Don’t scoff at the No. 17 pick, Red Sox fans.
Boston will choose a player at that spot Wednesday night in Round 1 of the 2020 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft — barring a trade, of course. It will mark the fifth time in franchise history the Red Sox have made a pick at No. 17 (David Murphy in 2003, Rick Asadoorian in 1999, John Curtice in 1997 and Ted Cox in 1973.)
And while the No. 17 pick isn’t nearly as glamorous as a top 10 selection, the reality is that great players — Hall of Famers, even — can be found all over the draft board, including in the bottom half of the first round.
With that said, let’s take a look at the five best players taken with the No. 17 pick:
Roy Halladay, RHP — 1995 (TOR)
The only Hall of Famer on this list, Halladay at his peak was one of the most dominant right-handed pitchers in the history of the game. After 12 seasons in Toronto that saw him make six American League All-Star teams and win one Cy Young Award, Halladay joined the Philadelphia Phillies and took his game to an ever higher level. The 2010 season saw Halladay throw a perfect game, a no-hitter in the playoffs and win his second Cy Young — not bad! Overall, the Denver native compiled a 203-105 record and 3.38 ERA over his 16-year career. He retired after the 2013 season and tragically died in 2017 in a plane crash.
Cole Hamels, LHP — 2002 (PHI)
Hamels rarely gets mentioned as one of the best left-handers in the game, and that’s a shame. When he’s on top of his game, Hamels is capable of dominating any lineup. Among Hamels’ career achievements are four All-Star appearances, a World Series title and an MVP and four top 10 finishes in Cy Young voting. The 36-year-old is 163-121 with a 3.42 ERA over 14 seasons with the Phillies, Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs.
More Baseball: Nine Best Position Player Prospects Available In MLB Draft
Charles Nagy, RHP — 1988 (CLE)
Nagy was your classic good-to-occasionally great pitcher. Outside of a five-game stint with the San Diego Padres in 2003, Nagy spent the entirety of his career with the Cleveland Indians. In 13 campaigns with The Tribe, the crafty right-hander racked up 129 wins with a 4.51 ERA. He made three All-Star teams and finished in the top seven in Cy Young voting three times.
Jeromy Burnitz, OF — 1990 (NYM)
Yes, Burnitz absolutely deserves a spot on this list. He was a reliable, productive (sometimes highly so) outfielder over 14 seasons with seven different teams. Burnitz finished his career with a .253 average to go along with 315 homers and 981 RBIs. He was selected to one All-Star team, but probably should’ve made more.
Tim Anderson, SS — 2013 (CWS)
We admit, we’re projecting a bit with this choice. Anderson was more promising than great in his first three seasons in the big leagues, hitting a combined .258 with 46 homers, 150 RBIs and 51 steals over three seasons with the Chicago White Sox. However, enjoyed a breakout campaign last season, leading the majors in batting (.335) while racking up 18 homers, 56 RBIs and 17 steals. The 26-year-old is one of the best young shortstops in the game.
