Where are they now? No. 1 overall MLB draft picks

The Florida Marlins dropped the ball when it came to Adrian Gonzalez. Selected first overall in the 2000 draft, he dealt with a wrist injury that the Marlins front office thought would linger throughout his career. They included him in a trade package to the Texas Rangers for reliever Ugueth Urbina. The Rangers also gave up on Gonzalez too soon, ultimately sending him to the San Diego Padres. He eventually blossomed into a five-time all-star and one of the best first baseman of his generation. He retired from the game in 2022. 

There was a lot of talent towards the top of the 2001 draft, as future all-stars Mark Prior and Mark Teixeira both went in the top five, as did righty Gavin Floyd who had a 13-year career. But it's safe to say the Twins hit a home run with the top overall selection when they chose Joe Mauer, a local kid from nearby Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul. Mauer would go on to spend all of his 15 Major League seasons with Minnesota, and put together one of the more impressive resumes in the franchise's history. In 1,858 games with the club he slashed .306/.388/.439 with 601 extra-base hits and 923 RBI. He won three batting titles, made six all-star times, won five Silver Sluggers, and took home three Gold Gloves. Most impressively he was named the MVP of the American League in 2009. Mauer was indisputably one of the best two-way catchers in baseball history, and today his number 7 is retired by his hometown team. 

While the Twins nailed the top overall pick in 2001, the same cannot be said for the Pirates the following year. In a draft class that included household names like Zack Greinke, Prince Fielder, Cole Hamels, B.J. Upton, and Matt Cain, Pittsburgh opted for Ball State right-hander, Bryan Bullington. The Indianapolis, IN native's professional career got off to a good start, as he pitched very well in the minor leagues in both '03 and '04. Late in 2005 he was promoted to the big leagues, where after a so-so debut in relief, the narrative began to change. Shortly after his debut, Bullington was forced to undergo surgery to repair the labrum in his throwing shoulder, an injury that knocked him out for all of the following season. He came back in '07 and pitched well in the minors and even made three big league starts in September. But after a disappointing beginning to the '08 season in Triple-A, Pittsburgh decided to designate him for assignment. He made a handful of appearances for the Indians, Blue Jays, and Royals the next few years but by the end of 2010, was out of the Major Leagues. He'd go on to pitch in Japan until 2015. 

With no clear-cut favorite to go number one in 2003, Tampa Bay chose the player with the most potential upside, raw right-handed hitting outfielder Delmon Young. The Birmingham, AL native had big league pedigree, as at the time of his selection his older brother Dmitri had been a productive offensive first baseman for both the Reds and Tigers and was still in the prime of his career. Delmon's professional career almost got off track before he even made it to the Majors. When while playing for the Double-A Durham Bulls in 2006 he was ejected for arguing a strike three call, and subsequently tossed his bat, striking the umpire. He received a 50-game suspension, and in hindsight it's fair to wonder how much trust the organization lost in him over the incident. Young did make his Major League debut later that summer, and in 2007 actually played in every one of Tampa Bay's 162 games and slashed .288/.316/.408 with 93 RBI. You wouldn't think an organization would trade a 21-year-old budding offensive force coming off a season like that, but following the campaign the Devil Rays dealt Young to Minnesota in a trade that brought them back righty Matt Garza and shortstop Jason Bartlett--two players who would become key ingredients in their AL pennant-winning team the following year. Young would go on to play for several other clubs during his decade-long career, and even returned to Tampa for a short second stint in 2013. 

The Padres selection of Matt Bush with the first overall pick in 2004 was a perfect example of some of the politics that go into baseball's annual draft. For starters, the team actually preferred both shortstop Stephen Drew and pitcher Jered Weaver over Bush, but were concerned with their signing bonus asking prices thanks to agent Scott Boras. In retrospect, they should've rolled the dice. Bush never pitched a single Major League game for the Padres, thanks to myriad off-the-field issues. He was suspended for his role in a bar fight before ever taking the field for a minor league game, required Tommy John surgery in 2007, and in 2009 was intoxicated in a high school parking lot and assaulted two juvenile lacrosse players. The Padres understandably designated him for assignment as a result. After stints in the Blue Jays and Rays organizations, Bush ended up in Texas where his career--and life--began to get back on track. Despite missing another two full seasons in the middle of his Rangers tenure thanks to a second Tommy John, Bush provided Texas with a solid right-handed relief option for nearly five seasons. He's now 37 years old and still in the big-leagues today as a member of the Brewers. 

In the early 2000's the Norfolk, VA area had become a hotbed for producing high draft picks, with Michael Cuddyer, David Wright, and B.J. Upton all already in the big leagues for the respective teams. With the first overall selection in 2005, the Diamondbacks chose to go back to that well, and select B.J.'s younger brother, Justin. While that draft class ultimately proved to be rich with legitimate Major League star power, Arizona never really had to regret their decision. In six seasons with the Diamondbacks, Upton slashed .278/.357/.475 with 108 homers, 363 RBI, 147 doubles, 28 triples, and 80 steals. He was an all-star for the team twice, won a Silver Slugger, and in 2011 finished 4th in the National League MVP voting. Prior to the 2013 campaign he was traded to Atlanta in a deal that netted Arizona five prospects. He'd go on to play for several other big league teams and make a few more all-star game appearances before retiring in 2022. 

The 2006 draft has to haunt the Kansas City Royals to this day, and that's not so much an indictment on Luke Hochevar but rather a reflection on the other arms that were available. In a top part of the draft that produced Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, and Tim Lincecum, the Royals opted for Hochevar, who at the time was the ace of the University of Tennessee staff. With a certain lens, Hochevar's career could be looked at as a success story. After failing as a starter for five years Kansas City shifted him to the bullpen where he experienced a renaissance, and ultimately he became a critical component in a Royals bullpen that played a leading role in the team's 2015 World Series championship. However, passing on three starting pitchers that combined to win eight Cy Youngs in favor of a complimentary bullpen piece is a tough pill to swallow. 

Though he ultimately did not stay in Tampa Bay all that long, it's safe to say the Rays seriously hit on the top pick in the 2007 draft when they selected Vanderbilt lefty, David Price. A little over a year after joining the organization Price was making national headlines with his dominance in the ALCS and World Series as he helped the Rays come within three wins of their first championship. In the 175 times he took the ball in the regular season for Tampa Bay, Price pitched to a stellar 3.18 ERA across 1,143.2 innings. He represented the team in four all-star games, won an ERA title, and was named the Cy Young of the American League in 2012. At the trade deadline in 2014 he was dealt to Detroit in a three-way deal that helped net the Rays shortstop Willy Adames. He would go on to pitch for the Red Sox and Dodgers later in his career and retired following the 2022 campaign. 

While the Rays nailed the David Price selection, they were not nearly as lucky the following summer. Holding the number one pick again, this time they chose high school shortstop Tim Beckham over the likes of Buster Posey, Eric Hosmer, Yonder Alonso, and Pedro Alvarez. Beckham was regarded as a toolsy player capable of doing a lot of things productively, but unfortunately, that never really materialized in Tampa Bay. In 238 games with the Rays he slashed .247/.299/.421 with only 62 extra-base hits, and missed the entire 2014 campaign with a torn ACL. He was traded to Baltimore in July of '17 and was a useful part-time player for the Orioles for the better part of a year and a half. He then joined Seattle, with whom he was hit with an 80-game PED suspension. Most recently Beckham appeared in a dozen games for the Twins in 2022, but he is not currently with a Major League organization.  

The Nationals selection of Arizona State righty Stephen Strasburg with the top pick in the 2009 draft was accompanied by more hype than any draft pick in recent memory. In college the San Diego, CA native had been a phenomenon, regularly hitting triple digits+ and dominating at a level that hadn't been seen in a long time. And he didn't disappoint in D.C. In 247 outings for the Nationals Strasburg won 113 games and pitched to a 3.24 ERA in 1,470 innings. He represented the club in three all-star games, and was never better than in 2019 when he led the league in wins and innings, and was otherworldly in the postseason, helping Washington win the World Series and being named the MVP of the Fall Classic in the process. Unfortunately, things went off-script after that. Strasburg is technically not retired yet, but he's made only eight appearances since the end of the '19 World Series due to an unfortunate series of arm injuries that in all probability are going to end his career. 

A year after adding Strasburg, the Nationals had the number-one pick yet again, and were able to add yet another generational talent. Bryce Harper had been generating national headlines since he was a freshman in high school, and while he was technically drafted as a catcher the first thing Washington did was move him to a less physically demanding position. Less than two years after being selected, Harper was already in the big leagues and winning National League Rookie of the Year at the age of 19. He'd go on to spend seven years in D.C and represented the Nats in six all-star games. He was named the NL MVP in 2015 and seemingly since he first debuted was the star this franchise had been searching for. There are still fans in our nation's capital that are heartbroken he was allowed to leave in free-agency, particularly to division rival in Philadelphia, with whom he won another MVP award in 2021. 

With the first pick in the 2011 draft the Pirates were essentially choosing between UCLA teammates Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer, and it's safe to say they made the right decision. Cole was in the big leagues less than two years after he was drafted, and immediately began blossoming into one of the best starters in the National League. In the five seasons he spent in Pittsburgh, he went 59-42 with a 3.50 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP in 782.1 innings, but his best days were yet to come. Prior to the '18 campaign the Pirates traded him to Houston for four prospects--a deal that proved to be a mistake--and with the Astros, Cole became simply unhittable. He won the ERA title in 2018 and together with Justin Verlander gave Houston the best 1-2 punch in baseball. He was then able to parlay his success into a massive free-agent payday with the Yankees in 2020, and today he still remains one of the best pitchers in baseball. 

The first two picks in the 2012 draft were Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton, which is slightly ironic now when you consider the two now are arguably the two most noteworthy players on the AL Central-leading Twins. It was Correa that went number one, to Houston, and he enjoyed tremendous success with the Astros. He debuted at the Major League level in '15 and crushed 22 homers in just 99 games on his way to being named the AL Rookie of the Year. He wore an Astros cap in two all-star games, earned a Gold Glove and a Platinum Glove, and most noteworthy helped lead the club to a World Series championship in 2017. Correa was a free agent following the '21 season, and with young Jeremy Pena ready to take over position number six in Houston, the Astros felt comfortable letting him walk. It was then that he joined the Twins, where he and Buxton are together hoping to bring the same type of success he had in Houston to Minnesota. 

A year after drafting Correa the Astros again had the top pick in the draft, but unfortunately were unable to land another cornerstone talent. In a draft that included Aaron Judge and Kris Bryant, the Astros selected local right-hander Mark Appel who had gone to college at Stanford. Houston viewed him as a potential future rotation stalwart, but that just did not come to pass. Appel failed to get his professional career off the ground in the Astros minor league system, and late in 2015 he was traded to Philly in a deal that sent reliever Ken Giles to Houston. With the Phillies organization Appel had surgery on both his shoulder and elbow, and eventually at the age of 26 stepped away from the game in 2018. He decided to attempt a comeback three years later, and eventually was able to become a feel-good story when he made his big league debut as a 30-year-old in 2022. Last season Appel pitched in six games for Philadelphia and allowed only two runs in 10.1 innings, but he was cut by the team during spring training this past February. 

Future all-stars Carlos Rodon, Kyle Schwarber, Aaron Nola, and Michael Conforto all went in the top 10 of the 2014 draft, and you have to believe the Astros still kick themselves for opting to take high school lefty Brady Aiken over all of them. The relationship got off to a horrible start when his physical revealed inflammation in his left elbow, and Houston attempted to drastically decrease their signing bonus offer. Aiken wouldn't budge, caused the Astros a mess with their draft bonus pool that cost them the ability to sign two other draftees, and in the end the two sides never came to an agreement. Aiken reentered the draft the following summer and went 17th to Cleveland. As a result of not signing him, Houston was awarded the second overall pick in that draft which helped them land Alex Bregman, so perhaps everything worked out for them. As for Aiken, he appeared in only 43 professional games for the Indians and never made it to the big leagues. 

The Diamondbacks selected Vanderbilt shortstop Dansby Swanson first overall in 2015 and then traded him to the Braves six months later in what might be the worst deal the club ever made. Swanson was traded alongside Ender Inciarte and Aaron Blair to net Arizona starter Shelby Miller and prospect Gabe Speier. Oof. Miller was a disaster in the desert, while Speier never played a single game for the Diamondbacks. Meanwhile, Inciarte became a Gold Glove starter in center field for the Braves, and Swanson became a star. In seven years in Atlanta he slashed .255/.321/.417 with 276 extra-base hits, 411 RBI, and 58 stolen bases. He made the all-star team with the Braves, won a Gold Glove, and most importantly played a huge role in the club's 2021 World Series title. Following the 2022 campaign he landed a huge free-agent contract with the Cubs, and today he remains the only relevant player involved in the high-profile trade from almost eight years ago. 

The 2016 draft is interesting to look back at now, when you consider that seven years later not a single first round pick has made it to an all-star game. The most notable players from the draft class as a whole are Pete Alonso, Bo Bichette, and Bryan Reynolds, all of whom went in round two, but let's talk about the guy who went at the top, Mickey Moniak. The Phillies could have gone in a lot of different directions but opted for the high school outfielder from California, whose career took a while to get off the ground. Moniak didn't debut in Philadelphia until the COVID season of 2020, and ultimately played in only 47 games in a Phillies uniform and hit just .129. Last summer he was traded to the Angels for Noah Syndergaard, and here in 2023 he's finally starting to show the promise that made him such a highly considered prospect. In his first 30 Major League games this season Moniak is slashing .314/.346/.647 with seven homers and 20 RBI, and playing a nice complimentary role for a Halos team hoping to snap a long postseason drought. 

The Twins sat atop the 2017 draft and chose to select shortstop Royce Lewis out of JSerra Catholic High School in California. At the time he was touted as a toolsy defensive player with a high upside bat, and thus far both of those scouting reports are proving to be accurate. Lewis had his development delayed by COVID and then a torn ACL, but in the brief time he's spent in the big leagues he's hit well over .300 and slugged around .500. He's a natural shortstop but the presence of Carlos Correa makes it difficult to envision him taking over that position in Minnesota any time soon, which is why the Twins have been exposing him to more and more third base lately. 

Heading into the 2018 draft Auburn right-hander Casey Mize was considered the clear-cut number-one prospect, and it was no surprise that the Tigers took him first overall. Five years later, results on that decision are still mixed. Mize reached the big leagues during the COVID truncated 2020 campaign and made seven highly ineffective starts, pitching to a 6.99 ERA and not earning a single victory. He bounced back nicely the following year, making 30 starts and pitching to a respectable 3.71 ERA with a strong 1.13 WHIP across 150.1 frames. Unfortunately, his career hit a roadblock after that. After a rough first two outings in 2022 it was revealed he needed Tommy John surgery and he hasn't appeared in the Majors since. The jury is obviously still out on Mize, and he may very well still emerge as an upper-echelon starting pitcher. But taking him over the likes of Shane McClanahan, Alec Bohm, Nico Hoerner, and Jonathan India could just as likely look like a huge mistake down the line. 

While some of the picks mentioned here might be selections their clubs would like to have back, that will assuredly never be the case with the Orioles and Adley Rutschman. In a draft that was riddled with young star power, Rutschman has ascended to superstardom the fastest. He debuted last summer and made an immediate impact, and in his first full big league season he's been even better. At the end of June the switch-hitting backstop was slashing .268/.378/.411 with 10 homers and 11 doubles, and was leading the American League in walks. Rutschman has been a huge reason for the Orioles surprisingly excellent start, and barring anything unforeseen he will be Baltimore's catcher for the next decade plus. 

In 2020 the Tigers thought they were adding a can't miss offensive prospect when they took Arizona State product Spencer Torkelson with the first overall pick, but it's been three years now and Detroit's hopes have yet to come to fruition. After dominating in college and blasting 35 homers in 156 minor league contests, Torkelson's bat has looked a little overmatched at the sport's highest level. As a rookie in 2022 he connected on eight home runs in 110 games while slashing a disappointing .203/.285/.319. He's been a little better this season and has already set new career highs in homers and RBI, but his slash line is still leaving something to be desired, and he's got a long way to go to ultimately make good on his pre-draft expectations. 

A lot of the talk heading into the 2021 draft centered around pitchers Jack Leiter, Kumar Rocker, and Jackson Jobe, so it came as at least a little bit of a surprise when the Pirates made catcher Henrey Davis the first overall pick. With the benefit of hindsight, however, it appears Pittsburgh knew what it was doing. In 118 minor league games in the Bucs system, the Bedford, NY native slashed .276/.404/.523 with 52 extra-base hits and 79 RBI. The Pirates promoted him to the big leagues on June 19th of 2023, and he crushed his first Major League home run in just his 4th game. 

With the first overall pick in 2022 the Orioles were essentially deciding between the sons of two former all-star caliber big leaguers, Jackson Holliday and Druw Jones. The O's opted for Holliday, and thus far they couldn't be more thrilled with their decision. Holliday signed right away and was able 40 minor league games last summer, and immediately showed a plus bat and glove, and his instincts for the game are eye-opening. In his first 65 contests in 2023 he's slashed .322/.460/.525 with seven home runs, 48 RBI, 15 doubles, six triples, and 20 stolen bases. Holliday is currently at the Single-A advanced level with the Aberdeen IronBirds, so he's still a ways away from impacting the Orioles at the Major League level. But he's certainly somebody that's a centerpiece of their future plans.