The MLB Draft is often appreciated more in retrospect than in present tense, which is what makes the NFL Draft, even in yesterday’s virtual format, so much more entertaining than Rob Manfred’s annual June snoozefest. It’s rare that a top MLB draft pick makes a near-immediate impact, though some players have gone straight from the amateur ranks to the big league clubs that drafted them with varying degrees of success. Dave Winfield and Catfish Hunter are both in the Hall of Fame and both started their careers almost immediately after being selected.
By the way, I didn’t realize Hunter had passed away until I started researching this column.