Every MLB team's best and worst pick of last decade
With the 2024 MLB Draft rapidly approaching, it's a good time to take a look back at some of the best and worst picks by each team over the past 10 years.
Arizona Diamondbacks
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Best: Corbin Carroll, 2019 (16th)
Despite his rough 2024, getting a talent like Carroll with the 16th pick in 2019 is still a huge coup for the Diamondbacks. The dynamic Carroll won NL Rookie of the Year in 2023 and still has MVP potential at 23 years old.
Worst: Dansby Swanson, 2015 (1st)
Arizona traded Swanson less than a year after drafting him first overall in a deal for Shelby Miller that ended up being a huge setback for the franchise. The D-Backs selected Swanson over players like Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, Andrew Benintendi, and Ian Happ.
Atlanta Braves
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Best: Spencer Strider, 2020 (126th)
Landing Strider in the fourth round is one of the best value selections in some time. The right-hander led the league with 20 wins and 283 strikeouts in 2023. His future is still extremely bright even though he suffered a season-ending elbow injury this year.
Worst: Braden Shewmake, 2019 (21st)
The Braves traded Shewmake to the White Sox as part of a package for left-handed reliever Aaron Bummer ahead of the 2024 campaign. Shewmake appeared in just two games for the Braves and was drafted ahead of players like Anthony Volpe and Michael Busch.
Baltimore Orioles
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Best: Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson, 2019 (1st, 42nd)
The fate of the Orioles changed forever in June 2019. Baltimore drafted catcher Adley Rutschman first overall and shortstop Gunnar Henderson to start the second round, securing two franchise pillars and future stars who are now leading one of baseball's best teams. Cedric Mullins, a 13th-round pick in 2015, also deserves a mention.
Worst: Cody Sedlock, 2016 (27th)
The Orioles took Sedlock in the first round. The right-hander made one appearance before he was traded to the Detroit Tigers for cash considerations in July 2022.
Boston Red Sox
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Best: Andrew Benintendi, 2015 (7th)
Benintendi developed into a fan favorite during his time in Boston, helping the Red Sox win the World Series in 2018. He finished runner-up in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2017 and posted a .789 OPS across five seasons with the Red Sox.
Worst: Jay Groome, 2016 (12th)
Groome struggled through injuries during his time in the Red Sox system. The left-hander was eventually moved to the San Diego Padres in the Eric Hosmer trade in 2022. Groome has yet to make a big-league appearance and has a career ERA well over five in the minors.
Chicago White Sox
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Best: Garrett Crochet, 2020 (11th)
Crochet made an immediate impact the same year he was drafted in the first round, striking out a pair in a postseason appearance against Oakland. The talented left-hander enjoyed success as a reliever but has reached another level in 2024 after the White Sox moved him to the rotation. He looks like a bonafide ace for years to come; unfortunately, it looks increasingly unlikely that his future is with the team that drafted him.
Worst: Nick Madrigal, 2018 (4th)
Madrigal was traded to the Cubs for Craig Kimbrel in 2021. He was drafted one pick ahead of 2021 NL Rookie of the Year Jonathan India. Madrigal was expected to be a quality offensive player but has mustered an 87 career wRC+ so far.
Chicago Cubs
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Best: Ian Happ, 2015 (9th)
Happ's been a popular player and a versatile one as well, providing value at the plate and in the field. The 29-year-old has been an above-average hitter (117 wRC+) throughout his career and has the look of a lifelong Cub.
Worst: Ryan Jensen, 2019 (27th)
The Mariners claimed Jensen off waivers in 2023 after he accumulated a 2–7 record and a 5.77 ERA with 66 strikeouts in 53 innings across two minor-league levels that season. He has yet to make his MLB debut.
Cincinnati Reds
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Best: Jonathan India, 2018 (5th)
India hasn't quite been able to replicate his Rookie of the Year campaign, but he's still become a solid player who can hit for a bit of power and steal bases while playing competent defense.
Worst: Nick Senzel, 2016 (2nd)
Senzel struggled to stay healthy in five seasons with the Reds and hit 40 home runs with a .671 OPS across 433 games.
Cleveland Guardians
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Best: Shane Bieber, 2016 (122nd)
Bieber won a Cy Young in 2020 and is a two-time All-Star. Not too shabby for a fourth-round pick.
Worst: Bradley Zimmer, 2014 (21st)
Zimmer showed flashes of the tools that made him a first-round pick, but he never put it all together in Cleveland.
Colorado Rockies
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Best: Kyle Freeland, 2014 (8th)
Despite pitching half his games at Coors Field, Freeland has a career ERA around 4.50 - a pretty strong mark considering the left-hander's home environment.
Worst: Riley Pint, 2016 (4th)
Pint was a fourth overall pick and was retired from June 2021 until the start of the 2022 campaign. He owns a 27.00 ERA for the Rockies and hasn't fared particularly well in the minors either.
Detroit Tigers
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Best: Riley Greene, 2019 (5th)
Greene is on pace to set new career highs in almost every major offensive category in 2024 and made his first All-Star team. The talented outfielder is a building block in Detroit.
Worst: Casey Mize, 2018 (1st)
Mize has dealt with injuries, and his stuff just isn't as sharp anymore. The former first overall pick has been hit hard in 2024 and his strikeout rate has plummeted too.
Houston Astros
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Best: Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker, 2015 (2nd, 5th)
Bregman and Tucker both became integral members of a Houston core that's won a pair of World Series titles and made seven consecutive ALCS appearances.
Worst: Forrest Whitley, 2016 (17th)
Injuries robbed Whitley of the opportunity to make much of an impact at the big-league level. The right-hander made his MLB debut in 2024 as a reliever but went back on the IL with an elbow issue.
Kansas City Royals
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Best: Bobby Witt Jr., 2019 (2nd)
Witt is a cornerstone in Kansas City and signed the biggest contract in franchise history. He could be mentioned among the all-time great Royals when his career is over.
Worst: Asa Lacy, 2020 (4th)
Lacy is still in the Royals organization but is out for the season following Tommy John surgery. The 25-year-old owns a 7.09 ERA in the minors and hasn't thrown a pitch since the 2022 season.
Los Angeles Angels
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Best: Taylor Ward, 2015 (26th)
Ward has developed into a quality hitter after an inconsistent start to his career. He posted a better-than-league-average wRC+ in each of the last four seasons.
Worst: Will Wilson, 2019 (15th)
Wilson was traded to the Giants alongside Zack Cozart in 2019, the same year he was drafted for cash considerations and a player to be named later.
Los Angeles Dodgers
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Best: Will Smith, 2016 (32nd)
Smith's become one of baseball's best catchers and a World Series champion, and he was rewarded with a 10-year, $140-million contract extension in March.
Worst: Jeren Kendall, 2017 (23rd)
Kendall retired in 2022 after posting a .693 OPS in 1,400 minor-league at-bats. He never made a big-league appearance.
Miami Marlins
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Best: Braxton Garrett, 2016 (7th)
Although he's dealt with injuries throughout his career, Garrett's been productive when healthy. He owns a 4.03 ERA, 3.84 FIP, and 8.83 K/9 in 326 1/3 innings.
Worst: Connor Scott, 2018 (13th)
Scott was dealt to the Pirates in 2021 as part of a package for catcher Jacob Stallings. The 24-year-old hit .161 this season at Double-A before the Pirates released him in June.
Milwaukee Brewers
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Best: Corbin Burnes, 2016 (111th)
Burnes won a Cy Young and developed into a premier starting pitcher after the Brewers selected him in the fourth round.
Worst: Corey Ray, 2016 (5th)
Ray had two at-bats for the Brewers in 2021 and retired at the end of 2022 after dealing with a number of injuries. He's now managing the Chicago Cubs' rookie-level affiliate.
Minnesota Twins
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Best: Royce Lewis, 2017 (1st)
Injuries are the only thing stopping Lewis from becoming one of baseball's biggest stars. He showed his immense potential down the stretch of the 2023 campaign, and it carried over as he hit four home runs in six postseason contests.
Worst: Tyler Jay, 2015 (6th)
Jay made his MLB debut for the Mets this season out of the bullpen. The Twins sent him to the Reds for cash considerations in June 2019.
New York Mets
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Best: Pete Alonso, 2016 (64th)
Alonso won Rookie of the Year in 2019, is a three-time All-Star, and has hit at least 40 home runs three times. That's quite the return on investment for a second-round pick.
Worst: Justin Dunn, 2016 (19th)
Dunn was traded to Seattle as part of the package that brought back Edwin Díaz and Robinson Canó in 2018. He was then shipped to Cincinnati in the Jesse Winker/Eugenio Suárez deal in 2022.
New York Yankees
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Best: Anthony Volpe, 2019 (30th)
Volpe has endured some offensive inconsistency but is an excellent defender at shortstop and has already amassed at least 2.0 fWAR in his first two MLB seasons.
Worst: Blake Rutherford, 2016 (18th)
The Yankees traded Rutherford to the White Sox in 2017 as part of a deal that brought David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle, and Todd Frazier to New York. Rutherford made his MLB debut with the Nationals in 2023 and is currently playing in the Mexican League.
Oakland Athletics
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Best: Matt Chapman, 2014 (25th)
Chapman developed into the game's premier defensive third baseman during his five-year stint in Oakland, winning three Gold Gloves and a pair of Platinum Gloves.
Worst: Kyler Murray, 2018 (9th)
The A's took a risk by selecting Murray in the first round and hoping he might pick baseball over football. Murray ended up as the first overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and signed a $230.5-million extension with the Arizona Cardinals in 2022.
Philadelphia Phillies
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Best: Aaron Nola, 2014 (7th)
Nola has been everything the Phillies could have hoped for as the seventh overall pick. The right-hander will likely spend his entire career in Philadelphia and should be among the franchise's all-time leaders in a number of pitching categories when it's all said and done.
Worst: Adam Haseley, 2017 (8th)
Hasely hit .264 with a .695 OPS over parts of three seasons with the Phillies before he was dealt to the White Sox in 2022.
Pittsburgh Pirates
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Best: Jared Jones, 2020 (44th)
Paul Skenes deserves a nod as well, but Jones has taken the league by storm in his rookie campaign. The second-round pick's fastball/slider combination evokes comparisons to Spencer Strider - pretty impressive company.
Worst: Travis Swaggerty, 2018 (10th)
Swaggerty had one hit in nine at-bats for the Pirates in a five-game stint during the 2022 campaign. Pittsburgh designated Swaggerty for assignment later that season and he's currently playing for the Kansas City Monarchs of the American Association of Professional Baseball.
San Diego Padres
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Best: Jackson Merrill, 2021 (27th)
Merrill's hit his stride in his first season and looks like a strong candidate to win NL Rookie of the Year.
Worst: Hudson Potts, 2016 (24th)
Potts was traded to the Red Sox in 2020 for first baseman Mitch Moreland. Currently a free agent, Potts owns a career .716 OPS with 90 home runs in 2,436 minor-league at-bats.
San Francisco Giants
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Best: Patrick Bailey, 2020 (13th)
The Giants have been searching for a successor to Buster Posey and could have their man in Bailey. He's one of MLB's best defensive catchers and is making legitimate strides offensively this season.
Worst: Joey Bart, 2018 (2nd)
Bart was the Giants' first potential Posey replacement. However, the former second overall pick hit just .219 across parts of four seasons in San Francisco before he was designated for assignment in April.
Seattle Mariners
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Best: Logan Gilbert, 2018 (14th)
Gilbert narrowly edges out George Kirby. The right-hander has been a steady and consistent performer for the Mariners since making his debut in 2021.
Worst: Evan White, 2017 (17th)
The Mariners signed White to a six-year contract before he appeared in a game. The first baseman failed to live up to the deal, hitting .165 in 84 games before he was traded in December 2023. He's currently in the Los Angeles Angels organization.
St. Louis Cardinals
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Best: Alec Burleson, 2020 (70th)
Burleson's enjoying the best year of his career in 2024 and has already set career highs in home runs and RBIs.
Worst: Delvin Pérez, 2016 (23rd)
Pérez is currently a free agent and owns a .642 OPS in 1,722 minor-league at-bats.
Tampa Bay Rays
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Best: Shane McClanahan, 2018 (31st)
McClanahan blossomed into one of baseball's best starting pitchers, making a pair of All-Star Games in his first three MLB seasons. He has a career 3.02 ERA in 74 starts with a strong 10.1 K/9.
Worst: Brendan McKay, 2017 (4th)
McKay tried his hand at becoming a two-way player but injuries derailed any momentum. He's still in the Rays organization, attempting to return from a myriad of injuries.
Texas Rangers
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Best: Josh Jung, 2019 (8th)
Jung made the All-Star Game and helped the Rangers win the 2023 World Series while hitting 23 home runs in his rookie season.
Worst: Bubba Thompson, 2017 (26th)
Thompson has bounced around, spending time with the Royals and Reds after Texas designated him for assignment in August 2023.
Toronto Blue Jays
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Best: Bo Bichette, 2016 (66th)
Bichette led the American League in hits in consecutive seasons and has made a pair of All-Star Game appearances. He could eventually sit atop a number of franchise offensive categories if he remains with the Blue Jays beyond next season, when his contract is set to expire.
Worst: T.J. Zeuch, 2016 (21st)
The Blue Jays took Zeuch in the first round over pitchers like Cole Ragans, Dane Dunning, and Nick Lodolo, all of whom went on to have productive MLB careers. Zeuch made seven starts for the Blue Jays, posting a 4.59 ERA with 5.7 K/9.
Washington Nationals
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Best: Mitchell Parker, 2020 (153rd)
Parker, a fifth-round pick in 2020, made his MLB debut this season and has become a key contributor to the rotation. The left-hander posted a strong 3.44 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP in his first 16 MLB starts.
Worst: Jackson Rutledge, 2019 (17th)
Rutledge is pitching at Triple-A and has struggled to the tune of a 6.86 ERA in five MLB appearances (four starts) across the last two seasons.