Major League Baseball

MLB: Did You Know These 5 Players Were Former Top Prospects?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Players often do not reach their maximum potential. Especially in baseball. And when you have MLB superstars like Kris Bryant, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado that end up being successful, it’s easy to forget about the others.

Scouting for baseball is different than any other sport. The players a team draft’s are almost never called up to the majors immediately. So it takes significant time to develop the player in the minor leagues. But recently, the MLB seems to be getting younger and younger. The stars of today are in their mid-20’s rather than their 30’s. They also all started out in similar ways. Many were scouted as teenagers, drafted out of college, and thrown into the minor leagues for development. But, less than 11% of college players even get drafted by an MLB team. However, those lucky few are often great athletes with incredible potential.

Many prospects don’t make it to the major leagues and far more don’t reach their potential. There are those highly rated prospects that do reach their potential such as Kris Bryant, Bryce Harper, Carlos Correa and Manny Machado (and many more). But what about other former top prospects that have made it? Those former prospects that are now overshadowed by the superstars.

The following is a list of some former top prospects that made it to the bigs but didn’t quite reach their potential. Or at least, not yet. These players have been performing well recently and many have forgotten that they were previously top prospects with unlimited potential.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Moore, LHP, San Francisco Giants

Many may not know that Matt Moore was part of a debate concerning America’s top prospect. In 2012, it was debated whether Matt Moore, Bryce Harper or Mike Trout was the best prospect in baseball. Moore was a left-handed starter that showed plus attributes in just about everything. The lefty was consistently scouted as a future no. 1 starter in any rotation with the best fastball and breaking pitch of his college league. Now, Moore isn’t quite a true no. 1 but he is a top-of-the-rotation starter for most teams.

He began his career with the Tampa Bay Rays and quickly became one of the best pitchers in their system. Once reaching the majors, Moore performed well, earning himself an All-Star appearance in 2013. But in 2014 he only made two starts and in 2015 he only made 12 due to injuries.

This year, he began the season with the Rays and had a 4.08 ERA in 21 starts but was traded at the deadline to San Francisco. With the Giants, Moore has a 3.16 ERA through six starts and was recently robbed of a no-hitter by Corey Seager‘s bloop single in the ninth. On most rotations, he is a no. 2 and still has the potential to be an ace. But on the Giants he is positioned underneath Madison Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto.

Due to the 27-year-old’s injuries, it is tough to judge Moore’s ceiling. But even if Moore is not the unhittable lefty scouts once thought he would be, he is a very, very good pitcher. This is only Moore’s sixth season in the majors so it’s still very possible he reaches his full potential like his 2012 prospect counterparts Harper and Trout.

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Cameron Maybin, OF, Detroit Tigers

In 2005, Cameron Maybin was drafted 10th overall, and in 2008 he was the 6th ranked prospect in the game by Baseball America. Maybin was scouted as an outfielder right behind Justin Upton, who was considered the #1 outfield prospect. His defensive skills were immediately regarded as elite and his bat was plus but needed work against breaking pitches. At a young age, he drew comparisons to Cliff Floyd and Vladimir Guerrero.

Maybin was originally in the Detroit Tigers system but was traded to the Florida Marlins in the deal for Miguel Cabrera. In three seasons with the Marlins, Maybin hit .257/.323/.391 with 12 home runs and 43 RBI. After a poor 2010 season, the Marlins decided to trade Maybin since it looked like the former top prospect wasn’t working out.

In 2011, Maybin found himself as the starting center fielder for the San Diego Padres. He spent four seasons with the Padres but the results were similar. Maybin wasn’t hitting well and was consequently shipped to Atlanta in a deal involving Craig Kimbrel.

Maybin spent the entirety of 2015 with the Braves and showed some signs of life. He hit .267/.327/.370 in 141 games while strongly patrolling center field. Unfortunately, Atlanta was in a rebuilding process and traded Maybin for a couple of prospects.

So Cameron Maybin came full circle. In 2005, the Detroit Tigers drafted him 10th overall, and in the winter of 2015, the Tigers traded for Cameron Maybin. But, this is where things get interesting for Maybin’s career. Through 70 games this season, Maybin is hitting .329/.401/.416. He has battled some injuries this season, but when he is in the lineup, he has been great.

Now, no one is saying Maybin is going to be Vladimir Guerrero for the rest of his career. But could Maybin have found his swing that was once so highly graded? It’s possible Maybin needed some development considering he entered the majors at age 20 and never got that chance. Or maybe the Tigers front office has used him in situations which help him succeed. No matter the reason, Maybin has found success and when he’s been on the field this season, he has looked like a former top 10 prospect.

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Jeremy Hellickson, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies

Another former Rays prospect that didn’t stay with the team, Jeremy Hellickson was a young right-handed pitcher out of Iowa who was mechanically sound and the 6th best prospect in 2011 as per Baseball America. He featured a large pitching repertoire for someone his age including a solid, consistent fastball with a plus curveball and an average changeup. Hellickson’s control and mechanics were the impressive aspects of his game, though. And in the Rays system, he looked like another potential ace.

He began his major league career with the Rays, debuting in 2010. He made 10 starts and went 4-0 with a 3.47 ERA. In 2011, Hellickson shined. The righty won the American League Rookie of the Year after posting a 2.95 ERA in 29 starts with a 13-10 record. His 2011 season is what the scouting reports projected and Hellickson looked like he had it all figured out. He even followed his ROY performance up with a solid 2012. Hellickson made 31 starts in 2012 with a 3.10 ERA and was a pitcher the Rays relied upon. But things changed following that season.

In 2013, the Rays righty wasn’t the same pitcher. He started 31 games again but this time had a 5.17 ERA and was knocked around. He followed that up with an injury-filled 2014 season before being traded to the Diamondbacks.

Due to his 2013 and 2014 struggles, Hellickson’s value dropped tremendously and he was now seen as a bottom-of-the-rotation innings eater. He was no longer valued as a middle-to-top of the rotation type pitcher. For Arizona, his new value seemed accurate. He started 27 games and had a 4.62 ERA. Consequently, Arizona gave up on him and dealt him to the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Phillies acquired Hellickson before this season because they needed to fill a major league roster while they rebuild. Hellickson is due to become a free agent and he has served the role as a filler until their young starters are ready. But Hellickson may have turned things around. Through 26 starts this season, Hellickson has a 3.80 ERA and a 10-8 record. He also posted a 1.175 WHIP which is the lowest since his ROY performance.

Hellickson may never be a top of the rotation pitcher like his original scouting reports. But he may return to his 2011-2012 self when he was a solid middle-of-the-rotation pitcher that was a winner. He’s had a couple of rough seasons but the signs of improvement are all there in Philly. And with a payday coming up, it’s perfect timing.

Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Julio Teheran, RHP, Atlanta Braves

Julio Teheran’s name has been thrown around a lot the past couple seasons. He has been a heavily rumored trade target but also listed as a centerpiece for the Atlanta Braves rebuild. In 2012, his name was also pretty popular among scouts and organizations. The right-handed pitcher was considered the 5th best prospect in the nation by Baseball America and the 3rd best starting pitching prospect.

Teheran’s career started off differently than the rest of the players on this list. He was signed as an international free agent by the Braves in 2007. Originally, Teheran was scouted as a teenager with three plus pitches and the makeup to top a rotation. The Braves signed him and he quickly got to work being one of the best pitchers in Triple-A.

Teheran debuted in 2011 but barely got any playing time until 2013. In 2013, Teheran made 30 starts with a 3.20 ERA and finished top 5 in Rookie of the Year voting. The young righty followed it up with an All-Star caliber 2014. He had a 2.89 ERA through 33 starts and a 1.081 WHIP. He was now the ace of the Braves’ foreseeable future.

But, in 2015 he looked like a completely different pitcher. He lost his command and began walking more batters than before. With a 4.04 ERA through 33 starts, Teheran took a step back and so did the Braves. During this time, the Braves went into rebuild mode and began shopping basically all their players. Teheran headlined a number of rumors throughout the winter but remained in Atlanta for 2016.

This season, Teheran looks like his old top-of-the-rotation self. Despite a 4-9 record, the Colombian righty has a 3.12 ERA and a 1.022 WHIP through 24 starts. As the Braves continue their rebuild and development of their young players, Teheran has again willed himself to the top of their rotation.

Teheran’s great performances are lost while on a bad team, but don’t underestimate the righty. He’s a strong pitcher who has shown he can bounce back after a poor season. And although he may never be a Cy Young candidate, he would lead a lot of MLB teams’ starting rotations.

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Wil Myers, 1B/OF, San Diego Padres

Wil Myers is another name people may recognize but not know that he was once a top prospect with lofty expectations. The 25-year-old righty was a top 4 prospect in all of baseball in 2013 as per Baseball America. He was in a prospect class with Jose Fernandez, Xander Bogaerts and a number of other highly successful players. But Myers stood out due to his above-average swing and future power potential. Myers was thought of as a heart-of-the-order bat that teams built lineups around.

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He, like Matt Moore and Jeremy Hellickson, debuted as a Tampa Bay Ray. And immediately, Myers had an impact. He won the American League Rookie of the Year award in 2013 and helped the Rays reach the playoffs. Myers returned the following year and struggled due to injuries. In 2014, he posted a .222/.294/.320 slash line through 87 games.

Following his 2014 season, he found himself traded to a new team, the San Diego Padres. In 2015 for the Padres, he played in 60 games but improved to hitting .253/.336/.427. The Padres tried him in a number of new situations like center field, first base and as a lead-off hitter, but Myers seemed to be adapting well. The problem was that his wrist injuries followed him to the opposite coast.

Despite that, Myers bounced back this season all the way to an All-Star appearance. So far, Myers has 24 home runs, 75 RBI and 24 stolen bases while slashing .262/.337/.469. He has solidified himself as a centerpiece while the Padres rebuild.

When healthy, Myers has shown decent power and that he can also be a threat on the bases. And Myers has also shown flashes of his old scouting reports through his Rookie of the Year season and his current All-Star season. It remains to be seen if Myers will continue to improve but he is on the right path to reach his full potential.

So very few prospects end up making it to the major leagues. But this handful, along with some others, have made it. And they may not be the superstars that get all the headlines, but they are on the path to be superstars.

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