2023 MLB Draft Recap: National League

Recapping the draft, I am looking at what I feel is each team’s best pick (often going to be the first round pick, but certainly not always), each team’s worst pick (a player I felt was drafted too high or signed for too much), a sleeper pick (top ten round pick that will likely outperform his draft slot) and deep sleepers (often a pick after the 10th round or an undrafted free agent).

My AL recap dropped on August 4th. Check that out if you missed it then.

NL East

Atlanta Braves

Best Pick: Hurston Waldrep, RHP, Round 1, Pick 24, Ranked 8 – This may be my favorite pick in the draft, as Waldrep has true ace potential. The reason he wasn’t a top ten pick is the fact he also comes with a ton of risk as his stuff and command is very inconsistent. His fastball and splitter are true elite offerings, and he has a plus slider. With the command issues there is a slight chance he ends up a reliever, but that is fully offset by the fact his ceiling is an ace. 

Worst Pick: Drue Hackenberg, RHP, Round 2, Pick 59, Ranked 145 – Hackenberg had an up and down season, but saved arguably his best outing for last, which certainly helped him. He woulda been my worst pick based on this spot, but made even worse by the fact he was paid well over slot. He won’t overpower anyone on pure stuff, but his fastball-slider mix is solid and really commands it well. The change really needs to improve if he is to become a viable starter as a pro. 

Sleeper: Cade Kuehler, RHP, Round 2 Compensatory, Pick 70, Ranked 49 – I have a love/hate relationship with Kuehler. I love his stuff, I love his how it plays, but I hate his delivery. He has a plus fastball and slider with a good curve and change, but the arm action is concerning. He has shown he can hold his stuff late into games and was a true ace of the Campbell Camels program, but the arm slot and effort in delivery leave a ton of reliever risk. 

Deep Sleeper: Kade Kern, OF, Round 17, Pick 519, Ranked 221 – Kern has all the ability to play center and the profile of a leadoff guy, but has struggled with wood bats in the past. He has quick hands and a line drive stroke, so there is plenty of potential, plus he has the arm strength to play any of the outfield spots. He has the makings of becoming a solid fourth outfielder. 

Miami Marlins

Best Pick: Noble Meyer, RHP, Round 1, Pick 10, Ranked 11 & Thomas White, LHP, Competitive Balance Round A, Pick 35, Ranked 19 – The Marlins come away with my top ranked prep righty and lefty. They signed Meyer for just under slot while they signed White for the equivalent of pick 17 value. With these two selections the Marlins instantaneously have one of the most intriguing duos in the low minors. 

Worst Pick: Kemp Alderman, OF, Round 2, Pick 47, Ranked 95 – Alderman signed for below slot which eases my take on this selection a good amount, but there might not have been a player who increased his stock more at the Draft Combine than did Alderman. He put on an absolute show in BP and his exit velocities were second to none, but his game production just doesn’t line up. The power is genuine plus with even more raw, but the swing has holes in it and the defensive profile is left field at best, if not a future move to first. 

Sleeper: Andrew Lindsey, RHP, Round 5, Pick 146, Ranked 199 – Lindsey had an unusual journey after two years in JuCo, he pitched for Charlotte for one year before taking a year away from the game. He then transferred to Tennessee for the 2023 season, where he was the best pitcher on the Vols staff, a staff that included the number nine overall pick in the draft (more on him later). With a quality fastball and plus slider to go with a curve and change that are serviceable, has all the makings of a starter, although it will be at the back end of a rotation. 

Deep Sleeper: Nigel Belgrave, RHP, Round 15, Pick 443, Ranked 255 – Belgrave has electric stuff and has a presence on the mound, but there are command issues. At his best, he has a plus sinking fastball he pairs with a plus slider, but at his worst he can’t find the plate. He has a wide range of possible roles from a high leverage reliever to a guy who flames out due to command issues. 

New York Mets 

Best Pick: Colin Houck, SS, Round 1, Pick 32, Ranked 21 – Plus arm, plenty of hit, plenty of power, plenty to like with Houck. He will likely end up having to move to 3B in the future but the bat will play just fine. I found myself being lower on Houck than most the industry as I really don’t see a future with him at short while others think he can stick there, but even with that falling to 32 is a steal for the Mets. 

Worst Pick: Brandon Sproat, RHP, Round 2, Pick 56, Ranked 54 – This actually has nothing to do with Sproat himself, it has everything to do with the failure to sign him a year ago by the Mets. In 2022 the Mets selected Sproat with the 90th pick with a slot value of $691,300 and took him again in 2023, this time pick 56 and signed him for slot value of $1.47M. They took a complete L in terms of value for me. 

Sleeper: Boston Baro, SS, Round 8, Pick 246, Ranked 119 – A rare player who projects to add speed as he matures rather than lose it and could be a plus runner in time. Even without it, he has the defensive chops to stick and enough arm too. He won’t add too much in terms of power, but he has an advanced approach at the plate and makes plenty of contact. 

Deep Sleeper: Nick Lorusso, 3B, Round 10, Pick 276, Ranked 281 – Lorusso drove in 105 runs and hit 26 long balls in 61 games this past season for Maryland, oh, and he signed for just $50k. So, if he does nothing as a pro, he helped the Mets in terms of the ability to free up slot money, but he also has the bat that could become a big league bench option.

Philadelphia Phillies

Best Pick: Aidan Miller, 3B, Round 1, Pick 27, Ranked 20 – If there was a higher likelihood of Miller being able to play short at the next level, he would have been off to board 10+ picks earlier. He is still a value even as a 3B moving forward as he has a plus arm and plus power to go with the hands that would play at short although the range isn’t there. There is definitely some swing and miss in the bat, but he should develop into at least an average hitter in time. 

Worst Pick: Devin Saltiban, OF, Round 3, Pick 98, Ranked 475 – Yes, I am significantly lower on Saltiban than most, but even where many others had him ranked this is a reach. He lacks power, doesn’t have a plus tool and has a borderline chance to stick in center. There is good bat speed, so he can handle velo and there does leave some hope for power in the future, but overall, I don’t see him as having a ceiling more than a 4th OF. 

Sleeper: George Klassen, RHP, Round 6, Pick 193, Ranked 151 – Coming into the draft, I fully expected Klassen to be a “Worst Pick”, but that isn’t the case here. He is a guy I have comped to Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn, before the glasses as he has some of the worst command you will come across. That said, the Phillies didn’t have a second or fifth round pick in the draft, so might as well swing for the fences, and they get the hardest fastball in the class to go with two plus potential breaking balls. If he ever reels in the command to even below average rather than the bottom of the scale command he has now, he can be a quality bullpen option. 

Deep Sleeper: Cam Brown, RHP, Round 10, Pick 313, Ranked 171 – Brown has a fastball sitting 94-97, a two plane plus slider and quality change, but has command issues, theme of the Phillies draft it seems. He falls to the 1B side quite a bit and misses his spots by a lot, while also causing the fastball to flatten out and become very hittable. That said, when he is on his game that fastball goes from hittable to borderline unhittable and the pitch mix plays incredibly well. 

Washington Nationals

Best Pick: Dylan Crews, OF, Round 1, Pick 2, Ranked 2 – There are rare drafts where Crews would not be ranked as the top prospect in the draft, and there is plenty of argument he was in this draft. He has arguably the best hit tool in the draft and four other plus tools. The lone question out of high school was whether or not he could stick in center, something he showed he can do very well while at LSU. Crews is a guy who will likely find himself in multiple All-Star games. 

Worst Pick: None – LOVE the Nationals draft.

Sleeper: Travis Sykora, RHP, Round 3, Pick 71, Ranked 39 – The Nationals got a steal in Yoyo Morales in round 2 who signed for the same bonus and was ranked 28 for me, but Sykora is just so much fun to watch. He is a big bodied Texas righty with a power fastball and slider and a plus splitter. He has solid command despite his size and could become a force in the middle of a big league rotation. 

Deep Sleeper: Liam Sullivan, LHP, Round 13, Pick 375, Ranked 224 – Not unlike Sykora, Sullivan is a big bodied pitcher, but from the left side. His fastball is average as is the curve currently, but both have potential to get better. He also features a change which he has a good feel for and could become a back of the rotation type arm. 

NL Central

Chicago Cubs

Best Pick: Matt Shaw, SS, Round 1, Pick 13, Ranked 17 – Looking for a superstar? look elsewhere! looking for a guy who will just show up and put together a 10 year big league career while producing every year? You found him! There are some questions about his arm and ability to stay at short, so he very well may end up at second, but he has all the other tools you want from a mid-first round pick.  

Worst Pick: Jaxon Wiggins, RHP, Compensatory Round 2, Pick 68, Ranked 142 – This could very well turn into a quality pick, so it is a bit critical to have him here. Wiggins has a huge fastball and three solid secondary offerings, but there are real command issues. He also missed the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, adding to the risk and uncertainty in the pick.

Sleeper: Josh Rivera, SS, Round 3, Pick 81, Ranked 77 – Rivera is a guy who can play short without a doubt, makes plenty of contact, set the Florida SS HR record this year, and has produced throughout his college career. Add to that he signed for below slot and there is nothing negative to say about this pick.

Deep Sleeper: Michael Carico, C, Round 5, Pick 149, Ranked 71 – Safe to say this will be the highest selection I am using as a “Deep Sleeper” but I had to write up a report on Carico. My favorite college catcher not named Kyle Teel, he has a smooth stroke from the left side that generates real pop. The contact rates may become an issue, but he does have a good approach at the plate allowing him to make the most of the balls he puts in play. Behind the dish he grades out as average, but does possess a strong arm although the accuracy needs work.

Cincinnati Reds

Best Pick: Rhett Lowder, RHP, Round 1, Pick 7, Ranked 6 – The unquestioned number two arm in the draft for me, has three pitches that have the potential to reach plus but more likely will be one plus, two above average. The change is one of the best in the class and the command might be the best in the class. While I don’t give Lowder ace upside, I do think his most likely big league role is as a number two, and the Reds got him for more than $500k under slot which came in big given the HS class they were able to sign. 

Worst Pick: Ty Floyd, RHP, Competitive Balance Round A, Pick 38, Ranked 85 – Floyd is a quality pitcher, highlighted by that incredible outing in the College World Series. That said, I think this pick is more in line with the CWS performance than the pitcher more than the pitcher throughout the rest of the season. All that said, he has four quality pitches and should become a fixture in the big league rotation, so pretty good for a “Worst Pick”.

Sleeper: Cole Schoenwetter, RHP, Round 4, Pick 105, Ranked 42 – At the start of last summer, Schoenwetter was set to be the next steal of a commit for UCSB, but as the summer and then the spring came along, it was clear he wasn’t making it to Santa Barbara. Schoenwetter has command of three above-average to plus pitches and has a very repeatable delivery. He has as high a floor as you will find from a prep righty.

Deep Sleeper: Jack Moss, 1B, Round 11, Pick 318, Ranked 219 – A hit first, left-handed first baseman with a chance to develop more power while playing quality defense fits the profile for the Reds. I am in no way saying Moss will be anything like Joey Votto, but there is no better player for Moss to learn from than Votto given their playing styles!

Milwaukee Brewers

Best Pick: Cooper Pratt, SS, Round 6, Pick 182, Ranked 46 – The Brewers draft is Exhibit A MLB needs to overhaul the draft process and signing rules. Pratt goes pick 182 but signs for a slot value in line with pick 59. Meanwhile, credit to the Brew Crew for getting a first round talent in the middle of day two, and a guy who will be able to stick at short and contribute at the plate with a borderline plus hit tool and average power. He is an older prep signing, so there is a bit of a lack of projectability in the frame and game. 

Worst Pick: Josh Knoth, RHP, Competitive Balance Round A, Pick 33, Ranked 67 – Knoth signed for more than $500K under slot and is actually an arm I like quite a bit, but still think this was a reach. I am not sure the change ever develops into a viable pitch, so there is real reliever risk here. The fastball is solid but the carrying tool is gonna be his breaking ball, a 3k+ two plane breaker which fits the Brewers model perfectly. 

Sleeper: Eric Bitonti, SS, Round 3, Pick 87, Ranked 52 – Hard to classify anyone in the class a sleeper given the signing bonus vs. pick number disparity, but lets go ahead and call Bitonti a sleeper for the sake of content. Announced as a shortstop, I think his future is at the hot corner where his plus arm and power bat project well. There are some real holes in the swing, so the contact rate against pro arms may prove to be an issue but he doesn’t turn 18 until mid-November, making him among the youngest players in the class.

Deep Sleeper: Bishop Letson, RHP, Round 11, Pick 332, Ranked 140 – If it is hard to call Bitonti a sleeper, it is really hard to call Letson a deep sleeper but, again, the Brewers draft was a real oddity. Letson is an arm Brewers fans need to be patient on as he is a projectable arm rather than a current stuff arm. He is incredibly lean and has some inconsistencies in his whippy delivery, but the ceiling is very high. 

PIttsburgh Pirates

Best Pick: Paul Skenes, RHP, Round 1, Pick 1, Ranked 1 – Anyone who watched Skenes at LSU this past season knows he has some of the best stuff to ever come along. He has a genuine top of the scale fastball, a plus-plus slider, a filthy change, and command of all three pitches. He was a two way player at Air Force before transferring to LSU and becoming a pitcher only but the bat was good enough he woulda been a day two pick had he been a position player only. Instead he is a pitcher who will likely never pick up a bat in a pro game, but will ascend to the top of the Pirates rotation before too long. 

Worst Pick: Garret Forrester, 3B, Round 3, Pick 73, Ranked 141 – Announced as a 3B at the draft, his future is over at first. He lacks any real athleticism and the arm is average at best, so that is really the only position on the field I see him being able to play. The bat is hit over power with an advanced eye at the plate, but there is some power upside there. Overall, I just feel there was better value to be had even with him signing for a couple hundred thousand under slot. 

Sleeper: Khristian Curtis, RHP, Round 12, Pick 347, Ranked 154 – Curtis is a guy who really has five pitches, with two versions of a fastball, an above average cutting slider, and a curve and change that need to improve to be effective. Consistency is key here as he lacks innings due to some injury troubles in his college career but, if he is able to put the full arsenal together, he could develop into a legit rotation piece. 

Deep Sleeper: Charles McAdoo, 2B, Round 13, Pick 377, Ranked 414 – You know you are a little sick when you find yourself seeking out San Jose State baseball games, but that is just what I did because of McAdoo. He has a unique swing starting closed but really opens up through his stride and swing creating plenty of power especially to the pull side. The bat is quick and violent and he has as strong a lower half as anyone in the draft. Most feel he eventually will be an outfielder, but think he has just enough athleticism to stick at second. 

St. Louis Cardinals

Best Pick: Travis Honeyman, OF, Round 3, Pick 90, Ranked 51 – Yeah, Chase Davis has a shot to be a star and his swing is as pretty yet strong as any, but Honeyman was just good a pick to overlook. He missed my top 50 based purely on his lack of health this season because, had he been healthy, there is zero chance he makes it out of day one. He has enough arm to play right, enough athleticism to stick in center, and a bat that won’t be out of place at the top of a lineup. There was real inconsistency along with the time missed this year, but a fully healthy Honeyman could easily turn out to be the best player selected by the Cardinals this year. 

Worst Pick: None – The only guy I can really argue was a real each was their tenth round selection Caden Kendle, especially given he didn’t sign as he wanted to see out his college career. But I can’t call a tenth round guy a worst pick so I am going with none.

Sleeper: Jason Savacool, RHP, Round 6, Pick 185, Ranked 114 – Savacool was my highest ranked arm drafted and signed by the Cardinals this year, Cameron Johnson was selected in round 20 but didn’t sign. His fastball won’t blow anyone away sitting 89-93, but he has a heavy downhill plane on it and mixes it up with a sharp vertical breaking slider and a change with real fade. His curve needs work, but even with the three offerings and solid command, he has the upside of a quality mid-rotation starter. 

Deep Sleeper: Brayden Jobert, OF, Round 12, Pick 365, Ranked 496 – Jobert certainly benefited from being on a National Championship winning squad as nothing in his game really jumps out, but the more you see of him the more you like him. While the hit tool leaves something to be desired, he does have a good approach and he has borderline plus power. Defensively he is pretty much limited to left, so the ceiling isn’t great, but the bat could find himself as a quality bench option. 

NL West

Arizona Diamondbacks

Best Pick: Tommy Troy, 2B, Round 1, Pick 12, Ranked 16 – It was no surprise to see Troy and Matt Shaw go in back-to-back picks as their games are quite similar. Troy has seen time all over the infield but his future is likely at second, where he will have a long and productive big league career. He won’t ever be a superstar and may be a fringe All-Star a couple times, but he will be a staple in the lineup for a long, long time. 

Worst Pick: Caden Grice, LHP, Competitive Balance Round B, Pick 64, Ranked 113 – Had my rankings considered Grice a pitcher only, as it seems the Diamondbacks do given he was announced as such and not a two way player, his ranking would have been even lower. I actually like his bat a little better than the arm, although on the mound he can become a quality reliever. His best tool overall is his plus power bat despite some real holes in the swing. On the mound he has three solid pitches, but command concerns and plenty of inconsistency. 

Sleeper: Jack Hurley, OF, Round 3, Pick 80, Ranked 35 – One of the things that will forever baffle me about this draft is how Hurley not only fell all the way to pick 80, but how they got him to sign for slot value. The only one of the five tools that doesn’t easily project as above-average is his power tool, although there is more than enough potential there to turn into an above-average tool. So, basically a genuine five-tool player fell to day two and signed for slot, not over slot, definition of a steal.

Deep Sleeper: Sam Knowlton, RHP, Round 12, Pick 355, Ranked 296 – Knowlton is a fifth-year senior who missed most of 2021 and 2022 after TJ, but in 2023 he was back and looked like he hadn’t missed a beat. He is as pure a power reliever as there is, standing 6’8” and pumping in a triple digit fastball. He has a slider but it is inconsistent at best, so he does need to make that at least good enough to keep guys off balance and become a big league reliever. 

Colorado Rockies

Best Pick: Cole Carrigg, C, Competitive Balance Round B, Pick 65, Ranked 83 – This is a pretty big gap between pick and rank to be considered best pick, but I still really like it. Carrigg’s arm in game is not in line with the 102 he showed at the MLB Draft Combine that had people buzzing. In fact, I found it more average in game as an outfielder, but it played much better in his time behind the plate. He is a guy who played every position while at San Diego State and could really play any of them as a pro too, but many do feel his upside is highest behind the dish. There were many questions among scouts as to what to make of him, and the opinions varied about as much as any player, but the ceiling is as one of the best players in the draft, and the Rockies need to find some potential superstars, and that is within the realm of possibilities for Carrigg. 

Worst Pick: Chase Dollander, RHP, Round 1, Pick 9, Ranked 12 – If the Rockies get the 2022 version of Dollander, this is a great pick. If they get the 2023 version of Dollander, my ranking of 12 is way too high. This past season he pitched himself out of the Friday night starter role, and his plus slider regressed to average at best. His fastball has been up to 99, but sat more 93-94 during the season and just wasn’t all that crisp. 

Sleeper: Cade Denton, RHP, Round 6, Pick 172, Ranked 152 – Anyone who paid attention during the NCAA tournament has a good argument against calling Denton a sleeper, as he was one of the stars for Oral Roberts. He won the NCBWA Reliever of the Year and showed why on the biggest of stages. Both his fastball and slider  have plus upside and commands them both. He mixes in a change to try and keep lefties off balance but he will be just fine even if he scraps that pitch. Denton has closer upside and was easily one of the best pure relievers in the draft. 

Deep Sleeper: Darius Perry, C, Round 15, Pick 442, Ranked 377 – Perry appeared in just six games his first two seasons at UCLA, but was the backbone of the Bruins the past two seasons. He has an average bat but his value comes via his leadership and defensive ability. He handles a rotation very well and threw out better than 40% of would-be base stealers in college. While he does not have starting upside, but he could easily develop into a solid backup catcher. 

Los Angeles Dodgers

Best Pick: Jake Gelof, 3B, Round 2, Pick 60, Ranked 37 – In the 2021 MLB draft, there was a third baseman by the name of Zack Gelof out of Virginia who was selected who has already found himself in the big leagues and playing well. In 2023, it was Zack’s brother Jake’s turn to be selected 60th overall as a third baseman out of Virginia. Beyond the incredible oddity that is the fact they were both selected 60th overall, their games are incredibly similar too. If you were to put a comp on Jake it would be Zack, which looks like it was a pretty good pick at 60 a couple years ago by the Oakland Athletics, and there is no reason to believe it won’t be for the Dodgers.

Worst Pick: Kendall George, OF, Round 1, Pick 36, Ranked 63 – George can really run, but is there enough else in his game to make this a quality pick? True, he isn’t really a first round pick given the selection was during the second round after the Dodgers pick was dropped ten slots, but it does technically go down as a round one pick. He is a plus defender but there is about as little power in the bat as you will find and the hit tool leaves a ton of questions. He will really need to go to work with coaches and really improve at the plate or he will never sniff the big leagues. 

Sleeper: Joe Vetrano, 1B, Round 5, Pick 163,  Ranked 220 – Vetrano mashes, plain and simple. He has just the kind of plus power you want to see from a 1B prospect, but there are certainly plenty of holes in the swing. He will never hit for a great average, but he is a pretty good defender at first, and that power is very real. 

Deep Sleeper: Ryan Brown, RHP, Round 9, Pick 280, Ranked 195 – Brown is the latest in a long line of recent quality arms to come out of Ball State. He is purely a reliever and there are real command issues, but he has a fastball that can be up into the mid 90s and a plus-plus splitter. The fastball is actually his change of pace pitch, as he relies on the low-80s splitter most the time, a pitch that can easily carry him to the show. 

San Diego Padres

Best Pick: Homer Bush Jr., OF, Round 4, Pick 128, Ranked 62 – I could easily have picked Dillon Head here based on both his game and the fact he was the player the Dodgers were targeting with their first pick, but I am going Bush based on value. Bush and Head will always be tied to one another (probably shoulda found a better way to word that) as they have similar games and play the same position. Bush went 3 rounds later, is more polished, and how more power potential, but both should develop into very good outfielders. 

Worst Pick: J.D. Gonzalez, C, Round 3, Pick 96, Ranked 339 – Heading into the draft, I was fully prepared to write up Gonzalez as a sleeper thanks to his 2.0 game pop with that plus arm. He has a big leg kick and the bat path can get long, but the hips and hands are in sync and he develops some good power. He tends to set himself up too far off the plate at times which doesn’t help his pitchers, but he has quality hands behind the plate. I actually really like him as a late day two or day three pick, but round three is just WAY too early. 

Sleeper: Carson Montgomery, RHP, Round 11, Pick 341, Ranked 149 – My sleeper and deep sleeper for the Padres are interchangeable, but let’s discuss them in order of selection. Montgomery has four solid pitches and a ton of upside for a college arm. That said, his delivery is terribly inconsistent and the mechanics are regularly out of rhythm. If he is able to clean those up, he can easily become a mid-rotation arm, but he could also be out of baseball in three years if he can’t improve there.

Deep Sleeper: Blake Dickerson, LHP, Round 12, PIck 371, Ranked 198 – Dickerson has a fastball in the lower 90s, a firm change, and sharp slider. He also commands all three pitches well with a quick arm action that allows everything to play up a half grade as it is hard to time his delivery. The overall stuff is average, but there is plenty of pitchability and he is one who regularly outperforms his stuff.

San Francisco Giants

Best Pick: Bryce Eldridge, TWP, Round 1, Pick 16, Ranked 15 – I could have easily picked Walker Martin or Joe Whitman here, but Eldridge is just too good a pick. Had he been purely an arm, he would have ranked among the top five prep arms this year. Had he been purely a bat, he would have ranked among the top ten prep bats this year. He is a legitimate two way prospect who has seen time in the OF but his future is at 1B or DH and on the mound. He has impressive body control given his overall length, and has a chance to be a star. 

Worst Pick: None – This is one of my favorite drafts from this year. 

Sleeper: Maui Ahuna, SS, Round 4, Pick 117, Ranked 57 – Ahuna was my 10th ranked college player before the season started, but really fell off due to a delay to the start to the season and inconsistency in his play. He is one of the better defensive shortstops in the class and has plus-plus speed, with a quick bat that generates good pop for someone with his frame. He does have some long levers and the contact is inconsistent, but mild adjustments and he easily becomes a starting MLB shortstop. 

Deep Sleeper: Jack Payton, C, Round 11, Pick 330, Ranked 183 – Luke Shliger was their first and my favorite catcher the Giants selected in this draft (and woulda been the sleeper highlighted on about 27 other teams) but Payton wasn’t ranked far behind. While Shliger went in the sixth round, Payton fell to day three and was a steal there. While the two are currently teammates in San Jose, Payton’s bat has more upside although the defense leaves more questions than Shliger.