Position Players Are Slightly More Valuable Than Pitchers In The Number One Spot

Contrary to the performances turned in by pitchers taken with the first overall pick, position players drafted in the same spot are often solid and occasionally spectacular. A full 17 out of 30 played in the major leagues for more than ten seasons, including future Hall of Famers Ken Griffey, Jr., Chipper Jones and Alex Rodriguez (three out of the top four position players selected between 1987 and 1993; the other was Phil Nevin).

Not everyone had a career as great as the three mentioned above, but many had at least one moment of fame during their playing days:

• Rick Monday (1965), in addition to being the first ever draft pick, was best known for stopping two young men from burning the American flag on the field in 1975.
• Steve Chilcott (1966) was the only position player selected first overall never reached the major leagues (2004's Matthew Bush and 2005's Justin Upton don't count yet)
• Ron Blomberg (1967) was the first designated hitter.
• Jeff Burroughs (1969) won an MVP award and fathered Little League World Series hero Sean Burroughs.
• Danny Goodwin (1971, 1975) is the only player taken first overall in two different drafts.
• Dave Roberts (1972) and Bob Horner (1978) went directly from the draft to the major leagues. Horner later became one of the few men to hit four homeruns in one game.
• Josh Hamilton (1999) was out of baseball before overcoming drug addiction, returning to the game and making his big league debut in 2007.
• Delmon Young (2003) and Justin Upton (2005) are both the younger brother of a top five pick. Dmitri Young was taken fourth overall in 1991, while B.J. Upton went second in 2002.
  
  

  Year	Player	Team	Yrs	HR	RBI	OPS
  2005	Justin Upton*	Arizona	DNP
  2004	Matthew Bush*	San Diego	DNP
  2003	Delmon Young *	Tampa Bay	2	10	38	.727
  2001	Joe Mauer*	Minnesota	4	29	170	.875
  2000	Adrian Gonzalez*	Florida	4	43	145	.836
  1999	Josh Hamilton *	Tampa Bay	1	8	18	.857
  1998	Pat Burrell *	Philadelphia	8	194	668	.838
  1995	Darin Erstad*	California	12	116	646	.753
  1993	Alex Rodriguez*	Seattle	14	484	1394	.961
  1992	Phil Nevin	Houston	12	208	743	.815
  1990	Chipper Jones*	Atlanta	14	369	1224	.946
  1987	Ken Griffey, Jr.*	Seattle	19	575	1640	.930
  1986	Jeff King	Pittsburgh	11	154	709	.749
  1985	B.J. Surhoff	Milwaukee	19	188	1153	.745
  1984	Shawn Abner	New York (N)	6	11	71	.592
  1982	Shawon Dunston	Chicago (N)	18	150	668	.712
  1980	Darryl Strawberry	New York (N)	17	335	1000	.862
  1979	Al Chambers	Seattle	3	2	11	.618
  1978	Bob Horner	Atlanta	10	218	685	.839
  1977	Harold Baines	Chicago (A)	22	384	1628	.821
  1975	Danny Goodwin	California	7	13	81	.674
  1974	Bill Almon	San Diego	15	36	296	.648
  1972	Dave Roberts	San Diego	10	7	208	.643
  1971	Danny Goodwin	Chicago (A)	7	13	81	.674
  1970	Mike Ivie	San Diego	11	81	411	.745
  1969	Jeff Burroughs	Washington	16	240	882	.794
  1968	Tim Foli	New York (N)	16	25	501	.592
  1967	Ron Blomberg	New York (A)	8	52	224	.833
  1966	Steve Chilcott	New York (N)	DNP
  1965	Rick Monday	Kansas City A	19	241	775	.804