The Class of 2004 - Five Years Later: Where Are They Now?

We did this last year for the Class of 2003, so it's time for another one. Let's see where the first round draft picks from 2004 are today and how they've panned out.

1st pick: SP Sabas Delvalle, Walla Walla
Where is he now: Pitching for Brooklyn

The right-handed starter began his career with Walla Walla in 2004 as the number one pick in the draft. He split the season between A and AA, winning 13 and losing 6, while striking out 202 batters. He likewise had a great season in 2005, going 13-4 in AA and striking out 262 batters in 147 innings. Before the 2006 season, Brooklyn acquired the hurler. He spent most of the year in Kensington (Brooklyn's AAA team) where he was 7-9, with a 5.50 ERA. Nonetheless, he earned a spot in the Brooklyn rotation to start the 2007 season. In his rookie season, he went 12-4, with a 2.66 ERA while fanning 200 batters. In 2008, his record fell to 10-10, although he did strike out 219 batters. He has started the 2009 season with a record of 4-1 and an ERA of 2.78.

2nd pick: RF Brian Frison, Saskatoon
Where is he now: Playing rightfield and batting cleanup for Saskatoon

Frison split the 2004 season between A and AA, where he hit nine home runs and hit about .275. In 2005, he hit 15 home runs for AAA; certainly a nice showing of power, but no indication of things to come. He finally got to The Show in 2006, where in half a season, he hit .271 with six homers. Then something happened. All of a sudden, Frison learned how to power the ball over the fence. In 2007, he wollopped 32 diners, while hitting .275. He followed that season up with a 37-homer season in 2008, where he earned his first All-Star berth and led the league with 126 RBI. He's added another four homers so far to his totals in 2009.

3rd pick: SS Henry Johnson, Seattle
Where is he now? Kent Kings (AA)

Henry Johnson could always run and hit for power, but it seems that he could never hit for average. In five minor league seasons, he has yet to post a .200 batting average, although he has stolen 83 bases in those five years. In addition, despite having such a low average, he has managed to 101 home runs; including hitting 43 in 2007 when he hit only .192. So far, Johnson has yet to get out of AA.

4th pick: SP Vito Renshaw, Brooklyn
Where is he now: Kensington (AAA)

Renshaw was a pick that just never developed the way he was expected to. He started 2004 in Brighton Beach (A), but never really developed and had a breakout year where his skills improved. He finally earned a promotion to Flatbush (AA) in 2008. In a last-ditch attempt to get his abilities moving, he was assigned to start the 2009 season in Kensington, where, so far, he is 1-5 with an ERA of 9.64. This may be the end of the road for the 28-year old Renshaw.

5th pick: SP David Grogan, Virginia
Where is he now: Not playing

Grogan was assigned in 2004 to Virginia's A team, where he posted a 3-4 record with an ERA of 5.31. In 2005, he was assigned to the Dayton Fliers (AAA) where, in 21 starts, he had a Terry-Feltonesque record of 0-15, with an ERA of 11.05. In 2006, he finally earned a AAA win, by posting a record of 1-5 with a 10.62 ERA. 2006 saw Grogan spend time at all three minor league levels, combing for a 2-7 record to finish his career.

6th pick: MR Fletcher Mahurin, Stockholm
Where is he now: Pitching for Dayton (AAA River Cities)

Fletcher Mahurin was assigned to Stockholm's A-ball team in 2004, and remained at that level until early in the 2007 season, by which time he had been traded to River Cities as part of a package for Zachary Whipkey. His promotion to AA in 2007 worked out well as Mahurin posted a 3.16 ERA there. However, his promotion to AAA at season's end didn't work out as well, as Fletcher posted a 6.30 ERA in fourteen games. A return to AA in 2008 proved bad for Fletcher, as he went 0-3, with an ERA of 18.69 in twelve games. However, a promotion to AAA set him right again.

7th pick: SP Danny Mattera, Houston
Where is he now: Not playing

Danny Mattera began the 2004 season with the MiniDillos (A) compiling a 7-7 record with a 5.42 ERA in 18 starts. In 2005, his record dropped to 9-11, with an ERA improvement to 4.44. However, his K/BB ration of 217/33 was certainly a good sign for the future and, at the end of the season, he was listed as Houston's #2 prospect. In 2006, he split the year between A (4-9, 4.92, 19 starts) and AA (1-3, 5.81, 5 starts). In 2007, Houston released the 24-year old starter, ending his career.

8th pick: 3B Alfonso Adrover, California
Where is he now: Missing in action

Adrover was the 1st round pick for California in 2004. Apparently, at some point, he fell victim to the "missing player" problem that we were having years ago and was never reported. He never played a professional game.

9th pick: CF: Kevin Rubio, New York
Where is he now: Playing CF for Jersey City (AAA-New York)

Rubio is a highly-rated prosepct, even today, in the New York system. His first two years in A-ball looked good. He hit about .285 with 29 home runs and 20 stolen bases over those two years. 2006 saw him promoted to AA, where he hit .314 with 14 homers (aside from the nine he hit in A ball that year). A good 2007 season in AA earned him a promotion to AAA, where, in 2008, he hit .313 with 26 dingers and 107 RBI. This year he's hitting .309 so far and could soon be patrolling the outfield in Manhattan fairly shortly.

10th pick: SS Patrick Riddick, Hickory
Where is he now: Still in Edgemont (A-ball)

Patrick Riddick's best season hitting was his first one, in 2004, when he hit .304. Since then, he only topped .265 only once. He did see some time in AA in 2005 and 2006, but has since been relegated to A-ball.

11th pick: SP David Sharma, Butte
Where is he now: Ft. Collins (AA Denver)

David Sharma spent 2004 in A ball, where he posted a 9-8 record. He split 2005 between A and AA, but a poor showing had him sent back to A ball, where he remained until 2008. In 2008, after compiling a 6-12 record with a 5.62ERA, he was sent back to AA, where in four starts, he won one, lost three, but had a respectable 3.81 ERA. He's been assigned to AA Ft. Collins in 2009, but has yet to play a game.

12th pick: P William Maxson, Austin
Where is he now: Tacoma (AAA-Seattle)

William Maxson has steadily climbed up the minor league ranks, first reaching AA in 2006 and reaching it to stay in 2008. 2008 also saw him traded to Seattle and promoted to AAA, where he posted a stellar 1.86 ERA in 16 games. In 2009, he has one win and a 5.40 ERA.