2023 MLB Mock Draft: First Edition

Here is the first edition of my 2023 MLB Mock Draft.

1. Pittsburgh Pirates- Dylan Crews, Outfielder, LSU: It would be stunning to me if Crews is not the pick here for the Pirates, who would add to a strong farm system. His bat is sensational and hits the ball hard and really has done a good job cleaning up swing and miss concerns that he had in the past.

2. Washington Nationals- Paul Skenes, Right Handed Pitcher, LSU: The second LSU prospect in a row goes here to the Nats, which would be a great selection for them. Skenes projects to be a top of the rotation starter with an elite fastball that is impossible to hit.

3. Detroit Tigers- Wyatt Langford, Outfielder, Florida: The Tigers here take the talented outfielder in Langford, who could have been a top overall pick in a different year. Langford has the potential to be a five-tool player with his ability to hit and the approach at the plate he has.

4. Texas Rangers- Walker Jenkins, Outfielder, South Brunswick HS (NC): The first high school player comes off the board here with Jenkins landing with Texas. Jenkins was a faster runner in the past, but since he got more muscle and now so he's just a solid runner and has good arm strength.

5. Minnesota Twins- Max Clark, Outfielder, Franklin HS (Indiana): The Twins have a history of taking highly touted high school outfielders and here I have them going with another one. Clark is a double-plus runner and his speed is big time in the outfield and on the bases and is a line drives hitter.

6. Oakland Athletics- Jacob Gonzalez, Shortstop, Ole Miss: The Athletics are an absolute mess right now and they need to go with the best player available strategy as well as need. Gonzalez is a fast rising prospect that has bat-to-ball skills, but below average speed which may concern teams from a position standpoint.

7. Cincinnati Reds- Chase Dollander, Right Handed Pitcher, Tennessee: The second pitcher goes off the board here with Dollander going to the Reds. Dollander has the potential to be a front line starter, but his pitch location has been off sans his control and command being good.

8. Kansas City Royals- Kyle Teel, Catcher, Virginia: The first catcher off the board comes here with Teel going to the Royals as this selection makes sense with Salvador Perez's days with the team possibly being numbered. Teel has the potential to hit for both average and power and has a chance to stick behind the plate.

9. Colorado Rockies- Rhett Lower, Right Handed Pitcher, Wake Forest: What feels synonymous every year is that the Rockies need pitching in their system. Lower has a really good delivery and his change up is his best pitch. He is a competitive pitcher and some project him as a mid rotation starter.

10. Miami Marlins- Arjun Nimmala, Shortstop, Strawberry Crest HS (FL): The Marlins are one of the teams that feels likely to take a shortstop here. Nimmala has the arm and range to stick at the position and has raw power to drive balls all over the field.

11. Los Angeles Angels- Enrique Bradfield Jr, Outfielder, Vanderbilt: The Angels are a team that must go with the best player available route with Shohei Ohtani's future in the air. Bradfield has blazing fast speed and projects to be a contact hitter with not a ton of power.

12. Arizona Diamondbacks- Colin Houck, Shortstop, Parkview HS (GA): The Diamondbacks add to their collection of young infield prospects here with Houck. He has raw power, but does swing and miss at times and is an above average defender that can move to third base down the road.

13. Chicago Cubs- Noble Meyer, Right Handed Pitcher, Jesuit HS (OR): The Cubs farm system can use some arms in it and here I have them getting a high school one in Meyer. His velocity is trending upward overall with good arm speed and has a good feel for the strike zone.

14. Boston Red Sox- Jacob Wilson, Shortstop, Grand Canyon: The Red Sox I feel should go with a pitcher, but Wilson falling to this spot may be a can't miss for Boston. Wilson could end up one of the better pure hitters of the draft class and barely strikes out.

15. Chicago White Sox- Aidan Miller, Third Baseman, Mitchell HS (FL): The White Sox are another team that I feel should take the best player available. Miller has plus raw power with a lot of strength in the bat and could move to first base down the road if third base doesn't work longterm.

16. San Francisco Giants- Tommy Troy, Third Baseman/Shortstop, Stanford: The Giants could go any direction with their pick. Troy is someone that can play both left infield positions and makes consistent, hard contact with the ball and rarely strikes out.

17. Baltimore Orioles- Hustron Waldrep, Right Handed Pitcher, Florida: The Orioles have a good farm system, sans some recent graduates. Waldrep has a legit three-pitch power mix with all three pitches with a chance to be good, but his command and control is inconsistent.

18. Milwaukee Brewers- Matt Shaw, Shortstop, Maryland: The Brewers have a solid track record with drafting college players. Shaw can play anywhere in the infield defensively with the thought of him ending up at second, but it will be the bat that would get him drafted in the first round.

19. Tampa Bay Rays- Bryce Eldridge, First Baseman/Right Handed Pitcher, Madison HS (Vienna VA): The Rays have a super strong and deep farm system and here I have taking another two-way standout. Eldridge on the mound has three above average pitches and decent velocity and at the plate he has serious raw power.

20. Toronto Blue Jays- Blake Mitchell, Catcher, Sinton HS (TX): The Blue Jays take the high school catcher here with Mitchell. He is a solid athlete and is an agile defender and can block and receive well with double-plus arm strength. If it doesn't work out behind the plate, the bat can get him to play a different position.

21. St. Louis Cardinals- Nolan Schanuel, First Baseman/Outfielder, FAU: The Cardinals go with a college bat yet again here with Schanuel. He has an above average approach at the plate with walking a lot and not striking out often with being a good hitter.

22. Seattle Mariners- Brayden Taylor, Third Baseman, TCU: The Mariners need to recoup some prospects after trading some good ones away, especially for Luis Castillo. Taylor has good bat-to-ball skills and hits to all fields and plays good defense at the hot corner.

23. Cleveland Guardians- Colt Emerson, Shortstop/Third Baseman, Glenn HS (OH): The Guardians have a solid farm system and they have a history of taking high school position players. Emerson plays both left infield positions and both very well and is an advanced hard contact hitter for a high schooler.

24. Atlanta Braves- Kevin McGonigle, Shortstop/Second Baseman, Monsignor Bonner HS (PA): The Braves need some youth in their farm system with their recent graduates. McGonigle is someone who is never afraid to be aggressive at the plate and is one of the best pure hitters in the class.

25. San Diego Padres- Dillon Head, Outfielder, Homewood-Flossmoor HS (ILL): The Padres are a team that has some recouping to do in the system after some of their big recent moves. Head has a gap-t0-gap approach at the plate, but gets pole happy at times and his speed is electric.

26. New York Yankees- George Lombard Jr, Shortstop/Third Baseman, Gulliver Prep (FLA): The Yankees are notorious for taking high school shortstops in the first round. Lombard has good instincts, hands, and a strong arm and has a ton of raw hitting potential.

27. Philadelphia Phillies- Charlie Soto, Right Handed Pitcher, Reborn Christian Academy (FLA): The Phillies are another team that can use youth in the pipe. Soto checks a lot of boxes teams like such as size, "stuff", and being only 17 come draft day and has a great collection of good pitches.

28. Houston Astros- Walker Martin, Shortstop, Eaton HS (CO): The Astros are another team that should take the best prospect available. Martin has a good swing and rhythm at the plate and has proven to do so against good competition and he projects to have good power too.