Another week, another chart. This time, it's the A's drafts of the last twenty years, as measured by major league WAR. Batters are in dark green, while pitchers are in the lighter shade. Any player who, as of 2010, accumulated at least 10 career WAR was highlighted and labeled in yellow.
Some notes on methodology and other thoughts:
- This graph counts total career WAR, not just production in Oakland.
- I didn't count any player who made it to the majors but had a negative career WAR. It wouldn't have made sense to dock a draft that produced a bunch of bad major leaguers, compared to a draft that produced no major leaguers at all.
- Players who didn't sign after being drafted were not counted. This left out guys like Jonathan Papelbon, who was drafted by the A's in the 40th round in 2002. He was drafted the next year by Boston in the 4th round.
- Similarly, Tim Hudson was only counted once, even though the A's drafted him twice (a failed attempt in the 35th round in 1994 from a community college in Alabama, then again in 1997 in the 6th round out of Auburn University).
- All WAR figures are Rally's WAR from Baseball-Reference.
- The graph ends in 2006, because no Oakland draftee since then has produced a positive WAR. Sorry, Tyson Ross (-0.3 rWAR).
- Some notable A's draftees who never wore an A's uniform: Gerald Laird, Mark Teahen, Ryan Ludwick, Jeremy Bonderman, and Andre Ethier.
