White Sox Mock Draft Roundup and 2023 MLB Draft Day 1 Draftchat

6:02 PM CDT on July 9, 2023

Welcome to the 2023 MLB Draft, aka The Second-to-Last Thing On The Calendar To Distract Us From The 2023 White Sox.

The draft starts at 6 p.m. CT on MLB Network, MLB.com and ESPN, covering the first and second rounds, plus two competitive balance rounds and a free agent compensation round, with a prospect promotion incentive pick for good measure. White Sox fans only have to concern themselves with No. 15 and No. 51, which makes it easy enough to remember.

Josh and James have attempted to lay out potential paths for the White Sox with today's mock draft, as well as James' write-up of Mike Shirley's pre-draft comments, and how they fit into his history as the team's scouting director.

Speaking of mock drafts, here's the final array of projections for which player the experts see the White Sox selecting 15th overall:

Baseball America: Tommy Troy, 3B, Stanford

Carlos Collazo says:

It’s been college and hitter heavy for the White Sox for a while now in my conversations, and they should be right in the middle of a solid wave of college hitters. In this scenario Troy, Enrique Bradfield, Nolan Schanuel and Chase Davis seem to be the best of the bunch. Chicago gets linked more to the college third base duo of Yohandy Morales and Brock Wilken than others around it as well, and I think they are real options here as well. It’s very hard to see players like Brayden Taylor and Jacob Gonzalez getting much further down the board than this if they are somehow still available with all of the potential landing spots in front.
Update: I feel like Brayden Taylor and Jacob Gonzalez could be the top targets for this spot, but they aren’t getting here in how I’ve played out the first round. Don’t count out a prep pitcher with the White Sox, which means Noble Meyer or Thomas White could potentially be options. That’s notable when many teams in the top 20 are notoriously not linked to the prep pitchers.

Jim Callis: Jacob Gonzalez, SS, Mississippi

Callis says:

Gonzalez performed for three years in the SEC and needs a home somewhere in the first round, and my guess is here. The White Sox could use a pitcher and are the high-water mark for Floyd, who struck out a record-tying 17 in the College World Series finals. They also could be the ceiling for a group of position players that includes Davis, Miami third baseman Yohandy Morales and high school shortstop Walker Martin.

Jonathan Mayo: Yohandy Morales, 3B, Miami

Mayo says:

Morales had a huge year in Miami and his name has been all over the back half of the first round. In this last go-round, he’s getting the nod over Troy, Bradfield, Davis or Schanuel. A prep bat like Miller could still be in the mix.

Keith Law: Enrique Bradfield Jr., OF, Vanderbilt

Law says:

I think this is the floor for [Chase] Dollander and they could be in the mix for [Hurston] Waldrep as well. I haven’t heard them with [Jacob] Wilson specifically, but he’d fit here given how they seem to scout and value players.

ESPN: Morales

Kiley McDaniel says:

Morales has long been coveted by the White Sox, and with Dollander off the board, I think he'll be the pick, and Chicago will gamble that some prep players of their liking make it to later picks.

FanGraphs: Chase Dollander, RHP, Tennessee

Eric Longenhagen says:

At some point, Dollander’s fall will come to a stop, and I think it’s most likely to be with a team that seems to care less about fastball shape than others do. The White Sox fit that bill.

Here's where we note that this five-person field featured three different guesses last year, none of whom were the White Sox's actual first-round pick, Noah Schultz. This isn't to besmirch them. It's merely a reminder to not get hung up on any one name, or five.

Now, on to the links we'll be checking one or five times over the next one or five days: