Redrafting 2011: Mookie goes 1st, Lindor jumps into top 3

With the 2021 MLB Draft beginning Sunday, theScore looks back to a decade ago and redrafts a loaded first round from the 2011 event.

Note: Jose Fernandez was not redrafted following his death in 2016.

1. Pittsburgh Pirates

Actual pick: Gerrit Cole
Our pick: Mookie Betts

Betts takes over top spot from Cole after appearing in four All-Star Games, winning an MVP and batting crown, and securing two World Series titles before the age of 28. It's incredible to think Betts wasn't drafted until the fifth round by the Red Sox.

2. Seattle Mariners

Actual pick: Danny Hultzen
Our pick: Gerrit Cole

The Mariners drafted Hultzen with hopes he'd anchor the rotation for years to come after an impressive final college season (1.37 ERA, 12.6 K/9). However, he'd never pitch an inning in the majors for Seattle due to myriad injuries. Cole was - and remains - the best pitcher in the draft and is immediately the obvious choice for the Mariners with Betts supplanting him as the No. 1 pick.

3. Arizona Diamondbacks

Actual pick: Trevor Bauer
Our pick: Francisco Lindor

Lindor is a five-tool star and arguably the best shortstop in baseball despite a slow start to his Mets tenure. He's a four-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger, and two-time Gold Glover who would certainly help a terrible team.

4. Baltimore Orioles

Actual pick: Dylan Bundy
Our pick: Anthony Rendon

Rendon moves up two picks to the Orioles after amassing the fourth-highest fWAR among third basemen since 2011. Had Baltimore gone this direction, the left side of its infield would have featured Rendon and Manny Machado.

5. Kansas City Royals

Actual pick: Bubba Starling
Our pick: George Springer

Springer was just coming into his own as a big-leaguer around the time the Royals made back-to-back World Series appearances (winning in 2015), and he would have been a welcome addition to that lineup. The three-time All-Star has hit 179 home runs and is worth 27 fWAR with a 135 wRC+ in eight seasons between the Astros and Blue Jays.

6. Washington Nationals

Actual pick: Anthony Rendon
Our pick: Trevor Story

The Nationals take the best player available in Story with Rendon off the board. The selection would dramatically change Washington's future since the club probably would've never traded for Trea Turner.

7. Arizona Diamondbacks

Actual pick: Archie Bradley
Our pick: Marcus Semien

Only three position players in D-Backs history have accumulated more fWAR than the 22.4 that Semien has at this point, so he would have been a clear upgrade over Bradley. The all-time leader in fWAR among D-Backs shortstops is Stephen Drew (10.6).

8. Cleveland Indians

Actual pick: Francisco Lindor
Our pick: Blake Snell

Had Lindor gone sooner, Cleveland could have added yet another world-class arm to its pitching factory in Snell. Injuries and a propensity to issue walks have limited the Cy Young winner's availability - his career high in innings pitched is 180 2/3 - but his four-pitch mix is a nasty combination of high velocity and wicked movement resulting in a vaunted strikeout rate.

9. Chicago Cubs

Actual pick: Javier Baez
Our pick: Trevor Bauer

The Cubs have struggled to develop homegrown starters, and drafting Bauer would have helped remedy that. While it took him some time to find his footing, the right-hander owns a 3.79 ERA over 10 seasons and has a Cy Young to his name.

Bauer is currently on administrative leave while MLB conducts an investigation into assault allegations.

10. San Diego Padres

Actual pick: Cory Spangenberg
Our pick: Javier Baez

Drafting Baez instead of Spangenberg - who has a career .704 OPS and is currently playing in Japan - would have been wise for the Padres. But one wonders if San Diego would have pulled the trigger on the Fernando Tatis Jr. trade with the White Sox in 2016 if it already had Baez in the organization.

11. Houston Astros

Actual pick: George Springer
Our pick: Tyler Glasnow

It took a while - and the Pirates effectively gave up on him - but Glasnow has emerged as a frontline starter with the Rays. And while Springer was a key piece in Houston for years, Glasnow would take the pressure off the pitching staff. However, the ripple effect could also create a reality where one of Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, or Zack Greinke never pitch for Houston.

12. Milwaukee Brewers

Actual pick: Taylor Jungmann
Our pick: Sonny Gray

In hindsight, the Brewers taking Gray over Jungmann would be a lock. The latter has only appeared in 30 games (27 starts) over his major-league career, while Gray is a two-time All-Star with 1,187 innings pitched over nine years.

13. New York Mets

Actual pick: Brandon Nimmo
Our pick: Kyle Hendricks

Nimmo has been a good player for the Mets when healthy, but Hendricks' 3.18 career ERA is better than any pitcher to suit up for the club since 2014, excluding Jacob deGrom.

14. Miami Marlins

Actual pick: Jose Fernandez
Our pick: Mike Clevinger

Clevinger was drafted out of high school and took a while to reach the majors, but he showcased the ability of an effective big-league starter nearly out of the gate. Even more, he demonstrated ace-level stuff in 2018-19, going 26-12 with a 2.90 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 376 strikeouts over 326 innings. His current recovery from Tommy John surgery shouldn't cloud his excellence.

15. Milwaukee Brewers

Actual pick: Jed Bradley
Our pick: Jackie Bradley Jr.

The Brewers were destined to take a Bradley with this pick. And ironically, they could've drafted Jackie Bradley Jr. instead of signing him as a free agent. The former All-Star produced some nice offensive seasons but is best known for his Gold Glove work in the outfield.

16. Los Angeles Dodgers

Actual pick: Chris Reed
Our pick: Joe Musgrove

The Dodgers have a reputation for drafting well, but they missed the mark with Reed in 2011. The Stanford pitcher appeared in just two games for the Marlins in 2015 and is throwing in independent ball now. Instead, L.A. could have had Musgrove, who owns 575 career strikeouts and a no-hitter.

17. Los Angeles Angels

Actual pick: C.J. Cron
Our pick: Brandon Nimmo

Cron was an effective bat for the Angels for a couple years, but slugging first basemen don't carry the value that they once did. Meanwhile, Nimmo has developed into one of the most underrated outfielders in baseball. In six seasons with the Mets, Nimmo boasts a .392 OBP over 390 games, which is higher than any qualified Angels hitter since 2011 not named Mike Trout.

18. Oakland Athletics

Actual pick: Sonny Gray
Our pick: Kolten Wong

Wong could have prevented the A's problems at second base. He's a two-time Gold Glover who's enjoying a career season with the bat thanks to an .830 OPS.

19. Boston Red Sox

Actual pick: Matt Barnes
Our pick: Josh Bell

Barnes has evolved into a shutdown closer for the Red Sox, but drafting Bell would have provided Boston with an offensive force at first base for years to come. Bell's 348 RBIs and 98 home runs since 2016 would rank third and fourth, respectively, on the club.

20. Colorado Rockies

Actual pick: Tyler Anderson
Our pick: Kevin Pillar

Pillar has been inconsistent with the bat but rose through the minors quickly to make his MLB debut in 2013 before becoming a pillar of Toronto's outfield for many years. His electric defense could have solidified Colorado's outfield between Charlie Blackmon and Carlos Gonzalez in the mid-2010s.

21. Toronto Blue Jays

Actual pick: Tyler Beede
Our pick: Ken Giles

The Blue Jays traded for Giles in 2018, but he could have arrived much sooner. The right-hander was one of the game's top relievers through his first six seasons, posting a 2.67 ERA and 114 saves. Meanwhile, Beede pitched to a 5.27 ERA across 124 2/3 innings over his brief career.

22. St. Louis Cardinals

Actual pick: Kolten Wong
Our pick: Dylan Bundy

Wong was a defensive standout for the Cardinals before joining the Brewers this offseason, but with him now off the board, we'll take Bundy here. Wong is the superior player by fWAR, but Bundy spent most of his career pitching for bad Orioles teams at Camden Yards. He's struggled this season but was very good for the Angels in 2020, finishing ninth in AL Cy Young voting.

23. Washington Nationals

Actual pick: Alex Meyer
Our pick: James McCann

McCann's not a superstar, but he's a solid defensive catcher with enough pop to run into some homers. With Wilson Ramos' emergence as the Nationals' catcher in the early 2010s, McCann could have either served as a top-flight backup or been dangled as a trade chip. Meyer retired in 2019 due to injuries.

24. Tampa Bay Rays

Actual pick: Taylor Guerrieri
Our pick: Blake Treinen

Treinen would fit in well in a Rays bullpen that's been dominant for years. He owns a career 3.02 ERA, 75 saves, and 452 strikeouts over 459 1/3 innings. Guerrieri, meanwhile, has only managed a 5.50 ERA in parts of two big-league seasons.

25. San Diego Padres

Actual pick: Joe Ross
Our pick: Tommy La Stella

La Stella isn't a flashy name. Still, adding a high on-base guy who rarely strikes out would have been a wise choice for the Padres, who saw a revolving door of subpar second basemen until Jake Cronenworth arrived in 2020.

26. Boston Red Sox

Actual pick: Blake Swihart
Our pick: Zach Davies

Swihart was the catcher of the future in Boston but never reached his full potential. Davies isn't an overpowering arm but has showcased pinpoint command for most of his career and would be a stabilizing force in Boston's rotation.

27. Cincinnati Reds

Actual pick: Robert Stephenson
Our pick: Matt Barnes

The Reds need an ace reliever and Barnes would have provided one. The right-hander has been dominant out of the bullpen, especially this season, as he's accruing a 2.68 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, and 15.1 K/9.

28. Atlanta Braves

Actual pick: Sean Gilmartin
Our pick: Travis Shaw

The Braves needed a third baseman after Chipper Jones retired following the 2012 campaign and could have had their guy in Shaw, who has twice hit more than 30 homers. They opted for pitching instead, entrusting the hot corner to Chris Johnson, who enjoyed one good season before flaming out.

29. San Francisco Giants

Actual pick: Joe Panik
Our pick: Michael Fulmer

Panik was a mainstay in the Giants' infield for five-plus seasons and was an All-Star in 2015, but you can never have too much pitching. Fulmer, a former All-Star in his own right, has seen his career derailed by injuries but has begun rebuilding his value as a bullpen arm in 2021.

30. Minnesota Twins

Actual pick: Levi Michael
Our pick: Nick Ahmed

Michael has yet to play in the majors, while Ahmed is a two-time Gold Glover. The Twins must wish they could have a do-over here.

31. Tampa Bay Rays

Actual pick: Mikie Mahtook
Our pick: C.J. Cron

Cron hit 30 homers for the Rays in 2018 but could have been doing that type of damage much sooner if they selected him in 2011. Mahtook only played 106 games for Tampa Bay before he was traded to the Tigers for pitcher Drew Smith.

32. Tampa Bay Rays

Actual pick: Jake Hager
Our pick: Brad Miller

The Rays would have sped up the process by taking Miller in 2011 instead of acquiring him in a 2015 trade. Tampa wound up being a solid fit for the lefty bat as he hit 44 home runs over parts of three seasons with the Rays. Hager only made his MLB debut this season for the Mets.

33. Texas Rangers

Actual pick: Kevin Matthews
Our pick: Seth Lugo

The Rangers could use a solid bullpen presence like Lugo. He's compiled a 2.52 ERA with 231 strikeouts in 203 2/3 innings as a reliever for the Mets. Meanwhile, Matthews has never reached the big leagues.