Reds History: Cincy's worst draft decision saw them pass over a future Hall of Famer

On June 1,1992, the Cincinnati Reds front office made one of the worst draft decision of all time. While this decision may have seemed fair in the moment, it impacted the next two decades of Major League Baseball.

In 1991, the Reds finished 77-88, cementing themselves in fifth place in the National League West. This record awarded them the fifth-overall pick in the 1992 MLB Draft. With future Reds Hall of Famer Eric Davis traded to the division rival Los Angeles Dodgers during the offseason, Cincinnati's farm system needed an outfield upgrade.

Reds History: Future Hall of Famer Derek Jeter was passed over in favor of Chad Mottola

With the fifth pick in the 1992 MLB Draft, the Reds selected an outfielder Chad Mottola. One pick later, the New York Yankees selected eventual Hall of Fame shortstop Derek Jeter. Mottola was coming off a fantastic collegiate season where he hit .329 with a .627 slugging percentage, seven triples and 14 home runs in 58 games.

Entering 1993, Mottola was ranked among the top-100 prospect in baseball. Mottola had his best performance in the Reds organization that year, hitting 21 home runs with 91 RBI and a .280 batting average in the minor leagues. Unfortunately, Mottola swiftly fell out of the top-100 rankings while Jeter only got better.

In April of 1996, Mottola got his chance with the Reds. He played in four games, going 2-for-10 with a double before being demoted back to the minors. Mottola had two other chances and finished his 1996 campaign with a .215 batting average and three homers over 35 games. Mottola never received another opportunity in a Reds uniform and was eventually traded to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Mottola turned into a minor league journeyman after his time in the Reds organization. His major league career never panned, playing in inconsequential games for the Blue Jays, Miami Marlins, and Baltimore Orioles between 2000-2006.

Jeter, on the other hand, took baseball by storm. He won the American League Rookie of the Year Award in 1996 after leading the Yankees to a World Series win over the Atlanta Braves. Jeter went on to become the captain of the Yankees, leading the Bronx Bombers to five World Championships while collecting 14 All-Star appearances, five Silver Slugger Awards, and a World Series MVP along the way. Jeter was near-unanimous Hall of Fame selection in 2020.

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