Phillies: 5 players they just missed in the MLB Draft

SECAUCUS, NJ - JUNE 06: New York Yankees draftee Aaron Judge (R) poses for a photograph with Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig at the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft at the MLB Network on June 6, 2013 in Secaucus, New Jersey. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images) /

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OMAHA, NE – JUNE 28: Starting pitcher Gerrit Cole #12 of the UCLA Bruins pitches against the South Carolina Gamecocks during game 1 of the men’s 2010 NCAA College Baseball World Series at Rosenblatt Stadium on June 28, 2010 in Omaha, Nebraska. The Gamecocks defeated the Bruins 7-1. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

2008 MLB Draft: Gerrit Cole

The 2008 season was a great year for Philadelphia, but when it comes to the first round of that year’s draft, it’s a different story.

With the 24th overall pick Philadelphia took SS Anthony Hewitt out of Salisbury School in Connecticut. Long story short, Hewitt never came close to making the MLB. He played seven Minor League seasons with the Phillies affiliates but could never get over the hump. He never made it past AA ball and in his nine season career slashed .223/.268/.368 with 72 home runs.

Four picks later the New York Yankees took Gerrit Cole out of Orange Lutheran High School in California. Even though Gerrit Cole opted to go to college instead of signing with the Yankees I still thought I’d include this year’s draft on the list. Cole defended his choice to go to UCLA repeating something he heard Alex Rodriguez say in a conference,

"“He said the one thing he regrets most is being so young and going into Major League Baseball, he said he wishes he would have gone to college and grown up.”"

Good choice on his part as he was taken 1st overall in 2011 by the Pittsburgh Pirates and we all know what happens next. Gerrit Cole has solidified himself as one of the leagues most dominant pitchers. After seven seasons in the majors, he was rewarded this offseason as the Yankees gave him a 9 year/$324 million-dollar mega contact.

Over his seven season career Cole has tallied 1,195 innings with an ERA of 3.22 (3.06 FIP), 1,336 K’s and 315 walks. After a dominant season by Cole and a close race for Cy Young last season he finished second behind teammate Justin Verlander. Cole went 20-5, threw 212.1 innings, ERA of 2.50, striking out 326 batters and having a K/9 of 13.8. He finished top five the year before as well.