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Who are the top #1 overall picks in MLB history? Here is our top 10 countdown:
Note: Updated in 2022.
10. Gerrit Cole (2011): originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cole truly blossomed after moving to the AL with first the Houston Astros and now the New York Yankees; thus far, he has won an ERA title, been a 5x All-Star, and finished top-five for the Cy Young 5x, including twice as runner-up.
9. David Price (2007): the 2012 AL Cy Young winner, Price is a 5x All-Star who has 150 career wins, nearly 2,000 career strikeouts, a sub-3.50 career ERA (including two ERA titles), and two other second-place Cy Young finishes.
8. Adrian Gonzalez (2000): skilled with both the bat and the glove, Gonzalez was a strong middle-of-the-lineup slugger for a decade who made five All-Star Games with four Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers.
7. Darryl Strawberry (1980): before substance abuse issues derailed his career, Strawberry was one of the most feared sluggers of the 1980s and early 1990s, winning Rookie of the Year honors, making eight straight All-Star Games, finishing top-five for MVP twice, and achieving a 30-30 season.
6. Harold Baines (1977): one of the most prolific designated hitters in baseball history, Baines was a 6x All-Star who accumulated 2,866 hits, 384 home runs, and 1,628 runs batted in over his long and consistent 22-year Hall of Fame career.
5. Joe Mauer (2001): one of the best catchers of his generation, Mauer was a .306 lifetime hitter who won an MVP award, three batting titles, five Silver Sluggers, and three Gold Gloves while playing his entire career with his hometown Minnesota Twins.
4. Bryce Harper (2010): the youngest-ever MVP in baseball history (age 23 in 2015), Harper was again MVP in 2021 and has also been a Rookie of the Year, 7x All-Star, and 2x Silver Slugger who already has nearly 300 career home runs before his age-30 season.
3. Chipper Jones (1990): the face of the Atlanta Braves franchise for nearly 20 years, Jones was one of the best switch-hitters in MLB history and is one of five players ever with 2,500+ hits, 1,500+ walks, 500+ doubles, 450+ home runs, and 1,500+ runs batted in with a .300 batting average, .400 on-base percentage, and .500 slugging percentage.
2. Alex Rodriguez (1993): with 3,115 hits, 696 home runs, 329 stolen bases, a 40-40 season (42 home runs and 46 stolen bases in 1998), and two Gold Gloves at shortstop in his career, Rodriguez could do everything on the baseball field, but steroid usage has clouded his legacy.
1. Ken Griffey Jr. (1987): during his prime with the Seattle Mariners in the 1990s, Griffey was considered the best all-around player in baseball – he could hit for power (630 career home runs) and average (7x hitting .300+ in a season), could run (10x with double-digit steals), and played a magnificent center field in his prime (10 consecutive Gold Gloves as a Mariner).
Agree/Disagree? As always, debate/discuss, and leave your thoughts and comments below.
Note: All statistics as of time of publication.
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Countdown 18: Top 10 Sports Twins of All Time
