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Phillies: MLB.com names Phillies worst first round pick of the last decade

By George Stockburger |
SECAUCUS, NJ - JUNE 5: Commissioner Allan H. Bud Selig at the podium during the MLB First-Year Player Draft at the MLB Network Studio on June 5, 2014 in Secacucus, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
SECAUCUS, NJ - JUNE 5: Commissioner Allan H. Bud Selig at the podium during the MLB First-Year Player Draft at the MLB Network Studio on June 5, 2014 in Secacucus, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
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WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 25: Philadelphia Phillies cap and glove in the dug out during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on September 25, 2015 in Washington, DC. The Phillies won 8-2. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 25: Philadelphia Phillies cap and glove in the dug out during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on September 25, 2015 in Washington, DC. The Phillies won 8-2. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

The Phillies haven’t made great first round picks, and MLB.com breaks down the worst

In the midst of an offseason that went from being red hot to ice cold, MLB.com’s top draft analysts broke down each team’s worst first round pick of the last decade.

Philadelphia has had many flops among their last 10 years worth of first round picks. Some of that has to do with having later picks thanks to a prolonged era of winning, but it still doesn’t excuse 10 years worth of bad picks.

For the Phillies worst pick, Jonathan Mayo, Jim Callis, and Mike Rosenbaum went with the 10th overall pick of the 2015 MLB Draft, high school outfielder Cornelius Randolph.

A headache for many fans since being drafted out of the state of Georgia, Randolph hasn’t lived up to the hype as being one of the top bats in his class. Still just 21-years-old, Randolph is a career .257 hitter in the minors with little signs of a power surge.

Last year he spent the entire season in Double-A Reading and hit just .241, though he did cut back on the strikeouts. After striking out 125 times in 122 games with Clearwater two seasons ago Randolph struck out just 92 times for Reading.

Randolph was one of many options for Mayo, Callis, and Rosenbaum to pick, though they could have gone with a handful of players who are completely out of the Phillies system and never made it to the big leagues.

NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 05: J.P. Crawford #2 of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a single against the New York Mets during the fifth inning of a game at Citi Field on September 5, 2017 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. The hit was Carwfords first MLB hit. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 05: J.P. Crawford #2 of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a single against the New York Mets during the fifth inning of a game at Citi Field on September 5, 2017 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. The hit was Carwfords first MLB hit. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

Larry Greene, Mitch Grueller, and Shane Watson are all the definition of busts, but each of them were also supplemental picks, thus coming late in the first round. Philadelphia received the 39th overall pick for losing Jayson Werth to Washington and took Greene one pick ahead of Jackie Bradley Jr, six picks ahead of Michael Fulmer, and 14 picks ahead of Blake Snell.

Greene, a high school bat, never played above Single-A and finished a career .224 hitter.

Grueller and Watson were late compensatory picks in the 2012 MLB Draft after Philadelphia lost Raul Ibanez and Ryan Madson in free agency. Watson was taken one pick ahead of Lance McCullers Jr. and a couple of slots ahead of Matt Olson. Grueller was taken before top catching prospect Carson Kelly and pitcher Alex Wood.

More from Phillies Draft

Another candidate could have been J.P. Crawford, once considered among the top prospects in baseball. After two injury-plagued seasons with the Phillies Crawford was shipped to Seattle for Jean Segura.

Crawford certainly falls under the more disappointing prospects in Phillies history, let alone the last decade. His bat never caught up to the greatness of his glove, and the injuries certainly didn’t help. Philadelphia would have loved for Crawford to have taken the reigns last year after trading Freddy Galvis, but it was never meant to be.

Next. Jose Quintana a trade option for Philadelphia. dark

In the article that precluded the biggest first round busts, Aaron Nola was named the Phillies best first round pick of the last decade. Hopefully prospects Adam Haseley, Mickey Moniak, and Alec Bohm can someday rival Nola for that title.

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