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Pirates 2012 pick Appel named one of worst busts this decade

The Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft is volatile. Unlike other professional leagues such as the National Football League (NFL) or National Basketball Association (NBA), where rookies are sometimes pro-ready from Day 1, MLB draftees face long, oftentimes challenging roads to the major leagues.

That means there is plenty of time to develop before reaching the bigs — or plenty of time to crumble and never materialize at all.

Add in the sheer length of the draft — 40 rounds until this year's shortened five-round format due to the coronavirus outbreak — and picking the right player can become a dart throw .