Posted by Matthew Whipps on Monday, August 10, 2009 at 5:46 pm

The first round of the 2005 first-year player draft saw an incredible crop of talent come from it. Players like Justin Upton, Troy Tulowitzki, Matt Garza, Ryan Zimmerman and Ryan Braun have already reached the Majors and have made major contributions to their teams. Not to mention over half of the picks at one time or another were listed on various top prospect lists over the past couple of years. It’s quite the group.

But as good as the 2005 draft was, it isn’t remembered for all the talented players that came from it, but rather it is remembered for having the richest crop of high school outfielders we possibly have ever seen in one draft. We’ve had drafts that were deep at certain positions before, but none with high schoolers the caliber of the four studs in center field that came from this one. All four of them appear to be can’t miss players which is so rare to have in kids so young, at the same position, in the same draft. To give you a better understanding of the talent, here’s a look at the four center fielders that still have the baseball world talking:

10th Pick / Cameron Maybin / Detroit Tigers / TC Roberson High School
Cameron Maybin has since brought his lighting quick bat and long, power generating arms to the Marlins organization. Because of his power potential he projects to be a 20-plus home run hitter down the road once he pulls everything together. Also due to his speed and stellar base running instincts, look for this kid to steal 30-plus bases as well. Drafting a future 20/30 guy right out of high school isn’t something you come across everyday. Maybin also has great range and powerful arm in center field. This guy is an all around superstar and will hopefully be able to stick at the major league level very soon.

11th Pick / Andrew McCutchen / Pittsburgh Pirates / Fort Meade High School
Andrew McCutchen is an exciting player with a stellar glove in centerfield. Despite his great defensive prowess, his impact bat may be his best skill. McCutchen has quick hands and a compact swing which produces a surprising amount of power for someone of his stature. He is a line drive hitter due to his quick bat speed and is able to hit consistently to all fields. While he did struggle a bit in the Minors at times, the Pirates organization is hoping he will still be their shining star in center for many, many years and continue to build off his early success in the majors.

12th Pick / Jay Bruce / Cincinnati Reds / Westbrook High School
Jay Bruce is a five tool player who can impact the game with his power bat, speed, and defense. He needs to work on his plate discipline and he also tends to struggle against lefties and off speed pitches, but those are adjustable. If he can learn these items the next few years and combine that with his current skills, he will be a monster. Bruce has already shown his masher capabilities in three levels for the Reds as well as the majors but he needs to figure things out at the plate. With his talent and power, look for him to crush 35-40 HR in the hitter friendly Great American Ballpark.

28th Pick / Colby Rasmus / St. Louis Cardinals / Russell County High School
Colby Rasmus is the superior, impact-type prospect the St. Louis Cardinals organization has been waiting for ever since Albert Pujols was plucked from it. Rasmus is a perfect example of a five-tool player as he can run, throw, field, hit, and hit for power. Excellent bat speed, good pitch recognition, and plus runner. He has shown a lot of his skills this year in a part time capacity, but look for things to really come together next season when he can pull it all together.

As you can see, despite the great amount of talent that was available in this draft, the four center fielders who at the time were just barely old enough to buy a pack of cigarettes are the ones that people still mention when the 2005 draft is brought up.

I for one can not wait to see how these young players develop and who will rise to the top as the best of the high school center fielders in the class of ‘05.

Matthew Whipps is a writer for Baseball Daily Digest and his blog The Diamond Cutter. If you would like to contact him via email you can reach him at diamondcutter[at]columnist.com.