1991 — Brien Taylor
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Best Player From Draft Class: Manny Ramirez
If you’re asking yourself — “who is Brien Taylor?” — you aren’t alone. Drafted by the Yankees, Taylor is one of three No. 1 overall picks to never make it to the Majors. Coming out of high school, Taylor was an electric pitching prospect. He touched 99 MPH with his fastball and struck out an absurd 213 batters in 88 IP.
Unfortunately, Taylor was never the same after hurting his shoulder in a fight and never advanced past AA. In 2012, Taylor was sentenced to 50 months in prison after pleading guilty to cocaine trafficking charges. Instead of Taylor, the Yankees could have drafted Manny Ramirez, Cliff Floyd, or Shawn Green.