Three days. Twenty rounds. Six-hundred-and-fourteen players.
The 2023 Draft is officially complete, and now the race begins for all 30 organizations to sign their picks ahead of the July 25 deadline. As we wait to see who goes pro and for how much, some picks already stand out more than others – whether it be because of pure skill set, talent relative to their Draft position or a host of other factors.
Here are our favorite picks from each club from the 2023 Draft:
Blue Jays: Arjun Nimmala, SS (first round)
Nimmala was one of the youngest players in the Draft – he won’t turn 18 until October – and already brings above-average power potential that can play to all fields. There are some swing-and-miss concerns, but again, he’s young enough to iron those out in time. The Jays will get a long road of development with the Florida native, and if they can shape him into the modern mold of a slug-first shortstop, we might look back and recognize they got a Top 10 talent at No. 20.
Orioles: Jake Cunningham, OF (fifth round)
The Orioles went very college heavy overall and Cunningham is one who has considerable upside. He’s a premium athlete who had 16 homers and steals as a sophomore in 2022 and while he struggled a bit more in 2023, he still went deep 11 times. If the hit tool clicks, this could be a steal.
Rays: Brayden Taylor, 3B (first round)
Tampa Bay scouting director Chuck Ricci described Taylor as “very much a Rays player, very well-balanced,” and that comes across in his scouting grades. After hitting .308/.430/.631 with 23 homers at TCU in the spring, Taylor displays the potential to be above-average when it comes to getting on base and hitting for power, and he has the instincts and arm strength for third base or even shortstop. That type of versatility would very much make him a fit in his new organization.
Red Sox: Kyle Teel, C (first round)
The Red Sox were pleasantly surprised to find Teel, the Draft’s best catching prospect, still available with the 14th overall pick. The Buster Posey Award winner as college baseball’s top backstop, he slashed .407/.475/.655 with 13 homers at Virginia, and he’s also athletic for his position and features a strong arm.
Yankees: George Lombard Jr., SS (first round)
The son of former big leaguer and current Tigers bench coach George Lombard, he’s a projectable 6-foot-3 athlete with the upside of solid tools across the board. He shows good actions and instincts at shortstop, giving him a chance to remain there, though he could outgrow the position and wind up at third base.
Guardians: Alex Clemmey, RHP (second round)
Clemmey had one of the most electric arms in the high school class, pushing his fastball to 99 mph with elite spin rates and carry and also spinning one of the best curveballs in the crop. While he’ll require plenty of polish and time to develop, the Rhode Island native is joining an organization known for helping pitchers make the most of their talents.
Royals: Hunter Owen, LHP (fourth round)
Kansas City may have gone for savings with Blake Mitchell at No. 8 overall, and getting a pitcher like Owen in the fourth round plays into that strategy. Ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 56 prospect, the Vanderbilt southpaw sits 92-94 mph with good carry and showed scouts a plus slider that can miss bats. He also throws an average curveball and changeup to round out his starter’s kit, alongside his size at 6-foot-6.
Tigers: Kevin McGonigle, SS/2B (CB-A)
Max Clark at No. 3 is certainly most likely to be Detroit’s star of the class, but don’t look past the Tigers’ selection of McGonigle 34 picks later. The Pennsylvania infielder was one of this year’s best pure hitters, showing an ability to hone in on pitches he can drive and the bat control to put the barrel on the ball when he did swing. His power might be just average and his 50-grade range and arm might need him to move from short to second, but an up-the-middle talent with a plus hit tool is a good find at No. 37.
Twins: Brandon Winokur, OF (third round)
Tip of the cap to Walker Jenkins at No. 5 overall, but the Twins added to a good early haul by getting Winokur at the start of Day 2. He is a veritable toolshed with power potential and speed, one who certainly didn’t hurt himself by turning in the best batting practice at the Draft Combine.
White Sox: George Wolkow, OF (seventh round)
The White Sox landed one of the Draft’s biggest steals when they grabbed local prep product Wolkow in the seventh round, a point at which he’d be unsignable for most clubs. A second-round talent who reclassified from the 2024 Draft to 2023, he’s one of the youngest and most physical prospects in this year’s class, a 6-foot-7, 239-pounder with huge raw power and some surprising athleticism.
Angels: Alberto Rios, 3B (third round)
Rios barely played at all over his first two years at Stanford, often serving as the team’s bullpen catcher. When he finally got an opportunity this year, he ran with it, earning PAC-12 Player of the Year honors and finishing with a 1.191 OPS. His defensive home remains in question, but that bat is going to play.
Astros: Cam Fisher, OF (fourth round)
A Charlotte redshirt junior, Fisher emerged as one of the better money-saving prospects in the 2023 Draft after setting school records for homers in a season (30, third in NCAA Division I) and career (48 in two seasons) while also ranking fifth in D-I with 64 walks. One scout dubbed the left fielder the mid-major version of Kyle Schwarber, and he also spent some time at catcher while at Walters State (Tenn.) CC.
A’s: Jonah Cox, OF (sixth round)
Not only did Cox help Oral Roberts reach the College World Series by hitting .412/.470/.646 with 28 steals this year, he also led Division I hitters in hits (114) and had a 47-game hitting streak. He’s the son of former big league catcher Darron Cox and has the chance to play a solid center field.
Mariners: Jonny Farmelo, OF (supplemental first round)
The Mariners used the pick they were awarded for Julio Rodriguez winning Rookie of the Year honors wisely, taking the physical and athletic Farmelo, who had a lot of helium as the Draft approached. The left-handed hitter has power to tap into and bat speed to spare. He’s played shortstop in the past, but his tools play really well in center field
Rangers: Julian Brock, C (eighth round)
The Rangers partially compensated for forfeiting their second- and third-round choices after signing free agents Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi by coming away with one of the best catchers available in a thin crop — in the eighth round. Brock batted .315/.435/.559 with 11 homers this spring while exhibiting plus raw power and solid arm strength.
Braves: Hurston Waldrep, RHP (first round)
From a pure stuff standpoint, the Braves may have gotten a top 10 talent at No. 24 overall. Waldrep has a fastball that he can crank up to 99 mph and one of the best secondary offerings in the class with his split-change. He also has a slider that flashes plus at times and it might be his ability to command the arsenal that determines his ceiling.
Marlins: Thomas White, LHP (supplemental first round)
Not only did the Marlins get the best prep pitcher (Noble Meyer) with their first selection at No. 10, but they somehow pushed the next-best (White) to their second pick at No. 35. The consensus top left-hander in the Draft — college or high school — has the potential for three plus offerings in a fastball that already touches 97 mph, a promising breaking ball and a deceptive changeup.
Mets: Colin Houck, SS (first round)
New York’s first pick dropped 10 spots to No. 33 as a luxury-tax penalty, but even then, the organization was able to scoop up No. 12 Draft prospect Houck. The Georgia high-schooler already shows a good mix of bat speed and power, and he has the plus arm that can work at the six. Don’t worry too much about the Mets grabbing another shortstop with Francisco Lindor in the Majors and Ronny Mauricio and Jett Williams in the Minors. Take the best talent, and sort out positions later.
Nationals: Dylan Crews, OF (first round)
There was a ton of smoke that Washington would take whichever of the two LSU stars fell to them at No. 2, and that happened to be Crews. The 6-foot outfielder has a genuine claim as the best talent in the class with a legit plus-plus hit tool and lots of playable power, thanks to great bat speed, solid strength and a terrific approach that helps him drive balls or take walks. An above-average runner, he can stick in the middle of the grass, and that will start a new and fun debate in the nation’s capital – is he or James Wood the future Nats center fielder?
Phillies: Aidan Miller, SS (first round)
If he hadn’t broken his left hamate at the start of the spring, Miller very well could have been among the top high school hitters taken in the Draft. The MLB high school home run derby champion and All-American Game MVP last summer has the chance to hit and with power, with a move to third base likely.
Brewers: Cooper Pratt, SS (sixth round)
It looked like MLB Pipeline’s No. 45 Draft prospect was headed to honor his commitment to Ole Miss until Milwaukee came calling in the sixth round. The Crew will have to make signing space to bring in Pratt, but if they can manage it, this could be one of the steals of the Draft. The 6-foot-4 shortstop marries a great ability to put bat on ball with impressive swing decisions, and he already shows good pullside pop. He’s the second-highest-ranked player in the Brewers’ class behind first-rounder Brock Wilken (No. 25).
Cubs: Josh Rivera, SS (third round)
After batting .259 with 16 homers in his first three seasons at Florida, Rivera erupted to bat .348 with 19 bombs this year while helping the Gators reach the College World Series finals. He combines some pop, patience and flashes of solid speed with a chance to remain at shortstop. He comes with a relatively high floor with a good chance to be at least a useful utility type.
Cardinals: Chase Davis, OF (first round)
Plenty has been made about the similarities between Davis’ swing and that of Carlos González, and it truly is a sweet left-handed action that helps the Wildcat drive the ball the other way. Davis also possesses above-average speed and plus throwing ability, giving him multiple tools that should play well at the game’s top level. While the Cards didn’t draft for need here, the 21-year-old also bolsters an outfield group that could use a big-time talent.
Pirates: Paul Skenes, RHP (first round)
Is there really any other choice here? Skenes was thought to be a generational type of pitching talent and the Pirates went for it by taking him 1-1. The College World Series Most Outstanding Player has the chance to move quickly and get big league hitters out in the near future.
Reds: Sammy Stafura, SS (second round)
Stafura’s name was coming up a lot in the back half of the first round, so this was a very good get for the Reds at No. 43 overall. He has the chance to play shortstop for a very long time, with athletic actions and more than enough arm. He has easily plus speed and the ability to drive the ball to all fields.
D-backs: Jack Hurley, OF (third round)
The D-backs went 20-for-21 on college picks this year and didn’t take a prep prospect until the 20th round. Starting with Tommy Troy at 12th overall, Arizona made a series of solid picks in the early rounds, but in terms of when they were selected, no one in the class may provide more value than MLB Pipeline’s No. 36 prospect Hurley. The Virginia Tech product shows ample raw power but could be a solid overall hitter, too. With plus speed and a 55 arm, he has true five-tool potential and joins an organization that knows how to develop outfielders.
Dodgers: Jake Gelof, 3B (second round)
The younger brother of fellow former Virginia third baseman and current Athletics prospect Zack Gelof, Jake set Cavaliers records for single-season and career homers (23, 48) and RBIs (90, 186) while batting .321/427/.710 this spring. He has well above-average raw power and should stick at the hot corner, where he displays solid arm strength.
Giants: Joe Whitman, LHP (supplemental second round)
The consensus best college left-hander available, Whitman somehow found his way down to pick No. 69. After working just 5 2/3 innings in two seasons at Purdue, he transferred to Kent State and won Mid-American Conference pitcher of the year honors while posting a 2.56 ERA, .213 opponent average and 100/29 K/BB ratio in 81 innings. He commands his running 91-96 mph fastball and low-80s slider well, and also shows some promise with his low-80s changeup.
Padres: Homer Bush Jr., OF (fourth round)
San Diego went for a fast, hit-over-power center fielder first with Dillon Head and went back to a similar profile (albeit with a little less speed) in the fourth round. To his credit, Bush has more advanced experience than Head, having played at Grand Canyon where he hit .370 with a 27/38 K/BB ratio this spring. He puts the ball on the ground too much to exhibit more than below-average pop, but if San Diego can get him to elevate a little more, he’ll be a quality up-the-middle get for his Draft position.
Rockies: Chase Dollander, RHP (first round)
All the buzz was that the Rockies wanted an arm, and they got a good one. Sure, Dollander had an up-and-down season with the Volunteers this past spring, but the pure stuff that had many thinking he could be a top-of-the-Draft type before the season started is still very much there. If his issues can be corrected with pro instruction, as many evaluators believed, this could be a really good pick for the Rockies.