One of the most exciting elements of being a Major League Baseball fan is the MLB Draft, which allows fans and the media to hype up some of the most talented young baseball players in the country as teams select them to enter into their organization. Oftentimes even at this early stage, elite talent can be identified. We use terms like “can’t miss-prospect” and “insanely high ceiling” with certain names. Sometimes, those labels turn out completely right and a player like Chipper Jones or Ken Griffey Jr. get selected first overall in the Draft then go on to have Hall of Fame careers.

However, when it comes to drafting young High School or College players who still have to go through years of the Minor Leagues to prove themselves, there is never a guarantee. Many times, even the most supposed “can’t miss” prospect, for some reason or another, never ends up becoming the player they were supposed to – and sometimes they don’t even make it to the Major Leagues. In today’s video, we’re going to count down the 10 biggest Draft Busts in MLB history… by the way, one player who didn’t make my Top 10 is Matt Bush – who has been considered a huge bust as a #1 overall pick who then had massive off-the-field issues that derailed his career. However, because he seems to have gotten his life together and made it to the big leagues in 2016 and is still, as of 2022, pitching in the big leagues at age 36, he didn’t quite my Top 10 as I look at his career more like a success story than a bust. So, let’s get started at #10…

#10 Todd Van Poppel, Pitcher

Back in the late 80’s, when I first became a huge baseball fan, there wasn’t as much access to information on draft picks and for the most part, the average fan, especially one who was 9 years old like myself, had no knowledge about the newest draft picks. However, one name was so hot that even I knew all about Todd Van Poppel, an absolute phenom who had a 0.97 ERA and 170 strikeouts in his final High School season out of Arlington, Texas. After the Oakland A’s drafted him in the First Round, he even got a 7-11 Superstar 3D Coin usually only made for the top Superstars of the Game. My friends who were A’s fans bragged about him and how the A’s, after their 1989 championship, were destined to start a huge dynasty with Van Poppel leading the way once he got to the big leagues. However, Van Poppel and his agent must have been overconfident as they had the A’s structure the contract as an MLB deal from the onset, allowing only a certain amount of Minor League appearances. For this reason, the A’s had to accelerate his path through the Minors, promoting him to Double A after only 8 appearances in Single A and then after just 24 appearances in Double A – and despite a 6-13 record – he was brought up to the Big Leagues, where he gave up 5 runs and 7 hits in his only start in 1991. He was then injured for much of 1992 and ended up spending 5 years with the A’s, recording a 5.75 ERA. Eventually, he went to Detroit where he had an atrocious 11.39 ERA over 9 starts in 1996. Somehow, he was still able to stick around the big leagues for a while, however, pitching out of the bullpen the Cubs, Rangers, Reds and Pirates and retired after an 11-year career, which is why he isn’t higher on this list. Nevertheless, the hype never got close to his actual performance and as such, Todd Van Poppel is #10 on my list of the top 10 MLB Busts of all time.

#9 Bryan Bullington, Pitcher.

In the 2002 MLB Draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates had the first overall selection and took what looked like a safe pick – a 21 year old college 6’5 225 lb pitcher out of Ball State who set a university record for strikeouts and led his league in victories and ERA that season – his name was Bryan Bullington. The only risk might be that Ball State did not compete as one of the “Power 5” conferences, and so the competition was a big lighter than other schools. Nevertheless, it felt like perhaps a safer pick than High School kids like Zack Greinke and Prince Fielder. Of course, either of them would have worked out much better. Still, Major League teams were aware of Bullington since his High School days when he went 15-0 in 1999 and pitched a one-hitter in the State Finals. The Royals took him in the 37th round but he did not sign. By 2002, he was considered one of if not the best collegiate pitcher in the country. After the Pirates took him first overall, he was immediately placed in the Top 100 MLB Prospects list, before even appearing in a Minor League game. Then, he moved up that list quickly after going 5-1 with a 1.39 ERA for the Class-A Hickory Crawdads. By 2004, he was a Double-A All Star and even pitched a scoreless inning in the Futures Game at Fenway Park. Then, after pitching well in Triple A, Bullington was finally promoted, but only pitched in one game before damaging his shoulder. He needed major surgery and missed the entire 2006 season. In 2007, he had decent comeback season in Triple A with an 11-9 record an ERA of exactly 4, but then went 0-3 with a 5.29 ERA during his September call-up. He was never able to figure it out at the big league level and ended pitching for the Indians, Blue Jays and Royals, finishing his career with exactly one Major League win.

#8 Brooks Kieschnick, OF & Pitcher.

Long before Shohei Ohtani, there was a young up and coming player named Brooks Kieschnick who baseball fans all believed was the next Babe Ruth – a player who could both pitch and hit an an elite level. He is the only player to have won the Dick Howser Trophy – given to the best college baseball player of the year – twice. For the Texas Longhorns, Kieschnick hit .360, crushing 43 home runs and driving in 215 runs. As a pitcher, he went 34-8 with a 3.05 ERA, earning a reputation as a legitimate two-way player who could be drafted as either a position player or pitcher – or both. In the 1993 MLB Draft, he was taken 10th overall by the Chicago Cubs, who decided that his offense, especially his power, was more important than his pitching and, hence, used him as a position player. The decision seemed like the right one as he shuttled through the minor leagues, hitting for power and average every step along the way. In 1995, he hit .295 with 23 home runs and a .370 on-base percentage for the Triple A Iowa Cubs. He was called up to the big leagues in 1996 and had an amazing debut performance, hitting his first big league homer and going 10 for 29, good enough for a .345 batting average. All signs pointed towards Kieschnick being a regular for the 1997 Cubs. However, he was reportedly “stunned and dejected” after being sent back to to Minor League camp during the last week of 1997 Spring Training. He was eventually called up but hit just .200 in 90 at bats. The next year, the Devil Rays claimed him in their expansion draft, but never promoted him to the big leagues. He ended up signing with the Reds in 2000, but went 0 for 12 with 5 strikeouts. However, he did have a bit of a resurgence with the Brewers in 2003 and 2004 as Kieschnick took up pitching again and was a decent arm coming out of the bullpen. He also seemed to hit better in his role, with a .300 average in 2003 with 7 bombs. However, he never played in an MLB game after 2004.

#7 Danny Goodwin, Catcher, First Base, DH.

At #7 we have a player who was so good as a young amateur ballplayer that he was selected first overall – twice. First, out of High School, the Chicago White Sox took Goodwin with the first overall selection in 1971. He decided not to sign and attended Southern University and A&M in Baton Rouge. There, he was a three-time All American and 1975 College Player of the Year. He hit .408 with an incredible .543 on-base-percentage and 1.271 OPS. Goodwin was considered the best player again in the 1975 MLB Draft and this time, it was the California Angels who had the first overall pick. They took Goodwin and offered a record $150,000 Bonus. The Angels were not going to be patient with Goodwin’s development and assigned him directly to Double A where he hit .275 with 2 home runs. Then, after just 46 games in the Minor Leagues, the Angels promoted Goodwin. After being rushed to the big leagues, he went 1 for 10 with 5 strikeouts. Perhaps realizing he was rushed, the Angels sent him all the way back to A ball in 1976, a move that couldn’t have helped his confidence. Nevertheless, the hit .306 between Double A and Triple A and in 1977, for the first time, he played in Triple A, hitting .305 with 10 home runs in 77 games. Nearly 2 years after his first promotion, he finally made it back to the big leagues but hit just .209 in 91 at bats with a single home run. The Angels also, despite drafting him as a catcher, never allowed him to wear a glove. He only pinch hit or played DH. He never worked out with the Angels and ended up in Minnesota, where he played in a part-time role as a 1st baseman and pinch hitter. He played in the A’s organization from 1982 to 1985, getting only 52 big league at bats and hitting .212. For a player who was drafted first overall twice, he was a monumental bust, but a lot of the blame could go to the Angels, who never gave him a proper Minor League development.

#6 David Clyde, Pitcher.

In probably the most extreme example of a team rushing a young prospect, we have pitcher David Clyde. Clyde was a High School phenom who was billed as the next Sandy Koufax. In 1973, he was the consensus best player available and the Texas Rangers, who had the first overall pick after losing 100 games in 1972, snagged him and gave him a record $125,000 bonus, which would be broken by the previously mentioned Danny Goodwin. Clyde signed with Texas and said his goal was to become the greatest pitcher ever. Unfortunately, Texas Rangers owner Bob Short may not have had Clyde’s best interests in mind. It was already agreed that Clyde would skip the minors and go straight to the big leagues for his first two starts before heading to the minors for some proper development. However, after Short noticed Clyde’s first start resulted in the first sellout in Arlington Stadium history, he forced the team keep him on the big league roster. He ended his rookie year with a 4-8 record and 5.01 ERA, never having pitched an inning in the Minor Leagues. The next year, Billy Martin was hired as manager and fought with the GM over Clyde’s future. Martin knew he was not ready for the big leagues. Still, he stayed and in 1974, Clyde went 3-9 with a 4.38 ERA. Considering he went straight from High School to the big leagues, his numbers weren’t even that terrible and had he been given a normal Minor League career, who knows what would have become of David Clyde. By the time he was finally sent to the minors in 1975, he had already injured his shoulder and was never the same. After surgery, he bounced around the minors with some MLB opportunites with the Indians, but never found any consistency. He retired with an 18-33 record and 4.63 ERA.

#5 Shawn Abner, Outfielder.

It was the 1984 Draft and the Mets were looking to build the best outfield in baseball. They already had Darryl Strawberry and Billy Beane was just ready to get promoted. They identified Shawn Abner as an “all-around, can’t miss prospect.” So, the Mets took him as the #1 overall pick, ahead of USC star Mark McGwire. He hit for decent average in the minors but his power was lacking. The Mets decided to include him in a blockbuster 8-man deal that sent Kevin Mitchell to the Padres for Kevin McReynolds. In 1987, he made his big league debut for San Diego. Unfortunately, he was never great, hitting .181 in 1988 and .187 in 1989. He didn’t even offer any power to offset the low batting averages. He played his last year in the big leagues in 1992, hitting .279 with a home run. Injuries prevented him from making it back to the big leagues after that. In 2020, he was sentenced to 4.5 to 23 months in prison for animal cruelty after leaving his dog at home for over a month, resulting in the dog passing away. Apparently, he didn’t ask any one to care for the dog while he was gone.

#4 Steve Chilcott, Catcher.

Unfortunately for the New York Mets, Shawn Abner isn’t even the worst #1 overall pick as far as MLB production. The 1966 MLB Draft produced some amazing MLB players such as Ron Cey, Steve Garvey and Charlie Hough. In fact, 3 of the top 4 picks ended up being MLB All Stars and one, the second overall pick, was a Hall of Famer named Reggie Jackson. However, with the #1 overall pick, the New York Mets took Steve Chilcott out of Antelope Valley High School in Lancaster, California. He was a left-handed hitting catcher with a quick bat and extraordinary potential. He showed some of that potential in the minors. He was hitting .290 in Single A with a .365 on-base percentage and 45 runs driven in after 79 games when he dove back into first base on a pick-off attempt. It was a normal play we see hundreds of times per season, but on this particular play, Chilcott jammed his hand into the base and dislocated his shoulder, ending his season. The next year, he came back but hit just .189 for Visalia. Chilcott had injury issues for the rest of his career and never made it to the big leagues. After retirement, Chilcott became a firefighter and later a full-time contractor, constructing and remodeling homes.

#3 Al Chambers, DH/Outfield.

The Mariners have had the #1 overall pick four times in their franchise history. Twice, they hit the jackpot – once with Ken Griffey Jr. and once with Alex Rodriguez. Another #1 pick, pitcher Mike Moore, had a solid 14 year career. But in 1979, the M’s weren’t so lucky. After losing 104 games and finishing dead last in 1978, the Seattle Mariners were awarded the first overall pick in 1979. With it, they selected an outfielder out of John Harris High School in Pennsylvania named Al Chambers. Chambers seemed to have all the tools, including blazing speed, big power and a great glove in the field. At 6’4, 217 lbs, he had the potential to become an absolute monster at the big league level. In 1989 with the San Jose Missions, he hit .301 with a .388 on-base percentage. The following year, his power showed up with 20 bombs for the Double A Lynn Sailors. Then in Triple A, he had a huge year, hitting .331 with 75 RBIs in just 99 games for the Salt Lake City Gulls. He finally got his opportunity and drove in four runs in his big league debut. However, something didn’t feel right.

"The veterans on the team didn't take me under their wing," he said. "It was a tough situation for me. I talked to other rookies in the league who told me how the veterans showed them the ropes, but it never happened in Seattle."

He ended up hitting just .209 for the Mariners in 67 at bats in 1983 and was devastated when they set him back to the minors. In ‘84, he hit .225. In ‘85, he was only given four big league at bats despite hitting .308 with a .402 on base percentage in Triple A. He didn’t have any major injuries or off-the-field issues. It just wasn’t meant to be for Chambers. “You only get so many breaks,” he said. He went on to work the swing shift at the Hershey Foods Factory in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania,

#2 Adam Johnson, Pitcher.

The Minnesota Twins first selected Adam Johnson out of High School in 1997 Draft, but he chose to attend college instead. He set a Cal State Fullerton record with 365 strikeouts and was named Big West Conference Pitcher of the Year. In 2000, he struck out 166 batters in 119 innings. In that year’s MLB Draft, the Twins signed him again, but this time – with the second overall pick. Only Adrian Gonzalez was taken higher. Johnson’s strikeout stuff translated to the pros immediately as he struck out 92 batters in 69 Single A innings for the Fort Myers Miracle, maintaining a 2.47 ERA. The next season, in 2001, he was pushed through the Minors quickly and made his big league debut. Unfortunately, that’s where his success ended as he gave up 23 runs in 25 innings while only striking out 17. In 2002, he failed to make the team out of Spring Training and when given his assignment papers, according to former Twins player Michael Cuddyer, he crumbled them up and stormed out of the manager’s office. He only pitched in 2 more MLB games, although he hung around the minors and independent leagues through 2009.

#1 Brien Taylor, Pitcher.

At #1 is by far the consensus best player in the 1991 MLB Draft, Brien Taylor. At that time, Taylor was considered possibly the best High School pitcher of all time. The Yankees took him first overall and eventually signed him for at the time an insane $1.55 million. Taylor hired Scott Boras as an advisor. Boras said in 2006 that “Brien Taylor, to this day, is still the best High School Pitcher I’ve seen in my life.” He had a fastball that touched triple digits and struck out 213 out of 264 batters while walking only 28. No one could touch him. In his first year in the Minors, 1992, he pitched well, striking out 187 batters in 161 innings with a 2.57 ERA in High A Fort Lauderdale. The next season, in Double A, he went 13-7 with a 3.48 ERA – nothing insanely impressive but certainly good enough to expect he would make his big league debut in 1994. Then, on December 13th during the off season, there was the fistfight heard ‘round the baseball world. Brien Taylor, defending his brother, got into a fight and severely injured his shoulder. He need major surgery and missed the entire 1994 season. By the time he returned, he had lost 8 miles per hour off his fastball and completely lost his command. The Yankees were forced to keep him in Single A while he tried to work it out, but his numbers were absolutely atrocious. He went 0-5 with an 18.73 ERA and walked a ridiculous 43 batters in 16 innings. The Yankees eventually had no choice but to release him. After baseball, he worked for UPS, then as a beer distributor. Later, he was arrested and charged with cocaine trafficking and spent over 3 years in prison. It’s insane to think what would have had he never got into that fistfight as Taylor was on the fast track to the big leagues with some of the best stuff any pitching prospect has ever had.

The 10 Biggest MLB Draft BUSTS Of All Time

Erik Reyes