Padres Draft: Best players drafted 34th overall

The Padres hold the 34th overall pick, a competitive balance draft pick, in next month’s draft. Let’s look at several players who have been taken here.

As part of MLB’s 2012-2016 Collective Bargaining Agreement, the ten lowest-revenue clubs and clubs from the ten smallest markets enter into a lottery. There, six teams are each selected for Rounds A and B that supplement the first round of draft picks.

And while slots outside of the competitive balance pool cannot be traded, those within can be. The Padres hold the eighth overall pick in next month’s draft, and before jumping into the second round, they also hold the 34th overall pick.

Linked to one of the top high school pitchers in Justin Lange in recent mock drafts, the Friars have the opportunity to add another prospect to the highly-touted farm system. And looking back at players selected in the same slot, the pick holds much potential.

Mark Gubicza

The Kansas City Royals acquired the 34th overall pick from the St. Louis Cardinals and took Gubicza out of William Penn Charter School in 1981. The big right-hander made his Major League debut in 1984, with 29 starts for the Royals, posting a 4.05 ERA and finishing seventh in the AL Rookie of the Year voting.

Despite not being a big strikeout guy, Gubicza limited the damage and led the AL in home-runs-per-nine innings in 1988 and 1989 with matching 0.4 values. In the former season, he finished third in AL Cy Young Award voting with a career-best 7.7 WAR.

He earned All-Star selections in both 1988 and 1989 and pitched for the Royals through the 1996 season. During the Royals World Series run in 1985, Gubicza made two appearances, including one start, in the ALCS series, posting a 3.24 ERA. Over his 14-year career, he registered a 37.4 WAR.

Todd Frazier

Taken in the 2007 MLB Draft, the Cincinnati Reds tabbed Frazier as the third baseman of the future with regular playing time in 2013. Following up on a season in which he finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting, Frazier posted a .234 batting average but hit 19 bombs and drove in 73 runs.

2014 and 2015 sparked back to back All-Star selections with an NL-leading 619 at-bats in the latter season. Between the two years, Frazier hit 64 home runs and knocked in 169 runs. After 2015, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox and has also spent time with the Yankees and Mets.

Most recently, Frazier hit .251 with 21 home runs and 67 RBI in 2019. Although he’s 34 now, Frazier has accumulated a 24.5 WAR throughout his nine-year big league career.

Bruce Bochte

Drafted by the Angels when they were still going by the California Angels, Bochte made his big league debut in 1974 and hit .270 over 57 games. After four years with the Angels and one with Cleveland, he spent the next five in Seattle.

There, Bochte earned his only All-Star selection in 1979, hitting .316 to go along with 16 home runs and 100 RBI. While never a power hitter, Bochte was an extremely productive offensive threat.

He spent his final three seasons with the Oakland Athletics, hitting a combined .272 with 25 home runs and 155 RBI. Throughout his 12-year career, Bochte accumulated a 19.4 WAR, including a 3.7 WAR in 1979.

Arthur Rhodes

The Orioles took Arthur Rhodes in the 1988 MLB Amateur Draft. He made his Major League debut in 1991 with a forgettable 8.00 ERA in eight starts. However, he righted the ship the following year, posting a 3.63 ERA in 15 starts.

Rhodes remained in the rotation until 1996 when he had 26 appearances but just two starts. In 1997, he recorded a 10-3 record with a 3.02 ERA in 53 appearances while striking out 102 batters in 95.1 innings. After nine years in Baltimore, Rhodes signed with the Mariners and remained there through the 2003 season.

With Seattle, Rhodes logged a 3.05 ERA in 312 appearances and was one of the premier setup men in baseball. With a 10.0 K/9, he was lethal from the back end of the bullpen. After his time with Seattle came to an end, Rhodes bounced around with Cleveland, Philadelphia, Florida, Cincinnati, Texas, and St. Louis, winning a World Series before hanging up his cleats.

Over his illustrious 20-year-career, Rhodes accumulated a 15.2 WAR, highlighted by a career-best 2.7 WAR in 2002.