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Oakland Athletics: Todd Van Poppel and rushing prospects

The Oakland Athletics were never supposed to get Todd Van Poppel. He was considered the top talent in the draft, but there were concerns about his signability. The Atlanta Braves, sitting with the top selection in the 1990 MLB Draft, had to choose between Van Poppel and a switch hitting shortstop named Chipper Jones.

Eventually, the Braves elected to take Jones, who went on to be a cornerstone player for the franchise, a Hall of Fame third baseman and one of the greatest switch hitters in history. This pick was made easier by Van Poppel outright telling Atlanta that he refused to sign with the team, instead anticipating that he would be taken early in the draft regardless.