Worst First? Miami Marlins Biggest First Round Mistakes

10. Chip Ambres

The Marlins were famously bad in 1998, in the selloff-aftermath of their first World Series Championship. They posted a 54-108 record, but their draft that season wasn’t very much better. Of the 49 players selected, only three ever eventually reached the major leagues. Adam LaRoche (15th round, 14.3 WAR) never made it to the majors with the Marlins, and Kevin Olsen (26th round, -0.1 WAR) pitched in 28 games and posted a 5.12 career ERA from 2001 through 2003.

Right-handed outfielder Chip Ambres, chosen by the Florida Marlins in the first round that year with the 27th overall selection off the board, never made it above the Double-A level while part of the Marlins organization. The final two years of his six-season Marlins association were spent with the Carolina Mudcats, in the Southern League.

After the Marlins finally cut ties with Ambres, he would soon thereafter join the Kansas City Royals, for whom he played in 53 games in 2005. He was 35-for-145 from the plate, with four homers and nine RBI. He later played in three games for the New York Mets in 2007 and 24 with the San Diego Padres the following season.

The Marlins wound up with blessed little from the 1998 draft class.