Redrafting 2012: Correa still No. 1, Hader could have been a Cub

With the 2022 MLB Draft beginning Sunday, theScore looks back a decade and redrafts the first round from the 2012 event.

1. Houston Astros

Actual pick: Carlos Correa
Our pick: Carlos Correa

Correa has become one of the best shortstops in baseball and arguably the most clutch postseason performer of the last half-decade. He's a player who can immediately help change the fortunes of a franchise, and that's exactly the type of talent you should be looking for at the top of any draft.

2. Minnesota Twins

Actual pick: Byron Buxton
Our pick: Corey Seager

The Twins take the second-best shortstop available with Correa gone. Seager, who's turned into a two-time All-Star and World Series MVP, owns a career .291/.361/.499 slash line with 125 homers over 721 games in the majors. He's had his fair share of injury issues, but nothing close to what Buxton has dealt with.

3. Seattle Mariners

Actual pick: Mike Zunino
Our pick: Byron Buxton

Buxton falls into the Mariners' lap after the Twins pass on him in our redraft. The annual MVP threat is a far superior player to Zunino, who posted a .682 OPS in six seasons with Seattle before producing similar numbers in four campaigns with the Rays.

4. Baltimore Orioles

Actual pick: Kevin Gausman
Our pick: Max Fried

The Orioles add one of the best starting pitchers in baseball to a young core that appears poised to crash the party in the AL East. Fried's ability to induce ground balls (52.7 GB%) combined with strong strikeout numbers make him one of the most dependable arms. It's a close call with Gausman, who has done a great job remodeling his game, but Fried is a more dependable option.

5. Kansas City Royals

Actual pick: Kyle Zimmer
Our pick: Matt Olson

The Royals end up landing arguably the best all-around first baseman in baseball. Olson has gone deep 30-plus times twice in his career, including 39 in 2021, and owns two Gold Gloves. He's also collected an MLB-best 33 doubles this season. Meanwhile, Zimmer didn't reach the majors until 2019 at age 27. The right-hander owns a 5.19 ERA over 83 games (three starts).

6. Chicago Cubs

Actual pick: Albert Almora
Our pick: Josh Hader

Had Chicago picked the hard-throwing lefty here instead of Almora, they would have a dominating closer who already ranked third in franchise history in saves instead of an outfielder who underwhelmed as a below-average offensive player during his time with the team.

7. San Diego Padres

Actual pick: Max Fried
Our pick: Jose Berrios

At times, it feels like Berrios should be more than he is, but he's still an excellent and consistent starting pitcher at the end of the day. Although he hasn't reached a Cy Young-level that many expected, the right-hander delivers strong numbers and dependable health every year at a volatile position. This is a strong selection for the Padres, who are always looking to add quality arms into their mix.

8. Pittsburgh Pirates

Actual pick: Mark Appel
Our pick: Kevin Gausman

Gausman was once labeled a bust like Appel before turning his career around with the Giants. The right-hander was designated for assignment in 2019 before transforming into an All-Star. The 31-year-old's MLB-leading 1.68 FIP would do wonders for a Pirates rotation without any top starters.

9. Miami Marlins

Actual pick: Andrew Heaney
Our pick: Lucas Giolito

While Heaney has shown flashes of success throughout his career, there's no question Giolito has been the superior pitcher. The right-hander earned Cy Young votes in three consecutive seasons between 2019-21 and continues to post elite strikeout numbers. Imagine him and Sandy Alcantara in the same rotation.

10. Colorado Rockies

Actual pick: David Dahl
Our pick: Marcus Stroman

Stroman's ability to keep the ball on the ground is a perfect fit for Colorado and the launching pad of Coors Field. Dahl showed flashes of excellence in his career, highlighted by an All-Star appearance in 2019. However, injuries took their toll, and the outfielder has struggled to replicate that form over the past three seasons.

11. Oakland Athletics

Actual pick: Addison Russell
Our pick: Max Muncy

The Athletics actually picked Muncy in the fifth round in 2012, but his ascension with the Dodgers warrants a much higher spot in our redraft. Russell, meanwhile, has been out of the majors since 2019.

12. New York Mets

Actual pick: Gavin Cecchini
Our pick: Lance McCullers Jr.

McCullers has been injury-prone but is a staple in Houston's rotation when healthy, authoring a 3.57 ERA and 10.1 K/9 in six seasons with the Astros. Cecchini played just 36 games in the majors and was out of the Mets organization by 2019.

13. Chicago White Sox

Actual pick: Courtney Hawkins
Our pick: Chris Taylor

Hawkins has yet to appear in an MLB game and has bounced around a few organizations and leagues since the White Sox released him in 2018. Taylor has morphed into one of baseball's most versatile players with the ability to patrol both the outfield and infield.

14. Cincinnati Reds

Actual pick: Nick Travieso
Our pick: Edwin Diaz

The Reds should take Diaz for three reasons: The right-hander is an electric closer with an insane 18.1 K/9 in 2022; he would play with his brother Alexis, which is always cool; and Travieso has yet to suit up in the majors.

15. Cleveland Guardians

Actual pick: Tyler Naquin
Our pick: Joey Gallo

Cleveland has been hunting for a game-changing outfielder for years. The Guardians could have had one with Gallo, who has hit 168 homers compared to Naquin's 56.

16. Washington Nationals

Actual pick: Lucas Giolito
Our pick: Mitch Haniger

With Giolito off the board, Haniger is a strong pick as a power-hitting complement to Juan Soto in the outfield. Although Haniger has had issues staying healthy at times throughout his career, he always finds a way to produce value when he's on the field.

17. Toronto Blue Jays

Actual pick: D.J. Davis
Our pick: Taylor Rogers

The Blue Jays need a reliever with swing-and-miss stuff, and that's exactly what Rogers brings. The left-hander has recorded 402 strikeouts over 350 1/3 innings, including a career-best 13.2 K/9 last season en route to being named an All-Star for the first time.

18. Los Angeles Dodgers

Actual pick: Corey Seager
Our pick: Mike Zunino

The Dodgers did well drafting Seager here, but with him off the board in the redraft, they pivot to Zunino. Who knows how Zunino would have fared in L.A., but he likely would have shared catching duties with A.J. Ellis and Yasmani Grandal before being supplanted by Will Smith.

19. St. Louis Cardinals

Actual pick: Michael Wacha
Our pick: Jesse Winker

After a strong start to his career, Wacha has had trouble staying healthy and producing over the past few seasons. He carries a bit too much risk at this stage of the draft. The Cardinals are always looking for more offensive talent, and Winker's ability to hit for power while also possessing great plate discipline would make for a great fit in the lineup.

20. San Francisco Giants

Actual pick: Chris Stratton
Our pick: Joey Wendle

Wendle seems like a perfect fit for the Giants. The club loves gritty and versatile veterans, and the infielder fits that profile. Stratton turned into a decent middle reliever, but he plays for the Pirates now. This redo isn't as glaring as others.

21. Atlanta Braves

Actual pick: Lucas Sims
Our pick: Alex Wood

Sims was a bust for the Braves and has had one good year for the Reds. Wood has been a dependable starter throughout his career, which started in Atlanta after the organization picked him in the second round. Basically, he's in this spot because he deserved a higher slot and more recognition as a first-round pick.

22. Toronto Blue Jays

Actual pick: Marcus Stroman
Our pick: Michael Wacha

Wacha has his red flags but carries plenty of big-game experience and would provide a beleaguered Blue Jays rotation with another option to throw at some of the vaunted lineups in the division.

23. St. Louis Cardinals

Actual pick: James Ramsey
Our pick: Andrew Heaney

Heaney has been somewhat of an enigma during his career. He's shown flashes of brilliance but hasn't been able to stay consistent or healthy. The Cardinals take a chance here, knowing that Ramsey is out of professional baseball by 2018.

24. Boston Red Sox

Actual pick: Deven Marrero
Our pick: Stephen Piscotty

Marrero never became anything more than a utility infielder, flaming out of the majors following the 2021 campaign. Meanwhile, Piscotty turned into a solid big-league outfielder with two 20-plus homer campaigns.

25. Tampa Bay Rays

Actual pick: Richie Shaffer
Our pick: Patrick Wisdom

Shaffer made only 51 career appearances for the Rays in 2015-16 and called it a career in 2019. Wisdom's offensive profile has some swing and miss, but there's no denying the prodigious power in his bat. He would be a perfect fit for the Rays' offensive mentality.

26. Arizona Diamondbacks

Actual pick: Stryker Trahan
Our pick: Jacob Stallings

Stallings gives the D-Backs a Gold Glove catcher who can chip in a little with the bat. That's all a club can really ask for from most backstops, and it's a whole lot better than Trahan, who never panned out and was out of baseball at age 22 in 2016.

27. Milwaukee Brewers

Actual pick: Clint Coulter
Our pick: Ross Stripling

The Brewers missed big with Coulter, who never played in the majors after failing to live up to expectations. They could have had Stripling instead, who has been an underrated starter and swingman with 605 innings under his belt throughout his career.

28. Milwaukee Brewers

Actual pick: Victor Roache
Our pick: Zach Eflin

Roache never appeared in the big leagues and was dealt by the Brewers in 2015. Eflin's peripherals seem to be better than his actual numbers every year, but it's hard to deny that he isn't a quality option for any rotation. With Milwaukee's track record of developing great starting pitchers, this seems like an ideal fit for Eflin.

29. Texas Rangers

Actual pick: Lewis Brinson
Our pick: Christian Walker

Walker would complement Seager and Marcus Semien well in the middle of the Rangers' lineup. The slugging first baseman has gone deep 21 times this season, which is the fourth-highest total in the NL. Brinson showed potential but has yet to harness it. He's best known for being the key piece in the Christian Yelich trade between the Marlins and Brewers.

30. New York Yankees

Actual pick: Ty Hensley
Our pick: Tyler Naquin

Hensley never pitched in the bigs due to a career riddled with injuries. New York could have had Naquin, giving its organization an outfielder with some speed and pop.

31. Boston Red Sox

Actual pick: Brian Johnson
Our pick: Austin Nola

Johnson pitched 65 games for the Red Sox before they released him in 2020. Nola has a knack for authoring high on-base numbers when he's healthy, which would have worked well in tandem with Christian Vazquez over the years.