Guys who had so much potential but never realized it

[BiggestKJ]

Re: Guys who had so much potential but never realized it

Rocco Baldelli

[JBH3]

Re: Guys who had so much potential but never realized it

Bo Jackson.

Edit: N/M, he doesn't really apply here, and is talent was more in football than in baseball. He was loved as a baseball player because of the novelty of being a 2-sport star, but he was a career .250 w/ a 30% OBP.

[ryan36]

Re: Guys who had so much potential but never realized it

Bobby Crosby seemed pretty hyped, and is no big deal...Yuniesky Betancourt, and Jose Lopez should both be better...Mike Schooler, Roger Salkeld...

and Rick Ankiel. That guy should've been a beast as a pitcher

Edit: Albert Belle

[dalnet22]

Re: Guys who had so much potential but never realized it

Vernon Wells? Barry Zito? Ty Wiggington? Scott Kazmir?

[MassNole]

Re: Guys who had so much potential but never realized it

From the Kansas City Royals I nominate 2 time Cy Young winner Bret Saberhagen, who was amazing in odd years and awful in even years. If he could have realized consistency and didn't rest on his laurels from the previous season he could have been a HOFer.

Also from KCR, 3B Phil Hiatt. After George Brett retired and Kevin Seitzer left he came on strong at 3B and then just fell back to earth and never showed the promise he did as a rookie. Same can be said for former ROTY Bob Hamelin (he won the award over Manny Ramirez) who just sucked after his rookie year.

[Dice]

Re: Guys who had so much potential but never realized it

Darryl Strawberry - probably the most powerful hitter I have ever seen with a swing as sweet honey-dipped sugarcane. When he hit the roof of old Olympic Stadium...wow.

One of the most talented and sad figures I've witnessed in baseball. He coulda been the greatest.

Straw could have been one of the all-time greatest. BUT he had a team mate that also could have been one of the best pitchers ever in Dwight "Doc" Gooden.

Doc was nasty. This guy had electric stuff. He probably had one of the best curveballs of all time. His stuff was that wicked.

Doc should have been a 300 game winner and should have been top 5 in all time strikeouts. Unfortunately, drugs derailed his career.

[SPTO]

Re: Guys who had so much potential but never realized it

Indeed Doc Gooden had all the tools to be a 300 winner same with Bret Saberhagen as well. I believe Saberhagen's problems were more physical then anything else.

Anyways I've seen Gooden's very first MLB start. The guy took a patient hitting Astros team and made them swing at almost everything he threw. That's a testament to just how dominant a pitcher he was right from the get go.

[Porschebenz2001]

Re: Guys who had so much potential but never realized it

Alfonso Soriano.

[raynman]

Re: Guys who had so much potential but never realized it

Not sure if it's been said before, but B.J. Upton. Hopefully he was make a resurgence this year, but it seems like we say that every year.

[cubsfan203]

Re: Guys who had so much potential but never realized it

Not sure if he qualifies yet since he is still young, but how about Delmon Young?

[Ewing]

Re: Guys who had so much potential but never realized it

http://thejuice.baseballtoaster.com/...es/326227.html

[Mr. Franchise]

Re: Guys who had so much potential but never realized it

Joel Guzman. A top 5 prospect several years in a row. Now he can't even crack a spot on the O's.

[dalnet22]

Re: Guys who had so much potential but never realized it

Angel Guzman

[sqeg]

Re: Guys who had so much potential but never realized it

So I hear Grady Sizemore's knees are giving him problems and he has to have surgery which may mean he's out for the entire year. This guy has to be the poster child for the player with TONS of potential but injuries and whatnot literally killed any chance for him to blossom.

Not sure if you read the story yet but, it's official:

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100604&content_id=10792462&notebook_id=10797344&vkey=notebook_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb