an All-Star in 2016. He signed a three-year, $24 million contract with the Washington Nationals prior to the 2020 season.    

Grade: F

First-Round Picks: LHP Andrew Miller (1-6)

Other MLB Players: OF Brennan Boesch (3-82), IF Scott Sizemore (5-142), RHP Angel Castro (13-382), LHP Duane Below (19-562), RHP Casey Fien (20-592)

After going 13-2 with a 2.48 ERA and 133 strikeouts in 123.1 innings during his junior season at North Carolina, left-hander Andrew Miller only made three minor league appearances before he was called up to the big leagues for his MLB debut on Aug. 30, 2006.

Miller pitched 74.1 innings in a Tigers uniform before he was traded to the Marlins as part of the Miguel Cabrera/Dontrelle Willis blockbuster.

Outfielder Brennan Boesch slugged 42 home runs in three seasons with the Tigers, finishing fifth in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2010. Right-hander Casey Fien bounced around before he found a spot in the Minnesota Twins bullpen, where he had a 3.79 ERA in 257 appearances.

Grade: B

First-Round Picks: C Maxwell Sapp (1-23)

Other MLB Players: 3B Chris Johnson (4-129), RHP Bud Norris (6-189)

Another in a long line of cautionary tales about drafting high school catchers in the first round, Maxwell Sapp played just three pro seasons, hitting .224/.310/.313 while failing to advance beyond Single-A.

Fourth-round pick Chris Johnson spent two seasons as Houston's starting third baseman during the early stages of their rebuild, and he broke out with the Arizona Diamondbacks a few years later after he was traded at the 2012 deadline.

Meanwhile, Bud Norris turned out to be one of the better second-tier starting pitchers in this draft class, and he posted a 4.33 ERA in 689.2 innings with the Astros before he was sent to Baltimore in a deal that brought back Josh Hader, L.J. Hoes and a competitive balance pick.

Grade: D

First-Round Picks: RHP Luke Hochevar (1-1)

Other MLB Players: RHP Blake Wood (3-77), OF Derrick Robinson (4-107), LHP Everett Teaford (12-347), OF Jarrod Dyson (50-1,475)

After rebuffing the Los Angeles Dodgers as the No. 40 overall pick in the 2005 draft, Luke Hochevar spent 2006 pitching for the Fort Worth Cats in the independent league. He was then taken No. 1 overall by the Kansas City Royals, who signed him to a four-year, $5.3 million major league deal.

He debuted the following year and spent five middling seasons in the Kansas City rotation before shifting to the bullpen and finding a new level of success. All told, he had a 4.98 ERA in 929.1 innings in a nine-year career spent entirely with the Royals.

Speedy outfielder Jarrod Dyson was the latest pick in the 2006 class to reach the majors, and he was still active in 2021. The 37-year-old has 266 steals and 15.3 WAR in 12 seasons.    

Grade: D

First-Round Picks: C Hank Conger (1-25)

Other MLB Players: RHP David Herndon (5-162), RHP Jordan Walden (12-372), OF Chris Pettit (19-582), LHP Barret Browning (28-852)

One of two catchers selected in the first round of the 2006 draft, Hank Conger made his MLB debut at the age of 22 and spent five seasons as a part-time catcher with the Los Angeles Angels. He never realized his significant power potential and finished with 2.0 WAR in 373 games.

Right-hander Jordan Walden wound up being the best pick in this draft haul. He debuted in 2010 and took over as the team's closer in 2011, earning an All-Star selection and tallying 32 saves with a 2.98 ERA and 10.0 K/9 in 62 appearances.

Two years later, he was traded to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for starter Tommy Hanson, and they in turn flipped him to the St. Louis Cardinals two years later in the Jason Heyward blockbuster.

Grade: C

First-Round Picks: LHP Clayton Kershaw (1-7), RHP Bryan Morris (1-26), SS Preston Mattingly (1-31)

Other MLB Players: None

There were five pitchers drafted ahead of Clayton Kershaw in the 2006 draft, and that group combined for 21.4 WAR in the majors. Kershaw has racked up 71.9 WAR while winning three Cy Young Awards and an NL MVP Award over 14 seasons, and he is still putting the finishing touches on what will undoubtedly be a Hall of Fame career.

Reliever Bryan Morris had a solid run in the Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen after he was traded as part of the three-team deal that brought Manny Ramirez to Los Angeles at the 2008 deadline.

Shortstop Preston Mattingly, the team's third first-round pick and the son of New York Yankees star Don Mattingly, played six professional seasons and didn't advance beyond High-A.   

Grade: A

First-Round Picks: RHP Brett Sinkbeil (1-19), OF Chris Coghlan (1-36)

Other MLB Players: OF Scott Cousins (3-95), RHP Chris Hatcher (5-155), OF John Raynor (9-275), LHP Graham Taylor (10-305), SS Osvaldo Martinez (11-335), RHP Jay Buente (14-425), RHP Alex Sanabia (32-965)

It looked like the Marlins had a future star on their hands when Chris Coghlan won NL Rookie of the Year honors in 2009, hitting .321/.390/.460 with 46 extra-base hits in 128 games. Instead, that proved to be his career peak, and he spent nine seasons in the big leagues primarily as a utility player.

Hard-throwing Chris Hatcher was originally drafted as a catcher before moving to the mound. He had a 4.50 ERA and 9.0 K/9 in 250 appearances with three different teams.

Fun fact: Osvaldo Martinez was traded to the Chicago White Sox as part of the deal that brought manager Ozzie Guillen to the Marlins.

Grade: C

First-Round Picks: RHP Jeremy Jeffress (1-16)

Other MLB Players: OF Cole Gillespie (3-92), RHP Mike McClendon (10-302)

The Milwaukee Brewers traded Jeremy Jeffress after just 10 appearances, packaging him along with Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar and Jake Odorizzi to acquire Zack Greinke from the Kansas City Royals prior to the 2011 season.

However, he found his way back to Milwaukee three years later and went on to post a 2.66 ERA with 43 saves in 301 career appearances in a Brewers uniform. He was an All-Star in 2018 when he went 8-1 with 15 saves, 18 holds and a 1.29 ERA in 73 appearances.

Outfielder Cole Gillespie was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks at the 2009 trade deadline in exchange for second baseman Felipe Lopez, who hit .320/.407/.448 with 2.0 WAR in 66 games.

Grade: C

First-Round Picks: OF Chris Parmelee (1-20)

Other MLB Players: OF Joe Benson (2-64), LHP Tyler Robertson (3-96), 2B Brian Dinkelman (8-246), RHP Jeff Manship (14-426), 3B Danny Valencia (19-576), RHP Anthony Slama (39-1,176)

Outfielder Chris Parmelee had a modest six-year career as a useful bat off the bench and part-time player, posting a 97 OPS+ with 48 doubles, 30 home runs and 98 RBI in 311 games with the Twins, Orioles and Yankees.

Third baseman Danny Valencia had a 2.0 WAR rookie season in 2010 to finish third in AL Rookie of the Year voting, and he posted a 103 OPS+ with 96 home runs in nine seasons. He was traded five times in his career and switched teams via waiver claim once.

Right-hander Jeff Manship contributed more than most 14th-round picks with a 4.82 ERA in 157 career appearances with four teams.

Grade: C

First-Round Picks: None

Other MLB Players: RHP Kevin Mulvey (2-62), RHP Joe Smith (3-94), RHP John Holdzkom (4-124), 2B Daniel Murphy (13-394), RHP Tobi Stoner (16-484), RHP Josh Stinson (37-1,114)

The New York Mets surrendered the No. 18 overall pick in the draft to sign Billy Wagner in free agency, leaving them without a selection until No. 62 overall.

Second baseman Daniel Murphy proved to be one of the biggest steals in the draft class as a 13th-round selection out of Jacksonville University. He tallied 13.2 WAR in seven seasons with the Mets before signing with the division-rival Washington Nationals in free agency.

Reliever Joe Smith also deserves a shoutout as one of the more underrated picks in this draft class. His 832 appearances are tops among 2006 draft picks and No. 1 among all active pitchers. The 37-year-old was still going strong in 2021, posting a 2.00 ERA in 23 appearances with the Seattle Mariners down the stretch.

Grade: B

First-Round Picks: RHP Ian Kennedy (1-21), RHP Joba Chamberlain (1-41)

Other MLB Players: RHP Zach McAllister (3-104), OF Colin Curtis (4-134), RHP George Kontos (5-164), RHP Dellin Betances (8-254), RHP Mark Melancon (9-284), RHP Daniel McCutchen (13-404), RHP David Robertson (17-524), 3B Kevin Russo (20-614)

Joba Chamberlain (No. 3) and Ian Kennedy (No. 45) both cracked the Baseball America Top 100 prospect list at the start of the 2008 season, and they looked poised to anchor the New York Yankees staff for years to come.

Instead, Kennedy was flipped to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the deal that brought Curtis Granderson to the Yankees, while Chamberlain was dominant out of the bullpen early on but failed to make a successful move to starting.

That said, the Yankees did find a pair of bullpen aces in Dellin Betances and David Robertson later in the draft, and they used Mark Melancon to acquire Lance Berkman from the Houston Astros at the 2010 trade deadline. New York acquired a lot of talent in this draft, even if it didn't all benefit the team in the long run.

Grade: A

First-Round Picks: None

Other MLB Players: RHP Trevor Cahill (2-66), RHP Andrew Bailey (6-188)

In what quickly proved to be an ill-advised decision, the Oakland Athletics mortgaged the No. 22 overall pick in the 2006 draft to sign Esteban Loaiza to a three-year, $21.4 million deal in free agency. He lasted just a year-and-a-half in Oakland before he was designated for assignment.

Luckily, they hit on second-round pick Trevor Cahill, who went 18-8 with a 2.97 ERA in 196.2 innings in 2010 to earn an All-Star selection and finish ninth in AL Cy Young voting at the age of 22. He was traded to Arizona after three seasons for a package of prospects headlined by right-hander Jarrod Parker.

Reliever Andrew Bailey also enjoyed a brief, successful peak in Oakland. He won AL Rookie of the Year honors in 2009 when he logged a 1.84 ERA in 83.1 innings, and he was an All-Star in each of his first two seasons. He too was flipped after three years in a deal with the Red Sox that brought Josh Reddick to Oakland.

Grade: B

First-Round Picks: RHP Kyle Drabek (1-18), SS Adrian Cardenas (1-37)

Other MLB Players: RHP Drew Carpenter (2-65), IF Jason Donald (3-97), OF Quintin Berry (5-157), OF Domonic Brown (20-607)

The value of this draft class for the Philadelphia Phillies was trade capital, and they used it well.

Right-hander Kyle Drabek was the prospect centerpiece in the package used to acquire Roy Halladay from the Toronto Blue Jays. Fellow first-round pick Adrian Cardenas went to Oakland in a four-player deal to add Joe Blanton. And third-round pick Jason Donald was part of the blockbuster deal with Cleveland to land Cliff Lee.

Meanwhile, 20th-round pick Domonic Brown climbed all the way to No. 4 on the Baseball America Top 100 list at the start of the 2011 season. He was an All-Star in 2013 when he posted a 124 OPS+ with 27 home runs and 83 RBI, but he never again came close to that level of production.

Grade: B

First-Round Picks: RHP Brad Lincoln (1-4)

Other MLB Players: RHP Jared Hughes (4-110), OF Alex Presley (8-230), RHP Michael Crotta (17-500), RHP Ryan Kelly (26-770), LHP Rudy Owens (28-830)

Brad Lincoln was a dynamic two-way player at the University of Houston. He went 12-2 with a 1.69 ERA and 152 strikeouts in 127.2 innings on the mound during his junior season, while also hitting .295/.368/.536 with 14 home runs and 53 RBI as a first baseman. However, there was never a question his future was on the mound.

He never lived up to the hype in the majors, but did stick around long enough to make 22 starts and 77 relief appearances, posting a 4.74 ERA in 222.1 innings. The Pirates sent him to Toronto for another failed top prospect in outfielder Travis Snider at the 2012 trade deadline.

Reliever Jared Hughes (542 G, 94 HLD, 2.96 ERA) had the best career of anyone from this group, and he spent the first six seasons of his 10-year career as a staple in the Pittsburgh bullpen.

Grade: D

First-Round Picks: 2B Matt Antonelli (1-17), OF Kyler Burke (1-35)

Other MLB Players: IF Chad Huffman (2-53), LHP Wade LeBlanc (2-61), OF Cedric Hunter (3-93), 3B David Freese (9-273), RHP Mat Latos (11-333), RHP Matt Buschmann (15-453)

Despite whiffing on both first-round picks, the San Diego Padres found some solid talent in this draft class.

Right-hander Mat Latos was signed to an above-slot $1.25 million deal in the 11th round, and for a brief time he was one of baseball's most promising young starters. After stellar seasons in 2010 (2.92 ERA, 189 K, 184.2 IP) and 2011 (3.47 ERA, 185 K, 194.1 IP), he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for Edinson Volquez, Yasmani Grandal, Yonder Alonso and Brad Boxberger.

Left-hander Wade LeBlanc (52 GS, 4.54 ERA, 293.1 IP) was a solid starter when healthy, while third baseman David Freese went on to considerable success with the St. Louis Cardinals after he was traded in a one-for-one deal for Jim Edmonds.

Grade: B

First-Round Picks: RHP Tim Lincecum (1-10), IF Emmanuel Burriss (1-33)

Other MLB Players: IF Ryan Rohlinger (6-176), 1B Brett Pill (7-206), SS Brian Bocock (9-266), OF Tyler Graham (19-566), IF Matt Downs (36-1,076)

Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer have gone on to better overall careers, but for a brief time, Tim Lincecum was far and away the best pitcher in this draft class and arguably the best pitcher in all of baseball.

During the four-year stretch from 2008 through 2011, he went 62-36 with a 2.81 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 977 strikeouts in 881.2 innings. He won two Cy Young Awards, led the league in strikeouts three times, and was an All-Star all four of those years. The drop-off from there was a steep one, but he has earned his place in Giants lore.

There's not much else in the way of impact talent in this draft haul, but Lincecum alone is enough to make this an "A" grade draft for San Francisco.

Grade: A

First-Round Picks: RHP Brandon Morrow (1-5)

Other MLB Players: RHP Chris Tillman (2-49), RHP Nathan Adcock (5-141), C Adam Moore (6-171), RHP Doug Fister (7-201), RHP Austin Bibens-Dirkx (16-471), RHP Kam Mickolio (18-531)

"Owner of perhaps the best pure arm in the draft, he throws as hard as any pitcher in baseball, sitting at 96-98 mph with his fastball and occasionally reaching 99," wrote Baseball America of University of California right-hander Brandon Morrow in his pre-draft profile.

He debuted as a reliever with the Mariners, but moved into the rotation after he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Brandon League. In 113 starts and 221 relief appearances, Morrow posted a 3.96 ERA with 51 wins, 40 saves, and 877 strikeouts in 859 innings.

Chris Tillman (to BAL) and Doug Fister (to WAS) were both traded before developing into quality middle-of-the-rotation starters, and the deal that sent Tillman to Baltimore along with young outfielder Adam Jones in exchange for Erik Bedard goes down as one of the most lopsided trades of the last 20 years.

Grade: C

First-Round Picks: RHP Adam Ottavino (1-30), RHP Chris Perez (1-42)

Other MLB Players: OF Jon Jay (2-74), 1B Mark Hamilton (2-76), OF Shane Robinson (5-166), 1B Allen Craig (8-256), RHP P.J. Walters (11-346), RHP David Carpenter (12-376), RHP Jon Edwards (14-436), OF Tommy Pham (16-496), RHP Luke Gregerson (28-856)

The St. Louis Cardinals have uncovered late-round gems more frequently than any team in baseball over the past few decades, and this draft is a perfect example.

While Adam Ottavino (361 G, 150 HLD, 3.60 ERA, 10.4 K/9) and Chris Perez (393 G, 33 SV, 3.51 ERA, 8.6 K/9) both went on to successful back-of-the-bullpen careers elsewhere, it was later selections Allen Craig and Tommy Pham who developed into impactful everyday players.

Craig posted a 120 OPS+ with 7.2 WAR in five seasons with the Cardinals, while Pham had a 23-homer, 25-steal season in 2017 and was traded the following year to Tampa Bay for a package of prospects that included Genesis Cabrera.

Second-round pick Jon Jay (757 G, 11.1 WAR) also deserves a shoutout, while Luke Gregerson (646 G, 66 SV, 189 HLD, 3.15 ERA) had a terrific late-inning bullpen career after he was traded to San Diego for Khalil Greene.

Grade: A

First-Round Picks: 3B Evan Longoria (1-3)

Other MLB Players: RHP Josh Butler (2-47), RHP Alex Cobb (4-109), IF Shawn O'Malley (5-139), C Nevin Ashley (6-169), RHP Ryan Reid (7-199), OF Desmond Jennings (10-289)

Evan Longoria hit .353/.468/.602 with 11 home runs and 43 RBI in 56 games during his junior season at Long Beach State, following an MVP performance in the Cape Cod League the previous summer.

He was the only position player selected among the top seven picks, and he's the most accomplished in this class by a wide margin. The 36-year-old has 317 home runs, 1,089 RBI and 57.4 WAR in 14 seasons, and he compiled 51.2 WAR during his time in Tampa Bay.

The Longoria pick is enough of a slam dunk that this is an "A" grade class regardless of how the other picks played out, but the Rays also hit on Alex Cobb (115 GS, 3.50 ERA, 700 IP, 10.7 WAR in TB) and Desmond Jennings (567 G, 101 OPS+, 95 SB, 13.4 WAR), making this arguably the best haul that any team walked away with in 2006.

Grade: A

First-Round Picks: LHP Kasey Kiker (1-12)

Other MLB Players: 1B Chris Davis (5-148), RHP Jake Brigham (6-178), OF Craig Gentry (10-298), LHP Derek Holland (25-748), LHP Danny Herrera (45-1,345)

Kasey Kiker was one of only two players and the only pitcher selected inside the top 20 who failed to reach the majors. The undersized left-hander had a 4.53 ERA in 481 innings in the minors, topping out at the Double-A level.

Slugger Chris Davis went on to hit 295 home runs and tally 11.6 WAR in 13 seasons, but the bulk of that damage came in an Orioles uniform. He was traded to Baltimore along with right-hander Tommy Hunter in exchange for reliever Koji Uehara at the 2011 deadline.

Left-hander Derek Holland stands as one of the better homegrown pitchers in Texas Rangers history. He went 62-50 with a 4.35 ERA in 985 innings with the Rangers, and he allowed just one earned run in 10.1 innings during the 2011 World Series.

Grade: C

First-Round Picks: OF Travis Snider (1-14)

Other MLB Players: SS Jonathan Diaz (12-360), RHP Graham Godfrey (34-1,020)

Travis Snider climbed as high as No. 6 on the Baseball America Top 100 prospect list at the start of the 2009 season, following a 2008 campaign in the minors where he hit .275/.358/.481 with 31 doubles, 23 home runs and 91 RBI while reaching Double-A as a 20-year-old.

Unfortunately, things never clicked in the majors, and finished his big league career with a 93 OPS+ and 4.4 WAR in eight seasons.

Shortstop Jonathan Diaz (35 G, minus-0.2 WAR) and right-hander Graham Godfrey (10 G, minus-0.4 WAR) don't move the needle as the only other players from this class to reach the majors.

Grade: F

First-Round Picks: OF Chris Marrero (1-15), RHP Colton Willems (1-22)

Other MLB Players: RHP Cole Kimball (12-361), RHP Brad Peacock (41-1,231)

Slugger Chris Marrero hit 142 home runs in 1,100 career games in the minor leagues, but he batted just .209/.236/.258 with 40 strikeouts in 174 plate appearances during his limited MLB action.

Fellow first-round pick Colton Willems did not reach the majors and second-round pick Sean Black (No. 59 overall) went unsigned, leaving this as a disappointing draft haul overall for the Washington Nationals.

They did find a late-round steal in Brad Peacock who signed an above-slot $110,000 deal in the 41st round, but he made just three appearances for the Nationals before he was shipped to Oakland in the six-player deal that brought Gio Gonzalez to Washington.

Grade: D

All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs.