Top 10 MLB FLASH IN THE PANS Of ALL TIME.. Here Then Gone ONE-HIT Wonders!!

Welcome to another Top 10 Ranking and in today’s video, we’ll be looking at the Top 10 Flash in the Pans – players who were absolutely elite for a short amount of time but were unable to sustain that success for very long. To make this list, players had to have between 1-3 amazing seasons that created big hype and expectations. However, they ended up being here and gone flash in the pan players who could never replicate that success again.

10. Mark Prior

Mark Prior

The first player on the list is one of the most hyped up prospects of all time, Mark Prior. He was taken in the 1st round twice. My busts videos have received quite a bit of criticism for not including Mark Prior, but the reason I didn’t is simple – he did have one great year in the big leagues. After being taken second overall by the Cubs, Prior went 5-2 with a 2.29 ERA in the minors before being called up. He had a decent rookie year, going 6-6 with a 3.32 ERA but followed it up with the season the Cubs were hoping for. In 2003, Prior threw a shutout in his second start of the season and ended the year going 18-6, making the All Star Team and striking out 245 batters in 211 innings. He helped the Cubs make the playoffs then threw a complete game 2-hitter in the NLDS. He also pitched extremely well in the NLCS, winning Game 2 then throwing 7 scoreless innings in Game 6. Unfortunately, this was that historic moment when the Cubs completely collapsed. We all remember the Gonzalez error, the Bartman incident, Moises Alou freaking out over it and the complete meltdown that occurred, leading to the Marlins victory. However, Mark Prior still had a fantastic season and for that year alone, doesn’t belong in a Top 20 Busts list in my opinion. He fits better in this Flash in the Pan list as Prior only pitched three more seasons in the big leagues, struggling with injures and under performance the entire time. He continued to pitch in the minors and independent leagues for years, but continued to struggle to stay healthy. He retired in 2013 after a stint with the Reds Triple-A team, but for a short time in 2003, he did live up to the hype.

9. Chase Headley

Coming up next is a San Diego Padres second round pick who first got called up to the big leagues in 2007. By ‘09, he was a regular in the lineup, hitting around .265 per year with about 9-12 home runs. Suddenly, in 2012 at age 28, Headley had his breakout season that no one saw coming – not even Headley himself who set a goal of hitting 15 homers and 75 RBIs. Instead, he crushed 31 bombs and led the league with 115 runs driven in. He finished 5th in the MVP voting, won a Silver Slugger and won the NL Player of the Month award twice during the season. He also had a great year defensively and took home a Gold Glove. Headley set a career high in basically every offensive category and was suddenly on the verge of becoming a legit MLB superstar. That is, until 2013, when he was injured in Spring Training and after returning, reverted back to the normal Chase Headley, hitting just .250 with 13 home runs. In 2014, he was traded to the Yankees with whom he later signed a 3-year deal. He was a regular in the lineup for them but never got close to replicating his amazing 2012 season. He returned to the Padres in 2018 but was released after hitting just .115 in 52 at bats. Although Headley had a respectable 12 year career, he was a legitimate power hitting star for a quick flash in 2012.

8. Ubaldo Jimenez

Ubaldo Jimenez

One team that has always struggled to find elite starting pitching has been the Colorado Rockies. However, at one time, they had what appeared to be hands down the best pitcher in the game. The Rockies drafted Ubaldo Jimenez as an amateur free agent in 2001. He worked his way slowly through the minors, but eventually earned a call up in 2006 after going 14-4 between Triple and Double-A. He became a solid arm in the rotation but nothing overly spectacular. That is, until 2010, when Jimenez suddenly took his performance to another level, starting with the first no-hitter in Rockies history on April 17th. He won five games in the month of April alone and set a franchise record with 25 1/3rd consecutive scoreless innings then broke his own record later that season, throwing 33 straight. He won 11 of his first 12 starts, maintain an ERA under 1. By the All-Star Game, he was 15-1 with a 2.2 ERA. The Rockies appeared to have found the elite starter they were looking for. He finished the year 19-8 with a 2.88 ERA, struggling a bit down the stretch. This remarkable performance put his name on the map and is what likely allowed him to play another 7 seasons in the big leagues. He never came close to repeating it. He started 2011 going 6-9 with a 4.46 ERA and was traded to Cleveland. There, he went on to lead the league with 17 losses in 2012. He had a nice rebound in 2013, going 13-9 with a 3.3 ERA but 2010 was his only All Star season and Jimenez ended up retiring in 2020 after being released from his second stint with the Rockies.

7. Zoilo Versalles

Zoilo Versalles receiving the MVP Award

Versalles was a Cuban ballplayer signed as by the Washington Senators in 1958. He played well in the minors but struggled in the bigs after his first callup in 1959, hitting just .153 with a homer. In 1960, it was more of the same as he hit .133, causing the Senators to trade him to the Twins. He found his comfort zone there and ended up a regular in the lineup, hitting .241 with 17 homers in 1962. In 1963, he led the league in triples and bumped his average up to .261. However, everything came together in 1965 when Versalles suddenly became a hitting machine, finding the gaps, driving the ball down the lines and hitting for power with 19 home runs. He ended up leading the league in doubles, triples, runs and total bases and was second in hits. He made the All-Star Team, had a 7.2 WAR for the season and won a Gold Glove. Unsurprisingly, he won the American League MVP Award. At just 26 years old, it looked like Versalles might be on a Hall of Fame path. Unfortunately, his performance declined after that season as he hit just .249 in 1966 then .200 in ‘67 with just 6 home runs despite 581 at bats. He never led the league in an offensive category again after the amazing 1965 season. He bounced around a bit but never played in the big leagues again after hitting .191 with for the 1971 Braves. Sadly, he struggled financially after retirement and ended up having to sell his MVP Award. Although Versalles certainly didn’t have a Hall-of-Fame career, he should still be remembered for an amazing run in the mid-60’s when he was, ever so briefly, one of the best players in the game.

6. Dontrelle Willis

Next up is the D-Train, Dontrelle Willis, who was taken in the 8th round by the Chicago Cubs in the year 2000. He was traded to the Marlins in 2002 and went 12-2 with a 1.83 ERA in the minor leagues. In 2003, he was a regular in the Marlins rotation and had a phenomenal rookie year, going 14-6 with a 3.3 ERA, taking home the Rookie of the Year. Willis had a memorable old-time baseball windup that included a high leg kick and massive twist of the body. By 2005, Willis was one of the best in the game and started the year 5-0 with a 1.29 ERA. He made the All Star Team and finished the year with a 22-10 record, leading the league with 7 complete games and 5 shutouts. He finished 2nd in the Cy Young voting to Chris Carpenter but did win the Warren Spahn Award, given to the best left-handed pitcher in each league. The hype around Willis was massive as a Rookie of the Year winner who had just won 22 games as a 23-year old. Unfortunately, this was the height of his success. He started 2006 by going 1-6 with a 4.93 ERA and ended the year with a 12-12 record. In 2007, he went 10-15 with a terrible 5.17 ERA, leading the National League in runs allowed. He spent the rest of his career trying to stay off the disabled list, bouncing around from team to team but never winning more than 2 games in an entire season. His last year was 2011, when he went 1-6 for the Reds. Willis continued to attempt comebacks through 2015, when he finally announced his retirement from the game.

5. Kevin Maas

Kevin Maas

Next up is Kevin Maas. Maas was a big time prospect for the Yankees who appeared to be the real deal once he made it to the majors. Maas was taken in the 22nd round but showed immense talent in the minor leagues by hitting 28 home runs in 1988 with a .271 batting average and .382 on-base percentage. He became one of the Yankees top prospects and was promoted midway through the 1990 season. The Yankees hoped that they had found their next great Yankee slugger, who could eventually be the heir to Don Mattingly. He came out of the gate on fire, starting his career about as hot as possible, crushing 10 home runs in his first 72 at bats, an MLB record at the time. In one 3-game series in Texas, Maas homered off Kevin Brown, Bobby Witt and Nolan Ryan. Despite not being called up until July and only playing in 79 games, he still managed to crush 21 home runs and finished 2nd in the Rookie of the Year only because he played half a season. Maas was a dead pull hitter and pitchers, catchers and coaches certainly studied him going into the 1991 season. He had a huge sophomore slump, hitting just .220. He managed to hit 23 home runs but it took almost twice as many at bats as he had when he hit 21 the prior season. By 1993, he turned into a fringe prospect, bouncing back and forth between Triple A until moving on to other organizations in 1994, who kept him in the minors. Maas hit .193 including his final big league homer for the Twins in 1995 and was out of baseball two years later. During his brief rookie year, Maas put on an insane display of power that has rarely been seen. He was one of the greatest flash in the pans of all time.

4. Eric Gagne

Next up is a pitcher who had an interesting path the big leagues, not signing when drafted by the White Sox in the 30th round of the ‘94 draft to attend Seminole State College in Oklahoma. He wasn’t drafted in 1995 at all but signed as a free agent with the Dodgers. He was a starter in the minor leagues and showed excellent stuff, going 12-4 with about a 10 per 9 strikeout ratio in 1999. Through his first 5 big league starts, Gagne had a 2.1 ERA. However, the Dodgers needed a closer entering the 2002 season and thought Gagne might work in the role. It turned out they were right as he dominated batters, striking out 114 in 82 innings of work while saving 52 games for LA. He made his first All Star Team and immediately became known as one of the elite closers of the game. Then, in 2003, he was even better, closing out a league leading 55 games with a sick 1.2 ERA. He averaged 15 strikeouts per 9 innings and easily won the Cy Young Award despite being a reliever. He had his third and final successful season in 2004, saving 45 games with a 2.19 ERA. Unfortunately, injuries limited his 2005 season he had to have Tommy John Surgery. He experienced several setbacks and other injuries as he attempted to come back. He became a free agent by 2007 and signed with the Rangers, but continued to struggle with injuries although he managed 16 saves. He pitched for the Red Sox and Brewers later on but with limited to no success. He attempted a comeback with the Dodgers in 2010 but was released during Spring Training. It is unfortunate that Gagne wasn’t able to have a healthy and long MLB career but for three years, there was nobody more feared coming out of a bullpen than Eric Gagne.

3. Mark Fidyrch

Mark Fidrych

Although his success was short-lived, Mark “The Bird” Fidyrch is one of the memorable players of all time. This 6’3” pitcher was drafted by the Tigers and brought a fun quirkiness to the mound as well as, for a while, pure domination. After spending his first two years in the minors, Fidyrch was a non-roster invitee during 1976 Spring Training. He impressed enough to make the Opening Day roster, then, after throwing a 2-hit complete game in his first start, earned a spot in the rotation. The fans loved watching him, as he would march around the mound after each out, talk to the baseball and not allow the groundskeepers to work on the mound during the game. He completed nearly every game he started as the All Star Game approached and was elected not only to play in the game, but start it. Fidrych continued to show amazing stamina and stuff as he finished out the year with 19-9 record, 2.34 ERA and an incredible 24 complete games, including 4 shutouts. He won the Rookie of the Year award and finished 2nd in the Cy Young voting to Jim Palmer. The next season, Fidrich started to experience injury issues, starting just 11 games. He went 6-4 with a 2.89 ERA and was elected to the All Star Game although he couldn’t play due to injury. He was able to appear in just 7 games over the following two seasons, suffering from a torn rotator cuff that was never diagnosed or treated properly during his career. He made his last MLB appearances in 1980, going 2-3 with a 5.68 ERA. It is sad that Fidyrch’s injury was never diagnosed as he was a control pitcher who didn’t rely on heat and could have had a long and successful, perhaps a Hall of Fame, career, had he gotten the proper treatment. Still, he will always be remembered for his hilarious antics and amazing personality, along with his phenomenal rookie season.

2. Tim Lincecum

Tim Lincecum with Fresno Grizzlies mascot, Parker

Coming in at #2 is Tim Lincecum, who the Giants drafted 10th overall in the 2006 MLB Draft. It was seen as a slight risk given Lincecum’s smaller frame, but he absolutely dominated the minor leagues and the hype was through the roof in 2007 as he went 4-0 with a 0.29 ERA through 5 starts with the Fresno Grizzlies. He struck out 46 batters in 36 innings. The Giants were forced to promote him that year and he showed signs of brilliance, but it wasn’t until 2008 when The Freak hit his full potential. The domination was next level and Tim Lincecum became an instant superstar, striking out 265 batters and going 18-5 with a 2.62 ERA. He took home the Cy Young Award and was elected to the All Star Game. The following season, he did again – All Star Game and Cy Young Award - going 15-7 with a 2.48 ERA and 261 strikeouts. A star was born. He declined a bit in 2010, but was still solid, helping the Giants win their first World Series in San Francisco. He also pitched well in 2011 but his strikeout ratio fell to the lowest of his career and poor run support helped cause an unimpressive 13-14 record. By 2012, he was simply bad, going 3-10 with a 6.42 ERA during the first half. The 2-time Cy Young Award was demoted to the bullpen for the 2012 playoffs. He continued to pitch with the Giants through 2015, but never found the magic from his Cy Young Award seasons and eventually had hip surgery and signed with the Angels. He went 2-6 with a 9.16 ERA. After missing the entire 2017 season, Lincecum made one last comeback effort with the Rangers in 2019, but pitched poorly in Triple-A and never made it back to the big leagues. It should be noted that Lincecum did throw two no-hitters outside of his Cy Young seasons and was very effective in the postseason for the Giants. Still, Lincecum was easily the most unhittable and dominant pitcher in the game for a 2-year period until a slow decline led to the unfortunate end of his career.

1. Denny McLain

Denny McLain

Another extremely interesting character who pitched for the Tigers is Denny McLain. He began his pro career with the White Sox organization in 1962 and threw a no-hitter in his Minor League Debut. The Tigers were able to claim him on waivers by 1965, he was a regular in the rotation, going 16-6 with a 2.61 ERA. McLain was a great arm for the Tigers and continued to pitch well until suddenly, in 1968, he took it to another level entirely. During the first half of the year, he went 16-2 with a 2.09 ERA, putting himself on a pace to win over 30 games. He only got better from there, lowering his ERA to 1.96 for the year and finishing with an incredible 31-6 record, taking home not only the Cy Young Award but also the MVP Award. He had 280 strikeouts and just 63 walks, the best strikeout to walk ratio in Tigers history until Justin Verlander came along. McLain also completed an insane 28 games. The following season, he won 24 games and took home another Cy Young Award. He looked like a future Hall of Famer until suddenly the downfall began in 1970. Before the season even started, his off-the-field gambling issues became public and he apparently had connections to organized crime. McLain had always been an interesting character. For example, he was late to the 1969 All Star Game because he had a dental appointment. He barely pitched in 1970 due to three separate suspensions, one of them due to carrying a gun on the team flight. He was traded to the Washington Senators but led the league with 22 losses in 1971 and did not get along with his manager, Ted Williams. He pitched for the A’s in ‘72 and Brewers in ‘73 but had an ERA above 6 both seasons. Since retiring, McLain has been arrested multiple times and spent time in prison for trafficking cocaine, embezzlement, racketeering and mail fraud. During his sentencing in 1985, he said “I don’t know how you get to where I am from where I was 17 years ago,” McLain said. He was referring to the amazing 1968 season – still the last time in MLB history a pitcher won 30 games.

The 20 Most LOPSIDED Trades In MLB History

There have been thousands of trades in the history of Major League Baseball, some that are barely noteworthy and others that change the entire baseball landscape. Many of these blockbusters deals include massive MLB superstars that are oftentimes dealt for hot up-and-coming prospects. Sometimes the deal works out for both sides, but typically after enough time has passed it is clear who won and who lost the deal. Of course, just like in a baseball game, with a trade, sometimes you win.. and sometimes you win big. Today’s video will be counting down the Top 15 most lopsided trades in MLB history – trades that brought huge value to one side while the benefit to the other side is almost if not completely nil. As always, be sure to comment in that comment section down below your thoughts on the list and any huge lopsided trades I missed that could also have been considered for the Top 20. So, let’s gets started.

#20 - Jose Bautista for a PTBNL!?

Jose Bautista with the Pittsburgh Pirates

In 2008, the Pittsburgh Pirates had a player named Jose Bautista, who had already played for four different teams. He had never made an All Star Team and in 2007, he hit .254 with 15 home runs. The last place Pirates didn’t think he was good enough to be part of their future and traded him to the Blue Jays for a player to be named later. That player ended up being being Robinzon Diaz, who played in just 44 more big league games. Bautista went to Toronto and suddenly transformed, making 6 straight All Star Teams and finishing in the Top 10 for MVP 4 times. He led the league in home runs twice, including 54 bombs in 2010. In 2011, Bautista drove in 132 runs and had an OPS over 1.000. He became an absolute MLB superstar that the Pirates let go for a player to be named.

#19 – The Padres Get Their Face of the Franchise

In July of 2015, the Chicago White Sox made a great move by signing a very young Fernando Tatis Jr. as an international free agent. He had all the tools and looked like a future superstar. Less than a year later, they made a terrible move by trading him to the San Diego Padres along with Erik Johnson for James Shields and cash. Even at the time of the trade, Shields was past his prime and had gone 2-7 with the Padres that year. It was an easy decision for San Diego to dump the struggling Shields and get a young prospect with a massive ceiling. Shields went 16-35 with a 5.31 ERA over 3 seasons with Chicago, never reaching the postseason. Tatis Jr. rocketed through the minors and then lived up to the hype, leading baseball with 42 home runs in 2021. I won’t rank this one too high since Tatis was such a young prospect, there’s no way the White Sox could’ve known he would be this good. Also Tatis Jr. has run into some issues lately with injures and a PED suspension, but at the end of the day, this trade was still ridiculously lopsided and makes the Top 20.

#18 – The Pirates Trade Willie Randolph

The Pittsburgh Pirates had a nice steal in the 7th round of the ‘72 Draft when they selected Willie Randolph. By 1975, he looked big league ready, hitting .339 in Triple-A while stealing 14 bases without being caught. The Pirates at that time were trying to win a World Series and needed pitching, so they sent Randolph to the New York Yankees along with Ken Brett and Dock Ellis in exchange for Doc Medich, who had won 19 games for the Yankees in 1974. Medich won just 8 total games for the Pirates while Willie Randolph helped the Yankees win a World Series in 1977 and go on the play 13 years for the Bronx Bombers. He made 6 All Star Games and had an 18 year career. To add insult to injury, Dock Ellis went to New York and went 17-8 with a 3.19 ERA in 1976.

#17- The Cubs Give Their Rival Lou Brock

Lou Brock with the Cubs

The next trade ends up on the list not only because it involves a Hall of Famer but it also occurred between rivals. In 1964, the Chicago Cubs decided to part ways with a young player named Lou Brock. He had incredible speed but had hit just .257 throughout his first 2 ½ seasons. They sent Brock along with pitchers Jack Spring and Paul Toth to St. Louis for outfielder Doug Clemons and pitchers Bobby Shantz and Ernie Broglio. The Cubs were considered the winners of the deal for picking up Broglio, who had won 21 games in 1960 and had just gone 18-8 with a 2.99 ERA the prior season along with a former 24-game winner and MVP in Shantz and a solid prospect in Clemons. All they had to do is give up a struggling Jack Spring and Paul Toth and this young guy who could run fast, but didn’t look like he had the brightest future. Or so they thought. Brock hit .348 with 12 homers the rest of that season for the Cardinals and never slowed down, going on to make 6 All Star Games and steal a record 938 bases. Brock ended his career with over 3,000 this and was a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame.

#16 – The Mariners Help The Red Sox Finally Win a Ring

It was 1997 and the Seattle Mariners needed some bullpen help. So, they did what lots of teams do and traded away a few prospects for an established MLB player. That player was relief pitcher Heathcliff Slocumb, who had just saved 31 games the previous year for the Red Sox. However, in 1997, he was struggling, with a 5.79 ERA. The M’s traded for him anyway and sent a mid-tier pitching prospect named Derek Lowe along with 1st round pick Jason Varitek, a catching prospect in Triple-A. Slocumb continued to struggle with Seattle and ended up leaving in free agency after 1998, going 2-6 with a 4.97 ERA and just 13 saves throughout a season and a half with the Mariners. Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek, on the other hand, both made multiple All-Star Teams and became key members of the Boston Red Sox, helping them break the Curse of the Bambino and win it all in 2004. During Lowe’s best season, he won 21 games for the Red Sox and Varitek hit at least 20 home runs three times. Varitek stayed with the Red Sox his entire 15 year career and helped them win another World Series in 2007. This trade has to go down as one of the most lopsided of all time.

#15 – The Giants Trade An Elite Closer

While preparing for the 2004 season, the San Francisco Giants, coming off a National League Championship in ‘02 and NL West Championship in ‘03 needed to find a new catcher to replace Benito Santiago, who left in free agency. To do that, they made a trade with the Minnesota Twins, sending Boof Bonser, Francisco Liriano and a young reliever named Joe Nathan to the Twins for A.J. Pierzynski. Liriano made an immediate impact for the Twins, going 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA and making the All Star Team. He went on to have a 14 year MLB career. However, the real loss was Joe Nathan, who became an elite closer, making 6 All Star Teams and closing out 377 games in his career. As for the Giants, they got stuck with Pierzynski, who has a reputation as a clubhouse cancer and it was a match made in hell. Pitchers reportedly hated him and threatened a mutiny if the Giants didn’t trade him. According to one story, pitcher Brett Tomko asked him before a game if they could go over the opposing hitters. Pierzynski ignored him and kept playing cards for 20 minutes. The Giants failed to make the playoffs in 2004. This trade wouldn’t have been so bad if Pierzynski, who was a talented 26-year old catcher, stuck around and helped the Giants. Instead, he was released after the season and went on to be an All Star in Chicago. For a one-year clubhouse cancer, the Giants traded away a borderline Hall-of-Fame closer and solid starter.

#14 – The Padres Trade The Wizard

It’s hard to picture Ozzie Smith in a non-Cardinals uniform but for the first four years of his career, he was a San Diego Padre. Smith finished 2nd in the Rookie of the Year voting and won two gold gloves in San Diego. Ozzie’s agent was very vocal with his displeasure with his client’s salary and got into heated arguments with the Padres owner Ray Kroc. Yes, the McDonald’s guy. Finally, the Padres decided to just trade him, sending him in a package deal to the Cardinals for Garry Templeton, who created plenty of controversies of his own in St. Louis due to his lackadaisical style of play. The Cardinals fans were happy to see him go, but had no idea what they just got in return. Ozzie Smith ended up being a Cardinals legend, winning 11 more gold gloves and making a total of 15 All Star Teams. Templeton did play for the Padres for 10 years, which is why this trade isn’t higher on the list, but he only made 1 All Star Team and was never as good as he was in St. Louis. It ended up being one of the worst trades in Padres history.

#13 – The Marlins Lose Yelich

One team known for moving superstar names for spare parts that never really pan out is the Miami Marlins, and this won’t be their final appearance on today’s list. One of their worst trades occurred just a month after they shipped Giancarlo Stanton to the Yankees – a terrible trade itself - and it involved a young star named Christian Yelich. The Marlins sent him to Milwaukee and in return they got a top prospect named Lewis Brinson along with Isan Diaz, Monte Harrison and Jordan Yamamoto. Brinson was the main prospect in the trade, and he did have some MLB experience with the Brewers but hit just .106 in 47 at bats. The Marlins made the deal anyway and Yelich immediately became one of the best players in baseball, winning the MVP in 2018 and leading the league in batting average, slugging percentage and OPS in 2018 and 2019. Meanwhile, all 3 offensive prospects the Marlins received including Brinson hit under .200 and offered virtually nothing of value. Yamamoto had an 18.26 ERA in 2020 before being traded to the Mets. It was an embarrassing trade for the Fish.

#12 – Ryne Sandberg Comes to Chicago

Many casual baseball fans may not realize that Ryne Sandberg was not a Chicago Cub for his entire career and in fact made his big league debut as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies. Despite hitting .293 with a .352 on-base percentage for the Triple A Oklahoma City 89ers in 1981, the Phillies decided they didn’t need Sandberg since they had Manny Trillo at second base. They traded him to the Cubs along with Larry Bowa, a 5-time All Star who had played for the Phillies for 12 years, for Ivan DeJesus. De Jesus hit .239 for the Phillies while Sandberg went on to have a Hall of Fame Career with the Cubs, becoming one of the greatest second basemen in MLB history.

#11 – The Yankees Trade Away the Crime Dog

In December of 1982, The Yankees traded prospect Fred McGriff along with Dave Collins, Mike Morgan and cash to the Blue Jays for Tom Dodd and Dale Murray. The Yankees traded away a lotto winning draft pick in McGriff, who they got in the 9th round along with 2 other players and even cash for Dodd, who never played a game for the Yankees and ended his career with 3 big league hits and Murray, who won 3 total games for Yankees. Meanwhile, Dave Collins hit .308 for the Jays in 1984 and led the league in triples and Mike Morgan went on to be an All Star and have a 22 year big league career. This would have been a terrible trade for the Yankees even if they didn’t include Fred McGriff, who went on to hit 493 home runs, including a league leading 36 for the 1989 Blue Jays. He has also now, finally, been elected into the Hall of Fame.

#10 – The Padres Trade Away The Crime Dog

You thought we were done talking about the newest Hall of Famer Fred McGriff? Not yet. He has been traded multiple times and credit goes to the Blue Jays, who actually got some value for him, picking up Joe Carter and Roberto Alomar when they traded him to the Padres. Unfortunately, the Padres weren’t so smart, sending him to the Atlanta Braves in 1993 for Vince Moore, Donnie Elliot and Melvin Nieves. I’m ranking this one higher than the Yankees, because at least the Yankees didn’t know McGriff would be a superstar. The Padres knew what they had and still traded him to Atlanta for some spare parts. Fred McGriff helped the Braves catch the red-hot Giants in 1993 to win the division and win it all in 1993. He went on to lead the Braves in homers and RBIs during his tenure. Over in San Diego, Vince Moore never made it to the big leagues. Donnie Elliot went 0-1 and was out of baseball by 1995. And Melvin Nieves hit .207 for the Padres. That’s the risk you take when you sell an established superstar for prospects.

#9 – Bagwell Becomes an Astro For Life

Jeff Bagwell with the New Britain Red Sox

Jeff Bagwell will, of course, always be known as a Houston Astro. However, he was actually born in Boston and grew up a die-hard Red Sox fan. Then, in 1989, he was drafted in the 4th round by his favorite team and hit .333 for their Double-A affiliate, the New Britain Red Sox. It looked like an amazing story in the making until, eager to get some immediate bullpen help, the Red Sox shipped him to Houston for a veteran arm named Larry Anderson. Anderson threw just 22 total innings for the Red Sox and lost Game 1 of the ALCS, in which the Red Sox got swept. Meanwhile, Jeff Bagwell went to win the Rookie of the Year in Houston and have a Hall of Fame career that included 449 home runs and an MVP Award in 1994.

#8 – The Dbacks Land Gonzalez

In 1998, the Arizona Diamondbacks entered into Major League Baseball as an expansion team and with their 9th pick, drafted a talented young outfielder from the Dodgers named Karim Garcia, who had been ranked as high as the 7th best prospect in baseball. At just 22 years old, he was expected to be a mainstay in the Arizona lineup for years, but instead, they surprisingly traded him to the Tigers for a journeyman named Luis Gonzalez, who was usually good for around 10-15 homers a year. Garcia hit just .240 for the Tigers before being shipped off and then bounced around a bit, ending his career with a -3.2 WAR. Gonzalez, on the other hand, became a superstar and made his first All Star Team in 1999, leading the league with 206 hits. His power suddenly exploded as he crushed 26, 31 and then an insane 57 home runs in 2001. He made 5 All Star teams with Arizona and had the game winning hit in the 2001 World Series. This was a trade that didn’t seem unreasonable at the time, as no one could have ever predicted that Gonzalez would be a 5 time All-Star with 57 home run type power, but ultimately it turned out as one of the most lopsided trades in baseball history.

#7 – Mark McGwire Leaves Oakland

By 1997, it was difficult to imagine Mark McGwire in any other uniform besides that of the Oakland Athletics. He had been there for 12 years, made 9 All Star teams and was already approaching 400 career home runs. However, he was unhappy with the A’s overall performance and was ready to move on to a winner as a free agent, so the A’s felt forced to trade him. That wasn’t the problem. The problem was that in return for one of the greatest sluggers of all time, the A’s got pitchers Eric Ludwick, T.J Matthews, and Blake Stein. They initially asked for more – the A’s wanted a more established starter such as Alan Benes or Matt Morris along with top prospect Manny Aybar, but the Cardinals refused. Eventually, the A’s relented and made the deal. Ludwick and Stein won a total of 6 games with the A’s. T.J. Mathews stuck around longer, but he had a 4.78 ERA in 5 seasons for Oakland. Meanwhile, Mark McGwire went on to make headlines as he broke the single season home run record in 1998 and hit 220 home runs with St. Louis. Of course, these accomplishments have since been tainted by the revelation of the steroid era, but the trade of McGwire to the Cardinals is still one of the most lopsided in MLB history.

#6 – The Mets Give Up On Ryan

One of the best draft picks of all time was Nolan Ryan, who was taken in the 12th round by the Mets in 1965. Ryan had insane strikeout stuff, but struggled with his control and went 10-14 in 1971. During the 1971-72 offseason, the Mets decided to package him up with Leroy Stanton, Francisco Estrada and Don Rose and send him to the California Angels for a 6-time All Star named Jim Fregosi. Unfortunately, Fregosi never made another All Star team again and hit .232 for the Mets in 1972. By 1973, he was out of the organization. Most of the 4-man package didn’t really work out for the Angels either, with one obvious exception. Nolan Ryan hit his stride in California and averaged 21 wins per season for his first 3 years there, suddenly making All Star Teams and receiving Cy Young votes. He threw 4 no-hitters with the Angels and ended up with 7 over his career, which also included 324 wins and a record 5,714 strikeouts. It’s amazing that in order to pull of the trade of Nolan Ryan for Jim Fregosi, it was the Mets who had to throw in three additional players. It was without a doubt the worst trade in New York Mets history.

#5 – The Expos Trade The Cy Young Award Winner

Another Hall of Famer like Fred McGriff who was involved in not one, but two horrible trades, is Pedro Martinez. An honorable mention would be the Dodgers sending him to the Expos for Delino Deshields. It was a terrible trade, but at least they didn’t know just how good he would become. However, in 1997 The Expos traded Pedro, who had just won the Cy Young Award with a 1.9 ERA and 13 Complete Games to the Red Sox for Carl Pavano and Tony Armas Jr. They were obviously afraid he would leave in free agency, but how they only got two average prospects in incomprehensible. Pavano was a 13th round pick who showed some decent stats in the minors but went 24-35 for the Expos. Armas Jr. was in the low minor leagues at the time of the trade and ended up posting a 4.45 ERA during his time with the franchise. Martinez, on the other hand, went on to win 23 games in 1999, two more Cy Young Awards and have a Hall-of-Fame career. It is understandable that the Expos would trade a Cy Young Award winner if they thought he would leave in free agency, but you absolutely have to do better than that.

#4 – Marlins Send Miggy to Detroit

The Marlins have made some bad trades, but none worse than the December 2007 deal that sent Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to the Tigers for a package of prospects. That package included six players, one of whom never made it the majors and the rest who did little to nothing for the Marlins, although Andrew Miller went on to be a good reliever for other teams. Another prospect, Cameron Maybin, ended up back in Detroit later on, hitting .315 for them in 2016. Willis didn’t do much in Detroit, but The Tigers did get a franchise player in Miguel Cabrera, who won four batting titles, back to back MVP’s and a Triple Crown. He has established himself as a future Hall of Famer and will certainly wear a Tigers hat on his plaque. It is amazing that not one of the 6 prospects ever made much of an impact in Miami.

#3 – Tigers trade a Detroit-Native and Future Hall of Famer To Atlanta

Although Detroit certainly won the Miggy deal, they lost this next one. It is another example of a team trading away a young player who rooted for them as a kid. In this case, it’s John Smoltz, who grew up in Detroit as a hardcore Tigers fan. Appropriately, he was drafted by the Tigers, but although he had a great arm, his minor league numbers weren’t exactly eye popping. They decided to let him go for a more experienced big league arm and traded him to the Braves for Doyle Alexander. Alexander admittedly pitched well in Detroit for a little while until he led the league in losses in 1989 and retired. However, the Tigers lost out on a superstar and John Smoltz went on to become both an elite starter and closer for the Braves, becoming the first player in MLB history to record 200 wins and 150 saves. He helped Atlanta win a World Series in 1995 and won the Cy Young Award in 1996. At the time of this trade, it seemed like an easy win for the Tigers but in hindsight, it’s one of the worst trades in MLB history.

#2 – The Expos Trade The Big Unit

In the second round of the 1985 MLB Draft, the Montreal Expos made a great selection, taking a 6’6” beast in Randy Johnson. He had insane strikeout stuff but was also very wild, striking fear into the batters who dared to step into the box against the Big Unit. He got off to a rough start in the big leagues in 1984, going 0-4 while walking 26 batters in 29 innings. It’s understandable why the Expos decided to trade him for a more established and trusted starter. They sent him, along with Gene Harris and Brian Holman, to the Seattle Mariners for Mark Langston and Mike Campbell. Langston had a great career but only played a partial season with Seattle before signing with the Angels. Mike Campbell stayed in Triple-A Indianapolis the rest of the year before leaving, having never played a game with the Expos. Meanwhile, the Seattle Mariners picked up an all-time legend. It took a couple years to really figure out his command but once he did, Johnson became the best pitcher in the game, racking up 5 Cy Youngs, 10 All Star Selections, and 4 ERA titles. He helped the Mariners make the playoffs twice before moving onto Arizona, where he won a World Series ring and co-World Series MVP with Curt Schilling. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015 on his first ballot. This was without a doubt one of the worst trades in MLB history.

#1 – Boston Trades The Babe… For Cash

Babe Ruth with the Boston Red Sox

It was one of the most stunning moves in the history of the game. Back in 1919, the Boston Red Sox had on their roster the best baseball player to ever walk the Earth. His name was George Herman “Babe” Ruth. He was one of the best pitchers in the game, but even better at hitting. So much better, in fact, that the Red Sox moved him to the outfield and in 1919, he hit a then-record 29 home runs. This was a number that was unheard during this era. He also had a .322 batting average and was clearly on the verge of becoming an absolute baseball God that would change the entire game. So, what did Red Sox owner, Harry Frazee, do to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? He made a deal with Yankees owner Colonel Jacob Ruppert and traded Ruth to the Yankees for $100,000, which would help him fund his plays and musicals. At least he knew there was no point trying to trade Babe Ruth for players.

“I should have preferred to have taken players in exchange for Ruth, but no club could have given me the equivalent in men without wrecking itself, and so the deal had to be made on a cash basis.”

-Harry Frazee

When the Yankees got Babe Ruth, they weren’t the Yankees we know today. They had never even been to a World Series, much less had won any. They were by far the least popular team in New York and didn’t even have their own stadium – The Giants were kind enough to let them use theirs. Ruth changed all that and the Yankees began a dynasty that lasted for decades. Ruth’s popularity allowed the Yankees to build a new stadium and they started to attract more talent, more fans and, of course, more money for the owners. There is a high likelihood that if Babe Ruth never came along, the Yankees would have moved to the west coast instead of the Giants or Dodgers. They could’ve been the San Francisco Yankees. Instead, the team went on to win 27 world championships and counting and are a team of legends that began with Ruth and was followed by the likes of Lou Gerhig, Joe Dimaggio, Mickey Mantle, Don Mattingly, Derek Jeter and Aaron Judge. Sadly, the effect on the Red Sox seemed to be just the opposite, as the Curse of the Bambino initiated a massive drought in World Series Championships for the Red Sox, who at the time of the trade, already had four rings. They would not win another for 86 years.

10 More MLB Draft BUSTS...

Today, we’ll be counting 10 more busts from professional baseball. I received a lot of great suggestions, but there are certain players who, while they certainly never lived up to the massive hype, still had solid MLB careers. Gregg Jeffries, for example, was supposed to be a next-level superstar, but was never that great. Still, he had a 14 year career, made 2 All Star teams and had a career .289 batting average. He even appeared on the 2006 Hall of Fame ballot and got two votes. So, for the purposes of this list, that is not a bust. For me, a bust is a high draft pick, highly touted prospect who generates big hype and had a far less than average big league career if he made it to the big leagues at all – and a major bust certainly never made an All Star team. So, let’s get started with ten more busts.

10 Bill Bene, P.

Bill Bene

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.

9. Bubba Starling, OF

Bubba Starling

A recent massive prospect, Bubba Starling was a 3-sport star and the #1 baseball recruit in the nation back in 2011. He was seen as the most athletic player in the entire draft and the Royals took him with the 5th overall selection, just ahead of Anthony Rendon, who the Nationals took at #6. Starling was also taken ahead of Francisco Lindor, Javy Baez, George Springer and Brandon Nimmo in an extremely talented draft class. His minor league career was nothing special. In a full season in A Ball in 2014, he hit just .218 with 8 home runs and 17 stolen bases. Still, he slowly moved through the system, battling injuries at times, until finally making his big league debut in 2019, 8 years after he was drafted. In 56 games, he hit .215 with 4 homers and a .255 on-base percentage. In the shortened 2020 season, he was even worse, hitting just .170 in 35 games. That offseason, he was non-tendered by the Royals. Starling re-signed a minor league deal for 2021 and played his last year of professional baseball with Triple A Omaha, hitting .258 with 7 home runs before announcing his retirement from the game. He retired with a .204 MLB batting average.

8. Preston Mattingly, SS.

The next bust was taken in the first round of the 2006 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers and his name is Preston Mattingly. This 6’3” 200 lb power hitter, the son of should-be Hall of Famer Don Mattingly, impressed scouts in High School with massive power, speed and a great glove. Like his dad, he signed out of High School and went to Rookie League, where he hit .290 with a home run. In 2007, with the Great Lakes Loons in A Ball, he struggled, hitting just .210 with 3 home runs in 404 at bats. This wasn’t a great sign for Mattingly’s development and he wasn’t promoted to High A until 2009, when he hit .238 with just 8 home runs despite over 500 at bats. This was a situation where a player didn’t get hurt, wasn’t rushed to the big leagues, wasn’t self-destructive or addicted to drugs… he simply couldn’t hit that well at the professional level. Perhaps, as the son of Don Mattingly, he was overvalued. His last year was 2011, when he hit .232 with 5 home runs. He signed with the Yankees in 2012 but was released before the end of Spring Training. Mattingly, however, did return to college to play Division I basketball and was hired by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2021 to be their Minor League Director.

7. Ben McDonald, P

Next up is a 6’7” 212 lb machine who led the 1988 U.S. Olympic baseball team to a gold medal and helped Louisiana State reach the College World Series twice. His name is Ben McDonald and he was taken as the #1 overall pick in the 1989 MLB Draft and given a signing bonus of $350,000. Unfortunately, like many draft busts, we was rushed to the Major Leagues. McDonald pitched in only 2 minor league games in A Ball, throwing 9 solid innings , allowing 2 runs and 10 hits while striking out 9. It was a nice start to his minor league career but certainly not enough to warrant an immediate call up after two minor league games. He was brought up anyway and against major league hitting, the young prospect allowed 7 runs in 7 1/3rd innings while striking out just 3. He had some moderate success the next year and eventually became a part of the Orioles rotation but fell quite short of the hype, never making an All Star Team and eventually retiring with a 78-70 record and 3.91 ERA. McDonald wasn’t a massive bust, but as an #1 overall selection, he still makes this list.

6. Kiki Jones, P

In the first round of the 1989 MLB Draft, the Dodgers were fortunate to have three selections. Two of them, 22nd overall Tom Goodwin and 28th overall Jamie McAndrew, made it to the big leagues. The other pick, who was taken as the 15th overall selection, never made it to the big leagues. His name – Kiki Jones. He was a High School phenom who struck out 100 batters in 61 innings with a 1.14 ERA. Baseball America named him the country’s top High School prospect. In his first minor league season in the Pioneer League, he dazzled, going 8-0 with a 1.58 ERA, including two complete game shutouts. Instantly, Jones became one of MLB’s hottest up-and-coming Minor League prospects. Unfortunately, that was the last great season of pro baseball Jones would have. The next year, after going 3-3 with Bakersfield in A Ball, Jones season ended due to tendinitis. He made 9 starts at Vero Beach in 1991, going 3-1 with a 4.1 ERA, but continued to struggle with injuries In 3 starts at Double A in 1993, Jones went 0-1 with a 4.5 ERA. His strikeout numbers were gradually dropping off as well. By 1994 he was completely out of baseball. Jones made a comeback attempt in 1998 with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays organization but was ineffective in 3 appearances in high A. His last hurrah was a brief run with the Rangers High A team in 2001, when he went 0-1 with an 18.69 ERA. Jones is one of the many sad stories of insanely talented young pitchers getting injured early in their minor league careers and never being able to make it to the big leagues.

5. Calvin Murray, OF

Calvin Murray with the San Francisco Giants

As a Giants fan, long before the three World Series championships, I remember vividly the hype around an up-and-coming prospect named Calvin Murray. He 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.

4. Billy Beane, OF

One of the most famous busts in MLB history is Billy Beane, the man who went on to become the GM of the Moneyball era Oakland A’s and who was portrayed on the big screen by one Brad Pitt. Before all of that, he was considered one of the top prospects in High School – a 5-tool talent who hit over .500 during his sophomore and junior years. Scouts projected him a future superstar and it was the New York Mets who grabbed him in the first round of the 1980 MLB Draft. The Mets also took two other players in the first round – Darryl Strawberry and John Gibbons, both of whom they put in Rookie Ball. As for Beane, he started in Low A and hit just .210 with a home run. The next year, he hit .268 but struck out 125 times in 403 at bats. His trip through the system was slow. In 1983, while Strawberry was in his first full MLB season, Beane was still in Double-A, hitting .246 with 11 homers. In ‘84, again in Double-A, he performed well enough to finally earn a callup to the big leagues, where he went 1 for 10. Despite another strong minor league season in 1985, the Mets seemed ready to move on from Beane and traded him to the Twins, who gave him his first extended shot in the big leagues. Beane hit .213 with 3 home runs. He also played briefly for the Tigers and A’s, never making it at the MLB level as a player. Fortunately, he has since become a successful baseball executive despite being one of the most noteworthy busts in MLB history.

3. Eddie Bane, P

Drafted in the first round out of Arizona State in 1973, Eddie Bane was considered a can’t miss pitching prospect, good enough in college to be elected into the College Baseball Hall of Fame. His career college stats are ridiculous – a 40-4 record with a 1.64 ERA. He broke and still holds the ASU strikeout record and even threw a perfect game. Bane also won a silver medal in the 1971 Pan-American Games. Unfortunately, the Twins made the same mistake the Rangers made with the first overall selection in the ‘73 draft, David Clyde, and promoted Bane directly to the big leagues. He completely bypassed the minors, which, of course, is a recipe for disaster. He went 0-5 with the Twins in 1973 with a 4.92 ERA. Like Clyde, he showed signs of brilliance and had a few good games here and there, but simply wasn’t ready for the big leagues. So, they put him in Triple-A for the next couple years where, after first getting used to life in the big leagues, had to begin his minor league career. He was finally called back up in 1975, started 4 games and went 3-1 with a 2.86 ERA. This would be his best season. The next year, Bane went 4-7 with a 5.11 ERA and never pitched in the big leagues again. Bane showed massive potential throughout his pro career but the mishandling of him by the impatient Twins front office was likely a major contributor in Bane never being able to really take off in the big leagues.

2. Donovan Tate, OF.

In the 2009 MLB Draft, the San Diego Padres had the third overall pick and with it, took Donovan Tate, a 6’3” 200 lb. High School superstar. He was a 5-tool talent with insane speed, a powerful arm and big stats – a .512 batting average and 9 bombs his Senior Year, which led his team to the Georgia State Championship. The Padres snagged him, offering a $6.7 Million Bonus, and taking him ahead of Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt and Mike Trout. Unfortunately, the massive talent he showed in High School never translated to pro ball. In his first year, Tate hit .222 with 2 homers in rookie ball. The next year, he played in only 39 games in A Ball, struggling with injuries such as a sports hernia, broken jaw and sprained shoulder. He also had problems with non-PED drug abuse and in June of 2011, was suspended and required to attend a drug treatment program. He stayed relatively healthy in 2012, but hit just .226 with one home run in 440 at bats in A Ball. Tate stuck around that level through 2016, never making it to the Double A. The 26-year old retired from baseball and returned to college to play quarterback for the Arizona Wildcats. The Padres, especially during the 2000’s, were known for poor drafting but this may have been their biggest bust of all as he never even made passed High A.

1. Dustin Ackley, 2B/OF

Dustin Ackley with the Los Angeles Angels

My #1 bust in today’s article is Dustin Ackley, who was drafted just before Donovan Tate – which makes him the 2nd overall pick in the 2009 MLB Draft. Number 1, by the way, was Stephen Strasburg. Ackley was a fantastic college player who broke several North Carolina records including 119 hits in a season, which he did in 73 games. In his three college seasons, he hit .402, .417 and .417 respectively with 22 bombs in his final year. He won multiple player of the year awards and was ranked as the #1 college prospect in many publications, including Baseball America. He was considered the best and most professional-ready offensive player in a draft that included Mike Trout. The Mariners were confident enough in his abilities to agree to a 5-year $7.5 million MLB contract before he signed. His first full season in the minors was split between Double-A and Triple-A. He hit .267 with 7 homers, not terrible but definitely not second-overall pick numbers. He looked better in 2011, hitting .303 with 9 homers through 66 games, earning a promotion to the big leagues. He hit .273 with 6 bombs and would be a regular for the Mariners in 2012. Unfortunately, he wasn’t great, hitting just .226 with 12 homers and an on-base percentage under .300. He ended up back in Triple-A for a portion of 2013, hitting well, but still struggling at the big league level. He had a few good streaks and definitely showed some potential from time to time, but would fall into prolonged slumps, and never got close to becoming the player he was supposed to be. Eventually, the Mariners dealt him to the Yankees. He battled injuries there for 2 years, never contributing much, then signing with the Angels, where he stayed in Triple-A for two years. Finally, in 2019, the Mariners signed him to return to his original organization, but he was released during Spring Training. He ended up hitting .241 with 512 hits and over 2,000 big league at bats, which is why he didn’t quite make my Top 10 busts, but given the fact that he was one of the most decorated college players ever and he was hyped up to the best offensive player in the draft, he certainly earned bust status in my opinion.

The Top 10 Most Inspirational MLB Comebacks of All Time

One of the greatest stories that occur in sports is the player comeback. It is so celebrated that MLB gives out the Comeback Player of The Year Award in both leagues every season. In 2021, the winner in the National League was Buster Posey, who won it for the second time in his career. The first time, in 2012, Posey came back from a horrific injury that ended his 2011 season to win the MVP award and lead the Giants to a World Series Championship in 2012. In the American League, the winner was Trey Mancini, who underwent an operation to remove a malignant tumor and 6 months of chemotherapy. Five months later, he was on the field again and won a World Series ring with the Astros in 2022. Amazing comebacks like these are somewhat rare, but do happen and today we’ll be counting down 10 more inspiring comeback stories. Before getting to the main list, however, I have two more honorable mentions in addition to Posey & Mancini.

Honorable Mention: WW2 Heroes

Former MLB pitcher Bob Feller serving at WW2

An extremely honorable mention goes to all the players who stopped their careers and went to serve their country in World War II, many of whom returned to the majors just as good if not better after three or more years of not playing the game. Some of the bigger names include Hank Greenberg, Yogi Berra, Warren Spahn, Bob Feller, Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams. Ted Williams hit 521 home runs despite missing three entire seasons due to the war. Had the war not happened, he would have easily surpassed 600 homers and 3,000 hits. Many players were also seriously injured and still fought back to continue their careers. Cecil Travis suffered frostbite and nearly had his feet amputated and still returned to the Majors. Dixie Howell was held at a German POW Camp for 6 months. When he was finally freed by the Allied Forces, the 6’2” pitcher whose normal weight was 210 weighed 135 lbs. After missing five full seasons, he came back to go 8-3 with a 2.93 ERA for the White Sox.

Honorable Mention: Drew Robinson

Drew Robinson

In one of the most incredible stories in professional baseball history, we have former Texas Rangers prospect Drew Robinson. Robinson played 7 seasons in the minor leagues, hitting 20+ home runs in 2015 and 2016, then making the Rangers Opening Day Roster in 2017. He struggled and ended up bouncing back and forth between the big leagues and the minors, finishing the year with a .224 average and 6 homers. Robinson was eventually traded to the Cardinals, where he spent most of 2019 in the minors. So far, his MLB career had not gone the way he had hoped. On January 6th, 2020, he signed as a Free Agent with the Giants. Unfortunately, that was the year Spring Training suddenly ended due to Covid-19. Robinson returned to his home in Las Vegas, struggling with severe depression during a very depressing time. He decided to end his life, and attempted to do so with a handgun which he aimed at his temple and fired. Miraculously, he wasn’t killed and decided he wanted to live, calling 911 for help. He lost one eye, along with his sense of smell and taste. Robinson figured his baseball career was over, but after taking a round of batting practice, realized his ability to see the ball and time his swing wasn’t much different. The decision to swing must be made within a split second and muscle memory plays a huge role. As long as he could see the ball with one eye, Robinson believed he could still play. And the Giants gave him the opportunity. In an incredible comeback, Drew Robinson returned to professional baseball in 2021 and played in 38 Triple-A games for the Sacramento Rivercats. He hit three home runs, but unfortunately struggled to make consistent contact and never made it back to the big leagues, which is why he’s an honorable mention. Still, the fact that Robinson survived a suicide attempt using a gun to the head, lost an eye and still hit three more professional home runs is an incredible story of its own. Now, let’s get to the Top 10.

10. Tommy John

He has a name that no baseball fan hasn’t heard of. But long before Tommy John’s name was known for a surgery, he was a prospect with the Cleveland Indians. He had a great curveball and established himself as one of the premiere starters in the game after being traded to the White Sox. In 1968, he made the All Star Team and had an ERA of 1.98. Later, after being traded to the Dodgers, he went 16-7 in 1973 with a 3.1 ERA. In 1974, he was 13-3 with a 2.59 ERA. At this point, he had had a more than solid 12 year big league career, leading the league in shutouts twice and in win-loss percentage twice. Unfortunately, it was at this time when he had what was considered at the time to be a career-ending injury – a torn UCL. There was no coming back from that. That is, until orthopedic surgeon Frank Jobe, who worked for the Dodgers, performed a ligament replacement surgery on John. It was a revolutionary procedure that has since become standard surgery for pitchers, allowing them to continue their careers after injuries that were once career-ending. Tommy John indeed recovered while missing the 1975 season and returned in ‘76, going 10-10 with a 3.09 ERA. The next year, for the first time in his career, he won 20 games and finished 2nd in the Cy Young voting. The procedure was a massive success as Tommy John not only recovered but appeared to be even better. He made three straight All Star Teams and won 20 or more games in 3 out of 4 seasons. John played an incredible 14 more seasons after the surgery, giving him a 26 year career in which he won 288 games. He should certainly be in the Hall of Fame. The surgery has, of course, since been known as Tommy John Surgery, or simply “Tommy John.” Although his comeback has since become standard, since he was the first to do it and came back with such an insane degree of success, Tommy John is included in today’s list of the Top 10 comebacks of all time.

9. Jose Rijo

Most hardcore baseball fans from the late 80’s and early 90’s will remember Reds pitcher Jose Rijo, who was a constant in the Reds rotation for many years. In 1991, he went 15-6 with a 2.51 ERA, finishing fourth for the Cy Young Award. He won 111 games over 12 seasons, made an All Star team and led the Reds to a World Series ring in 1990, utterly dominating the A’s by going 2-0 with a 0.59 ERA. In 1995, he was limited to only 14 starts due to elbow injuries. Later that offseason, he had to have Tommy John surgery. Unfortunately, shoulder injuries in 1996 caused further issues and Rijo ended up needing 4 major surgeries. He was basically done with baseball and in October of 1998, became an unrestricted free agent who hadn’t played in 3 years. 1999 came and went and Rijo was unable to play. At this point, he was already considered a Reds legend who had a great 12-year career. He even appeared on the 2001 Hall of Fame Ballot, receiving one vote. Then, on July 1st, in the middle of the 2001 season, the Reds signed the 36-year old Rijo. Now coming out of the bullpen, Jose Rijo began his rehab assignment in Single A more than five years after his last professional pitch, as some one who had already appeared on the Hall of Fame Ballot. He worked his way through Double A then Triple A and finally got his call back up to the big leagues, where he had a 2.12 ERA in 13 appearances. He returned in 2002 as well, pitching out of the bullpen and starting 9 games before retiring. Rijo’s story may not be the most dramatic, but considering he was out of the game long enough to appear on the Hall of Fame ballot and still came back to give the Reds a strong bullpen arm is absolutely amazing and Jose Rijo makes #9 on this list.

8. Sean Burroughs, 3B

Coming in at #8 is third baseman Sean Burroughs, the son of Jeff Burroughs, who hit 240 big league home runs. Sean was supposed to be even better. As a child, he was a baseball prodigy, elite as both a pitcher and hitter. Burroughs threw back-to-back no-hitters in the Little League World Series and later led the USA to a gold medal in the 2000 Olympics. Burrough’s Minor League career started with a bang when he hit .363 in A Ball with 85 runs driven in. In 2001 in Triple A, he hit .322. Sports Illustrated touted him as a “can’t miss” prospect. And at first, they seemed to be right. Burroughs hit .286 in his first full season then .298 in 2004. He had a solid on-base percentage, didn’t strike out much, and looked like he was on a path to a successful big league career, Then, his career suddenly fell apart. A slide into second base at Dodger Stadium caused a broken blood capsule in his leg. He was traded to Tampa Bay, where he hit just .190 and spent most of 2006 in Triple A. He played in a few minor league games with the Mariners organization in 2007 and then was out of baseball. Burroughs ended up wandering the streets of Las Vegas, struggling with substance abuse. Burroughs said that when he was at his worse, he was eating cheeseburgers out of garbage cans. Fortunately, his story doesn’t end there. Nearly three years after his last professional game, Burroughs decided to try to get his life together and play baseball again. He says “I was out of shape with big, black bags under my eyes. Bad hair, hadn’t shaved for weeks on end. Hadn’t eaten anything other than french fries and Sluprees.” Burroughs moved back in with his parents, started working out, got back in baseball shape and called his agent to find any opportunity anywhere. His agent got in touch with the Diamondbacks and convinced them to sign him to a Minor League deal. He tore Triple A up that year, hitting .412, earning a callup to return to Major League Baseball. He hit .273 with the Diamondbacks, hitting his first MLB home run in 6 years. Burroughs retired after 2013 and never became the superstar he was expected to become, but had one of the most inspiring comebacks in MLB history.

7. Matt Bush

Matt Bush as a young prospect with the Padres organization

Up next is the #1 overall pick in the 2004 MLB Draft, Matt Bush. He was a shortstop and pitcher with an incredible arm and powerful bat. In High School, Bush hit .450 with 11 home runs while maintaining a 0.73 ERA on the mound. He was a 5-tool talent with an insane ceiling. However, troubles began before his professional career even got going. He was suspended for taking part in a fight outside of a bar in Arizona. He eventually hit just .192 with no home runs in his first Minor League season. The next season, his first full year, he hit just .221 with 2 homers in A Ball despite 453 at bats. Things weren’t looking on the field for the first overall pick. Off the field, things were even worse. He was arrested a second time for fighting in a bar, and received multiple DUIs. He showed up to games hung over and in 2007, hit .204 with a single home run. The Padres considered him a complete bust and traded him to the Blue Jays, who put him on a zero tolerance policy. That lasted about a month when Bush reportedly threw a baseball at a woman’s head, then banged on her car window after she drew markings on his face at a party. The next day, he was released and missed the entire 2009 season. Every comeback attempt from there was thwarted by another of his insane antics. In 2012, he was set to began the season in Triple A with the Rays organization, now as a pitcher, until he crashed his car three times in a matter of hours, first colliding with another car on an illegal U-turn, then hitting a light pole, then knocking a 72-year old man from his motorcycle, severely injuring him. He left each scene of each accident. He spent the entire 2012 season in jail and was charged with a long list of counts including one count of DUI with serious bodily injury and two counts of leaving the scene of an accident. He was released from prison in October 2015 and hadn’t played a game of professional baseball in over four years. He got a job at Golden Corral and, in an attempt to return to the game, held a showcase right there in the Golden Corral parking lot, since it was the only place was allowed to go. Incredibly, he impressed Rangers scouts enough that they brought him to Texas in December for a more formal tryout and to make a very long story short, Bush signed with the Rangers, went to the Minors and earned his first call up to the Major Leagues, 12 years after being taken first overall in the 2004 MLB Draft. Bush was kept on a no-tolerance policy with several requirements and stipulations and this time, he stuck to it. He went 7-2 with a 2.48 ERA in 2016 and began an MLB career that continues today with the Milwaukee Brewers. Although there’s no possible way to excuse Bush’s behavior early in his career, he did serve his time and completely change his life, while making one of the most improbable comebacks of all time.

6. Rick Ankiel

Rick Ankiel with the Astros

Coming in at #6 is a former pitcher named Rick Ankiel. In High School, Ankiel was a stud, going 11-1 with a .47 ERA and 162 strikeouts in 74 innings. He was a hot name in the draft and was selected in the 2nd round by the St. Louis Cardinals, receiving a signing bonus of $2,500,000. He immediately impressed in the low minor leagues, striking out 222 batters in 161 innings with an ERA of 2.63. The next year between Double A and Triple A, he was even better with a 2.35 ERA and 194 strikeouts in 134 innings. He didn’t walk a ton of hitters and showed the same confidence he had in High School. There was no reason to think Ankiel wouldn’t be an Ace in the big leagues. He had an impressive rookie season in 2000, going 11-7 with a 3.5 ERA and 194 strikeouts, finishing second in the Rookie of the Year voting. The Cardinals made the playoffs that year and in Ankiel’s first playoff start, something strange happened. After throwing two scoreless innings, he suddenly had a complete meltdown, walking four batters and throwing 5 wild pitches in one inning. It was considered a freak incident and since the Cardinals won the game, no one thought much more of it. That is, until his next start, Game 2 of the NLCS, when 5 of Ankiel’s first 20 pitches went past the catcher. He was removed. In his next appearance, it was more of the same – he faced four batters, walked two and threw two wild pitches. Rick Ankiel had the yips. He returned to the team in 2001, and his problems were not fixed. In 24 innings, he walked 25 batters and threw five wild pitches, causing a demotion to Triple A where he went completely next level, walking 17 batters and throwing 12 wild pitches in 4 1/3rd innings. Later, a left elbow sprain and Tommy John surgery kept him largely out of MLB for the next two years. His career was basically over. Or was it? During 2005 Spring Training, Ankiel announced he was switching to the outfield to be a hitter. He had to start his career all over, going back to Single A, where he showed impressive power, earning a callup to Double A. Unfortunately, he injured his knee in 2006 Spring Training and missed the entire year. Was this the end of his career? Not even close. In 2007 in Triple A, Ankiel crushed 32 home runs, earned a promotion to the big leagues, and smashed a home run in his first big league game as an offensive player. He went on to play 7 years in the big leagues as a hitter, finishing his career with 251 home runs along with some dramatic postseason bombs, such as a game winning home run for Atlanta in the 2010 NLDS against the Giants. For one of the best pitching prospects in the game to get the yips and completely lose his control then turn around and have an extremely strong career as an MLB hitter despite not regularly hitting since High School is absolutely incredible and Rick Ankie’s comeback is one of the greatest in MLB history.

5. Tony Congliaro

Next up is Tony Congliaro, who played mostly for the Boston Red Sox. His pro career started in 1963 when he tore up the Minor Leagues, hitting .363 with 24 home runs. The next year, he was in the Red Sox lineup and hit .290 with 24 home runs followed by a league leading 32 bombs in 1965, becoming the youngest American League player to ever lead the league in home runs. The Red Sox had a superstar on their hands and he made the All Star Team in 1967. He hit his 100th home run at just 22 years old. Then, everything changed during a game on August 18th, 1967 against the California Angels. Facing pitcher Jack Hamilton. A pitch struck Congliaro in the face, causing a linear fracture of his left cheekbone, a dislocated jaw and severe damage to his left retina. He was carried off the field on a stretcher and it was questionable if he would ever play again. Congliario’s eyesight was permanently damaged. He missed the next two seasons entirely. Then, in 1969, 2 and a half years after playing his last game, Congliario attempted a comeback. The Red Sox were happy to give him the opportunity, but didn’t know what to expect. Congliario’s comeback was astonishing as he hit 20 home runs with a .255 average driving 82 runs. The next year, he set a career high in home runs and RBIs with 36 and 116 respectively, while hitting .266. His amazing comeback inspired the Tony Congliaro Award, which has since been awarded to those who overcome adversity. Unfortunately, his eyesight worsened as he entered his thirties and Congliario was forced to retire, but the fact that he came back from such a horrific injury to play four more years, including a career year is truly inspirational.

4. Josh Hamilton

Josh Hamilton after being drafted first overall by the Devil Rays

Coming in at #4 is another #1 overall pick in the MLB Draft, Josh Hamilton. He was an absolute beast in High School, hitting .529 with 13 home runs in 25 games in his Senior Year. He could fly on the basepaths and had a cannon for an arm. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays took him first overall in the 1999 Draft and that year, he hit .312 with 10 home runs in the low minor leagues. The next year, he made the South Atlantic League All Star Team, hitting .302 with 13 home runs in 96 games. Unfortunately, things began in unravel in 2001 after he was involved in a car accident, resulting in injuries to his parents. After landing on the disabled list due to back injuries, Hamilton hung out at tattoo parlors, purchasing two tattoos a day while abusing cocaine and alcohol. He had plenty of cash, with a $3.96 million bonus, and used it to fall deeper and deeper into this new lifestyle. The Devil Rays sent him to the Betty Ford Center, but he checked himself out after just 8 days. In 2003, he failed to show up for a mandatory drug test and was suspended by MLB. He was out of baseball completely now, graduated from cocaine to crack, and lived the life of a junkie, even stealing from his family to feed his addiction. A few times, Hamilton tried to come back to baseball but continued to either relapse or get arrested. Finally, in 2006, a man named Roy Silver hired Hamilton to work at his Baseball Facility in Florida, where he stayed clean and slept on an air mattress in one of the offices. In 2007, after being removed from the 40-man roster, the Cubs claimed Hamilton in the Rule 5 Draft, promptly trading him to the Reds. Part of the stipulation of the Rule 5 Draft is the player must stay on the Major League Roster for an entire season or be returned to the original team, in this case the Devil Rays. Hamilton tore it up in Spring Training in 2007 and earned a spot on the roster, making his big league debut 8 years after being drafted. He hit .292 with 19 home runs, an absolutely incredible feat considering he had barely played the game in the past 5 years. The Reds traded him to the Rangers that offseason, and he became an absolute superstar in Texas, hitting .304 with 32 home runs and an insane 130 runs driven in. He got the attention of every MLB fan at the home run derby that year, smashing a record 28 home runs in the first round. He made 5 straight All Star teams, won an MVP in 2010 and hit four home runs in a single game. He eventually experienced some relapses and injuries, which slowed his career down, but Josh Hamilton had a ridiculous 5-year stretch in Texas, proving that had he never fallen into a lifestyle of drugs & alcohol, Hamilton would have easily had a Hall of Fame career and possibly been one of the greatest to ever play the game. Still, the fact that he came back from depths of darkness he was in to come back and be a superstar MVP player is still incredible and one of the greatest comebacks of all time.

3. Dave Dravecky

Next up is a pitcher named Dave Dravecky. He was a solid left-handed arm in the San Diego Padres rotation for several years in 80’s, making an All Star team in 1983 and maintaining an ERA around 3 every season. Only July 4th, 1987, the San Francisco Giants traded for him, along with Craig Lefferts and Kevin Mitchell, for Mark Grant, Mark Davis and Chris Brown. He pitched well for the Giants, including a shutout performance in the 1987 playoffs against St. Louis. In 1988, he was pitching well with a 3.16 ERA after 7 starts when a cancerous tumor was found in his pitching arm. It was a rare and aggressive tumor known as a desmoid tumor. Unfortunately, it was positioned on his left deltoid muscle, a muscle that is needed by pitchers to even pitch. Doctors would have to remove the tumor and surrounding muscle, a huge portion of his arm, in order to save his life. The surgery was performed in October of 1988 and half of the deltoid muscle was removed. The humerus bone was frozen as well in order to kill all of the cancerous cells. Doctors advised him that he would never pitch again. Dravecky had other plans. His rehab was astonishingly fast, going from not being able to move his arm at all, to lifting 1 lb. Dumbbells, to actually pitching all in a matter of months and by 1989 Dravecky already felt ready to pitch again, although doctors urged him to wait until at least 1990. They feared that the frozen humerus bone could snap if stressed too early. But Dravecky was determined to return that year and he did, returning to the minors in 1989 on rehab assignment, where he threw 3 complete games. There is no possible chance a pitcher would be allowed to complete any games so early in their comeback attempt today, given the circumstances. But in 1989, it happened – he threw three complete games and a shutout with an ERA 1.8, convincing the Giants he was ready for his official comeback game. It occurred on August 10th, 1989, in an amazing day at Candlestick Park. Dravecky pitched 8 innings, defeating the Reds 4-3, despite the doctor’s prediction that he would lose 95% of the use of his left arm. It was one of the most inspiring comebacks of all time and there was absolute magic in the air that day in San Francisco. Unfortunately, it was short-lived as during his next start in Montreal, he felt a strange tingling in his arm, continued to pitch anyway and broke his arm on a pitch. Later, the cancer returned with a vengeance and he had to have his arm amputated. Although he probably should have waited until 1990 to come back as doctors recommended, Dravecky is an absolute amazing athlete with incredible determination and his comeback was one of the most inspiring moments in baseball history. Dave Dravecky continues to travel the country and give motivational speeches today.

2. Eddie Waitkus

Coming in at #2 on my list of the Top 10 Inspirational MLB Comebacks of all time is first baseman Eddie Waitkus. He began his pro career with the Cubs organization in 1939, hitting .326 in the minor leagues and earning his first promotion to the big leagues by 1941. In ‘42, he spent the year in the Minors, hitting .336 for the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League. Then, WW2 happened. He was a hero, earning four bronze stars. On one occasional, he left his foxhole, entering into enemy gunfire to save his comrade’s life. He returned to baseball in 1946, after missing three entire seasons due to the war, and hit .304 for the Cubs, eventually becoming an All Star first baseman. But the story doesn’t end there. This was just the first comeback. In June of 1949, Waitkus was hitting well for his new team, the Phillies, with a .306 batting average. But there was a mad fan from Chicago who had worshiped Waitkus named Ruth Ann Steinhagen. She had created a “shrine” to him with hundreds of photos and newspaper clippings. Steinhagen even set a plate for him at the dinner table. After he left to play for the Phillies, she fantasized about killing him. When the Phillies came to Chicago for a series against the Cubs, she checked into the same hotel he was staying in and had the bellboy give him a note urging him to see her for some important information that he would want to know. When he arrived at her room, she shot him with a .22 caliber rifle. There are some disputes over what, if anything, was said, but according to Watkus’s friend and roommate, Waitkus told him that she said “If I can’t have you, nobody else can.” The bullet barely missed his heart and during the operation, he almost died several times. Incredibly, Waitkus recovered and returned in 1950 and played 6 more years in the Majors. He hit .289 in 1951 and .291 in ‘53. His story was part of the inspiration for the film “The Natural.” Eddie Waitkus makes #2 of this list because he not only made an amazing comeback from being a war hero, but he also came back from being shot and nearly killed by an insane fan.

1. Lou Brissie

Lou Brissie with his baseball card

My #1 most inspirational comeback in MLB history goes to former MLB pitcher Lou Brissie. Brissie was born in Anderson, South Carolina in 1924 and grew up in the town of Ware Shoals, a location where the most popular baseball was played in local textile leagues. Brissie’s career began in 1940 on the Ware Shoals baseball team. He was a talented young pitcher who, as a dominating lefty at 6’4”, caught the attention of Philadelphia A’s manger Connie Mack in 1941. He signed with the Athletics on 1941 with the understanding that he would pitch for three years in college and then begin his professional career. Unfortunately, before he could complete his college career, war broke out and he joined the United States Army. Before going off to war, he was stationed at Camp Croft in South Carolina. One day on leave, he rejoined the War Shoals team for a game and struck out 22 batters. By 1943 he had been deployed to Italy, and his unit, the 88th Infantry Division, saw a lot of action and suffered many casualties. After 14 months fighting, in December of 1944, his unit came under heavy artillery fire. At least 12 men were killed in the attack and one explosion went off near Brissie, whose last memory before falling unconscious was of himself half in and half out of water with one foot severely damaged and the other completely missing. He was left for dead and found several hours later, with his left tibia and shinbone shattered into 30 pieces. Doctors informed him the leg would need to be amputated but Brissie persuaded them to try and save it so he could eventually play ball again. He had 23 surgeries and 40 blood transfusions performed over 2 years, reconstructing his leg with wire. Connie Mack heard about the severity of the injury and wrote to Brissie, saying that his duty was to to get well and whenever he was ready to play, Mack would make sure he got the opportunity. “That meant an awful lot to me,” said Brissie. “It was a tremendous motivator.” Eventually, after a year of rehab, he could walk with a cane. In 1945 as Shibe Park, he held a workout for Connie Mack, trying to pitch on crutches. Mack later said, “I’ll never forget how he looked last summer, he had just undergone an operation and was about to undergo another one. He was on crutches and I thought, ‘Poor boy. He’ll never be able to pitch again.’” For another year, he kept rehabbing and pushing through pain to learn how to pitch again. Finally, in 1947, 6 years after he first signed with the A’s, Connie Mack gave him the opportunity he promised. He was sent to A Ball and was amazing, going 23-5 with a 1.91 ERA and 278 strikeouts. After the Minor League season, he was promoted. Against all odds, Lou Brissie made it to the big leagues. In 1948, he went 14-10 with a 4.13 ERA, kicking off a 7 year Major League career. After retirement he confirmed that he pitched through severe pain every game. His career ERA in a respectable 4.17 and there’s no telling how good he would have been had the injury never occurred. But what he did was even more impressive and is #1 on today’s list as the most inspirational comeback in baseball history.

And that does it for today’s article on the most inspirational comebacks in MLB history. There are many others I’m sure I missed so please feel free to share them in the comments section below. Thank you so much for checking out the blog and remember, as Lou Brissie once said, “If someone tells you that you cannot climb the mountain, you set out and find a way to do it.”

Top 20 MLB Draft STEALS Of ALL TIME

The MLB Draft started in 1965 and was an instant success, allowing every team to have the opportunity to bring elite talent into their organization. The Kansas City Athletics took Rick Monday with the first overall pick and he became an All Star player. However, one of the most intriguing aspects of the draft is that even if a team is picking beyond the first round, you never know when you’ll find a diamond in the rough. The Reds, for example, took a catcher in the 2nd round named Johnny Bench. Sometimes, these amazing finds occur even deeper – much deeper – in the draft and today, we will begin our exploration into the top 20 biggest draft steals of all time. The only criteria is that the pick had to occur outside of the top 5 rounds and this list only contains retired players. Also, of course, the player had to have signed with the team that drafted him. Part 3 of this series will be on the MLB Draft steals for active players. Even if the player found success with a different team than he was drafted by, he will still be considered for this list, even though the team that “stole” him never benefited from the steal. This list will rank these players based on how late they were taken compared to how good they actually became.

Honorable Mention: Robb Nen (Round 32, Overall: 831st)

a young Robb Nen

My honorable mention is the former San Francisco Giant closer Robb Nen, who was a third baseman and pitcher at Los Alamitos High School. He wasn’t valued too highly, but did have some MLB blood as the son of former big leaguer Dick Nenn, and the Rangers took a chance on him in the 32nd Round of the 1987 Draft. He was the 831st overall selection. Of the 25 players picked in the 32nd round that year, only two made the big leagues – Robb Nen and Jim Campbell, who appeared in exactly two career MLB games. Nen worked his way through the minors as a starter and made his MLB debut with the Rangers in 1993. He was injury-pone and ineffective with Texas but after he was traded to the Marlins, he was moved to the bullpen to reduce the stress on his arm, and he found his calling. He racked up over 100 saves for the Marlins and became an elite MLB closer. His dominance in the 1997 postseason helped the Marlins win the World Series. Then, for the next 5 years, he averaged 41 saves per season for the San Francisco Giants. He continued to dominate in the postseason, helping the Giants became National League Champions in 2002. Unfortunately, injuries & surgeries brought his career to an early end but he still managed over 300 saves as a Round 32 pick.

20. Mark Buehrle (Round 38, Overall: 1,139th)

Next up is Mark Buerhle, a pitcher who didn’t even make the team during his sophomore year of High School. He worked hard and became good enough to attend Jefferson College, a community college in Missouri. The White Sox took him in the 38th round with the 1,139th overall pick of 1998 Draft. At this point in the draft, teams are just filling rosters on their minor league affiliates. No one else in that round ever made any kind of impact in the major leagues. Buehrle pitched extremely well in the minors and quickly made the big league club in 2001, where went 16-8 in his first full season with a 3.29 ERA. He 2002, he made the All Star team and won 19 games. The White Sox had struck gold in the 38th round. He went on to make 5 All Star Teams and win 4 gold gloves in addition to 214 big league wins with the White Sox, Marlins and Blue Jays. In 2021, he received 11% of the vote for the Hall of Fame, allowing him to stay on the ballot. He will probably not quite make it into the Hall of Fame, but Mark Buerhle’s story is incredible – he went from getting cut from his High School team to getting picked late in the MLB Draft to winning over 200 MLB games.

19. Jeff Conine (Round 58, Overall: 1,226th)

If getting picked as the 1,139th overall pick sounds bad, how about the 1,226th overall pick? That’s how low Jeff Conine was picked by the Kansas City Royals in the 1987 Draft, a draft that broke a record for the number of draft picks. Most years, Conine would have never even been picked. No one else in the 58th round made it above Low A Ball. The most shocking thing about Conine is that at UCLA, he was a pitcher – and just an average pitcher at that - and he only had one plate appearance as a hitter, when he was hit by a pitch. It was Royals scout Guy Hansen who convinced the Royals to draft him by telling him that this guy could really hit and could be a first baseman. At this point in the draft, the Royals figured why not? No one was expected to pan out anyway. He had no issues at all with minor league pitching and hit .320 in Double A with 15 home runs. In Triple-A, he hit .302 with 20 bombs. The Royals knew they had hit the jackpot and promoted Conine to the majors. Unfortunately for them, the Florida Marlins were an expansion team and snagged up Conine in their inaugural draft, moved him to left field and found their franchise player. He is the only player who was with the Marlins for both their 1997 and 2003 world series championships, although he did play for the Orioles in-between them. He also won an All Star Game MVP Award and retired with over 200 homers and 1,000 RBIs – not bad for a 1,226th overall pick.

18. Jim Edmonds (Round 7, Overall 169th)

Jim Edmonds is a player who was recently highlighted in one of my top Hall of Fame Snubs ranking. Although he should be in the Hall of Fame in my opinion, he is ranked #17 since he wasn’t drafted ridiculously low – but it was still low. He was taken by the California Angels in the 7th round as the 169th overall pick, in-between Bernie Jenkins and Bill St. Peter, neither of whom made it above Double-A. He was considered damaged goods with a shoulder injury in High School, but showed serious promise in the minors by hitting over .290 in High A then over .300 in Double A and Triple A. His defense was also top-notch and the Angels promoted him in 1993. They still weren’t convinced he was in their future plans and signed free agents Bo Jackson and Dwight Smith for the 1994 season. Neverthless, Edmonds forced his way into the lineup and was in Rookie of the Year talks when the season was abruptly ended by the strike. The next year, his bat exploded – Edmonds crushed 33 home runs with 107 RBIs while making ridiculous plays in the outfield. He went on the be an absolute machine for the Cardinals, averaging 35 home runs a year for 6 years. He finished his career with a .284 average, 393 bombs, 8 gold gloves, a silver slugger and 4 All Star selections – representing the 7th round.

17. Fred McGriff (Round 9, Overall: 233rd)

Another huge Hall of Fame Snub who was taken even later than Edmonds is Fred McGriff. He loved the game of baseball as a kid and always hung out around the Reds Spring Training camp in Tampa, Florida. Unfortunately, even in his High School days, Fred McGriff was getting snubbed as he was cut from his Sophomore team. He made the team the next year, although no scouts paid any attention to him – that is, until a few scouts who were checking out Doc Gooden pitch saw this McGriff kid hit a towering home run off Doc. The New York Yankees, with the last pick of the 9th round, decided to go ahead and take a shot at him as the 233rd overall pick. He showed some promise in rookie league by hitting .272 with 9 home runs. Then, figuring they were already good at first base with Don Mattingly, the Yankees let their draft steal go by trading McGriff, along with Dave Collins and Mike Morgan, to the Blue Jays for Dale Murray and Tom Dodd. They should’ve asked for much more. McGriff ended up smashing 20 bombs for the Jays in 1987, then 34 the next year, beginning a streak of 7 straight 30+ home run seasons. In 1990, the Jays also traded McGriff, although they got much better value in return by getting Joe Carter and Roberto Alomar from San Diego, Neverthless, McGriff still put up big numbers with the Padres and then the Braves, who picked him up at the trade deadline in 1993 to help them try to catch the red-hot Giants. He was the spark they needed – literally, as the Braves stadium caught on fire right after the trade, and figuratively – as the Braves won the division that year. In 1995, he helped them win the World Series. McGriff retired with 493 home runs and a .284 batting average and had an absolute Hall of Fame career – despite that fact that he inexplicably was never elected. He did all that and more as a 9th round selection.

16. Kenny Lofton (Round 17, Overall: 428th)

Next up, it was the 1988 MLB Draft and the Houston Astros, with the 428th overall pick, took Kenny Lofton. Only 2 other players in the 7th round made the big leagues and their combined WAR is -2. Lofton was a basketball player for the Arizona Wildcats and played in the Final Four in 1988. It wasn’t until his junior year that he decided to go try out for the baseball team. Although he made the team for his speed and athleticism, he played in just five games and got one at bat. An Astros scout, however, noticed his speed and thought he was worth a shot in the later rounds even though he wasn’t really a baseball player yet. He wasn’t great in his first minor league year with a .214 average but it was a lot better than any one expected, and he stole 26 bases, so they let him play a second season. Everything clicked – Lofton hit .292 and stole 40 bases. The next year, in Double-A, he hit .331 with 62 steals. He was not only showing the incredible speed he was drafted for, he was also a natural with the bat, rarely striking out, putting the ball in play, getting on base and wreaking havoc for the opponent. The Astros decided that since they needed a catcher and already had Steve Finley in centerfield, they would trade Lofton. He was sent to Cleveland for catcher Eddie Taubensee and pitcher Willie Blair. In 1992, Taubensee hit .222 for the Astros and Lofton became a superstar for the Indians. He made 6 straight All Star Teams, led the league in steals for 5 straight years and went on to help the San Francisco Giants win the NL Pennant in 2002. He also won 4 Gold Gloves and even hit 130 home runs. As a non-baseball player who had one college at bat, he is perhaps the most unlikely draft-pick to go on to have what can be considered by many to be a Hall-of-Fame worthy career, although to this day he still hasn’t been elected.

15. Mark Grace (Round 24, Overall: 622nd)

Coming in at #15 is first baseman Mark Grace, who was originally drafted in the 15th round by the Twins, but did not sign. He played at San Diego State University in 1985, hitting .395 with 2 home runs, not showing much power, but an incredibly smooth swing and a solid reliable glove. Apparently, this wasn’t impressive enough for most teams as Grace was passed on round after round after round in the 1985 MLB Draft. Finally, in the 24th round, after the Red Sox took Erik Laseke, it was the Chicago Cubs who selected Mark Grace. He instantly tore up the minor leagues with a .342 average in A ball with an impressive 15 round-trippers. The next year, in Double A, he hit .333 with 17 bombs. The Cubs made him a regular in 1988 and he impressed, hitting .296 and finishing 2nd in the Rookie of the Year voting to Chris Sabo. Grace went on to be a constant producer for the Cubs, consistently hitting well above .300 with moderate power and elite defense. He made 3 all star teams and won 4 gold gloves. In 2001, he signed with the Diamondbacks and helped them their first World Series. Grace hit .329 in his postseason career and retired with .303 batting average and 2445 hits. He led an entire decade in hits and is the only player other than Pete Rose to do so who is not in the Hall of Fame. Not bad for a guy picked in the 15th then 24th round.

14. Orel Hershiser (Round 17, Overall: 440th)

The original scouting report for Orel Hershiser, a relief pitcher for Bowling Green, said that he was rattled easily, had questionable makeup, a weak fastball and a curveball that he didn’t even know how to properly throw. It’s no surprise that it took a team until the 17th round to take him – and that team was the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was taken between Raymond Alonzo and Rob Teegarden – who both made it to Double A and no higher. The only other notable pick in Hershiser’s round was a decent steal himself, current Rockies manager Bud Black. Hershiser worked his way through the minors and looked halfway decent, but nothing extraordinary. He struggled in the big leagues and after one particular rough appearance, manager Tommy Lasorda gave him a scolding he would never forget, telling him he was too nice on the mound and needed to be a bulldog. The nickname stuck and the Bulldog went on to go 19-3 in 1985, finishing 3rd for the Cy Young. In 1988, he was even better, winning the Cy Young and going 23-8 while leading the Dodgers to a World Series Title. He threw a mind-blowing 59 consecutive scoreless innings, an MLB record. Later, with the Indians, he went 16-6 and led the team to their first postseason appearance in 41 years. He also pitched for the Giants and Mets before returning to the Dodgers for his last season. Hershiser won 204 games, a Cy Young, Gold Glove, ALCS MVP, NLCS MVP, World Series MVP and Silver Slugger. So much for a 17th round pick with questionable makeup. Unfortunately, Hershiser has yet to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

13. Ozzie Smith (Round 7, Overall 146th)

Ozzie Smith

Next up, we have a 7th round pick who has made it into Cooperstown, and it is the Wizard, Ozzie Smith, the 146th overall pick in the 1976 draft. Smith was a big baseball fan as a kid and played both basketball and baseball in High School. He attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for college and walked on to the baseball team as a backup infielder. When the regular shortstop broke his leg, Smith took over and impressed with amazing defense, blazing speed and a solid bat. After his junior year, the Tigers took him in the 7th round but they couldn’t agree on a bonus. The Tigers missed out on Ozzie Smith over $1,500. The next year, the Padres drafted him again in the 7th and he signed. He dazzled in the minors with the glove and the bat and was quickly promoted, where he established himself as one of the best defenders in the game. Just 10 games into his career, he made one of the most spectacular plays ever caught on video with a dive on a ball going up the middle that took a bad hop. Smith somehow snagged it with his bare hand and threw the runner out. Later, because of some animosity between the Padres and Smith’s agent, San Diego dealt Smith to the Cardinals for Garry Templeton, who the Cardinals were all too ready to get rid of due to fans booing him for his lackadaisical style of play and body language. The rest is history of course as Smith became a Cardinals legend, winning 13 gold gloves and making 15 total All Star games, one of which was with the Padres in 1981. He was elected to the Hall of Fame on his first ballot.

12. Wade Boggs (Round 7, Overall 166th)

Amazingly, that 1976 7th round also produced another Hall of Famer, Wade Boggs. He is higher on this list, however as he was taken as the 166th pick, 22 picks after Ozzie. Boggs was an All-State football player in High School and earned a scholarship to the University of South Carolina. He also played baseball, but was exactly a hot name in the draft. It was likely no MLB team would take him if not for a scout named George Digby who fought hard for the Red Sox to draft this kid, who he said had an incredibly smooth swing. The Red Sox front office didn’t think he had MLB talent, but what the heck – it was the 7th round, so they took Digby’s advice. As a prospect that the Red Sox didn’t consider a future big leaguer, they were slow to move him up the minor league ladder. However, they couldn't ignore his stats – .332 batting average in A ball, .325 in Double-A, .335 in Triple-A. This guy was absolute hitting machine, but could he did at the big league level? We all know the answer. Boggs hit .349 in his rookie year and followed it up by leading the league with a .361 average and .444 on-base percentage. He never stopped hitting. Boggs led the league in batting average 5 out of 6 seasons at one point and made 12 All Star Teams. He also played solid defense, taking home 2 gold gloves. He finished his career with over 3,000 hits, a .328 average and even smashed 24 home runs in 1987. He was a first ballot shoe-in Hall of Famer and is one of the best pure hitters to ever play the game. He did it all as a 7th round pick.

11. Jim Thome (Round 13, Overall: 333rd)

Next up, the biggest steal in Part 1 of this list, is Jim Thome, a Hall-of-Famer who was taken in the 13th round and 333rd overall. Only 1 other player, Mike Oquist, made the big leagues from this round. In High School, Thome was considered underweight and lacking in potential. No team drafted him. Then, at a community college, he showed a bit more promise and, as basically an afterthought, the Indians drafted him in the 13th round. No one would have batted an eye if he washed out of the minor leagues after one or two seasons. Instead, he hit .340 in A ball with 16 home runs. Then, the next season, between double A and Triple A, he hit .319 and drove in 73 runs. The Indians took serious notice at this point and brought him to the big leagues, where he hit .255 in his first 27 games. He still wasn’t considered a massive prospect and bounced back and forth from Triple A to MLB for a few years until he smashed 20 home runs in 1994 and earned a permanent spot in the lineup. By 1997, he was a superstar, with 40 bombs that year and an OPS over 1.000. He led the league with 120 RBIs and didn’t slow down from there, driving in over 100 runs for 7 of the next 9 years. In 2003 with Philadelphia, he hit a career high 47 home runs and retired with an astonishing 612, becoming the 8th player of the 600 home-run club. He received 89.8% of the vote in his first year on the ballot. Jim Thome went from a skinny undrafted High School kid to a 13th round minor league roster filler to a no doubt first ballot Hall of Famer.

10. Andre Dawson (Round 11, Overall: 250th)

Andre Dawson with the Expos

Just cracking the top 10 is a Hall-of-Famer who scouts had absolutely no interest in during his High School days. He went on to take out some student loans so he could go to college, attending Florida A&M University. Dawson tried out for the baseball team and made it, eventually becoming a regular who showed definite talent. It was enough talent that the Expos took notice and drafted Dawson in the 11th round, 250th overall. He took the minor leagues by storm with a .330 batting average and 13 homers in just 72 games in rookie ball. He was sent to Double-A the next year and crushed everything. So, he was moved up to Triple-A. He tore up both leagues with a .352 average and 28 home runs in 1976. The Expos had a winning lotto ticket and they knew what to do with it. From 1977 onward, Dawson would be in the Expos lineup every day. He hit .282 that year with 19 home runs and won the Rookie of the Year Award. He started making All Star teams, winning gold gloves and becoming an absolute superstar. He eventually signed with the Cubs to get away from the artificial turf in Montreal and crushed 49 home runs in 1987, winning the MVP. He also played for the Red Sox and Marlins, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2010 wearing a Montreal Expos cap on the plaque. He was also the first Marlins player elected to the Hall of Fame. It’s a good thing Dawson decided to go to college and walk on to the Florida A&M baseball squad.

9. Jeff Kent (Round 20, Overall: 523rd)

a young Jeff Kent

The next draft steal is Jeff Kent, who was taken in the 20th round of the 1989 MLB Draft. Kent was a college player at U.C. Berkley who had a great year in 1987 with a .349 average but showed a huge decline the next year, hitting just .193 in 1988 with 4 home runs. His 8 career college home runs didn’t spark much interest in him as a power hitter, but there was enough there that the Blue Jays took a waiver on him in the 20th round. He ended up being a decent minor league hitter, moving up slowly through the system and making his big league debut in 1992. He hit .239 with 11 home runs. With a reputation as a decent hitting infielder with at least a little pop, the Jays traded him to the Mets for David Cone. His power started really coming around in 1993 when he hit 21 home runs. He proved that he was a real big leaguer in New York. Later, he was traded to the Indians. However, it was in San Francisco where his career really took off. I know this from experience – Giants fans were not happy with the trade that brought Jeff Kent to the bay area, as it resulted in the loss of Matt Williams. However, we got it over it quickly as Kent hit 29 home runs in 1997, then 31 in 1998, finishing in the Top 10 for MVP both years. In 2000, he had a phenomenal season, beating out his teammate Barry Bonds for the MVP by hitting 33 bombs while batting .334. He was also, or at least we thought so at the time, a great fielder as well despite the advanced stats not agreeing with that. Kent went on to hit more home runs than any second baseman in the history of the game. He should have a plaque in Cooperstown, but as of now, it hasn’t happened. Kent, as a 20th round and 523rd overall pick, comes at #9 in my list of the Top MLB Draft Steals of all time.

8. Andy Pettite (Round 22, Overall: 577th)

Coming in at #8 is Andy Pettite, who was taken even lower – in the 22nd round and 577th overall. His fastball clocked in at about 85 MPH in High School and he wasn’t expected to do much, but teams have to fill their minor league rosters, so the Yankees took him right after the Dodgers snagged Mike Rocobaldo. Pettite’s fastball must’ve hit puberty right before his pro career began as he struck out 83 batters in 69 innings in his first minor league season. He continued to dominate the next year with a 2.2 ERA in A Ball. The Yankees moved him through the system slowly, noticing that he continued to dominate at each level. In 1995, after allowing zero runs in 2 Triple-A starts, they brought him up and put him in the rotation. He went 12-9 and finished 3rd for the rookie of the year. The next year, he broke through completely with a 21-8 record, finishing second in the Cy Young voting. He would be a mainstay in the Yankees rotation through 2003 when he went to Houston for three years then came back to the Yankees, where he helped them win it all in 2009. Pettite retired with an 19-11 postseason record and 256-153 regular season record. He is a borderline Hall of Fame case, but considering he was picked 577th in the draft and played nearly his entire career for the Bronx Bombers, Andy Pettite is a huge draft steal.

7. Don Mattingly (Round 19, Overall: 493rd)

Amazingly, Andy Pettite isn’t even the Yankees biggest steal on this list. Next up is a 19th round pick named Don Mattingly. However, unlike many of this list, Mattingly was a big name during his High School career and had many MLB teams interested in his services. He hit .463 in High School and set multiple High School records that stand to this day. The only reason he fell all the way to the 19th round is that he accepted a scholarship to play college ball at Indiana State. His father told MLB teams to not bother drafting him, because he was going to honor his commitment. The Yankees were smart to try anyway and they did so with the 493rd pick. Mattingly wanted to play pro ball right away and, despite his father’s wishes, he signed with the Yanks. Mattingly was actually disappointed with his minor league performance in his first year, which resulted in a .349 batting average and .932 OPS. He was a star in the making and eventually became one of the premiere players in Major League Baseball, dominating the mid-to-late eighties. Even his power showed up in a big way when he crushed 35 bombs in 1985. Mattingly made 6 straight All Star teams, won an MVP and played flawless defense at first, winning 9 Gold Gloves. Injuries slowed him down, and he eventually had to retire relatively early, but Donnie Baseball absolutely should be in the Hall of Fame and, I am confident in saying, will be someday. The Yankees had a massive steal by taking a gamble that he would sign by drafting him in the 19th round way back in 1979.

6. Ryne Sandberg (Round 20, Overall: 511th)

Coming in at #6 in my Top 10 MLB Draft Steals of all time is Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg. Like Mattingly, he wasn’t a nobody in High School, in fact, he was a three-sport star and was so good at football, that several Division I colleges tried to recruit him. Sandberg eventually signed a letter of intent to play quarterback at Washington State University, which explains why he didn’t go higher in the MLB Draft. Nevertheless, the Phillies took a shot at him in the 20th round as the 511th overall selection. To their delight, Sandberg decided to forgo college football and signed to play pro baseball with the Phillies organization. Only one of the other 22 players drafted in the 20th round that year ever played major league baseball – and it was a guy named Pat Rooney, who went 0 for 5 with 3 strikeouts in his big league career. Sandberg hit .311 in his first year at rookie ball, then moved through minors at an appropriate pace, playing at each level for one season. In 1981 in Triple A with the Oklahoma City 89ers, he hit .293 but hit just 9 homers – he was never much of a power hitter in the minors. The Phillies brought him up to make his big league debut. He went 1-for-6. Later that offesason, Cubs GM Dallas Green had his eye on Sandberg and convinced them to include him in a trade that primarily involved Larry Bowa and Ivan DeJesus. Sandberg, who was obviously a nice player in the minors but never showed insane potential, was just an extra chip in the trade. He went on to have a Hall of Fame career, winning the MVP in 1984, making 10 All Star teams and winning 9 Gold Gloves. In 1984, he also played in what became known as the “Sandberg Game,” a nationally televised game in which Sandberg hit two dramatic late-game home runs, putting himself on the map as a genuine MLB star. The Phillies never benefited from their amazing draft pick, taking a Hall of Famer in the 20th round.

5. Keith Hernandez (Round 41, Overall: 785th)

At #5 we have a player who I believe should be in the Hall of Fame, and was taken in the 41st round. His name is Keith Hernandez. He was not heavily recruited in High School after he sat out his entire senior year due to behavioral issues and arguments with his coach. He ended up attending a local community college and was surprisingly drafted, albeit very late in the draft. The St. Louis Cardinals took Hernandez as the 785th overall pick, and he was the only player in the 41st round to make the major leagues and the lowest pick in the entire 1971 draft to make the major leagues. He hit just well enough in the minors to stick around for a couple years until 1974 when, in Triple A, he had a breakout year. Hernandez hit .351 with 14 home runs for the Tulsa Oilers, forcing the Cardinals to bring him up. In 14 games at the big league level, he hit .294 with a .415 on-base-percentage. They put him in Triple A the next year and he just continued to tear up minor league pitching, leading the Cards to finally put him the lineup as an everyday player and he didn’t disappoint. In 1978, he won his first gold glove and in 1979, he won the MVP, hitting a league-leading .344 with 48 doubles. He helped his team win the World Series in 1982 and won gold glove after gold glove while hitting like an absolute machine. Eventually, due to arguments with the Cardinals management, he was traded to the Mets, where he continuously hit over .300 while playing flawless defense. He also helped them win a championship in the famous 1986 season. All told, Hernandez won 11 gold gloves, an MVP, 2 world series and retired with a .296 batting average and 426 doubles. His absence from the hall of fame is, in my opinion, an absolute travesty. He did it all as a 41st round draft pick.

4. John Smoltz (Round 22, Overall: 574th)

He was the last pick in the 22nd round of 1985 and the only pick of the round to do anything significant in the big leagues – John Smoltz. The team that gets credit for the pick is the Tigers, the team Smoltz rooted for as a kid from Detroit. Smoltz was an All-State player in High School but apparently not good enough for most MLB teams. With the Tigers organization in A ball, he showed some talent but nothing special, going 7-8 with a 3.56 ERA. The next year between Double-A and Triple-A, he went 4-11 with a 5.73 ERA. His strikeout stuff was nothing spectacular and The Tigers, who needed immediate starting pitching help, shipped him to Atlanta for Doyle Alexander. If I had a youtube channel at the time, I would’ve probably said the Tigers won that deal, picking up a veteran starter to help them while the Braves get this terrible minor leaguer who will wash out of pro ball within a year. I would’ve been wrong. Credit goes to Braves scout John Hagemann, who convinced the Braves to trade for Smoltz and told Bobby Cox that Smoltz had the best right handed arm he had ever seen. Smoltz went 10-5 for the Richmond Braves Triple-A team with a 2.79 ERA and was promoted to the big leagues. The next year, he was an All Star, going 12-11 with a 2.94 ERA. He went on to show the world what he could do, standing toe to toe with his childhood hero, Jack Morris, in the 1991 World Series. In 1996, he won the Cy Young after going 24-8. Later, he even became an elite closer, saving 55 games for the Braves in 2002. The 8-time All Star was elected to the Hall of Fame on his first ballot in 2015.

3. Albert Pujols (Round 13, Overall: 402nd)

A young Alert Pujols

Coming in at #3 is the recently retired, future Hall-of-Famer Albert Pujols. Pujols was born in the Dominican Republican and moved to U.S. in 1996. He was a strong player in High School but went undrafted. He attended Maple Woods Community College in Missouri and hit .461 with 22 home runs as a freshman. Teams were still wary of drafting him, because they weren’t sure of his real age and ideal position. It was the St. Louis Cardinals who decided to take him, but not until the 13th round and 402nd overall pick. 401 times, teams passed on Albert Pujols. The Cardinals themselves were slow to take him, as their picks from the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th rounds never made the big leagues. But at least they finally made the move and it paid off immediately. Pujols blasted through all levels of the minors in one season, then made the Opening Day roster in 2001. He was an instant star, hitting 37 home runs with 130 RBIs, taking home the Rookie of the Year award and a Silver Slugger. He made the All Star team in his first big league season. From there, he became one of the best sluggers in the game, routinely topping 40 home runs and leading the league in multiple offensive categories. Pujols helped the Cardinals win two World Series before signing with the Angels, where he started to decline a bit but continued to display amazing power including 40 bombs in 2015. He also played for the Dodgers in 2021 before returning to the Cards for one last year in 2022 when he .270 with 24 bombs, topping 700 career home runs and cementing himself as one of the greatest players to ever play the game. The Cardinals not only had an amazing steal in 13th round, but they took full advantage of it as well as Pujols will undoubtedly wear a Cardinals hat on his plaque in the Hall of Fame.

2. Nolan Ryan (Round 12, Overall: 226th)

Nolan Ryan as a young pitcher

Coming in at #2 as the 2nd biggest steal of all time in the MLB Draft is the Ryan Express – Nolan Ryan. He was a feared arm in High School, 19-3 including one 7-inning game when every single out of the game was recorded via the strikeout. Hitters would refuse to even bat against him for fear of being struck by the awesome fastball that was already likely hitting the mid-to-high 90’s. A New York Mets scout saw Ryan pitch and told the Mets he had the best arm he had seen in his entire life. Still, for whatever reason, teams didn’t draft him. Even the Mets avoided him all the way up until the final pick of the 12th round. Ryan was taken as the 226th overall pick and of the 20 players picked in the 12th round, he was the only one to make the big leagues. In 1966, he went 17-4 with a 2.36 ERA between Single and Double A, but the stat that was most impressive was 307 strikeouts in 202 innings. At this time, this kind of strikeout rate was unheard of. Ryan was promoted and had mixed success in the big leagues at first, although he showed signs of greatness, such as tying a Mets record with 15 strikeouts in a game. After he was shipped to the Angels in 1971 offseason, Ryan’s career really took off as he started winning around 20 games per season with ridiculous strikeout rates. He started throwing no-hitters, making All Star teams, and became a superstar. Later, he also pitched for the Astros and Rangers. He ended up with a major league record 5,714 strikeouts and 7 no-hitters. Nolan Ryan is an absolute legend and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1999, receiving over 98% of the vote. What an amazing steal by the Mets as the 226th overall pick.

1. Mike Piazza (Round 62, Overall: 1,390th)

Mike Pizza had is breakout year with the Bakersfield Dodgers

But my #1 Draft Steal of all time has to go to the lowest pick in this entire video series – he was taken with the 1,390th pick of the 1988 MLB Draft – Mike Piazza. No one else in the 62nd round – nor any one in 61st round for that matter, ever touched the big leagues. Piazza was a community college player who had some connections with his father, who knew Tommy Lasorda. His father asked Tommy, as a favor, if he could get the Dodgers to draft Piazza. They did so in the 62nd round and Lasorda asked Piazza to switch positions from first base to catcher to help him have a better chance to maybe reach the majors someday. In his first year in Low A, he hit .268 with 8 homers, good enough to stick around for another year. In High A, he hit .250 with 6 homers. Still not too bad, and the Dodgers gave him another season in High A ball in 1991, where, with the Bakersfield Dodgers, he broke through. Piazza opened eyes with 29 home runs and a .277 average. The next year, between Double A and Triple A, he kept raking and the Dodgers promoted him. In 1993, Piazza won the Rookie of the Year Award and crushed 35 home runs with a .318 batting average. They had a bonafide superstar on their hands. He made 10 consecutive All Star teams and became the best hitting catcher in baseball. In 1998, he was traded to the Marlins, who quickly sent him to the Mets, where he hit one of the most memorable home runs in recent memory with a game winning bomb in the first game played after 9/11. He later played for the Padres and A’s and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2016. Piazza gets #1 on this not because he was the greatest player but because he was a Hall-of-Famer who was taken lower than any one else on the list – 1,390th overall and even then, because of a favor requested by his dad.

And that does it for the Top 20 MLB Draft Steals of all time, an absolutely amazing list and one of the biggest reasons I’m always excited for the MLB Draft regardless of how low my favorite team is picking. You never know who will make an impact or even who will become an absolute superstar and maybe even a Hall of Famer. Have a wonderful day ladies and gentlemen and make sure to comment below any other great players who were picked very low in the draft who may have not made my Top 20.

The 10 Biggest MLB Draft BUSTS Of All Time

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

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

#10 Todd Van Poppel, Pitcher

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

#9 Bryan Bullington, Pitcher.

Bryan Bullington

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

#8 Brooks Kieschnick, OF & Pitcher.

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

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

Danny Goodwin

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

#6 David Clyde, Pitcher.

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

#5 Shawn Abner, Outfielder.

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

#4 Steve Chilcott, Catcher.

Steve Chilcott

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

#3 Al Chambers, DH/Outfield.

Al Chambers

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

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

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

#2 Adam Johnson, Pitcher.

Adam Johnson

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

#1 Brien Taylor, Pitcher.

Brien Taylor

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

The Greatest Negro League Players Who NEVER Played MLB...

Major League Baseball has over 150 years of rich history, full of memorable moments, amazing accomplishments, and a huge number of legends and superstars, many of whom are immortalized in the Hall of Fame. It would be an easy assumption to make that since the beginning of professional baseball, most if not all of the greatest baseball players America produced earned an opportunity to play Major League Baseball. Sadly, that is not the case. Beginning in 1890, as baseball was becoming the country’s National Pastime, league owners struck what would become known as the “Gentleman’s Agreement,” a non-formal consensus between owners that no team would draft or sign a black player. This reprehensible act led to the color barrier in Major League Baseball, which lasted well over 50 years.

During that time, Major League Baseball was not truly a league of the best of the best, as many of the best players in the country played in the Negro Leagues and never got a chance to play in what was supposedly the top level of baseball. It wasn’t until Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947 that the league truly become a representation of the best baseball players available. This led the way to Negro League players like Hank Aaaron and Willie Mays going on to have phenomenal MLB careers. However, today’s presentation will count down the 10 greatest Negro League players who never got the chance to play Major League Baseball. Before starting the list, it should be noted that in 2020, MLB officially recognized seven professional Negro Leagues that operated between 1920 and 1948 as the Major Leagues, meaning some of these players stats are now official MLB stats. Nevertheless, during their careers, they were denied the opportunity to play in the Major Leagues despite having obvious Major League talent.

Willie Wells

#10 Willie Wells, SS

Just as Hank Aaron and Willie Mays were getting their careers started, Willie Wells was wrapping his up. He played for 21 years in the Negro Leagues and according to former big leaguer Monte Irvin, “You should have seen Willie Wells play shortstop; as good as Ozzie Smith and a better hitter.” Despite his incredible hitting ability – a .330 career batting average with a league-leading .411 mark in 1930 – Wells was mainly known for his amazing defense. While playing in Mexico, his athleticism and acrobatic ability at shortstop earned him the nickname “El Diablo” – “The Devil.” He could also hit for power, leading his league in homers 3 times. He had an OPS over 1,000 for 7 straight years and led the league in steals twice, making him a true 5-tool player. He made 8 All Star teams during his Negro League career and also became a player-manager late in his career. Wells passed away in 1989, 8 years before he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Ben Taylor

#9 Ben Taylor, 1B

One of the earliest stars of the game, Ben Taylor’s career began in 1908, before the National Negro League was formed. He played wherever he could and became known as “Old Reliable” for his ability to consistently come through in clutch situations and drive in runs while playing nearly perfect defense at first base. Like Ted Williams, he was a naturally talented hitter who took it to the next level by taking a scientific approach to the game. He studied pitchers, worked on his mechanics, and became one of the best, consistently hitting over .300 every season. Taylor was also a true gentleman - soft-spoken and well-respected. Buck Leonard said: “I got most of my learning from Ben Taylor. He helped me when I first broke in with his team. He had been the best first baseman in Negro baseball up until that time, and he was the one who really taught me to play first base.” He died at age 64 in 1953 and was elected into the Hall of Fame in 2006.

Rube Foster

#8 Andrew “Rube” Foster, P/Manager/Executive

Rube Foster makes this list not only because of his playing career, but also for an amazing career as a manager and top executive who is credited as the founder of the Negro Leagues. Although not all of his stats were recorded, Foster was considered one of the top pitchers in baseball in the early 20th Century. After his playing career, he was a great manager, winning over 700 games and setting high standards for his players, ensuring top personal conduct and professionalism. In 1920, Foster organized the National Negro Leagues, which flourished under his leadership. His hard work and tireless effort to make this league a success is what allowed the players on this list and many others to have the opportunities they had to play ball in front of thousands of people, earn a decent salary and for many, become Hall-of-Famers despite never playing in the Major Leagues. Foster had a nervous breakdown in 1926 and died in 1930. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981.

#7 Smokey Joe Williams, P

One of the most feared pitchers in the game for over 20 years, Smokey Joe Williams was an absolute legend. The stories about his insane velocity were told for years. In one particular game in 1930, Williams struck out 27 batters over 12 innings while allowing a single hit. Ty Cobb said he was a “sure 30-game winner in the Major Leagues.” Anecdotes about Williams include several no-hitters, catchers having to be replaced mid-game due to a swollen catching hand, and victories in exhibition games against great pitchers such as Walter Johnson and Grover Cleveland Alexander. He even once threw a no-hitter against the 1917 New York Giants in a barnstorming exhibition. Shortly before he passed away in 1951, after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, Williams said “The important thing is that the long fight against the ban has been lifted. I praise the Lord I’ve lived to see the day.” Williams was elected to the Hall of fame in 1999.

Turkey Stearnes

#6 Norman “Turkey” Stearnes, OF

One of the most underrated players of all time, Turkey Stearnes played 18 years in the Negro Leagues and retired with a .349 batting average. He led his league in home runs 6 times and won the batting title twice, including a .390 average in 1929. He had an unorthodox stance and running style which led to his nickname, Turkey, but according to Negro Leaguer Jim Canada, “He hit the ball nine miles. He was a show. People would go to see him play.” He was also a premiere defender and the perfect example of a 5-tool talent, with a throwing arm that made runners very hesitant to try to advance an extra base. "That man could hit the ball as far as anybody," Cool Papa Bell said. "And he was one of our best all-around players. He could field, he could hit, he could run. He had plenty of power." Stearnes passed away in 1979. According to his daughter, he was never bitter about not playing in the Major Leagues and appreciated every moment he got to play ball. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2000.

Cool Papa Bell

#5 James “Cool Papa” Bell, OF

One of, if not the fastest runner to ever play the game, Cool Papa Bell was the definition of electric. The story went that he could turn a light switch off and be in bed before it was dark. Bell was switch-hitting contact hitter who knew the strike zone extremely well and was always looking to find a way to get on base where he could utilize his insane speed. Bell had a career batting average of .325 and led the league in stolen bases 7 times. Once the league instituted an All-Star Game in 1933, he made 8 All Star Teams in 8 years, despite being in his thirties by this point. In his final season, 1946, Bell hit .400 in 120 at bats for the Homestead Grays, one year before Jackie Robinson’s Major League debut. Cool Papa Bell was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1974 and passed away in 1991 at the age of 87.

#4 Jon Henry “Pop” Lloyd, SS

Considered the best shortstop in Negro League history, Pop Lloyd played for 25 years and regularly hit well above .300 and was a rare combination of power and small-ball. Lloyd could hit for power when the situation dictated it, but he could also bunt and use the entire field to his advantage. He was a fantastic base-runner as well, stealing bases not just with pure speed but through knowing the situation and studying the opposing pitchers. Throughout most of his career, stats were not kept permanently, but from 1921 to 1929 – age 37 to 45 – he hit .349 with a .400 on-base percentage and 59 stolen bases. That was during his twilight years as a player. Lloyd simply had one of the best baseball IQ’s in the history of the game and, with this knowledge, went on to become a fantastic manager. “Pop Lloyd was the greatest player, the greatest manager, the greatest teacher,” said Bill Yancey, a shortstop who played with him. “He had the ability and knowledge and, above all, patience. I did not know what baseball was until I played under him.” In 1977, 13 years after he passed away, Pop Lloyd was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

#3 Walter “Buck” Leonard, 1B

A staple in the Homestead Grays batting lineup throughout the 30’s and 40’s, Buck Leonard had an amazing career that included 13 All Star Selections and an unreal .345 career batting average. He was one of the best pure hitters to ever pick up a bat and led the league in a variety of offensive categories multiple times including home runs, doubles and RBIs along with every offensive percentage statistic that you can think of. In 1938, he hit .420 with a .500 on-base percentage and unreal 1,240 OPS, all of which unsurpisingly led the league. Leonard was also a stellar defensive first baseman. His talent was so insane that when the color barrier was finally broken, despite his age of 45 years, he was still offered an MLB contract. Knowing he couldn’t play at his best anymore, Leonard declined and retired. Leonard passed away in 1997 but not before being elected into the Hall of Fame in 1972.

Oscar Charleston

#2 Oscar Charleston OF/1B

Oscar Charleston OF/1BAccording to the great Buck O’Neil, Oscar Charleston was like “Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth and Tris Speaker rolled into one.” During the 1920’s, no one was better. Charleston regularly hit over .400, including insane batting averages of .433 in 1921 and .427 in 1925. He also hit for massive power during a time when home runs were not the norm. He led the league in home runs 5 times, including 20 bombs in 1925, which was unheard of at the time due to the much shorter Negro League schedule. Charleston could also fly and regularly stole at least 20 bases per season during his prime. He was an excellent defender and used to play center-field very shallow due to his confidence that he was fast enough to catch anything hit over his head. There is no doubt he would have been an absolute superstar in the Major Leagues. Charleston was elite in everything he did on a baseball field and even went on to become a great manager. He passed away in 1954 and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1976.

Josh Gibson

#1 Josh Gibson C

The man, the myth, the legend himself – Josh Gibson was a spectacular talent who could hit the ball like no other. “Josh was a better power hitter than Babe Ruth, Ted Williams or anybody else I’ve ever seen,” said former Cleveland Buckeye pitcher and manager Alonzo Boone. “Anything he touched was hit hard. He could power outside pitches to right field. Shortstops would move to left field when Josh came to the plate.” Gibson was quickly hailed “The Black Babe Ruth,” and some fans who watched both play, decided it was more accurate to call Ruth “The White Josh Gibson.” From 1933 to 1938 he led the league in home runs and RBIs every season. In 1943, Gibson drove in 109 runs in just 69 games. His home run totals may not look amazing, but one has to take into account the much shorter Negroe League seasons. In 1937, for instance, Gibson hit 20 home runs in 39 games. That is the equivalent of hitting about 85 home runs throughout the course of a normal MLB season. His batting average was also ridiculous, easily topping .400 on multiple occasions. In 1943, he hit .433. Gibson has been said to have hit nearly 800 home runs throughout his career, although most of them were hit in barnstorming exhibitions and various other leagues. In his official career, he still had a home-run to at bat ratio that rivals the greatest power hitters of all time, and if he had ever been given the chance, there is no doubt Josh Gibson would have been one of the greatest MLB power-hitters to ever live. Oh, and by the way, he was also a phenomenal catcher with an arm that was both powerful and accurate. Tragically, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 1942 and eventually died of a stroke in 1947. Gibson became the 2nd Negro League player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972.

And there you have it for 10 of the greatest Negro League players who never got a chance to play Major League Baseball. There are many others as well, and some who did get a brief chance to play in MLB such as the great Satchel Paige, which is why he wasn’t on the list. Thank you so much for checking out this video and feel free to mention some players I may have missed in the comments section below. Have a wonderful day and we’ll talk to you in the next one.

Top 10 MLB Hall of Fame Snubs of ALL TIME (Not Counting STEROID USERS or BANNED Players)

There’s no individual honor quite as high for a professional baseball player as making it to the Hall of Fame. 268 former players – out of over 15,000 who have played in the Majors - have been enshrined into Cooperstown. There are also many players who had what appeared to be Hall of Fame careers, but for some reason or another, never were inducted. Sometimes the reason why is clear. Connections to Performance Enhancing Drugs has kept out many of the greats. However, in today’s presentation, we will count down the Top 10 Non-Steroid Related Hall of Fame Snubs. These are players who had careers with sustained excellence, plenty of awards and accolades, and no PED controversies to speak of, although some may have had some animosity with the media for other reasons. This is not to say I don’t believe some of the PED-connected players should be in the Hall, because I do – but at least the reason why they haven’t been enshrined is obvious. This list will also avoid players banned from the Hall like Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

#10 Dick Allen

Dick Allen

Dick Allen was simply one of the best hitters of his generation. He won a Rookie of the Year in 1964 and followed it with several seasons of offensive domination. Allen won an MVP Award in 1972 after hitting .307 with 37 home runs and 113 driven in. Allen was a 7-time All Star with 9 seasons of at least 85 RBIs and 10 of at least 20 home runs. Unfortunately, he only played 15 years and dealt with several injuries. He retired with 351 home runs, 1,848 hits and a .292 batting average. Falling short of 2,000 hits likely hurt Allen along with the fact that he was not popular with the media. However, for about a decade he was among the best in the game. From 1964 to 1974, he had the best OPS in baseball –

better than both Mays and Aaron. All things said, Dick Allen may not be a first ballot shoe-in, but certainly should have been inducted at some point before he passed away in December of 2020.

#9 Billy Wagner

Billy Wagner

In determining what makes a Hall of Famer, since there aren’t many guidelines that the Hall provides, one of the best ways to gauge that is by simple precedence. Based on previous inductions, it’s clear that relief pitchers – if they were good enough – can get in the Hall. Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers, Goose Goosage, Mariano Rivera, Lee Smith and Bruce Sutter have all been elected. Wagner stacks up extremely well against them and, statistically, is better than most of them. Only Rivera has a better Earned Run Average than Wagner’s career 2.31 ERA. Along with Smith & Hoffman, Wagner is a 7-time All Star. And he is better than both of them in nearly ever stat.

His WHIP and K/9 Ratio are better than every Hall of Fame reliever including Rivera. The only possible knock on Wagner is his poor Post Season performance – an ERA over 10 in 1l.2 innings, a fairly small sample size. Still, Lee Smith had an ERA over 8 in the postseason and it didn’t keep him out. Besides, the regular season is the bulk of a player’s career and if a player can get in without even playing in the playoffs, which they have, then a poor performance in a small sample size shouldn’t keep some one out. Billy Wagner was one of the best relief pitchers in baseball history and he belongs in the Hall of Fame.

#8 Lou Whitaker

Lou Whitaker

A 5-Tool Player who did almost everything well for 19 years, second baseman Lou Whitaker was insultingly thrown off the ballot after receiving less than 5% of the vote in 2001. With 2,369 hits and 244 bombs, he didn’t hit the major milestones, but he did help his team win games for 19 years, all for the Detroit Tigers. He won a Rookie of the Year award, was a 5-time All Star, 3-time Gold Glover and even won 4 Silver Sluggers. His career WAR on Baseball Reference is better than Reggie Jackson, Derek Jeter and Tony Gwynn among many other Hall of Famers. He also had over 1100 career walks and an impressive .363 career on base percentage, the same as Hall of Fame second baseman Craig Biggio. The top 3 players who compare to Whitaker in the Similiary Scores metric at Baseball Reference – Ryne Sandberg, Alan Trammel and Roberto Alomar – are all Hall of Famers. Unfortunately, the outlook isn’t too bright as Whitaker not only fell of the main ballot, but hasn’t even been considered yet by the Veteran’s Committee.

#7 Sherry Magee

Shery Magee

A forgotten player from the early 20th Century, Left-Fielder Sherry Magee, who mostly played for the Phillies, had an extraordinary career in which he lead the league in Runs Batted In four times, maxing out at 123 in 1910. He also led the league in batting average in 1910, hitting .334. Magee could also fly, stealing over 20 bases ten times, including 55 in 1906. He could run down fly balls like no on else and was known for his stellar defense as well. Sherry Magee was a superstar of the deadball era, always giving 100% with an intense passion for the game. Unfortunately, that passion sometimes turned to anger, and he once decked an umpire during an argument over a third strike call. It’s likely he wasn’t too popular with the press, which may explain his lack of a plaque in Cooperstown. In 1920, after an amazing 16 year career, he chose to play in the Minor Leagues instead, to avoid playing for the greedy owners he wanted nothing to do with. On the All-Time list of left-fielders, Sherry Magee is 15th in WAR, higher than Willie Stargell. The only players above him that are not in the Hall of Fame are Manny Ramirez, Barry Bonds and Pete Rose.

#6 Scott Rolen

Scott Rolen & Albert Pujols After The 2006 World Series

For many, Scott Rolen is a borderline candidate but if you dig deeper into the numbers, he seems like a shoe-in for me. Rolen is a Rookie of the Year who was elite for over a decade offensively and defensively. He won an incredible 8 Gold Glove Awards, more than any third baseman in history besides Nolan Arenado, Mike Schmidt and Brooks Robinson. Rolen also made 7 All Star Teams and won a Silver Slugger. Statistically, he is in the top 10 WAR All Time list for Third Basemen. Every eligible player above him is in the Hall of Fame. He was also fantastic during the 2006 World Series, hitting .421 with 3 doubles and a home run, helping the Cardinals bring a ring to St. Louis. The bottom line with Rolen is, he was one of the best defensive third baseman in the game for well over a decade while being a premiere hitter, retiring with a .281 batting average and over 300 home runs. If Ozzie Smith can get in on his defense alone, how is Scott Rolen being held out?

#5 Todd Helton

Statistically, Todd Helton is a Hall of Famer. He hit .316 for his entire career with an On-Base-Percentage of .414 and over 2,500 hits to go along with 3 Gold Gloves, 4 Silver Sluggers and 5 All Star Selections. In 2000, he had an unbelievable season, hitting .372 with 147 RBIs, 216 hits and 42 home runs. Looking at Career OPS, he is incredibly 23rd on the All Time List, not just for first basemen, but for every MLB Player ever. His OPS is higher than Willie Mays. Enough said. How is he not in the Hall of Fame? The only explanation is he is being kept out because he played his entire career at Coors Field, which is absolutely insane. Major League Baseball has a team in Denver. This is where they play their home games. Besides, Helton hit .287 and 187 home runs on the road and was a dangerous hitter no matter where the game was being played. Furthermore, his teammate Larry Walker was recently inducted. Yes, Helton was much better at home, but to me, the bottom line is he had a Hall of Fame career and was among the best in the game during his career on both sides of the ball and he should have a plaque in Cooperstown.

#4 Keith Hernandez

Keith Hernandez

Perhaps the best defensive first baseman in the history of the game played for 17 years, collected over 2,100 hits and retired with a batting average of .296 and on base percentage of .384. Keith Hernandez also won an insane 11 Gold Gloves. Just on those facts alone, he should be in the Hall of Fame. However, let’s add a few more facts. Hernandez made 5 All Star Teams, won 2 Silver Sluggers, 2 World Series rings and even a National League MVP Award in 1979 when he hit .344 while leading the league in doubles. It is truly unbelievable that Hernandez never received more than 10.4% of the vote on the Hall of Fame Ballot. He has a better career WAR than fellow first basemen David Ortiz, Harmon Killebrew and Orlando Cepeda. This is one of the most baffling cases I’ve ever seen as far Hall of Fame snubs go. He may not have been the most likable player ever, but the stats speak for themselves. Keith Hernandez should be in the Hall of Fame.

#3 Andruw Jones

Andruw Jones

Similar to Todd Helton and Keith Hernandez, Andruw Jones was elite on both sides of the ball. The difference is, he smashed over 430 home runs along the way. How does a player who won 10 Gold Gloves and hit 430 home runs not get enshrined into Cooperstown? In the mid 2000’s, broadcasters were already referring to Jones as “the future Hall of Famer.” He had by 2007 won his 10th Gold Glove and averaged 33 bombs a year over the previous 11 years. There is no doubt if he had retired after 2007 or 2008, he would have already been inducted. Unfortunately, his career went on and Jones struggled with injuries, stringing together 5 mediocre years to finish off his career. Those 5 years are apparently all the voters remembered. The fact is Andruw Jones had more Defensive Wins Above Replacement than any outfielder in the history of the game – including Willie Mays. When you add that to the fact that he retired with 434 home runs, the decision is easy. Jones also finished 2nd for MVP in 2005 and would have easily won it if not for an All-Time season by Albert Pujols.

#2 Curt Schilling

Curt Schilling

Although I can’t pretend Curt Schilling is without controversy, he was never banned from the game and was never suspected, as far as I know, of PED usage. His career is almost without question Hall-of-Fame worthy. Schilling struck out over 3,100 batters during his 20 year career that included 6 All Star Selections and 2 seasons where he led the league in wins. However, his best moments came during the postseason. Schilling is both an NLCS and World Series MVP and had historic moments with both the Red Sox and Diamondacks. He had a career 11-2 Postseason record with a remarkable 2.23 ERA. If Schilling’s regular season performance doesn’t get him in, his postseason performance should easily take him over the top. However, his controversial comments and opinions since his retirement have appeared to keep him out. I know many out there believe he should be kept out because of some of his statements, but he earned his plaque in the Hall of Fame, which celebrates his baseball career. It is not the Hall of Wonderful People or the Hall of People Who Never Say Controversial Stuff On Twitter. Political and religious opinions should not change the fact that Curt Schilling is a Hall of Famer

#1 Fred McGriff

Fred McGriff

My #1 Hall of Fame Snub of all time is the Crimedog, Fred McGriff. McGriff played right smack dab in the middle of the steroid era and stayed clean. Does he get rewarded for hitting 493 home runs with a .284 career average while resisting the temptation to roid up? Negative. If he had hit a mere 7 more home runs, would have gotten in because voters are not smart enough to understand that a number ending in zeroes is objectively no more important than any other number? Probably so. In fact, if there was no strike in 1994, he would have easily surpassed 500. Fred McGriff consistently hit 30+ home runs and 100 RBIs year after year after year. He finished his career with huge numbers including 2,490 hits and 1,550 RBI. Not one player who isn’t connected to steroids hit more home runs and drove in more runs during the 90’s. McGriff also hit .303 with 10 bombs and 37 RBI in the postseason, helping the Braves win it all in 1995. McGriff was also a class act, great with the fans, polite with the media and never seemed to have an enemy. If the voters insist on not voting for Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens because of steroids, then don’t they have to give more credit to those who stayed clean and still put up Hall of Fame numbers albeit not bloated and video game numbers.. because he didn’t do steroids! Fred McGriff is my easy #1 Hall of Fame of all time and it makes me feel literally sick that he fell off the ballot. Veteran’s Committee, do the right thing and put Fred McGriff in the Hall of Fame.

There you have it for my Top 10 Hall of Snubs of all time, not counting Steroid and Banned players. Feel free to yell at me in the comment section down below about who I left off or who I put on who is obviously not a Hall of Famer. And of course, how I know nothing about baseball and lost all credibility. Thank you all so much for your amazing support; hit that thumbs up button and have a fantastic day.