2023 MLB Draft Recap: American League
As we prepare for pennant races and the dog days of summer, (I write this from the well-documented inferno of Phoenix, Arizona) we can now afford to take a look back at how the dust settled on the 2023 MLB Draft. The signing deadline has come and gone, and some players have begun to get their first taste of professional baseball - from the Complex Leagues all the way up to Double-A on the careening roller coaster that is the Angels’ player development system.
While it’s a common reflex of the sports media industry to immediately assign letter grades for a team’s recent draft class, baseball is a sport where that report card doesn’t come fully into focus until several years down the line. Instead, we can merely discuss what we see in a particular player and hypothesize about the type of player they can become in that timeframe.
Here at Diamond Daily, I’ve decided to take a league-by-league approach to analyzing the 2023 MLB Draft. So, let’s go ahead and start in the American League.
Baltimore Orioles
With a steady stream of young talent already making an impact at the big league level, the first-place Orioles used 20 of their 22 picks on college players. Baltimore landed Vandy speedster Enrique Bradfield Jr with the 17th overall selection, who figures to have one of the highest floors in the class due to his top-of-the-scale speed and defensive ability in center field. The club followed up in later rounds with several metrics-friendly pitchers in Teddy Sharkey, Zach Fruit and University of Washington righty Kiefer Lord, who one evaluator comped to Matt Brash during the pre-draft process.
Boston Red Sox
Not many people expected Virginia catcher Kyle Teel to be available at pick 14, but Boston pounced on the former Cavalier star and landed him under slot value at $4 million. In rounds two and three, the Sox continued their recent draft focus of up-the-middle talent with prep shortstops Nazzan Zanetello and Antonio Anderson, both of whom impressed during my live look at the Draft Combine.
Chicago White Sox
This class is all over the place but one intriguing name is prep giant (6-foot-7, 239 pounds) George Wolkow, who put together a very loud round of batting practice at the Draft Combine. Former Oregon outfielder Rikku Nishida, snagged in the 11th round, is a good late round bet to hit and will undoubtedly become a fan favorite just as he was during his time in Eugene.
Cleveland Guardians
I’m immediately intrigued to see what the Guardians pitching development staff can do with prep lefty Alex Clemmey and former Miami reliever Andrew Walters, whom one source comped to current Cleveland reliver Trevor Stephan. 11th-round catcher Johnny Tincher draws rave reviews for his catching ability and despite being undersized, has enough juice in his bat to make an impact at the next level.
Detroit Tigers
In Scott Harris’ first draft at the helm in Detroit, the Tigers landed a player who had a legitimate shot to go first overall in prep outfielder Max Clark. Clark may wind up as the face of the Tigers’ rebuild and has as high of a ceiling as any player in the ‘23 class. Prep lefty Paul Wilson, son of former major leaguer Trevor, is a projectable young arm who was up to 96 during the pre-draft process.
Houston Astros
Houston snagged one of my favorite players in the draft in Nebraska shortstop Brice Matthews, an ultra-athletic player who could turn into a star if he’s able to answer some questions about the hit tool. The Astros will need to get as much as they can out of this class following the departure of Korey Lee, Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford via trade.
Kansas City Royals
The Royals are hoping to buck the trend of disappointing first-round prep catchers after taking Sinton HS’s Blake Mitchell with the eighth overall pick. They continued their run on Blake’s by selecting ultra-projectable prep righty Blake Wolters in the second round. This is an organization that, incredibly, hasn’t had a winning season since the World Series-winning 2015 club. It’s a toolsy class that also comes with a ton of inherent risk.
Los Angeles Angels
In typical Angels fashion, first-rounder Nolan Schanuel has already been promoted to Double-A at publishing time. This class doesn’t seem to have a whole lot of impact talent outside of Schanuel, though I do like 8th-round prep righty Barrett Kent, who I got to see up close in an inning of work at the Draft Combine scrimmage.
Minnesota Twins
Much like the Tigers, the Twins landed a high-ceiling prep outfielder who had whispers of going first overall for a short time. Walker Jenkins, who inked a deal at full slot value for $7.14 million, should immediately slot in as the organization’s top prospect. Perhaps it’s my impartiality as a Sun Devil alum, but infielder Luke Keaschall is as good a bet to hit as any in the class - displaying solid athleticism at second base and gap-to-gap power.
New York Yankees
Projectable prep shortstop George Lombard Jr. headlines the Yankees’ class and there’s a ton to like in his profile with easy plus raw power. I had a chance to see 13th-rounder Josh Tiedemann in the spring and while there are questions on the hit tool, he’s athletic and should have room on his frame to put on weight and tap into future in-game power.
Oakland Athletics
I’m not as high as some on first-rounder Jacob Wilson, but there’s plenty to like about the rest of the A’s class. Projectable prep right-hander Cole Miller was impressive during his bullpen session at the Draft Combine and looks the part of a potential number two starter with further development. I also liked the selection of 15th-rounder Will Simpson, who I mentioned during my Combine coverage reminds me a bit of current Giants outfielder Mitch Haniger.
Seattle Mariners
The Mariners entered the 2023 Draft in a highly unique position, with three selections in the top 30. They targeted upside with the three prep bats - Colt Emerson, Tai Peete, and Jonny Farmelo. While Emerson is the best bet to hit, Peete has the ceiling of a potential superstar at the big league level. Don’t count out third-rounder Teddy McGraw, who would have been a top-15 selection had it not been for season-ending Tommy John surgery.
Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa selected analytics darlings Brayden Taylor and Colton Ledbetter with two of their first three selections, followed by a number of intriguing arms. Right-handers T.J. Nichols, Owen Wild and Owen Stephenson all have tremendous raw stuff that could flourish in the Rays’ outstanding player development pipeline.
Texas Rangers
The Rangers came into the Draft with just one selection in the top 100 picks but made the most of it with Florida outfielder Wyatt Langford at four overall. The former Gator possesses easy plus power and is athletic enough to swipe some bases when needed. Sixth-round righty Caden Scarborough is an intriguing project on the mound, with ultra long levers and solid life on the fastball and secondaries.
Toronto Blue Jays
If I had to bet on any player outside of the top five to develop into a superstar, it’d be Jays’ first-rounder Arjun Nimmala. The former Florida prepster’s game showcases outstanding athleticism, fluid actions at shortstop, and double-plus raw power. The sky is undoubtedly the limit for Nimmala. There’s a ton to like about third-round righty Juaron Watts-Brown, who showcases a repeatable delivery and four-pitch mix that should set his ceiling at a good number three starter at the big league level.
