The Yankees have made many poor draft picks over the years, yet they seem to win despite them. The Mets, meanwhile, often lose because of them.
The Mets have been to more World Series (five) than they have Hall of Famers (two). So for every Doc Gooden and Darryl Strawberry, you'll see some of these, five of the worst top-draft picks in Mets history, in the shadow of the 2020 MLB Draft, which starts June 10.
5. Lastings Milledge
The 5-foot-11, 210-pound outfielder was picked in the first round (12th overall) in the 2003 MLB Draft. Milledge was called up in 2006, and showed some promise. But as his act became more refined, his bat became less potent. If he could hit like he talked, we'd be talking Cooperstown for the young man. But between off-field distractions, such as a rap video called, "Bend Ya Knees," the Mets tired of Milledge and traded him to the Washington Nationals in 2008. Milledge would pinball from New York to Washington to Pittsburgh to Chicago, before packing his bags and flying to Japan to play ball in 2012. Over his Mets career (115 games) Milledge posted a .257 BA, 11 HR, and 51 RBI.
4. Philip Humber
Incidentally, the Yankees selected Humber in the 29th round of the 2001 draft. He demurred, then the Mets bailed out their crosstown tormentors by grabbing Humber with the third overall pick in the 2004 draft. It would be another two years before he'd wear a big-league uniform. And the 6-foot-3 215-pound Texan was a bust from the jump. Humber toiled for two hollow years in Queens, pitched in five games, started just one, and never recorded a win as a Met.
3. Paul Wilson
Wilson tops this list because he was also the top pick of the 1994 draft. Part of the famed triumvirate — next to Bill Pulsipher and Jason Isringhausen — we called "Generation K" Wilson never lived up to his draft status or his place in any exclusive baseball club with its own slick sobriquet. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound pitcher from Florida State was supposed to lead a team that lost 103 games the year before. He didn't. Wilson went 5-12 with a 5.38 ERA in 1996 - his lone season pitching as a Met. He didn't toss a single pitch in the majors in 1997, '98 or '99. He was finally traded to Tampa Bay in 2000. Wilson retired after the 2005 season with a 40-58 career record and a 4.86 ERA.
Making the pick better was the fact that the Mets picked Wilson over Nomar Garciaparra, Paul Konerko and Jason Varitek - all of whom were available in the '94 draft.
2. Al Shirley
A switch-hitting outfielder, Shirley was picked in the first round (18th overall) of the 1991 draft. While Shirley was picked when he was just 17, he was no better at 18, or 19, or 23. So while the Mets projected Shirley to be the next Darryl Strawberry - who had just left for Los Angeles - Shirley never played for the Mets or in the majors, toiling in the minors for the Mets and later the Royals before spending his last year (1998) for the Waterbury Spirit in the Northeast League. Shirley was surely done at age 24. .
1. Steve Chilcott
Speaking of passing up on talent, the Mets snagged Chilcott with the first overall pick in the 1966 draft. The second pick was a fella named Reggie Jackson, who went on to do a few things, even in the Big Apple. The 5-fooot-11, 185-pound Chilcott never played a single game in the majors, hopping around the map for various farm teams for the Mets, Montreal Expos, and finished his career as a Yankees farm hand. This Jackson fella clubbed 536 homers - he also smashed three in a row for the Yanks in the 1977 World Series - and is the only player known as Mr. October.
Twitter: @JaonKeidel