For the first time, Major League Baseball had a lottery to determine draft order. The Chicago White Sox drew as expected and will select from the pick 15 slot in the first round. Last year, that draft pick was worth $4,085,000 in bonus slot money so expect it to be a bit higher next summer.
What does the pool of players look like heading into 2023? This draft class has been circled for a while with its college bats depth. Since Dylan Crews stepped on campus in Baton Rouge, many analysts and scouts have pegged the LSU outfielder as a future #1 overall pick. In his first two seasons with the Tigers, Crews has lived up to expectations, but naturally, other prospect's stocks have risen.
Consider this our preseason Top 10 list for both pitchers and hitters. James Fox had the more arduous task of keeping the list to just ten position players, as it's a stacked class. I handled the pitcher's list, and there are some gems. However, we are waiting to see what depth there will be from the college pitching front.
College Baseball Opening Day is Friday, February 17th, 2023, and we'll continue our weekly coverage tracking how the top prospects fare during the Spring until draft day. Those weekly draft reports are Patreon-exclusive content, so sign up at patreon.com/soxmachine to receive those.
Top 10 Hitters - James Fox
The 2023 class is loaded with college bats, and that demographic often rises to the top of the board as the festivities get closer. Teams love the risk profile that comes with college position players, and 2023 should be no different. That said, prep hitters are developing faster than ever, and there are two outfielders in the 1-1 discussion in the early going.
Max Clark is a 6-1, 190-pound center fielder from Franklin Community High School in Indiana. He hits and throws left-handed and is lauded for his tools, including supreme athleticism. Clark should have multiple 70-grade tools.
Walker Jenkins is another athletic outfielder from South Brunswick High School in North Carolina. He's strong and physical with a feel to hit and enormous power potential. He could also stay in center field but has plenty of bat to profile in a corner.
The current favorite to go #1 overall, however, is Crews. He's only 6-0 with a right/right profile, but he's a very safe prospect due to his sheer offensive ability. He'll end up in an outfield corner but should be a prodigious offensive force and move quickly through the minor leagues.
Another college bat that looks like a top-five pick in the preseason is Ole Miss shortstop Jacob Gonzalez. He hits from the left side, should stay at shortstop, and has clubbed 30 homers in two SEC seasons.
Matt Shaw of Maryland, Maui Ahuna of Tennessee, and Jacob Wilson of Grand Canyon also factor into the shortstop mix. Shaw had an excellent summer on The Cape, hitting .363 with five homers. Ahuna transferred to Tennessee and should be an essential cog for them this season. Wilson doesn't strike out often and was one of the best players for Team USA. Texas Christian third baseman Brayden Taylor gets on base frequently and shows big power from the left side.
Wyatt Langford is an outfielder from Florida who displays defensive versatility. The 6-1, 225-pounder smashed 26 homers for the Gators while producing a .447 OBP. Vanderbilt outfielder Enrique Bradfield is another player with an exciting skill set. The 6-1, 160-pounder is known for plus-plus speed and defensive ability, but he plays an old-school game. He produces more walks than strikeouts, but he'll need to continue to impact the baseball to go as high as some of these other performers.
Top 10 Hitters
1. OF Dylan Crews - LSU
2. OF Max Clark - Franklin Community HS (IN)
3. OF Walker Jenkins - South Brunswick HS (NC)
4. SS Jacob Gonzalez - Ole Miss
5. SS Jacob Wilson - Grand Canyon
6. SS Matt Shaw - Maryland
7. OF Wyatt Langford - Florida
8. 3B Brayden Taylor - Texas Christian
9. OF Enrique Bradfield - Vanderbilt
10. SS Maui Ahuna - Tennessee
Top 10 Pitchers - Josh Nelson
Tennessee RHP Chase Dollander will be a household name this year. After transferring from Georgia Southern, Dollander dominated in 2022, helping lead Tennessee to one of the best college regular season campaigns in recent memory. Unfortunately, that didn't lead to a College World Series appearance, but that wasn't Dollander's fault. His ability to maintain the plus-velocity of his four-seamer deep into starts and paired with a nasty slider makes him special. You'll see a lot of Dollander on Pitching Ninja highlight videos this season.
After Dollander, there's not a clear #2 pitcher in this class. Gainesville will have some attention with Florida's RHP Brandon Sproat and Hurston Waldrep. As the Gators Friday night starter in 2022, Sproat had a solid season posting a 3.41 ERA with 82 K's in 89.1 IP, and is looking to build upon that season. Most likely, he'll remain the Friday night starter, but there is a lot of intrigue with Waldrep, a Southern Miss transfer who has flashed premium strikeout ability.
Another name to consider, and one I think scouts will rank highly, is RHP Will Sanders out of South Carolina. He has a big build at 6'6" with good secondary pitches with the slider and changeup. Sanders will need to improve his four-seam fastball, but as we have seen in recent seasons, MLB teams are getting very good at helping pitchers find more velocity and spin with draftees.
Top 10 Pitchers
- RHP Chase Dollander - Tennessee
- RHP Will Sanders - South Carolina
- RHP Hurston Waldrep - Florida
- RHP Rhett Lowder - Wake Forest
- LHP Thomas White - Phillips Academy (MA)
- RHP Noble Meyer - Jesuit HS (OR)
- RHP Paul Skenes - LSU
- RHP Brandon Sproat - Florida
- RHP Cade Kuehler - Campbell
- RHP Tanner Witt - Texas
