5th rounders?

Just a few weeks ago, I watched a video on YouTube. A pitcher was actually interviewed by a former pitcher in the majors. Their conversation was quite interesting.

 

In the conversation, the guest indicated that he was selected in the 5th round of the 2011 draft. Well, he’s a star pitcher. However, being selected in the 5th round didn’t seem to be a top pick. After listening to the show, I was just thinking which players were selected in the same round as that player.

 

To solve my doubts, I decided to check on the great baseball reference website.

 

So, there were 30 players who were selected in the 5th round of the 2011 draft. Among those 30 players, 27 players agreed to sign. Among those 27 players who chose to sign, 15 players made it into the big leagues. Among those 15 players, there are some star players.

 

Firstly, Tyler Glasnow was selected by the Pirates in the 5th round of the 2011 draft. He made his MLB debut in 2016. Glasnow pitched for the Pirates from 2016 to 2018, posting a 5.79 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP over 141.1 innings. Glasnow wasn’t off to a good start in his career. However, things have changed since he was traded to the Rays in July 2018. From 2018 to 2023, Glasnow made 71 starts for the Rays, posting a 3.20 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP over 388.1 innings. In December 2023, he was traded to the Dodgers. In 2024, he made 22 starts and tossed a career-high 134 innings. Glasnow owned a 3.49 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP in his first season with the Dodgers. He threw 168 strikeouts and was selected to the All-Star game for the first time in his career.

 

In addition, no one would ignore this name now. Mookie Betts was selected by the Red Sox in the 5th round of the 2011 draft. Betts made his MLB debut in 2014. From 2014 to 2019, he played 794 games for the Red Sox, hitting .301/.374/.519 with 139 home runs and 470 RBI. Mookie Betts was selected to the All-Star game as a Red Sox player for 4 times. In particular, he had a fantastic season in 2018, slashing .346/.438/.640 with 32 home runs and 80 RBI. In February 2020, he was traded to the Dodgers. So far, Mookie Betts has played 600+ games for the Dodgers. As a Dodger, Mookie Betts already blasted more than 130 home runs and collected 370+ RBI.

 

Finally, Brandon Woodruff was selected by the Rangers in the 5th round of the 2011 draft. Nonetheless, he didn’t sign with the Rangers. In 2014, the Brewers chose Woodruff in the 11th round of the draft. Woodruff made his MLB debut in 2017. He didn’t pitch in 2024 due to recovery from a shoulder surgery. But he has tossed 680.1 innings so far in his career and is a 2-time All-Star.

The 5th round in the draft, well, it’s not so early. However, using the 5th round pick well would certainly help a team. In the 2011 draft, Tyler Glasnow and Mookie Betts were selected in the 5th round. They are star players. And Mookie Betts is an MVP award winner. In the 2025 season, we can see these two 5th rounders play for the Dodgers and see how well they can perform this year. Additionally, Brandon Woodruff shall be back to the Brewers rotation in 2025 and let’s watch his performance after the surgery.