Rankings/List

Sometimes, I think that my punishment in life for all the bad things I've done, and will do in the future, is being a devoted Seattle Mariners fan.

It's not an easy life, and one that takes a certain kind of person to fully commit to it.

We must be masochists. The constant pain and despair that my team has brought me over my 23 years on this earth is enough to drive a man straight into the arms of a bottle of Jack Daniels.

I know there are other fan bases out there with similar, or even harder, teams to root for.

In baseball, there are no exceptions.

If you fill the potentials in you or live up to what you are getting paid, there will be no problems.

But if you do not, your career takes very large U-turn.

That is what happened to the next 5 players you will see, as they are all now either free agents or struggling on teams.
Here is the list of the biggest busts in baseball since 2000.

(Note: Salary or Potential wise)

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Unveiling a list like this is entertaining, but it can also be controversial. As a result, let’s be clear about who qualifies and what the criteria is.

Casual fans might have some trouble recognizing names on this list. Pitchers you’ll encounter throughout this group may have been standout prospects, but had not yet enjoyed consistent success on the major league level prior to this year.

Jake Arrieta leads a stellar class of "who's hot," for the last week and a half, while Kam Mickolio leads the other half, the "who's not-ers."

So let's get right to it...

The bi-weekly edition of "Who's Hot, Who's Not."

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We are now two months into the season. While we are still a long way from the end of the season, those players who are in the MVP and Cy Young races are beginning to fall into place.

In the case of the AL MVP award race, the top ten to choose was actually quite easy. These ten are in a class above the others, and although there are several who could work their way into the race, it seems that these ten will have the inside track for the rest of the season.

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With the MLB Rule 4 First Year Player Draft coming on June 7, my content manager and I thought it would be wise to give you the ten biggest draft busts in the past 25 years.

There have been numerous first overall picks who have gone on to have stellar major league careers since 1985.

You may recall Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr., Chipper Jones and most recently, Joe Mauer winning major league MVP awards. Also, they were all number one picks in the draft.

With the number one pick, you are looking for the closest to a lock you can get, but sometimes the players just don't pan out.

WhatIfSports.com utilizes its award-winning baseball simulation engine to present the most comprehensive and unbiased ranking possible of all 30 teams in baseball each Monday during the regular season.

The 2007 first year player draft was very pitcher-heavy, but with the exception of the No. 1 overall selection, some of the biggest names to come out of it were actually position players.

A total of 18 pitchers were called in the first round alone, led by Vanderbilt graduate David Price, but there was good overall depth in the draft, especially through the first three rounds.

How many GMs do you think are out there right now still kicking themselves that Jason Heyward fell to No. 14?

Baseball's 2010 draft is just one week away, and the Mets will have the seventh overall pick.

After not having a first-round pick in 2009, the Mets will find themselves with a top-10 selection for the first time since 2005.

If the most important MLB pre-game tradition is the shouting of "Play ball!" then the most exciting one is the ceremonial first pitch.

Sometimes the honored throwers are former players returning to their old stadiums.