There is a strategy to the MLB draft and every teams plays it a little differently. With limited monetary bonus pools available to sign their draft picks, teams mix up their strategy to maximize the number of talented players they bring into the organization.
In 2017, the Yankees drafted a player in Clarke Schmidt who was injured at the time of the draft, but it opened up an opportunity to draft another highly regarded arm in Matt Sauer later on. The upcoming 2021 draft has two players who fit Schmidt’s profile from 2017 as they both went down for Tommy John surgery during the college season and now could be available for the Yankees when they select with the 20th overall pick.