Every year, baseball fans hear about the next can’t-miss prospect—those phenoms who are supposedly destined to be future MVPs, Hall of Famers, or the face of a franchise. But for every Bryce Harper or Mike Trout, there are plenty of names that never quite lived up to the hype.
Sometimes it’s injuries, sometimes it’s the pressure, and sometimes the magic just never clicks at the major league level. These are the baseball prospects who were once touted as the future of the sport… but ended up as cautionary tales instead.
19. Matt Bush
A No. 1 overall pick with a big arm and an even bigger list of off-field issues. Bush’s career was derailed before it ever really got going.
18. Jesus Montero
He was supposed to be the Yankees’ next great hitter, but it didn’t take long for that dream to crumble. A trade, some weight issues, and a very strange ice cream incident later, and Montero was off the radar.
17. Domonic Brown
At one point, he was MLB’s top-ranked prospect and the future of the Phillies’ outfield. A hot month in 2013 was as good as it ever got.
16. Tim Beckham
Taken first overall ahead of Buster Posey, Tampa really thought they had their guy. They didn’t.
15. Mark Appel
Drafted first overall and out of baseball before ever throwing a major league pitch. He made a short-lived comeback, but the hype train had long since derailed.
14. Joba Chamberlain
Joba-mania was real, and Yankees fans thought they had their next ace. Unfortunately, inconsistent roles and injuries ended that fantasy quickly.
13. Dustin Ackley
The Mariners had high hopes when they drafted him second overall. Instead, they got a second baseman who never really figured out how to hit big-league pitching.
12. Brandon Wood
The hype around Brandon Wood was unreal, and for a minute, it looked like he might live up to it. But once he hit the majors, he just couldn’t figure out how to hit anything else.
11. Delmon Young
The hype was loud and constant for the first overall pick. He had his moments, but they were never as great or as consistent as everyone hoped.
10. Sean Burroughs
As the son of a big-leaguer, expectations were sky-high. But despite a sweet swing, the success never translated into the big leagues.
9. Alex Gordon (early career)
He eventually turned things around, but Gordon’s early years were not what Royals fans signed up for. It took a position change and a few years of struggles before he finally lived up to some of the promise.
8. Fernando Martinez
The Mets thought they had something special. Instead, they got a guy who never put it all together, no matter how much patience they had.
7. Todd Van Poppel
He was supposed to be the next Nolan Ryan. He wasn’t even the next Rick Ankiel.
6. Bubba Starling
The local Kansas kid who was supposed to be the savior of the Royals. But the bat never caught up to the glove, and the dream faded fast.
5. Clint Hurdle
Before he became a manager, Hurdle was hyped as “The Next Big Thing” on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He ended up being a much better skipper than slugger.
4. Phil Hughes
Yankees fans penciled him in as the next ace by the time he was 21. He had some solid years, but he never quite matched the insane expectations.
3. Andy Marte
Once a top prospect in all of baseball, Marte was traded twice based on potential alone. Sadly, that potential never really showed up on the field.
Read More: 20 MLB Hitters Who Were All Hype and No Contact
2. Billy Bean (not Moneyball Billy Beane)
Drafted high and given the spotlight early, Bean never found his footing in the majors. But hey, he ended up with a fascinating story—and a Netflix doc to boot.
Read More: 14 MLB Prospects Who Were “Can’t Miss” — and Missed Big
1. Greg Miller
Once the Dodgers’ most electric arm, Miller had ace written all over him. But after a series of arm injuries, the fireballer was gone before he even got started.
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