Add new comment

As BP's reseach from a few years ago showed, college position players selected for their bats are the best bets in the draft by far. They are not only better than pitchers, college and high school, but they are better than prep hitters and college players at premium positions as well.
This really isn't too surprising when you think about it because if a guy is a fantastic hitter at 20 or 21, there is very little projection necessary. It may seem like other college players would be just as reliable, but that isn't the case. With Shortstops and centerfielders, their bats are more questionanable and since offense is the most valuable asset in baseball, this makes them less likely to be impact players because they need more development. Pitchers, on the other hand, not only are inherently more likely to suffer serious injury, but they need to adjust to pitching more often and over a longer season. How a pitcher handles that is a huge question mark and can not be answered before he turns pro.
So while Cole may be a great pick at number 2, I have to take the polished bat if given the chance.