A Look At the #2 Overall Picks in the MLB Draft in the 2000s
Adam Johnson, RHP, Minnesota Twins, -1.1 bWAR
The Twins actually drafted Johnson twice, selecting him in the 25th round in 1997 out of high school in San Diego before he went to Cal State-Fullerton and became the #2 overall selection.
Johnson signed quickly, allowing him to make 13 appearances and throw 69 1/3 innings with high-A Fort Myers in the Florida State League for the Twins organization, making a good impression with a 2.47 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and a 20/92 BB/K ratio. That excellent performance along with his draft pedigree had him ranked as the #41 prospect in the game going into 2001.
Johnson worked his way all the way to his major league debut in his first full professional season, starting with AA New Britain, before making a short stop at AAA Edmonton before heading to the Twins. His major league debut wasn’t pretty, but still, his quick ascension to the big leagues had him rated the #85 prospect in the game.
Johnson struggled to keep the ball in the park in 2002 in AAA, allowing 25 home runs in 151 1/3 innings. His major league call up in 2003 would be his last major league experience, as Johnson spent the majority of 2003 and 2004 with the Twins AAA club in Rochester.
The Twins released Johnson in January of 2005. The Diamondbacks signed him, but they also released him at the end of spring training, and he could not find work, landing in the Mexican League and then with an independent league before the Oakland Athletics signed him to their AAA team in August of 2005. He opened the next season with Oakland’s organization, but was cute in June of 2006.
After no noted professional baseball in 2007, Johnson spent two more seasons in independent ball in 2008 and 2009, struggling heavily. He last pitched for an affiliated team in the Oakland organization at age 26.