The New York Yankees’ selection of Alabama pitcher Ben Hess at No. 26 in Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft on Sunday night gave the Crimson Tide four first-round picks in the 60-year history of the big leagues’ summer draft.
Outfielder Joe Vitiello in 1991, pitcher Taylor Tankersley in 2004 and pitcher Tommy Hunter in 2007 preceded Hess as Alabama first-rounders. The Kansas City Royals picked Vitiello at No. 7, the Florida Marlins picked Tankersley at No. 27 and the Texas Rangers picked Hunter at No. 54.
Hess became the 46th prospect who played at an Alabama high school or college to be picked in the first round and the 33rd to be chosen in the first-round proper of baseball’s main summer draft. Thirteen of the state’s first-rounders have been chosen during extensions of the first round, with a player selected as far down in the draft as No. 60 considered a first-rounder in that way.
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Major League Baseball has added selections to the first round since the advent of free agency as supplemental or compensatory choices awarded for the loss of players. Beginning in 2012, the draft added Competitive Balance selections after the first and second rounds, with the 10 lowest-revenue clubs and the 10 smallest-market clubs eligible to receive extra picks.
Hunter was chosen in the supplemental first round of the 2007 draft. The Rangers received the pick used to obtain Hunter for losing outfielder-third baseman Mark DeRosa to the Chicago Cubs in free agency.
Major League Baseball has had other drafts of amateur players over the years, but since 1965 the first June draft has been the main one and since 1986 the only one. Major League Baseball moved its draft to July in 2021 to hold it in conjunction with its annual all-star game.
Of the state’s previous 45 first-round picks, 28 have reached the big leagues, six have been selected for the MLB All-Star Game and Frank Thomas has been a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame since 2014.
A rundown of the players from Alabama high schools and colleges who have been chosen in the first-round proper of the summer First-Year Player Draft:
2018: Casey Mize, pitcher, Springville High School, Auburn, No. 1 by the Detroit Tigers
Mize reached the big leagues with three games in the shortened 2020 season before going 7-9 with a 3.71 earned-run average in 30 starts for the Tigers in 2021. He had pitched in only two games in 2022 when his season was ended by Tommy John surgery. Mize returned to the Tigers’ rotation in 2024.
1992: B.J. Wallace, pitcher, Monroe Academy, No. 3 by the Montreal Expos
After breaking Jeff Brantley’s single-season record for strikeouts at Mississippi State, the left-hander didn’t start his pro career until 1993 so he could pitch for the United States in the 1992 Summer Olympics. In his first pro season, Wallace went 11-8 with a 3.28 ERA and 126 strikeouts in 137.1 innings for the West Palm Beach Expos of the High-A Florida State League. His next season last only eight games and he missed the 1995 campaign after shoulder surgery. His remaining pro career consisted of 15 Florida State League outings for the Clearwater Phillies in 1996.
1971: Condredge Holloway, shortstop, Lee High School (Huntsville), No. 4 by the Montreal Expos
Holloway’s mother wanted him to go to college, so instead of playing pro baseball, he became the first Black starting quarterback in SEC history at Tennessee and went on to a Hall of Fame career in the Canadian Football League.
1988: Gregg Olson, pitcher, Auburn, No. 4 by the Baltimore Orioles
In a 14-year big league career, Olson pitched in 622 games and saved 217. Thirty-seven of those saves came in 1990, when he went to the MLB All-Star Game for the Orioles. Olson was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1989, when he posted 27 saves and a 1.69 ERA with 90 strikeouts in 85 innings for Baltimore.
2017: Kyle Wright, pitcher, Buckhorn High School, No. 5 by the Atlanta Braves
Drafted after playing for Vanderbilt, Wright pitched in 21 games in four MLB seasons after his big-league debut in 2018. In 2022, Wright broke through and led the National League with 21 pitching wins as Atlanta won the World Series. But he made only five starts in 2023 before being sidelined by an injury and will not pitch in 2024.
1965: Rick James, pitcher, Coffee High School (Florence), No. 6 by the Chicago Cubs
The right-hander reached the big leagues as a 19-year-old with his third stop of the 1967 season. After pitching for the Fort Worth-Dallas Spurs and the Tacoma Cubs, James threw in three games for Chicago that year. He pitched three more minor league seasons without returning to the Majors even though he was selected by the San Diego Padres in the National League expansion draft after the 1968 season.
1989: Frank Thomas, first baseman, Auburn, No. 7 by Chicago White Sox
The White Sox hit a home run with this selection. The Big Hurt spent 16 years in Chicago, won the American League MVP Award in 1993 and 1994 and was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014 in his first year of eligibility. Thomas hit 521 home runs and had a .301 batting average, .419 on-base average and .555 slugging percentage in his career.
1991: Joe Vitiello, outfielder, Alabama, No. 7 by Kansas City Royals
Vitiello hit .303 with 154 homers in 1,050 minor-league games, and he led the Triple-A American Association with a .344 batting average for Omaha in 1994. His MLB career consisted of 282 games spread over seven seasons with three teams. He also hit 22 homers in his one season playing in Japan.
2016: Braxton Garrett, pitcher, Florence High School, No. 7 by the Miami Marlins
Garrett made his MLB debut in 2020 by starting two games for the Marlins. The left-hander pitched in eight games in 2021 and 17 in 2022 for Miami, before going 9-7 in 30 starts in 2023. Garrett pitched his first MLB shutout in 2024.
1975: Ted Barnicle, pitcher, Jacksonville State, No. 8 by the San Francisco Giants
In seven minor league seasons, Barnicle reached as high as Triple-A for six games – and won five of them – but never got to the big leagues. In 112 minor-league games, the left-hander compiled a 35-45 record and a 4.73 ERA with 545 strikeouts and 427 walks in 612.2 innings.
1965: Wayne Dickerson, outfielder, Ensley High School (Birmingham), No. 10 by the Pittsburgh Pirates
Five professional seasons failed to advance the former Ensley three-sport star past Single-A. In 411 minor-league games, the left-handed hitter batted .262.
2012: David Dahl, outfielder, Oak Mountain High School, No. 10 by Colorado Rockies
Dahl has played in seven Major League seasons in a career dogged by injuries. Dahl represented Colorado at the MLB All-Star Game in 2019. He played in 19 games earlier this season with the Philadelphia Phillies.
2018: Travis Swaggerty, outfielder, South Alabama, No. 10 by the Pittsburgh Pirates
Despite the canceled 2020 minor-league season and only 12 games in his 2021 campaign, Swaggerty reached the Majors in 2022. He has played five games for the Pirates this season while spending most of his playing time with the Indianapolis Indians of the Triple-A International League. But in 2023, Swaggerty played in only 22 minor-league games and, after being released by the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier this year, has played for the Kansas City Monarchs of the independent American Association in 2024.
1970: Jim Browning, pitcher, Emma Sansom High School (Gadsden), No. 11 by the St. Louis Cardinals
The right-hander spent six seasons in the minors, reaching as high as Double-A. He had a 26-23 record with a 3.64 ERA in 93 games, including 64 starts. In 386 innings, he struck out 176 and walked 173. After one year in the Cardinals organization, Browning was part of a blockbuster trade -- but not at first. The Philadelphia Phillies traded star first baseman Dick Allen, pitcher Jerry Johnson and second baseman Cookie Rojas to St. Louis for outfielders Byrone Browne and Curt Flood, pitcher Joe Hoerner and catcher Tim McCarver. But Flood, in a challenge to baseball’s reserve clause, refused to report to the Phillies, and the Cardinals sent Browning and Willie Montanez to Philadelphia in his place while Flood filed a lawsuit against Commissioner of Baseball Bowie Kuhn.
2006: Kasey Kiker, pitcher, Russell County High School, No. 12 by the Texas Rangers
The left-hander went 0-7 in his first pro season with the Low-A Spokane Indians. He bounced back the next year with a 7-4 record and 2.90 ERA in 20 starts for the Single-A Clinton LumberKings, but his highest level achieved was Double-A, and the Rangers released him after the 2011 season.
2020: Justin Foscue, second baseman, Grissom High School (Huntsville), No. 14 by the Texas Rangers
Drafted from Mississippi State, Foscue reached the big leagues in 2024, but he suffered an oblique injury getting his first MLB hit. After two months out of action, Foscue has returned to the field with Texas’ Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock.
1969: Alvin McGrew, outfielder, Parker High School (Birmingham), No. 15 by the Cleveland Indians
A prep basketball star, McGrew spent eight seasons in the minors and played at the Triple-A level for the Indians, Baltimore Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies without reaching the big leagues. After hitting .333 in 58 games for the Triple-A Oklahoma City 89ers in 1974, McGrew was involved in a trade for Baltimore first baseman Boog Powell. He hit .269 in 683 minor-league games.
2001: Gabe Gross, outfielder, Northview High School (Dothan), Auburn, No. 15 by the Toronto Blue Jays
The former Auburn quarterback played in seven MLB seasons, compiling a .239 batting average with 40 home runs in 657 big-league games with the Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland Athletics. Gross played for Tampa Bay in the 2008 World Series.
2011: Jed Bradley, pitcher, Huntsville High School, No. 15 by the Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers picked Bradley after he pitched for Georgia Tech. He reached the big leagues with the Atlanta Braves in 2016, pitching in six games. The left-hander retired after pitching in the Baltimore Orioles’ organization in 2017. He came back in 2019 and pitched a season with the New Britain Bees of the independent Atlantic League.
2013: Tim Anderson, shortstop, Hillcrest High School (Tuscaloosa), No. 17 by the Chicago White Sox
Drafted after playing at East Central Community College, Anderson spent eight seasons as the shortstop for the White Sox after reaching the big leagues in 2016. Anderson won the American League batting crown in 2019, played in the MLB All-Star Game in 2021 and was the starting American League shortstop in the 2022 All-Star Game. The Miami Marlins released Anderson after he had played in 65 games this season.
1966: Carlos May, outfielder, Parker High School (Birmingham), No. 18 by the Chicago White Sox
May didn’t have the power of his older brother, Lee May, but he had a 10-season MLB career that included selections for the All-Star Game in 1969 and 1972 while with the White Sox, although his best season might have been 1973, when he reached career highs with 20 home runs and 96 RBIs. A .274 hitter in 1,165 big-league games, May had 90 home runs and 85 stolen bases and walked almost as many times as he struck out -- 512 bases on balls to 565 strikeouts. May also wore his birthday on his jersey with the White Sox -- May 17.
1994: Terrence Long, first baseman, Stanhope Elmore High School (Millbrook), No. 20 by the New York Mets
Long played in three games with the Mets in 1999, but he spent the next six seasons as a regular with the Oakland Athletics from 2000 through 2003, San Diego Padres in 2004 and Kansas City Royals in 2005 before playing 12 games for the New York Yankees in 2006. In 890 MLB games, Long hit .269 with 166 doubles, 21 triples and 69 home runs.
2000: Chris Bootcheck, pitcher, Auburn, No. 20 by the Anaheim Angels
The right-hander made his MLB debut on Sept. 9, 2003, and he pitched for the last time in the big leagues on June 14, 2013. But in those 10 seasons, Bootcheck pitched only 91 MLB games, with 51 appearances coming in 2007 for the Angels. He compiled a 3-7 record and a 6.55 ERA in the Majors. In 12 minor-league seasons, he went 76-66 with a 4.57 ERA in 327 games. He also pitched in Japan and Korea.
1997: Eric DuBose, pitcher, Patrician Academy (Butler), No. 21 by the Oakland Athletics
Chosen off the Mississippi State roster, DuBose was waived by the Athletics and Cleveland Indians, released by the Detroit Tigers and missed an entire season because of shoulder surgery, but he persevered to reach the Majors in 2002 with the Baltimore Orioles. He pitched in 52 games, with 27 starts, over five seasons with the Orioles, compiling a 9-15 record and 5.21 ERA.
1969: John Simmons Jr., shortstop, Childersburg High School, No. 23 by the Kansas City Royals
The first first-round pick in the history of the Royals, Simmons also pitched for Childersburg and became the second player in Alabama High School Athletic Association history to strike out 20 opponents in a game in 1969 against Montevallo. He did not sign with Kansas City. Instead, Simmons chose to play baseball and football at Auburn, and he led the Tigers with four interceptions in 1971.
1992: Eddie Pearson, first baseman, Bishop State, No. 24 by the Chicago White Sox
The former LeFlore High School standout spent 15 seasons in pro baseball, but he never reached the Majors. Across all levels and leagues, the switch-hitter played in 1,380 games and had a .286 batting average, 188 home runs and 903 RBIs.
2017: Bubba Thompson, outfielder, McGill-Toolen Catholic High School (Mobile), No. 26 by the Texas Rangers
In 109 big-league games since his MLB debut in 2022, Thompson has 27 stolen bases with 56 hits (including one home run) and 11 walks. In 2024, Thompson has been on the rosters of the New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins and Cincinnati Reds. After playing in 17 games this season with Cincinnati, he’s been in the lineup of the Southern League’s Chattanooga Lookouts.
2004: Taylor Tankersley, pitcher, Alabama, No. 27 by the Florida Marlins
The left-hander made 168 relief appearances for the Marlins over four seasons. After missing the 2009 season with an elbow injury, Tankersley pitched in only 27 more games for Florida, compiling a 7.50 ERA to push his lifetime mark to 4.58. In 118 big-league innings, Tankersley registered 115 strikeouts.
2013: Phil Ervin, outfielder, Samford, No. 27 by the Cincinnati Reds
The former Leroy High School standout is playing with the Charleston Dirty Birds in the independent Atlantic League this season. Ervin played in 237 MLB games across the 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 seasons, compiling a .247 batting average and hitting 17 home runs.
2005: Colby Rasmus, outfielder, Russell County High School, No. 28 by the St. Louis Cardinals
Rasmus played in 1,092 MLB games and hit 166 home runs across 10 seasons. In nine postseason games, Rasmus hit four doubles and four home runs, batted .423 and compiled a 1.038 slugging percentage.
2021: Maddux Bruns, pitcher, UMS-Wright Preparatory School (Mobile), No. 29 by the Los Angeles Dodgers
Bruns is pitching for the High-A Great Lakes Loons this season, but he has been sidelined since May 21. In 160 minor-league innings, Bruns has struck out 221.
1997: Jason Standridge, pitcher, Hewitt-Trussville High School, No. 31 by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
The first player picked in the draft by Tampa Bay, the right-hander pitched in 80 MLB games over seven seasons from 2001 through 2007, compiling a 3-9 record and 5.80 ERA, mainly as a reliever after being mostly a starter in the minors. After pitching his final game in the Majors, Standridge pitched for 10 seasons in Japan.
A rundown of the players from Alabama high schools and colleges who have been chosen with selections added to the first round of the summer First-Year Player Draft:
1989: Todd Jones, pitcher, Jacksonville State, No. 27 by the Houston Astros
A supplemental first-round selection, the right-hander made 619 relief appearances over 16 MLB seasons. In 2000, Jones led the American League with 42 saves for the Detroit Tigers and went to the All-Star Game. In his career, he piled up 319 saves, which ranked 14th in big-league history when he retired and stands 23rd today.
1990: Mike Zimmerman, pitcher, South Alabama, No. 27 by the Pittsburgh Pirates
A supplemental first-round selection, the right-hander pitched for 14 teams in 10 seasons, including five Triple-A teams, without getting called to the big leagues. In eight seasons in affiliated baseball, Zimmerman posted a 32-38 record with 39 saves, a 4.69 ERA and 420 strikeouts in 290 games.
2002: Jeremy Brown, catcher, Hueytown High School, Alabama, No. 35 by the Oakland Athletics
A supplemental first-round selection, Brown played in five games for the Oakland Athletics in 2006, counting two doubles among his three MLB hits. He was out of baseball after 2007, having played in 539 minor-league games with 68 home runs and a .268 batting average.
2020: Tanner Burns, pitcher, Decatur High School, Auburn, No. 36 by the Cleveland Indians
Chosen in Competitive Balance Round A, the right-hander is pitching out of the Columbus Clippers’ bullpen in the Triple-A International League this season. Burns had 91 strikeouts in 75.2 innings for the High-A Lake County Captains in his first pro season in 2021 and has 315 strikeouts in 290.1 minor-league innings.
2006: Cory Rasmus, pitcher, Russell County High School, No. 38 by the Atlanta Braves
A supplemental first-round selection, Rasmus appeared in 185 minor-league and 84 MLB games. He reached the big leagues in 2013, and after three games with the Atlanta Braves, he did the rest of his MLB work for the Los Angeles Angels over four seasons.
2022: Jordan Beck, outfielder, Hazel Green High School: No. 38 by the Colorado Rockies
A Competitive Balance Round A selection drafted from Tennessee, Beck reached the big leagues on April 30, 2024, but he’s been sidelined since breaking his left hand on May 25. Beck has hit two MLB homers after getting 33 in the minors.
2016: Anfernee Grier, outfielder, Russell County High School, Auburn, No. 39 by the Arizona Diamondbacks
A Competitive Balance Round A selection, Grier has not played in affiliated baseball since 2019. In his four seasons in affiliated baseball, Grier hit .240 with 18 home runs and 75 stolen bases in 297 games and reached High-A.
1993: Charles Rice, first baseman, Parker High School (Birmingham), No. 42 by the Pittsburgh Pirates
A supplemental first-round selection, Rice was chosen with the pick received by the Pirates for the loss of Barry Bonds in free agency to the San Francisco Giants. The left-handed hitter spent five years in the Pirates’ farm system as a first baseman/outfielder without playing above High-A. In 377 minor-league games, Rice hit .252 with 37 home runs and 28 stolen bases.
1997: Bryan Hebson, pitcher, Central High School (Phenix City) Auburn, No. 44 by the Montreal Expos
A supplemental first-round selection, Hebson pitched two innings in two games for the Expos in 2003 for his only big-league experience. In seven seasons in the minors, the 6-foot-5 right-hander had a 43-37 record, 15 saves and 3.51 ERA. In 2002, Hebson went 10-1 with a 1.72 ERA for the Harrisburg Senators of the Double-A Eastern League.
2006: Caleb Clay, pitcher, Cullman High School, No. 44 by the Boston Red Sox
A supplemental first-round selection, the right-hander reached Triple-A for three organizations but never pitched in the Majors. In nine minor-league seasons, Clay compiled a 37-47 record with a 4.46 ERA in 182 games. He also pitched in Korea.
2007: Josh Donaldson, catcher, Faith Academy (Mobile), Auburn, No. 48 by the Chicago Cubs
A supplemental first-round selection, Donaldson was chosen with the pick received by the Cubs for the loss of former South Alabama standout Juan Pierre in free agency to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Donaldson retired after his 13th MLB season in 2023. He represented the Oakland Athletics in the 2014 MLB All-Star Game and the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2015 and 2016 MLB All-Star games. Donaldson won the American League Most Valuable Player Award for the 2015 season.
2007: Tommy Hunter, pitcher, Alabama, No. 54 by the Texas Rangers
A supplemental first-round selection, Hunter retired after his 16th big-league season in 2023. Originally a starter, Hunter led the American League in winning percentage with a 13-4 record in 2010. He converted to the bullpen in 2013. In 508 MLB games, Hunter had a 56-47 record, 22 saves and 4.07 ERA.
2007: Brandon Hamilton, pitcher, Stanhope Elmore High School (Millbrook), No. 60 by the Detroit Tigers
A supplemental first-round selection, Hamilton played three pro seasons and made 54 minor-league appearances, reaching as high as the West Michigan Whitecaps of the Single-A Midwest League. He had an 11-12 record with a 5.25 ERA. In 190.1 innings, he yielded 185 hits and 114 walks and struck out 158.
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at@AMarkG1.