Mike Paredes is the poster child for draft day 2, and optimism.

[AlLagoon]

Been looking over drafts from the 2020s, and after reading some comments about rankings and such, I've found the perfect debunker of conglomerate ranking systems,

Mike Paredes.

18th round draft pick out after a lackluster college career: taken out of San Diego State after posting 77 IP, 82 hits allowed, 65Ks, and an ERA over 5.

Only 5'11", 185lbs.

Not the statistical profile you'd expect to do more than flame out in A ball.

But as the years progressed, the hits allowed went down, the Ks went up, and an 18th rounder made the show. He hasn't been great, but not a disaster either.

Not sure what the Twins scouts saw in him, but they saw something that made him a big leaguer, perhaps only a short while, but still.

Interestingly, in just 29 IP, he has the 2nd highest WAR of that draft class, 0.2, after 13th rounder David Festa's 0.7.

Better than Chase Petty, Noah Miller, Cade Povich. Encarnacion Strand, Travis Adams, and even Kyler Fedko.