Hindsight might be 20-20, but trying to rank the top draft picks of the Detroit Tigers for the past 10 seasons is nearly impossible.

The No. 1 and No. 10 spots seem simple enough. Justin Verlander is the reigning American League MVP. He's the best pick the Tigers have made in the past 10 years.

Kyle Sleeth had a career racked by injuries and never pitched above Double-A. He sits in the 10th spot.

It gets dicey in the middle. How does one weigh the potential of Nick Castellanos and Jacob Turner compared to the numbers Rick Porcello has posted in three-plus seasons? Where does James McCann, a 2011 pick who is in Single-A Lakeland, rank compare to guys like Ryan Perry and Andrew Miller, who have years of experience -- but not great results -- in the majors?

If you rate them based on how they have proven themselves thus far, then you have to bury Castellanos, Turner and McCann at the bottom of the list. After all, they have combined to play three games in the majors.

Instead, I have erred on the side of potential when it comes to prospects. Believe the three young prospects should be rated way lower, maybe in the sixth through eighth spots? Can't argue with that at all.

Enough of the excuse-making. Below is a list ranking one person's best guess at how the picks rank for the Tigers. (The 10 players are the top selections of the Tigers in each of the past 10 years.)

Where will

fit? Who knows. It's hard enough ranking the past 10 top picks without trying to figure out where Thompson should fit.

On with the rankings:



2004: Justin Verlander, RHP (1st round, 2nd pick overall)

Don't need to waste much time on this one. Verlander won American League Cy Young and MVP awards in 2011. Those who would argue that someone else belongs in the top spot have lost their minds.

2012 stats (Tigers):

5-4, 2.67 ERA, 0.970 WHIP, 86 SOs, 87.2 IP.

2010: Nick Castellanos (supplemental round, 44th pick overall)

Castellanos is one of the top prospects in all of baseball and led the Florida State League in several offensive categories before being promoted Monday to Double-A Erie. Some believe he is destined to be in the Opening Day lineup for the Tigers in 2014. Some believe he will be in Detroit sooner than that. But at this point, he looks like the real deal. Yes, he is rated extremely high. That is based on potential. Come back in five years, and he might be in a very different spot on the list.

2012 stats (Single-A Lakeland):

.405 avg., 1.014 OPS, 23 extra-base hits, 32 RBIs.

2007: Rick Porcello, RHP (1st round, 27th overall)

Porcello would have been drafted much higher, but many teams were scared off because they were afraid he would be tough to sign. He has a mediocre 4.58 ERA in four seasons, but he does have 41 career victories and won't turn 24 until the offseason. He is about six months older than rookie Drew Smyly and still has plenty of potential.

2012 stats (Tigers):

3-4, 4.86 ERA, career-high 1.492 WHIP.

2009: Jacob Turner, RHP (1st round, 9th pick overall)

Turner made three starts for the Tigers in 2011 and showed that he had big-league stuff despite racking up an 8.53 ERA. He appeared to be a strong contender to be the fifth starter for the Tigers this season before he was sidetracked by shoulder tendinitis during spring training. Turner could prove to be a better pitcher than Porcello, but right now Porcello wins out in the rankings based on his three-plus seasons in the majors.

2012 stats (Triple-A Toledo):

0-1, 4.30 ERA, 5 GS, 19 SO, 29.1 IP;

(Single-A Lakeland):

1-2, 1.66 ERA, 4 GS.

2005: Cameron Maybin, OF (1st round, 10th pick overall)

Maybin has not lived up to the lofty expectations that faced him when the Tigers drafted him. He stole 40 bases for the San Diego Padres last season and has been an everyday outfielder for the past season-and-a-half for the Padres. But he is hitting .250 with a .693 OPS for his career.

2012 stats (Padres):

.223 avg., 14 SBs, 39 SOs, 49 Gs.

2011: James McCann, C (2nd round, 76th pick overall)

The Tigers restocked the system with catchers in the past two seasons, and McCann was highly touted when the Tigers took him in the second round last season. This one is tough to judge simply because he has less than two years of professional experience, both in the lower level of the minors. (Maybe I should have left McCann off the list and hoped readers wouldn't notice.) Think McCann is too high on the list? Fine. But drop him two spots. Can't see a way to put him between Andrew Miller and Ryan Perry.

2012 stats (Single-A Lakeland):

.288 avg., 10 2Bs, 20 RBIs, 3 SBs.

2006: Andrew Miller, LHP (1st round, 6th pick overall)

Miller has been an effective part of the bullpen for the Boston Red Sox this season, but he has a career ERA of 5.68 and a career WHIP of 1.720. The Tigers picked him high and packaged him with others to obtain Miguel Cabrera, so it worked out for the them in the end. Not sure he has had a better overall career than Perry, but he gets the nod based on what he helped bring the Tigers in a trade.

2012 stats (Red Sox):

1-0, 2.31 ERA, 15 SOs, 11.2 IP, 0.771 WHIP;

(Single-A Greenville/Triple-A Pawtucket):

0-0, 4.85 ERA, 13 IP.

2008: Ryan Perry, RHP (1st round, 21st pick overall)

Perry never lived up to his expectations with the Tigers and was sent to the Washington Nationals in the offseason in a trade for Collin Balester. He has struggled this season and has been up and down between the majors and Triple-A.

2012 stats (Nationals):

1-0, 10.13 ERA, 8 IP, 9 ER;

(Triple-A Syracuse):

1-0, 2.00 ERA, 9 IP, 11 SO.

2002: Scott Moore, SS (1st round, 8th pick overall)

Moore was playing in Single-A Lakeland when he was sent to the Chicago Cubs in 2005 in a trade for reliever Kyle Farnsworth. He kicked around a bit in the majors, batting .223 in 80 games over the course of four seasons and is currently playing Triple-A ball in the Houston Astros system.

2012 stats (Triple-A Oklahoma City):

.315 avg., 6 HRs, 38 RBIs, .938 OPS.

2003: Kyle Sleeth, RHP (1st round, 21st pick overall)

Sleeth had a minor-league career marred by injuries (he underwent Tommy John surgery) and never pitched above the Double-A level. He had a 6.30 ERA in three professional seasons and retired in 2008.

2012 stats:

Out of baseball.

Love the list? Think it's way off? Feel free to post your thoughts and your rankings below in the comments section.

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