Having the No. 1 overall selection comes with an added layer of pressure and expectations, both for the player being drafted and the team doing the drafting.
For the franchise, it's an opportunity to add a franchise-level player that cannot be missed. And for the prospect being selected at the top of his draft class, it's a lot to live up to, as "1-1" will always be attached to his name.
For the first time in franchise history, the Guardians will have the distinction of taking the first player off the board, as they won MLB's draft lottery for the top overall selection despite having just a two percent chance of nabbing the top choice. The MLB draft begins July 14.
Before the Guardians finally select their pick, here's a ranking of the top No. 1 overall draft picks since 2000.
The only player on this list to be taken first overall and then drafted a second time after that, Aiken and the Astros had signing issues before he needed Tommy John surgery. Cleveland then took a chance on him the following year with the No. 17 overall selection, but Aiken could never get healthy enough to make an impact.
Bush had one of the most interesting career paths, as he was drafted as a shortstop but made it to the big leagues after transitioning to the mound as a pitcher.
Spencer Torkelson hasn't quite found his rhythm in the majors, but he has a ton of power and plenty of time to continue developing.
Lewis' potential remains sky high, but perhaps his biggest obstacle is his health, as injuries have derailed his career a bit. The talent is there, though. He just has to keep his bat in the lineup.
Holliday had a rough first go-around in the big leagues earlier this year, but he also is just 20 years old and accelerated to the majors at lightning speed. His future remains extremely bright.
Upton was drafted as a shortstop but made it to the majors as an outfielder and eventually was a four-time All-Star.
Rutschman is a star at the catcher position, and a massive reason why the Orioles have turned into full contenders in the American League East.
Strasburg was one of the most hyped players entering the draft and then had one of the most hyped MLB debuts of all time. Unfortunately, like so many other pitchers on this list, injuries added some speed bumps to an otherwise great career, and Strasburg nearly won a Cy Young Award in 2017.
Correa was at the heart of the Astros' full, bottom-out rebuild strategy that included consecutive No. 1 overall picks. Mark Appel didn't work out as well, but Correa was a huge hit in Houston .
Perhaps having Skenes at this spot on the list is a bit ambitious but, after being drafted No. 1 overall almost exactly one year ago, he's become almost immediately one of the top pitchers in the game. He seems destined for multiple Cy Young awards.
Another ace drafted by the Pirates, Cole has continued his tremendous career with the Yankees and remains one of the elite pitchers in the game today. Cole has won a Cy Young Award and the ERA title twice.
Joe Mauer turned in a Hall-of-Fame career at catcher and then first base, and he played all 1,858 games with the Twins — a bit of a throwback career in the 21st century. He won an MVP in 2009 and was a six-time All-Star.
Perhaps nobody had as much hype surrounding them at the time of the draft as Harper, and, somehow, he's met those extremely high expectations as a major leaguer. Harper is a two-time MVP (2015, 2021), a seven-time All-Star and remains one of the most talented, and most exciting, players in baseball.
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com. Read more about the Guardians at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/cleveland-guardians. Follow him on Threads at @ByRyanLewis .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Guardians MLB draft 2024 ranking No. 1 overall picks
