"Just a reminder that number one picks normally stink" "Only 1 of those played out well for Houston" - MLB fans unimpressed with No. 1 draft picks of the past decade, draw parallels to the NBA draft 

The 2022 MLB draft will commence on Sunday, July 17, when the Baltimore Orioles make the No. 1 overall pick for only the third time in franchise history.

Unlike the NBA draft, where the No. 1 pick is usually a blockbuster name or goes on to become one, the first name off the board in the MLB draft rarely breaks into the major league right away or anytime soon. By the time they do, it becomes a case of out of sight and out of mind to the general audience.

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MLB fans have little to no faith left in the No. 1 draft pick

Over the past 10 MLB drafts, only one has reached All-Star caliber, and that’s Carlos Correa, who was the No. 1 pick for the Houston Astros back in 2012.

Correa, who now plays for the Minnesota Twins, is already a two-time All-Star and is one of the most successful first picks in MLB history.

Unfortunately, that’s as far as it goes, and anyone trying to recall the first picks who went on to be superstars will have a hard time.

The Astros had the privilege of making the first selection during the next two years that followed, and they failed massively.

In 2013, the Houston Astros went for Mark Appel. However, the move didn’t go according to plan, with injuries plaguing Appel’s career before the Astros traded him for Ken Giles just two years later.

2014 was worse and full of controversy after a post-draft medical revealed that the Houston Astros’ top pick, Brady Aiken, had issues with his Tommy John ligament. The Astros drafted Alex Bregman in his place, and the rest is history.

Aiken, meanwhile, never recovered completely and hasn’t made a single appearance above A-ball.

In comparison, 2015 made for a better year. The Arizona Diamondbacks had the first pick, and they settled for shortstop Dansby Swanson. He spent only six months with the Diamondbacks before being traded to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Shelby Miller.

Fast forward seven years, Swanson has now established himself as a solid squad player.

The Philadelphia Phillies went with Mickey Moniak in 2016, but that hasn’t worked out. Neither has Royce Lewis, who was selected by the Minnesota Twins in 2017. However, unlike Correa, Lewis didn’t reap the same dividends. He is currently sidelined with an ACL tear and is expected to be out of action for about a year.

On the same note, 2018 top pick Casey Mize made by the Detroit Tigers, had surgery to treat his Tommy John ligament last month. He will be out of action for about a year as well. He will be 26 by the time he returns, so there is no indication yet that Mize could be a future MLB All-Star.

The Baltimore Orioles had the honor of going first in 2019, and they went for catcher Adley Rutschman. At only 24, Rutschman still has a long way to go, but he hasn’t performed a headline act yet.

In 2020, the Detroit Tigers went first again and selected first baseman Spencer Torkelson as their No. 1 pick. However, just like Rutschman, Torkelson has also struggled to adapt to life in the majors.

2021 top pick Henry Davis of the Pittsburgh Pirates has already reached Double-A. Barring any injuries or circumstances beyond control, he should be on track to make it to the majors next year. Anything to indicate that he is a future All-Star? Not yet.

Will the No. 1 pick of the 2022 MLB draft be any different from what we have seen over the last decade? Only time will tell. The stats are not encouraging, but you never know when an exception will come around.