Guardians have No. 1 overall draft pick; we ranked Cleveland's top picks of last 20 years
The Guardians have never previously been in this position as owners of the top overall selection in the MLB Draft, but they'll be able to take the No. 1 player off the board Sunday night without worrying about another team messing up their plans.
The track record for recent No. 1 overall selections is mostly all over the board, but it's headlined by players like Bryce Harper, Gerrit Cole and Paul Skenes.
As for Cleveland's recent draft history, building through the first round hasn't necessarily been what has brought it so much success (at least compared to trades and developing players as later draft picks), outside of one massive hit in a certain shortstop who now plays in New York.
Although it can be difficult to put together a list that includes players who are retired and those who were only drafted last year, we did it anyway.
Here is a ranking of Cleveland's last 20 years of top draft picks, not including competitive balance selections that are technically considered to be first-round picks but weren't in the top 30 of the draft.
2007: Beau Mills, third baseman, 13th overall; 2015: Brady Aiken, left-handed pitcher, 17th overall
Mills and Aiken were each first-round picks who never made it to the major leagues. Mills' progression slowed until he retired, and Aiken (who was originally a No. 1 overall pick with the Astros) couldn't overcome injuries.
2009: Alex White, right-handed pitcher, North Carolina (-0.7)
2005: Trevor Crowe, outfielder, 14th overall (-0.9 fWAR)
2014: Justus Sheffield, left-handed pitcher, 31st overall (1.4 fWAR)
Sheffield's largest contribution to Cleveland was being included in the trade that brought Andrew Miller to Cleveland at the 2016 trade deadline, which was followed by a run to Game 7 of the 2016 World Series.
2006: David Huff, left-handed pitcher, 39th overall (1.3 fWAR)
2013: Clint Frazier, outfielder, 5th overall (0.2 fWAR)
See Sheffield, Justus.
2014: Bradley Zimmer, outfielder, 21st overall (2.0 fWAR)
Zimmer hit a couple of moonshots at Progressive Field that were among the longest home runs at the park for a few years, but he wasn't able to find sustained success in an outfield that always had an open spot or two.
2004: Jeremy Sowers, left-handed pitcher, 6th overall (2.4 fWAR)
2016: Will Benson, outfielder, 14th overall (1.0 fWAR)
Benson is trying to find his footing with the Cincinnati Reds, and his blend of power and speed is still intriguing.
2012: Tyler Naquin, outfielder, 15th overall (4.3 fWAR)
Naquin is perhaps most remembered for his inside-the-park home run in 2016, which was followed by his tremendous, rock-n-roll celebration.
2019: Daniel Espino, right-handed pitcher, 24th overall (NA)
Espino might have the highest ceiling of any prospect in baseball right now, but he also might have the lowest floor, as injuries have derailed his progress. It remains to be seen if he'll be able to continue as a starter instead of switching to the bullpen.
2020: Carson Tucker, shortstop, 23rd overall (N/A)
2008: Lonnie Chisenhall, third baseman, 29th overall (8.0 fWAR)
Chisenhall was largely a mainstay in the outfield but also saw time in the infield during his time with Cleveland. Like many on this list, injuries played a role in ending his career earlier than expected.
2010: Drew Pomeranz, left-handed pitcher, 5th overall (10.9 fWAR)
2023: Ralphy Velazquez, catcher, 23rd overall (N/A)
Velazquez, last year's first-round pick, has a combined .842 OPS in the minor leagues.
2018: Bo Naylor, catcher, 29th overall (2.6 fWAR)
Nayor joined his brother Josh in the Cleveland lineup and has a chance to be the team's long-term answer at catcher.
2021: Gavin Williams, right-handed pitcher, 23rd overall (1.2 fWAR)
2022: Chase DeLauter, outfielder, 16th overall (N/A)
DeLauter hasn't made his major league debut yet, but it might not be much longer until he makes his mark on the Cleveland lineup. He had a terrific spring training that opened some eyes in Arizona.
2011: Francisco Lindor, shortstop, 8th overall (49.9 fWAR)
The undisputed best draft pick on this list (as of 2024, at least), Lindor was a four-time All-Star with Cleveland. The blockbuster trade that sent him to the Mets allowed Cleveland to acquire Andres Gimenez and others. Lindor returned to Progressive Field this season and called Cleveland "my home."
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Who are the Cleveland Guardians' best MLB draft picks of years past?
