Recapping the 2023 MLB Draft: American League

Recapping the draft, I am going to look 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)

AL East

Baltimore Orioles

Best Pick: Enrique Bradfield Jr., OF, Round 1, Pick 17, Ranked 14 – Bradfield has the best wheels in the class and has an argument as the best defender in the class. Add to that he makes plenty of contact and you have yourself a quality ballplayer even if he never hits for power. The larger bases and reduced pickoffs in MLB will also help him on the bags, where he is just fine as he stole 46 bases while being thrown out zero times in 2022.

Worst Pick: Jackson Baumeister, Competitive Balance Round B, Pick 63, Ranked 87 – For me this was a slight overdraft and an overpay, plus he didn’t sign until the final hour or so of deadline day, but it isn’t a bad pick. He has a really good fastball and the curve is solid plus he mixes in two other offerings, but the command is an issue. The high leg kick to deep leg drive and head whip creates inconsistencies in his release point.

Sleeper: Levi Wells, RHP, Round 4, Pick 118, Ranked 70 – Thanks to a couple extra picks Wells was actually the sixth player drafted by the Orioles. He has an above average fastball, plus curve, slider that flashes plus, and a solid changeup. There are some questions with his command but could prove to be one of the better values in the draft. 

Deep Sleeper: Matthew Etzel, Round 10, Pick 301, Ranked 177 – It is clear the Orioles have a type when drafting center fielders, as Etzel is a proven college producer with a quality hit tool, plays above average center field, and is a better than plus runner. Basically, he is the poor man’s version of their first round pick Enrique Bradfield Jr. 

Boston Red Sox

Best Pick: Kyle Teel, C, Round 1, Picks 14, Ranked 13 – Easily my top catcher in the draft, goes as the second catcher off the board. I fully anticipated him to be gone to Kansas City at pick eight, but they went with a high school backstop instead. Teel has a cannon of an arm and is a solid receiver, leaving little doubt he will stick behind the plate, and has a borderline plus hit tool with average power. 

Worst Pick: Connelly Early, LHP, Round 5, Pick 151, Not Ranked – The signing bonuses on day two picks were actually quite a surprise for the Red Sox as most were for slot or even a bit above, when they felt like below slot picks. Early sits 89-92 with a decent breaking ball and quality change. Just felt there was better value here. 

Sleeper: Antonio Anderson, SS, Round 3, Pick 83, Ranked 56 – I had Anderson ranked higher than most and ranked higher than Nazzan Zanetello who got a signing bonus double that of Anderson. He is a switch hitter who makes a ton of contact and has an advanced eye at the plate, although there is some bat wrap as a left-handed hitter that can cause the bat to get long. Overall, this was a steal to open day two.

Deep Sleeper: Nelson Taylor, OF, Round 11, Pick 328, Ranked 382 – The JuCo product had a decent stint on the Cape in 2022 and carried it over to a .353 average at Polk State while stealing 31 bags. He also had 123 putouts and four assists without an error, as he has some upside as an athletic center field prospect. 

New York Yankees

Best Pick: George Lombard Jr., SS, Round 1, Pick 26, Ranked 32 – Lombard is a very polished player, no doubt influenced by the fact he is the son of George Lombard Sr, who played six seasons in the big leagues and is currently the bench coach for the Detroit Tigers. He has plenty of pop in the bat which will play well when he likely has to move off short to third base in time. There is some swing and miss risk in the bat, but there is plenty of upside in Lombard’s game. 

Worst Pick: Kyle Carr, LHP, Round 3, Pick 97, Ranked 182 – Carr has plenty of stuff, as highlighted by his 111 Ks in 78 innings, but the command needs work. Looking at the numbers that may be a surprise, he only walked 19 batters, but he is more control than command currently. He also really only has two pitches so he is most likely suited to wind up in the bullpen. That said, the arm is electric so this is pretty good for a “worst pick”.

Sleeper: Roc Riggio, 2B, Round 4, Pick 129, Ranked 190 – While rank vs. pick number and name recognition make it hard to call Riggio a sleeper, he was easily the top pick for the Yankees on day two. Riggio has a ton of power although there are certainly holes in his swing and some real questions on defense. That said, his violent left handed swing is perfectly suited to the ballpark in the Bronx. 

Deep Sleeper: Josh Moylan, 1B, Undrafted, Ranked 454 – Moylan going undrafted was a surprise, what wasn’t a surprise was seeing him earn the highest undrafted free agent signing bonus of the year. The ECU product has a smooth swing and can play a quality first base to go with plenty of production in big games on his resume. His ECU teammate Josh Grosz going in round 11 was under consideration here too. 

Tampa Bay Rays

Best Pick: Brayden Taylor, 3B/SS, Round 1, Pick 19, Ranked 24 – Taylor was announced as a shortstop but his future is most likely at third base. He played some short for TCU and faired well, but I am just not sold on it being a position fit long term. He makes plenty of contact and has more than enough power for either position. A very solid pick for a guy who has a chance to move through the Rays system rather quickly. 

Worst Pick: Trevor Harrison, RHP, Round 5, Pick 156, Not Ranked – Harrison was a guy with late helium but didn’t crack my top 500 simply because he doesn’t have a secondary offering that is viable. His fastball is a quality pitch but the slider and change need too much work as does the command. I definitely didn’t have him as a guy getting a signing bonus the equivalent to pick 81 or 82.

Sleeper: Tre’ Morgan, 1B, Round 3, Pick 88, Ranked 66 – It was inevitable whoever took Morgan was going to have him ranked as my sleeper for their team, if not best pick. Morgan is a hit first bat who can run into some power and provide you Gold Glove level defense at first. He won’t be the big bopper, but all the guy did was regularly produce in the best conference in baseball and came up with the defensive play of the College World Series. Great selection here for the Rays. 

Deep Sleeper: Adam Boucher, RHP, Round 10, Pick 303, Ranked 227 – With a big 6’5” 235 lbs. frame you expect Boucher to be a pure power pitcher, but he actually has good body control, although his overall pitch command needs work. The fastball is into the mid-90s with two versions of a slider and a change. Boucher has the upside of being a back end of a rotation piece eventually. 

Toronto Blue Jays

Best Pick: Arjun Nimmala, SS, Round 1, Pick 20, Ranked 10 – The week heading into the draft came plenty of news Nimmala was falling, but he is absolutely a top 10 talent in the class. He is still very lean but creates tremendous bat speed that leads to power while making plenty of contact. He may outgrow short but he has shown the ability to play all positions in the dirt. Add the fact he signed for under slot makes Nimmala arguably the best value of any player that was selected in round one. 

Worst Pick: Sam Shaw, 2B, Round 9, Pick 274, Ranked 491 – This isn’t really a bad pick, and had he signed for slot I would have listed None as worst pick. The only real negative to this signing is the above slot signing and the fact he really is limited to second base, but otherwise he is absolutely worth the flyer in round nine. Needless to say I liked the Blue Jays draft. 

Sleeper: Landen Maroudis, Round 4, Pick 121, Ranked 59 – Maroudis is a day one talent who slipped to round four and signed for a bonus in line with the 55th pick, which is still solid value. He was once a two way prospect, but the arm is too good to keep in the field. He has plenty of projectability and a fastball that has already been up to 96 while he has shown feel for a change and slider as well. The Blue Jays get a second round talent despite not having a second round pick. 

Deep Sleeper: Kelena Sauer, RHP, Round 15, Pick 454, Ranked 436 – Sauer served as San Diego State’s closer where his long arm action in his side-arm delivery created tough angles for hitters. His fastball sits 90-91 but has been up to 95 to go with a decent slider and a filthy splitter. It would be no surprise to see Sauer in a big league bullpen and having success there. 

AL Central

Chicago White Sox

Best Pick: Jacob Gonzalez, SS, Round 1, Pick 15, Ranked 7 – If there was one ranking I wish I could go back and adjust it would be moving Gonzalez down to the low teens, which still makes this a great pickup. There are real questions about his ability to stay at short given the footspeed, but I like his instincts and think he has a real shot to stick. There are no questions about the bat where he grades out above average with both the hit and power tools. Excellent pick for the White Sox at 15.

Worst Pick: George Wolkow, OF, Round 7, Pick 209, Ranked 107 – Hard to call a guy who was drafted 100 spots behind my rank the worst pick, but that is where I am listing Wolkow. He has plus power and a strong arm, but there are some definite questions about his hit tool and range in the outfield. He is far from a sure thing, very much a risk/reward pick, signed to a bonus in line with pick 72/73 so it was definitely an overpay for me.

Sleeper: Lucas Gordon, LHP, Round 6, Pick 179, Ranked 335 – So I have a guy drafted 100 slots behind his rank as my worst pick and a guy picked 150 spots ahead of his rank as my sleeper, goes to show how tough it is to make sense of the White Sox draft. I love Gordon as he is a polished lefty with a proven track record and excellent command. His stuff isn’t elite but the whole package is better than the individual grades would suggest. If he turns out to be the best arm the White Sox picked in this draft it wouldn’t surprise me at all. 

Deep Sleeper: Rikuu Nishida, OF, Round 11, Pick 329, Ranked 284 – The White Sox drafted players born in Puerto Rico (Edrick Felix), France (Mathias LaCombe), and Japan in Nishida. He is a contact first, second, and third guy, but won’t have any trouble adjusting to wood bats as a pro as he regularly stepped to the plate in college with a wood bat. There isn’t starter upside in Nishida, but he has the profile that could play well as a potential fourth outfielder.

Cleveland Guardians

Best Pick: Ralphy Velazquez, C, Round 1, Pick 23, Ranked 34 – I am usually high on Cleveland arms and lower on their bats, but overall I think they had a nice draft. Velazquez has as much power as any prep bat in the class and he has a slight chance to stick behind the plate. Even if he moves over to first, the bat will be more than enough to play well there. Add to the quality player Velazquez is the fact he signed for under slot which was enough to allow the Guardians to snag prep lefty Alex Clemmey in round two and you have a great first round pick. 

Worst Pick: Andrew Walters, RHP, Competitive Balance Round B, Pick 62, Ranked 133 – I am not big on day one relievers, and that is exactly what Walters is. He has a truly elite fastball that flirts with triple digits and flashed double plus with some command, but he doesn’t really have a secondary pitch that is anything better than below average. Just felt like a reach here. 

Sleeper: Jay Driver, RHP, Round 9, Pick 278, Ranked 276 – The Harvard righty has a fastball that has been up to 97 and a slider that generates a ton of swing and miss. His command and lack of a viable third pitch to go with his lower slot a and a delivery that keeps hitters off balance points to a future in the bullpen, but getting that in the ninth round is a great value. 

Deep Sleeper: Matt Jachec, RHP, Round 18, Pick 548, Not Ranked – Jachec had a great run with Indiana State really making a name for himself and becoming a no doubt draft pick. The college senior had a collegiate career ERA of 3.56 and a 6.22 K/BB ratio. His stuff is average at best, but if any team is going to lift a polished arm and get the most out of it, it is Cleveland. 

Detroit Tigers

Best Pick: Kevin McGonigle, SS, Competitive Balance Round A, Pick 37, Ranked 22 – Yes, the best player selected was clearly Max Clark, but getting McGonigle too has to be highlighted. He has one of the better hit tools among the prep hitters and should be able to hit for at least average power as he matures. He has enough arm and the instincts to stick at short, but even if he moves to second the bat will be a real asset.

Worst Pick: None – Yeah, I could shove Carson Rucker in here, but it really wasn’t a bad pick. 

Sleeper: John Peck, SS, Round 7, Pick 200, Ranked 167 – Peck has a very strong arm and makes some impressive plays at short and should be able to stick there no problem. He struggled at the plate this past season and last summer on the Cape, which really hurt his stock as he was once in the day one discussion. If he can get back to the form he had in 2022 when he hit .361 and really drove the ball, this will be a home run for the Tigers. 

Deep Sleeper: Jim Jarvis, SS, Round 11, Pick 320, Ranked 421 – A smaller in stature shortstop, Jarvis looks like a 2B but has the chops to stick at short. At the plate he isn’t afraid to choke up on the bat and slap a ball through the hole the other way. His upside is not that of a starter, but he could easily become a big league utility infielder, and a very good one at that. 

Kansas City Royals

Best Pick: Carson Roccaforte, OF, Competitive Balance Round B, Pick 66, Ranked 144 – Yes, based purely on rankings this screams reach, but there is just so much to like in Roccaforte’s game. He didn’t hit for as much power this past season, but the swing is more sustainable for his game, allowing him to put the ball into the gap in all fields and let his plus speed shine. The Swing is incredibly smooth and he plays a very good center field. 

Worst Pick: Blake Mitchell, C, Round 1, Pick 8, Ranked 18 – The track record for high school catchers in the first round is, to put it lightly, not good. While he has a cannon of an arm, at the plate he can turn his hands over too late and be late on quality velo despite overall good bat speed. He has plenty of upside in the bat but a ton of risk too and given they were going catcher and Kyle Teel was still available, this just felt like far too much of a risk. 

Sleeper: Hunter Owen, LHP, Round 4, Pick 106, Ranked 73 – There was a point it looked like Owen was the best hope to have a college lefty picked in round one, something that has happened in ever draft since 1979, but that didn’t happen. He has a fastball that has been up to 97, a plus slider, and a quality change and curve while showing solid command of all pitches. He doesn’t have the big upside of most 6’6” hard throwing lefties, but he could certainly find himself in the middle of the Royals rotation at some point. 

Deep Sleeper: Jared Dickey, OF, Round 11, Pick 319, Ranked 130 – The Vols were hoping to have Dickey hold down catching duties, injuries and questionable receiving ability saw him get most of his time in the outfield, where he will end up as a pro. There isn’t much in terms of arm strength or range, so left field is the most likely option, but there is plenty of contact in the bat and some decent power as well. 

Minnesota Twins

Best Pick: Walker Jenkins, OF, Round 1, Pick 5, Ranked 4 – Jenkins and the Twins made us wait until the final hours before the signing deadline to get a deal finalized, but the deal got done. While there is some question as to whether or not Jenkins will be able to stay in center, he will absolutely start there and then likely move to right as he matures. He has a plus arm, plus power, and may even develop a plus hit tool. In a draft where the top five prospects were all 1-1 worthy, getting one at five is a massive win for the Twins. 

Worst Pick: None – The Twins managed to draft and sign 12 players in my top 500, so needless to say I was a fan of their draft. If I had to force a name in it would be Luke Keaschall, but he was ranked 80 for me and went 49, so not too much of a reach. 

Sleeper: Tanner Hall, RHP, Round 4, Pick 114, Ranked 98 – Hall isn’t going to light up any radar guns, although he can sit 92-94 on his best days, but he has three pitches including a filthy change and commands them all. His stuff does all tick down when in the stretch which actually limits his possibilities in the future as he likely would not be a great reliever, so it is rotation or bust, but he has the stuff to make a big league rotation within a few years. 

Deep Sleeper: Ross Dunn, LHP, Round 10, Pick 297, Ranked 158 – Dunn is an odd case where the stuff and the results don’t match up. In terms of pure stuff, Dunn might be the best left handed college arm in the class. In terms of results, some scouts were wondering if going back for a senior year may be best for him. He has three pitches that all flash above average but the command needs a lot of work as he misses over the plate too often and walked more than six batters per nine this past year. If he lives up to the stuff, this could be as big a value as any in the draft. 

AL West

Houston Astros

Best Pick: Brice Matthews, SS, Round 1, Pick 28, Ranked 40 – Reports are the Astros wanted Matthews with their second pick, but it became clear he wasn’t going to get there so they grabbed him in round one. I don’t have an issue with it as, while I think there were better options available, you aren’t going to find a better athlete in the draft. He will probably be able to stick at short, but if he moves to center he can be a plus defender. He has plenty of pop thanks to his quick bat and makes more than enough contact too.

Worst Pick: Cam Fisher, OF, Round 4, Pick 131, Ranked 215 – Nobody in NCAA Division I baseball hit more home runs in the regular season than Fisher, but there are still plenty of holes in his swing. He struggled on the Cape a year ago and strikes out too often, but he has really improved his walk rate. Overall there is plenty to like with Fisher, but being a college senior, going in round four, and only signing for $10k under slot feels like an overpay. 

Sleeper: Chase Jaworsky, SS, Round 5, Pick 164, Ranked 403 – Heading into the draft I got word I was too low on Jaworsky, and that proved to be accurate. He has a smooth left handed stroke with pop, solid range at short, and more than enough arm. Coming from Colorado and not being a major player on the showcase circuit, he flew under the radar all year. 

Deep Sleeper: Nehomar Ochoa Acosta, OF, Round 11, Pick 344, Ranked 412 & Anthony Huezo, OF, Round 12, Pick 374, Ranked 417 – The Astros opened day three with a pair of toolsy, athletic prep outfielders with plenty of upside. Both guys have current size with projection left, while Ochoa Acosta has more current power, Huezo has more raw power. Both have a chance to stick in center but enough arm to play right. There are too many similarities and too much value to choose between the two, so they get a double deep sleeper. 

Los Angeles Angels

Best Pick: Barrett Kent, RHP, Round 8, Pick 234, Ranked 84 – Kent was my second highest ranked player selected by the Angels and he received the second highest signing bonus despite being an eighth round pick. Kent has a fastball in the mid-90s and three viable secondary offerings. He had a strong commitment to Arkansas so it is no surprise it took a big number to sign him, but he has more than enough stuff to make it worth it. 

Worst Pick: Nolan Schanuel, 1B, Round 1, Pick 11, Ranked 29 – This is a tough one for me because I fully expected to write up Schanuel as a best pick for a team coming into the draft, but I just don’t like the value here. Had he signed for a slot savings it may be a different story, but full slot just seems like too much. He is a polished hitter who can play multiple positions and is a very safe pick. My response on draft night was it was a pick that won’t come back to bite them, but I was surprised by the signing bonus landing the pick here. 

Sleeper: Camden Minacci, RHP, Round 6, Pick 174, Ranked 179 – The final pitch Minacci threw in college was destroyed by Wyatt Langford sending Florida to the College World Series. Don’t let that lasting image fool you, he might be the best pure reliever prospect in the class with a plus fastball and a plus slider and command of both. There is plenty of effort in the delivery and lacks a third offering, so he is unquestionably a reliever only, but he could be a high leverage reliever in the big leagues before too long. 

Deep Sleeper: Sam Brown, 1B, Round 12, Pick 354,  Ranked 488 – First thing that stands out when looking at Brown’s info is his most unfortunate of birthdays, born 9/11/01. That aside and focusing on the player, he played two years at Portland before transferring to Washington State where he matched his home run output, hitting 11 home runs the same number as the previous two years combined, and improving his batting average to .374 despite playing in a much tougher conference. He is a hit over power first baseman who may be able to play some outfield and could develop into a big league bench piece. 

Oakland Athletics

Best Pick: Jacob Wilson, SS, Round 1, Pick 6, Ranked 9 – This was the first real surprise of the draft, as reports were Wilson was sliding, but he wound up cutting a deal that not only landed the A’s the best sure fire shortstop in the draft, but also enough savings to go get Steven Echavarria and Cole Miller later on. Wilson has a plus hit tool and the defensive instincts of his dad, Jack Wilson, although the power is a real question, he should be able to be a real asset in time. 

Worst Pick: Myles Naylor, SS, Competitive Balance Round A, Pick 39, Ranked 78 – This is in no way a knock on Naylor, yes, this is higher than I would have selected him, but I was rooting for nothing harder than Naylor to land with the Guardians to team up with his two older brothers. I actually really liked the Athletics’ draft and take no real issue with any of their selections. 

Sleeper: Jonah Cox, OF, Round 6, Pick 166, Ranked 162 – Cox found himself tied with the third longest hit streak in NCAA history and helped make Oral Roberts only the third number four seed to make it to the College World Series. He obviously has a quality hit tool, and he can really run making him a quality defender in center, although this was his first year playing there so there is plenty of work to do. Power is not part of his game, with the bat or arm, so he will have to rely on his contact ability and speed. 

Deep Sleeper: Drew Conover, RHP, Round 11, Pick 316, Ranked 282 – Conover was certainly a surprise name to slip out of day two, but didn’t have to wait long on day three to hear his name called. He has a fastball that can be up to 97 in shorter outings and two versions of a slider, the bigger of which has above-average shape. He has real command issues and will likely end up in the bullpen where his fastball and slider will really play up making him an arm that could develop into a real weapon in Oakland, or Las Vegas, or wherever the team ends up. 

Seattle Mariners

Best Pick: None – Ok, hear me out. The Mariners actually had a really good draft, but they had three picks in the top thirty and I don’t feel they really hit a home run on any of them. At 22 they grabbed Colt Emerson but Hurston Waldrep was still on the board. At 29 and 30 they went Jonny Farmelo and Tai Peete, but guys like Thomas White were still available. 

Worst Pick: None – Ok, hear me out. Like I said, the Mariners had a really good draft. They didn’t have any real reaches so there wasn’t a bad pick for me. 

Sleeper: Brody Hopkins, RHP, Round 6, Pick 187, Ranked 204 – There was some talk early in the season of Hopkins being a two-way player prospect, but the arm shined too much and he is going to be purely a pitcher as a pro. He has a hard sinker and a fastball up to 98 to go with a quality slider. He will likely be a pure reliever but with three plus power pitches, he could be a very good reliever.

Deep Sleeper: Elijah Dale, RHP, Round 13, Pick 397, Ranked 321 – With a low-90s fastball, Dale does not have the typical power stuff of a reliever, but he has an excellent slider that misses a ton of bats. He does not have a ton of upside, but he could develop into a back end of a bullpen piece. 

Texas Rangers

Best Pick: Wyatt Langford, Round 1, Pick 4, Ranked 3 – With no second or third round picks, this draft begins and ends with Langford. Luckily, Langford has as much power as anybody in the class, has a hit tool bordering on plus, and just might be able to hold down center field. In most years, he is a guy who would probably go 1-1, but the Rangers get him at pick four and have a potential future cornerstone of their franchise. 

Worst Pick: Skylar Hales, RHP, Round 4, Pick 108, Ranked 205 – Hales is a power reliever with a fastball that runs up to 99 and two versions of a slider. He has started in the past but his busy delivery and effort will relegate him to the bullpen. I would have liked to see the Rangers take a bigger swing on their second pick. 

Sleeper: Julian Brock, C, Round 8, Pick 231, Ranked 202 – I really like Brock as a receiver and he has a strong arm. He is athletic behind the plate, keeping tough balls in front of him, and quick enough feet to partner with the arm to manage the run game well. While the bat comes with some contact questions, there is plus raw power and he has the upside of an everyday catcher but most likely he will become a really good backup. 

Deep Sleeper: Izack Tiger, RHP, Round 7, Pick 201, Ranked 482 – Tiger has an 80 grade name, but he may also have an 80 grade fastball. There isn’t much effort and the arm is loose, so there is a shot he can stick as a starter although there isn’t much of a third offering after his slider.