Top 10 Baseball Draft Picks 2002
Right-hander Bryan Bullington goes No. 1 to Pittsburgh
1. Bryan Bullington, Pittsburgh Pirates, RHP, Ball State U.
Bullington was called up for late, unsuccessful stints in Pittsburg in 2005 and 2007. He was claimed off waivers by Cleveland in 2008 and went 0-2 with a 4.91 ERA in 3 games. And Toronto claimed Bullington off waivers after the 2008 season.
2. B.J. Upton, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, SS, Greenbriar Christian HS, Chesapeake, VA
Upton, older brother of 2005 No. 1 pick Justin, reached the Majors in 2004 and became a regular in 2007 with 24 home runs and 22 stolen bases. In 2008, he helped the Rays to the World Series, hitting .273 with 9 home runs and 67 RBI.
3. Chris Gruler, Cincinnati Reds, RHP, Liberty HS, Brentwood, CA
Gruler had a Tom Seaver-like curve ball and reached A ball in 2002 and 2003. But he returned to rookie ball and has not pitched since 2006 for the Reds organisation.
4. Adam Loewen, Baltimore Orioles, LHP, Fraser Valley Christian, Surrey, B.C.
Loewen advanced to the Orioles in 2006, going 6-6 with a 5.37 ERA in 22 games. He was injured early in the 2007 season and only pitched 4 games in 2008, posting a 0-2 record with an 8.02 ERA in 7 games. Loewen was waived by Baltimore and then signed by Toronto with thoughts of making a transition to field player.
5. Clint Everts, Montreal Expos, RHP, Cypress Falls HS, Houston
Everts had Tommy John surgery in 2004 and has since worked his way to High A ball, going 4-2 with a 4.80 ERA and 3 saves in 30 games at Potomac.
6. Zach Greinke, Kansas City Royals, RHP, Apoka HS, Orlando
Greinke reached the Royals rotation by 2004, going 13-28 over 2004 and 2005 for Kansas City. He returned to the minors after some personal problems and then made it back to the Royals in 2006. In 2008, he lived up to his first round status, posting a 13-10 record with a 3.47 ERA in 32 starts.
7. Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers, 1B, Eau Gaillie HS, Melbourne, FLA
The son of former star Cecil, Fielder earned a call-up to Milwaukee in late 2005. The next season he was a middle-of-the-order force for the Brewers. In 2007, he slugged 50 home runs with 119 RBIs and was an All-Star. And in 2008, Fielder hit 34 home runs with 102 RBI while hitting .276.
8. Scott Moore, Detroit Tigers, SS, Cypress (Calif.) HS
Moore was traded to the Cubs in 2005 and played for Chicago in late 2006. He was moved the next season to Baltimore and had short stints with the Orioles in 2007 and 2008. In 39 MLB games, Moore has hit .235 with 4 home runs and 17 RBI.
9. Jeff Francis, Colorado Rockies, LHP, U. British Columbia
Francis reached the Majors in 2004 and was a regular in the Colorado rotation in 2005. Between 2005 and 2007, he collected 14, 13 and 17 victories. In 2008 Francis had a short return to the Minors and went 4-10 with the Rockies with a 5.01 ERA in 24 games.
10. Drew Meyer, Texas Rangers, SS, U. South Carolina
Meyer has steadily moved up the ladder of the Rangers Minors system, getting a 5-game call-up to Texas in 2006. He played 72 games at Triple-A Oklahoma in 2007 and 88 in 2008, hitting .250 with 2 home runs, 24 RBI and 10 stolen bases.
Other First Rounders of note:
11. Jeremy Hermida, Florida Marlins, OF, Wheeler HS, Marietta, GA
12. Joe Saunders, Anaheim Angels, LHP, Virginia Tech
13. Khalil Greene, San Diego Padres, SS, Clemson U.
15. Scott Kazmir, New York Mets, LHP, Cypress Falls HS, Houston
16. Nick Swisher, Oakland Athletics, 1B-OF, Ohio State U.
17. Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies, LHP, Rancho Bernardo HS, San Diego
19. James Loney, Los Angeles Dodgers, 1B-LHP, Tampa Catholic HS
22. Jeremy Guthrie, Cleveland Indians, RHP, Stanford U.
23. Jeff Francoeur, Atlanta Braves, OF, Parkview HS, Lilburn, GA
24. Joe Blanton, Oakland Athletics, RHP, U. Kentucky
25. Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants, RHP, Houston HS, Germantown, TN
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