New England’s best haul ever: An oral history of the 2011 MLB Draft

George Springer (New Britain, Conn.) was selected 11th overall by the Houston Astros in the 2011 MLB Draft. (Getty Images)

It's always a rarity for a New England native to earn a selection in the first round of the MLB Draft. In fact, it hasn't happened since 2015 when Boston College power-hitter Chris Shaw (Lexington, Mass.) was selected by the San Francisco Giants with the 31st overall selection in the MLB Draft.

Despite the five-year drought of first-round selections, New England is occasionally well represented by players in the first round. In 2014, Tyler Beede (Auburn, Mass.) and Sean Newcomb (Middleboro, Mass.) were selected in the first round after finishing their junior seasons in college, at Vanderbilt and Hartford University, respectively.

However, that 2014 draft is not the most impressive draft of the last 10 years for New England natives. In 2011, three New Englanders were selected in the top 21 selections. All three players went on to play in the big leagues, with two of them earning World Series rings and one a World Series MVP honor.

Those players include Houston Astros outfielder George Springer (New Britain, Conn.), Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Matt Barnes (Danbury, Conn.) and Beede, who was also drafted out of high school before choosing to play at Vanderbilt University. Springer was the highest selection ever for a UConn player, going 11th overall to the Astros. Barnes, a teammate of Springer at UConn, was selected 19th overall by the Red Sox. Beede, a Lawrence Academy alumnus (Mass.), was selected 21st overall by the Toronto Blue Jays.