A Look At the #1 Overall Picks in the MLB Draft in the 2000s

Bryan Bullington, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates, -0.2 bWAR

Bullington was the 37th round selection out of high school by the Kansas City Royals but chose instead to attend Ball State University, where he worked himself into the #1 overall selection in 2002 with Pittsburgh. Due to his draft pedigree, Baseball America had him rated as the #52 overall prospect.

He opened 2003 with low-A Hickory, throwing so well that he moved up to high-A with Lynchburg in the Carolina League. Combined on the season, he made 25 appearances, 24 of them starts, throwing 142 2/3 innings, posting a 2.52 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and a 38/113 BB/K ratio. His solid performance had him ranked the #97 prospect in baseball by BA.

From there, things went to a more “mediocre” spot. In 2004, he threw 145 innings at AA, but with a 4.10 ERA. He then moved up to AAA in 2005 and while he posted a good ERA, he wasn’t getting swing and miss, striking out 77 over 104 1/3 innings. He did get a call up to the big league club, though he then injured his elbow, requiring Tommy John surgery.

When Bullington returned in 2007, the Pirates had him spend most of the season in AAA before he got a call up to finish the season, but the surgery had stripped out his velocity beyond what was already a less impressive profile as far as dominance was concerned.

The Pirates moved on in 2008, waiving Bullington in July. He was claimed by the Indians, who then also waived him in October of 2008. He spent a season with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2009 before finding his way in 2010 to the Kansas City Royals, where he got more major league playing time than with any other organization. After the 2010 season, he asked for his release from the Royals in order to pursue a contract in the Japanese Leagues, where he pitched through 2015.

His major league totals were 26 games pitched, 10 starts, 81 2/3 innings, 5.62 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, and a 31/54 BB/K ratio.