5 Best Colleges At Producing First-Round Pitchers In The 2000s

While Vanderbilt position players Dansby Swanson, Pedro Alvarez and JJ Bleday were drafted first, second and fourth overall, the program is best known as a pitching factory.

No college program has produced more first-round pitchers than Vanderbilt since 2000. What’s astonishing is that the Commodores’ pitcher pipeline was first established in 2004, when the Indians drafted Jeremy Sowers with the sixth overall pick.

That means that under coach Tim Corbin, Vanderbilt has produced a remarkable nine first-round pitchers in the past 16 drafts.

Here are the five best schools at producing first rounders over the last 20 years. 

Vanderbilt — 9

 

Year	No	Player, Pos	Team
2004	6	Jeremy Sowers, LHP	Indians
2007	1	David Price, LHP	Devil Rays
2007	8	Casey Weathers, RHP	Rockies
2009	7	Mike Minor, LHP	Braves
2011	18	Sonny Gray, RHP	Athletics
2014	14	Tyler Beede, RHP	Giants
2015	8	Carson Fulmer, RHP	White Sox
2015	24	Walker Buehler, RHP	Dodgers
2017	5	Kyle Wright, RHP	Braves

 

The quantity and quality of Vanderbilt’s first-round pitchers is astounding. Price put the program on the map when he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft. He went on to win the AL Cy Young Award in 2012 and a World Series ring in 2018. Buehler, Gray and Minor have all made an all-star team, while Wright is currently a Top 100 Prospect. The only real misfires have been Weathers and (to this point) Fulmer.

Florida — 7

 

Year	No	Player, Pos	Team
2012	31	Brian Johnson, LHP	Red Sox
2013	20	Jonathan Crawford, RHP	Tigers
2016	6	A.J. Puk, LHP	Athletics
2016	29	Dane Dunning, RHP	Nationals
2017	18	Alex Faedo, RHP	Tigers
2018	18	Brady Singer, RHP	Royals
2018	33	Jackson Kowar, RHP	Royals

 

Florida’s rise as a national power coincides with the program’s success at developing pitchers. Granted, the program’s pitchers tend to be middle or late first-round picks rather than top 10 selections. While no first-round Gator has busted through in the big leagues, Puk is poised to do so as an Athletics rookie in 2020.

Stanford — 7

 

Year	No	Player, Pos	Team
2000	5	Justin Wayne, RHP	Expos
2002	22	Jeremy Guthrie, RHP	Indians
2006	2	Greg Reynolds, RHP	Rockies
2009	10	Drew Storen, RHP	Nationals
2011	16	Chris Reed, LHP	Dodgers
2013	1	Mark Appel, RHP	Astros
2016	8	Cal Quantrill, RHP	Padres

 

Guthrie didn’t break through as a rotation mainstay until age 28, but he stuck around long enough to amass 91 career wins. Quantill made his major league debut in 2019 and could be a key cog in the Padres’ resurgence. Just as notable: top-five-overall picks Appel, Reynolds and Wayne failed to impact the majors.

RICE — 6

 

Year	No	Player, Pos	Team
2001	11	Kenny Baugh, RHP	Tigers
2003	22	David Aardsma, RHP	Giants
2004	3	Philip Humber, RHP	Mets
2004	4	Jeff Niemann, RHP	Devil Rays
2005	8	Wade Townsend, RHP	Devil Rays
2007	19	Joe Savery, LHP	Phillies

 

Rice’s storied pitching tradition resulted in a mini-dynasty in the 2000s, but not one Owls ace developed into an impact major league starter. The ballyhooed trio of Humber, Niemann and Townsend never achieved sustained big league success, though Aardsma racked up 69 career saves.

NORTH CAROLINA — 5

 

Year	No	Player, Pos	Team
2006	6	Andrew Miller, LHP	Tigers
2006	28	Daniel Bard, RHP	Red Sox
2009	15	Alex White, RHP	Indians
2010	7	Matt Harvey, RHP	Mets
2017	15	J.B. Bukauskas, RHP	Astros

 

Miller and Bard helped UNC break through in Omaha and establish the program as title contenders. Miller won Player of the Year honors and was in play as the possible No. 1 overall pick in 2006. He has carved out a career as a relief ace.