Epic 2019 MLB Draft Class Comes Of Age Five Years Later
Image credit: Gunnar Henderson Adley Rutschman (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
The 2019 draft had a little bit of everything.
Oregon State’s Adley Rutschman presented a clear-cut No. 1 overall talent as a proven college hitter and potential franchise catcher.
Led by Bobby Witt Jr., Riley Greene and CJ Abrams, the level of high school talent was higher than usual. Even the second tier of first-round preps included future big leaguers Brett Baty, Corbin Carroll and Anthony Volpe.
Aside from Rutschman, many of the top college hitters in 2019 have come up short of stardom. Still, the first round was littered with future MLB regulars. In order of selection: Andrew Vaughn, JJ Bleday, Josh Jung, Shea Langeliers, Bryson Stott and Michael Busch.
Perhaps the most surprising development from the 2019 first round is that a maligned crop of college pitchers has yielded quality young starters George Kirby, Nick Lodolo and Alek Manoah.
While Manoah has faltered in the past two seasons, he made an all-star team in 2022, when he also finished third in American League Cy Young Award voting.
The remarkable talent level of the 2019 draft extended beyond the first round. The first pick of the second round has compiled more WAR than any other draftee. Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson won AL Rookie of the Year in 2023 and will challenge for MVP this season.
So while Rutschman, Witt, Henderson and others lost the 2020 minor league season to the pandemic, their talent shined too brightly to be denied.
FIRST ROUND
1. ADLEY RUTSCHMAN
Orioles • C
College World Series champion at Oregon State in 2018. College Player of the Year and No. 1 overall draft pick by the Orioles in 2019. No. 1 prospect in baseball heading into 2022, the same year he made his MLB debut and was AL Rookie of the Year runner-up. Major league all-star in 2023 and 2024. Rutschman has accomplished a lot in a short time, but he and the first-place Orioles aren’t done yet.
2. BOBBY WITT JR.
Royals • SS
In nine out of 10 drafts, Witt would have been the No. 1 overall pick. But the loaded 2019 class happened to have a franchise catcher at the top. The Royals were thrilled to “settle” for Witt out of his Dallas-area high school. He projected to have plus tools across the board, but he has been even better than that for Kansas City. Witt is a Gold Glove-caliber shortstop who could win a batting title while going 30-30.
3. ANDREW VAUGHN
White Sox • 1B
A two-time first-team All-American at Cal, Vaughn was a risky pick as a shorter, righthanded first baseman. He has been a league-average hitter without distinguishing hitting, power or defense.
4. JJ BLEDAY
Marlins • OF
A 27-homer junior campaign at Vanderbilt catapulted Bleday toward the top of the college class. He has resurrected his career in Oakland this season by holding down center field with an above-average bat.
5. RILEY GREENE
Tigers • OF
Scouts loved Greene’s bat when he was a prep in the Orlando area. They saw him as a potential double-plus hitter with a chance for plus power. Greene took major strides toward that reality this season, when he made his first all-star team as a 23-year-old. He hit a career-high 17 home runs before injuring his hamstring in late July, and it’s exciting to think what he might accomplish with a fully healthy season.
6. CJ ABRAMS
Padres • SS
Abrams’ elite speed paired nicely with a line-drive, lefthanded swing when he was in high school in the Atlanta area. The Padres rushed him to the big leagues as a 21-year-old in 2022 and then dealt him to the Nationals in the Juan Soto blockbuster that summer. Abrams has taken major strides in D.C. the past two seasons, nearly going 20-50 in 2023 while finding more power this season as a first-time all-star.
7. NICK LODOLO
Reds • LHP
The 6-foot-7 Texas Christian lefthander began tightening his control as a junior, and then put up a 30-to-zero strikeout-to-walk ratio over 18 innings in his pro debut. Lodolo didn’t miss a beat when play resumed in 2021 and then made the Reds’ Opening Day roster in 2022. While extended injury absences have marred his time in pro ball, Lodolo is only one healthy season away from wide acclaim.
8. JOSH JUNG
Rangers • 3B
Injuries are a part of sports, as Jung knows only too well. A star at Texas Tech, Jung was drafted by the home-state Rangers and hit well in his pro debut, but his journey has since been interrupted by a series of injuries. He had surgery on his foot, shoulder, thumb and wrist each season from 2021 to 2024. Still, he hit 23 homers and made the all-star team as a rookie for the World Series-champion Rangers in 2023.
9. SHEA LANGELIERS
Braves • C
The Braves traded Langeliers to the Athletics to acquire Matt Olson prior to 2022. He is a throwback catcher with elite arm strength and huge power who is now in his second season as a regular.
10. HUNTER BISHOP
Giants • OF
Bishop is healthy at Triple-A after losing 2020 to the pandemic, most of 2021 to a shoulder injury and 2023 to elbow surgery. Lauded for his power and speed at Arizona State, Bishop hasn’t hit in pro ball.
11. ALEK MANOAH
Blue Jays • RHP
Manoah required almost no minor league seasoning coming out of West Virginia before he put up a 2.60 ERA in his first 51 MLB starts. He fell off the pace in 2023 and had hybrid Tommy John surgery this season.
12. BRETT BATY
Mets • 3B
Baty was old for his high school class, but the Austin, Texas, two-sport standout could hit. He has done just that up to Triple-A as a pro, but he has not yet broken through in three MLB trials in Queens.
13. KEONI CAVACO
Twins • SS
Cavaco had just turned 18 when drafted, making his name pop in models. He hit just .212 in six pro seasons, topping out at High-A, before the Twins released him in June. The Astros signed him as a pitcher.
14. BRYSON STOTT
Phillies • SS
The top college shortstop drafted coming out of Nevada-Las Vegas, Stott has developed into a quality lefthanded-hitting second baseman on a title contender. Stott does a little bit of everything.
15. WILL WILSON
Angels • SS
The Angels drafted Wilson out of N.C. State in June and traded him to the Giants in a salary dump in December. Wilson has spent much of the past four seasons at Double-A, producing middling results.
16. CORBIN CARROLL
D-backs • OF
If Carroll were a bit taller, he would have been drafted earlier, but the 5-foot-10 Seattle prep star fell to Arizona at pick No. 16. Carroll had major shoulder surgery that cost him most of 2021, but he more than made up for lost time in subsequent seasons, especially in 2023 when he was Rookie of the Year for the NL pennant-winning D-backs. Carroll was pulling out of a season-long slump in the second half of 2024.
17. JACKSON RUTLEDGE
Nationals • RHP
The 6-foot-8 junior college product reached MLB for cups of coffee the past two seasons but has not yet stuck. The ABS system at Triple-A has made throwing strikes tough for the extra-tall righty.
18. QUINN PRIESTER
Pirates • RHP
The suburban Chicago prep had great physical projection and feel to spin a curveball. The Pirates traded Priester to the Red Sox for prospect Nick Yorke this July after he logged a 6.46 ERA in 95 big league innings.
19. ZACK THOMPSON
Cardinals • LHP
Thompson was attractive as a four-pitch lefty who dominated SEC competition at Kentucky. He has been more of an up-and-down swingman during callups to St. Louis the past three seasons.
20. GEORGE KIRBY
Mariners • RHP
Command has always been Kirby’s calling card. Even in his Elon days, he could spot his fastball and slider with precision. When he started adding velocity in pro ball thanks to the Mariners’ pitching development, Kirby developed into an elite prospect. Not long after, he was an elite major league starter. Since his 2022 debut, no pitcher has a lower walk rate—3%—than Kirby, while his strikeout rate is above average.
21. BRADEN SHEWMAKE
Braves • SS
Shewmake has lived up to his Texas A&M reputation as a strong shortstop with a light bat. Traded by the Braves to the White Sox in the offseason, the utility infield hopeful was on the Triple-A injured list.
22. GREG JONES
Rays • SS
The Rays shipped Jones to the Rockies in spring training, and the UNC Wilmington product made his MLB debut as a right fielder this season. He has had trouble getting on base enough for his plus wheels to play.
23. MICHAEL TOGLIA
Rockies • 1B
The switch-hitting UCLA first baseman has a tenuous hold on first base in Denver. Toglia has sold out for power this season, resulting in his best MLB home run total but also few doubles and many strikeouts.
24. DANIEL ESPINO
Guardians • RHP
The Georgia prep cruised to Double-A with some of the top stuff in the minors. But injuries have derailed Espino, who has not pitched since April 2022. He is out this season after rotator cuff surgery.
25. KODY HOESE
Dodgers • 3B
Hoese launched 23 homers as a Tulane junior, but injuries and lack of impact power have held him back in pro ball. He reached Triple-A for the first time this season and would benefit from a change of scenery.
26. BLAKE WALSTON
D-backs • LHP
The North Carolina prep lefty made his MLB debut in May but spent the summer on the shelf with elbow inflammation. Walston’s 4.37 minor league ERA looks better in light of hitter-friendly home parks.
27. RYAN JENSEN
Cubs • RHP
A first-round reach coming out of Fresno State, Jensen reached Triple-A as a reliever with the Cubs before they cut bait in 2023. He has passed from the Mariners to Marlins to Twins on waivers.
28. ETHAN SMALL
Brewers • LHP
The Mississippi State lefty reached MLB for cups of coffee in 2022 and 2023. The Brewers shipped Small to the Giants before spring training this year. He was working his way back from an oblique injury.
29. LOGAN DAVIDSON
Athletics • SS
Davidson stood out at Clemson as a 6-foot-3, switch-hitting shortstop, albeit with hit tool questions. Those concerns have manifested in a spotty pro career, this year as a utility player at Triple-A.
30. ANTHONY VOLPE
Yankees, • SS
Volpe was high school teammates with Jack Leiter at New Jersey’s Delbarton School. Leiter went on to Vanderbilt, while Volpe turned pro with the Yankees. While his selection was viewed as a slight overdraft, Volpe quickly proved doubters wrong with a 27-homer, 33-steal romp through Class A in 2021. By 2023, he was the Yankees’ shortstop. Volpe has an outstanding glove, good speed and a near-average bat.
31. MICHAEL BUSCH
Dodgers • 2B
Busch played mostly first base at North Carolina, but the Dodgers had designs on him at second base. That plan eventually gave way to third base, his primary position when he was Pacific Coast League MVP in 2023. Busch was buried behind all-stars on the Dodgers’ depth chart—until Los Angeles traded him to the Cubs in 2024. This season, Busch is thriving as Chicago’s rookie first baseman.
32. KOREY LEE
Astros • C
The Astros drafted Lee out of Cal and traded him to the White Sox at the 2023 deadline. He is getting run as Chicago’s primary catcher this season and has flashed intermittent power and incredible arm strength.
SECOND ROUND STANDOUT
42. GUNNAR HENDERSON
Orioles • SS
Many clubs had Alabama prep Henderson as a first-round talent. Still, he slipped to the first pick of the second round, and the Orioles pounced. Henderson’s athleticism, power and arm strength stood out quickly in pro ball, and by 2023 he was the No. 1 overall prospect and then AL Rookie of the Year. This year he was a first-time all-star and five-tool superstar likely to be a factor in MVP voting.
THIRD ROUND STANDOUT
98. MICHAEL HARRIS II
Braves • OF
A standout outfielder and lefthander at Stockbridge High outside Atlanta, Harris was drafted by his hometown Braves in the third round. He focused on hitting in pro ball and was a big leaguer by age 21, when he won the NL Rookie of the Year award in 2022. Harris has great speed, Gold Glove potential in center field and a rocket arm, but his hitting and power are a bit undersold. The best is yet to come.
FOURTH ROUND STANDOUT
129. BRENTON DOYLE
Rockies • OF
Doyle starred at Division II Shepherd in West Virginia before the Rockies drafted him in the fourth round. He raked in the minors at a series of hitting-friendly stops before finding his level in 2023 when the Rockies called him up. Doyle hit just .203 as a rookie but won a Gold Glove in center field. His athleticism and defensive foundation set the stage for across-the-board improvement in a breakout 2024 season.
FIFTH ROUND STANDOUT
166. HUNTER BROWN
Astros • RHP
Brown grew up in Detroit idolizing Tigers ace Justin Verlander. He later joined his idol’s organization when the Astros drafted him in the fifth round out of Division II Wayne State. Brown cruised through the minors and was part of Houston’s 2022 World Series champions, where he was teammates with Verlander. Brown’s secondary stuff has stepped forward, making the hard-thrower a more complete pitcher.
The Hits Keep Coming
The notable names from the 2019 draft don’t stop with Hunter Brown. A number of other picks have carved out MLB roles.
Matt Wallner, OF, Twins. Drafted by: Twins (1st round supplemental)
Josh Smith, 3B, Rangers. Drafted by: Yankees (2nd round)
Spencer Steer, OF, Reds. Drafted by: Twins (3rd round)
Ryan Pepiot, RHP, Rays. Drafted by: Dodgers (3rd round)
Joey Ortiz, 3B, Brewers. Drafted by: Orioles (4th round)
Michael Massey, 2B, Royals. Drafted by: Royals (4th round)
Graham Ashcraft, RHP, Reds. Drafted by: Reds (6th round)
Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B, Royals. Drafted by: Royals (11th round)
Edouard Julien, 2B, Twins. Drafted by: Twins (18th round)
Matt Waldron, RHP, Padres. Drafted by: Guardians (18th round)
Kerry Carpenter, OF, Tigers. Drafted by: Tigers (19th round)
