MLB Draft: Ranking the five worst No. 1 picks in draft history

Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

5.) Steve Chilcott. 1966. New York Mets.

The second ever player to be taken as the first overall selection, Chilcott is often lumped into the list of disappointments in part because of who was taken immediately after him. The Mets elected to take Chilcott, a catcher, because they claimed he was the best player available at the time, despite rumblings that they were concerned about cost. Chilcott signed with New York for $75,000. The Oakland A’s selected second in 1966, choosing Reggie Jackson and inking him to a deal for just $85,000. Jackson, of course, went on to have a Hall of Fame career.

Chilcott batted .290/.370/.467 at Class-A in his first full season in the minor leagues, before missing time with a shoulder injury that he’d never end up recovering from. Five years later he was out of baseball at the age of 24, having played in just 96 games combined between Double-A and Triple-A.

He’d finish his career with a .248/.340/.429 line in 1,126 plate appearances.

4.) Danny Goodwin. 1971, Chicago White Sox and 1975, then California Angels.

It’s hard to ignore the fact that Goodwin was the first overall selection in the draft a record two times. It’s a feat that will likely never be repeated, barring something highly unlikely. Chicago selected him out of high school in 1971 but were unable to sign him – a particularly devastating blow considering there was no compensation at the time for failing to do so.

Goodwin would make four brief appearances with the Angels that first season, return to the minor leagues, and then re-appeared during the 1977 season. He’d get into 248 more games over the next six seasons, finishing his career with a .236/.301/.373 line in 707 plate appearances with the Angels, Twins, and A’s. His career ended at the age of 28 with just 13 career home runs in the Major Leagues despite topping 20 four separate times in the minors.