Well they have also had some bad luck. The years Benson and King went #1 overall, well that was bad luck. They did hit it with Cole. Everyone had Alvarez as a top 3 pick and for awhile he looked to be. Bryan Bullington was just gross negligence and malfeasance in a stacked draft. Brad Lincoln was too. Especially 4 pitchers who went right behind him, Andrew Miller, Clayton Kershaw, Tim Lincecum and Max Scherzer.
But I am talking about right now. The system right now. Nick Gonzales, he seems like he should be like mayor for Altoona he has been there for so long. Carmen Mlodzinski?? Who? Gunnar Hogland. Swaggerty. Termarr Johnson? Thomas Harrington? And the Henry Davis year where they went big with Anthony Solemeto, Lonnie White, Bubba Chandler? How are these guys progressing?? I understand it is not always linear, but the lack of someone breaking out is a bit concerning.
But do a google search on MLB draft and it is even a bigger crapshoot than the NHL. I mean the Astros had 3 straight years of #1 overall and 2 guys never even played in the majors. Take the 2015 draft. Of the 42 "1st rounders" including sandwich picks, only 8 guys have a total WAR over 10 (Ke'Bryan Hayes is one) and only one can be considered an All Star Houston's Alex Bregman who apparently drafts #2 overall better than they do #1. But looking over these drafts, it is just such a crap shoot. Hell, the first 10 guys drafted in 2016, which now we are 7 years away from that date, have a combined,....COMBINED WAR of 10.1. COMBINED.
So I get the theory of taking lower slot guys, that allow you to pick more quality candidates and hope 1 or 2 sticks then spend the max slot and lose the ability to draft the best talent. But again, I think this year, the Pirates have to take Crews because many times #1 is a "meh" guy. And pitchers, just way too much of a gamble.