Let’s look back at the best MLB players drafted after Tom Brady
Tom Brady advanced to his tenth Super Bowl with a win in the NFC Championship Game Sunday. The 43-year old quarterback is one of—if not the—greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. However, did you know Brady was once a Major League Baseball draft pick? He was taken in the 18th round of the 1995 MLB Draft by the Montreal Expos.
Can you wonder what an MLB career would look like for the G.O.A.T? It’s tough to fathom. However, my thoughts are elsewhere. I wonder who were the best major leaguers drafted following Brady’s selection.
David Ross
Ross was a 19th round pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers out of Florida High School in Tallahassee. He didn’t sign with the club and instead attended college. Ross was drafted again by the Dodgers in 1998, this time in the seventh round out of the University of Florida.
He made his major league debut in 2002 and would go on to play in 15 MLB seasons. Ross spent the majority of his career as a backup catcher, though he hit 106 homers in the big leagues. He was a two-time World Series champion with the Red Sox (2013) and the Cubs (2016). His last MLB contest was Game Seven of the 2016 World Series. In his only at-bat that game—the final AB of his career—Ross homered off All-Star Andrew Miller in the sixth inning.
Flash forward to 2021. Ross is entering his second season as manager of the Cubs. He won the National League Central title in his rookie season at the helm.
Mark Mulder
A two-time All-Star in nine seasons, Mulder was drafted in the 55th round of the 1995 Draft out of Thornwood High School in Illinois. Like Ross, he chose to go to college. He was taken with the second overall pick in the 1998 Draft by the Oakland Athletics.
Mulder won 103 games and had a 4.18 ERA during his career. His best season came in 2001, when he finished second in the American League Cy Young voting to Roger Clemens. Mulder won 21 games and posted a 3.45 ERA in 229.1 innings. He also led the majors with four complete-game shutouts.
Shoulder injuries hampered his career. However, he did retire with a World Series ring. Mulder was a member of the Cardinals’ 2006 World Championship club.
Pat Burrell
In 1998, Burrell was the first overall pick in the MLB Draft. However, back in 1995, he was a 43rd round pick of the Red Sox.
Burrell played 12 seasons in the majors from 2000-2011. He hit 253 homers, which included four 30+ home run campaigns. Burrell was a two-time World Series champion with the Phillies (2008) and the Giants (2010). However, he didn’t perform well in his Fall Classic career, compiling just one hit in twenty-seven at-bats—a .037 average.
Juan Pierre
Pierre was a 30th round pick of the Mariners out of Alexandria High School in Louisiana. It was the first of three times Pierre was drafted. He was taken in the 48th round by Seattle in 1996 and the 13th round in 1998 by the Rockies.
Pierre played 14 MLB seasons with six different clubs (Rockies, Marlins, Cubs, Dodgers, White Sox and Phillies). He hit .295 with 2,217 hits in 1,994 games. However, where Pierre shined was on the base paths.
Since the turn of the century (the start of the 2000 season), no major leaguer has more stolen bases than Pierre’s 614. In fact, he has nearly 100 more steals than the next closest player (Jose Reyes, 517). He had nine seasons of 40+ steals, which included a career-high 68 stolen bases, in 2010.
The speedster was a member of the 2003 World Series champion Marlins. Pierre collected seven hits in 21 at-bats during the series. He also had two doubles and three RBI in the six-game victory over the Yankees.
Mike Lowell
Speaking of the Bronx Bombers, my number one player on this list was a 1995 draft pick of theirs. Lowell was taken in the 20th round out of Florida International University in Miami. He made his major league debut as a September call-up in 1998 for the Yankees. He was a member of the club’s World Series winning team that season.
Lowell would play 13 seasons in the majors and his resume is impressive. He’s a four-time All-Star, as well as a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner. In addition to the Yankees, he won World Series titles with the Marlins (2003) and the Red Sox (2007). Lowell was named World Series MVP in ’07, thanks to his .400 average, four extra-base hits, and four RBI in a sweep of the Rockies.
He retired with 223 homers, 952 RBI, and 1,619 hits in 1,601 games.
What do you think of this list? Is there anyone I’m missing? How great of a major leaguer could Tom Brady have been? Let us know in the comment section below!