The Phillies picked 17th back in 2002, after Larry Bowa's first season as Phillies manager yielded an 86-76 record.  The draft was a good one: it included names such as Adam Loewen, Joe Blanton, and Jeff Francoeur.  And also future stars Zach Greinke, Prince Fielder, Scott Kazmir, B.J. Upton, James Loney, Denard Span, and many, many more names.   But the Phillies settled on a 17 year-old left-handed high school starter in Cole Hamels.

Hamels may have been the Phillies best draft pick in the first round of our lifetime, along with Chase Utley in 2000.  They also previously drafted productive Major League players such as Pat Burrell, Brett Myers, and Adam Eaton (yes - he was good at one point for the Rangers and Padres).  But since 2002, the Phillies first round drafts have yielded nothing but disappointment.

 

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