2011 Major League Baseball draft
The 2011 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was the annual selection process by which Major League Baseball teams chose amateur baseball players to join their organizations, held over three days from June 6 to 8, 2011, at the MLB Network studios in Secaucus, New Jersey.[1][2] The event consisted of 50 rounds, resulting in 1,530 total selections across high school, college, and junior college talent.[3] The Pittsburgh Pirates held the first overall pick and selected right-handed pitcher Gerrit Cole from the University of California, Los Angeles, signing him to an $8 million bonus, which set a record for the largest signing bonus in draft history at the time.[4][5] The first round included 61 picks (accounting for compensatory selections), with standout college and high school prospects like left-hander Danny Hultzen (second overall, Seattle Mariners), right-hander Trevor Bauer (third overall, Arizona Diamondbacks), and right-hander Dylan Bundy (fourth overall, Baltimore Orioles).[6] This draft class is widely regarded as one of the most talented in modern MLB history, producing numerous All-Stars, award winners, and long-term franchise cornerstones who debuted in the majors and contributed to multiple playoff runs and World Series appearances.[7] Key first-round selections who became superstars included third baseman Anthony Rendon (sixth overall, Washington Nationals), shortstop Francisco Lindor (eighth overall, Cleveland Indians), shortstop Javier Báez (ninth overall, Chicago Cubs), and outfielder George Springer (eleventh overall, Houston Astros).[8] Later-round gems further elevated the class's legacy, such as outfielder Mike Trout (twenty-fifth overall, Los Angeles Angels, first round), outfielder Mookie Betts (seventy-second overall, fifth round, Boston Red Sox), and shortstop Carlos Correa (thirty-first overall, compensatory first round, Houston Astros).[3][7] The Pirates spent a record over $17 million on signing bonuses for their selections.[9] All players had until August 15, 2011, to sign, and the class's depth was evident as the first 29 overall picks all reached the major leagues—Danny Hultzen last, debuting for the Chicago Cubs on September 8, 2019—a rare occurrence highlighting the talent pool.[10][11]Background
Overview
The 2011 Major League Baseball draft took place from June 6 through June 8, 2011, with the first round held on June 6 at Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey.[12] This event marked the annual selection of amateur talent by MLB's 30 teams, broadcast live on the MLB Network and available online via MLB.com.[12] The draft consisted of 50 rounds and resulted in 1,510 total selections, primarily drawing from high school, college, and junior college players eligible under MLB rules.[3] These selections represented the final amateur draft conducted under the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) in effect since 2006, prior to significant reforms introduced in the 2012 CBA, including signing bonus pools and competitive balance draft rounds aimed at curbing escalating costs and promoting parity.[8] League-wide signing bonus expenditures exceeded $200 million, reaching a record $228 million in total bonuses paid to draftees, with an additional $8 million in guarantees via major league contracts announced on the August 15 signing deadline alone.[8] The Pittsburgh Pirates led all teams in spending, allocating over $17 million in bonuses to their selections, which set a franchise and single-draft record at the time.[9]Rules and compensation system
The order of selection in the 2011 Major League Baseball draft was determined primarily by the reverse order of the 2010 regular-season standings for non-playoff teams, with the team finishing last receiving the first pick. Playoff teams selected after the non-playoff clubs, ordered by the round of their postseason elimination. Within each round, teams were ordered in reverse order of their regular-season winning percentages, with wild card teams picking before division winners in the event of ties. Thus, the Division Series losers picked first (picks 15–18), followed by the League Championship Series losers (picks 19–20), and the World Series loser last (pick 21).[13] This structure ensured that underperforming teams had priority access to amateur talent while rewarding postseason success with later selections. The draft consisted of 50 rounds, allowing each of the 30 teams to select up to 50 players, though not all picks were made or resulted in signings, and many later-round selections went unlisted or unsigned.[3] This multi-round format provided opportunities for teams to build their farm systems comprehensively, with the event spanning three days in June. A key feature of the 2011 draft was the free agent compensation system, which awarded draft picks to teams losing eligible players to free agency. Free agents were classified by the Elias Sports Bureau rankings, which evaluated performance metrics from the prior two seasons among players at each position with three to six years of service time. The top 20 percent were designated Type A free agents, while the next 20 percent were Type B; to qualify for compensation, a team had to offer the player a one-year salary arbitration contract, which the player rejected to enter free agency.[14] For a Type A free agent signing with a new team, the losing club received the signing team's first-round pick—unless that pick was protected (belonging to one of the 15 teams with the best 2010 winning percentages)—plus a supplemental pick immediately after the first round. Type B signings resulted in the losing team receiving only a supplemental pick between the first and second rounds, with no forfeiture required from the signing team.[15] This system aimed to balance competitive disparities by providing talent replenishment to teams losing high-value players. The 2011 draft did not include competitive balance picks, a mechanism introduced in the Collective Bargaining Agreement signed in November 2011 and first implemented in the 2012 draft to aid small- and medium-market clubs.[16] Signing procedures for draftees operated without international-style bonus pools or slot values, allowing teams flexibility in negotiations but subject to uniform deadlines. All selected players with remaining college eligibility—including high school draftees—had until August 15, 2011, to sign a professional contract or become ineligible for selection by that team the following year.[17] Teams could offer major league contracts to amateur draftees, enabling the spreading of signing bonuses over multiple years, though such deals were uncommon and typically reserved for top prospects.[18] Most agreements were minor league contracts with lump-sum bonuses, emphasizing post-draft negotiations to secure talent before the deadline.Draft Order
First round selections
The first round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft featured 33 selections, determined primarily by reverse order of the 2010 regular-season standings, with the Pittsburgh Pirates holding the top pick due to their league-worst 57-105 record.[6] Teams prioritized high-upside pitchers and position players to address organizational needs, such as bolstering rotations or infields amid recent poor performances. All but one pick signed with their drafting team by the August 15 deadline, with total bonuses exceeding $80 million across the round.[19]| Pick | Team | Player | Position | School | Signing Bonus | Signed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pittsburgh Pirates | Gerrit Cole | RHP | UCLA | $8,000,000 | Yes |
| 2 | Seattle Mariners | Danny Hultzen | LHP | University of Virginia | $8,500,000 | Yes |
| 3 | Arizona Diamondbacks | Trevor Bauer | RHP | UCLA | $4,450,000 | Yes |
| 4 | Baltimore Orioles | Dylan Bundy | RHP | Owasso HS (OK) | $6,225,000 | Yes |
| 5 | Kansas City Royals | Bubba Starling | OF | Gardner Edgerton HS (KS) | $7,500,000 | Yes |
| 6 | Washington Nationals | Anthony Rendon | 3B | Rice University | $7,200,000 | Yes |
| 7 | Arizona Diamondbacks | Archie Bradley | RHP | Broken Arrow HS (OK) | $5,000,000 | Yes |
| 8 | Cleveland Indians | Francisco Lindor | SS | Montverde Academy (FL) | $2,900,000 | Yes |
| 9 | Chicago Cubs | Javier Báez | SS | Arlington Country Day (FL) | $2,625,000 | Yes |
| 10 | San Diego Padres | Cory Spangenberg | 2B | Indian River State College | $1,863,000 | Yes |
| 11 | Houston Astros | George Springer | OF | University of Connecticut | $2,525,000 | Yes |
| 12 | Milwaukee Brewers | Taylor Jungmann | RHP | University of Texas | $2,525,000 | Yes |
| 13 | New York Mets | Brandon Nimmo | OF | Cheyenne East HS (WY) | $2,100,000 | Yes |
| 14 | Florida Marlins | José Fernández | RHP | Alonso HS (FL) | $2,000,000 | Yes |
| 15 | Milwaukee Brewers | Jed Bradley | LHP | Georgia Tech | $2,000,000 | Yes |
| 16 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Chris Reed | LHP | Stanford University | $1,589,000 | Yes |
| 17 | Los Angeles Angels | C. J. Cron | 1B | University of Utah | $1,467,000 | Yes |
| 18 | Oakland Athletics | Sonny Gray | RHP | Vanderbilt University | $1,540,000 | Yes |
| 19 | Boston Red Sox | Matt Barnes | RHP | University of Connecticut | $1,500,000 | Yes |
| 20 | Colorado Rockies | Tyler Anderson | LHP | University of Oregon | $1,400,000 | Yes |
| 21 | Toronto Blue Jays | Tyler Beede | RHP | Lawrence Academy (MA) | N/A | No |
| 22 | St. Louis Cardinals | Kolten Wong | 2B | University of Hawaii | $1,300,000 | Yes |
| 23 | Washington Nationals | Alex Meyer | RHP | Greensburg HS (IN) | $2,000,000 | Yes |
| 24 | Tampa Bay Rays | Taylor Guerrieri | RHP | Spring Valley HS (SC) | $1,600,000 | Yes |
| 25 | San Diego Padres | Joe Ross | RHP | Bishop O'Dowd HS (CA) | $2,750,000 | Yes |
| 26 | Boston Red Sox | Blake Swihart | C | Cleveland HS (NM) | $2,500,000 | Yes |
| 27 | Cincinnati Reds | Robert Stephenson | RHP | Alhambra HS (CA) | $2,000,000 | Yes |
| 28 | Atlanta Braves | Sean Gilmartin | LHP | Florida State University | $1,134,000 | Yes |
| 29 | San Francisco Giants | Joe Panik | SS | St. John's University | $1,116,000 | Yes |
| 30 | Minnesota Twins | Levi Michael | SS | University of North Carolina | $1,175,000 | Yes |
| 31 | Tampa Bay Rays | Mikie Mahtook | OF | LSU | $1,150,000 | Yes |
| 32 | Tampa Bay Rays | Jake Hager | SS | Sierra Vista HS (NV) | $954,000 | Yes |
| 33 | Texas Rangers | Kevin Matthews | LHP | Richmond Hill HS (GA) | $936,000 | Yes |
Supplemental first round selections
The supplemental first round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft consisted of 27 picks (overall selections 34 through 60), awarded to teams as compensation for the loss of qualifying free agents during the previous offseason. These picks were granted under the collective bargaining agreement's rules, with positions determined by the reverse order of the signing teams' 2010 regular-season finish among non-playoff clubs.[6][21] The following table lists all supplemental first round selections, including the player, position, school or college, drafting team, and the specific free agent loss for which the pick was awarded:| Pick | Player | Position | School/College | Team | Compensation for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | Brian Goodwin | OF | Miami Dade College | Washington Nationals | Adam Dunn |
| 35 | Jacob Anderson | OF | Chino HS (CA) | Toronto Blue Jays | Scott Downs |
| 36 | Henry Owens | LHP | Edison HS (CA) | Boston Red Sox | Victor Martinez |
| 37 | Zach Cone | OF | University of Georgia | Texas Rangers | Cliff Lee |
| 38 | Brandon Martin | SS | Santiago HS (CA) | Tampa Bay Rays | Rafael Soriano |
| 39 | Larry Greene | OF | Berrien County HS (GA) | Philadelphia Phillies | Jayson Werth |
| 40 | Jackie Bradley Jr. | OF | University of South Carolina | Boston Red Sox | Adrian Beltre |
| 41 | Tyler Goeddel | 3B | St. Francis HS (CA) | Tampa Bay Rays | Carl Crawford |
| 42 | Jeff Ames | LHP | Lower Columbia CC (WA) | Tampa Bay Rays | Grant Balfour |
| 43 | Andrew Chafin | LHP | Kent State University | Arizona Diamondbacks | Adam LaRoche |
| 44 | Michael Fulmer | RHP | Deer Creek HS (OK) | New York Mets | Pedro Feliciano |
| 45 | Trevor Story | SS | Irving HS (TX) | Colorado Rockies | Octavio Dotel |
| 46 | Joe Musgrove | RHP | Grossmont HS (CA) | Toronto Blue Jays | John Buck |
| 47 | Keenyn Walker | OF | Central Arizona College | Chicago White Sox | J.J. Putz |
| 48 | Michael Kelly | RHP | West Boca Raton HS (FL) | San Diego Padres | Jon Garland |
| 49 | Kyle Crick | RHP | Sherman HS (TX) | San Francisco Giants | Juan Uribe |
| 50 | Travis Harrison | 3B | Tustin HS (CA) | Minnesota Twins | Orlando Hudson |
| 51 | Dante Bichette Jr. | 3B | Orangewood Christian HS (FL) | New York Yankees | Javier Vazquez |
| 52 | Blake Snell | LHP | Shorewood HS (WA) | Tampa Bay Rays | Brad Hawpe |
| 53 | Dwight Smith Jr. | OF | McIntosh HS (GA) | Toronto Blue Jays | Kevin Gregg |
| 54 | Brett Austin | C | Providence HS (NC) | San Diego Padres | Yorvit Torrealba |
| 55 | Hudson Boyd | RHP | Bishop Verot HS (FL) | Minnesota Twins | Jesse Crain |
| 56 | Kes Carter | OF | Western Kentucky University | Tampa Bay Rays | Joaquin Benoit |
| 57 | Kevin Comer | RHP | Seneca HS (NJ) | Toronto Blue Jays | Miguel Olivo |
| 58 | Jace Peterson | SS | McNeese State University | San Diego Padres | Kevin Correia |
| 59 | Grayson Garvin | RHP | Vanderbilt University | Tampa Bay Rays | Randy Choate |
| 60 | James Harris | OF | Oakland Technical HS (CA) | Tampa Bay Rays | Chad Qualls |
Compensation Details
Free agent compensation
The free agent compensation system for the 2011 Major League Baseball draft was triggered by the signings of qualified free agents during the 2010-2011 offseason. Eligible players, those with at least three years of Major League service time who were approaching arbitration eligibility, were ranked by the Elias Sports Bureau based on their performance over the prior two seasons using metrics such as Wins Above Replacement (WAR), innings pitched or plate appearances, and other statistical benchmarks. The top 20% of these players were classified as Type A free agents, while the next 20% were Type B; teams that offered arbitration to these players and saw them sign elsewhere received draft pick compensation, with Type A losses yielding the signing team's first-round pick (unless the signing team was a revenue-sharing recipient, in which case the second-round pick) and a supplemental pick, and Type B losses yielding a supplemental pick after the first round.) Several high-profile Type A free agent signings resulted in significant compensation shifts. Carl Crawford, an outfielder from the Tampa Bay Rays, signed a seven-year, $142 million contract with the Boston Red Sox, costing the Red Sox their first-round pick (No. 24 overall) while awarding the Rays that pick and a supplemental first-round pick (No. 41). Similarly, Jayson Werth departed the Philadelphia Phillies for a seven-year, $126 million deal with the Washington Nationals, forfeiting the Nationals' first-round pick while granting the Phillies a supplemental first-round pick (No. 39). Cliff Lee's move from the Texas Rangers to the Philadelphia Phillies on a five-year, $120 million contract led to the Phillies losing their first-round pick (slotted as No. 33 for Rangers), with the Rangers also receiving a supplemental first-round pick (No. 37). Adrian Beltre, after a standout season with the Red Sox, signed a six-year, $96 million pact with the Texas Rangers, resulting in the Rangers forfeiting their first-round pick (slotted as No. 26 for Red Sox) and the Red Sox gaining a supplemental first-round pick (No. 40). Victor Martinez left the Red Sox for a four-year, $50 million agreement with the Detroit Tigers, causing the Tigers to surrender their first-round pick (slotted as No. 19 for Red Sox) and providing the Red Sox with a supplemental first-round pick (No. 36). Adam Dunn's one-year, $10 million signing with the Chicago White Sox from the Washington Nationals cost the White Sox their first-round pick (slotted as No. 23 for Nationals), awarding the Nationals a supplemental first-round pick (No. 34).[22] Type B free agent departures had lesser but still notable impacts, primarily resulting in sandwich picks between the first and second rounds for the losing teams. For instance, pitcher Javier Vazquez, who had been with the New York Yankees, signed a one-year, $7 million contract with the Florida Marlins, leading to the Yankees receiving a supplemental first-round pick (No. 51) while the Marlins forfeited their second-round selection. Other Type B examples included Orlando Hudson signing with the San Diego Padres from the Minnesota Twins, granting the Twins a supplemental first-round pick (No. 50), and Brad Hawpe, released by the Colorado Rockies and signing with the Tampa Bay Rays, resulting in the Rays receiving a supplemental first-round pick (No. 52). These transactions exemplified the system's design to balance talent acquisition with draft equity for smaller-market teams.[23] Overall, the system affected 14 teams that received at least one supplemental pick, contributing to a total of 27 picks in the supplemental first round of the draft (picks 34 through 60), which expanded opportunities for rebuilding franchises but also complicated draft strategies for big spenders like the Red Sox, who netted multiple extra selections despite losing several to incoming signings.[6]Awarded supplemental picks
In the 2011 Major League Baseball draft, supplemental picks were awarded to teams as compensation for losing qualifying free agents from the previous offseason, following the league's established rules for Type A and Type B players. For Type A free agents, the losing team received the signing team's first-round pick (or second-round if the signing team was a revenue-sharing recipient) plus an additional supplemental pick inserted between the first and second rounds and slotted according to the losing team's reverse order of finish from the prior season. For Type B free agents, the losing team received a supplemental pick in the same slotting manner, while the signing team forfeited its second-round pick without receiving a replacement. These picks were designed to balance talent loss, particularly benefiting smaller-market or revenue-sharing recipient teams, which were prioritized in the Type B compensation ordering to encourage competitive balance.) A total of 27 supplemental picks were distributed (picks 34-60), providing an advantage to 14 teams through extra early selections. Notable among these was the Boston Red Sox, who secured four such picks (#19 and #36 for losing Victor Martinez to the Detroit Tigers; #26 and #40 for losing Adrian Beltre to the Texas Rangers). Similarly, the San Diego Padres gained three supplemental first-round picks (#48 for losing Jon Garland, #54 for losing Yorvit Torrealba, and #58 for losing Kevin Correia) to other clubs. The Tampa Bay Rays received the most, with ten picks in the first two rounds due to multiple losses. No international signing compensation was included in the 2011 draft, as the system for international amateur free agents was not implemented until the following year's collective bargaining agreement.[24][25]| Team | Pick # | Player | Compensation For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Nationals | 23 | Alex Meyer (P) | Adam Dunn (to White Sox) |
| Washington Nationals | 34 | Brian Goodwin (OF) | Adam Dunn (to White Sox) |
| Boston Red Sox | 19 | Matt Barnes (P) | Victor Martinez (to Tigers) |
| Boston Red Sox | 36 | Henry Owens (P) | Victor Martinez (to Tigers) |
| Boston Red Sox | 26 | Blake Swihart (C) | Adrian Beltre (to Rangers) |
| Boston Red Sox | 40 | Jackie Bradley Jr. (OF) | Adrian Beltre (to Rangers) |
| Texas Rangers | 33 | Kevin Matthews (P) | Cliff Lee (to Phillies) |
| Texas Rangers | 37 | Zach Cone (OF) | Cliff Lee (to Phillies) |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 39 | Larry Greene (OF) | Jayson Werth (to Nationals) |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 24 | Taylor Guerrieri (P) | Carl Crawford (to Red Sox) |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 41 | Tyler Goeddel (3B) | Carl Crawford (to Red Sox) |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 31 | Mikie Mahtook (OF) | Rafael Soriano (to Yankees) |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 38 | Brandon Martin (SS) | Rafael Soriano (to Yankees) |
| San Diego Padres | 48 | Michael Kelly (P) | Jon Garland |
| San Diego Padres | 54 | Brett Austin (C) | Yorvit Torrealba |
| San Diego Padres | 58 | Jace Peterson (SS) | Kevin Correia |
| ... (additional picks for other teams and reasons available in full draft order) | ... | ... | ... |