By Kevin Askeland
MaxPreps.com
When it comes to drafting high school players with the No. 1 pick in the Major League Baseball draft, it’s not exactly a science.
Since the inaugural draft in 1965, 22 high school players have been chosen with the No. 1 pick, starting with Steve Chilcott out of Antelope Valley Christian in Lancaster in 1966.
Chilcott, a catcher, never made it to the major leagues, but 19 of the 22 high school players tabbed No. 1 have reached the big time with varying levels of success.
Here’s a look at an all-star team comprised of MLB No. 1 draft picks.
Pitcher
David Clyde, Westchester, Houston, Texas, 1973, Texas Rangers
Surprisingly, Clyde is the only high school pitcher ever taken with the No. 1 pick to actually play in the Major Leagues (Brien Taylor was chosen No. 1 by New York in 1991, but never reached the major leagues). When it comes to high school baseball, Clyde is one of the all-time greats. According to the National Federation High School Record Book, Clyde still holds national records for career shutouts (29), shutouts in a season (13), consecutive innings pitched without allowing an earned run (115.2), and career strikeouts (842). He set three others – most wins, most strikeouts in a season and most career no-hitters – which have since been eclipsed. His abundant talent, and the hometown appeal, made him an obvious choice for the Texas Rangers in 1973, however his high school talent never quite translated to the pro level. He had an excellent debut, beating Minnesota while allowing just one hit in five innings with eight strikeouts. But he went just 4-8 his rookie year, suffered an injury his second season and never truly bounced back. He finished his career with an overall record of 18-33.
Catcher
Joe Mauer, Cretin-Derham Hall, St. Paul, Minn., 2001, Minnesota Twins
Mauer won every conceivable award an athlete can win his senior year – in football. He was an All-American quarterback at Cretin-Derham Hall, throwing for 3,022 yards and 41 touchdowns with three interceptions while leading the Raiders to the state championship game. He was also named the player of the year by USA Today and Parade. He wasn’t too shabby in baseball either, reportedly striking out just once in his high school career and batting .605 his senior year. He made his major league debut with the Minnesota Twins in 2004 and has been one of the league’s best backstops ever since. He has a career batting average of .315 and finished sixth in the MVP voting in 2006.
First Base
Harold Baines, St. Michael’s, Easton, Md., 1977, Chicago White Sox
Drafted out of St. Michael’s High School by the Chicago White Sox as a first baseman, Baines played zero games at that position in the major leagues, according to baseball-reference.com. However he gets the nod here because only two other high school first baseman have ever been chosen with the No. 1 overall pick. Reportedly scouted by Bill Veeck, the owner of the Chicago White Sox, when he was just 12 years old, Baines played in Chicago for 15 of his 22 years in the big leagues. A six-time all-star, Baines finished his career with 2,866 career hits.
Second Base
Tim Foli, Notre Dame, Sherman Oaks, Calif., 1968, New York Mets
No high school second baseman has ever been drafted with the No. 1 overall pick, but Foli might come closest to fitting the bill. A two-sport star at Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, Foli received a football scholarship to play at USC, but turned it down when he was selected by the Mets with the first pick in the draft. Foli bounced around to six teams in his pro career, winning a championship with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1979 as the starting shortstop. He also played about 100 games in his career at second base. He was known as a tough defensive player, but an average hitter.
Third Base
Chipper Jones, The Bolles School, Jacksonville, Fla., 1990, Atlanta Braves
Jones was drafted in 1990 as a shortstop out of The Bolles School, but he moved to third base shortly after joining the Atlanta Braves. Jones led Bolles to a state 2A championship as a junior and a runner-up finish his senior season. Jones has established himself as one of the premier third basemen in the Major Leagues, winning the National League MVP award in 1999. He is one of just four No. 1 high school selections to earn an MVP award. In his 15th season with the Braves, Jones is in the midst of, perhaps, his greatest season. He currently leads the major leagues with a .418 batting average. He also will likely hit his 400th career home run this year. He currently has 398.
Shortstop
Alex Rodriguez, Westminster Academy, Fla., 1993, Seattle Mariners
Arguably the greatest No. 1 high school pick in Major League draft history, Rodriguez has won three MVP awards and is regarded as one of the great players in MLB history. His 525 career home runs and 2,284 career hits by the age of 32 put him on pace to rank near the top of the all-time career MLB lists in both categories. In high school, Rodriguez led Westminster Academy to the No. 1 ranking in the nation as a junior with a 33-2 record. Rodriguez batted .477 as a junior and .505 with nine home runs as a senior.
Outfield
Ken Griffey, Moeller, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1987, Seattle Mariners
If Rodriguez isn’t the best all-time No. 1 high school pick, then Griffey might be. Selected in 1987 out of Moeller High School in Cincinnati by the Seattle Mariners, Griffey earned MVP honors in 1997 when he hit 56 home runs. He is currently aiming for the 600 career home run bench mark, which would make him just the sixth player in MLB history to reach that goal. He led Moeller his senior year with a .478 batting average that included seven home runs (he had 10 as a junior).
Outfield
Darryl Strawberry, Crenshaw, Los Angeles, Calif., 1980, New York Mets
Strawberry played on one of the most talented high school teams ever during his junior year at Crenshaw High School in 1979. The team is even the subject of a book, “The Ticket Out” by Michael Sokolove. A year later, Strawberry was the No. 1 pick in the draft by the New York Mets and he eventually helped the Mets win the 1986 World Series. Drug addiction railroaded what promised to be a spectacular career for the 1983 rookie of the year. He was an eight-time all-star for the Mets and Dodgers and finished second in the MVP voting in 1988.
Outfield
Jeff Burroughs, Wilson, Long Beach, Calif., 1969, Texas Rangers
Burrough was the CIF player of the year in 1969 and was the No. 1 pick of the Texas Rangers. He enjoyed a 16-year career that included an MVP award in 1974 when he batted .301 with 118 RBI and 25 home runs. Also has the unique distinction of coaching a pair of Little League World Championship teams in 1992 and 1993.
Designated Hitter
Ron Blomberg, Druid Hills, Decatur, Ga., 1967, New York Yankees
Who better to have as the designated hitter on this team than the man who is the first designated hitter in Major League Baseball history. Blomberg was selected No. 1 by the Yankees in 1967 and debuted in 1969. He became the first DH in Major League history on April 6, 1973 and drew a walk. He finished with a lifetime batting average of .295. A three-sport star at Druid Hills, Blomberg reportedly won All-American honors in football, basketball and baseball.