Since the inception of the MLB Draft, there have been many great players not considered to be very big prospects who were taken extremely low yet went on to have elite MLB careers. Players not taken in the first few rounds generally have a much tougher path to the big leagues and have to really impress in the Minor Leagues. Nevertheless, there have been some players such as Mike Piazza, who was taken as the 1,390th overall pick, who overcame being picked low in the draft and went on to become Hall of Famers. Still, there are many other players who have to take an even tougher path to baseball’s highest level – and for these players, the odds of even making it the big leagues – much less becoming an impact player - are even longer. These are players who were never drafted at all, despite being available in an MLB Draft. These players have to somehow get the attention of an MLB team with the help of an agent or by playing in the independent leagues, hoping to get signed as an undrafted free agent, giving them an opportunity to play in an affiliated minor league system. Even if this happens, the undrafted free agent is rarely considered anything more than a roster filler in the minors. They have to play extremely well in order to get the attention of the big league front office and finally be considered a realistic prospect.
Today, we will be ranking the Top 15 Best MLB Undrafted Free Agents of all time – these players were able to play well enough in the minors to get an opportunity in the big leagues and they took full advantage of it. As a side note, only players who were eligible for the first year MLB draft and were not drafted will be included – so this list will not include players such as Larry Walker and Edgar Martinez, who were signed as international free agents and were not eligible for the draft. Also, players were were drafted after High School but did not sign in order to go college, then later went undrafted after college are eligible for this list. So, let’s get into it, starting with 5 honorable mentions:
Honorable Mentions:
Kirby Yates – an active relief pitcher who led the National League with 41 saves in 2019
Kevin Millar – a 2004 World Series Champion with the Red Sox who hit 170 career home runs
Jim Leyrtiz – a two-time World Series champ with the Yankees who had an 11-year big league career
Dan Gladden – who won two rings with the Twins and retired with over 1,200 hits
Ken Hill – one of the best pitchers in the game for the Expos during the strike-shortened 1994 season
Now, let’s get into the Top 15
#15 Bernard Gilkey – OF (21.6 WAR)
First up is a classic name from the St. Louis Cardinals lineup of the early 90’s, Bernard Gilkey. Gilkey graduated from University City High School in 1984 but went completely undrafted. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Cardinals and displayed amazing speed with a solid bat that only improved as he moved up through the minors. He stole 56 bases in Single A in ‘88 and another 53 in Double A in ‘89, leading the league. After 6 long years in the Minors, Gilkey was promoted and by 1991, was in the Opening Day lineup. He consistently hit around .300 for St. Louis until he was traded to the Mets, where in 1996 he had his best year, driving in 117 runs with a .317 batting average and 30 home runs. Unfortunately, he was snubbed from the ‘96 All Star Team. He finished his career with a .275 average and 118 homers.
#14 Esteban Loaiza – P (22.7 WAR)
Up next is a 14-year big league pitcher who started the 2003 All-Star Game – Esteban Loaiza. Loaiza was ready to enter professional baseball after a stellar High School career at Mar Vista High, but sadly went completely undrafted. Later, he was able to sign with the Pirates and entered their Minor League system in 1991, going 5-1 with a 2.26 ERA in Rookie Ball. He continued to impress as he moved up through the minors and in 1995, he made the team out of Spring Training and was put into the starting rotation. Loaiza was a serviceable big league arm for years with the Pirates, Rangers and Blue Jays until everything clicked in 2003 with the White Sox, when he went 21-9 with a 2.9 ERA and league-leading 207 strikeouts. He finished second in the Cy Young voting to Roy Halladay and started the All Star Game. He made a second All Star team in 2004, although he never repeated that amazing 2003 season.
#13 John Montefusco – P (19.9 WAR)
John “The Count” of Montefusco was a staple in the San Francisco Giants rotation during the 1970’s. He attended Brookdale Community College and went completely undrafted in 1972. Fortunately, he was able to sign a contract with the Giants and dazzled in the minor leagues, going 9-2 with a 2.17 ERA and a 9.5 per 9 strikeout ratio. He made his big league debut in 1974 and became a regular by ‘75, when he won the Rookie of the Year award and finished 4th in the Cy Young voting. In 1976, he threw a no-hitter against the Braves, which was the last Giants no-hitter up until 2009 when Jonathan Sanchez finally threw another one. Montefusco later pitched for the Braves, Padres and Yankees, finishing his career with a 90-83 record.
#12 Tommy Herr – 2B (23.6 WAR)
Next up is Tommy Herr, a fan favorite for many years in St. Louis who played in three separate World Series for St. Louis, helping them win one in 1982. He attended the University of Delaware and went undrafted in 1974. Luckily, he caught on with the Cardinals, signing for a $10,000 bonus, and began his Minor League career ‘75. He showed an amazing ability to hit for average and get on base while playing nearly flawless defense. In 1977, he led his Single A league with 156 hits and he also stole an incredible 50 bases. In 1979, he made his big league debut and by the 1980’s, became a regular in the lineup. His best season came in 1985 when he made the All Star Team and drove in 110 runs with a .302 average. He also stole 31 bases, being thrown out only 3 times. Herr retired with the best fielding percentage in the history of MLB for second basemen despite never winning a Gold Glove.
#11 Mike Bordick – IF (26.8 WAR)
A familiar name to Oakland A’s fans of the early 90’s, Mike Bordick played college ball at the University of Maine but no team picked his name during the 1985 MLB Draft. He went on to play in the Cap Cod League, where A’s scout J.P. Ricciardi, who went on to become the Blue Jays GM and now works in the Giants front office, noticed Bordick and signed him to play in the A’s organization. Although his stats were nothing spectacular, he showed incredible work ethic and knew how to work the count and get on base. He worked his way up through the minors and made his MLB debut in 1990. By ‘92, he was an everyday player and hit .300 with 151 hits and 40 walks. By 2000, he developed some power, crushing 20 home runs for the Mets and Orioles and making the All Star Team. He finished his career with an impressive 26.8 WAR.
#10 Danny Darwin – P (39.8 WAR)
Coming in at #10 is Danny Darwin, a starting pitcher and reliever who had a 21-year big league career. He pitched at Grayson County College in Texas and was completely overlooked in the draft. In May of 1976, he signed with the Rangers and quickly impressed in the Minors, going 13-4 with a 2.51 ERA in 1977. He was promoted to Triple A in 1978 and showed amazing strikeout ability, earning a call-up to the big leagues. He had his first full MLB season in 1980 and impressed, going 13-4 with a 2.63 ERA. From there, Darwin would become a solid MLB arm for two decades, as a reliever and starter, pitching for 8 separate teams. In 1990 with the Astros, he led the league with a 2.21 ERA. He pitched for the Giants from 1997 to 1998, retiring with nearly 2,000 career strikeouts and an extremely impressive 39.8 WAR.
#9 Tom Candiotti – P (41.4 WAR)
Up next is the Candy Man, Tom Candiotti, a knuckleballer who had a 16-year big league career. He pitched out of St. Mary’s College of California for four years, but was never drafted. He was able to catch on with an independent league team in British Columbia, Canada called the Victoria Mussels after attending a try-out in 1979. With no place to live, no money, and no car, Candiotti went 5-1 for the Mussels, sometimes sleeping on the field in a sleeping bag after the game. He pitched well enough to be sold to the Kansas City Royals, but later ended up in the Brewers organization. He pitched well in the minors but had a major setback when he underwent Tommy John Surgery. Candiotti came back strong, however and threw a shutout during his initial call-up to the big leagues in 1983. As a knuckler, he had great stamina and later with the Indians in 1986, led the league with 17 complete games. Candiotti was also a mainstay in the Dodgers rotation for several years in the 90’s. He retired with a 151-164 record and over 1,700 strikeouts.
#8 Larry Bowa – SS (22.8 WAR)
Up next is a player who many now know as an MLB coach and Manager – Larry Bowa. Long before his managerial career, Bowa was a High School kid who tried out for the baseball team and was cut – every single year. Fortunately, he continued to practice and did make his college team at Sacramento City College. He became a strong player there and a scout from the Phillies went to check him out, but he was ejected early in the game for arguing with the umpire. The kid definitely had a future as a manager. As it turned out, no team drafted him. However, the Phillies continued to keep an eye on him as he played in a winter league, showing signs of defensive brilliance and a strong bat. He was eventually offered a contract that included a $2,000 bonus. It turned out to be a wise decision as Bowa hit well in the minors and went on to have an incredible rookie year for the Phillies in 1970. He finished 3rd in the Rookie of the Year voting and went on to make 5 All Star teams and take home 2 Gold Gloves. He hit .316 in the 1980 World Series, helping bring a ring to Philadelphia. He later went on to win the Manager of the Year Award for the Phillies in 2001.
#7 Kevin Mitchell – OF (29.2 WAR)
Coming in appropriately at #7 is my favorite player growing up in the late 80’s, Kevin Mitchell, who blasted 234 career home runs and also made one of the most famous catches in MLB history with this barehanded snag. Long before that, Mitchell’s parents separated when he was two years old. He was raised by his grandmother in a rough neighborhood where he sometimes ran with the wrong crowds, getting involved in gang activity. He struggled in school and never even played High School baseball, but did have a talent for the game thanks largely to his grandma encouraging him to practice baseball, even though he preferred football and boxing. In 1980, a friend of Mitchell’s took him to an open New York Mets tryout and Mitchell displayed incredible power, impressing the scouts, who signed him to a contract for $600 a month to enter into their minor league system. He immediately stood out, hitting .335 with 7 homers in Rookie Ball. Step by step, he ascended through the system and made it to the Major Leagues by 1984. In 1986, his pinch-hit single kept the Mets alive in the World Series and was allowed them to make one of the most dramatic comebacks in baseball history. However, he became an absolute superstar later with the San Francisco Giants, crushing 47 home runs in 1989 and taking home the N.L MVP and a Silver Slugger Award. Mitchell’s career was not always smooth sailing and there are some wild stories about some of his off-the-field antics, but for being an undrafted free agent, he had an incredible career, crushing 234 career homers with a .284 batting average.
#6 Brian Downing – C/OF (51.5 WAR)
Brian Downing, who played Major League Baseball for 20 years and collected over 2,000 hits, was not only an undrafted free agent, but was also cut from his High School teams multiple times. He attended Cyprus College after graduating High School and decided to try out for baseball, but only made the team as the official bullpen catcher. Most people would have given up on their baseball career by this point, but Downing decided to make one last effort and attended a Chicago White Sox open try-out in 1969 and fortunately for Downing, a scout named Bill Lentini saw some potential and offered him a contract. Downing was solid in the minors, hitting .278 with 15 homers in Double A. He made it to the big leagues by 1973, and despite a slow start in MLB, he eventually became a regular in the lineup. During the 1977-78 offseason, he was traded to the Angels and found his comfort zone there. Downing crushed 28 home runs in 1978 and was eventually moved from catcher to outfield. He hit at least 19 home runs for 7 straight seasons and became a fan favorite in Anaheim. He retired with 275 homers and one All Star selection. He also worked an impressive 1,197 walks in his career, giving him a .370 career on-base-percentage. His 51.5 WAR is better than Hall of Famers Kirby Puckett and Orlando Cepeda.
#5 Bobby Bonilla – 3B/OF (30.2 WAR)
An absolute superstar from the late 80’s and early 90’s, Bobby Bonilla is another player who was incredibly never drafted. He did play baseball in High School and graduated in 1981, but went unselected in the draft. He decided to pursue a degree in Computer Science but happened to attend a baseball camp where he was spotted by Pirates scout and future GM Syd Thrift. He played well in the Minors for several years but had a major injury setback with a broken leg, then was claimed in the Rule 5 Draft by the White Sox before he could make his big league debut. The White Sox promoted him in 1986 and he hit .269 with a couple homers before the Pirates reacquired him. In 1987, he showed real promise by hitting .300 with 15 homers. Then, in 1988, everything came together as Bonilla crushed 24 homers with 100 runs driven in. From there, he made 4 consecutive All Star Teams and finished 2nd for the MVP in 1990 with 32 bombs and 120 RBIs. Later, he made two more All Star Teams with the Mets and hit .297 with the Marlins in 1997, helping them win their first World Series. He may be best known now for Bobby Bonilla Day, the annual day when the Mets have to pay Bonilla over a million dollars as part of his 2000 deferred salary – a payment that will continue until 2035.
#4 Dan Quisenberry – P (24.6 WAR)
For a few years, Dan Quisenberry was by far the best relief pitcher in all of baseball. He was encouraged by his stepfather to play the game and was a solid arm in High School, but was not a serious prospect. Later, he was the team’s MVP at Orange Coast College before transferring to La Verne, a Division III baseball program. Quisenberry’s name was never called at the MLB Draft, but he was able to sign with the Royals as an undrafted free agent and absolutely dazzled in the minors, with an even 1 ERA in in 1976. In Double A in 1977, he had a 1.34 ERA in 33 appearances. He had fantastic control and great stuff but could not overpower hitters, and it showed in Triple A when his ERA shot up to 3.6. Royals manager Jim Frey suggested he learn to pitch submarine style in order to keep hitters off balance. This worked wonders for Quisenberry, who quickly mastered the new style and in his first full MLB season in 1980, led the league with 33 saves. In ‘81, he had a 1.73 ERA, kicking off 7 consecutive seasons with an ERA under 3. He led the league in saves for four straight seasons, maxing out at 45, an MLB record, in 1983. He won the Rolaids Relief Pitcher of the Year award 5 times, finishing in the Top 5 for the Cy Young each of those seasons. His reign of complete domination ended around 1985, but he was still solid for several years out of the Royals bullpen. He ended up in St. Louis, where he had a nice year in 1989 with a 2.64 ERA in 63 appearances. He ended his career with 244 saves, and many fans believe he deserves to be enshrined in Cooperstown.
#3 Frank White – IF (34.8 WAR)
Coming in at #3 is another Kansas City Royals legend, who had an elite glove and also collected over 2,000 MLB hits. His name is Frank White and at one time he was a community college baseball player with no expectations of playing beyond college. That’s when the Royals created Royals Academy, a concept where strong and powerful athletes would be trained to become elite baseball players. Unfortunately, the Academy only produced three big-league players, but Frank White was one of them – the others being U.L. Washington and former Rangers manager Ron Washington. After White entered the Royals system, it was obvious he had big talent – his glove was incredible, he could fly on the basepaths and his offensive stats were respectable. He made his big league debut in 1973 and it took a few years for Royals fans to warm up to him but by 1976, he was a regular. He won his first of 8 Gold Gloves in 1977 and made his first of five All Star Games in ‘78. By the mid-80’s, White had developed some pop as well, crushing 22 home runs in back to back seasons. He was also clutch in the big moments, winning the 1980 ALCS MVP, crushing a home run in the ‘85 World Series and even hitting a deciding home run in the 1986 All Star Game. He was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 1995 and is also heavily supported as a potential candidate for the Basebal Hall of Fame.
#2 Toby Harrah – IF (51.4 WAR)
One of the most underrated players of all time, Toby Harrah comes in at #2 on my list of the best undrafted free agents in MLB history. Although his name doesn’t pop off the page like that of some of the previous mentioned players, you might be surprised at how good this guy was. He was scouted as a High School prospect but went undrafted and entered into the workforce, getting a job at a factory. When Phillies scout Tony Lucadello found out that no one had drafted Harrah and that he was not playing college ball, he got in touch with him and signed him to play in the Phillies organization. He was later claimed by the Washington Senators, who promoted him in for a cup of coffee in 1969, then a full-time role in 1971. Harrah had not shown much power at this point, but he knew how to work a walk like nobody else, did not strike out much, had great speed, and would be a front office analytical dream come true this day in age. Even then, his value was clear and the Senators made him an everyday player. In 1972, the team moved to Arlington, becoming the Texas Rangers and Harrah made his first All Star Team. In 1974, he decided to try to hit for more power and crushed 21 bombs. In ‘75, he hit 20 more while hitting .293 with a .403 on-base-percentage and 23 stolen bases. Harrah had also vastly improved his defense – he was near-elite in almost every aspect of the game at this point. This type of production continued year after year, with perhaps his best season in 1977 when he hit 27 homers and led the league with 109 walks. Harrah was never a massive superstar, but he did everything right to help his team throughout a 17-year career. He retired as a 4-time All Star with a career 51.4 WAR, which is better than several Hall of Famers including Ralph Kiner, Jim Rice and Ted Simmons and the best of any one on this list. The JAWS ranking has him as the 28th greatest third baseman in MLB history. He was also the last player to bat for the Washington Senators, one half of the only duo to hit back to back inside the park homers, and once played every inning of a doubleheader at shortstop and never handled the ball once. He also hit one of three grand slams in a game for the Rangers, becoming the first team to ever do so. On top of being an amazing MLB talent, he is the answer to several trivia questions.
#1 Bruce Sutter – P (24.1 WAR)
Although it was tempting to put Harrah as my #1 overall pick, there was just no way I could put any one else other than the only undrafted free agent who was also a Hall of Famer as my #1 – and that would be of course Bruce Sutter, who finished his career with exactly 300 saves. Sutter was drafted after High School by the Senators in the 21st round, but did not sign and attended college at Old Dominion. From there, he was never drafted and ended up dropping out and playing in some semi-pro league. Chicago Cubs scout Ralph DiLullo noticed Sutter and signed him to play pro ball. This was just the first time Sutter’s career would be revived after being nearly dead in the water. He only pitched in a couple games in the minors when a pinched nerve required surgery. Then, in 1973 in A Ball, he had a 4.13 ERA, giving up 94 hits in 85 innings. The Cubs were considering releasing Sutter, but a minor league instructor named Fred Martin convinced them to let him teach Sutter a new pitch first. He taught Sutter the same pitch he taught Mike Krukow – the split-fingered baseball. It wasn’t a pitch that worked for every one, but Sutter’s hands were perfect for it and in 1974 , he used to dominate minor league batters to the tune of 1.38 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 64 innings. In 1976, he began the year in Triple-A but was quickly promoted and had a 2.7 ERA in his rookie MLB season. This was only the beginning. In 1977, he became the closer and had 31 saves with a 1.34 ERA, making the All Star team and garnering Cy Young votes. He became an MLB superstar, making the All Star team nearly every year. In 1979, he had a monster season, tying an NL record with 37 saves while taking home the Cy Young Award. He would later tie Dan Quisenberry’s MLB record of 45 saves in 1984. He led the league in saves 5 times, won 4 Rolaids Relief Awards, made 6 All Star teams and was eventually honored with induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the first pitcher who never started a game to become a Hall of Famer.