It’s time to update the latest draft prospect roster!
We’re less than two weeks away from the start of the 2023 MLB Draft and we’ve expanded our MLB Pipeline draft board to the top 250. We’ve also made some changes throughout in terms of standings based on performance and the latest information we get from the scouting industry.
This starts at the top of the list. We moved LSU right fielder Paul Skenes to first ahead of his teammate, Dylan Crews. Honestly, there isn’t much that separates the Tigers, and maybe we can get them to share the lead and then move to No. 3. But in this final update, we’ve decided Skenes’ dominance, and the fact that he’s still being compared to the all-time top college potential, deserves the nod.
The only thing that hasn’t changed are the names in the Top 5. The quintet of Crews, Skenes, Florida football player Wyatt Langford and high school players Walker Jenkins and Max Clark are still in stone. Back at the end of May, when we launched our Top 200, we revealed the results of an executive poll, in which we asked national scouts, scout directors, and general managers to rank the top five and the industry voted in the order listed above, with the crew narrowly drawn. before skins.
Top 5:
1. Dylan Cruz, OF, LSU
2. Paul Skenes, RHP, LSU
3. White Langford, Florida
4. Walker Jenkins, OF, Southern Brunswick (NC) HS
5. Max Clark, OF, Franklin (India) HS
full list”
That wasn’t the only question we were asked, starting with a query about the aforementioned LSU ace.
Paul Skanes is the best lead since…
Stephen Strasburg: 10
Gerrit Cole: 9
Mark Pryor: 3
Others with votes: Ben MacDonald, Casey Miz, Aaron Nola, Kumar Rucker and Carlos Rodon
This is a pretty select company, isn’t it? Strasbourg and Cole were first picks in the draft in 2009 and 2011, respectively, and Strasbourg is often considered the best draft prospect ever. Scouts are paid to nitpick, so there were a few cautionary tales, including one participant who said, “In terms of hype around the draft, maybe Strasburg. But I’m not quite sold that he’s turned into an ace,” and another replied, “I’m not sure, But it’s newer than you think.”
The rest of the survey focused on players outside the top five, an area many evaluators associated with the Wild West. Here are the results of a poll taken at the conclusion of the College Conference Championships.
After the top five, who do you think is the best in the 2023 draft class?
Nobel Mayer, RHP, Jesuit HS (Ore): 6
Jacob Wilson, SS, Grand Canyon: 6
Chase Dolander, RHP, Tennessee: 4
Arjun Nimala, SS, Strawberry Crest HS (FL): 4
Kyle Teal, C, Virginia: 4
Rhett Lauder, RHB, Wake Forest: 2
Thomas White, LHP, Phillips Academy (MAS): 2
One has to wonder if this question came up again after his strong performance in the postseason if Lauder would get more support. One respondent, while casting Meyer, added that “the class is so good, right in high school might slip a bit.”
The best high school arm in this class is…
Nobel Mayer, RHP, Jesuit HS (Ore): 24
Thomas White, LHP, Phillips Academy (MAS): 7
Not a shocking score here, and Meyer’s name popped up as often in Top 10 talks as we did our mock drafts, but there was a fair amount of support for the preparatory left from New England.
The best mask in this category is…
Kyle Teal, Virginia: 23
Blake Mitchell, Sinton HS (TX): 8
That’s no surprise, given Teel’s support in the question of who’s the next-best prospect after the top five, and we’ve heard his name heavy in the 6-10 first-round range. One evaluator felt that there was not much competition in this group and that Teel was the clear choice while others offered that he was not “as good as the general ratings would have you believe”, with Mitchell coming in second.
The best stopping point in this category is…
Jacob Wilson, Grand Canyon: 15
Jacob Gonzalez, Mississippi: 6
Arjun Nimala, Strawberry Crest HS (Florida): 4
Adrian Santana, Doral Academy (FL): 3
Maui Ahuna, Tennessee: 2
Those who voted for Ahuna did so solely by virtue of his defense, although one Ahuna voter said Santana came in second. A Santana fan gave him a tight nod, adding, “There are a lot of interesting players out there, but this is definitely a short stop.” But that was probably the best answer: “Great question, we’re going to spend a lot of time on that.”
The best LHP college in this class is…
Hunter Owen, Vanderbilt: 19
Quinn Matthews, Stanford: 3
Sean Sullivan, Wake Forest: 2
Joe Whitman, Kent State: 2
We specifically asked this question because it is a vulnerable category for this group of players, many of whom suffer from injuries. That includes the man with the most support in Owen. Matthews probably gets more votes now that he’s running in College World, and Whitman’s got some helium now. Many of the responses were head-scratching, as one scout summed it up: “Good question. They’re all hurt.”
What would you include in this overall draft category on a scale of 20-80?
40:1
45:1
50:7
55:4
60:14
65:2
70:2
Overall, people are optimistic about this draft class, as the average overall score comes out to 56.9, easily above average. One evaluator who gave it a 70 said it was “probably the deepest talent pool of this millennium.” Some of those who gave it an extra score (60) gave all the credit to the hitters: “Most of that score is deep in center fielder; bad year for college arms at the top.” And one respondent who gave the class 55 students broke it down this way: “It’s a strong high school draft pick, strong high school pitching group, depth on quality with college hitters, and college pitching leaves a big hole in this draft.”
