Worst No. 1 Picks in MLB Draft History

Not all MLB busts are created equal, but the teams that picked some players No. 1 still are left to wonder what might have been if they had picked someone else.

Major League Baseball holds its first-year player draft every June, but it’s been anything but smooth sailing with the No. 1 overall pick. Since the MLB began drafting amateur players in 1965, only three have gone from being selected No. 1 to the Hall of Fame: Harold Baines (1977), Ken Griffey Jr. (1988) and Chipper Jones (1990). In that same time span, the NFL has produced nine Hall of Famers who were drafted No. 1 overall while the NBA draft has yielded 14.

No. 1 overall MLB draft picks may have been the cream of the crop as amateurs, but they all learned that the path to MLB stardom can be riddled with potholes. Look at Mark Appel, the top pick in 2013 by the Houston Astros who made his MLB debut with the Phillies in 2022.

These players were the biggest busts. Of course, not all busts are created equal, but the teams that picked them still are left to wonder what might have been if they had picked someone else.

25. Josh Hamilton

Texas Rangers center fielder Josh Hamilton tosses his bat after striking out in a 2011 against the New York Met. Tony Gutierrez / AP Photo

Position: Outfield

Hometown/school: Raleigh, N.C./Athens Drive High School

Year drafted: 1999

Team that drafted him: Tampa Bay Devil Rays

They could’ve picked: 2003 World Series MVP Josh Beckett (No. 2, Florida Marlins), 2002 AL Cy Young Award winner Barry Zito (No. 6, Oakland Athletics)

Bottom Line: Josh Hamilton

Mark Humphrey / AP Photo

The 2010 AL MVP never played a game for the team that picked him.

Josh Hamilton was out of baseball from 2003 to 2005 because of substance abuse issues, and for all intents and purposes, he missed another two seasons dealing with the same problems.

Although Hamilton appeared in 1,027 big league games over nine seasons (2007-2015), those years he missed in his prime could have pushed his career numbers (.290 batting average, 1,134 hits, 200 home runs, 701 RBI, .865 OPS) into Hall of Fame consideration.

24. Ron Blomberg

New York Yankees first baseman Ron Blomberg grounds out against the California Angels during a 1973 game at Yankee Stadium. AP Photo

Position: First base

Hometown/school: Druid Hills, Ga./Druid Hills High School

Year drafted: 1967

Team that drafted him: New York Yankees

They could’ve picked: Two-time NL home run champ Dave Kingman (No. 29, California Angels), 1979 AL MVP Don Baylor (No. 39, Baltimore Orioles)

Bottom Line: Ron Blomberg

AP Photo

One of the more famous Jewish players of all time, Ron Blomberg also was a top basketball recruit and offered a scholarship by UCLA’s John Wooden, according to The Roslyn (N.Y.) News.

Four knee injuries and two shoulder surgeries prevented him from achieving stardom, but he gained notoriety as the first player to enter a major league game as a designated hitter in 1973.

Blomberg’s biography was titled “Designated Hebrew: The Ron Blomberg Story.”

23. Tim Foli

New Yorks Mets shortstop Tim Foli attempts to snag a pick-off throw at second base against the Houston Astros in 1978. Richard Drew / AP Photo

Position: Shortstop

Hometown/school: Sherman Oaks, Calif./Notre Dame High School

Year drafted: 1968

Team that drafted him: New York Mets

They could’ve picked: 1976 AL MVP and seven-time All-Star Thurman Munson (No. 4, New York Yankees)

Bottom Line: Tim Foli

Ron Frehm / AP Photo

Tim Foli turned down a football scholarship at USC to play pro baseball.

Hard luck defined his career as much as his inability to hit for power and a low on-base percentage. The hard luck came when Foli spent his best seasons playing for the lowly Montreal Expos from 1972 to 1977, but he did have a key role in helping the Pittsburgh Pirates win the 1979 World Series.

Over his final nine seasons, the journeyman played for seven teams before he retired in 1985.

22. Tim Belcher

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tim Belcher hurls against the Oakland A’s during the 1988 World Series at Dodger Stadium. Bob Galbraith / AP Photo

Position: Right-handed pitcher

Hometown/school: Sparta, Ohio/Mount Vernon Nazarene University

Year drafted: 1983

Team that drafted him: Minnesota Twins

They could’ve picked: Seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens (No. 19, Boston Red Sox)

Bottom Line: Tim Belcher

Reed Saxon / AP Photo

Tim Belcher refused to sign with the Twins, so the New York Yankees picked him in the 1984 supplemental draft.

He made it to majors with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1987 and won almost as much as he lost, finishing his career with a 146-140 record and 4.16 ERA.

An attack on a cameraman during the 1995 ALDS and an ugly brawl with Dodgers pitcher Chan Ho Park in 1999 defined Belcher’s later years in the majors.

21. Mike Ivie

San Diego Padres first baseman Mike Ivie on his 1977 Topps baseball card. Amazon.com

Position: Catcher

Hometown/school: Atlanta/Walker High School

Year drafted: 1970

Team that drafted him: San Diego Padres

They could’ve picked: MLB Hall of Famers Rich Gossage (No. 198, Chicago White Sox) and Bruce Sutter (No. 494, Washington Senators)

Bottom Line: Mike Ivie

VanderlansJim / Twitter

Mike Ivie hit 21 home runs in 21 games early in his minor league career. Then, he moved to first base and became one of just five players to hit two pinch-hit grand slams in one season.

The San Francisco Giants traded for Ivie and had him tagged as Willie McCovey’s eventual replacement.

In 1980, Ivie accidentally sliced off part of his right pinkie finger with a hunting knife, and his career never recovered.

20. Kris Benson

Pittsburgh Pirates owner Kevin McLatchy, left, presents Kris Benson with a jersey at a news conference announcing the pitcher’s signing in 1996. At the time, Benson became the highest-paid draft choice in major league history with an estimated $2 million signing bonus. Keith Srakocic / AP Photo

Position: Right-handed pitcher

Hometown/school: Marietta, Ga./Clemson University

Year drafted: 1996

Team that drafted him: Pittsburgh Pirates

They could’ve picked: 2012 NL Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey (No. 18, Texas Rangers)

Bottom Line: Kris Benson

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Kris Benson

Denis Poroy / AP Photo

Injuries derailed Kris Benson’s career, starting with Tommy John surgery in 2000, and then his own personal life took a toll.

More often than not, headlines about Benson were centered on his wife, outspoken model and exotic dancer Anna Benson. The New York Mets grew tired of the duo’s drama and traded the pitcher to the Baltimore Orioles.

Benson never was effective after rotator cuff surgery in 2006 and finished with a 70-75 career record.

19. Luke Hochevar

Kansas City Royals pitcher Luke Hochevar makes his major league debut in 2007 against the New York Yankees. Dick Whipple / AP Photo

Position: Right-handed pitcher

Hometown/school: Wiley, Colo./University of Tennessee

Year drafted: 2006

Team that drafted him: Kansas City Royals

They could’ve picked: Three-time All-Star Evan Longoria (No. 3, Tampa Bay Devil Rays), three-time Cy Young Award winner and 2014 NL MVP Clayton Kershaw (No. 7, Los Angeles Dodgers), two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum (No. 10, San Francisco Giants), three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer (No. 11, Arizona Diamondbacks)

Bottom Line: Luke Hochevar

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Luke Hochevar

Charlie Riedel / AP Photo

Luke Hochevar’s career forever will be linked to other pitchers taken in the first round, including three multiple Cy Young Award winners: Clayton Kershaw, Tim Lincecum and Max Scherzer.

The Los Angeles Dodgers wanted Hochevar before anyone else, drafting him in the 39th round out of high school in 2002 and in the first round in 2005. But he refused to sign and played college baseball, then independent ball, until the Kansas City Royals picked him in 2006.

18. Darryl Strawberry

Ray Stubblebine / AP Photo

Position: Outfield

Hometown/school: Los Angeles/Crenshaw High School

Year drafted: 1980

Team that drafted him: New York Mets

They could’ve picked: In no universe would any team not have picked Strawberry.

Bottom Line: Darryl Strawberry

James A. Finley / AP Photo

By the end of the 1991 season, at age 29, Darryl Strawberry had 280 career home runs. When his career came to a close after the 1999 season, he had 335 home runs.

Drugs were Strawberry’s undoing, and Major League Baseball suspended him three times for substance abuse.

Although he won World Series titles with the Mets in 1986 and the Yankees in 1996, 1998 and 1999, Strawberry is a classic cautionary tale of wasted talent and the dangers of fame and money.

17. Ben McDonald

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Ben McDonald delivers a pitch against the Cleveland Indians in 1996. Jim Slosiarek / AP Photo

Position: Right-handed pitcher

Hometown/school: Baton Rouge, La./Louisiana State University

Year drafted: 1989

Team that drafted him: Baltimore Orioles

They could’ve picked: MLB Hall of Famers Frank Thomas (No. 7, Chicago White Sox) and Jeff Bagwell (No. 110, Boston Red Sox)

Bottom Line: Ben McDonald

TheFrizz87 / Twitter

The towering, 6-foot-7 pitcher signed with the Orioles on Aug. 19, 1989, and was called up to pitch in the majors on Sept. 6, but he was only the second-fastest player in his draft class to make the big leagues, coming up three days after John Olerud.

McDonald earned a spot in Orioles’ starting rotation in 1990 and became the first No. 1 overall pick to win his first three major league starts. After that, he only won 55 more games for the Birds in six seasons and was released in 1995.

He signed with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1996, but failed rotator cuff surgery ended his career in 1998.

16. Tim Beckham

Griffin High School shortstop Tim Beckham during practice at the school in Griffin, Ga., in 2008, before the Tampa Bay Rays picked him first in the draft. John Bazemore / AP Photo

Position: Shortstop

Hometown/school: Griffin, Ga./Griffin High School

Year drafted: 2008

Team that drafted him: Tampa Bay Rays

They could’ve picked: Four-time Gold Glove winner Eric Hosmer (No. 3, Kansas City Royals), six-time All-Star and 2012 NL MVP Buster Posey (No. 5, San Francisco Giants)

Bottom Line: Tim Beckham

Minnesota Twins left fielder Tim Beckham

David J. Phillip / AP Photo

Tim Beckham’s elite athleticism, 6-foot-2 size and speed seemed to make him the perfect shortstop, but fielding problems have been persistent.

Suspended 50 games in the minors for a second positive test for a “drug of abuse,” Beckham found a modicum of success in 2017 after being traded to the Orioles.

He sat out almost all of 2018 with injuries and signed a one-year deal with the Seattle Mariners on Jan. 10.

15. Paul Wilson

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Paul Wilson leaves the mound in the seventh inning during a loss to the New York Mets in 2004. Kathy Willens / AP Photo

Position: Right-handed pitcher

Hometown/school: Orlando/Florida State University

Year drafted: 1994

Team that drafted him: New York Mets

They could’ve picked: Two-time AL batting champion All-Star Nomar Garciaparra (No. 12, Boston Red Sox) and three-time All-Star Jason Varitek (No. 14, Seattle Mariners)

Bottom Line: Paul Wilson

Al Behrman / AP Photo

Paul Wilson ascended to the majors by 1996, where he went 5-12 with the Mets, but spent the next two seasons in the minors before being sidelined for all of 1999 with injuries.

He was traded to the Devil Rays and had his best years with the Reds in the early 2000s.

The right-hander flamed out in spectacular fashion in a start against the Dodgers in 2005, becoming just the second pitcher in history to fail to get out the first eight batters in a game, going hit batsman-homer-single-homer-walk-hit batsman-double-double before he was pulled.

After two more losses, he called it a career with a 40-58 record and 4.86 ERA.

14. Bill Almon

Detroit Tigers catcher Lance Parrish takes aim on Chicago White Sox baserunner Bill Almon at home plate in 1981. Young / AP Photo

Position: Shortstop

Hometown/school: Providence, R.I./Brown University

Year drafted: 1974

Team that drafted him: San Diego Padres

They could’ve picked: Two-time NL MVP Dale Murphy (No. 5, Atlanta Braves) and MLB Hall of Famer Paul Molitor (No. 585, St. Louis Cardinals)

Bottom Line: Bill Almon

AP Photo

The Ivy League grad played just 39 games in the minors before being called up to majors, where he committed a game-losing error against the Braves in his first game.

Bill Almon had one great year, in 1981 with the Chicago White Sox, when he hit .309 and finished 19th in MVP voting.

The journeyman ended his career with the New York Mets in 1988 after managing to play 14 seasons in the majors.

13. Delmon Young

Tampa Bay Devil Rays right fielder Delmon Young connects for a single against the Chicago White Sox in 2006. M. Spencer Green / AP Photo

Position: Outfield

Hometown/school: Camarillo, Calif./Adolfo Camarillo High School

Year drafted: 2003

Team that drafted him: Tampa Bay Devil Rays

They could’ve picked: Three-time Gold Glove winner Nick Markakis (No. 7, Baltimore Orioles)

Bottom Line: Delmon Young

Andy King / AP Photo

Delmon Young was named Baseball America’s top minor league prospect before the 2006 season. Then things went sideways. Young threw his bat and struck an umpire while playing for Triple-A Durham in 2006, earning a 50-game suspension.

He bounced around majors with six teams and was named ALCS MVP with the Detroit Tigers in 2012 — the same year he pled guilty to a hate crime in New York after drunkenly yelling anti-Semitic slurs.

Young has played in Australian, Mexican and Venezuelan leagues since his last MLB appearance in 2015.

12. David Clyde

Texas Rangers left-hander David Clyde makes his major league debut at age 18 against the Minnesota Twins in 1973. AP Photo

Position: Left-handed pitcher

Hometown/school: Westchester, Texas/Westchester High School

Year drafted: 1973

Team that drafted him: Texas Rangers

They could’ve picked: MLB Hall of Famers Robin Yount (No. 3, Milwaukee Brewrers) and Dave Winfield (No. 4, San Diego Padres)

Bottom Line: David Clyde

Charles Bennett / AP Photo

The Texas Rangers were so financially strapped when they drafted David Clyde that he was rushed up to the big leagues to capitalize on the phenom’s box-office appeal.

Clyde’s starts packed the stands and saved the Rangers from bankruptcy, but they ruined his shoulder and is often pointed to as one of the worst cases of mishandling a player in baseball history.

Clyde battled alcohol addiction that started early in his career and worsened after Rangers released him in 1980 and told the Dallas Morning News he was “damaged goods.”

11-10. Danny Goodwin

Minnesota Twins Danny Goodwin grabs the leg of Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Robin Yount during a 1980 game. AP Photo

Position: Catcher

Hometown/schools: Peoria, Ill./Peoria Central High School/Southern University

Years drafted: 1971, 1975

Teams that drafted him: Chicago White Sox, California Angels

They could’ve picked: MLB Hall of Famer Jim Rice (1971 No. 15, Boston Red Sox), MLB Hall of Famer Andre Dawson (1975 No. 250, Montreal Expos)

Bottom Line: Danny Goodwin

AP Photo

Our only 2-for-1, because Danny Goodwin is the only player who has been selected No. 1 overall twice.

The Chicago White Sox made Goodwin the top pick in 1971, but he refused to sign. He was picked No. 1 again by the Angels in 1975 and signed for a record bonus of $150,000.

After bouncing around majors for parts of seven seasons, Goodwin finished his career with a .236 batting average, 13 home runs and 86 RBI.

9. Matt Anderson

Matt Anderson, the Detroit Tigers’ first overall pick in the 1997 MLB draft. Carlos Osorio / AP Photo

Position: Right-handed pitcher

Hometown/School: Louisville, Ky./Rice University

Year drafted: 1997

Team that drafted him: Detroit Tigers

They could’ve picked: Six-time All-Star Lance Berkman (No. 16, Houston Astros)

Bottom Line: Matt Anderson

AP Photo

The Detroit Tigers signed Matt Anderson, who set all of Rice’s career pitching records, for a $2.5 million signing bonus.

Called up to the majors just one year after being drafted, Anderson showed promise but had shoulder surgery in 2002 that saw his top speed drop from being clocked at 103 miles per hour down to 90. He then fought rumors he’d hurt shoulder trying to win Detroit Red Wings playoff tickets in an octopus-throwing contest against Tigers fans, according to a Sports Illustrated article.

Anderson played his last big league game in 2005 and hopped around minors until 2011.

8. Dave Roberts

Dave Roberts on his 1980 Topps baseball card. Amazon.com

Position: Third base

Hometown/School: Lebanon, Ore./University of Oregon

Year drafted: 1972

Team that drafted him: San Diego Padres

They could’ve picked: MLB Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley (No. 50, Cleveland Indians)

Bottom Line: Dave Roberts

Dave Roberts, Chris Speier, Jerry Crawford

AP Photo

Dave Roberts was drafted on June 6, signed on June 7 and started for the Padres later that day, becoming just the sixth player to skip the minor leagues and go straight to the majors.

Roberts was a reliable utility player for most of his career but was prone to massive slumps, with several seasons batting below .200.

He managed briefly in the minors with Kansas City’s Single-A affiliate, the Eugene Emeralds, leading them to a 19-55 record, the worst showing in team history.

7. Shawn Abner

Shawn Abner’s 1988 Donruss rookie baseball card. Amazon.com

Position: Outfield

Hometown/school: Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School

Year drafted: 1984

Team that drafted him: New York Mets

They could’ve picked: 12-time All-Star Mark McGwire (No. 10, Oakland Athletics), MLB Hall of Famers Greg Maddux (No.31, Chicago Cubs) and Tom Glavine (No. 47, Atlanta Braves)

Bottom Line: Shawn Abner

AP Photo

Shawn Abner never played a big league game for the Mets. Traded to the Padres along with Kevin Mitchell in 1986, Abner made his major league debut in 1987 and was a reserve for almost all of his six seasons in majors.

He finished his career with a .227 batting average, 13 home runs and 71 RBI.

Abner’s son, Seth “Scump” Abner, is a professional “Call of Duty” player and two-time Major League Gaming (MLG) X Games gold medalist.

6. Al Chambers

Al Chambers at bat for the Seattle Mariners in 1983. AP Photo/DSE

Position: Outfield

Hometown/school: Harrisburg, Pa./John Harris High School

Year drafted: 1979

Team that drafted him: Seattle Mariners

They could’ve picked: Five-time Gold Glove winner Andy Van Slyke (No. 6, St. Louis Cardinals)

Bottom Line: Al Chambers

Paul Vathis / AP Photo

The Mariners thought they had the next Jim Rice when they picked the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Al Chambers No. 1 overall. The club lured him away from a football scholarship at Arizona State with an $85,000 signing bonus, but it wasn’t meant to be.

Chambers appeared in 57 games over parts of three seasons, with two home runs and 11 RBI and ended his career in the Mexican League in 1988.

According to a 1999 Seattle Times article, he went back home to work at a Hershey factory mixing chocolate syrup on a production line.

5. Bryan Bullington

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Bryan Bullington delivers in a 2008 game against the Chicago White Sox. Charles Rex Arbogast / AP Photo

Position: Right-handed pitcher

Hometown/school: Madison, Ind./Ball State University

Year drafted: 2002

Team that drafted him: Pittsburgh Pirates

They could’ve picked: 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke (No. 6, Kansas City Royals), six-time All-Star Prince Fielder (No. 7, Milwaukee Brewers)

Bottom Line: Bryan Bullington

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Bryan Bullington

Ed Zurga / AP Photo

The Pirates gave Bryan Bullington a $4 million signing bonus, but he was widely viewed as being more of a “signable” pick as opposed to being the actual best player available.

Bullington made a quick ascent to majors, and the Pirates called him up in 2005, but shoulder surgery sidelined him for all of 2006.

Designated for assignment by the Pirates in 2008, he picked up his one and only major league win in 2010 with the Kansas City Royals. He then played in Japan for his final five seasons before retiring in 2015.

4. Steve Chilcott

Steve Chilcott at Antelope Valley High School in Lancaster, Calif., in 1966. Harold Filan / AP Photo

Position: Catcher

Hometown/school: Lancaster, Calif./Antelope Valley (Calif.) High School

Year drafted: 1966

Team that drafted him: New York Mets

They could’ve picked: MLB Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson (No. 2, Kansas City Athletics)

Bottom Line: Steve Chilcott

Harold Filan / AP Photo

Steve Chilcott dislocated his shoulder diving into second base in his second season and never fully recovered from the injury.

Afterward, Chilcott said he “couldn’t throw the ball hard enough to break a pane of glass.”

Out of baseball by 24 years old, he never made it above Triple-A and is one of just three No. 1 overall picks (so far) who never played in the majors.

3. Mark Appel

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Mark Appel makes MLB debut

Mark Appel never gave up on his dream to make the majors. Matt Slocum / AP

Position: Right-handed pitcher

Hometown/School: Danville, Calif./Stanford University

Year drafted: 2013

Team that drafted him: Houston Astros

They could’ve picked: 2016 NL MVP Kris Bryant (No. 2, Chicago Cubs), 2017 AL Rookie of the Year Aaron Judge (No. 32, New York Yankees)

Bottom Line: Mark Appel

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Mark Appel f

David J. Phillip / AP Photo

Drafted No. 8 overall in 2012 by the Pittsburgh Pirates, Mark Appel didn’t sign and went to pitch at Stanford University instead. In 2013, he landed a $6.35 million signing bonus with the Houston Astros.

Houston management was determined to push him through the minor leagues despite his struggles (and injuries), but they decided to cut bait and trade him to the Phillies in 2015. Appel never played above Triple-A and retired in February 2018. Asked in an ESPN.com article if he was the biggest draft bust of all time, Appel replied, “I probably am.”

Appel’s story wasn’t quite over yet, however. He returned to the Phillies organization in 2021 after three seasons away from the game and made his MLB debut on June 29, 2022, pitching a scoreless ninth inning for the Phillies just a few days shy of his 31st birthday.

It made Appel the oldest former No. 1 overall pick to make his MLB debut.

2. Matt Bush

Texas Rangers pitcher Matt Bush in a game against the Kansas City Royals in 2017. Tony Gutierrez / AP Photo

Position: Shortstop

Hometown/school: San Diego, Calif./Mission Bay High School

Year drafted: 2004

Team that drafted him: San Diego Padres

They could’ve picked: 2011 AL MVP and seven-time All-Star Justin Verlander (No. 2, Detroit Tigers), three-time All-Star Jered Weaver (No. 12, Anaheim Angels)

Bottom Line: Matt Bush

Aaron Doster / AP Photo

Matt Bush collected a $3.15 million signing bonus and suspension before ever stepping on the field after a felony assault arrest. He struggled at the plate and converted to pitcher in 2007.

Released by Padres for drunkenly beating up a 14-year-old lacrosse player in 2009, he was sentenced to 51 months in prison for DUI hit-and-run in 2012 and served three years in prison.

The Rangers signed Bush after a tryout in a Golden Corral parking lot in 2015 (he worked there), and called him up to the majors a year later. Pitching mostly in relief, Bush has thrown 137 innings and is 10-6 with a 3.35 ERA and 11 saves over three seasons from 2016 to 2018.

1. Brien Taylor

Brien Taylor participates in fielding drills at the Seattle Mariners Double-A spring training camp in Peoria, Ariz., in 1999. Lenny Ignelzi / AP Photo

Position: Left-handed pitcher

Hometown/School: Beaufort, N.C./East Carteret High School

Year drafted: 1991

Team that drafted him: New York Yankees

They could’ve picked: 2004 World Series MVP and 12-time All-Star Manny Ramirez (No. 12, Cleveland Indians)

Bottom Line: Brien Taylor

70sYankees / Twitter

Then-suspended Yankees owner George Steinbrenner told the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel that team management “should be shot” if they didn’t sign Brien Taylor, who wound up with a three-year, $1.55 million contract.

The left-hander destroyed his shoulder during a fight at a trailer park in his North Carolina hometown after two years in the minors.

He never rose above Double-A before retiring in 2000. After leaving the game, Taylor was charged with child abuse in 2005 and pleaded guilty to cocaine trafficking in 2012 and received a four-year sentence.