


For first-round draft-pick value, it’s not easy to top the Mets’ success of 2017.
David Peterson didn’t appear like a sexy selection early on — and even several years later, there were still questions about whether the left-hander would thrive as a major league pitcher. But Peterson has blossomed into a standout within the Mets rotation over the past two seasons, only validating the pick.
The Mets selected Peterson from Oregon with the 20th overall pick. He owns 7.5 bWAR for his career, placing him behind only Hunter Greene, Tanner Houck, Drew Rasmussen and Brent Rooker among players selected in the first round in 2017.
It’s a class that also includes names such as MacKenzie Gore, Clarke Schmidt, Jake Burger, Trevor Rogers and Kyle Wright. The only player drafted that year ahead of Peterson with a higher career bWAR is Greene, whom the Reds selected with the second overall pick. Greene owns 11.3 bWAR.