2013 MLB Redraft: Astros land Judge
With the 2023 MLB Draft beginning Sunday, theScore looks back a decade and redrafts the first round from the 2013 event.
1. Aaron Judge, Astros
Actual pick: Mark Appel
No player from the 2013 draft has had Judge's success. He's won an MVP, Rookie of the Year, and Home Run Derby while amassing a 39 fWAR. His historic 2022 campaign, where he broke Roger Maris' American League home run record, is also one of the greatest seasons by any player in recent memory. That earned him the captaincy for the most historic franchise in baseball.
2. Kris Bryant, Cubs
Actual pick: Kris Bryant
Although he's struggled with injuries and a surprising power outage over the past few seasons, Bryant's first few years in the majors should solidify his standing near the top of the draft board. He burst onto the scene, winning NL Rookie of the Year and MVP in his first two campaigns while helping the Cubs snap a 108-year World Series drought in 2016.
3. Tim Anderson, Rockies
Actual pick: Jon Gray
Anderson has done nothing but hit since entering the majors. He finished with a .300-plus batting average for four straight seasons between 2019-2022, including an AL-best .335 in 2019. The 30-year-old was selected to two All-Star Games thanks to his hitting prowess. Gray was a good pick for the Rockies, but Anderson has a more polished resume.
4. Cody Bellinger, Twins
Actual pick: Kohl Stewart
The Twins haven't had an MVP play for them since 2009 when Joe Mauer took home the award. Things could've been different had they selected Bellinger instead of Kohl Stewart. Bellinger was one of the game's top players through the first four years of his career, while Stewart threw just 62 innings for Minnesota and was out of the organization by 2019.
5. Jeff McNeil, Guardians
Actual pick: Clint Frazier
McNeil developed into one of the game's best pure hitters over his six-year career. His ability to play multiple positions has been a huge boost to his value as well. Frazier, meanwhile, bounced around a few teams and has failed to live up to expectations.
6. Devin Williams, Marlins
Actual pick: Colin Moran
Williams has been a bullpen ace since winning NL Rookie of the Year in 2020. The right-hander owns a sparkling 2.02 ERA with 14 K/9 over 187 innings during his five-year career. The 2022 All-Star has also converted 36 saves. Only four MLB relievers have amassed a higher fWAR than Williams over the last 3 1/2 seasons. Meanwhile, Moran isn't playing in the majors this year.
7. Jon Gray, Red Sox
Actual pick: Trey Ball
Gray was picked third by the Rockies in the real-world version of this draft, but he drops on our list because the players ahead of him blossomed into stars. The Oklahoma native never reached that status in Colorado, but he's been terrific since signing with the Rangers.
8. Sean Manaea, Royals
Actual pick: Hunter Dozier
Manaea has put together four strong seasons of at least league-average production and threw a memorable no-hitter in 2018. He may not be an ace, but Manaea would've helped solidify a consistently in-flux Kansas City rotation. Dozier was designated for assignment earlier this season and could never recapture the form he showed in 2019 when he hit 26 home runs with a 123 wRC+. The Royals actually drafted Manaea with the 34th pick of the 2013 draft but eventually dealt him to Oakland in the Ben Zobrist trade.
9. Adam Frazier, Pirates
Actual pick: Austin Meadows
Frazier has enjoyed a steady yet unspectacular eight-year run in the majors. He was a 2021 All-Star after slashing .305/.368/.411 thanks to 176 hits, including 36 doubles. He's already matched a career high with 10 round-trippers this season. The 31-year-old would be a much better selection than Meadows, whose career has cratered due to injuries.
10. Marco Gonzales, Blue Jays
Actual pick: Phil Bickford
Toronto got nothing out of its 10th pick in 2013, with Bickford opting to pitch for Cal State Fullerton rather than sign with the Blue Jays. They could've used the pick to select Gonzales, who's turned into a solid big-league starter during his nine years in the majors, authoring a 4.14 ERA and winning 65 games for the Cardinals and Mariners.
11. Hunter Renfroe, Mets
Actual pick: Dominic Smith
Despite bouncing around to five different teams in the last five years, Renfroe remains an underrated power threat who's posted above-average offensive numbers in four of the past six seasons. He'd be a nice complement to Pete Alonso in the Mets' lineup. The Mets cut bait on Smith following the 2022 season after he posted an OPS over .700 just twice in six seasons.
12. Mike Yastrzemski, Mariners
Actual pick: D.J. Peterson
The grandson of Hall of Famer and Triple Crown winner Carl Yastrzemski has been a productive player after bursting onto the scene with 21 homers and a .852 OPS over 107 games in 2019. He's on pace to hit 20-plus long balls for the third time in five years, which is infinitely better than not reaching the majors like Peterson.
13. Matthew Boyd, Padres
Actual pick: Hunter Renfroe
With Renfroe off the board, the Padres could've nabbed Boyd, who was picked by the Blue Jays in the sixth round out of Oregon State. The left-hander has been a sturdy innings-eater throughout his career when healthy, turning in solid strikeout numbers despite a career ERA near five. The high ERA is mostly a product of playing for bad Tigers teams.
14. Tyler Mahle, Pirates
Actual pick: Reese McGuire
Despite dealing with injuries throughout his career, Mahle has shown flashes of brilliance. The right-hander has emerged as a strong strikeout artist, posting a 10.50 K/9 in 2021. McGuire was shipped to the Blue Jays for Drew Hutchison in 2016, with the Pirates eventually landing highly touted catchers Henry Davis and Endy Rodriguez to solidify their situation behind the plate.
15. Jonah Heim, Diamondbacks
Actual pick: Braden Shipley
Heim has blossomed into an All-Star. He's slated to start the 2023 Midsummer Classic for the AL after a strong first half, as he's already set a new career high for RBIs and is on pace to shatter his previous high for dingers. The 28-year-old is an obvious upgrade over Shipley, who hasn't pitched in the majors since 2018.
16. Tyler O'Neill, Phillies
Actual pick: J.P. Crawford
O'Neill was originally picked in the third round by the Mariners, who traded him to the Cardinals for Gonzales in 2017. The Canadian has put together a solid six-year career, including two Gold Glove campaigns and a top-10 MVP finish in 2021. O'Neill's career 8.6 fWAR would be the second most on the Phillies behind Bryce Harper had he played for them from 2018-present.
17. Austin Meadows, White Sox
Actual pick: Tim Anderson
With Anderson long gone, Meadows represents a stable selection for the White Sox. The slugging outfielder posted a wRC+ above 100 in four of his first five MLB seasons, including an excellent 2019 campaign, which saw him hit 33 home runs with 89 RBIs and 12 stolen bases.
18. Nestor Cortes, Dodgers
Actual pick: Chris Anderson
Cortes turned himself into an All-Star hurler after struggling in his first few seasons. The left-hander posted a 2.44 ERA with 163 strikeouts over 158 1/3 innings (28 starts) during the 2022 campaign. The Dodgers could use a guy like him with all their injury issues in the rotation.
19. Chad Green, Cardinals
Actual pick: Marco Gonzales
Green was on no one's peripheral as an early pick in 2013, which is why he was originally drafted by the Tigers in the 11th round. However, he's had a very good career thus far. The right-hander was one of the Yankees' best and most-used relievers in his seven years with them, posting an 11.6 K/9 in 272 appearances. He would've been the Cardinals' best bullpen arm if they'd picked him.
20. Brad Keller, Tigers
Actual pick: Jonathon Crawford
The Tigers haven't had a great track record of success developing or keeping their homegrown pitchers healthy of late. Keller found quick success at the beginning of his career, posting an ERA+ above league average in each of the 2018, 2019, and 2020 seasons. However, injuries and inconsistency have plagued him over the past three years. Keller's ability to throw four pitches in any situation for strikes makes him a worthy selection.
21. Ryan McMahon, Rays
Actual pick: Nick Ciuffo
McMahon has been solid, but nobody is talking about him because he's been with the Rockies for seven seasons. The 28-year-old is on track to go deep at least 20 times for the fourth time over the last five years. Meanwhile, Ciuffo logged just 21 games in the majors.
22. Mitch Garver, Orioles
The Orioles weren't looking for a catcher in the 2013 draft because they had Matt Wieters, but drafting Garver would've paid off in a bigger way than selecting Harvey, who only pitched 23 2/3 innings with Baltimore. Garver could've eventually slid into a starting role when Wieters' career went off the rails a few seasons later, providing the Orioles with a powerful bat that would've raked at the old Camden facility before the fences moved in.
Actual pick: Hunter Harvey
23. Trey Mancini, Rangers
Actual pick: Chi Chi Gonzalez
Mancini's courage and perseverance in beating cancer was one of baseball's best stories over the past few seasons. The slugger has had an underrated career, posting above-average offensive numbers in five of his first seven seasons. He's also hit at least 20 home runs on four occasions. He may not be the flashiest player in the game, but he'd help boost almost any lineup.
24. J.P. Crawford, Athletics
Actual pick: Billy McKinney
Crawford has been a glove-first player over his seven-year career. He's accrued seven defensive runs saved at shortstop. Yet his bat has been his calling card in 2023, as he's on pace for a new career high in homers, RBIs, and OPS. The 28-year-old would be a significant improvement over Tyler Wade, who's currently starting for the Athletics at Crawford's position.
25. Tony Kemp, Giants
Actual pick: Christian Arroyo
Arroyo played just 34 games for the Giants before they dealt him to Tampa Bay in the Evan Longoria deal. He's since bounced around the league a little, establishing himself as a versatile role player. Kemp is cut from a similar cloth but has produced a slightly higher OPS+ with more steals, a higher fWAR, and a better defensive rating.
26. Michael Lorenzen, Yankees
Actual pick: Eric Jagielo
Lorenzen's had an interesting career to date, bouncing between the starting rotation and bullpen while also toying with the idea of becoming a two-way player for a brief time. The right-hander has transitioned to the rotation effectively over the past two seasons, and his versatile skill set would be valuable.
27. Nick Pivetta, Reds
Actual pick: Phillip Ervin
Pivetta has never really been able to be more than a back-end starter. However, he's proven to be a hurler who can eat up innings. He's made at least 30 starts in three different seasons, while Ervin has been out of the majors since 2020.