Top 25 ACTIVE UNDER-RATED MLB Players!! 🔥Underappreciated TALENT!!🔥

On any given day during the regular season, there are about 780 active Major League Baseball players and only a handful are really big name superstars that the casual fan could name just by seeing his photo – Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole, Mike Trout, Ronald Acuna Jr. and pretty much the entire 1st half of the Dodgers starting lineup – are examples of some of these types of players. But today we’ll be talking about another group of players who the casual fan might not be able to name, but whose presence in a lineup or on a mound is almost just as important as the big-name superstars. These are players who are often overlooked for All-Star Teams and get very little media and fan attention when compared to the big names, but they put up amazing numbers and do almost just as much if not more to help their teams win games, so let’s get into my list of Top 25 most underrated active MLB players; and let me know your thoughts down below with some names you’d put on the list as well. Also keep in mind this list is not ranking players by how good they are, rather how underrated they are – so please don’t yell at me because a better player is ranked lower – the higher the ranking the more underappreciated I feel they are, but every one’s opinion will differ. So, let’s get into it.

#25 Lars Nootbar: OF – St. Louis Cardinals

During the St. Louis Cardinals atrocious 2023 meltdown of a season, there was one bright spot that got brighter & brighter as the season went along and that’s outfielder Lars Nootbar. Nootbar made his big league debut in 2021 and had some key hits, including a walk off. However, he really didn’t start to get hot until 2023 when he began to play every day and got hotter as the season went along. By July, he was on fire and for a 3-week stretch was one of the best hitting outfielders in the game. He ended the season with a .367 on-base-percentage and 14 home runs with a 3.3 WAR. He may not deserve superstar status, but does seem to be a bit underrated after such a solid season.

#24 Thairo Estrada: 2B – San Francisco Giants

In at #24 is second baseman Thairo Estrada, who was DFA’d by the Yankees after hitting just .167 in 48 at bats in 2020. The Giants grabbed him and stashed him in Triple-A, where he forced a call-up after hitting .333 with 9 homers and a .937 OPS. In San Francisco, he quickly earned the spot as the every day second baseman and has been consistently solid ever since, providing excellent defense with a dangerous bat. He hit 14 home runs in both 2022 and 2023 and has been one of the few Giants who is always a threat to steal a base. Estrada doesn’t do any one thing at an elite level but is a solid all-around guy who helps his team win as evidenced by his 5.1 WAR since coming to San Francisco.

#23 Zach Eflin: SP – Tampa Bay Rays

As a former first round pick who has been around the league several years and never made an All Star team or really been considered a front-tier starter, any hype that once surrounded Zach Eflin has since mostly gone away. He pitched alongside several more prominent starters for years in Philadelphia and then moved on to Tampa Bay, where after some major injuries to their rotation, he stepped up in 2023 to help the Rays win 99 games by going 16-8 with a 3.5 ERA, leading the American League in wins. Eflin had also been quietly effective for years before that, as the highest ERA he had from 2018 to 2023 was 4.36. Over his 9 year career, he has a solid 4.32 ERA with 7.9 per 9 strikeout ratio.

#22 Andrew Vaughn: 1B, Chicago White Sox

Vaughn was taken 3rd overall in the 2019 draft, but gets nowhere near the hype of the 2 picked ahead of him, Adley Rutchmann and Bobby Witt Jr. Of course, that’s because he hasn’t been as good as them so far, but Vaughn has gotten better every season and is coming off of a solid 2023 when he smashed 21 home runs with 80 runs driven in for a struggling White Sox team. He has soft hands and a solid glove at first base and perhaps most importantly, he stays on the field, playing in 152 games last season and at least 127 every year since his rookie season. Vaughn is one of the few bright spots on this year’s Chicago White Sox team. However, he doesn’t get much attention from the national media or much hype as one of the young future stars of the game.

#21 Braxton Garrett: SP – Miami Marlins

Another left-handed arm who has been extremely overlooked recently is Braxton Garrett of the Marlins. He was at one time a top prospect, but he took a long time to develop as a High School pick who had to have Tommy John early in his minor league career. He made a few appearances for the Marlins in 2020 and 2021, but didn’t really break out until 2022 when he had a 3.58 ERA in 17 starts. Last season, he was able to make 30 starts, turning in a 3.66 ERA with a 1.15 WHIP, limiting batters to a .250 average while striking out nearly a batter per inning. Had he not gotten lit up by the Braves during one rough start, his ERA would’ve been 3.12. He certainly isn’t a top-tier starter in baseball, but he has been more than solid and gets very little notice for what he’s doing in Miami.

#20 Wilmer Flores: IF – San Francisco Giants

If you asked a casual baseball fan what player on the San Francisco Giants hit .284 with 23 home runs last season, they might not be able to come up with the answer – Wilmer Flores. Despite never having made an All Star Team and never being considered a big superstar, Wilmer has been a consistent source of production since coming to San Francisco in 2020, and he’s also been absolutely clutch, coming up with several late inning RBI hits, including multiple walk-offs. He also has a rare talent this day in age – he rarely strikes out. In 2023, he struck out just 63 times all season long and so far in 2024, has just 5 strikeouts in 34 at bats. Defensively, Flores is very versatile and can play any position on the infield, although he is mostly used on the corners. He is considered by many to be nothing more than a utility player, he still led the 2023 San Francisco Giants in home runs, slugging percentage, OPS, and OPS+ and he was second in RBIs and on-base-percentage.

#19 Evan Phillips: RP – Los Angeles Dodgers

It’s easy to be underrated when you’re on a team stacked with All Stars and future Hall-of-Famers. When you think of those Dodger superstars, one of the last that comes to mind is reliever Evan Phillips, but despite never making an All-Star Team, he has been one of the most important players on their team, coming out of the bullpen as a lights out reliever. He performed well enough to earn the role as the closer and last season, Phillips had a 2.05 ERA with 24 saves. In 2022, he was even better with an incredible 1.13 ERA in 63 innings. He also has a career 10.4 per 9 strikeout ratio and so far this season, has a 1.37 ERA with 5 saves. Phillips should be, based on the numbers, considered one of the finest relievers in the game. If he continues to perform this season, there’s no reason he shouldn’t make his first All Star team in July.

#18 Michael Harris II: OF – Atlanta Braves

Another player on a team already stacked with insane superstar talent is Braves outfielder Michael Harris II, who like Evan Phillips, has never made an All-Star team. Harris made an incredible run through the minor leagues, making the big leagues very quickly for a High School draft pick; then had an incredible rookie season in 2022, hitting .297 with 19 bombs and an .853 OPS. There was no Sophomore slump coming for Harris, who also raked in 2023, hitting .293 with 18 homers. He is also an elite defender and always a threat to steal bases. Harris was a true 5-tool talent who actually developed into a 5-tool big leaguer; yet despite the Rookie of the Year, he still feels underrated, not getting near the hype other young players like Corbin Carroll and Adley Ruschman.

#17 Lane Thomas: OF – Washington Nationals

Thomas was a 5th round pick way back in 2014 and he spent many years in the minor leagues just hoping for a shot in the bigs. When he finally got it with the Cardinals, he impressed immediately in 2019, displaying his talent with a .319 average and 4 bombs in 38 at bats. However, his numbers dropped in 2020 and 2021 and the Cards traded him to the Nats for Jon Lester. He quickly became the starting center-fielder and crushed 3 home runs in a game in 2022. Last season, he broke out in a big way with 28 bombs, 20 steals, 86 RBIs and a .783 OPS. Still, he failed to make the All-Star team and doesn’t seem to be considered a cornerstone of the Nationals organization.

#16 Sean Murphy: C – Atlanta Braves

If a pitcher looks at the Braves lineup and thinks Sean Murphy might be a weak spot among superstars like Ozuna, Acuna Jr, and Olson, he may be in for a big surprise as Sean Murphy delivered an excellent offensive season last year, crushing 21 home runs in just 108 games with 68 runs driven in. He did all that while also being one of the best defensive catchers in baseball, helping the Atlanta Braves consistently solid pitching staff continue to dominate the opposition. Prior to his time in Atlanta, he was excellent in Oakland, crushing 35 home runs between 2021 and 2022. He won a Gold Glove in 2021 and got MVP votes in 2022, but didn’t make his first All Star Team until last year and although he definitely is considered a great player among baseball fans, Murphy does seem a bit underrated.

#15 Bryson Stott: IF – Philadelphia Phillies

Next up is a youngster who doesn’t get nearly the hype of some of the other recent rookies in the league, but Bryson Stott has been absolutely critical to the success of the Phillies lineup. He is one of the most consistent bats in the league, rarely going into slumps and constantly hitting and getting on base. He was willing to move to a new position when Trea Turner was signed and last year playing mostly second base, he hit .280 with 15 homers and a .329 on-base. He also learned his position quickly and became one of the better defensive second basemen in the league. Last season, he had the same 4.4 WAR as Cody Bellinger, Xander Boegarts, Matt Chapman, Zac Gallen and Bobby Witt Jr.

#14 George Kirby: SP – Seattle Mariners

Despite being a first round pick in 2019, most of the hype behind the Mariners rotation seems to focus around Logan Gilbert and Luis Castillo. George Kirby, however, is doing things almost no other pitcher is able to do – pitch effectively and strike batters out while walking almost nobody. He averaged less than a single walk per game last year, walking just 19 batters all season long while striking out 172. No one else in modern MLB history has started their career with back-to-back seasons with an ERA under 3.5 and a walk rate under 5%. He might have the best command in the game and although he will have a rough start from time to time, no one is better at avoiding free passes and he still has a more than solid strikeout rate.

#13 Tanner Bibee: SP – Cleveland Guardians

Up next is a player who may only be underrated because he came out of nowhere in 2023 to go 10-4 with a 2.98 ERA, instantly becoming a key member of the Cleveland Guardians rotation. Bibee was drafted in the 5th round out of CSU Fullerton in 2021 and dominated the minor leagues in 2022. After 3 stellar Triple-A starts in 2023, the Guardians brought him up and he quickly proved he belonged. However, there wasn’t much hype for him as a Rookie of the Year possibility, although when it came time for the voting, he ended up finishing in 2nd place behind Gunnar Henderson. Bibee doesn’t get a lot of attention pitching in Cleveland, but he could be well on his way to become a huge superstar if he continues to pitch as well as he did last year.

#12 Cal Raleigh: C – Seattle Mariners

One of only 13 players in the American League to smash 30 home runs last season after smashing 27 in 2022, switch-hitting catcher Cal Raleigh doesn’t get much attention as an elite power hitter in Major League Baseball. He is also behind the dish for the majority of innings, catching the impressive Seattle Mariners pitching staff and doing a fantastic job at it. He doesn’t bring a high batting average, but can work a walk and managed an on-base-percentage over .300 despite a .232 average last year. When you add the solid defensive work, calling a great game every night and 30 home run power together, you get a catcher most teams would love to have, despite the fact his production often goes overlooked.

#11 Tarik Skuball: SP – Detroit Tigers

Tigers lefty Tarik Skuball has quietly gotten better every season since his debut in 2020 and last season, his ERA dropped to under 3 with an elite 11.4 strikeout per 9 ratio. He has had some elbow issues and two surgeries, but when he’s healthy, he’s been dominant and so far in 2024, Skuball is 2-0 after 3 starts with 2.08 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 17 innings. He still doesn’t get much attention as one of the top pitchers in the American League, but that could be changing very soon. For a player not picked until the 9th round, he has exceeded every expectations the Tigers ever had for him and if he stays healthy this year, he could easily be in the conversation for the Cy Young as he helps this extremely young and talented Tigers team rise up as a serious contender moving forward.

#10 Yainer Diaz: C – Houston Astros

Another amazing player surrounded by huge superstars in their lineup is catcher Yainer Diaz, who was tied for 3rd among catchers in all of baseball with 23 home runs. He also hit .282 with an .846 OPS, offensive production nearly any team would take at the catching position. He is also an elite blocker and has a strong and accurate arm, and is among the best in baseball at controlling the running game and throwing out would-be stealers. He has done all that after just one full season in the bigs and so far in 2024, he is hitting over .300 with 3 bombs already as of April 14th. Look for Yainer Diaz to rise up as one of the best catchers in the game in the coming months and years.

#9 Brandon Nimmo: CF – New York Mets

A 9 year veteran and 5-tool talent who has never made an All Star Team or been considered a huge star in the game is Mets centerfielder Brandon Nimmo. He is generally considered a good but not great player, but the Mets seemed to think he was worth an 8-year $162 million contract. The reason is that he brings consistent all-around production to the ballpark every night, resulting in a positive WAR every season. He is able to make dazzling plays in the outfield, get on base with consistency and at times bring some power, as he did last year with 24 home runs. He knows how to work a walk and has an extremely impressive .380 career on-base-percentage and .827 OPS. Despite all that, he is constantly undervalued in fantasy projections and All-Star and award voting.

#8 Nolan Jones: OF/1B – Colorado Rockies

When I did my Colorado Rockies preview earlier this year, I myself was blown away to see that Nolan Jones nearly hit .300 in 2023 with 20 home runs and a .931 OPS. And those 20 bombs came in just 367 at bats. Before you credit Coors Field, he had completely even splits with his bombs, hitting 10 at home and 10 on the road and actually had an even higher OPS of .935 on the road. Playing with the not very good Colorado Rockies definitely doesn’t help his exposure and he finished 4th in the Rookie of the Year voting, behind another somewhat underrated player, James Outman. But Jones in my opinion had a better season than Outman, with a much higher average, OPS, and home run per at ratio.

#7 William Contreras: C – Milwaukee Brewers

William Contreras has somewhat quietly been one of the best hitting catchers in the game and he has recently made huge strides to improve his skills behind the dish, becoming one of the better defensive catchers as well. He made his first big mark on the league in 2022 when he crushed 20 home runs with Atlanta with a .278 average. Last year with the Brew Crew, he bumped that average to .289 and still crushed 17 big flies with a career high 78 RBIs. He got extremely hot towards the end of the season, resulting in .314 average and .878 OPS for the second half. Contreras did get some credit from the award voters by finishing 11th, higher than Bryce Harper, for the MVP.

#6 Chris Martin: RP – Boston Red Sox

A player with an incredible journey to a decade long MLB career is Chris Martin, who was originally drafted all the way back in 2004 by the Tigers and again in ‘05 by the Rockies. He suffered a shoulder injury before signing and ended up in the independent leagues before retiring from the game. Martin made a comeback in 2011, entering into the Red Sox minor league system and slowly worked his way up the big leagues, making his debut in 2014 with the team that drafted him, the Rockies. He now has a 9 year career along with a 2-year detour in Japan and is coming off 2 elite seasons with a 1.46 ERA with the Dodgers in 2022 and an absolutely sick 1.05 ERA last year with Boston in 55 appearances. He has a solid 3.42 career ERA with 316 career strikeouts in 308 innings. Despite all this, he’s never made an All Star Team and gets very little credit as recently being one of the best relievers in baseball.

#5 Chas McCormick: OF - Houston Astros

It’s tough to stand out when you’re in a lineup with guys like Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Tucker, Jose Abreu and Alex Bregman, but Chas McCormick has quietly been one of the most productive players for the Astros despite all the other big names. He is probably used to being underrated by now after he was drafted in the 21st round of the 2017 draft, a round that doesn’t even exist anymore, out of Division 2 Millersville. McCormick has become the only player picked from that round to become a productive big leaguer, and has arguably become the best offensive player in that entire draft. He hit a couple key postseason home runs during the Astros 2022 World Series run and last year crushed 22 home runs with an .842 OPS. His 2023 WAR was higher than Randy Arozarena, Matt Chapman and his teammate, Jeremy Pena. McCormick is also one of the best defenders in the game and made just one error all season long last year.

#4 Isaac Paredes: IF – Tampa Bay Rays

As a player who had been around the league a few years without doing much damage, it’s no surprise that some one like Isaac Paredes could fly under the radar last season while crushing 31 home runs with 98 RBIs. He was another hidden gem on the Rays roster that helped them in nearly 100 games. He keeps his strikeouts down and has a solid walk rate, resulting in a .352 on-base-percentage in 2023. The Rays appear to have completely won the trade that sent Austin Meadows to Detroit for Paredes. Meadows hit just .250 without a homer last season. Paredes has stats that should make him a household name, but he doesn’t seem to get near that type of attention.

#3 Andres Gimenez: IF – Cleveland Guardians

Another well-kept secret for the Guardians is infielder Andres Gimenez, whose name doesn’t jump off the page as a huge superstar. He was a light-hitting utility guy with the Mets until he ended up with the Guardians in 2021. By 2022, he was in the everyday lineup and quietly had a phenomenal season, hitting .297 with 69 RBIs while showing some sudden pop with 17 bombs. He knew how to get on base, leading the league in hit by pitches, finishing the year with a .371 on-base-percentage. He was 7th in WAR in all of baseball. The only players better were Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Sandy Alcantara, Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt. Gimenez is also one of the best defenders in the game and won back-to-back Gold Gloves. He’s off to a hot start in 2024 with a .326 average and .896 OPS as of mid-April.

#2 Ha Seong Kim: 2B – San Diego Padres

It’s no surprise a player like Ha-Seong Kim, who just came over from South Korea in 2021, is completely underrated, playing alongside guys like Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Xander Boegarts and until recently, Juan Soto. However, the numbers don’t lie and Ha-Seong Kim adds an incredible amount of value to his team as an elite defender at multiple positions - he is one of the best players in baseball in defensive runs saved, but he can also rake. Kim had a .351 on-base-percentage last season with 17 bombs, 23 doubles and 38 stolen bases. He was incredibly 13th in all of baseball in WAR, better than Juan Soto, Tatis Jr., Corbin Caroll, Julio Rodriguez and many other big-name superstars. In defensive WAR, he was 12th in all of MLB. In other words, Ha-Seong Kim should one of the biggest stars in the game, but I don’t think his name carries the type of weight his actual performance does.

#1 Yandy Diaz: 1B/3B – Tampa Bay Rays

Coming as my most underrated player in all of MLB is the amazing Yandy Diaz, who I feel has been overshadowed recently by Wander Franco – a situation that will obviously no longer exist. For several years, Yandy Diaz has quietly raked at the plate and played solid defense, with a strong and accurate arm. He may not be one of the greatest defensive players, but he makes the routine plays and some spectacular ones as well. Offensively, Diaz is one of the best in baseball and just led the league with an incredible .330 batting average in 2023. He also hit 22 home runs with a .410 on-base-percentage and he had an elite OPS of .932, 7th best in all of baseball and higher than Juan Soto. Every player with a higher OPS is certainly considered a bonafide MLB superstar – Shohei Ohtani, Corey Seager, Ronald Acuna Jr., Matt Olson, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman. Diaz is not completely ignored and most fans know he is a solid player, but many would find it ridiculous to put him in the same company as guys like Freddie Freeman and Juan Soto, but statistically, he really is that valuable and to me, the most underrated player in the game.

TOP 15 MLB DRAFT BUSTS Of The 1980's!! - CAN'T MISS Prospects FALL Completely FLAT!!

Welcome to another edition of Humm Baby Busts and today we enter into the decade of the 1980’s, possibly the best decade ever for draft picks with names like Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr., Frank Thomas and Roger Clemens among many other superstars. However, there were also many major busts, many whom were taken ahead of some of the legends I just mentioned. Many of these high picks taken in the top 10 never even made the big leagues. So, let’s get into it today with the Top 15 MLB Draft Busts of the 1980’s.

Ty Griffin

#15 Ty Griffin – 1988, 9th Overall – Chicago Cubs

The 1988 MLB Draft was full of massive talent and the Chicago Cubs made the tough decision to pass on Robin Ventura, who was taken 1 spot later by the White Sox. The Cubs instead went with a switch-hitting second baseman out of Georgia Tech named Ty Griffin, with plans to move him to third base due to already having Ryne Sandberg at 2nd. Griffin, a 5-tool talent, had stolen 50 bases in a season, just being caught 4 times and had big power potential as well. He hit .322 for his college career with 22 homers and 127 total steals. After the move third base, he struggled, making 23 errors in 1989 with Double-A Charlotte and also hit poorly with a .231 average, and just 3 home runs. In 1990 his average dropped to just .209 and he had injury problems with bursitis in his throwing shoulder. Griffin was never able to really produce at a high level in the minors, although his speed still resulted in 94 career minor league steals. From 1993 to 1997 he played in the Independent Leagues aside from one year, 1995, in which he played in Double-A with the Cardinals organization, hitting .274 with 11 homers and 12 steals. Griffin never made it the big leagues, but has no regrets about his playing career and went on to be the head coach at Tampa Catholic High School for 10 years.

Drew Hall

#14 Drew Hall – 1984, 3rd Overall – Chicago Cubs

After losing 91 games in 1983, the Cubs had a chance to enhance their farm system with the 3rd overall pick in the 1984 MLB Draft. They passed over names like Jay Bell, Mark McGwire and Tom Glavine to select a left-handed pitcher named Drew Hall out of Moorhead State. He had just gone 9-1 with a 2.18 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 70 innings and was a member of the U.S. Olympic team. Unfortunately, his numbers fell drastically in the minor leagues, although he was serviceable. Hall went 10-7 in 1985 with a 4.67 ERA. He struck out 8.6 batters per nine but also walked 5.3 The following year in Double-A, he went 8-11 with a 3.58 ERA, good enough to be promoted to the big leagues. He started 4 games for the Cubs and went 1-2, giving up 12 runs and 10 walks in 23 innings. Hall was sent to the bullpen for the following year and struggled in the role until the Cubs traded him to the Rangers in a famous trade that sent Mitch Williams to Chicago. He was a serviceable relief pitcher for the Rangers in 1989 then the Expos in 1990 before spending the next four seasons in Triple-A before retiring. Hall had a career 5.21 ERA with a -1.2 WAR, but because he made the big leagues and had some moderate success as a reliever, he doesn’t come in too high on the list.

Terry Blocker

#13 Terry Blocker – 1981, 4th Overall – New York Mets

In 1981 with their 4th overall pick, the Mets went with a talented college outfielder named Terry Blocker. He had just completed a phenomenal year at Tennessee State, hitting .402 with 11 home runs, 11 triples and 34 steals in 35 attempts. In 119 college attempts, he was caught stealing just 3 times. He entered Low A in 1981 and was instantly electric, hitting .341 with 14 steals and 7 home runs in 36 games. The next year in Double-A, Blocker regressed some, hitting just .260 with 5 homers in 438 at bats, but he did steal 40 bases. His batting average improved over the next couple seasons, although his power never developed. Blocker was promoted to the big leagues in 1985 but went 1 for 15. The Mets never promoted him again despite a couple more solid seasons in Triple-A. He was traded to the Braves for Kevin Brown and got an extended shot in the bigs with 210 plate appearances, but hit just .212 with a .533 OPS and 1 single stolen base. 1989 was Blocker’s final pro season, and he hit .226 for Atlanta, but spent most of the year in the minors. Even his speed was gone at this point, as he stole just 4 bases all season long, but was caught 5 times.

In 1995, Blocker attended Spring Training as a replacement player with the Braves and made headlines after helping police track down the murderer of his teammate, David Shotkoski, who was shot by a man named Neal Evans during a robbery attempt in West Palm Beach. Blocker scoured through the worst parts of town, gathering information and ultimately discovering the name of the killer. Police made the arrest and offered reward money to Blocker, but he refused it, telling them to give the money to Shotkoski’s wife.

Mike King

#12 Mike King – 1980, 4th Overall – Oakland Athletics

In 1980 with their 4th overall pick, the Oakland A’s tried to save some bonus money and drafted a talented pitcher out of a Division II school called Morningside University in Sioux City, Iowa. His name was Mike King. King dominated batters in his conference, winning the division’s Most Valuable Pitcher award, but he had never faced top level competition. He certainly deserved to be drafted after striking out 93 batters in 56 innings with a .47 ERA, but taking him 4th overall was a huge risk.

The A’s paid King only $35,000, the lowest bonus in the Top 25. Then, they made the baffling decision to throw him straight in Triple-A, where he would face seasoned hitters, many with big league experience. He went 0-4 with a 7.71 ERA, walking 31 batters in just 20 innings. The next year he was traded to the Cubs, who sent him to Single-A, where he should’ve been in the first place. With his confidence likely already busted, King went 1-3 with a 5.53 ERA in 11 starts, walking 41 batters in 49 innings. He was promoted to Double-A but was even worse with a 7.76 ERA. He ended up in the Yankees organization but never could completely solve his control issues. He was also not blowing too many hitters away, striking out just 5.4 batters per 9 throughout his minor league career. Ultimately, although King was a bust, I can’t put him too high on this list because he should’ve never been taken 4th overall and certainly should not have started his minor league career in Triple-A.

Donald Harris

#11 Donald Harris – 1989, 5th Overall – Texas Rangers

With the 5th pick of the 1989 Draft, the Texas Rangers went with a raw but toolesy Texas Tech outfielder, Donald Harris, ahead of potential picks like Frank Thomas and Mo Vaughn. Harris was a multi-sport athlete who was also an All-Southwest Conference Safety for the Texas Tech. As a baseball player, he hit .322 with 10 homers, and a .938 OPS. He also had tremendous speed, although likely due to a coaching decision, he didn’t steal a lot of bases. He also missed a lot of baseball due to his football obligations. After a solid stint in rookie ball in 1989, Harris was sent to Single-A in 1990, but struggled, hitting just .184. In Double-A in 1992, he hit just .227 with a low .278 on-base percentage and 11 home runs. He stole 9 bases but was caught 8 times. Despite these stats, the Rangers promoted Harris and he had successful call-up, going 3 for 8 with a home run. But this small sample size was deceiving and in 1992, he hit .182 with 15 strikeouts in 33 at bats. They gave him one last look in 1993, but Harris hit .197 and retired after two more seasons in the minors. After retiring from baseball, he continues to stay around baseball, attending various camps and youth leagues, where he serves as a mentor and motivational speaker.

Stan Hilton

#10 Stan Hilton – 1983, 5th Overall – Oakland Athletics

1983 was a somewhat slow draft, but it did produce one of the greatest pitchers in MLB history, Roger Clemens at #19. The A’s passed on Clemens and took a different right handed arm at #5 with Baylor University pitcher Stan Hilton. Hilton was among college baseball’s leaders in ERA and strikeouts, but his talent did not translate too well to the pros. In 1984 in High A with Modesto, he went 3-4 with a 4.95 ERA, only striking out 36 batters in over 56 innings. He was eventually promoted to Double-A in 1986, but in 19 starts, he had a 6.52 ERA, giving up 136 hits in 89 innings. He was traded to the Cleveland Indians and made it to Triple-A but did not show much improvement there and retired from baseball after the 1989 season, never having made it to the big leagues. He went on to become a professional pitching coach, coaching in the minor leagues as well as the independent leagues.

Willie Ansley

#9 Willie Ansley – 1988, 7th Overall – Houston Astros

From around 1985 to 1988, one of the most exciting and electric High School athletes in the country was named Willie Ansley and he dominated multiple sports at Plainview High School in Texas. His speed and agility were top notch and he had his choice of paths to take as graduation neared. His favorite sport was basketball, but he felt his best was football. He had a scholarship offer to play football for the Oklahoma Sooners and had committed to do so after meeting with head coach Barry Switzer. Then, the Houston Astros selected him 7th overall to play professional baseball after he hit .479 with 8 homers and 40 RBIs. For a $180,000 bonus, Ansley signed with the Astros and entered the minor league system as an outfielder. After a slow start in Single-A, Ansley got hot and after 103 games had a .309 average and .846 OPS and 53 steals. He was promoted to Double-A, but his numbers dropped there. His average dropped to .255 in 1990 then .232 in ‘91. He was not showing much power. He was finally promoted to Triple-A in 1993 and had a decent season, hitting .262 with 5 home runs and .390 on-base-percentage. It wasn’t enough to get him a big league promotion. During the minor league playoffs, he tore a ligament in his thumb and the Astros released him after the season. Ansley played some in the Mexican and Independent leagues before retiring and entering into coaching at Lamar High School, where he coached a young Anthony Rendon.

Monty Fariss

#8 Monty Fariss – 1988, 6th Overall – Texas Rangers

From 1986 to 1988, one of the brightest and hottest college hitters in the country played at Oklahoma State and his name was Monty Fariss. In 1988, the year he was drafted, Fariss was absolutely unstoppable, hitting .397 with 30 home runs and 114 RBIs in just 69 games. In 242 at bats, he struck out just 38 times. Fariss set a school record with a hit in 25 consecutive games and he had an incredible 1.368 OPS. Fariss looked like an absolute lock to be a future MLB superstar. The hype was real as he entered rookie ball and hit .396 with 4 home runs. The Rangers bumped him all the way up do Double-A, but that’s where Fariss ran into problems. In 49 games with the Tulsa Drillers, he hit just .224 with 3 homers in 17 games. In his first full season in Double-A in ‘89, Fariss had a decent .272 average but hit a mere 5 home runs in 497 at bats. In 1991, after a couple solid seasons in Triple-A, the Rangers promoted Fariss, but their expectations had fallen drastically after he showed very little power in the minors. He hit .258 with a home run in 38 at bats. The following season, after hitting just .217, the Rangers let Fariss go. He caught on with the Florida Marlins and hit .173 for them in their inaugural season. After two more seasons in the minors, Fariss was out of baseball with a career .217 average and -.2 WAR. Fariss moved back to Oklahoma and started a batting cage business. He was elected to the Oklahoma State Cowboys Baseball Hall of Fame.

Kurt Brown

#7 Kurt Brown – 1985, 5th Overall – Chicago White Sox

1985 was one of the strongest and most famous drafts of all time, producing talents like Will Clark, Barry Larkin, B.J. Surhoff, Bobby Witt, Rafael Palmeiro, Randy Johnson and Barry Bonds. One pick before the Pittsburgh Pirates selected Bonds out of Arizona State, the White Sox had a chance to do the same. Instead, they went with an 18-year old High School catcher named Kurt Brown, leading White Sox fans to play the “what if” game for years to come. Brown, who turned down a football scholarship to play at Long Beach State, was a pure hitter with a fantastic arm, but struggled out of the gate in the minors, hitting .205 with just 3 homers in rookie ball. He improved the next year, but not by much, hitting .234 in A-Ball. His progress was extremely slow as he played just well enough to hang around, but never showed big league talent. He didn’t play a full season in Double-A until 1990, when he hit .269 with 4 home runs. That same year, Barry Bonds won the MVP award and a Gold Glove with Pittsburgh. Brown played one last season in Triple-A in 1986 before retiring from baseball. He returned to school to earn his degree and entered into the finance world. He became the Vice President of First Montana Bank in 2020.

Jeff Jackson

#6 Jeff Jackson – 1989, 4th Overall – Philadelphia Phillies

In 1989, the Philadelphia Phillies had the rare opportunity to have the 4th overall pick in the MLB draft and there was a ton of talent to choose from including the powerful Frank Thomas out of Auburn, Chuck Knoblauch from Texas A&M and Seton Hall’s Mo Vaughn. The Phillies instead went with a High School kid who had just hit over .500 his Senior Year and had tremendous potential, Jeff Jackson. He had won the Gatorade Player of the Year award and was considered a premiere 5-tool talent. However, he was just 17 years and old and had immediate trouble against the professional pitching he faced in the minors. After a rough stint in Rookie Ball, he played his first full season in Low A in 1990 and hit just .198 with 3 home runs. He stole 12 bases but was caught 11 times. A lower draft pick would’ve already been released, but Jackson was promoted to A Ball in 1991 and continued to struggle, hitting .225 with just 5 homers. He reportedly felt some culture shock and isolation during his first couple years in the minors and was pressured heavily by the press, with one journalist calling him “Clueless Jeff Jackson.” The Phillies hung onto Jackson all the way through the 1994 season in which he hit just .177 in Double-A. Realizing he was not going to meet expectations, he was finally released and caught on with the White Sox organization for a season before entering into the independent leagues. He hit much better there and was given one more shot in affiliated ball with the Pirates in 1998. He hit .278 with a couple homers with their High A team, but that would be his final season of professional baseball. Jackson has since started a Sports & Entertainment Agency and written a book called “The Gift & The Curse: The Jeff Jackson Story.”

Bill Bene

#5 Bill Bene – 1988, 5th Overall – Los Angeles Dodgers

Back in the 1980’s, baseball cards of draft picks usually weren’t a thing. However, this Bill Bene card was fairly hot for a short while. Bene was taken 5th overall in the 1988 Draft by the Dodgers, the same team that also drafted Mike Piazza that year – with 1,390th pick. They also took Erik Karros with 140th. Luckily, those two worked out. The same cannot be said for Bill Bene, who had a lively arm that the Dodgers loved. Scouts saw his stuff and thought that he could be an elite arm, but needed some professional coaching to improve his control, which was absolutely terrible in college. It was a huge gamble to take him so high – and the Dodgers lost the bet. Bene went 5-0 in his professional season, but he must’ve gotten some solid run support, because he walked 45 batters in 65 innings and gave up 33 runs for an ERA of 4.55. The next year, in A-ball, the numbers started to become ridiculous and video-gamish in a bad way. In 27 innings, he struck out a decent 24 batters.. but walked 56. His ERA ballooned up to 12.64. In 1990 at Vero Beach, things really got out of hand as he walked 96 batters in 56 innings. The run support finally ended for Bene too, as he went 1-10 with an ERA of 6.99. If Bene wasn’t the 5th overall pick, he would’ve been released a long time ago at this point. Instead, he came back year after year, sometimes showing slight improvements in his control but never being able to consistently command the zone whatsoever. In 1994, still in the Dodgers organization, he walked 49 batters in 50 innings with a 6.04 ERA, strictly coming out of the bullpen at this point. Mercifully, the Dodgers released him. The Reds took a chance on him the next year with their Double-A team, but he walked 9 batters in 4 innings to end the experiment. He missed the ‘96 season and made a comeback attempt with the Angels in 1997, but the control just wasn’t there. Even at this point, he struck out 70 batters in 68 innings, but walked 66, going 0-4 with a 6.68 ERA. He was finally out of baseball, but continued to get busted even later in life, as he was arrested and sentenced to 6 months in jail in 2012 for operating a counterfeit karaoke business without paying taxes. Once a bust, always a bust.

Mark Merchant

#4 Mark Merchant – 1987, 2nd Overall – Pittsburgh Pirates

In 1987, the Pirates had the 2nd overall pick just after the Mariners, who used their 1st overall pick to take future Hall-of-Famer Ken Griffey Jr. With the 2nd pick, the Pirates went with another High School outfielder by the name of Mark Merchant. He was a speedy 5-tool talent who stole 48 bases in 49 attempts his Senior Year and hit .419 with 5 home runs. The Pirates hoped he would develop even more power in the minor leagues. In his first year in rookie, Merchant hit .265 with 3 homers and 33 steals in 50 games, a decent start. Then, halfway through the next season, he separated his shoulder diving for a ball, ending his season. He was only hitting .242 at the time with a couple home runs and the Pirates traded him to the Mariners, who now had both Griffey Jr. and Merchant, the top 2 picks of the ‘87 draft. However, Merchant didn’t do much better in the Mariners organization, putting up below average numbers for several years in the minors, while also battling multiple injuries. After hitting .244 with a .685 OPS in Double-A in 1992, the M’s released him. Merchant considered retirement but instead signed with the Reds and showed some signs of why he was originally drafted second overall. He hit .301 with 17 home runs in Double-A in 1993, earning a promotion to Triple-A. But he never made it to the big leagues. Merchant ended up in the Independent leagues and spent some time in the White Sox and Royals organizations, playing all the way through the 1998 season. “To be able to still have good success in Double-A, when I couldn’t run or throw like I used to, says a lot,” Merchant said. “I gave it everything I had. I played those last seven years with one arm and one leg.” After retirement, Merchant earned his real estate license and started his own business near Denver, Colorado.

Augie Schmidt

#3 Augie Schmidt – 1982, 2nd Overall – Toronto Blue Jays

During the late 70’s, a High School player named Augie Schmidt was already making headlines and was drafted by the Orioles in the 9th round of the ‘79 draft. Instead of signing with the O’s, Schmidt went to play college ball at the University of New Orleans and his draft stock only skyrocketed from there after he hit .352 with an OPS over 1.000 while playing elite defense at shortstop. In 1981 in over 200 at bats, he struck out just 16 times while walking 52. He had an advanced knowledge of the strike zone and was one of the finest pure hitters in the draft. In 1982, the Blue Jays took him 2nd overall. He hit well through the low levels of the minors, but once Schmidt hit Triple-A in 1984, on the verge of the big leagues, he hit a snag. In 46 games with Syracuse, he hit just .201 with a .280 on-base-percentage, but he did battle some injuries including a fractured wrist. He still put the ball in play, but without much authority. He didn’t hit a single home run despite crushing 14 his final season in college. “The aluminum bat helped me an awful lot,” he admitted.

The Blue Jays decided to move on from Schmidt and traded him to the Giants. With the Giants Double-A and Triple-A teams, he improved his average to .273 but still hit zero home runs. The Giants released him and he caught on with Twins for his final pro season in 1986 when Schmidt hit just .226 in A-Ball. After his career, he entered coaching and went on to become the head coach at Carthage College, where he has led the team to multiple division titles and championship runs.

Garry Harris

#2 Garry Harris – 1980, 2nd Overall – Toronto Blue Jays

The 1980 Draft had some phenomenal 5-tool talents available including Billy Beane, Darryl Strawberry, Kelly Gruber, and the player the Blue Jays took second overall, Garry Harris. While Billy Beane can also be considered a bust, at least he made it to the big leagues and wasn’t picked until #23. Harris was taken 2nd and had just hit .426 his Senior Year in High School with 16 steals in 16 attempts. Unfortunately, he was very raw and unproven against top level talent. The Blue Jays quickly found out he would likely not be their future shortstop as they had hoped. He made 54 errors in rookie ball, worse than any other player in the minor leagues. He hit .272 but with very little power to speak of. The next season in A ball, over a full season, Harris hit .253 with 15 homers, still struggling defensively. His average dropped again the next year to .235 then .224 in Double-A in 1983. Harris played poor defense, struck out too much, did not show much power and could not hit for a high average. His on-base-percentage was just .266. The Blue Jays released him after 1983 but in a creative move, they picked up Kelly Gruber from Cleveland in the Rule 5 Draft, which gave them another shortstop from the 1980 draft. Gruber worked out with the Jays and ended up becoming a staple in the Toronto lineup all the way through 1992, the year they won their first World Series. So, while Harris was a bust, the 1980 first round turned out okay for Toronto. As for Garry Harris, he went on to work for the city of San Diego for 25 years before retiring and becoming a do-it-yourself car mechanic. He spent most of his time with his family until passing away in 2022.

Shawn Abner

#1 Shawn Abner – 1984, 1st Overall – New York Mets

Coming in as my #1 Draft Bust of the 80’s is Shawn Abner. 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 getting 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. In 1986 with the Double-A Jackson Mets, he hit .266 with 14 homers and a .739 OPS. The Mets decided to include him in a blockbuster 8-man deal that sent Kevin Mitchell to the Padres for Kevin McReynolds. With the Las Vegas Stars Triple-A team in ‘87, he hit .300 with 11 home runs and the Pads decided to give him a shot in the big leagues. Unfortunately, he was not very good at all, hitting .181 in 1988 and .187 in 1989. He didn’t even offer any power to offset the low batting averages. He was let go by the Padres and spent some time with the Angels and White Sox before spending the entire 1994 season in the minors with the Royals organization. He then crossed the picket line and joined the replacement players in 1995 Spring Training. He never played in the big leagues again. 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. Just for that terrible act and due to the fact that he was a #1 overall pick who had a -1.3 career WAR, I’m going to put Abner as my #1 bust of the 1980’s.

And that does it for today’s video on the biggest draft busts of the 1980’s; I hope you enjoyed it; I appreciate all the support! Look forward to more draft busts videos in the future as well as other interesting documentaries and countdowns as well. Have a wonderful day; hit that thumbs up and subscribe button; leave a comment down below and we’ll talk to you in the next one.

2024 MLB POWER RANKING - 30 TEAMS Quick Evaluations & My FULL Tier Power Ranking

30. Chicago White Sox

The White Sox do have Garret Crochet, a first round pick with an electric arm, moving into the rotation but he – some one who has never started an MLB game – will be their opening day starter. Apart from him, it’s full of reclamation projects and washed up pitchers trying to hang on. The lineup has a few exciting names like Luis Robert but none of them were able to save this team from 101 losses last year and this time, they have even worse hitters surrounding them. I don’t see how this team competes this year unfortunately.

29. Colorado Rockies

As usual, the lineup is not terrible with guys like Nolan Jones, Kris Bryant and Brendan Rodgers, but the pitching staff is absolutely terrible. Kyle Freeland gets lit up with regularity and he is the Rockies Ace now that their best two starters, Senzatela and Marquez. I don’t think Cal Quantrill will pitch very well in Denver and the bullpen doesn’t look like anything special either. The Rockies should score plenty of runs, but opposing teams will score even more.

28. Washington Nationals

The Nationals signed several players with problems who I don’t have a ton of confidence in like Joey Gallo and Nick Senzel to add to a lineup that wasn’t that great anyway. Their youngsters who have been promoted haven’t really shown much at the big league level, CJ Abrams will need a breakout year. The pitching staff right now looks very shaky aside from a new decent names, but they do have a strong farm system which might be give them a boost at some point this year, but the Nationals just don’t have the MLB talent to compete in 2024 as far as I can tell.

27. Los Angeles Angels

Obviously, the loss of Ohtani hurts big time and the Angels didn’t do much at all to replace him, just adding some utility players. They have Anthony Rendon, but he hates baseball and honestly, when you’re in your mid-30’s, it’s the love of the game that keeps you going at that point. I’ll be shocked if he plays in more than 50 games. Mike Trout’s still there and the lineup is so-so but the pitching staff to me looks questionable at best; the rotation wasn’t that great when they had Ohtani and now it’s that much worse. I like the Ron Washington hire and hopefully he can make a difference but I don’t expect much from this team.

26. Oakland Athletics

This is a young team coming off a horrific season, but I do think they have a chance to be much better this year, despite all the drama and lack of effort by the front office to put together a winning team. JJ Bleday looks ready to have a breakout season, Brent Rooker has 30+ home run power and they just signed J.D. Davis, who I think is going to have a great year. The rotation and pitching staff looks a lot more iffy with guys like Ross Stripling and Alex Wood, but the bullpen has some decent arms like Mason Miller, who can also start, and there are lots of up-and-coming options who can also contribute so all told, I think the A’s are going to be better than people think; not saying they’re going to be a playoff team or even a good team, but I don’t think they’ll be the worst team in baseball.

25. Miami Marlins

At #25 I’m going to put the Miami Marlins, who did make the playoffs last year but did nothing to capitalize on that this offseason. Sandy Alcantara is out for the season but the rotation is very young and could be decent this year with guys like Max Meyer, Ryan Weathers, AJ Puk, Jesus Luzardo – all guys with big potential, but unless 2 or 3 of those guys have big breakout seasons, I don’t know if the offense will be strong enough. Obviously they still have Luis Arraez, who’s great. Tim Anderson will need a big bounce back year and so will veterans like Josh Bell. The bullpen is very young and unpredictable; there’s some electric arms but also a lot of unproven guys so overall, the team has talent but I don’t think there’s enough proven MLB players in their prime to make this a winning team in 2024.

24. Kansas City Royals

The Royals are coming off a rough season, but they did a lot to improve; the entire bullpen has been shaken up and the rotation looks a lot better with Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo. Look for Bobby Witt Jr. to have a massive season; he might be in MVP talks this year. Adam Frazier and Hunter Renfroe add some more stability to the lineup as well and they have lot of exciting youngsters like Nelson Velasquez and others as well. So, overall, they’re still not great, but I see the Royals being a much better team this year and I got them ranked all the way up at #24.

23. Pittsburgh Pirates

Next up is the Pirates, who have been heading the right direction lately and their roster is starting to come together. They have a ton of young talent; names like Henry Davis and O’Neil Cruz for example. Ke’Bryan Hayes should be ready for a big year, and they brought back the veteran former MVP Andrew McCutchen, who provides leadership and can still play. The Pirates brought in Aroldis Chapman, and I think he will be huge for that bullpen. The rotation is okay with Mitch Keller and now Marco Gonzales; Paul Skenes is on the way although I’m not sure if he’ll make his debut this year or not, but the Pirates have a lot of talent; a solid mix of veterans and youngsters, but still not quite enough to put them much higher than this.

22. Boston Red Sox

At #21, the highest I could put them, is the Boston Red Sox. They still have some star names in the lineup like Rafael Devers and Trevor Story, although Story hasn’t played much the last couple years, he’s looking healthy and productive now. Triston Casas should be even better in 2024 after a great rookie season. They signed Tyler O’Neil, an exciting guy with big power potential. The offense has a lot of upside but the pitching staff is going to be the issue. Lucas Giolito is hurt and not sure when he’ll be back and the current rotation is decent at best, Bryan Bello is solid, but there’s no real aces there. The bullpen has some recognizable names but guys like Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin are up there in years so we’ll see how it goes; I like the lineup and the offense but I’m not sure the pitching staff is deep enough to bring this team back out of the basement.

21. Milwaukee Brewers

I didn’t expect put the Brewers this low but the pitching staff, which not long ago was their strength, really looks suspect. Even Devin Williams was recently injured and he’s out for a while. Woodruff is injured. And right now the rotation has guys like Jakob Junis and Joe Ross. They traded their best starter, parting ways with Corbin Burnes. The bullpen has some decent options but there’s no way it’s strong enough to make up for that rotation. I love the young talent in the lineup like Garrett Mitchell and Sal Frelick and of course they still have some guys like Yelich and Rhys Hoskins now, but I don’t see enough to rank them any higher than this.

20. Cleveland Guardian

I was really excited about the Guardians last year, especially their pitching staff, but they did very little to improve in the offseason. Their pitching staff, both the rotation and bullpen still looks solid, though, but the lineup needed reinforcements. This middle of the order is not bad with Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor but there’s not a ton surrounding them to help score runs for that staff. So, the Guardians have some talent but not enough to make it in the top half of this power ranking.

19. New York Mets

The Mets are a team with a lot of good names, but they had a real slow offseason and right Senga is injured. The J.D. Martinez pickup should help the lineup quite a bit, which already has of course Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor and Starling Marte. Francisco Alvarez will hopefully have a big season. However, I don’t think the pitching is going to hold up, with Jose Quintana and Luis Severino at the top of that rotation. The bullpen looks solid with Edwin Diaz and company, but the rotation took such a huge hit from Opening Day last year until now; I’d be surprised if the Mets even finish above .500.

18. St. Louis Cardinals

Coming in at #18 is going to be the St. Louis Cardinals, who are in line for a big bounce back season after signing Sonny Gray, Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn to join Miles Mikolas fix the rotation. It’s not like they have the best rotation in the game now but it should hold up much better than last season, and they have youngsters like Jordan Walker and Masyn Winn ready to break out in 2024 and of course the amazing Goldschmit/Arenado combo, and overall a very potent lineup. I really do like their roster; the bullpen has some good options as well and I see the Cardinals being much much better in 2024.

17. Detroit Tigers

The Tigers are a team ready to break out with a ton of young talent, and I think they’ll probably be sneaking up mine and others power rankings as the season moves along. Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson, Kerry Carpenter, Colt Keith, and others are going to have big years and the Tigers brought in some veteran talent like Mark Cahna and pitching help with Kenta Maeda and Jack Flaherty. The bullpen looks solid with Jason Foley and Shelby Miller among others. Overall, this team looks really solid and I’m expecting the Tigers to compete for an AL Central Championship.

16. Cincinnati Reds

At #16 I have the Cincinnati Reds, who I think had a phenomenal offseason, adding Candelario and pitching Frankie Montas and Nick Martinez and then some bullpen help as well to add to a team that was already up and coming and looking really impressive at times in 2023 with all that young talent – Spencer Steer, Jonathan India, etc etc. Unfortuantely, Noelvi Marte, one of their most talented youngsters, got hit with a PED suspension, but I think the Reds still have more than enough to compete again in 2024 and they’re on the verge of jumping into the top half of MLB teams.

15. Minnesota Twins

Up next, just ahead of the Reds, is the Twins, who lost a lot in Sonny Gray and didn’t make a ton of moves this offseason. They still have enough talent that I’d say they’re the favorites in the central, but the Tigers are going to be right there with them in my opinion. The lineup is still solid with Buxton, Correa, Kepler, etc. and Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan anchor a rotation that doesn’t look too deep with some injury prone guys like Chris Paddack in there. The bullpen has some strong names like Duran and Griffin Jax but also doesn’t run particularly deep and overall, I think the Twins took a step back in 2024, but they still got enough talent to rank somewhere in the middle of the pack.

14. San Francisco Giants

Just in the top half of MLB for now I’m putting my favorite team, the San Francisco Giants, after adding Blake Snell to that rotation, really fortifying by putting him alongside Logan Webb and Kyle Harrison. The lineup is much improved with big power in Jorge Soler and of course, the elite defensive third baseman Matt Chapman. Giants have a solid closer in Camilo Doval and some other solid bullpen arms, and are overall a well-rounded team that should have a much better 2024 with Bob Melvin at the helm. They don’t necessarily have top superstar MVP talent all over the place but they do have a reigning Cy Young Award winner now and another former one once Robbie Ray is back. So, for now, I’m putting them here but I’m hopeful they’ll slowly crawl up this list as the season progresses.

13. San Diego Padres

I debated putting the Padres below the Giants after they lost Juan Soto and Blake Snell, but they still have massive superstar talent with Manny Machado, Tatis Jr. and Xander Boegarts along with other really solid offensive guys like Jake Cronenworth. And, with the addition of Dylan Cease, the rotation isn’t that bad – they have Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove and a solid bullpen that got a lot of additions this offseason. They’re not near as stacked as they’ve been recently but for now, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and rank them just above the Giants, especially after their strong finish in 2023 in which they surpassed my Giants, but we’ll see how things go in 2024.

12. Chicago Cubs

Next up is the Chicago Cubs, a team I was pretty high on last year, I thought they would finish above .500 and they did, despite at that time people thinking they were not very good. This year, they look even better, with Bellinger back and Shoto Imanaga in the rotation alongside Justin Steel and Jordan Wicks. The bullpen looks better with some solid additions and I do think Michael Busch, who they got from the Dodgers, is going to have a nice year as well. The lineup could be a little stronger but overall, the Cubs look like a very solid team and should have another strong season in 2024.

11. Tampa Bay Rays

At #11 I’m putting the Rays, probably the most impressive team in baseball considering that they’re almost always competitive, in the pennant race and oftentimes in the playoffs despite a lower budget and not stacking their team with top free agent superstar talent. On paper this year, they look good but I wouldn’t say great. They got Zach Eflin and Aaron Civale in the rotation and a well-rounded lineup featuring Randy Arozarena and Harold Ramirez, but it doesn’t have a ton of thump. The Rays traded Tyler Glasnow for two solid Dodger prospects, one of whom, Jonny Deluca, broke his hand and will be out for a while. And the other, Ryan Pepiot, has great stuff but he’s relatively unproven. Several of their best arms are still recovering from injuries and surgeries, though, and I don’t really see a playoff team on paper, but the Rays are professionals at proving people wrong, so don’t be surprised if they jump higher on this list for my next power ranking.

10. Philadelphia Phillies

Just cracking the Top 10 I’m going with the Phillies, who brought back Aaron Nola, a key move for them to try and make it back to the playoffs, and back to the World Series. Their lineup is stacked with big names – Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Realmuto, Nick Castellanos, Alec Bohm. The rotation looks solid although they could’ve used one more starter, and the bullpen looks better than it has in the past, although that is probably their biggest concern. Overall, this team looks great but the pitching depth is the one thing to worry about and it keeps them from being even higher.

9. Toronto Blue Jays

Coming up next is the Toronto Blue Jays, who have a ton of top talent returning in 2024, led by Vlad Jr, George Springer and Bo Bichette along with a good rotation with Jose Berrios and Chris Bassit, but they didn’t improve much in the offseason, losing Matt Chapman and Jordan Hicks and adding some veteran players who are I’m not sure are going to make a big impact. When I look at the Jays roster, obviously there’s a lot of good names, but there’s a lot of question marks with the pitching. I’m not too confident Alek Manoah is going to regain his form and I’m not convinced this team is going be better in 2024, although they clearly still have a ton of talent and that’s why they’re in the Top 10.

8. Seattle Mariners

Now getting into some of the top contenders, we have the Seattle Mariners, a team loaded with young talent that should be ready to explode in 2024 and send this team deep into October. They added a couple of Mitches with Garver and Haniger to make that lineup even more powerful. Julio Rodriguez is a superstar and the rotation is very solid with Logan Gilbert, George Kirby and Luis Castillo. The bullpen should be good enough if they’re not overworked and they shouldn’t be if there’s no major injuries to the rotation and overall, the M’s look really good for 2024 and this could be their year.

7. Texas Rangers

At lucky #7 I’m going with the Rangers, even though just won the World Series, coming into 2024, they’re dealing with several injures including Degrom and Max Scherzer. Corey Seager recently had surgery and should be back soon but I’m not sure when he’ll be 100%. On the other hand, this is team that had good starting rotation depth so Eovaldi, Jon Gray, Andrew Heaney, Dane Dunning should be able to hold it down, but I’m surprised they didn’t sign any healthy starters for 2024. Tyler Mahle was signed but he’s on the IL. The offense should be amazing with Marcus Semien, Aroldis Chapman, Seager, and the youngsters Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford, who I expect to be an absolute superstar. The bullpen is solid and overall, the Rangers still look very good and should be excellent again in 2024.

6. Arizona Diamondbacks

Up next is the National Leagues champs, the Arizona Diamondbacks who brought back Gurriel Jr and signed the powerful Eugenio Suarez to play third base. The rotation is still awesome with Zac Gallen, Merril Kelly, Brandon Phadt and now Eduardo Rodriguez as well. They have amazing young talent like Corbin Carroll combined with veterans like Joc Pederson who should fit right in with this group and they also have a formidable bullpen featuring Paul Seward and Kevin Ginkel among others. Look for the D-backs to be very good again in 2024.

5. Houston Astros

This team is absolutely stacked, but injury issues are my biggest concern with Houston. Luis Garcia had Tommy John, Verlander is starting the year on the IL and he’s in his 40s, Jose Urquidy is hurt, McCullers Jr. had surgery, so the rotation is banged up for real right now. Somehow, they still have enough names to get by with guys Framber Valdez, Christian Javier and Hunter Brown. That mostly homegrown lineup is still in tact with Altuve, Tucker and Bregman along with the exciting youngsters like Jeremy Pena. Obviously Yordan Alvarez is also there. They signed Josh Hader, who will likely the be the closer. So, this is a team that’s still very much loaded with talent, but a lot of that talent is getting older and health is a big x-factor with the Astros, as it is with every team, but I think especially so with the Astros, as well as my next team…

4. New York Yankees

To start the 2024 season, I have the New York Yankees at #4 due to their incredible roster, but they’d be even higher if I wasn’t so concerned with their famous injury bug. They signed Carlos Rodon last year and he missed most of the season and wasn’t that great when he did pitch. Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge should’ve been one the best offensive duos in baseball the last few years, but they’re consistently on the IL. That said, there are so many big names on this team – Juan Soto is a Yankee. Soto, Judge, Stanton, Anthony Rizzo, Alex Verdugo, Anthony Volpe – this lineup is absoultely stacked. The rotation added Marcus Strohman; again, durability and health is the biggest issue there and with pretty every name in the rotation including Nestor Cortes, who was hurt much of last year, but they all have massive talent. The bullpen has several solid names as well, and if the Yankees stay healthy, they can easily win over 100 games, but that’s a big if.

3. Baltimore Orioles

Next, the Baltimore Orioles come in at the highest they’ve ever been on one of my power rankings, third in all of baseball, after an incredible 2023 season. This year, they’ve made important additions including Corbin Burnes, who will be the Ace. Unfortunately, Kyle Bradish was recently injured and John Means is still dealing with an injury, so that definitely hurts, but Grayson Rodriguez is back and should be primed for his breakout season after a solid rookie campaign. And if they need to I think the O’s will be able to add almost any one they want at the trade deadline with all their young talent. Their lineup is absolutely amazing and only going to get better once some of their recent draft picks make it to the big leagues like Heston Kjerstad. For now, Adley Rutschman, Gunner Henderson, Austin Hays, Anthony Santander, Colton Cowser are all going to contribute among others; I can’t name them all, but this team is loaded. Craig Kimbrell was signed for the bullpen. And overall, the O’s look extraordinary; they’re very young but extremely dangerous and I expect them to have another big season in 2024.

2. Atlanta Braves

At #2 I’m going with the star-studded Atlanta Braves, who bring back a lineup with Ronald Acuna Jr., Austin Riley, Matt Olson, Marzell Ozuna and now former top prospect Jered Kelenic, who showed a lot of massive potential last season and should be healthy and ready to show what he can do this year. They brought back Adam Duvall as well, and as for the rotation, Spencer Strider, Max Fried and Charlie Morton will be joined by Chris Sale, who has had his injury history but he’s still a big name with great stuff and even if he struggles or can’t stay healthy, the Braves have some depth there with Reynaldo Lopez and Hurston Waldrep knocking on the door and some other young starting pitching options as well. The bullpen has names like A.J Minter, Raisel Iglesias, and now Aaron Bummer, and overall, I really see a strong, experienced group of guys here who will be favorites to win the division and possibly get back to the World Series, which of course they won in 2021.

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

But to be perfectly fair, to start the year, I have the Dodgers in the #1 slot. This is a team that was already stacked when they signed the top 2 available free agents in Shohei Ohtani and Yamamoto. For now, Ohtani is going through a little something with the gambling interpreter situation but hasn’t been suspended or anything, so as of now, he’s in that lineup, which has nothing but future Hall of Famers, All Stars and rookie sensations. Betts, Ohtani and Freeman all have MVP’s on their shelves. Teoscar Hernandez was added to provide even more power. The rotation has major injury issues, but the Dodgers just replenish what they lose, adding Yamamoto, James Paxson and Tyler Glasnow. I do think their young guys like Bobby Miller and Gavin Stone are going to be much better this year; they really have great stuff. Nick Frasso and Kyle Hurt are also options to start if needed. Kyle Hurt is going to be sick whether he starts or comes out of the pen; his stuff is electric. Evan Phillips, Joe Kelly and co. are also in that pen and overall, the Dodgers are as stacked as usual and, as of now, have to come in at #1 on my 2024 entry level power ranking.

Grading EVERY MLB Team's 2024 OFFSEASON...Who Gets an F!?!? - TIER LIST

It’s St. Patrick’s Day and Opening Day is only a few days away, so today we’ll be grading the off-seasons of all 30 MLB teams as we prepare for the 2024 season. This includes trades, free agent signings, extensions, coaching moves, and anything else that was done to improve the team going forward.

Latest update: 3/18/24 - SF Giants Sign BLAKE NELL - Grade promoted to an A

Los Angeles Angels

Grade: D

It’s obviously been a tough offseason for the Halos, losing the biggest superstar in the game with Ohtani heading across town to the Dodgers. Offensively, they really didn’t do anything to replace him, picking up a few role players like Ehrie Adrianza and Aaron Hicks. They did a decent job of fortifying the bullpen with a several arms like Adam Cimber, Robert Stephenson and Luis Garcia, but unless they sign Blake Snell at this point, it was definitely a disappointing offseason and I gotta give them a D.Houston Astros

Grade: B

This is a team that didn’t need a ton of help, but they did lose a few mid-tier bullpen arms, so they signed a top-tier arm in Josh Hader, who joins Ryan Pressly and Rafael Montero in a very impressive looking pen. They gave a 5-year extension to Jose Altuve and signed Victor Carintini to help make up for lost depth at catcher with Martin Maldonao heading to to the White Sox. And of course they hired a new manager in Joe Espada. Overall, the team doesn’t have ton of holes, so they did what was needed to to stay competitive but they didn’t really make any major splashes with the rotation or lineup, so I’ll put them in the B tier.

Oakland A’s

Grade: D

The A’s are obviously in a crazy situation right now with the move to Las Vegas and the uncertainty of where they’ll be playing next year, but on the field they didn’t do a whole lot to improve their team after losing 112 games last year. But they did recently add J.D. Davis, who I think is going to have a great year; he’s a fantastic hitter and was looking good in Spring Training when the Giants suddenly waived him after signing Matt Chapman. They also picked up more former Giants – Ross Stripling and Alex Wood will be in the rotation – if they can stay healthy they will be a big help but that’s a big if; neither did much last year. They signed a few other bullpen arms like Michael Kelly and more former Giants, Trevor Gott and Scott Alexander. But until the J.D. signing, the A’s really didn’t do much to guarantee a better record than last year. I’ll give them a D.

Toronto Blue Jays

Grade: C

The Jays didn’t make any massive splashes this offseason, but did make some lowkey moves that should help them after losing some big time players like Matt Chapman and Jordan Hicks – weclome to San Francisco. Justin Turner is great but he’s almost 40 years old, so we’ll see how he does. Isiah Kiner-Falefa is a solid defender and if he has a bounce back season after a tough 2023 with the Yankees, he could definitely this team. They picked up Joey Votto, who won an MVP back when Ken Griffey Jr. was still playing. We’ll see if he even makes the team. Pitching-wise, they signed a Cuban pitcher with great stuff named Yariel Rodriguez. Overall, the Jays didn’t do anything crazy but didn’t completely ignore their needs either, so I’ll give them a C.

Atlanta Braves

Grade: B

I think the Braves had a fine offseason, considering they were already pretty stacked and didn’t really need to do a ton. They might have had a slight need in the outfield after losing Eddie Rosario, so they picked up a one-time serious prospect in Jarred Kelenic, who I think has a ton of potential if he can stay healthy, and brought back the powerful Adam Duvall. They fortified the bench with Luis Guillorme and David Fletcher, and even tried to improve the pitching staff by acquiring Chris Sale and Reynaldo Lopez to join Strider, Fried and Morton. They added a lefty to the bullpen in Aaron Bummer. The Braves addressed pretty much every need, although they could’ve maybe gotten more reliable names – Chris Sale obviously has an injury history and is a little older; Jared Kelenic hasn’t had a fully healthy season yet, but overall I’d say they get a B.

Milwaukee Brewers

Grade: C

Next up is the Brewers, a team I was pretty high on last season. They made the playoffs but got bounced by the D-Backs pretty quickly. This year, they got a really good looking young team and added some solid talent with Rhys Hoskins and veteran catcher Gary Sanchez. But their rotation is pretty suspicious in my opinion. They brought back Wade Miley, who’s solid, but he’s been around a long time and already is having injury issues in Spring Training. Brandon Woodruff is still recovering from surgery so he won’t be a factor anytime soon. And they traded their best starter Corbin Burnes for an exciting prospect with infielder Joey Ortiz and a starter in D.L. Hall, but the rotation was already a little iffy, relying on guys like free agent signings Jakob Junis and Joe Ross, who are fine but not exactly top tier starters. Joe Ross was with the Giants and never even appeared in a big league game; he’s been hurt for a number of years. D.L. Hall is one of the prospects they got for Burnes, and he’ll have a lot of pressure on him to fill those shoes. They also brought back Colin Rae, who was fine last year. If everything goes right and the prospects tear it up, this could be a big year for Milwaukee, but the offeason moves were very risky – too risky in my opinion and the best I can do is a C.

St. Louis Cardinals

Grade: B

After last years disastrous season, the Cards front office got to work in improving the rotation, adding Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson and Sonny Gray. They added some veteran role players with Matt Carpenter and Brandon Crawford, neither are going to light the world on fire but both are experienced big leaguers who could definitely help the team. They also added quite a bit of bullpen help and recently extended their manager, which pissed off Cardinals fans, but I think it was done to give Marmol a sense of security so he can relax and focus on winning games this year. They don’t blame the 2023 season entirely on him and are going to give him every opportunity to be better this year, and I think the Cardinals did was they had to do. They didn’t do much with the lineup, but since it’s already stacked with talent, they didn’t need to do much. I’m sure fans wanted even better starters than Lynn and Gibson, who are a little older and certainly not guaranteed to have big seasons, but considering what was out there, I think they did really well this offeason and I’ll give them a solid B.

Chicago Cubs

Grade: B

The Cubs made a lot of logical moves this offseason, although maybe there weren’t any massive splashes. Recently, they were able to bring back Cody Bellinger, which is huge and they didn’t have to pay the huge contract that Scott Boras was wanting. They brought in another former Dodger in Michael Busch, who has a great swing and huge potential. They didn’t get Yamamoto but did get Shoto Imanaga to fortify the rotation, so he’ll join Justin Steele, Jordan Wicks and Kyle Hednricks in a pretty damn solid rotation. They also signed a few bullpen arms like Hector Neris, and the very intelligent and experienced Craig Counsell takes over as manager. Overall, I think this was a fine offseason for the Cubbies, they addressed every aspect of the team, even adding some bench help with Garrett Cooper. I gotta give them a strong B.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Grade: B

The National League Champions showed that they were not going to lie down after falling short in 2023 and will be trying to win it all in ‘24. They brought back Loudres Gurriel Jr, signed free agent Joc Pederson and traded for Eugenio Suarez to replace Longoria at third base. And they also signed a very solid stater in Eduardo Rodriguez and he’ll jump right into that rotation alongside Zac Gallen, Merill Kelly and Bradon Pfadt. Just like the Braves, you can’t complain that they didn’t address their needs, but some fans might complain about the quality of players – Suarez does strike out a lot but unlike Longoria, he stays healthy and will probably hit more home runs. And Joc Pederson can’t really hit lefties, but the D-Backs have plenty of solid right-handed bats and switch hitters to put out a strong lineup against any pitcher. Overall, I think the D-Backs did what they had to do and I’ll give them a very strong B as well.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Grade: A

Next up is the Dodgers, who spent over a billion dollars to get whoever they wanted and their dog. #1 free agent Shohei Ohtani – Dodgers. #2 free agent Yoshinobu Yamamoto – Dodgers. And on top of that, they traded for Tyler Glasnow, and added big power in Teoscar Hernandez. That alone gives them an easy A. They also went hunting for some veteran players like James Paxton, some former top prospects like Austin Beck who they’ll stash in Triple-A. They have literally four MVP’s on this roster and every name in entire lineup except youngsters Gavin Lux and James Outman are All-Stars. So, this is just insane – the Dodgers obviously get an A.

San Francisco Giants

Grade: A

Update: Signed Blake Snell 3/18/24 - Grade promoted to an A

Although a lot of my subscribers tell me this offseason was a disaster, I couldn’t disagree more – yes, it could’ve been better, but the Giants made a ton of moves this offseason to at least try to compete with LA and try to get back in the playoffs. In fact, they spent more money than any team except the Dodgers. Jung Hoo Lee was a huge signing and he’s looking great in Spring Training. They added big power with Jorge Soler as the DH. Obviously, Matt Chapman is an elite glove at third and he brings a powerful bat the lineup. Nick Ahmed is looking impressive and will probably be the opening day shortstop. Offensively, I couldn’t have wanted more, although I think the pitching staff still looks a little shaky. They did sign Jordan Hicks and he’s going to try to be a starter this year. Robbie Ray is a former Cy Young winner but he’s still hurt at the moment. The Giants signed some good young arms like Ethan Small, Landen Roupp and Spencer Howard, so at best this could be a hugely successful offseason, but it all depends on how some of these pitchers do. If they would’ve signed a top starter instead of Matt Chapman and stuck with J.D. Davis, I think it would’ve been better for the overall team, but as is, I’m going to give them a B.

Cleveland Guardians

Grade: D

The Guardians are not a team known for big spending in free agency and true to form, they didn’t spend much in free agency. Carlos Carrasco is back in Cleveland but he did not pitch well with the Mets last year and he’s a bit passed his prime at this point. They picked up an interesting Rule 5 guy in Deyvison De Los Santos who hit 20 homers in Double A last year, so that could be some one to keep an eye on. Austin Hedges is back, but he can’t even hit over the Mendoza Line and isn’t going to be a big difference maker. They signed a couple decent bullpen arms like Scott Barlow, but really did nothing to stand out and I still love their pitching staff, and I think they have a good team but they didn’t do anything to improve their lineup, which lacks some thump. If not for Barlow and De Los Santos, they’d get an F. Those two guys make it a D.

Seattle Mariners

Grade: B

The Mariners are a young and exciting team that should be ready to compete for a championship. They just needed to add some more power to the lineup to help out that amazing rotation and they did that, bringing back Mitch Haniger and adding Jorge Polanco and Mitch Garver. All three of those guys can hit well over 20 homers each and they’ll jump right into the middle of the lineup with Julio Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh. Haniger is injury prone, though, but if he can stay healthy he has big pop. They also made a ton of trades, I can’t say how well each one will work out but at the end of the day, they picked up a lot of help for their bench like Luke Raley and some good bullpen arms as well like Carlos Vargas and Ryne Stanek. Overall, I think they’re slightly better than last year despite losing Teoscar Hernandez, and I like their chances to compete in the AL West this year. I’ll give them a very very strong B.

Miami Marlins

Grade: F

The Miami Marlins surprised the baseball world in 2020 by making the playoffs, but people said oh it was because of the shortened season. Then, last year, in 2023, they did it again this time with a full 162 game season and to capitalize on that success, the Marlins did almost nothing this offseason to improve. They did make some moves to replace lost talent, but almost every move was a downgrade. They will be without Sandy Alcantara, who had Tommy John, and only picked up Yonny Chirinos, who is injury prone and hasn’t been very good for a long time. They lost Jorge Soler, and didn’t sign any one to make up for that loss in power. They did need a shortstop and picked up Tim Anderson; I don’t hate that move as supplementary move, but that was their big free agent signing and Anderson was coming off a season so bad, no one else wanted him. Other than some other minor moves, the Marlins did nothing to get back in the playoffs in 2024 and I have to them an F.

New York Mets

Grade: D

The Mets did make moves to address their needs, but the additions just weren’t anything overly special. For the lineup, they needed some help with the outfield and DH, so they added Harrison Bader and Ji-Man Choi, decent names but nothing spectacular. The rotation looks quite a bit different this year with no Verlander, no Scherzer. Senga is hurt to start the year. And to make up for all, they signed Luis Severino, who was awful last year, and Sean Manaea, who was on and off with the Giants last year, he is pretty inconsistent. They traded for Adrian Houser, who is okay, but the rotation is nowhere as good as it looked entering 2023. And they did get some bullpen help, but nothing splashy. Overall, I think they did just enough to fill some needs to get through the season, but definitely a downgrade from last year; I gotta give them a D.

Washington Nationals

Grade: C

The Nationals look like a team in rebuilding who are just waiting for their very talented farm system to hit the big leagues, but they did make a few moves to try to keep things somewhat exciting. They signed some former Reds talent like Jesse Winker, who hit just .199 last year but does have power, and Nick Senzel, whose career never took off like every one expected it would. Joey Gallo will hit some home runs but also strike out 200 times if he’s healthy enough to play all year. But they did pick up Eddie Rosario and that’s quite a bit of talent right there, but all with some kind of issue – one is a draft bust, one strikes out a lot, one can’t hit the mendoza line, but they all have potential to do damage and combined with a very young but capable rotation, this team might surprise some people. They could’ve used some starting pitching depth with the injuries to Strasburg and Cade Cavali, but signed no one of note there, although they picked up some decent bullpen arms like Derek Law and Dylan Floro. Overall, I think it was a so-so offseason for the Nats given that they have a lot of up and coming young talent that they didn’t want to completely block. I’ll give them a C.

Baltimore Orioles

Grade: A

Just like the Marlins, this is a team that was bad for many years who suddenly made the playoffs, but unlike the Marlins, they actually capitalized and tried to get better going into 2024. The Orioles needed an ace and they got one in Corbin Burnes, who they picked up in a trade without giving up too much. They also signed a possible future Hall of Fame in closer Craig Kimbrell, who can go into bad slumps but when he’s on, he’s one of the best. He’ll replace Felix Bautista, who’s out for the season after Tommy John. The O’s already have one of the best lineups in baseball which is almost entirely homegrown, so they didn’t need to add much there, but they added some depth with Tyler Nevin and Colton Wong. Overall, they only had a couple needs and went all out to fill them – when they couldn’t land a top free agent pitcher, they did it in a trade, and the Orioles are ready to compete again in 2024. I gotta give them an A.

San Diego Padres

Grade: D

Next up is the Padres, who have been trying desperately for years to put together a winning team and you gotta respect that. Unfortunately, it hasn’t really worked and this year, they lost a ton of talent, trading away Juan Soto, Josh Hader’s gone to Houston, Blake Snell’s probably gone. They needed a top-tier starting pitcher to replace Snell, and some help in the outfield and catcher. Kyle Higashioka is a decent backup catcher best and as for the rotation, they got Michael King and Jhonny Brito in the Soto trade and then recently picked up Dylan Cease in a trade with the White Sox. Along with Darvish and Musgrove, the rotation should be decent. They did get a ton of names to help out in the bullpen like Wandy Peralta, Yuki Matsui and a solid Korean arm in Woo Suk-Go. I was considering an F, but because of the Dylan Cease move and the extra bullpen help, I’ll give them a D.

Philadelphia Phillies

Grade: C

It looked like the Phillies were going to have a massive offesason after bringing back Aaron Nola, but since then there hasn’t been too many big moves. They recently added Spencer Turnbull to the bullpen and Whit Merrifeld as a utility player. I feel like this a team that doesn’t need a ton of help; obviously they almost made it back to the World Series last year. But, they could’ve used another bat or two and some extra pitching help wouldn’t have hurt after losing Kimbrell and Lorenzen. So, even though they did the most important thing in bringing back Nola, I can’t really give them credit for going all out and trying to do everything possible to get back to the fall classic. They did what they had to do, but not much else on top of that, so I’m going to give them a solid C.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Grade: D

Up next is the Pittsburgh Pirates, who are known for spending as little money as possible. But I must give credit where credit is due – the Pirates picked up Aroldis Chapman, who can still bring it and he’ll be strengthening a bullpen that already had David Bednar. They also got some starting pitching help with Marco Gonzales in a trade with the Braves and the veteran Martin Perez. They re-signed the legend Andrew McCutchen, which is going to at least be cool for the fans for him to be there another year in Pittsburgh. They signed Yasmani Grandal, who was at one time a serious power hitting catcher, but obviously he’s passed his heyday. They signed Rowdy Tellez and Michael A. Taylor for the lineup, two experienced big leaguers, but overall, the Pirates did whatever they could to add the best players they could while also spending as little as possible, although they did give give Chapman $10.5 million so again, shoutout there for doing that. Overall, I gotta say for the Pirates, this was like an A offseason, but compared to your typical MLB team, they did enough to get through the season in one piece, but they’re not going to be winning a World Series. I’ll give them a D just because they at least spent some money for their bullpen, but signing old names who are just trying to hang on in the big leagues doesn’t desreve much credit.

Texas Rangers

Grade: C

After winning it all in 2024, the Texas Rangers did lose some talent – Jordan Montgomery could still be back as of now, he’s a free agent. They signed Tyler Mahle, but he’s still recovering from Tommy John, as is Jacob Degrom. Max Scherzer’s also out for now after back surgery. So, the rotation really hasn’t been upgraded, although it stills looks okay all things considered. It was a weird choice to sign Mahle, who’s also hurt, instead of some one who could instantly help out while waiting from Degrom and Scherzer. They added David Robertson and Kirby Yates to the bullpen. Yates isn’t as good as he was a few years ago, but had a solid 2023 with Atlanta. Offensively, nothing much was needed and nothing much was done except some extra depth like Jared Walsh, who’s tearing it up in Spring Training. Overall, this is a great team as is, but unless they sign Snell or Montgomery, at this point, I can’t give them higher than a C just for maintaining.

Tampa Bay Rays

Grade: C

Next up is the Tampa Bay Rays and maybe their biggest move of the offseason was actually trading Tyler Glasnow to the Dodgers for Ryan Pepiot and Jonny DeLuca. For a lot of fans, this looks crazy getting rid of Glasnow, but Glasnow is injury prone and the Rays obviously love Pepiot, who has great stuff and could very well stay more healthy. They also get DeLuca, who has great potential – unfortunately he just broke his hand so he’ll be out a for about a month or 2. But it’s a risky trade for sure since the Rays rotation does lack some superstar power, but if Zach Eflin can repeat his 2023 season and Pepiot has a breakout year, it could work out well for the Rays. The Rays also added some decent help to the bullpen like Phil Maton, and a some depth to the lineup while they await some of their up and coming prospects. Overall, the Rays just did what the Rays do and made some interesting trades that don’t look too great on paper but ultimately might make them look like geniuses. Until we know, I’m just going to them a C.

Boston Red Sox

Grade: C

The Boston Red Sox are obviously a top tier franchise who are supposed to be landing top talent year in and year out, but that hasn’t really been the case lately. They’ve been losing more talent than they’ve been gaining and this year, they lose Chris Sale, Justin Turner, Adam Duvall, James Paxton. To replace the lost talent, they signed an injured Lucas Giolito, who is going to miss the entire season. They did trade for Tyler O’Neil, who should replace Duvall pretty easily, and did acquire a few interesting names like prospect Vaughn Grissom, who can swing a pretty good bat, and C.J. Cron, who has 30 home run power if he can stay healthy. But they did nothing to address the rotation, which could really use a solid lefty like Jordan Montgomery. Cron, Grissom and O’Neil are solid pickups and the bullpen got some help, but nothing too splashy. I’ll give them a generous C-, but they’re very close to a D. If they sign Montgomery, bump it up to a B.

Cincinnati Reds

Grade: A

Next is the Reds, who just recently looked like a last place trash team until last year they go on this huge winning streak, led by an array of talented young players, and convince the front office that they might just be a few moves away from becoming a playoff team. So, in response, the front office did what had to be done and added more talent, spending over $100 million on free agents like Jeimer Candelario and starting pitchers Frankie Montas and Nick Martinez. They also brought in a bunch of solid bullpen arms like Emilio Pagan and Brent Suter, and even added some catching depth with my man Austin Wynns- with Wynns comes winns and a few decent former top prospects like Edwin Rios, who might have a chance to play this year. Overall, the Reds did what was needed to capitalize on their extremely talented roster and I think they got a good chance to make the playoffs this year. They didn’t make any one massive crazy splash signing, but instead put their eggs in several baskets by getting lots of solid players to round out the team; I think the Reds have to get an A.

Colorado Rockies

Grade: F

The Rockies already have a decent lineup; it could be better, but they did nothing to really improve it. They added Jacob Stallings and brought back Sam Hilliard – average bench players. Pitching is really where they needed help and they did next to nothing. They traded for Cal Quantrill, who is solid for most teams but does give up a lot of hits and is a finesse guy, not a strikeout guy – so, basically, he’s a recipe for disaster at Coors Field. Dakota Hudson hasn’t been good for several years and being in Colorado is not the place to revitalize one’s pitching career, but we’ll see. The bullpen is pretty much the same except a Rule 5 guy who has good stuff but is pretty raw and that’s Anthony Molina, and they picked up Jalen Beeks off the wavier wire. Overall, the Rockies did not do anything to improve upon their 103 loss season last year, and as a Giants fan, I appreciate it because we need all the help we can get this year. Rockies offseason, straight up F.

Kansas City Royals

Grade: B

Up next is another terrible 2023 team, the 106 loss Kansas City Royals. Unlike the Rockies, they actually tried to get a little better. The rotation needed serious help and they signed Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha, not necessarily superstars, but solid starters. The bullpen got a complete makeover with very reliable arms like Will Smith, Chris Stratton, Sam Long, Nick Anderson and a few others including a Rule 5 guy, Matt Sauer, who had a 10.9 per 9 strikeout ratio in Double A. They signed Adam Frazier, a pure hitter who can play a variety of positions and can get plugged into the lineup or serve as a solid backup utility guy. They added 30 home run power with Hunter Renfroe in the lineup and you just gotta give props to the Royals for trying to get better, and even more of their young prospects will be ready to contribute this season, so I see the Royals as being a lot better, and I gotta give them a solid B for the offseason.

Detroit Tigers

Grade: B

The Tigers are coming off a decent – for them anyway – 78 win season and are looking to get back above .500 and into the playoff conversation. So, they added some experienced starters in Kenta Maeda and Jack Flaherty to help soften the blow of losing Eduardo Rodriguez. Andrew Chafin and Shelby Miller were signed to fortify an already solid looking bullpen. They also extended top propsect Colt Keith, who will make his big league debut likely Opening Day. Mark Cahna and Gio Urshela also improve the lineup and overall, the Tigers look full ready to compete this season with a roster full of hot young talent and capable big league veterans. They could’ve got all out and added even more, but all things considered, I gotta give the Tigers a solid B.

Minnesota Twins

Grade: D

The Twins unfortunately had a situation with their TV provider and evidently couldn’t spend as much money as they would’ve liked during free agency as they were focused on getting a TV deal done. They signed Carlos Santana, who’s about to turn 38 but did hit 23 homers last year. They picked up Anthony Desclafani who I like, but really can’t stay healthy and is hit or miss. The bullpen added some pieces like Jay Jackson and Josh Staumont but nothing crazy, and they also signed Manuel Margot for some outfield depth. Ultimately, the Twins in my opinion look at lot worse after losing Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda, and definitely did not have a great offseason, but they still have a lot of talent and could compete in the Central, although I have to give them a D for the offseason.

Chicago White Sox

Grade: D

The White Sox were a team I was very excited about back around 2020. Since then, they have really disappointed and their lineup just never came together in the way I thought it would. This offseason, they did not really add anything to fix this issue; there’s some recognizable names like Paul Dejong, Nicky Lopez, Kevin Pillar, Dominic Fletcher and Martin Maldonado but none of them I would consider big difference makers. They added some good young talent in the Dylan Cease trade like Steven Wilson, who should be really good in the bullpen. They also signed John Brebbia and Tim Hill, very experienced and reliable bullpen arms. It’ll be interesting to see how Michael Soroka does in a new environment after all his years of injury issues in Atlanta. Erick Fedde and Chris Flexen were also signed as free agents, but neither one has been particularly effective in the big leagues recently, although Fedde dominated the KBO, so we’ll see how he does. Overall, the White Sox addressed some needs but not with any top MLB talent, but they did some pick up good prospects for the future, but as far as competing in 2024, I gotta give them a D.

New York Yankees

Grade: A

And last but not least is the storied New York Yankees, who acquired one of the biggest superstars in the game, Juan Soto, who gets plugged right into that lineup alongside Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo. The Yanks lost some good pitching in that trade, but they tried their best to make up for it with quality starter Marcus Strohman and they picked up two solid relievers in a trade with the Dodgers, Caleb Ferguson and Victor Gonzalez. And that’s not even all – the Yankees also got Trent Grisham in that Soto trade, and acquired a very solid outfielder with Alex Verdugo. So their outfield will be Verdugo, Judge and Soto with Trent Grisham as a 4th option – that is a freaking sick outfield. They’re basically covered at every other position, so, all things considered, I have to give the Yankees a freaking A.

Top 15 MLB Draft BUSTS Of the 1990's!!.. Where Are They Now?!? Some LITERAL BUSTS For Crimes!!

Welcome back to another edition of Humm Baby Busts and today we’ll go back to the MLB Drafts of the 1990’s and talk about some of the major busts from these amazing drafts that produced future Hall of Famers like Chipper Jones, Scott Rolen, Roy Halladay and the recently elected Todd Helton. Alex Rodriguez was also taken first overall in 1993 and hit 696 bombs but his Hall of Fame chances aren’t looking too great. But there were also extremely promising players taken high in the first round who looked like can’t-miss future superstars but just couldn’t quite make it as an MLB player. So, let’s jump right into this list, starting at #15.

15. Chad Mottola – Cincinnati Reds (5th Overall/1992)

To start today’s list, we have some one who I feel like never got a full chance to prove himself, but as a 5th overall pick who hit just .200 in the bigs, I had to put him on the list. During the 1992 MLB draft, the Yankees draft room broke out in celebration when the Reds took outfielder Chad Mottola out of Central Florida, allowing the Yankees to take a young future Hall of Famer named Derek Jeter at #6. One Reds scout, Gene Bennett, begged the front office to take Jeter, but he was overruled. Mottola was a monster in High School hitting .573 with 14 homers his Senior Year, leading to him being drafted by the Orioles in 1989. He instead went to college and hit .329 with 14 homers and an OPS over 1.000 his Junior Year with UCF. He also had great speed and a high baseball IQ. It’s hard to blame the O’s for taking such a polished and talented young player. He continued to show amazing potential in the minors, hitting .280 with 21 homers in High A in 1993. He continued to play well in the years that followed but by 1995 and 1996 when Mottola was ready for his opportunity in the bigs, he was blocked by a crowded Reds outfield that included Reggie Sanders, Curtis Goodwin, Eric Davis, Vince Coleman, Mike Kelly and Eric Anthony. He got his first taste of MLB in 1996 anyway, but hit just .215 in 79 at bats. Then, the Reds signed Deion Sanders & Ruben Sierra for the ‘97 season. Mottola spend that entire year in the minors despite hitting .317 with a .363 on-base and .839 OPS. He was traded to the Rangers early in 1998 but was never promoted to the big leagues with them. He signed with the White Sox for the 1999 season and tore it up in Triple-A, hitting .321 with 20 homers but did not get a promotion. He was even better in 2000 with the Blue Jays Triple-A team in Syracuse, crushing 33 bombs with a .309 average, taking home the International League MVP. He was promoted but given just 9 MLB at bats. He was traded to the Marlins the next year and again, was stashed away in the minors where he hit .295 in Triple-A, but was given just 7 MLB at bats. He continued to hit well in the minors, showing impressive power, but was only given sporadic opportunities in the big leagues. At the end of his career, he only had 125 big league at bats and hit just .200 with 4 homers, but he was never given a single extended opportunity to prove himself. In over 1800 minor league games, he hit .280 with 249 homers and a .796 OPS. So, although Motolla is considered a bust, he comes in as the lowest one on today’s list. Motolla became a coach after his playing career and is currently the hitting coach of the Tampa Bay Rays.

14. Paul Wilson – New York Mets (1st Overall/1994)

In 1994, the New York Mets had the first overall pick and went with a player who was considered the best pitcher in college baseball, Paul Wilson. Wilson was good enough in High School to get drafted by the Pirates but he opted to attend college and his draft stock skyrocketed when he dominated at Florida State, striking out 163 batters in 143 innings while walking just 32 with a 2.08 ERA his Junior Year. The Mets hoped he would rise through the system along with 2 other promising arms, Jason Isringhausen and Bill Pulsipher, to become one of the best 1-2-3 combos in baseball – a regular Maddux/Glavine/Smoltz. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be. After going 0-7 his first year in the minors, the Mets pushed him hard in 1995 and he pitched 186.2 innings. He pitched well, completing 8 games and going 11-6 with a 2.41 ERA, but was overused and experienced tendinitis. He was rushed to the big leagues the next season and was already damaged goods, going 5-12 with a 5.38 ERA, striking out just 6.6 per 9. He blew out his shoulder and barely pitched over the next 3 seasons and missed all of 1999. He made a commendable comeback with the Rays and started 30 games in 2002, but went 6-12 with a 4.83 ERA. After 3 seasons with the Rays and 3 with the Reds, he retired with a 40-58 career record and 4.86 ERA. He’s not one of the biggest busts on the list, having managed a 7-year big league career but as a first overall pick, he has to make the list. Earlier this year, 30 years after his last pitch at Florida State, Wilson decided to return to FSU to complete his degree.

13. B.J. Garbe – Minnesota Twins (5th Overall/1999)

Next, we go to the 1999 Draft with B.J. Garbe, the Gatorade High School Baseball Player of the Year, who was taken 5th overall in a first round that included 6 future All Stars, a future MVP in Josh Hamilton and a future World Series MVP in Josh Beckett. Most scouts ranked B.J. Garbe as the second best High School position player after Hamilton. He was incredibly strong with a quick bat that made consistent contact. He was known as a kid with superior strike zone knowledge with the potential to turn into a big power hitter who limits strikeouts. He looked fantastic in Rookie Ball, hitting .316 with just 34 strikeouts in 192 at bats. Unfortunately, the next year in A Ball, he hit just .233 in 133 games. Garbe could work the count and limit strikeouts, but the power was not developing as the Twins had hoped. After a couple more similar seasons, he was promoted to Double-A in 2003 and hit .178 with just 3 homers in 225 at bats. In 2004 it was more of the same, with Garbe hitting just 3 home runs again. He was traded to the Mariners for 41-year old veteran Pat Borders. He never made it above Double-A there and ended up with the Marlins organization for one last season in 2006, when he hit .184 with, once again, 3 home runs. At least he was consistent. Garbe retired and pursed his passion for beer by opening up and becoming CEO of a brewery called Tin Pin Brewing in his hometown of Moses Lake, Washington.

12. Geoff Goetz – New York Mets (6th Overall/1997)

In 1997, the New York Mets had the 6th pick and just missed out on several future All Stars such as J.D. Drew, Troy Glaus and Vernon Wells. So, they went with a High School strikeout machine named Geoff Goetz out of Tampa, Florida. He could hit and pitch at a high level and was known as Florida’s Mr. Baseball. Geotz was the highest High School player drafted out of Tampa since Gary Sheffield was taken also 6th in 1986. Unfortunately, despite still striking out a good number of hitters in the minors, Geotz struggled with his control. In 1998 in Single-A, he walked 4.6 batters per 9 innings and ended the season with a 6-8 record and a decent 4.2 ERA. He then became an answer to a trivia question when he was traded, along with Preston Wilson and Ed Yarnall, to the Florida Marlins for Mike Piazza, who would go on to hit one of the most dramatic home runs in Mets history during the first game in New York after 9/11. With the Marlins organization, Goetz was moved to the bullpen and showed huge improvement in limiting hits and runs. His walk rate was still a concern, but he had an ERA under 2 for back-to-back season and looked on track to make his big league debut in 2002. Then, just before he would’ve been promoted to Triple-A, he tore his labrum throwing a warm up pitch. The Marlins removed him from the 40-man roster and he missed all of 2003. He signed with the Yankees for 2004 and between Single and Double A, he limited runs with a 2.33 ERA, but also walked 19 batters in 27 innings, striking out just 12. He ended up in the independent leagues for a couple years then retired, never having made it above Double-A. He is now Senior Vice President at a consulting firm in the Tampa Bay area.

11. Antone Williamson – Milwaukee Brewers (4th Overall/1994)

With the 4th overall pick in 1994, the Brewers selected what looked like a safe pick – a strong power-hitting 3rd baseman who hit over .370 with 29 home runs during his final two seasons at Arizona State – Antone Williamson. He was a natural hitter who played the game hard and slid by diving into the base head first like Pete Rose. Williamson quickly showed massive potential at the plate, hitting .309 with 90 RBIs and an .852 OPS in Double-A in 1995. He had a 22-game hitting streak that season, the longest in the entire minor leagues. The Brewers thought he could hit in the big leagues, but wanted him to keep working on his defense at third base. Unfortunately, injury issues started to pile up and Williamson had to have shoulder surgery before the 1996 season, causing him to miss the first 10 weeks. He also continued to struggle defensively and the Brewers moved him to the first base. They added him to the 40-man roster after the 1996 season. In 1997, with Triple-A Tucson, he hit .286 in over 83 games with a .824 OPS and more walks than strikeouts. Although his power had never developed like they hoped, the Brewers saw enough to promote him to the big leagues. He hit just .204 in 24 games with no home runs. It would be his only big league stint. After that, Williamson struggled to stay on the field and after 2 more subpar seasons in the minors and one year in the independent leagues, Williamson called it a career.

10. Marc Newfield – Seattle Mariners (6th Overall/1990)

In the 1990 MLB Draft, the Seattle Mariners front office was extremely excited to be able to draft High School phenom Marc Newfield with their 6th pick. He was considered one of the best hitting High School prospects in the country and continued to swing a hot bat in Rookie Ball, winning the 1990 Arizona League MVP by hitting .313 with 6 homers in 51 games. In 1991, he hit .296 between High-A and Double-A with a .384 on-base-percentage. His baseball card became a hot seller, expected to increase in value from about $1.75 to over $50. In 1992, he played in just 45 games until he needed toe surgery, ending his season. But in 1993 he came back strong, hitting .307 with 19 homers in Double-A, earning a call-up to the bigs. In 66 at bats, he hit just .227 with a homer. In 1994, he tore it up in Triple-A again, this time hitting .349 with 19 homers and an OPS over 1.000. He got 38 more big league at bats but then the season ended due to the strike while he was hitting just .184. He had hit at every level except MLB. In 1995, he was hitting .188 for the M’s when they traded him to San Diego. He hit better there, but never got close to realizing his full potential. Newfield ended up with the Brewers, where things went downhill. He was arrested in 1996 for drug possession with intent to distribute and did not hit well in Milwaukee for parts of 2 seasons. His career ended after 11 minor league games in 1999. He had a career MLB WAR of -1.6. After his career, he has kept a low public profile, but still loves watching baseball and offer private hitting instruction.

9. Kurt Miller – Pittsburgh Pirates (5th Overall/1990)

In 1990, the Pittsburgh Pirates took a high school arm out of Bakersfield, California named Kurt Miller. He was 6’5” and over 200 lbs and had an incredibly live arm. He pitched well his first couple seasons in the minors, including a 2.5 ERA in 1991. About a year after he was drafted, the Pirates shipped him off to the Rangers for big league veteran Steve Buechele. Miller continued to look decent until he hit Triple-A and struggled going 7-13 with a 6.88 ERA, now in the Marlins organization. Desperate for starting pitching help, the Marlins promoted him anyway and he went 1-3 with a 8.1 ERA in 4 starts. He wasn’t much better for the next 2 seasons in Triple-A. He did pitch out of the Marlins bullpen in 1996, making 26 appearances, but to the tune of a 6.8 ERA. Miller never could get hitters out with consistency at the big league level and was sent to the Cubs. He finally had a breakout year in the minors in 1998, going 14-3 with a 3.81 ERA, but only pitched 4 innings in the big leagues that year. In 1999, he struggled to stay healthy and effective and ended up out of baseball by 2000.

8. Jeff Granger – Kansas City Royals (5th Overall/1993)

In 1993, one of the finest college arms in the country had to be Jeff Granger, who had just broken Roger Clemens’ Southwest Conference strikeout record. Granger struck out 21 batters in one game. He also went 15-3 with a 2.62 ERA his Junior Year and was the starting QB for the Texas A&M football team. The Kansas City Royals snagged him 5th overall in the draft. They had no plans to be patient with Granger and, incredibly, after just 7 minor league starts in Low A, they promoted him to the majors. He gave up 3 hits, 2 walks and 3 runs in his only inning of work. The next season, he threw 140 innings in Double-A, going 7-7 with a 3.87 ERA and also made 2 unspectacular starts for the Royals in May. After a poor season in Double-A in 1995, he was moved to the bullpen for ‘96 and pitched well in Triple-A, with a 2.34 ERA and 25 saves in 45 appearances with his best strikeout stuff since college. Unfortunately, he was traded to the Pirates and the geniuses over there tried to make him a starter again in Triple-A. He struggled in the roll and then the same thing happened with the Rangers organization in 1998. Pitching for the Oklahoma Redhawks, he went 4-8 in 19 starts with a 4.67 ERA. The Brewers sent him back to the bullpen in 1999 but by now it was too late, and Granger was hit hard and also struggled with his command. He was out of baseball after the 2000 season. He went on to become a financial advisor for J.P. Morgan.

7.Jeff Austin – Kansas City Royals (4th Overall/1998)

In 1998, the Kansas City Royals used their 4th overall pick to select an impressive starter out of Stanford, Jeff Austin, who went 12-4 with a 3.11 ERA that season. He had good but not overwhelming strikeout stuff, but the Royals liked his college experience and took him over high school arms like C.C. Sabathia and Mark Prior. Austin’s minor league career started off hot in 1999 when he started the season 5-1 with a 3.13 ERA with opponents batting just .230 off him. He made his league’s All Star Team, but struggled a bit in the second half. In 2000, he made it to Triple-A but went 7-9 with a 4.48 ERA. The Royals sent him to the bullpen in 2001 and his velocity seemed to improve but the overall numbers weren’t great. He was promoted to the big leagues and had a 5.54 ERA in 21 appearances. He wasn’t much better in 2002 and the Royals shipped him off to Cincinnati. With the Reds, Austin gave up 27 runs in just over 28 innings. He ended up in the independent leagues before retiring on July 4th, 2005. He got a degree in English from Stanford and became a full-time pitching coach there in 2008 and 2009. He moved on to a management position for Google, but continued to work part time as an assistant coach at San Jose State.

6. B.J. Wallace – Montreal Expos (3rd Overall/1992)

Next up we have B.J. Wallace, the Ace for Mississippi State in ‘91 and ‘92. He struck out 10.25 batters per 9 innings in 1992 with a 2.69 ERA. He walked just 35 batters, showing tremendous command. Wallace also made headlines during the 1992 Olympics in Spain when he struck out 14 batters in a game against Italy. He made his minor league debut in 1993 with High A West Palm Beach and pitched well, going 11-8 with a 3.28 ERA and 126 strikeouts in 137.1 innings. It would be his only decent season. Injuries limited him to 8 starts in 1994 in Double-A. He was put on the 60-day disabled list and missed all of 1995. Wallace made 12 starts and 3 relief appearances for the Phillies High A team in Clearwater in 1996 going 3-4 with a 6.68 ERA before calling it a short and disappointing professional career. He got into coaching after his career, but also had some run-ins with the law. In 2011, at the age of 40, he was arrested along with his wife for first-degree manufacturing of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. In other words, they were cooking methamphetamine in a lab inside their home, which they shared with their 3 kids. The kids were turned over to their grandparents. According to Wallace’s college pitching coach, Ron Polk, “B. J.’s had a tough life. He had to work hard to become the pitcher that he did, and when he got released, it was a blow to him. I just don’t think enough people reached out to him. But people make their own breaks, so I can’t feel too sorry for him.”

5. Corey Myers – Arizona Diamondbacks (4th Overall/1999)

In 1999, the Diamondbacks had their first top 10 pick in franchise history and surprisingly went with a local High School kid out of Desert Vista High School in Phoenix named Corey Meyers. He played shortstop and catcher and was a 5-tool talent ranked by Baseball America as the #1 non-pitcher High School prospect in the country. During his Junior year, he hit .482 with 15 homers and 41 RBIs and during one stretch, accomplished the near impossible by hitting 5 homers in 5 straight at bats. The next year, his power improved even more and he broke his High School division’s home run record. Myers planned to attend Arizona State to be teammates with his brother Casey, but after getting picked 4th overall, decided to go pro. He was not a terrible hitter in the minors, but didn’t tear it up either. He had some issues defensively at shortstop and was moved to third base and later first. In 2002 in High A, he hit .290 with 13 homers and a .793 OPS then the next season hit .290 again in Double-A with a .784 OPS. By now, Myers had been moved to catcher and earned a promotion to Triple-A, where he responded with a .295 average and 7 homers in 57 games. As a catcher, his pitchers loved him and his teams won most of the games he was behind the dish. Unfortunately, he was never promoted to the big leagues and in 2005, his numbers dipped as he hit just .239 with 4 homers in Triple-A. He played with the Angels system after that for a couple years and put up average numbers, but was never promoted. Myers played a few games in the independent leagues and retired after 2007. He returned to Arizona State and coached the softball team before becoming assistant head softball coach at Auburn. He is now the owner of a baseball training company, CM3 Sports Enterprises, LLC.

4. Calvin Murray – San Francisco Giants (7th Overall/1992)

Calvin Murray was a such a highly touted prospect that he was drafted in the first round not once, but twice – first by the Cleveland Indians in 1989, then by the San Francisco Giants in 1992. After not singing in ‘89, Murray went to college at Texas and hit .351 with 47 stolen bases during his Junior year. The Giants took him ahead of future superstars Jason Giambi and Johnny Damon. Murray was known as a guy who could fly, play elite defense and hit for average. The Giants also thought he could develop some big power. Unfortunately, while he could certainly run and play defense, he struggled to hit consistently at the professional level and lingered in the Giants farm system for 7 years. He did show improvement, however, and in 1998, hit .293 between Double-A and Triple-A. He had his breakout minor league season in 1999 when he hit .334 with 23 home runs and 42 stolen bases for the Fresno Grizzlies. Giants fans, myself included, thought we had a future All-Star who just took a little more time than normal to develop. Unfortunately, that year in Triple A was the last time he would show that kind of talent. In 2000, he hit .242 with 2 homers for the Giants with 9 stolen bases. In 2001, the Giants decided to just put him in the lineup for an extended period and really find out what they had. He hit .245 with 6 homers in 326 at bats, certainly not horrible but not particularly good either. The Giants traded him to the Rangers, he bounced around a bit for a few years and was out of baseball after 2005. Murray had a .231 career MLB batting average with 8 homers in 633 at bats and 22 stolen bases. He’s a name I remember well because he was in the system for so long, but never worked out at the big league level.

3. Brooks Kieschnick – Chicago Cubs (10th Overall/1993)

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 moved 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. He now owns Dispersion Group, a medical device distribution company in San Antonio.

2. Josh Booty – Florida Marlins (5th Overall/1994)

In 1994, the still brand new Florida Marlins thought they struck gold with an amazing athlete named Josh Booty, a two-way player who was so good in football, several D1 programs offered him scholarships. As a baseball player, he hit .429 with 25 steals and 12 homers and was the starting shortstop for the U.S. Junior Olympic National Team. He chose baseball and struggled to make contact in the minors. In 1995 in A ball, he hit just .187, striking out 130 times. The next year, he set a Midwest League record with 195 strikeouts. He hit just .206. His numbers were so poor, he would’ve been released if he was just another minor leaguer, but as a 5th overall pick, the Marlins kept pushing him closer to the big leagues. In Triple-A, he hit just .210 with 166 strikeouts but did smash 20 homers, and that was enough for the Marlins to promote him to the bigs. He had a hot start, going 3 for his first 5, but then hit just .158 in 1998 before leaving the game of baseball. He could never figure out how to hit a curve ball. Booty returned to football at LSU and made it to the NFL. After his football career, he started Big Dreams Ventures, a consulting and marketing company.

1. Brien Taylor – New York Yankees (1st Overall/1991)

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.

EPIC BACKFIRES! The 10 WORST MLB PROMOTIONS & P.R. DISASTERS!!!

As in nearly any customer-driven business, finding unique ways to bring in more clients has been a major goal for team owners since the beginning of professional baseball. This has included several amazing ideas such as bobblehead giveaways, ticket discounts, special theme nights. However, there have been a few promotional ideas that went a little too far – and some that were nothing more than straight up bad publicity stunts. Today, we will be ranking the 10 worst and most embarrassing publicity stunts, giveaways and P.R. disasters in MLB history - some of these are absolutely unbelievable, including several poorly thought out giveaways and wild theme nights that led complete catastrophe. I have two dishonorable mentions, the first that only failed to make the list because it didn’t actually come to fruition.

Dishonorable Mention #1: The Spider-Man II Bases

Believe it or not, back in 2004, Bud Selig, the then-commissioner of Major League Baseball, planned on introducing a promo that would put advertisements on the actual field of play – in this case – the bases themselves. MLB had come to an agreement with Sony Pictures to display the logo of their new film, Spiderman II, on the bases of MLB games during a weekend series in June to promote the upcoming release. And it would’ve happened too, if the fans and players themselves didn’t completely reject the idea. Even politicians and former commissioners blasted Selig and he eventually canceled the promotion. I’m sure there were plenty of Spiderman II advertisements throughout the ballparks that month, but at least they weren’t on the bases themselves. Of course, now that advertisements are on the uniforms, it might be only a matter of time before this terrible idea comes back to the forefront.

Dishonorable Mention #2: Scrap Metal Day at the Polo Grounds

This one comes in as a mention, because it was a promotion for a good cause, even though it came with an epic backfire. It was September 26th, 1942. American troops were fighting overseas in World War II, but it was a regular day as far as baseball goes as the season was winding down and the New York Giants were taking on the Boston Braves the Polo Grounds. Both teams had already been eliminated from the postseason. The New York Giants decided to put on a special promo for a Double-Header that would soon regret. To help with war effort, the team offered free admission to any child who came to the ballpark with any kind of scrap metal, which could be recycled and used to help build ships, planes and other equipment. The result was a ballpark full of 10,000 kids, many unsupervised, who had lugged 250 lbs of precious metal into the ballpark. By the 8th inning of the second game, many of the kids were restless, as the Giants were getting ready to wrap up the sweep, leading 5-2. After Warren Spahn recorded the final out of the 8th, some kids thought the game was over and rushed the field in an effort to meet their favorite players such as Mel Ott and Jonny Mize. More kids followed in their footsteps and things quickly got out of hand as a mob of youngsters took over the Polo Grounds. At the umpire’s request, the game was forfeited right then and there, and the Braves were given the win. Since Warren Spahn completed the game, he was given a complete game but not a win since the Braves victory was by forfeit, making Spahn perhaps the only pitcher to ever throw a complete game but not get a decision.

Now, let’s get to the Top 10...

10. Celebrity Spring Training Appearances

I decided not to include Michael Jordan or Tim Tebow’s attempts at a career in pro baseball career in the Top 10, even though many fans considered them publicity stunts. I believe both players gave it 100% and did relatively well considering they’d been away from the game for so long. Had they been promoted to the big leagues despite hitting around .200 in the minors, I would’ve probably had to include them on the main list. However, I will include the many non-professional athletes who got an opportunity to play in Spring Training. While this can fun and entertaining if done right, such as Will Ferrell playing for 10 different teams in one day back in 2015, I’m generally not a huge fan of it, especially when it goes on for more than 1 day, such as the case with country music legend Garth Brooks, who was given 22 at bats with the Padres in 1999, going 1-for-22. Incredibly, he got to come back in 2000 with the Mets and went 0 for 17 and then made another appearance with the Royals in 2004. Apparently, he really did have friends in low places. Other celebrities who got some playing time include Kevin Costner, Tom Selleck, Bruce Hornsby and Billy Crystal. It kind of bothered me that guys who only played in High School at best get to play in MLB Spring Training because of their fame elsewhere. Don’t get me wrong though, if each team ever invites a YouTuber to represent them in a game, I’m ready to go!

9. Vuvuzela Giveaway Night

The Vuvuzela is a small and typically inexpensive instrument that can produce a very loud, monotone note. With all respect to the communities and people who enjoy this instrument, it can be extremely annoying, especially when multiple vuvuzelas are being played at once. It has been such a problem that the NCAA permanently banned them in 1987. They’ve also been banned at a variety of sporting events and venues around the world, which makes it all the more puzzling how the Florida Marlins thought it would be a good idea to actually give out Vuvuzelas to the fans as stadium giveaway in 2010 before a game against the Tampa Bay Rays. 15,000 fans had vuvuzelas and many of them buzzed away throughout the entire baseball game. Marlins President Dave Samson received complaints in the form of e-mails and text messages throughout the game, including one from special assistant Jeff Conine, who said he was getting a headache. The players had to wear earplugs just to get through the game. "That was the worst handout or giveaway I've ever been a part of in baseball," second baseman Dan Uggla said. The noise was so bad, it caused confusion between the umpires and managers when discussing lineup changes. One player was called out by Umpire Tom Hallion for batting out of order, but Freddie Gonzalez had told him about the switch – he just couldn’t hear him. Gonzalez was ejected for arguing the call. “It was the most uncomfortable baseball game I’ve ever been a part of,” said Hallion.

8. The White Sox Wear Shorts

Long-time MLB owner Bill Veeck was known for his wild and crazy promotional ideas throughout his career. Some were brilliant and others not so much. For example, he had helped design some new uniforms for his Chicago White Sox players one off-season that included actual shorts instead of baseball pants. He had the players try them on as part of a fashion show before the season, but no one thought they would actually wear them in a regular season game. Then, on August 8th, 1976, Veeck ordered his club to wear the special unis for the first game of a Double-Header against the Royals. The Royals ended up losing the game, perhaps because they were so distracted laughing at and making fun of the White Sox. The uniforms became the laugingstock of baseball, but at the same time, some players actually liked them. The White Sox ended up wearing them for 2 more games that season before retiring the idea forever. They won all three games that they wore the infamous shorts, and Veeck determined the gag had run its course.

7. Ball Night at Dodger Stadium

August 10th, 1995, was just another normal day with various MLB games on the schedule, including one at Dodger Stadium between the Dodgers and Cardinals. The Dodgers were holding a special giveaway – a free baseball to commemorate their recent Rookie of the Year winners. A total of 25,000 were given out. It sounded like a harmless enough giveaway, but remember – baseballs are made to be thrown, and if drunk baseball fans get angry – well, they’ll probably throw something. And sure enough, after some egregious calls on the field by the umpires, the fans began throwing their baseballs onto the field. In the 7th inning, the game had to be delayed as hundreds of baseballs littered the field. After a long delay collecting the balls, the game resumed, but in the 9th inning, after Raul Mondesi began arguing a strike 3 call that was clearly off the plate, a shower of baseballs came raining onto the field again. Both Mondesi and manager Tommy Lasorda were ejected for arguing. Once again, the field was cleaned up and play resumed. Reportedly, there were no warnings from the P.A. Announcer to stop throwing baseballs onto the field, but if you’re watching this and you were at that game, please let us know in the comments section, along with any more details you can offer. Almost immediately after the game resumed for the second time, one fan in the bleachers couldn’t help himself and fired another baseball onto the field. The umpires immediately ended the game, which went to the Cardinals, who had a 2-1 lead. It remains the most recent forfeit in MLB history and set a precedent that when giving away baseballs, they should be given out as the fans are leaving, not entering.

6. Turn Ahead The Clock Night

In the early 1990’s, teams started a popular promotion of wearing throwback uniforms just like the ones worn back in the 40’s or even earlier. Fans loved the look of the old uniforms and many players enjoyed them too. Then, in 1998, the Seattle Mariners decided to do the opposite, and put on a fun promotion wearing uniforms from the future, designed in large part by Ken Griffey Jr. It would’ve been a one and done promotion that every one forgot, but then in 1999, the promo went MLB-wide. All but 8 teams took the field wearing some of the ugliest uniforms in MLB history - wild unis with cut off sleeves, untucked jerseys, and wacky logos. Teams even changed their names, such as the Mets going by the Mercury Mets. The logos were completely outlandish and the names and numbers printed in different directions than they would traditionally be. The consensus opinion was that they looked hideous.

The worst part might have been that the uniforms were supposed to represent 2021, a year that has already come and gone . These uniforms were so out there, they should’ve picked a year at least 100; maybe 200 years in the future. At the end of the day, the uniforms were completely panned and the promo was a total failure, although I have to give them props for at least going all out with it.

5. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence

This might be controversial to include as it was a very recent promotion that was met with both major criticism and major support, but I can’t imagine the Dodgers organization felt satisfied after all was said and done. It was during the 2023 season when the Dodgers scheduled the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to receive a Community Hero Award at their annual Pride Night game. The Sisters, according to Wikipedia, are a street performance movement that uses drag and religious imagery to satirize issues of sex, gender, and morality and fund-raise for charity. The invite was heavily criticized by religious groups along with many fans and politicians, leading the team to dis-invite the group. Then, criticism came just as, if not more heavily, from other fans and politicians who supported the Sisters. Supporters of the LGBTQ community and organizations such as the Los Angeles LGBT Center demanded the Dodgers re-invite them. So, the Dodgers did just that, making another about-face, re-inviting them, which of course lead to more backlash from the religious community among others who believed the Sisters to be an anti-Catholic hate group who mocked religion and performed acts that would not be considered family-friendly. Even some Dodgers players, such as Clayton Kershaw and Blake Treinen criticized the inclusion of the Sisters while MLB player Trevor Williams said it was a violation of the team’s discrimination policy. Social media buzzed with videos and debates over the entire situation and thousands of Catholics and supporters protested outside of Dodger Stadium during the event. Regardless of whether you support the decision to invite this group or not, I would say its pretty obvious that the Dodgers definitely didn’t mean to spark such a massive controversy and piss off about half their fan base along with some of their own players, and they would probably have never invited the Sisters in the first place if they could do it all over again.

4. Wet T-Shirt Night at Fulton County Stadium

Speaking of events that aren’t so family friendly, in 1977, a struggling Major League team known as the Atlanta Braves determined that any publicity is good publicity and in order to lure in some extra male fans to the stadium, decided to actually have a Wet T-Shirt Night at Fulton County Stadium. Attendance did increase some as 11,451 fans showed up to watch the Braves take on the Cubs. Beginning in the 6th inning, it was announced that registration was open for the Wet T-Shirt Contest which would take place following the game. Fans could watch as the beautiful Georgia girls signed up for the contest and then after the Braves got destroyed 13-4, the competition went on as planned, with 43 women participating. They were hosed down as men, women and children looked on. As it turned out, the woman who won was a the daughter of a preacher. I’m sure that didn’t go over well. I won’t judge any one who enjoys a good wet t-shirt contest, but is an MLB game, which is supposed to be a family-friendly event, the best venue for one? I think not. Since it occurred in the late 70’s, before the social media era, the backlash was not nearly as strong as it might be today, but several fans voiced their displeasure at the event, which definitely crossed a line.

3. Eddie Gaedel

And coming in at #3 is another invention of the great Bill Veeck, who purchased the St. Louis Browns in 1951 and came up with some wild innovations and publicity stunts to compete with the local St. Louis Cardinals, the better and more popular team at the time. By far, his most famous decision, and the craziest and biggest publicity stunt in MLB history, was to sign Eddie Gaedel, a 3’7” 60 lb professional performer Veeck found through a booking agency. He was issued a uniform with the number 1/8 and popped out of a paper-mache cake in between games of a doubleheader to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the American League. It was seen at first as one of Veeck’s more mild stunts and the sponsor of the promotion was disappointed. Little did they know what was going to happen in the second game of the Doubleheader. In the bottom of the 1st inning, Browns manager Zack Taylor sent up the little man to pinch hit. He had been added to the active roster, and the umpires had no choice but to let him hit. Even the Browns players had no idea Gaedel would actually play in the game. Pitcher Bob Cain laughed at the absurdity of the situation and the catcher had to catch from his knees. Gaedel walked on four pitchers and bowed to the crowd on his way to first in one of the wildest scenes in MLB history. The A.L President voided the contract the next day because Veeck was making a mockery of the game.

2. Disco Demolition Night

In 1979, Mike Veeck, the son of the aforementioned Bill Veeck and Chicago White Sox front office promotion manager, came up with a crazy idea. Like father, like son. In Mike’s case, it was not a publicity stunt, rather a promotion that allowed fans to enter the ballpark for just 98 cents if they brought a disco record along with them. The records would all be destroyed in-between games of a doubleheader, officially ending the disco era. Veeck was hoping for at least 20,000 fans as compared to their regular attendance of 5,000. Over 50,000 people showed up with records in hand and many more leapt fences and gates to enter the ballpark during the game. The boxes that fans were supposed to put their records in overflowed and many took them to their seats. Records along with other dangerous items were being thrown around the stadium and the game had to be halted several times. The records were indeed blown up, but they left a huge hole in the playing field, which would’ve made the next game difficult to play even if thousands of fans didn’t storm the field, which they did. They set fire to the field, pulled up bases, destroyed equipment, and took over the stadium. The rioters overwhelmed security and the best could try was to put on the scoreboard “Please return to your seats.” It wasn’t too effective. The second game had to be forfeited by the White Sox and to this day, Disco Demolition Night is one of the most infamous and disastrous promotions of all time.

1. 10-Cent Beer Night

It was 1974 and in an effort to improve attendance, the Cleveland Indians decided to hold 10-Cent Beer Night, offering 10 oz beers for just 10 cents with no limit on the number of purchases. What could possibly go wrong? To make matters worse, this promotion occurred in a game between the Indians and Rangers, two teams that had just gotten into a bench clearing brawl a few days earlier, and Indians fans were in a rowdy mood already. Over 25,000 fans showed up to 10-Cent Beer Night, more than double that was expected. Almost immediately, it was apparent there were going to problems. A woman ran out on the field, flashed the crowd, then tried to kiss the umpire. Later, a naked man ran on to the field and slid into second base. The next inning, a father and son ran out on the field and mooned the fans. The stadium started to look like a warzone as fans began randomly setting off firecrackers. Fans threw items like hot dogs onto the field and other naked people started appearing throughout the stadium. Gunpowder and marijuana smoke covered the entire ballpark. By the 7th inning, all the sober fans had already departed, leaving an army of extremely drunk belligerents who stormed the field, armed with knives and clubs formed from portions of the stadium they tore apart. Both Indians and Rangers players grabbed bats and the war was on in one of the most unbelievable scenes in the history of the game. Eventually the players escaped to the safety of the clubhouse and the uncontrollable beasts destroyed the field and stadium for 20 minutes until the police were able to restore order. The Indians were forced to forfeit the game and several players and umpires were injured. The Indians actually had the guts to hold another 10-Cent Beer Night that season, but this time with a 2-Beer per person limit.

Matt Bush - #1 Overall Pick To FELON To MLB Reliever... EPIC BUST Or MLB REDEMPTION Story??

In October of 2015, Matt Bush – a former first overall pick in the Major League Baseball Draft, was released from prison. At that point in time, he was considered to be one of if not the biggest and most disappointing draft bust in the history of the game. A string of poor decisions, alcohol abuse and severe anger issues destroyed his once promising career and he never made it above Double-A. But Matt Bush, against all odds, returned to professional baseball and as recently as the 2023 season, nearly 20 years after he was taken first overall, Bush was still continuing his career, with appearances in both Triple-A and the big leagues. Today, we’ll look back at the life and career of Matt Bush and answer the question – should he still be considered one of the biggest busts of all time – or should he be more associated with an incredible redemption story and unlikely success? This might be hard for many people to accept after hearing about some of his horrible crimes, but it’s an incredible story nonetheless.

Matt Bush was born on February 8th, 1986 in San Diego, California. Growing up, he played a variety of sports including baseball and soccer. Bush was a natural athlete and developed an extreme talent for baseball, learning to pitch and hit at a high level. He was a stand-out player at Mission Bay High School, where he pitched and played shortstop. He was a 5-tool player who had a particularly strong arm and played near flawless defense. He also hit .450 with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs. As a pitcher, he was lights out with a .74 ERA. Bush could hit mid-90’s regularly and had a deadly curveball. As the 2004 MLB Draft approached, he was one of the hottest names available, although he had committed to San Diego State.

His hometown team that he grew up following happened to have the first overall pick in 2004. There were other more seasoned players available, such as college players Justin Verlander, Jared Weaver and Stephen Drew. However, Drew and Weaver were represented by Scott Boras, and the Padres feared the demanded bonus would be too high. Verlander was one of the best college arms available and his bonus was expected to be north of $5 million. So, the Padres decided to save money and go for Bush, who signed for a $3.15 million bonus, saving the Padres a couple million dollars, but ultimately costing them much more than that in the long run.

Bush was drafted as a shortstop, the highest drafted since Alex Rodriguez. He was set to begin his professional career in Rookie Ball with the Arizona League Padres. But just one week after the draft, before he could even take the field, Bush was arrested in Peoria, Arizona for getting into a bar fight and allegedly biting a bouncer who was trying to escort him out of the establishment. Prosecutors decided not to file felony charges but Bush was suspended by the Padres. After returning, he was able to play in 29 rookie league games, but hit just .192 with zero home runs. In 2005 for the Single-A Fort Wayne Wizards, he continued to struggle, hitting .221 with 2 home runs in 453 at bats. He had a slugging percentage of just .276. In 2006, a broken ankle limited him to just 22 games.

At this point in time, it looked like Matt Bush was a clear bust – he had been arrested off the field and was not producing on the field. But, he still had an incredible arm and the Padres decided to try him out as a pitcher. In 2007, through 7 appearances, he dazzled, striking out 16 batters in 7 2/3rds inning with a 1.17 ERA, walking just 2. Unfortunately, he tore a ligament in his pitching arm and needed Tommy John surgery, sidelining him for all of 2008. It was during his recovery time when Bush got into another altercation off the field. Bush was accused of a drunk assault involving players of a High School Lacrosse team. A witness said that Bush threw a golf club, picked up and threw one of the players and hit the other, yelling “I’m Matt Fucking Bush!” He then drove his Mercedes over a curb, driving away from the campus. Articles were coming out calling him the worst #1 overall pick of all time. The Padres gave up on him and traded him to the Blue Jays for “future considerations.”

The Blue Jays put him on an immediate “zero tolerance” policy. He was sent to Dunedin, Florida, the home of the Blue Jays Spring Training facility and rookie league team. Just like with the Padres, before he even threw a pitch for the Jays organization, he found trouble off the field. At a party, some one drew markings on his face as a joke as he was passed out drunk. After awakening, he blamed a 23-year old woman and went into a rage, throwing a baseball just passed her head then banging on her car window and she tried to get away. The Blue Jays found out about the incident and immediately released him for “failing to comply with the team guidelines that were set out for him.” He missed the entire 2009 season, making it two full seasons he had not appeared in a professional baseball game.

Somehow, he got another opportunity in 2010 as the Tampa Bay Rays signed him to a Minor League Deal. He appeared in just 10 games in 2010 in Rookie League and High A, but still had a powerful arm, leading to 20 strikeouts in 13 innings. In 2011, finally completely healthy, he pitched in 26 games for the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits and averaged 13.8 strikeouts per 9 innings. He had some control issues, leading to a 4.83 ERA but the Rays saw enough to add him to the 40-man roster and planned to send him to Triple-A to begin the 2012 season. He would be given every opportunity to make his big league debut in 2012. That’s when his worst off-the-field incident occurred, effectively ending his professional baseball career.

During 2012 Spring Training, Matt Bush got behind the wheel of a Dodge Durango he borrowed from teammate, Brandon Guyer. Bush, driving with a suspended license, went on a drinking binge that led him to hit a pole in Sarasota. He kept driving anyway and sidewiped a car in Venice. He left the scene of that accident and headed back towards Port Charlotte. He was kicked out of an adult dance club for trying to climb up onto the stage. By this point he was completely wasted. Bush left the club in the Durango and was on a collision course with 72-year old Tony Tufano, who was riding his Harley Davidson after spending the day babysitting his granddaughter. According to a witness, Bush hit the motorcycle, knocking Tufano off, then just kept driving, running over his head with the back wheel. Tufano ended up in intensive care with life-threatening injuries. Without the helmet, he would have been killed instantly.

Tony Tufano

Matt Bush fled the scene and later claimed he thought he had run over the bike, not the man’s head. Tufano, who was a marathon runner, broke 10 of his 12 ribs on the right side and fractured 8 vertebrae. His right lung collapsed and his brain was bleeding. Somehow, he survived the crash. If he hadn’t, Matt Bush might still be in prison today. As it was, Bush was arrested on multiple DUI-related felonies and held in Charlotte County Jail on $440,000 bail. He was sentenced on a plea deal to 3 ½ years in prison with no probation afterwards. The Tufano family also sued Bush and Brandon Guyer $5 million. It was settled out of court for $200,000. It appeared that the professional baseball career of Matt Bush was over and he would now be known as the biggest first overall draft bust in the history of the game.

That is, until his name popped up again 3 years later in baseball news. He had apparently been released from prison and gotten a job at Golden Corral. It was there, in the Golden Corral parking lot in Jacksonville, Florida, where Matt Bush held a showcase for scouts of the Texas Rangers. His arm was still incredibly lively, but would the Rangers be willing to take a flyer on Bush after everything that had happened? Incredibly, the answer was yes and on December 18th, 2015, the Rangers signed him to a minor league deal. The Rangers GM Jon Daniels said, “Unlike some who have been accused of different crimes, or have had stuff happen in the past, Matt is not running or hiding from this. He has been extremely accountable, extremely remorseful.” Even Tufano showed support for Bush, saying he was happy to see Bush was getting back into baseball.

He was sent to Double-A Frisco and accompanied by his father who would supervise Bush and try to make sure he stayed out of trouble. In 12 appearances, he impressed, striking out 18 batters in 17 innings with a 2.65 ERA. The Rangers saw enough and called him up to the big leagues and about 12 years after being drafted first overall, Matt Bush made his big league debut, retiring the heart of the Blue Jays lineup to finish the game. A couple days later, there was a major fight in the Rangers Blue Jays game, but Matt Bush was not involved – it was the famous Roughned Odor vs Jose Bautista fight that led to a bench clearing brawl. Bush made 58 appearances for the 2016 Texas Rangers and went 7-2 with a 2.48 ERA and one save. He stayed out of trouble off the field and continued to pitch well out of the bullpen for Texas in 2017, striking out 58 batters in 52.1 innings, this time picking up 10 saves. Over the next few years, he struggled with injury issues and had to have a second Tommy John surgery, but Bush stayed out of trouble and pitched well enough to keep a roster spot, although he did have to pitch in Triple-A at times.

In 2022, he was having a great season with a 2.95 ERA through 40 appearances, striking out 11 batters per 9 when he was traded to the Brewers, where had a 4.3 ERA. In 2023, the Brewers released him after a rough start to the year and he returned to the Rangers organization, assigned to the Triple-A Round Rock Express. In 9 games there, he had a 2.13 ERA with 16 strikeouts and 2 saves. Bush had successfully quit his drinking habit and had no off-the-field issues since his release from prison, although his anger issues might not be completely resolved.

On September 30th, 2023, the Rangers selected Bush’s contract and added him to the MLB Roster. He became a free agent after the season. As of now, Matt Bush has appeared in 217 big league games and has 227 strikeouts in 211 innings. For some one drafted nearly 20 years ago, the fact that he’s still active and contributing as an MLB pitcher makes it hard to call him a complete bust, unless of course you’re a Padres fan. Similar to Josh Hamilton, there’s no telling what kind of career Bush could have had if he had not had off-the-field issues, but all the signs indicate he could’ve been an elite relief pitcher had he not spent 3 years locked up, not to mention all the time missed due to suspensions. The good news is after serving his time, Bush has quit drinking and from all appearances, is nothing like the young knucklehead who yelled “I’m Matt Fucking Bush!” and drove away from the scene of a horrible accident in which a man was almost killed. So, for me, although the bust label certainly fits as a #1 overall pick with just a 1.7 career WAR, I look at Matt Bush more of a redemption story than a bust. That’s why I decided to leave him off of my upcoming Top 15 Busts of the 2000’s video – after all, he’s not even retired yet. From the entire 2004 First Round, only Bush and Justin Verlander remain active. That’s a pretty good accomplishment for some one whose career was considered completely over 10 years ago.

The Top 10 JAPANESE MLB Players OF ALL TIME

Although baseball is known as America’s National Pasttime, it has also gained massive popularity in other countries, including Japan, where baseball is the most popular spectator sport. It was introduced to the country back in the 1870’s by educator Horace Wilson, who was hired by the Japanese government to assist in the modernization of the Japanese Education System. He thought the students could use more physical exercise and taught them the sport of baseball. They loved it and by the 1920’s, professional baseball was established in Japan. When America sent some of their superstars like Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx and Lou Gehrig to Japan to play in an exhibition game against the Japanese All-Star Team, the sport took off to the heights and eventually, the Nippon Professional Baseball League was formed, which continues to produce amazing players today – players that are so talented, that Major League Baseball teams often tap into that talent by bringing players to the west to play in the big leagues. Just this season, Masataka Yoshida was one of the best rookies in the game, hitting .286 with 15 homers for Boston. The first Japanese player to ever don a big league uniform was Masanori Murakami, who made his debut in 1964 for the San Francisco Giants. Murakami did not have overpowering stuff but kept hitters off-balance by returning the next pitch almost immediately after receiving the ball back from the catcher. In two big league seasons, he went 5–1 with 9 saves and a respectable 3.43 ERA in 54 appearances. So far, at least 67 players have come over from Japan to play in the Major Leagues and while not all are great, some went on to have extremely successful big league careers and at least a couple are destined for a future in Cooperstown. Today, we’ll be ranking the Top 10 Japanese players – who were also Japanese born and raised - to ever play Major League Baseball.

10. Kenta Maeda

To start off today’s list, we have an active player who could definitely end up much higher when all is said and done. Kenta Maeda was one of the best pitchers in Japan back in 2010 when he went 15-8 with a 2.21 ERA, becoming the youngest pitcher in Japanese Baseball history to win the pitching Triple Crown. He took home the Sawamura Award as the league’s best pitcher that season then won it again in 2015. In January of 2016, Maeda signed an 8-year $25 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers and made his big league debut on April 6th, 2016, throwing 6 shutout innings and picking up the win. Not only that, he also went deep, hitting a home run in his second big league at bat. He ended up going 16-11 that season with a 3.48 ERA, finishing 3rd in the Rookie of the Year voting. He was a solid arm for LA for 4 years, going 47-35 before being traded to the Twins, where he dominated in the Covid-shorted 2020 season, going 6-1 with a 2.7 ERA and 10.8 strikeout per 9 ratio, finishing 2nd in the Cy Young Voting. Since then, some injury issues and Tommy John surgery have slowed him down but Maeda has had an impressive 7-year big league career and should be a valuable free agent during the upcoming off-season.

9. Hisashi Iwakuma

Starting pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma started his pro career in 2000 with the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes. By 2002, he was a regular in the starting rotation and had his breakout year in 2003, going 15-10 with a 3.45 ERA, leading the league with 11 complete games. In 2004, he broke a record by starting the season with 12 straight wins. He started the NPB All Star Game and represented Japan in the 2004 Athens Olympics. He had his best season in Japan in 2008 when he went 21-4 with a 1.87 ERA, grabbing the attention of several MLB teams, including the Seattle Mariners, who signed him prior to the 2012 season. He started his debut MLB season as a reliever but was quickly added to the rotation and in 2013, he went 14-6 with a 2.66 ERA, He made the All Star team and finished 3rd in the Cy Young Voting. He continued to be a solid rotation arm for the next 3 seasons and in 2015 became the second Japanese pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the big leagues. In 2017, a shoulder injury limited him to just 6 starts and he returned to Japan the following season. His overall numbers are still impressive – a 63-39 record with a 3.42 ERA.

8. Masahiro Tanaka

Tanaka was Japanese High School phenom in the mid-2000s, striking out a national High School record of 423 batters. He made his professional debut in 2007 with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles and tied a record for the fastest NPB pitcher to reach 100 career strikeouts based on innings pitched. On the season, he struck out 9.5 batters per 9 innings and threw 4 complete games including a shutout. By 2013, he was the best pitcher in Japan and had an utterly dominant season, going 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA. He was heavily scouted by MLB teams and several were in the running to land Tanaka during the 2013-14 offseason. The lucky team ended up being the New York Yankees, who signed Tanaka to a 7-year $155 million deal. He made the All Star Team in his first big league season and went 13-5 with a 2.77 ERA, throwing a complete game shutout against the crosstown rival Mets. He continued to be a solid arm in the rotation, often serving as the team’s ace. Although he had some injury issues and was never as dominant as he was in Japan, Tanaka ended up going 78-46 with a 3.74 ERA. He was also largely dominant in the postseason, although the Yankees never won a championship during his time in New York. He returned to Japan after the 2020 season, but had a great 7-year MLB career as New York Yankee.

7. Hiroki Kuroda

Kuroda’s pro career goes back to 1996 when he joined to Hiroshima Toyo Carp as a 2nd round draft pick. His status with the team improved with each year until he became the Opening Day Starter in 2003. In 2006, he went 13-6 with a 1.85 ERA and showed interest in pitching for an MLB team. He stayed with the Carp for 2007 but after the season announced his intention to move to the states and he signed a 3-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He threw 7 strong in his first start against the Padres, allowing just 1 run and picking up the win. From there, he became a model of consistency, never completely dominating but consistently giving the Dodgers quality starts. He was named the Opening Day starter in 2009 but battled injuries throughout the year including a line drive off the side of his head. In free agency, he signed with the Yankees and went 16-11 with a 3.32 ERA and 2 shutouts in 2012. In 2013, he led the league with a 2.63 ERA at the All-Star break but was snubbed for the All Star Team. He was a pitcher who, through his career, even while in Japan, was known for getting poor run support. Largely for this

reason, his final MLB record was 79-79 but he had a solid 3.45 ERA and never had a season with an ERA above 3.76. He was one of the most consistent MLB starters in the game throughout his 7-year big league career.

6. Koji Uehara

Coming in at #6 is Koji Uehara, one of the greatest strike throwers in the history of MLB. He was originally drafted by the Yomiuri Giants in 1998 and won 15 consecutive games in his 1999, breaking a rookie record. In 2002, he got his first chance to face Major Leaguers in the Major League Baseball Japan All-Star Series and struck out Barry Bonds three straight times. He showed interest in coming to pitch in America and in January of 2009, at the age of 34, Uehara signed a 2-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles. He threw 5 strong in his debut, picking up a win against the Rangers. He only started 12 games that season, going 2-4 with a 4.05 ERA but then moved to the bullpen in 2010 and had a great season with a 2.86 ERA with 55 strikeouts in 44 inning, walking a mere 5 batters. He became a premiere bullpen arm, dominating with the O’s in 2011, leading to a trade to the Rangers, who went on to win the AL Championship. In 2012, he had a 1.75 ERA and walked just 3 batters in 36 innings. His stuff was so dominant, the Boston Red Sox signed him to be their closer and in 2013, he was downright filthy with a 1.09 ERA, 101 strikeouts, 21 saves and a ridiculous 9 walks. He received MVP and Cy Young Votes. Uehara went on to win the ALCS MVP and closed out the final game of the World Series. His career 7.33 Strikeout per walk ratio is the best in Major League history for a pitcher with at least 100 innings pitched. In 2018, he returned to Japan, but his 9-year run in the big leagues was incredibly impressive and Uehara’s career MLB numbers include a 2.66 ERA, 572 strikeouts and just 78 walks.

5. Hideo Nomo

Moving into the top 5, we have the famous Hideo Nomo, who became the first Japanese-born player to play in the Majors since Murakami in 1965. His famous tornado delivery baffled hitters both in Japan and the United States. He pitched in the NPB for just 5 years for the Buffaloes, throwing 13 shutouts and completing most of his games, becoming a superstar in Japan. A contract dispute with the club led to Nomo’s retirement from the NPB and he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers to play Major League Baseball. I remember watching his debut game live against the San Francisco Giants on May 2nd, 1995 when Nomo threw 5 scoreless innings, allowing just 1 hit. That game is memorable as it went 15 innings, with no runs being scored until the top of the 15th when the Dodgers scored 3 runs, but the Giants, with 2 outs and nobody on, made an improbable comeback win. Despite the Giants victory, Nomo was incredibly impressive and went on to lead the league with 236 strikeouts. He made the All Star Team and took home Rookie of the Year honors. Nomo became an instant sensation, leading to Nomomania, similar to Fernandomania of the early 80’s. In 1996, he shocked the baseball world by throwing a no-hitter at hitter-friendly Coors Field in Denver and to this day, he is the only pitcher to ever accomplish the feat. Unfortunately, Nomo had his struggles and was traded to the Mets then released in 1998 after a rough season. Then, with the Red Sox on April 4th, 2001, he suddenly found his stuff, throwing another no-hitter in his first start with Boston. It was the first no-no in the history of Camden Yards and the earliest on the calendar ever thrown. He returned to the Dodgers in 2002 and went 16-6 with a 3.39 ERA. In 2003, he had his last good season, with 16-13 record and 3.09 ERA. After that, injuries and under performance led to the end of his career after short stints with the Rays and Royals. While Nomo had an up-and-down career, he was a pioneer is coming over to the states and inspiring several other players on this list to do the same. He also had a great MLB career, with a 123-109 record and 4.24 ERA. He was elected to the Japanese Hall of Fame in 2014.

4. Hideki Matsui

In a list dominated by pitchers, we finally have a position player and it’s Hideki Matsui, AKA Godzilla, who from 1993 to 2002 was one of the biggest baseball superstars in Japan for the Yomiuri Giants. He hit at least 34 home runs per season for 7 straight years, maxing out at 50 in 2002. He was also an incredibly patient and natural hitter and his OPS was usually near if not over 1.000. The 9-time All Star and 3-time Central League MVP was heavily scouted by MLB teams. In 2001, he turned down what would’ve been a record $64 million contract from Yomiuri, and instead signed with the New York Yankees after the 2002 season. It was a 3 year, $21 million deal. He was an instant success, playing in every single game, hitting .287 with 106 RBIs, making the All-Star team and finishing 2nd in the Rookie of the Year voting, a controversial decision as most believed Matsui was the clear best rookie. He became the first Japanese player to hit a World Series home run, although the Yankees lost to the Marlins. In 2004, he was even better, crushing 31 homers and driving in 108. From 2003 to 2005, he was an iron man, missing zero games. In November of ‘05, he signed a 4-year $52 million extension. He hit 28 bombs in 2009, helping the Yankees make the playoffs and then completely tore it up in the Fall Classic, going 8 for 13 with 3 bombs, taking home World Series MVP honors. He joined Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig as the only players to hit over .500 in the World Series while also hitting 3 home runs. He signed with the Angels for 2010 and crushed 21 bombs with a .274 average and .361 on-base-percentage. He finished his career with the A’s in 2011 and Rays in 2012 before signing a one-day contract to retire as a New York Yankee. He was elected to the Japanese Hall of Fame in 2018 and when combining both his Japanese and MLB careers, he is one of the greats of all time.

3. Yu Darvish

In the early 2000’s, Yu Darvish was already getting attention from MLB teams while he was still pitching in High School. He signed with the Nippon Ham Fighters and started his pro career in 2005. He quickly became a star in the league and from 2007 to 2011 – 5 straight seasons – he never finished a season with an ERA under 1.88. After the 2011 seasons, MLB teams had a limited time to send in their offers for the star pitcher and the Texas Rangers made an offer that couldn’t be refused. Darvish ended up signing for $60 million to play in Texas. He had a stellar rookie season, going 16-9 with a 3.9 ERA, making the All Star Team and finishing 3rd for the Rookie of the Year. In 2013, Darvish led the league with 277 strikeouts and finished 2nd in the Cy Young voting, becoming an absolute MLB superstar. He made 3 straight All Star teams but missed 2015 due to Tommy John Surgery. In 2017, the Rangers traded Darvish to the Dodgers, where he pitched well in the NLDS and NLCS, but struggled greatly in the World Series, when the Dodgers lost to the Astros. This was remembered when the Astros Sign Stealing scandal became public in 2019, but Darvish refused to blame the Astros for his poor performance. Darvish went on to pitch for the Cubs where he struggled with injuries until 2020, when he 8-3 in the COVID-shortened season with a 2.01 ERA, leading the league in wins and finishing 2nd for the Cy Young. He signed with the Padres for 2021 and has been a solid piece of their rotation eversince, In 2023, he surpassed Hideo Nomo to become MLB’s Japanese-born leader all-time in strikeouts. Darvish is signed with the Padres through 2029 but it will be a tall task to ever surpass the next two legends.

2. Shohei Ohtani

Another active player and the best and most popular superstar in the game today, comes in at #2 and it’s Shohei Ohtani. He was identified early in his baseball career as an elite two-way player who could end up being a professional hitter or pitcher or perhaps both. He was already hitting 99 MPH on the radar gun in High School and got the attention of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who became his top choice to play for when entering the pros. Instead, he stayed in Japan to play for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters after the Dodgers were hesitant to let him pitch and hit at a high level. By 2015, he was one of the best pitchers in the league although his offense hadn’t yet reached its potential. He hit just .202 with 5 homers, but then in 2016, his bat exploded with 22 bombs and a .322 batting average. He continued to pitch at an elite level as well and by 2017 was ready to make the move to MLB. He signed a deal with the Los Angeles Angels, who intended to let him try to be a two-way player. In his rookie year of 2018, he hit .285 with 22 bombs and also started 10 games as pitcher, striking out 63 batters in 51.2 innings with a 3.31 ERA. He won the Rookie of the Year Award, but couldn’t pitch the following season due to Tommy John Surgery. He still helped his team with the bat and by 2021, was fully healthy and had a tremendous season, crushing 46 bombs while also going 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA, taking home the MVP and becoming a bonafide MLB superstar. In 2022, his pitching went to a new level as he started a career high 28 games and went 15-9 with a 2.33 ERA and also smashed 34 bombs. He was doing things no other MLB player had ever done and then in 2023, led the league in 43 homers, a .412 on-base percentage, 1.066 OPS while going 10-5 with a 3.34 ERA, and is basically a lock for second MVP Award. By the time his career is over, he may take the crown as the greatest Japanese-born MLB player ever – and could even enter into the conversation as the greatest of all time, as the only other player to hit or pitch at such a level was the legendary Babe Ruth.

1. Ichiro Suzuki

But for now, with Ohtani only having played 6 years of Major League Baseball, the #1 slot has to go to none other than Ichiro Suzuki, who played an incredible 19 years in the Major Leagues despite not making his big league debut until the age of 27. Counting his career in Japan, he played 28 professional seasons. Ichiro made his professional debut in 1992 for the Orix Bluewave but didn’t have his breakout season until 1994 when he hit .385 – a Pacific League Record - with 29 stolen bases, becoming an instant superstar. He had an unorthodox swing called the pendulum, in which he shifts his weight forward while swinging the bat. During his career in Japan, he won 7 straight batting titles and 3 straight MVPs. His manager suggested that he put the name “Ichiro” on the back of his jersey instead of the family name “Suzuki,” which is one of the most common last names in Japan. This led to him being referred to simply as “Ichiro,” and this custom followed him to the United States when Ichiro signed with the Seattle Mariners in 2001. He was the first Japanese-born position player in the big leagues. Whether he could make the transition or not was answered immediately as Ichiro led the league with a .350 batting average, 242 hits, and 52 stolen bases, easily taking home both the Rookie of the Year and MVP Awards, joining Fred Lynn as the only two MLB players to win both awards in the same year. He helped lead the Mariners to tie an MLB record with 116 wins on the season then hit .600 in the ALDS. He became the hands-down best hitter in baseball, accumulating over 200 hits for 10 consecutive seasons. He also broke the single season hit record with 262 in 2004. He made 10 straight All Star Teams and also played near flawless defense, winning 10 Gold Gloves. He didn’t slow down until his late 30’s and in 2012, the M’s traded him to the Yankees, where he got a hit in his first 12 games, tying a Yankee record. He hit .322 for New York, leading to a fresh 2-year contract. He went on to play 3 seasons for the Miami Marlins before returning to the Mariners to finish out an incredible career. Ichiro will easily be elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2025, becoming the first Japanese-born player in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The only question is whether or not it will be unanimous.