Background
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected 21-year-old right-handed pitcher Bryan Bullington with the first overall pick in the 2002 First-Year Player Draft. The 6'5", 225-pound hurler was ranked by Baseball America as having the best breaking ball and best command among all college pitchers.
In his three-year career at Ball State, Bullington posted a 29–11 record, 13 complete games and a 3.36 ERA in 46 games (42 starts). He is the university's all-time leader in strikeouts (357) and was a member of the 2001 USA National team. As a freshman, Bullington garnered all-conference honors and led the MAC in strikeouts. He was also named MAC Pitcher-of-the-Year for 2001 and 2002. Bullington set a MAC record in strikeouts and led the league in victories and ERA in 2002.
Other notable selections in the first round included Prince Fielder (Brewers), son of former Major Leaguer Cecil Fielder; and John Mayberry Jr. (Mariners), son of former Major Leaguer John Mayberry.
This draft was discussed at length in the Michael Lewis book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, which analyzed Oakland Athletics General Manager Billy Beane's approach to player scouting and development.
Read more about this topic: 2002 Major League Baseball Draft
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