The gold standard: Houston Astros, 2012-2015

2012: 1.1 Carlos Correa (Round 1, pick 1)

2013: 1.1 Mark Appel

2014: 1.1 Brady Aiken (did not sign)

2015: 1.2 Alex Bregman

2015: 1.5 Kyle Tucker

The Astros are the standard-bearer in tanking as they earned the top pick three years in a row, the only team in draft history to achieve that dubious honor. They're also proof that you don't need to hit on every pick to turn your franchise around, as they selected Appel over Kris Bryant in 2013. They were also pilloried for not signing Aiken after red flags showed up on his post-draft medicals, but they received a compensation pick the following year and selected Bregman (while Aiken did indeed undergo Tommy John surgery).

This run of successful picks actually began in the pre-Jeff Luhnow regime, with George Springer selected 11th overall in 2011. Correa was signed to a below-slot bonus as the No. 1 pick, which allowed Houston to draft and sign Lance McCullers Jr. with the 41st pick. Getting four major league regulars -- including Springer -- is difficult enough, but the Astros managed to land four stars (plus McCullers, who while often hurt, was a key contributor in both the 2017 and 2022 World Series runs). It's a plan teams dream of -- but it's nearly impossible to replicate.