Hits and Misses in the Baseball Draft

“There are no guarantees in the draft. Some players get to the big leagues quickly, some take longer to make, and others never get there at all. You try to mold these young men into the type of players you want them to be, but sometimes you can’t help looking back at the mistakes you think you’ve made.”—Pat Gillick, Hall of Fame general manager; “As an agent, I have a vested interest in the baseball draft. I’d love to see all my young clients go on to enjoy successful major league careers, but for a variety of reasons, that doesn’t always happen. This book details the challenges of turning prospects with raw talent into players with proven ability. Anyone with an interest in the game should read it.”—John Boggs, baseball agent; “Hits and Misses shines a light on the baseball draft, which remains highly unpredictable after nearly 50 years. Maimon and Myron come armed with numbers illustrating the failure rates of draft picks, but they also unearth the rich stories of the players, coaches, scouts, executives, and agents involved in the annual process. This engaging dissection is a must-read for any baseball fan hoping to understand why so many of the best young players fail to make meaningful contributions in ‘The Show’ and why so many teams make the wrong choices on draft day.”—Tim Dierkes, creator and owner of MLBTradeRumors.com.