Baseball scouts love to toss around the term “can’t-miss,” but history has shown us that sometimes, they absolutely can. For every superstar who lives up to the hype, there’s a prospect who flames out faster than you can say “September call-up.”
These MLB prospects were once treated like future MVPs, but things didn’t quite pan out. Whether it was injuries, inconsistency, or the brutal leap from minors to majors, their careers missed the mark—hard.
15. Kevin Maas
For a brief moment, he looked like the next Yankees legend. Then pitchers figured him out, and his career went downhill fast.
14. Jesus Montero
The hype was massive when he came up with the Yankees, but his bat never really played at the next level. A trade to Seattle didn’t help, and his career fizzled out.
13. Brien Taylor
The Yankees gave him a record-setting signing bonus, and he never threw a single pitch in the majors. One bad shoulder injury derailed everything.
12. Todd Van Poppel
Scouts were drooling over his arm in high school, but he never became more than a back-end guy in the majors. Too much hype, too little delivery.
11. Joel Guzman
He was supposed to be the next big thing for the Dodgers. But his bat never adjusted, and his defense didn’t make up for it.
10. Tim Beckham
A No. 1 overall pick who struggled to stick in the majors despite getting plenty of chances. He had tools but never really put them together.
9. Matt Bush
Drafted first overall as a shortstop, he flamed out immediately due to off-field issues. He eventually reinvented himself as a pitcher, but the hype never matched the results.
8. Sean Burroughs
Son of a big leaguer and a Little League World Series star, the expectations were sky-high. But he lacked power and consistency at the next level.
7. Andy Marte
He was one of baseball’s most talked-about prospects in the mid-2000s. Unfortunately, the bat never arrived as advertised.
6. Dewon Brazelton
Taken third overall by the Rays, he just never found a rhythm in the majors. The stuff was there on paper, but it didn’t translate.
5. Casey Kotchman
He had a sweet swing and elite glove, but was never the hitter scouts hoped for. Solid career, but nowhere near the star he was projected to be.
4. Delmon Young
He was the No. 1 overall pick and expected to be a franchise cornerstone. Instead, he bounced around the league with flashes of talent but never the full package.
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3. Dallas McPherson
He had big power and even bigger expectations. Injuries and swing-and-miss issues kept him from ever breaking through.
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2. Lastings Milledge
He had all the tools and a ton of swagger, but his game never matured. Teams hoped he’d figure it out—he didn’t.
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1. Brandon Wood
He put up video game numbers in the minors and was supposed to be the next Angels superstar. Instead, he became a cautionary tale of overhyped promise.
