MLB Draft 2011: Ranking the 22 Most Disappointing Picks of the Last 10 Years
The amateur baseball draft is upon us, and to be brutally honest, it's a complete crap shoot. There have been some players who have panned out (Joe Mauer) and some who haven't (Brien Taylor).
What I used as criteria in this article are first-round picks only who have not had the career envisioned of them by the team that drafted them. I did not look at any picks outside the first round for clarification sake.
Enjoy and feel free to chime in on agreements or disagreements.
Mark Prior (Cubs)
1 of 22
It was either Mark Prior or Joe Mauer for the Twins in the 2001 draft. Prior was the sure thing but Mauer was the home town kid from St. Paul. The Twins chose Mauer, and the Cubs scooped up Prior with the second pick.
Although he started out on fire, it was more of a flash, and now he’s in the Yankees minor league system working on a comeback from multiple arm surgeries.
Delmon Young (Rays)
2 of 22
Young was drafted No. 1 overall by the Rays and had a great rookie year. The Twins bought into him, and needing an everyday left fielder, traded Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett to the Rays in the offseason.
Young has had one good year since then (2010) and hasn’t lived up to the hype of a No. 1 pick.
Luke Hochevar (Royals)
3 of 22
Hochevar was selected No. 1 overall by the Royals in 2006 bypassing Tim Lincecum, Clayton Kershaw and Evan Longoria.
Those three names are reasons enough to say that Hochevar wasn’t a good No. 1 pick.
.png?w=256)
Khalil Greene (Padres)
4 of 22
The former 2003 Golden Spikes winner was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the first round and since then has moved to the Cardinals and finally the Rangers.
He currently is not in baseball as he is dealing with social anxiety disorder which has put his career on hold.
Phillip Humber (Mets)
5 of 22
Humber was a first-round draft pick for the Mets and is probably best known for being part of the trade that brought Johan Santana to the Mets from the Twins.
Alex Gordon (Royals)
6 of 22
Gordon, although is having a pretty solid first two months, isn’t in the class of Ryan Zimmerman, Ryan Braun or Troy Tulowitzki. Gordon, a former University of Nebraska product, won the Golden Spikes award as the top player in college baseball.
Plus he is from Lincoln, Nebraska. You can’t help but look though at who the Royals passed on to say this maybe wasn’t the best pick for the Royals.
Shaun Boyd (Cardinals)
7 of 22
Boyd was the first second baseman off the board in 2000. The Cardinals passed on World Series champion Chase Utley to select Boyd at No. 13.
It's worked out well for the Phillies but we haven't heard from Boyd.
Bryan Bullington (Pirates)
8 of 22
The Pirates selected Bullington No. 1 ahead of Rays outfielder B.J. Upton in 2002. Upton hasn't necessarily been a perennial All-Star, but he is more of a household name than Bullington was and kind of helps explain the Pirates streak of losing seasons.
Adam Loewen (Orioles)
9 of 22
The Orioles selected left-handed pitcher Adam Loewen with the third overall pick in 2002.
By selecting Loewen, the Orioles passed on World Series champion pitcher Cole Hammels who fell all the way to No. 17 who the Phillies happily selected.
Lastings Milledge (Mets)
10 of 22
Tim Stauffer (Padres)
11 of 22
The Padres selected Tim Stauffer fourth overall in the 2003 draft. This draft by and large hasn't produced the number of major league players say the 2002 and 20005 draft has, but it did produce a couple of notable names.
By selecting Stauffer, it allowed the Dodgers to take Chad Billingsley with the 24th pick overall. Billingsley has had a solid major league career so far and see plenty of the team that passed on him year back.
Ryan Harvey (Cubs)
12 of 22
The Cubs run of questionable draft picks continued in 2003 with the selection of Ryan Harvey sixth overall. If you look at other outfielders taken in the first round, the one that stands out that the Cubs could have taken is now playing for the south siders in Carlos Quentin.
Quentin has shown sparks of what could be a solid major league career, but injuries have played a part in his career. Still, I'm sure the White Sox are happy that Quentin fell to them at No. 29.
Matthew Bush (Padres)
13 of 22
Bush was the first overall selection in 2004 and was the first shortstop to be drafted No. 1 since Alex Rodriguez. However, it was who went No. 2 that makes this pick tough for the Friars, and that is Justin Verlander.
Verlander is one of the top 10 starting pitchers in baseball and has already thrown a couple no-hitters. The Tigers didn't make the mistake on passing on this work horse.
Mark Rogers (Brewers)
14 of 22
The Brewers made Rogers the the fifth pick overall in the 2004 draft bypassing fellow right-handed pitcher Jered Weaver out of Long Beach State.
Weaver has been a No. 1 guy for the Angels the past few years and although didn't have near the May that he did in April, I'm sure the Brewers would like a redo with this selection from 2004.
Greg Reynolds (Rockies)
15 of 22
The 2005 draft's first round is quickly becoming an All-Atar draft. 2006 wasn't to shabby either except for the Rockies.
They selected right-handed pitcher Greg Reynolds and passed on "the Freak" Tim Lincecum. People were worried about Lincecum's size and mechanics out of college, but I think he's done he's done pretty well to prove the critics wrong.
Daniel Moskos (Pirates)
16 of 22
If it seems like the Pirates are selecting top five in every draft it's not your eyes, it's reality. The same thing happened in 2007 when they selected pitcher Daniel Moskos over Madison Bumgarner.
Moskos isn't a household name while Bumgarner was dealing for the Giants in their World Series season in 2010.
Matt Hobgood (Orioles)
17 of 22
Hobgood was selected fifth overall by the Orioles in the 2009 draft or the Stephen Strasburg draft. Although Hobgood is still in the Orioles organization, Mike Leake has pitched for the Reds in the majors already and has shown flashes that could make him a legit starter in the upcoming years.
Donavan Tate (Padres)
18 of 22
In the same 2009 draft, the Padres selected oufielder Donavan Tate third overall. Now this next player is going on hype and scouts recommendations only, but one of the best prospects in baseball fell to the already strong Angels at 25 and that is Mike Trout.
Trout has all five tools and the Angels can't wait to see him perform on the field. Experts say it's Trout and Bryce Harper as the two young studs to watch for in the next couple seasons.
Justin Wayne (Expos)
19 of 22
Wayne was taken fifth overall by the then Montreal Expos. The Expos are no longer in existence, but the not recognized right-handed pitcher of that draft is and that is Adam Wainwright.
Wainwright is out for the 2011 season with surgery but was a co-No. 1 pitcher with Chris Carpenter with the Cardinals up until this season.
Dewon Brazelton (Rays)
20 of 22
Brazelton was selected third overall by the Rays in 2001 as a pitcher. I know my ground rules stated I am looking at position draft mistakes, but in this case, I had to make an exception: Mark Teixeira from Georgia Tech.
Teixeria was a third baseman in college and the Rays will eventually get theirs in Evan Longoria, but the building could have started a lot earlier with the selection of Teixeria instead of Brazelton.
Clint Everts (Expos)
21 of 22
Another Expo mistake was the selection of Clint Everts in the 2002 draft ahead of then Royal Zack Grienke. Grienke won the Cy Young award for the Royals in 2009 and has since been traded to the Brewers.
Still, you can't argue about not selecting a future Cy Young winner.
Jeff Clement (Mariners)
22 of 22
Clement had done it all in Iowa. He led his team to the Little League World Series and had hit 75 career high school home runs. He went to USC and had a solid career as the back stop for the Trojans. That early success though didn't necessarily translate into a productive major league career.
The Mariners selected Clement ahead of Ryan Zimmerman with the third overall pick in 2005. The Mariners needed a third baseman and passed on the chance to snag the future All-Star third baseman.
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
