In every sport, the only good thing about being the worst team in the league is the number one pick in the draft. Of course, in MLB and every other professional sport deciding on the right person to draft will never be an exact science.
In MLB you can either end up with a player who’s destined for the Hall of Fame or someone who never makes it into the majors. That’s why we’re gonna rank the last 20 first-overall selections.
First overall MLB draft picks from worst to first:
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Number 20: Brady Aiken
The Astros and Brady Aiken would never reach a contract agreement in 2014. This essentially made it a complete waste of the number one pick.
Number 19: Mark Appel
As Houston’s number one overall pick in 2013 Mark Appel has seen just one season in MLB and that didn’t come until 2022. Even then he only saw 10 innings pitched which means Appel can certainly be viewed as a bust.
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Number 18: Casey Mize
The Detroit Tigers went with Casey Mize first in the 2018 draft. With his debut coming in 2020 they’d certainly like to see more out of him. His 188.2 innings and 4.29 ERA don’t feel worthy enough of the best pick in the draft.
Number 17: Luke Hochevar
Kansas City took Luke Hachevar off the board first in 2006. His career unfortunately for the Royals didn’t live up to his draft spot. With a 4.98 ERA and 3.8 WAR in nine seasons isn’t what Kansas City was expecting.
Number 16: Spencer Torkelson
A .662 OPS and negative 0.3 WAR is bad for any MLB player but especially the number one pick in the draft. Unfortunately, that’s what the Tigers have gotten from their 2020 pick.
Also Read: All 30 MLB Teams’ Best Draft Pick In Their History
Number 15: Henry Davis
The 2021 first-round pick made his debut in 2023. So far for the Pirates Davius has slashed .221/.314/.364 but still has plenty of time for improvement in his young career.
Number 14: Matt Bush
Bush didn’t make his MLB debut until 2016 despite being drafted in 2004. He’s gone on to toss 211 innings and produce a 3.75 ERA for the Texas Rangers and Milwaukee Brewers.
Number 13: Mickey Moniak
The Phillies took outfielder Mickey Moniak in 2015 at the start of the draft. He would make his debut in 2020 and is currently on the Los Angeles Angels. his 94 OPS+ and 1.1 WAR have certainly been underwhelming.
Number 12: Tim Beckham
A seven-year career without any major accolades can still be a fine career for any MLB player but not the first overall pick. Tim Beckham went to the Rays in 2008 and with a 98 career OPS+, it is something they might regret.
Number 11: Royce Lewis
The top pick in 2017 made his debut last year in 2022 but has seen limited time since then. With just 140 plate appearances he’s hitting .319/.343/.839 which is a small sample size but an extremely positive one.
Number 10: Jackson Holliday
It had been four years since high schooler went first in the draft until Jackson Holliday went to the Orioles in 2022. His minor league stats jump off the page as he sits at a .983 OPS in two seasons. As the number one prospect in all of MLB Holliday seems to be on an amazing projector in the majors.
Number 9: Delmon Young
Young might not have an amazing career but he’s had a lengthy one. As the top MLB draft pick in 2003 for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays he had a ten-year career that saw 4371 plate appearances slashing .283/.316/.421.
Number 8: Adley Rutschman
Rutchsman has played just two seasons in the majors so far but the Orioles have to be feeling great about their 2019 top pick. After notching his first All-Star game in 2023 he’s already considered one of the best catchers in the game. Who knows if this same list is made in ten years he could be number one.
Number 7: Dansby Swanson
As the top pick in 2015 from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Swanson has put together a serviceable MLB career since his debut in 2016 for the Atlanta Braves. He’s been an All-Star the last two seasons and even landed himself a seven-year $177 million contract this past offseason with the Chicago Cubs.
Number 6: Justin Upton
Upton might not have ever lived up to the insane hype that led him to be the first pick in the 2005 draft but he had a good career. By the end of his 16-year career, he accumulated 325 home runs, a slash line of .261/.342/.469, four All-Stars, and finished fourth in MVP voting in 2011.
Number 5: Stephen Strausburg
Although his career is falling down Strausburg has been a great starting pitcher since he was drafted in 2009 by the Washington Nationals. In 1470 innings pitched he has a 3.24 ERA and a 1.096 WHIP. Add three All-Star appearances and a Silver Slugger under his belt he slots in nicely at fifth.
Number 4: Carlos Correa
The Houston Astros took Carlos Correa number one overall in 2015. As soon as he was drafted, he won Rookie of the Year, which is relatively rare. Also putting two more All-Stars under his belt puts him at fourth in these rankings.
Number 3: David Price
Price and Cole feel like they could be interchangeable. Since being the first pick in 2007 by the Tampa Bay Rays Price has put together a great career. His best year was in 2012 winning Cy Young with an AL-leading 2.56 ERA. He also finished with five total All-Star appearances
Number 2: Gerrit Cole
In 2011 Cole went number one to the Pittsburgh Pirates out of UCLA. As of now many consider him to be one of the best active pitchers in MLB and it’s no surprise why.
As a six-time All-Star and two-time All-MLB first-teamer, he has certainly built up a resume that’s worthy of the number one spot in the draft.
Number 1: Bryce Harper
At the age of 16 Bryce Harper was already a baseball prodigy and received his GED so he could enroll in college early. In 2010 he was drafted number one by the Washington Nationals and was considered one of the most hyped draft prospects of all time. Just two years later he would make his MLB debut at 19 and would deliver for everyone who thought so highly of him
As of now he’s a seven-time All-Star, two-time MVP, two-time Silver Slugger, and won the NL Rookie of the Year Award. There’s no question he deserves the number-one spot on this list.
Also Read: 10 Biggest MLB Draft STEALS Since 2010
