The MLB Draft is an inexact science, as teams can only make an educated guess based on the data available. That was definitely the case in the early days of the draft, where scouting reports did not always exist. Then there were colossal misses, like when the New York Mets drafted Steve Chillcott with the first overall selection.
Heading into the 1966 MLB Amateur Draft, Reggie Jackson was the consensus best player in the draft. A power hitting outfielder from Arizona State, he was the type of player that, it seemed, could change the fortunes of a franchise. With the New York Mets in desperate need of a potential star, Jackson was the logical pick.
At least, that was the logical pick for everyone but the Mets. Instead of Jackson, they took high school catcher Steve Chilcott with the first overall pick. Jackson, meanwhile, was selected with the very next pick by the Kansas City A’s. One of these two players would become a star.
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Unfortunately for the Mets, Jackson would go on to a Hall of Fame career, a player whose accomplishments in the postseason earned him the nickname “Mr. October.” He would become a truly legendary player, known for his powerful bat and large personality. Chilcott would go on to be well known as well, but for a different reason.
Chilcott would go on to play six seasons in the minors, reaching AAA for all of 18 games. While he had a little pop in the bat, and did a solid job drawing walks, Chilcott only produced a .248/.349/.429 batting line, hitting 39 home runs. He would never make the Majors, being the only position player drafted first overall to retire without getting out of the minor leagues.
At the end of the week, the MLB Draft will start. We will watch as the first overall pick is announced, and there will be high hopes that whoever is selected will help be a part of turning around his franchise. But sometimes, that pick just does not work out for whatever reason. More often than not, it is just that the player cannot live up to expectations, being exposed in the minors or at the major league level. Then there are those picks like Chilcott.
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The New York Mets selection of Steve Chilcott on this day in 1966 will never be forgotten, but not for the reasons either had to hope. Instead, he serves as a cautionary tale about how the draft, no matter how certain one is of a pick, is nothing more than a gamble.