Worst MLB Draft Picks: 2000-2010

On June 6, the MLB Draft will take place, and players such as Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rendon, Trevor Bauer, and Sonny Gray are expected to be selected high in the draft as teams hope they can pick the next superstar. But the draft is by no such thing a certanity. Yes, Joe Mauer, Prince Fielder, and Evan Longoria are high draft picks that have become superstars, but players such as Matt Bush and Bryan Bullington have also been chosen early in the draft, with results that have been less than stellar. In the third of a three-part series, The Canon Review takes a look at the worst MLB Draft Picks in each year since 2000. If you want to look at the other parts of this series, well you can check out the worst picks of the 1980s here and the worst picks of the 1990s here.

2000: Adam Johnson, Pitcher, Minnesota Twins, 2nd Pick

The 2000 Draft wasn't exactly chock full of All-Stars. Of the top ten picks that year, only five ever reached the major leagues, and only two of those players had careers of any significance. Johnson did reach the big leauges, although it seems to be more because of where he was picked than anything he did. The Cal-State Fullerton pitcher reached the Twins in 2001 after a decent, but not spectacular season at AA New Britian (5-6, 3.82 ERA, 8.8 K/9). Johnson pitched in seven games that year, starting four, and was shelled by American League batters, allowing six home runs and 23 earned runs in 25 innings (8.28 ERA). The next spring, Johnson expected to make the big club on opening day, but after the Twins sent him back down to the minors, Johnson got into a heated argument with Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, which is not the best way to win friends and influence people. Johnson spent the majority of the next three years in Triple-A, and had a combined ERA of 5.52. In 2003, the Twins gave Johnson another cup of coffee, and in 1 and a 1/3 innings, Johnson managed to allow seven earned runs. In 2005, the Twins gave up on their former top prospect, and after a stint in the Independent Leagues, the Athletics signed him. However, Johnson again struggled in the minors, so Oakland cut him loose the next year. Johnson last pitched in 2009 for the Orange County Flyers in the independent Golden League, and after going 2-5 with an 8.21 ERA that season, it's doubtful we will see Johnson pitch for a major league organization any time soon.

2001: Dewon Brazelton, Pitcher, Tampa Bay Rays, 3rd Pick

Brazelton was an All-American at Middle Tennessee State when the Rays drafted him ahead of Mark Teixeira, among others, in the 2001 draft. Brazelton was rather effective in 2002 at Double-A (3.33 ERA) and the Rays gave him a few starts with the big club that year. In 2003, Brazelton started the year in Triple-A, made five starts, then was called up by the then Devil Rays in May. Brazelton made 10 starts there, and was shelled so badly (1-6, 6.89 ERA) that Tampa Bay sent him all the way down to single-A. In 2004, Brazelton fought his way back to the big club, primarily because the Rays' rotation wasn't exactly stocked with quality arms. Brazelton did okay that year (6-8, 4.77 ERA, 95 ERA+) and seemed to be on track to at least become a solid mid-rotation starter. The next year, Brazelton's numbers went nuclear, as he put up a 7.61 ERA and walked 60 batters in 71 innings. After the season, the Rays traded him to San Diego for Sean Burroughs, with each team hoping they could turn around the other's failed prospect. As it turns out, they couldn't. Brazelton pitched 18 innings for the Padres in 2006, and allowed 6 homers and 24 earned runs. Since then, Brazelton has bounced around the Pittsburgh and Kansas City organizations and was last seen pitching for the Kansas City T-Bones in the Northern League, where he suffered a shoulder injury in 2010. Instead of becoming a star, Brazelton was one of the many young phenoms that were rushed to the bigs too soon.



2002: Bryan Bullington, Pitcher, Pittsburgh Pirates, 1st Pick

The Pirates' choice of Bullington was questioned from the beginning as many thought that the small market Pirates chose Bullington because he'd be easier to sign than other, more talented players such as B.J. Upton and Prince Fielder. Bullington did have some promise though, as he was an All-American at Ball State. Bullington started out strong in A-Ball in 2003 (13-5, 2.52 ERA), and seemed to be making his way to the big leagues when in 2005, Bullington suffered an arm injury. He missed the entire 2006 season recovering. In 2007, Bullington came back and pitched decently at AAA (4.00 ERA), but not so well in a short cameo with Pittsburgh (5.29 ERA in 17 IP). The next year, after a 5.52 ERA in Triple-A, the Pirates waived Bullington in mid season. Bullington bounced around the Cleveland and Toronto organization for the next two seasons before signing with the Royals in 2010. Last year, Bullington pitched a career high 42.2 innings in the big leagues, and even got his first victory in a start against the New York Yankees. However, he also had a 6.12 ERA, so the Royals let him go. During the offseason, Bullington signed a deal to pitch with the Hiroshima Carp in Japan, so we may not have seen the last of him.

2003: Kyle Sleeth, Pitcher, Detroit Tigers, 3rd Pick

A tall right hander from Wake Forest, Sleeth tied the NCAA record for most consecutive wins without a loss (26) as a Demon Deacon. The Tigers made him the third pick in the draft. Sleeth started pitching the next year in A-Ball, and got off to a good start (3.31 ERA, 8.6 K/9) before getting called up to AA in midseason. He didn't do so well there (6.30 ERA), then he got hurt and missed the entire 2004 season. When Sleeth came back in 2006, he wasn't the same pitcher, posting an 11.90 ERA in 8 starts at Single-A Lakeland, with 21 walks and 26 earned runs in 19 2/3 innings. The next season, Sleeth lowered his ERA, to 7.62. During the spring of 2008, Sleeth announced his retirement from baseball at the age of 25, never pitching above Double-A.



2004: Matt Bush, Shortstop, San Diego Padres, 1st Pick


Scared off by the potential price tags of top prospects Jared Weaver and Stephen Drew, the Padres made a 'signability' choice and picked Bush, a high school shortstop from the San Diego area, first overall in the draft. Two weeks after, Bush started his career by slugging a patron in a nightclub and earning a suspension. The Padres put him in rookie ball that year, and Bush struggled, hitting .181/302/.236. The next year, Bush spent the entire year playing for Fort Wayne in single A ball, and didn't do much better. Not only did Bush struggle at the plate (.221/.279/.276), he also made 37 errors at shortstop. In 2006, Bush broke his ankle, and in 2007, the Padres tried to salvage their selection by making the strong-armed Bush a pitcher. He threw less than eight innings before injuring his elbow and undergoing Tommy John surgery. After an incident involving Bush beating up high school lacrosse players, the Padres finally gave up on him in 2009. In 2010, the Rays took a chance on Bush, and with a mid-90s fastball, Tampa Bay brass believes that Bush could become an effective reliever one day. Currently with the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits, Bush has a 5.00 ERA thus far in the season, with 25 strikeouts in 18 innings.

2005: Jeff Clement, Catcher, Seattle Mariners, 3rd Pick

A three-time All Pac-10 catcher from USC, the power hitting Clement was expected to become a star for the Mariners. Clement started strong for the Mariners in A-Ball in 2005 (.319/.386/.522) and, despite suffering some injuries, move his way to Triple-A Tacoma in 2007 and did quite well (.275/.370/.497, 20 homers). The Mariners called him up that year, and in 2008 Clement made the club. However, he didn't do so well against major league pitching, hitting .227/.295/.360 and striking out nearly once in every three at bats. The next year, Clement was traded to the Pirates in a seven player deal, and in 2010, the Pirates gave Clement a shot as their everyday first baseman. As is often the case in Pittsburgh, Clement did not impress, hitting a less than robust .201/.237/.368 in 153 at bats last year. Currently, Clement is recovering from microfracture surgery, and it remains to be seen if he can even contribute as a bat off the bench at this point.



2006: Greg Reynolds, Pitcher, Colorado Rockies, 2nd Pick

While it's true that 2006's 1st pick Luke Hochevar hasn't exactly set the world on fire, at least he's been a constant major league starter, which you can not say about Reynolds. A starting pitcher out of Stanford, Reynolds did well enough in the minors for the struggling Rockies to give him an audition in 2008. That audition did not go to well, as Reynolds went 2-8 with an 8.13 ERA and allowed 14 home runs in 62 innings. The next year, Reynolds pitched all of four innings as a shoulder injury shut him down, and in 2010 Reynolds suffered through elbow problems after being hit by a line drive during spring training. This year, Reynolds has split his time between the Rockies and Triple-A Colorado Springs, and his big league numbers (2-0, 4.08 ERA in 17 2/3 innings) suggest that perhaps he can be a contributer after all. But for now, he has to rank as the worst pick of the draft, if only because the Rockies picked him over Evan Longoria, who was the next pick in the draft. Imagine an infield with Longoria and Troy Tulowitzki. Yikes.

2007: Josh Vitters, 3rd Base, Chicago Cubs, 3rd Pick

Now, the five or six of you that will stumble across this post are probably question my decision to include the 21 year old Vitters among the worst draft picks of the decade. After all, it's possible that five years from now, Vitters will be the National League MVP and lead the Cubs to their first World Series win in over a decade. For now, though, it's doubtful whether Vitters will become a star or not. Yes, Vitters hit well in A-Ball (a .295 average across three different A-Ball leagues), but he lacks patience and didn't adjust well to pitching in Double-A last year (.223/.293/.383 line which included 13 walks in 228 plate apparences). This year, Vitters is hitting a bit better (.266/.306/416), but his defense has been horrendous (an .851 fielding percentage in 35 games at third base). The Cubs may have to move Vitters across the diamond, and at this point it is very questionable if he'll have a strong enough bat to be a quality starter at first base. Yes, Vitters is still young, but for now he has to be considered at least a mild disappointment.



2008: Kyle Skipworth, Catcher, Florida Marlins, 6th Pick

Another youngster, the 21 year old Skipworth was the Gatorade High School Baseball player of the year in 2008. Skipworth signed quickly and spent the last two months of the 2008 season in rookie ball, hitting a less than stellar .208/.263/.340. Moved up to A ball in 2009, Skipworth didn't do much better (.208/.263/.348). Repeating single-A in 2010, Skipworth did slightly better (.249/.312/.426 with 17 homers), but with AA Jacksonville in 2011, Skipworth has done very little. So far, Skipworth has hit .178/.245/.308, with 51 strikeouts in 148 at bats. Yes, Skipworth is still young and had plenty of time to improve, but thus far, Skipworth looks like a potential backup catcher at best.

2009: Matthew Hobgood, Pitcher, Baltimore Orioles, 5th Pick

Hobgood, like Skipworth, was also the Gatorade High School player of the year. He was also considered a 'signability' pick, and even signed for lower than the recommended amount for a 5th pick. Hobgood was thought to throw a fastball in the mid-90s, but once he started pitching in the rookie leagues, his fastball was usually in the mid to high 80s. As such, he has struggled slightly in both rookie ball (4.72 ERA) and A ball (4.40 ERA, 16 wild pitches in 94 innings). This year, Hobgood has yet to pitch due to a shoulder injury. Despite his young age, many scouts do not consider Hobgood a top prospect, and at this point it looks questionable that he'll even reach the major leagues.



2010: Barrett Loux, Pitcher, Arizona Diamondbacks, 6th Pick

Loux,a pitcher out of Texas A&M, was considered a bit of a reach when the Diamondbacks made him the 6th pick in last year's draft, but that's not why he's here. The reason why he's on this list is because the Diamondbacks decided not to sign Loux after discovering a torn labrum in his right shoulder and bone chips in his elbow. So instead, the Diamondbacks get an extra pick in this year's draft as compensation, and Loux became a free agent. The Rangers gave him a contract and assigned Loux to their high A-ball team in Myrtle Beach. Thus far, Loux's done pretty well, with a 3.75 ERA in 10 starts, and an average of 10 strikeouts per nine innings. It remains to be seen if Loux can stay healthy, but if he does, the Rangers have found themselves a first round talent on the cheap. If Loux keeps it up, he'll play himself right off this list, and some other pick that didn't make it will replace him.

Well, thanks for reading about the Worst Draft Picks over the past 11 years. If you have any comments or issues with this post, than feel free to express those in the comments section. Also, if you have an idea for a future post or ways to make this blog better, then shoot me an e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com

Canon Review List-A-Mania: Top Ten Pitchers in Baseball History

This list comes about from an idea by reader Dickson S. He wanted to know who, in my opinion, were the top five pitchers of all time. Well, I decided not to just give my top five, but rather, I decided to name The Canon Review's top ten pitchers in the history of baseball. So without further adeiu, let's get this list started, shall we?

Dishonorable Mention: Roger Clemens - With six Cy Young Awards, 354 wins, and 4,672 strikeouts, Clemens certainly has an impressive resume, and I would include him on the list except for one reason, which is his suspected use of performance enhancers. Because of that, I can't put Clemens on this list because I don't know how much of his success was due to artificial means. If it wasn't for that, Clemens would probably be in the top 5 at the least.

10. Randy Johnson - Johnson was the most intimidating pitcher since Nolan Ryan's heyday, with a 100 mph fastball, a killer slider, his height (6'10") and a wild streak which made batters wonder where exactly his heater was headed. Once Johnson gained more control over his pitches, he became dominant, winning five Cy Young Awards and pitching in 10 All-Star games. Johnson put up some incredible numbers during his career, compiling six seasons with 300 or more strikeouts, leading his league in Earned Run Average four times and in strikeouts eight times. For his career, Johnson won 303 games, struck out 4,875 batters (second all time to Ryan) and is first all time in most strikeouts per nine innings (10.61). Recently retired, Johnson will waltz into the Hall of Fame the first year he is eligible.

9. Grover Cleveland Alexander - Alexander started his career with a bang in 1911, winning 28 games and striking out 227 batters, and never looked back from there. The man from Elba, NE won three pitching triple crowns (leading the league in wins, strikeouts, in ERA) in 1915, 1916, and 1920. Alexander led the league in wins and strikeouts six times, and in ERA four times. Alexander is perhaps best remembered for his relief appearance in game 7 of the 1926 World Series for the Cardinals. After starting and winning game 6, Alexander spent most of the night drinking (this, to be honest, was a fairly common activity for Alexander). In the seventh, with the bases loaded and two outs, Alexander, then 39 years old, was called upon to face future Hall of Famer Tony Lazzeri. He struck Lazzeri out, than held the Yankees scoreless in the next two innings to clinch the World Series for the Cardinals. For his career, Alexander ranks tied for third all time in wins (373) and 2nd in shutouts (90).

8. Sandy Koufax - I debated including Koufax on this list, as he by far had the shortest career of any pitcher on this list. But ultimately, Koufax was too dominant not to be on the list. His peak may have been only five seasons, but for those five seasons Koufax was as good a pitcher as there's ever been. For his career, Koufax led the league in ERA five times, strikeouts four times, and wins three times. He won the pitching triple crown in three seasons (1963, 1965, and 1966) and won the Cy Young award in each of those seasons, a fact more impressive considering only one award was given for the entire major leagues (now, the AL and NL award separate Cy Young Awards), and the accomplishment taking place during one of the most dominant pitching eras ever. Not to mention that Koufax suffered from crippling arthritis during the last two years of his career. For his career, Koufax ranks second all-time in hits allowed per nine innings (6.792), sixth in strikeouts per nine (9.278) and won four World Series and two World Series MVPs (1963, 1965).

7. Warren Spahn - Spahn got a late start, as he didn't get going until he was 25, largely due to WWII. But Spahn sure made up for lost time. In 21 seasons, Spahn compiled 363 wins, 6th all time and the most by a left-handed pitcher. Spahn also was selected to play in 17 All-Star games, a record amongst pitchers, and led the league in wins a record eight times in his career. Among those eight was a five year period where Spahn led the league in wins each year from 1957-1961, when Spahn was 40. At 42, Spahn compiled a 23-7 record with a 2.60 ERA and a league leading 22 complete games. Spahn also led the league in ERA three times, strikeouts four times, and won the league wide Cy Young Award in 1957.

6. Christy Mathewson - The man known as "Big Six" comes in at number six on this list. Mathewson starred during the early part of the 20th century for the New York Giants, as he was amongst the most well-regarded and respected, if not the most respected player during his playing days, due to his ability and his intelligence. On the field, Mathewson put together a legendary career, winning 373 games (3rd all-time) and leading the league in wins four times, and in ERA and strikeouts five times. Mathewson won the pitching Triple Crown in 1905 and in 1908. In the 1905 World Series, Mathewson pitched three complete game shutouts in a six day span. If somebody did that today, ESPN would devote a whole week of programming to that man. In 1936, Mathewson was part of the inaugural class inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

5. Cy Young - It wouldn't make sense to leave the man whose name is now synonymous with pitching excellence off this list. Not to mention the fact that Young holds the all-time record for most innings pitched (7,354.2), most complete games (745) and most wins (511). If anybody breaks any of those records during my lifetime, I'll eat my hat, and your hat as well. Young isn't the greatest pitcher of all-time, as he only led his league in ERA and strikeouts twice, but he is easily amongst the greatest of all-time, due to the fact that he was so good for so long, pitching 22 seasons and compiling 20 wins or more in 14 of those seasons.

4. Tom Seaver - From the beginning, Seaver was an elite pitcher. In his rookie season of 1967, Seaver won the Rookie of the Year Award with 16 wins and a 2.76 ERA. In 1969, Seaver was the main force behind the 'Miracle Mets', winning 25 games with a 2.21 ERA and 208 strikeouts, and continuing his excellent pitching throughout the NLCS and the World Series. For his career, Seaver led his league in wins and ERA three times, and in strikeouts five times. Seaver won three Cy Young Awards and was named to the All-Star Team 12 times. Seaver also got the highest percentage of votes for the Baseball Hall of Fame, receiving 425 out of 430 possible votes in 1992 (98.84%).

3. Lefty Grove - Grove pitched during one of baseball's highest scoring eras during the 1920s and 1930s, but that didn't stop him from dominating the game. After excelling for years in the minor leagues, Grove finally was allowed to play in the majors for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1925. In his first seven years, Grove led the American League in strikeouts each year. In 1931, Grove put together an incredible 31-4 record, with a 2.06 ERA and 175 strikeouts, winning the pitching triple crown that year. Grove led his league in ERA an incredible nine times, and his 148 Adjusted ERA+ is second all-time in the modern era (behind Pedro Martinez). Even though he played only 17 years, Grove was able to win exactly 300 games before retiring.

2. Greg Maddux - Like Grove, Maddux pitched in an era where bats were king, and like Grove, Maddux was able to dominate the league anyway. The winner of four Cy Young Awards (1992-1995), Maddux went an incredible 17 seasons in a row winning at least 15 games each season. Maddux led the league in ERA four times, wins three times, and fewest walks per nine innings nine times during his career. In 1994 and in 1995, Maddux posted ERAs of 1.56 and 1.63 respectively, some 2 and a half runs better than the league ERA those seasons. Maddux also was an excellent fielder, winning a record 18 Gold Gloves during a career which saw him win 355 games (8th all-time) and strike out 3,371 batters (10th).

1. Walter Johnson - Our number one pitcher is none other than the Big Train himself. Johnson is the all-time leader in shutouts with 110, and 2nd all time in wins with 417. Johnson led his league in wins six times, in ERA five times, and in strikeouts an unbelievable 12 times during his career. Johnson won three pitching triple crowns during his career (1913, 1918, 1924) and won the MVP Award in 1913 and in 1924. In 1913, Johnson had what is perhaps the best pitching season of the modern era, compiling a 36-7 record with a 1.14 ERA, 11 shutouts, and 243 strikeouts in 346 innings. During that season, Johnson won 40% of his teams games. Johnson had 12 20 win seasons during his career, despite the fact that he often played for teams that weren't so good. For these reasons, Walter Johnson is The Canon Review's greatest pitcher in the history of baseball.

Well, thanks for reading, and if you have any qualms over this list, than feel free to share them with me. Also, if you have any ideas for future posts, than send those along to me either by e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com or by leaving a comment on the blog.