Padres Draft: Best players drafted 80th overall

We look back at the best players who were drafted with the 80th overall pick and what potentially lies ahead for the Padres.

Looking back at the last decade or so of picks for the Padres, only Austin Hedges, who was selected with the 82nd overall pick in 2011, has done anything noteworthy. The jury is still out on the last three to four drafts, as the Friars wait to see what they might have in Owen Miller (84th overall in 2018) and Hudson Head (84th overall last year).

We already know that Mason House (78th overall pick in 2017) was one of the minor league players who were released. But the 21-year-old looked like he was having trouble moving through the minors, still playing for Short-Season Tri-City last year while hitting just .147 in the process.

However, looking ahead to Wednesday and Thursday of this week, the Padres have the opportunity to change the narrative by grabbing a player with a high ceiling. To demonstrate that those players exist in the third round, we look back at several players who were taken with the 80th overall pick.

Curtis Granderson – 2002

Taken by the Detroit Tigers in the early 2000s, Granderson made his big league debut in 2004, becoming an everyday player by 2006. Over the span of his 16-year career, he played for seven ballclubs, earning top-ten MVP votes in 2008 and 2011 while being selected to three All-Star games. His best season came with the Yankees in 2011 when he posted a .262/.364/.552 slash line with 41 home runs and an MLB-leading 119 RBI.

Steve Yeager – 1967

The Dodgers’ catcher played 14-of-15 years in years, with his final season spent in Seattle. Yeager made his big league debut in 1972, transitioning into the everyday backstop by 1975. His best season came in 1977 when he hit .256 with 16 home runs and 55 RBI. Defensively, he was terrific throwing out runners at a 38 percent clip, well above the league average of 33 percent during his career.

Patrick Corbin – 2009

Corbin has only been in the league for seven years, spending his first six with the Diamondbacks. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2014, missing the entire year, but returned in 2015 to make 16 starts while posting a 3.60 ERA. He’s remained relatively healthy since then, recently making 33 starts for the Nationals last year with a 3.25 ERA.

Shaun Marcum – 2003

Drafted by the Blue Jays, Marcum accumulated a 13.4 career WAR over his nine-year career. His 2008 season was prematurely ended when he needed Tommy John surgery, missing all of 2009 as well. Marcum remained relatively healthy until 2014, when a shoulder injury shut him down, never pitching at the big league level that year. His best year came in 2011 with the Brewers, posting a 3.54 ERA in 33 starts while striking out 158 batters in 200.2 innings.

Greg Gross – 1970

Gross spent 17 years in the league, playing with the Astros, Cubs, and Phillies. He accumulated a 12.4 WAR during that span, and his year came in 1977 – his first with the Cubs – posting a .322/.394/.460 line with five home runs and 32 RBI in 115 games.