Colorado Rockies 2007 Draft: Another really bad draft

The Colorado Rockies drafted Chris Sale later in the 2007 MLB Draft

If you look all the way down to the 21st round of the draft, the Colorado Rockies drafted a lanky left-handed pitcher out of high school by the name of Chris Sale.

However, Sale didn’t sign. He ended up being drafted by the White Sox three years later (before the Rockies even had a selection that year so they didn’t pass him up later) but from 2012 through 2018, he was an All-Star in each of the seven seasons, came in the top six in AL Cy Young Award voting in each season, and he got MVP votes four times as well.

Overall, here are two other players that signed in this draft that the Rockies passed on:

• Anthony Rizzo, 6th round, 204th overall, Red Sox (three-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove winner, three finishes in the top 10 of MVP voting, 36.8 rWAR)
• Greg Holland, 10th round, 306th overall, Royals (future Colorado Rockie, three-time All-Star, two top 10 finishes in Cy Young voting, 12.7 rWAR)

So, if you are keeping track at home, the Rockies, in 2006 and 2007, could have drafted these players (the player with the higher career rWAR entering is in bold.

• Either Clayton Kershaw or Max Scherzer, 1st round in 2006
• Either Josh Donaldson or Madison Bumgarner, 1st round in 2007
• Either Giancarlo Stanton or Freddie Freeman, 2nd round in 2007
• Corey Kluber, 4th round in 2007
• Anthony Rizzo, 6th round in 2007

Here’s what the combination of five players have with career accolades:

• 21 or 23 All-Star selections
• 5 Cy Young Awards either way
• 9 or 12 additional top 10 finishes in Cy Young voting
• 3 or 1 MVP(s)
• 9 or 11 additional top 10 MVP finishes

Now imagine those numbers combined with Chris Sale too.