MLB draft history: Notable 3rd-round picks
The 2020 MLB draft resumes Thursday at 5 p.m. with Rounds 2 through 5. The Phillies do not have a second-round pick because of the Zack Wheeler signing, so they have no picks between 15 last night and 87 this evening.
That 87th pick comes in the third round, where the Phillies have drafted J.A. Happ, Vance Worley, Cameron Rupp, Adam Morgan, Jason Donald, Jonathan Pettibone and Kim Batiste. In 2017 it’s where they took right-hander Connor Seabold, who has since become one of the more exciting pitchers in their farm system.
Happ has been a productive lefty for 13 seasons (the first four in Philly), Worley had a solid three-year run here and Adam Morgan has turned into a decent lefty out of the ‘pen.
But overall, that is not an impressive crop of third-round picks. There are some other former third-rounders who have factored into Phillies history.
J.T. Realmuto was a third-rounder in 2010.
Danny Tartabull was a third-round pick 30 years earlier. He is best known around these parts for signing a $2 million contract in 1997 after a 27-homer, 101-RBI season with the White Sox. Tartabull fouled a ball off his foot in his first AB, went 0 for 7 as a Phillie and his major-league career was over.
Know who else was a third-round pick? Why, that’s right: 2019 Phillies fan favorite Sean Rodriguez!
Former Phillies Charlie Morton, Roger McDowell and Steve Bedrosian were third-rounders. So were greats such as Chad Ogea and Mike Benjamin.
League-wide, some huge names were drafted in the third round. Here’s a subjective breakdown by tiers:
Tier 1
Tony Gwynn
Dennis Eckersley
Eddie Murray
Bert Blyleven
David Cone
Gary Carter
Tier 2
Ron Guidry
Jimmy Key
Rick Reuschel
Justin Morneau
J.T. Realmuto
John Olerud
Wally Joyner
Curtis Granderson
Tim Salmon
Sid Fernandez
Ken Caminiti
Tier 3
Craig Kimbrel
Zack Britton
Grady Sizemore
Ray Lankford
Brett Gardner
Carney Lansford
A.J. Pierzynski
Mike Greenwell
Marquis Grissom
Other notable 3rd-rounders
Aaron Boone, Edwin Diaz, Jonathan Lucroy, Wil Myers, Randy Winn, Kyle Seager, Ian Desmond, Dean Palmer, Ryan Dempster, Denny Neagle, Len Barker, Hank Blalock, Wade Davis, Darren Oliver, Bronson Arroyo, Rick Aguilera, Shaun Marcum, Jon Rauch, Jeremy Affeldt, David Weathers, Joe Smith, Scott Downs, Mike Morse, Jordy Mercer, Scott Radinsky, Shane Reynolds, Alex Cora, Danny Espinosa, Steven Souza Jr., Derek Dietrich, Keon Broxton, Scott Hairston, Scott Podsednik, Alex Ochoa, Nick Johnson, Adam Lind, Reggie Jefferson, Rance Mulliniks, Ryan Theriot, Pete Vuckovich, Jaime Navarro, Matt Harrison, Shawn Chacon.
More here on the best players to come from the fourth round and fifth round.
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