Cleveland Indians: 5 worst first-round draft picks in club history

No. 4: Paul Shuey – No. 2 overall, 1992

This may seem like an odd choice to include on a “worst” list. After all, Paul Shuey did make it to the big leagues and actually had some success as a reliever. He even ranks in the top 15 in career WAR among Tribe first-round draft picks at 7.0. However, there are reasons (perhaps some biased ones) why he does crack our top five worst picks list.

For starters, Paul Shuey was not a starter. Drafted in 1992, he was a relief pitcher in his first full professional season in 1993, a very disappointing outcome for a guy drafted second overall. The Indians made no attempt to use him as a starter. Perhaps it was all because they felt he could help the club compete quicker by rushing him through the system.

The Indians knew they had the makings of a good team and thought by the 1994-1995 season they’d need a backend reliever who could help them win.

The Indians were right that they would be contenders then but they missed badly on Shuey. While he had some good years in the ‘pen, he was never the dominating closer the Indians thought he’d be. It also hurts knowing that Derek Jeter was there to be had at second overall and instead the Indians opted for a relief pitcher.

Sure it was well-known that Jeter would be a tough sign and perhaps that scared off the Indians, but they still missed on guys like Johnny Damon, Jason Kendall, Rick Helling, and Shannon Stewart in the first round that year.