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The history of the #6 overall pick
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Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images
Due to their 2020 record, the Diamondbacks will have the sixth overall pick in the 2021 draft, which gets under way on Sunday. There has already been much discussion about who might be available after the five teams ahead of them have had their choice, and in what direction Arizona might go. We will only know that when their choice is made public; for obvious reasons, GM Mike Hazen and his staff will keep their draft board close to their chests. But what we can do, is look at the previous picks in that spot, and that should then give us an idea of the production we can expect from the spot.
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Scouts can sense when a Draft might be special, and they had that inkling about the 2011 crop early on. They viewed it as the best class since 2005, which sent 26 of its 30 first-rounders to the big leagues and featured stars such as Ryan Braun, Andrew McCutchen and Troy Tulowitzki.
Looking back 10 years later, scouts were correct about the 2011 group. The first 29 players selected and 30 of 33 first-rounders have played in the Majors, including Gerrit Cole, Francisco Lindor, Anthony Rendon and George Springer. The two biggest gems didn t even go in the first round fifth-rounder Mookie Betts and supplemental first-rounder Trevor Story and by the time all is said and done, 2011 could rank among the five best Draft years ever.