All-Time Baseball America No. 1 Prospects

By BA Staff
on January 10, 2021

Baseball America has been ranking the Top 100 prospects in the game since 1990, when Braves lefthander Steve Avery debuted as the first-ever No. 1 prospect.

In the years since, 27 different players have held the title of No. 1 prospect in baseball. They include future Hall of Famers (Chipper Jones), multiple-time MVPs (Alex Rodriguez), World Series MVPs (Josh Beckett), Rookies of the Year (Kris Bryant, Ronald Acuna, Corey Seager, Bryce Harper, Ben Grieve) and, yes, the occasional disappointment (Brien Taylor, Todd Van Poppel).

A No. 1 ranking is no guarantee of future stardom. But more often than not, stardom does await the player crowned as the best up-and-coming prospect in the game.

Here are the all-time No. 1 Baseball America prospects. As an added bonus, we've included who was No. 2 each year as well.

Year	Player, Pos	Team	No. 2	Team
2021	Wander Franco, SS	Rays	Adley Rutschman, C	Orioles
2020	Wander Franco, SS	Rays	Luis Robert, OF	White Sox
2019	Vladimir Guerrero Jr, 3B	Blue Jays	Fernando Tatis Jr., SS	Padres
2018	Ronald Acuna, OF	Braves	Shohei Ohtani, RHP/DH	Angels
2017	Andrew Benintendi, OF	Red Sox	Yoan Moncada, 2B	White Sox
2016	Corey Seager, SS	Dodgers	Byron Buxton, OF	Twins
2015	Kris Bryant, 3B	Cubs	Byron Buxton, OF	Twins
2014	Byron Buxton, OF	Twins	Xander Bogaerts, SS	Red Sox
2013	Jurickson Profar, SS	Rangers	Dylan Bundy, RHP	Orioles
2012	Bryce Harper, OF	Nationals	Matt Moore, LHP	Rays
2011	Bryce Harper, OF	Nationals	Mike Trout, OF	Angels
2010	Jason Heyward, OF	Braves	Stephen Strasburg, RHP	Nationals
2009	Matt Wieters, C	Orioles	David Price, LHP	Rays
2008	Jay Bruce, OF	Reds	Evan Longoria, 3B	Rays
2007	Daisuke Matsuzaka, RHP	Red Sox	Alex Gordon, 3B	Royals
2006	Delmon Young, OF	Rays	Justin Upton, SS/OF	D-backs
2005	Joe Mauer, C	Twins	Felix Hernandez, RHP	Mariners
2004	Joe Mauer, C	Twins	B.J. Upton, OF	Rays
2003	Mark Teixeira, 3B	Rangers	Rocco Baldelli, OF	Rays
2002	Josh Beckett, RHP	Marlins	Mark Prior, RHP	Cubs
2001	Josh Hamilton, OF	Rays	Corey Patterson, OF	Cubs
2000	Rick Ankiel, LHP	Cardinals	Pat Burrell, OF	Phillies
1999	J.D. Drew, OF	Cardinals	Rick Ankiel, LHP	Cardinals
1998	Ben Grieve, OF	Athletics	Paul Konerko, 1B	Dodgers
1997	Andruw Jones, OF	Braves	Vladimir Guerrero, OF	Expos
1996	Andruw Jones, OF	Braves	Paul Wilson, RHP	Mets
1995	Alex Rodriguez, SS	Mariners	Ruben Rivera, OF	Yankees
1994	Cliff Floyd, OF	Expos	Chipper Jones, SS	Braves
1993	Chipper Jones, SS	Braves	Brien Taylor, LHP	Yankees
1992	Brien Taylor, LHP	Yankees	Todd Van Poppel, RHP	Athletics
1991	Todd Van Poppel, RHP	Athletics	Andujar Cedeno, SS	Astros
1990	Steve Avery, LHP	Braves	Ben McDonald, RHP	Orioles