The 2004 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

's annual amateur draft, was held on June 7 and 8. It was conducted via conference call

Conference call

A conference call is a telephone call in which the calling party wishes to have more than one called party listen in to the audio portion of the call. The conference calls may be designed to allow the called party to participate during the call, or the call may be set up so that the called party...

 with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams. The draft marked the first time three players from the same university were chosen in the first ten picks.

Source: MLB.com 2004 Draft Tracker

First round selections

= All-Star

Pick	Player	Team	Position	School
1	Matt Bush	San Diego Padres San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...	SS Shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...	Mission Bay High School
2	Justin Verlander Justin Verlander Justin Brooks Verlander is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball....	Detroit Tigers Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...	RHP	Old Dominion Old Dominion University Old Dominion University is a state university located in Norfolk, Virginia, United States, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
3	Philip Humber Philip Humber Philip Gregory Humber is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Chicago White Sox.-Early life:Humber attended Carthage High School in Carthage, Texas...	New York Mets New York Mets The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...	RHP	Rice University Rice University William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
4	Jeff Niemann Jeff Niemann Jeffrey Warren Niemann is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays.-College:...	Tampa Bay Devil Rays Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...	RHP	Rice University
5	Mark Rogers Mark Rogers (baseball) Mark Elliot Rogers is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Milwaukee Brewers organization. He made his Major League Baseball debut in .-Career:...	Milwaukee Brewers Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...	RHP	Mount Ararat High School (ME)
6	Jeremy Sowers Jeremy Sowers Jeremy Bryan Sowers is an American professional baseball pitcher. Sowers grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, where he attended Ballard High School...	Cleveland Indians Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...	LHP	Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
7	Homer Bailey Homer Bailey David Dewitt "Homer" Bailey, Jr. is an American Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds....	Cincinnati Reds Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....	RHP	La Grange High School La Grange High School La Grange High School is the high school of La Grange, Texas and is a part of the La Grange Independent School District located in Fayette County.-School song:We pledge dear Alma mater,To wear your purple and gold,...
8	Wade Townsend Wade Townsend Wade Daniel Townsend is a Minor League Baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He was the Tampa Bay Rays' first-round draft pick out of Rice University in 2005, signing for a $1.5 million bonus...	Baltimore Orioles Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...	RHP	Rice University
9	Chris Nelson Chris Nelson (baseball) Christopher Lars Nelson is a Major League Baseball infielder for the Colorado Rockies. He was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 1st Round of the 2004 amateur entry draft, and received the third largest signing bonus in Rockies history...	Colorado Rockies Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...	SS	Redan High School Redan High School Redan High School is a public secondary school located in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The school is south of the city of Stone Mountain....
10	Thomas Diamond Thomas Diamond Thomas Nicklaus Diamond is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.-College & draft:...	Texas Rangers Texas Rangers (baseball) The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...	RHP	University of New Orleans University of New Orleans The University of New Orleans, often referred to locally as UNO, is a medium-sized public urban university located on the New Orleans Lakefront within New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It is a member of the LSU System and the Urban 13 association. Currently UNO is without a proper chancellor...
11	Neil Walker Neil Walker (baseball) Neil Martin Walker is an American professional baseball second and third baseman with the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball...	Pittsburgh Pirates Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...	C Catcher Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...	Pine-Richland High School Pine-Richland High School Pine-Richland High School is a high school located in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania. It is the only high school in the Pine-Richland School District and is located in Pine Township, Pennsylvania.-History:...
12	Jered Weaver Jered Weaver Jered David Weaver , is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim...	Anaheim Angels Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...	RHP	Long Beach State University California State University, Long Beach California State University, Long Beach is the second largest campus of the California State University system and the third largest university in the state of California by enrollment...
13	Bill Bray Bill Bray William Paul "Bill" Bray , is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds. He is a graduate of the College of William and Mary...	Montreal Expos Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...	LHP	The College of William & Mary
14	Billy Butler	Kansas City Royals Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...	3B Third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...	Samuel W. Wolfson High School (FL)
15	Stephen Drew Stephen Drew Stephen Oris Drew is a shortstop in Major League Baseball who plays for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He is the younger brother of Boston Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew and former major leaguer Tim Drew....	Arizona Diamondbacks Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...	SS	Florida State University Florida State University The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
16	David Purcey David Purcey David Kent Purcey is a left-handed pitcher in professional baseball.-Amateur career:Purcey attended high school at Trinity Christian Academy in Addison, Texas, and then attended the University of Oklahoma, where he played for the Sooners baseball team.-Professional career:Purcey originally was...	Toronto Blue Jays Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....	LHP	University of Oklahoma University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
17	Scott Elbert Scott Elbert Timothy Scott Elbert is a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers.-High school years:...	Los Angeles Dodgers Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...	LHP	Seneca High School (MO)
18	Josh Fields	Chicago White Sox Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...	3B	Oklahoma State University Oklahoma State University–Stillwater Oklahoma State University–Stillwater is a land-grant, sun-grant, coeducational public research university located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA. OSU was founded in 1890 under the Morrill Act...
19	Chris Lambert Chris Lambert (baseball) Christopher Raymond Lambert is a former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers and Baltimore Orioles organization. Lambert was claimed off waivers after the Detroit Tigers designated him for assignment....	St. Louis Cardinals St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...	RHP	Boston College Boston College Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
20	Trevor Plouffe Trevor Plouffe Trevor Patrick Plouffe is an American professional baseball outfielder. He currently plays for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball.- Minor leagues :...	Minnesota Twins Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...	SS	Crespi Carmelite High School Crespi Carmelite High School Crespi Carmelite High School, called Crespi, is a private, Roman Catholic, four-year college preparatory all-male high school located in Encino, California in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. It is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles...
21	Greg Golson Greg Golson Gregory Joseph Golson is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the New York Yankees.-Philadelphia Phillies:...	Philadelphia Phillies Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...	CF Center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...	Connally High School (TX)
22	Glen Perkins Glen Perkins Glen Weston Perkins is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Minnesota Twins. He made his major league debut with the Minnesota Twins in 2006. Perkins attended the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis-St. Paul and Stillwater Area High School in Oak Park Heights...	Minnesota Twins	LHP	University of Minnesota University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
23	Phil Hughes	New York Yankees New York Yankees The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...	RHP	Foothill High School
24	Landon Powell Landon Powell Landon Reed Powell is a catcher and first baseman for the Oakland Athletics.Powell attended the University of South Carolina. In 2002, his first season playing for them, he had a .292 batting average with 12 home runs and was part of the team that went to the College World Series...	Oakland Athletics Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....	C	University of South Carolina University of South Carolina The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
25	Kyle Waldrop Kyle Waldrop Steven Kyle Waldrop is a professional baseball pitcher in the Minnesota Twins organization.Kyle Waldrop was the Twins' third pick in the first round of the 2004 Major League Baseball draft, when the Twins had five first-round picks...	Minnesota Twins	RHP	Farragut High School Farragut High School Farragut High School is a high school located at 11237 Kingston Pike in Farragut, a suburb of Knoxville, Tennessee. It is operated by Knox County Schools, the unified Knox County, Tennessee school district....
26	Richie Robnett	Oakland Athletics	CF	Fresno State University California State University, Fresno California State University, Fresno, often referred to as Fresno State University and synonymously known in athletics as Fresno State , is one of the leading campuses of the California State University system, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, USA.The campus sits at the foot of...
27	Taylor Tankersley Taylor Tankersley Taylor Mark Tankersley is an American professional baseball player. A left-handed relief pitcher, he is currently with the New York Mets organization of Major League Baseball.-Career:...	Florida Marlins Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...	LHP	University of Alabama University of Alabama The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
28	Blake DeWitt Blake DeWitt Blake Robert DeWitt is an American professional baseball utility player with the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball.-High school:...	Los Angeles Dodgers	2B Second baseman Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...	Sikeston High School (MO)
29	Matthew Campbell	Kansas City Royals	LHP	University of South Carolina
30	Eric Hurley Eric Hurley Eric William Hurley is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.-Career:Hurley attended Samuel W...	Texas Rangers	RHP	Samuel W. Wolfson High School (FL)

Background

The San Diego Padres stayed close to home with the first overall pick of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft, tabbing high school shortstop Matt Bush from Mission Bay (CA) High School. Bush, the first high school shortstop taken first overall since the Seattle Mariners chose Alex Rodriguez in 1993, batted .450 with 11 home runs, 35 RBI and 12 stolen bases during his senior year. The 18-year-old helped lead the Buccaneers to two San Diego Section Division III championships in three years, setting state records for career hits (211) and runs scored (188) in the process.

Huston Street

Huston Street

Huston Lowell Street is an American baseball relief pitcher for the Colorado Rockies. His father is former University of Texas quarterback James Street, and his brother Juston Street is currently a pitcher for the minor league Vancouver Canadians....

, drafted in the supplemental first round, was the first 2004 draftee to make the major leagues. Justin Verlander

Justin Verlander

Justin Brooks Verlander is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball....

 was the first 2004 draftee to be selected to an All-Star Game

Major League Baseball All-Star Game

The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...

 in 2007. Dustin Pedroia

Dustin Pedroia

Dustin Luis Pedroia is an American professional baseball second baseman with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. Pedroia has won several awards in Major League Baseball, including the 2007 American League Rookie of the Year and the 2008 AL MVP award...

, drafted in the second round, was the first 2004 draftee to be selected to start an All-Star Game and the first to win a World Series

World Series

The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...

 championship and the first to win a League MVP Award. Current Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...

 quarterback

Quarterback

Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...

 Matt Cassel

Matt Cassel

Matthew Brennan "Matt" Cassel is a quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft...

 was selected in the 34th round by the Oakland Athletics.

Three members of the 2003 NCAA Champions Rice Owls pitching staff were selected within the first eight picks. The Baltimore Orioles could not reach an agreement with Wade Townsend leading to Tampa Bay drafting him in 2005.

Nick Adenhart

Nick Adenhart

Nicholas James Adenhart was an American right-handed baseball starting pitcher who played two seasons in Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim...

, who was selected in the 14th round by the Anaheim Angels, was the first member of this draft class to die, as he was killed in a car accident a day after his only start of the 2009 season

2009 Major League Baseball season

The 2009 Major League Baseball season began on Sunday, April 5, 2009 with the Atlanta Braves defeating the 2008 World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies 4–1. The regular season ended on October 6, extended two days for a one-game playoff between the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins to...

.

External links

• MLB.com - 2004 Draft page
• MLB.com - 2004 Draft Tracker
• MLB.com - Draft History