Padres Draft: Best players drafted eighth overall

The Padres hold the eighth overall pick in next month’s draft. For perspective, let’s look at some of the best players that were taken at the same spot.

Come June 10, the Padres will be adding the next wave to their already prosperous farm system. As a result of last year’s record, they hold the eighth overall pick. They are in a favorable spot to grab an immediate impact player.

We’ve seen several mock drafts from various media sources leading up to the draft. General Manager AJ Preller’s history in the draft would lead the belief that a top high school talent is the preferred selection here. However, Minnesota’s Max Meyer and Louisville’s Reid Detmers are also names linked to the Friars.

Regardless of who the pick ends up being, the future looks very bright at the big league level, with the likes of Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado being the focal points of the roster for years to come. Several of the Padres’ top prospects will be making their major league debuts within the next couple of years, so it’s important to continue stockpiling as much talent as possible.

And looking at the history of the eighth overall pick, there are quite a few names that should have Padres’ fans excited about the potential this draft slot holds.

Todd Helton

Helton was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 1995 MLB Draft. He finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting in 1998, in what was a foreshadowing of an amazing career.

As a two-sport player at the University of Tennessee, Helton made the right call sticking with baseball, as he was frequently in the MVP conversation between 2000 and 2004.

He was selected to five All-Star games, earned three Gold Glove and four Silver Slugger Awards, and his number 17 was retired by the Rockies.

Helton had a .316 batting average and 61.8 WAR of the course of his 17-year career, highlighted by an MLB-leading .372 average during the 2000 season.