Fansided

MLB Draft: Top 10 steals of all time

By David Salituro

ANAHEIM, CA - May 25: Albert Pujols #5 of the Los Angeles Angels bats during the game against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium on May 25, 2019 in Anaheim, California. The Angels defeated the Rangers 3-2. (Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA - May 25: Albert Pujols #5 of the Los Angeles Angels bats during the game against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium on May 25, 2019 in Anaheim, California. The Angels defeated the Rangers 3-2. (Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK – CIRCA 2001: Mike Piazza #31 of the New York Mets bats against the Atlanta Braves during a Major League Baseball game circa 2001 at Shea Stadium in the Queens borough of New York City. Piazza played for the Mets from 1998-2005. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
NEW YORK – CIRCA 2001: Mike Piazza #31 of the New York Mets bats against the Atlanta Braves during a Major League Baseball game circa 2001 at Shea Stadium in the Queens borough of New York City. Piazza played for the Mets from 1998-2005. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

2. Mike Piazza

The 2016 Baseball Hall of Fame class consisted of two players: Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza. Griffey was the first overall pick in 1987, a player destined for stardom as soon as he put on a big league uniform. Not so for Piazza.

Piazza was the 1,390th player picked in the 1988 draft, selected in the 62nd round by the Los Angeles Dodgers. It wasn’t because the Dodgers saw something in the 19-year-old out of Miami-Dade College either. They picked him only as a favor to manager Tommy Lasorda, a friend of Piazza’s father.

Piazza had a short debut in 1992, but it wasn’t until the following year he established himself as an everyday major leaguer. He went on to hit .318 in 1993 with 35 home runs and 112 RBI, making the first of his 12 All-Star Game appearances and winning Rookie of the Year. He spent part of seven seasons with the Dodgers, finishing in the top-five in MVP voting three times before being traded to the Florida Marlins in May 1998. The Marlins, in turn, traded him to the New York Mets eight days later.

With the Mets, he went on to have another four All-Star seasons and led the club to the World Series in 2000. He finished his career with brief stints in San Diego and Oakland, retiring after the 2007 season with 427 career home runs and a .308 average. He ranks first all-time among catchers in home runs and offensive WAR and is fourth in career RBI.

When he got the call to go into Cooperstown, Piazza became the lowest drafted player ever elected to the Hall of Fame. It’s a status he’s likely to maintain for a long time: the draft was shortened to 40 rounds under the latest Collective Bargaining Agreement. No one drafted after Piazza in 1988 ever played a game in the Majors.

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