Which Braves prospect in the post-1990 era was the biggest bust?

The term "bust" can be difficult to define with some prospects going to achieve moderate success but still falling significantly short of expectations. For the most part, I sought out players who were projected to be all-star caliber players but failed to materialize. I realize one player in particular is still relatively young and could still become a starter but he doesn’t appear to be on his way to becoming the superstar he was once projected to be and for my purposes, I will consider him a bust.

5. George Lombard- Peak Top 100 Ranking: #26. Though he was relatively raw when he was drafted, Lombard was touted as one of the best athletes to ever play in the organization. Originally committed to play RB at the University of Georgia, Lombard instead signed with the Braves as a 2nd Round pick in 94’. He had truly elite speed and plus power to boot. He made BA’s Braves’ Top 10 list 5 times, twice as the #2 prospect in the organization. His best minor league season came in 98’, when he slugged 22 HR, swiped 35 bases, batted .308, and posted a .951 OPS as a 22 year old in AA ball. High strikeout totals throughout his career and injury problems in 99’ stunted Lombard's growth as a player and he was never able to regain his stature within the organization. For all his physical talents, Lombard retired in 2006 with a career ML batting average of .220 while receiving more than 200 AB’s in a season just once.

4. Mike Kelly- Peak Top 100 Ranking: #19. The second overall pick in 1991 out of Arizona State began his pro career with the expectations placed upon him to become a big-time power threat at the ML level. Kelly never climbed higher than 4th on BA’s Braves’ Top ten prospect list but none the less was expected to become a star player. He struggled to hit for average as a pro but did post decent HR totals in the lower minors. Kelly was never able to establish himself as a full-time big leaguer and ended his career in 99’ with just 22 HR and a .300 OBP in over 680 AB’s. Kelly's reputation as a collegiate star and being a 2nd overall pick led to high expectations despite his modest success in the minor leagues.

3. Bruce Chen- Peak Top 100 Ranking: #4. BA rated him our #3 prospect in 97’ and #1 in both 98’ and 00’. Though not an overpowering pitcher, Chen dominated minor league hitters. In 98’, between AA and AAA, he posted a 3.09 era and struck out 193 batters in 163 innings while allowing only 123 hits. Three plus pitches in his fastball, curveball, and changeup, as well as plus commnad led to Greg Maddux comparisons by many scouts. He pitched well for the Braves in 2000 before being traded, along with Jimmy Osting for Andy Ashby. He bounced around the league for several seasons before having one nice season as a starter for Baltimore in 05’. He has been largely ineffective since and last pitched in the ML in 2007, when he struggled in 10 innings with the Rangers. While not projected to be an “ace”, Chen had very high expectations and by and large failed to deliver upon them. To be fair, Chen had some success in the majors but it was short lived and well below what was expected of him.

2. Andy Marte- Peak Top 100 Rating: #9. I alluded to being reluctant to label Marte as an official "bust" just yet due to the fact that he is still just 25 years old. However, his stalled development is a strong indicator that he will never live up to the expectations of superstardom once placed upon him. At his height, Marte was the premier 3B prospect in all of baseball. Projected to hit 30 HR annually and be a first rate defender at third base, Marte was a top 3 prospect in the Braves organization for 4 years running. Prior to the 04’ season, BA expected Marte to make his ML debut by “no later than September” as a 20 year old. Marte had all the physical tools to be one of the premier 3B in baseball and was touted as a player who “ooze[d] intangibles.” Though Marte has yet to produce at the big league level, he proved a great benefit to the Braves as a trade chip. In all, Marte netted the Braves 2 affordable years of Edgar Renteria, Jair Jurrjens, and Gorkys Hernandez. In all likelihood, Marte maxed out his value to the organization by virtue of the players he was used to acquire but when it comes to fulfilling his promise to become a great big leaguer himself, he has thus far proven to be a bust.

1. Wilson Betemit- Peak Top 100 Rating: #8. Betemit twice appeared as the number one prospect in the organization in both 2001 and 2002. Originally signed prior to his 16th birthday, Betemit sued the organization until he dropped the suit following his signing of a new contract. Betemit was touted as a five-tool talent at shortstop who had an advanced timetable for breaking into the big leagues. A switch-hitter and outstanding athlete, Betemit was also described as a player who thrived when challenged. The expectation was that Betemit would become a 20-20 man who hit for a high average and would deftly man a crucial defensive position. Betemit’s large frame eventually led him to outgrow shortstop but he was still viewed as a potential impact player at third base. He played well as a big leaguer in 05’ and 06’ in limited action until being traded prior to the deadline in 2006 to the Dodgers in exchange for Willy Aybar and Danys Baez. Since the time of the trade, Betemit has carved out a career as a versatile sub but has failed to establish himself as a starter. Aside from Jason Heyward and Andruw Jones, Betemit was the most hyped Braves' prospect in recent memory but has failed to deliver upon those lofty expectations.

Sighs of relief from: Kevin McGlinchy, Kyle Davies, Luis Rivera, and Matt Belisle

I changed the order of the list several times, mainly concerning the placement of Lombard and Chen. I’m sure you all will not hesitate to criticize and I encourage you to point out any players you think I may have overlooked. I hope everyone enjoyed the list.

Scouting Reports, Prospect Rankings, and Statistics accredited to Baseball-Reference, Baseball America (Namely Bill Ballew), and The Baseball Cube