CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds have the No. 2 pick in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft on Thursday. It’s the highest they’ve picked since they selected shortstop Kurt Stillwell at No. 2 in 1983.
Stillwell played two seasons with the Reds and hit .249 in a nine-year career. The first round was not full of future stars that year, the No. 19 pick, Roger Clemens, being one exception.
There have been plenty of stars drafted No. 2 over the years: Justin Verlander, Mark Prior, Josh Beckett, J.D. Drew, Will Clark, Joe Carter and Reggie Jackson, for example.
However picking No. 2 overall doesn’t guarantee a team of picking an All-Star or even a future big league player. Five of the last 10 No. 2 picks have played in the big leagues this season. Two of those recently suffered season-ending injuries.
Here are the No. 2 picks of the last 10 drafts and how they’re doing now:
2015: Alex Bregman, shortstop, Houston Astros: The LSU product hit .294 in his first season in the minors and is hitting .315 in Double-A this season.
2014: Tyler Kolek, right-handed pitcher, Miami Marlins: Drafted out of high school, Kolek was 4-10 with a 4.56 ERA last season in Single-A, his first full season in the minors. He underwent Tommy John surgery in April.
2013: Kris Bryant, third baseman, Chicago Cubs: Drafted out of the University of San Diego, Bryant was an instant star when he debuted in 2015, hitting .275 with 26 home runs. He’s hitting .274 with 13 home runs this season.
2012: Byron Buxton, center fielder, Minnesota Twins: Drafted out of high school, Buxton made his big league debut last season, hitting .209 in 46 games. He started this season with the Twins, hit .156 and was sent back to Triple-A. He returned to the Twins on May 31 and has hits in six straight games.
2011: Danny Hultzen, left-handed pitcher, Seattle Mariners: Hultzen was drafted out of the University of Virginia. He’s 14-9 with a 2.84 ERA in 35 minor league starts in four seasons. He has not pitched this season because of shoulder problems.
2010: Jameson Taillon, left-handed pitcher, Pittsburgh Pirates: Drafted out of high school, Taillon is 20-23 with a 3.49 ERA in 84 career starts in the minors. He had Tommy John surgery in 2014 but returned to baseball this season. At Triple-A, he’s 4-2 with a 2.04 ERA in 10 starts and could be promoted to the big leagues soon.
2009: Dustin Ackley, center fielder, Mariners: Drafted out of the University of North Carolina, Ackley debuted in 2011. In his seasons with the Mariners and Yankees, he has hit .241 with 46 home runs. He hit .148 in 26 games this season with the Yankees and underwent season-ending shoulder surgery Friday.
2008: Pedro Alvarez, third baseman, Pirates: Drafted out of Vanderbilt, Alvarez debuted in 2010. He played six season with the Pirates, hitting .236. He was an All-Star in 2013 when he hit 36 home runs. This season, his first with the Baltimore Orioles, he’s hitting .217.
2007: Mike Moustakas, third baseman, Kansas City Royals: Drafted out of high school, Moustakas debuted in 2011. He was an All-Star in 2015, hitting .284 with 22 home runs and helping lead the Royals to the World Series. He suffered a torn ACL in May and will miss the rest of the season.
2006: Greg Reynolds, right-handed pitcher, Colorado Rockies: Drafted out of Stanford, Reynolds debuted with the Rockies in 2008. He was 2-8 with an 8.13 ERA in 13 starts. He returned to the big leagues in 2011 with the Rockies, posting a 6.19 ERA in 13 games. He had a brief stint with the Reds in 2013, posting a 5.52 ERA in five starts. He pitched in Japan in 2014 and 2016 and is now in Triple-A with the Padres.
