Players are making an impact in the Major Leagues quicker than ever before.
Teams don't have to wait as long to see their draft picks make their way all the way through the system, which is why front offices are considering ETAs when selecting players.
"Most clubs weigh the time line of a player reaching the Major Leagues to some degree in their Draft decisions," said Jason McLeod, Cubs senior vice president for scouting and player development. "From afar, there seem to be certain teams who simply minimize their risk by taking more polished players who usually come from college. And there are other teams who will take on more risk and shoot for the upside or impact tools, which generally tend to come from the high school class.
"This is the risk/reward we all deal with in the Draft, and why we spend so much time poring over all of the information we ask our scouts to generate."
Chris Sale and Paco Rodriguez are two of the 11 players from the last 11 Drafts to make their Major League debuts in the same year in which they were selected.