2023 MLB Draft Review: Atlanta Braves

Full list of draftees

I love what the Braves did here with their draft. I typically prefer drafting bats early then pivoting to pitchers, but the Braves develop pitching well and I think they picked up three really interesting arms with their first three picks. Hurston Waldrep rivals Paul Skenes for the best stuff in the country, Cade Kuehler also has first round stuff at his best, and Drue Hackenberg is a fascinating selection that it looks like the Braves are willing to get creative with. In terms of the bats, Atlanta put a priority on hitters with strong batted ball data and more or less complete profiles at the plate, with fifth rounder Isaiah Drake providing notable upside.
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.
Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. "2-50" would indicate that a player was drafted in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.

1-24: RHP Hurston Waldrep, Florida {video}
Slot value: $3.27 million. Signing bonus: $3 million ($273,000 below slot value).
My rank: #12. MLB Pipeline: #19. Baseball America: #18. Prospects Live: #17.
The Braves started off with a bang, getting the man who in my opinion was the second best college pitcher in the entire draft towards the back of the first round. Not only that, but they saved $273,000 and got a Georgia boy in the process – not bad at all. Waldrep grew up in the small South Georgia town of Thomasville, about a dozen miles north of the Florida line near Tallahassee. He began his career at Southern Miss, where as a sophomore in 2022 he established himself as one of the best pitchers in the country with a 3.20 ERA and a 140/33 strikeout to walk ratio over 90 innings. Transferring to Florida for his junior season this year, he was a bit less consistent and finished with a 4.16 ERA and a 156/57 strikeout to walk ratio over 101.2 innings. Waldrep's stuff is nasty, to say the least. His explosive fastball sits in the mid 90's, touching 99 with riding action that makes it at least a plus pitch. He spins two banger breaking balls in a curveball and a slider, with the former showing hammer action in the low 80's and the latter acting like a short, hard cutter in the upper 80's. The showstopper, though is a plus-plus splitter that really took a step forward with Florida this spring and might be an 80 grade pitch when he locates it. It doesn't just die out of his hand; it undergoes a spectacular, cinematic demise at the last second as it falls off the face of the Earth. Together, it gives Paul Skenes a legitimate run for his money for the best pure stuff in all of college baseball. The issue, however, has been command. The 6'2" righty is much more control over command, pounding the strike zone but often leaving his pitches over the plate. He's a powderkeg of athleticism with an uptempo delivery, but he'll need to channel that energy into a little more precision going forward. One reason scouts gave for his inconsistent performance this spring was also predictable pitch usage, with Florida having him throw too many fastballs behind in the count and too many breaking balls ahead in the count, making his stuff play down a tick. He was hot late in the season and in three NCAA Tournament starts against UConn, South Carolina, and Oral Roberts, he allowed just two runs on fifteen hits and seven walks while striking out 37 over 21 innings before faltering a little bit in his final start against eventual national champion LSU.

2-59: RHP Drue Hackenberg, Virginia Tech {video}
Slot value: $1.37 million. Signing bonus: $2 million ($628,200 above slot value).
My rank: #180. MLB Pipeline: #200. Baseball America: #148. Prospects Live: #195.
I'm fascinated by this pick. Drue Hackenberg was widely expected to go somewhere in the middle to back of day two, but not only did the Braves pop him in the second round, they signed him for a massive bonus close to the slot value for the #43 overall pick. Sometimes there is a massive disconnect between how the public boards view a player and how teams (or a single team) view them, and that was the case here. Obviously, by ranking him #180 on my board (which was still ahead of both MLB Pipeline and Prospects Live), I was part of the group sleeping on Hack, but the Braves' selection made me think about him in a different way and I see what they were getting at. He immediately established himself as a legitimate pitching prospect with a strong freshman season at Virginia Tech (3.30 ERA, 87/19 K/BB in 92.2 IP), but took a step backward as a draft eligible sophomore this year (5.70 ERA, 99/26 K/BB in 85.1 IP). On the surface, and I'm guilty of looking at the surface, Hackenberg is a fairly ordinary arm with ordinary stuff. He sits in the low 90's with his fastball, topping out at 95 with running action that creates weak contact. His slider flashes above average with good downer action, playing well when he locates it down in the zone, while his changeup is a third fringy pitch. He pounds the strike zone with above average control but he got hit when he left stuff over the plate, so the command is closer to average. So what makes Drue Hackenberg special? First of all, look at his family. Both of his parents were Division I athletes, with dad a quarterback at UVA and mom a volleyball player at Lehigh. His oldest brother, Christian, was the starting quarterback at Penn State and was a second round draft pick to the NFL in 2016. The next brother, Brandon, was a first round pick into MLS after playing soccer at Penn State. Yet another brother, Adam, played baseball at Clemson and is currently playing in AA for the White Sox. Drue clearly has great genetics and is a much better athlete on the mound than you might expect, immediately opening up opportunities for the Braves to get creative with his development and pushing his ceiling much higher. He was also the victim of tough batted ball luck, as he ran a good strikeout (24.8%) and great walk (6.5%) rate in 2023 despite his high ERA. The Braves clearly see an opportunity here to break him down a little bit, play with the delivery and pitch shapes, and turn the 6'2" righty into legitimate impact starter. I'm fascinated to see how that goes.

2C-70: RHP Cade Kuehler, Campbell {video}
Slot value: $1.05 million. Signing bonus: $1.05 million ($2,500 below slot value).
My rank: #46. MLB Pipeline: #59. Baseball America: #53. Prospects Live: #43.
The Braves got tremendous value here in the second compensation round, picking up a very similar pitcher to Hurston Waldrep minus the devastating splitter. Cade Kuehler has been a big part of the Campbell pitching staff for three years now, and he posted his best year yet in 2023 with a 2.71 ERA and a 91/26 strikeout to walk ratio over 73 innings. The stuff is huge, as you would expect with the Waldrep comparison. He sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball, topping out around 97 in longer outings and touching 99 in short stints, with exceptional riding action that makes it at least a plus pitch. He rips off a hard cutter/slider in the upper 80's that misses a ton of bats, while his curveball has more depth and his changeup gives him a fourth big league pitch. The 6' righty is a built similarly to Waldrep if a couple inches shorter, though aside from the splitter, he differs from his first round counterpart when it comes to the delivery. While Waldrep has a compact, uptempo delivery, Kuehler begins with a high leg kick while twisting back towards second base, leading to a long trunk rotation that he simultaneously combines with very short arm action. The result is that he hides the ball extremely well and creates plenty of deception, but it also leads to inconsistent command. That will be the main point of emphasis in his development and if he can take even minor steps forward there, he has a chance to be a real impact starter. That's a great get for just over a million dollars.

3-94: 3B Sabin Ceballos, Oregon {video}
Slot value: $714,100. Signing bonus: $597,500 ($116,600 below slot value).
My rank: #142. MLB Pipeline: #152. Baseball America: #206. Prospects Live: #138.
The Braves finally selected their first bat here with their fourth pick, making Sabin Ceballos the first Puerto Rican drafted this year as well. Ceballos began his career at San Jacinto JC in Texas, then transferred to Oregon for his junior year and slashed .333/.426/.643 with 18 home runs and a 36/34 strikeout to walk ratio over 59 games. It's a well-rounded profile at the plate, with strong plate discipline that helped him walk nearly as much as he struck out in his first year of Division I baseball. He prefers fastballs, but can do damage against breaking balls as well and should continue to progress in that regard. Well built at 6'3", 225 pounds, he shows off above average power in games, especially to the pull side, from a clean right handed swing. The pressure will be on the bat, because for now he's a fringy defender. Ceballos is a well below average runner that doesn't move well laterally, making third base a challenge going forward and likely ruling out the outfield as well, though he can charge the ball fairly well at the hot corner. He likely moves to first base, though he does have some experience catching and that could be a fun experiment. Despite the defensive limitations, it's tough to find this kind of a complete offensive profile for just $600,000, especially given that he's young for the class and won't turn 21 until August. He has a chance to be an everyday first baseman that flirts with 20 home run seasons while posting solid on-base percentages. So far, he's picked up two singles in four at bats in the Florida Complex League, also drawing five walks in three games.

4-126: RHP Garrett Baumann, Hagerty HS [FL] {video}
Slot value: $521,800. Signing bonus: $747,500 ($245,700 above slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #145. Baseball Reference: #263. Prospects Live: #177.
It took a few rounds longer than usual, but the Braves got their high school pitcher, giving Garrett Baumann mid third round money to sign away from a UCF commitment here near the end of the fourth round. He's a big, tall right hander at 6'8", 245 pounds, and the Braves see a potential workhorse starting pitcher. He presently sits in the low 90's with his running fastball, touching as high as 96-97 at best, and he should creep closer to that peak velocity more consistently as he progresses. He spins a sweeping slider that has nice shape but lacks power and finish at this point, so tightening that up will be a major point of contention. The Orlando-area native's changeup is fairly advanced for a high schooler, coming out of his hand similar to his fastball before dropping out. Already very physical, he repeats his delivery well and fills up the strike zone, giving him every opportunity to become an innings eating #3/#4 starter. Baumann is a little old for the class, turning 19 in August, but aside from the breaking ball he's pretty advanced as far as preps go and you don't find that kind of size every day. As a fun fact, he comes from the same Hagerty High School program that produced current Braves infielder/prospect Vaughn Grissom as well as Tigers outfielder Riley Greene.

5-162: OF Isaiah Drake, North Atlanta HS [GA] {video}
Slot value: $367,500. Signing bonus: $747,500 ($380,000 above slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #215. Prospects Live: #297.
The Braves have never been shy about picking high school outfielders in their own backyard, and have previously had success with Jason Heyward (Henry County HS, McDounough), Drew Waters (Etowah HS, Woodstock), and Michael Harris (Stockbridge HS), with 2022 draftee Christian Jackson (Dutchtown HS, Hampton) perhaps next up for a breakout. They went back to the well again with Isaiah Drake, who was teammates with Red Sox third rounder Antonio Anderson this year at North Atlanta High School in Buckhead. Despite standing just 5'10", he's packed with power and athleticism uncommon in kids of any size, and it's apparent just by looking at him. Drake shows off plus raw power in batting practice, with a ferocious left handed swing that he can tone down in games and still generate easy bat speed. The hit tool has long been a question, with a raw approach at the plate and the tendency to get home run conscious, but he boosted his stock considerably with a strong showing in the MLB Draft League after his spring season ended, slashing .333/.486/.593 with a home run and more walks (8) than strikeouts (5) in eleven games. If that small sample is for real, then he could end up being a steal here in the fifth round. Drake is also a plus-plus runner with quick feet and agility, giving him a shot to stick in center field no matter how his glove develops. Like his bat, it's fairly raw, but he does also show off plenty of arm strength out there. Drake is young for the class and only turned 18 in July. His $747,500 signing bonus was also the same as fourth rounder Garrett Baumann, which in turn was already above slot value, meaning Drake's bonus was more than double the slot value and was enough to keep him from a Georgia Tech commitment. He's off to a bit of slow start in the FCL, with six strikeouts and a walk in nine plate appearances.

6-189: RHP Lucas Braun, Cal State Northridge {video}
Slot value: $292,700. Signing bonus: $347,500 ($54,800 above slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: unranked.
Lucas Braun went unranked on all major public boards, but that didn't stop the Braves from giving him their final over slot bonus of the draft. He spent two years at the University of San Diego but didn't pitch much, so he transferred closer to home at Cal State Northridge and was a central piece of their rotation in 2022 and 2023, combining for a 3.97 ERA and a 177/47 strikeout to walk ratio over 165.2 innings. The fastball sits in the low 90's with running action from a low slot, sneaking into the mid 90's at peak and playing up because he hides the ball well with short arm action. He spins both a slider and a curveball, though the latter can hump out of his hand at times and both play better when he keeps them down. Braun also has great feel for a changeup, giving him a true four pitch mix. The 6' righty isn't overly physical but repeats his delivery well and pounds the strike zone with solid command, giving him every opportunity to remain a starter at the next level. Though he's a senior sign, he is young for his class and therefore younger than some of the older juniors in the class, not turning 22 until August.

8-249: RHP Cory Wall, William & Mary {video}
Slot value: $190,300. Signing bonus: $47,500 ($142,800 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: unranked.
This is a true sleeper pick, and I have to credit draft writer and current Cubs intern Mason McRae for being all over Cory Wall leading up to the draft. Wall spent four years at Fordham but after working regularly as a swingman in 2019 and 2020, injuries limited him to just eight innings combined between 2021 and 2022. He ended up at William & Mary as a grad transfer in 2023 and had his best year yet, posting a 3.98 ERA and a 63/11 strikeout to walk ratio over 52 innings. Wall sits in the low 90's with his fastball, topping around 96 and getting nice riding action. He shows great feel to spin both a curveball and a slider, with the former showing deeper drop and the latter getting under bats with late two-plane action. Wall also shows an above average changeup that dives away from left handed batters late, making for a big league arsenal. The big, 6'4" righty looks plenty durable (though he did have injury trouble at Fordham) and repeats his delivery well, leading to above average command. It's a really complete package for a pitcher, with the only drawback (and it's an important one) being his age, as he turned 23 back in March and won't begin his first full pro season until he's 24. The ceiling is a bit limited as a back-end starter but he should move quickly to fulfill that role should he stay healthy.

11-339: OF Jace Grady, Dallas Baptist {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #487. Prospects Live: unranked.
Jace Grady earned top two round buzz early in the 2022 draft cycle, but his junior year at Dallas Baptist was more good than great (.310/.419/.509, 10 HR) and he opted to return to school and try again. The end result was an almost identical season (.309/.416/.534, 12 HR), though he did drop his strikeout rate from 21.7% to 14.1% while slightly increasing his walk rate from 14.4% to 15.1%. Grady shows some power to the pull side and has tapped it consistently in games over the past couple years, though he's undersized at 5'9" and he'll likely top out around 10-15 home runs per season at best. His uptick in game power from 2021 to 2022 came with an increased strikeout rate, but he dropped it back down this spring while maintaining that power, which is a nice step forward for the profile. Overall, the switch hitter is very disciplined at the plate and gets on base at a high clip, where he used his above average speed and instincts to steal 65 bases in 171 games over the past three seasons. At this point, he's unlikely to stick in center field full time and actually played right field for the Patriots, and with a fringy arm he may ultimately be destined to left field, where he doesn't quite hit for enough impact to profile as an every day player. It's a nice fourth outfielder profile, though, with on-base skills, some ambush power, and enough speed to play center field from time to time if needed. He was on the younger side for the class last year so despite being a senior sign, he only turned 22 in May. So far, he has two doubles in six at bats in the FCL, adding three walks in three games.

13-399: 3B Will Verdung, Itawamba JC [MS] {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: unranked.
It's not every year that the Mississippi Braves get to roster one of their own, but Will Verdung will hope to make that happen as he works his way up the minor league rungs over the next couple of seasons. Verdung grew up in Corinth in the northeast corner of Mississippi, then played two years of JuCo ball down at Itawamba JC in Fulton. He was a one man wrecking crew for the Indians, slashing .401/.496/.738 with 25 home runs and a 25/52 strikeout to walk ratio over 89 games between his two seasons there. There isn't a ton of public information on him, but he's a 6'2" right handed hitter with a strong, clean swing albeit with a bit of a hitch at the start. He terrorized JuCo pitching across the Deep South with a disciplined approach that saw him strike out just 5.4% of the time in 2023 while walking at a nice 14.5% clip. Young for the class having just turned 20 in June, he has a chance to sneak up prospect boards if his power and plate discipline translate smoothly to pro ball, which is quite a jump. There is no public information or video on his defense, but he was drafted as a third baseman. He homered in his first professional at bat in the FCL, and overall is 3-7 with one strikeout and two walks through three games.

17-519: OF Kade Kern, Ohio State {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: #198. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #325. Prospects Live: #115.
This is really nice value for the Braves in the seventeenth round, where they got a legitimate hitter who may simply be a late bloomer. Kade Kern has been a bit of an enigmatic hitter at Ohio State, with a career .302/.382/.482 slash line, 17 home runs, and a 115/63 strikeout to walk ratio over 135 games, but those strong numbers also include a dreadful 0-31 stretch during his sophomore season. He also struggled in a large sample in the Cape Cod League (.194/.283/.269, 30.3% strikeout rate over 46 games), and it's hard to know what to make of him at this point. What we do know, though, is that the talent is there. Kern packs plenty of strength into his 6' frame, with above average power and strong ability to elevate the ball with authority. He does a great job of getting extended through the zone, though his right handed swing can get long and does lead to swing and miss, including close to a 20% strikeout rate in 2023. His struggles on the Cape compound the concern of him being able to tap his power in pro ball, but if he can tighten up that swing a little, he's disciplined enough and plenty strong enough to do so. Kern is also a solid runner with a strong arm that could be above average in right field. He profiles as a potential platoon bat if everything clicks. It hasn't quite yet, as he's hitless in nine at bats in the FCL with one strikeout in three games.

2023 MLB Draft: Ten options for the Nationals at second overall

Had draft order rules not changed with the most recent CBA, the Nationals would be picking first overall for the first time since their back to back picks in 2009 and 2010, which netted the team future franchise cornerstones Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper. The CBA created a draft lottery that no longer guaranteed the Nationals the first overall pick, but all told, they should be very happy to come away with the second overall pick.

Mike Rizzo and the Nationals have drafted incredibly poorly over the past decade or so, not only whiffing on almost every single first round pick but also failing to find value later in the draft, which in reality matters even more than that first pick. The team has not drafted and developed an impact player since Anthony Rendon in 2011 – not in the first round, not in the second round, and not in the twentieth round. That is the result of a player development system that has fallen far, far behind most of the rest of the league, relying on traditional development methods rather than embracing new technology and trends in the game. Fortunately, however, the tide appears to be turning. While I wasn't thrilled with the 2021 and 2022 drafts as a whole, I was thrilled with the Brady House and Elijah Green picks as first rounders. And while it remains to be seen how much use the organization gets out of the slew of new hires in the analytics and player development realms, the hiring spree represents a very positive sign in its own right.

That hiring spree might make it hard to peg just what kind of players the Nationals are looking to target in this draft, but in terms of that first pick, things get a little easier to prognosticate. There are only so many names in play at the very top no matter a team's drafting style, and they'll probably have their eye on the top half dozen or so prospects once the day rolls around. 

For now, though, we have a whole season to play and the names will not be the same in July, so we can have a little bit of fun with this list. Common knowledge would recognize that the Nationals are far deeper in young outfielders than they are in any other demographic, which would seemingly rule out names like Dylan Crews, Wyatt Langford, Max Clark, and Walker Jenkins at the top, but there is a very important extra bit of context to bring home; you don't draft for need. If the best player available is an outfielder, it doesn't matter that the Nationals already have Elijah Green, James Wood, and Cristhian Vaquero, among others, in the system – you draft the outfielder anyways. That also means there is no need to jump at a pitcher with this pick despite the absolute dearth of arm talent in the system, unless they determine that a pitcher is the best remaining player. Again, it doesn't matter that the Nationals have a bunch of outfielders and no pitching. If they see an outfielder as the best player available, take him and not the pitcher. With that, here are ten possibilities for the second overall pick, ranging from right-now favorites to a few wild cards that may not be in play just yet at the top of the draft but could get there with a strong spring. Remember, 2022 first overall pick Jackson Holliday was not in the first round conversation at all at this time a year ago.

Number in parentheses after school name denotes current rank on my draft board.

1. RHP Chase Dollander, Tennessee (#3)
At this point, all signs point to Chase Dollander as the favorite for the second overall pick. I just hammered home the point that you do not draft for need, but the truth is the Nationals really, really need pitching and Dollander may very well be the best player available on draft day. In fact, many scouts have called him the best college pitcher they've seen in years, right up there alongside names like Gerrit Cole, Stephen Strasburg, and David Price. The Mike Rizzo we know and love would be beyond thrilled to get the Augusta, Georgia-area native into the system, so he's as good a name as any for Nationals fans to follow this spring. It's as complete a profile as you're going to find at the college level, setting up from a very athletic, projectable 6'3" frame. He sits in the mid 90's with his fastball and has been creeping closer and closer to triple digits, adding explosive riding life from a release point that gets great extension. In a vacuum, it's one of the best fastballs in college baseball, but there is much more to the profile. Dollander also rips off a nasty slider with short, powerful sweeping action that is distinctly different from his downer curveball, while his changeup gives him a fourth average or better pitch. All of this comes from a clean, athletic delivery that helps him effectively locate his entire arsenal to both sides of the plate, ensuring every pitch is competitive and giving plenty of confidence his stuff will continue to play up in pro ball. He enters the spring as the near-consensus best pitcher in the country, and if he can stay healthy while repeating his exceptional 2022 (2.39 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 108/13 K/BB) in the always tough SEC, it's hard to imagine Mike Rizzo passing up the chance at a future ace. Once drafted, he could move very quickly and give a much needed boost to a young Nationals pitching core currently led by Josiah Gray, MacKenzie Gore, Cade Cavalli, Cole Henry, and a bit further down, Jarlin Susana.

2. OF Dylan Crews, Louisiana State (#1)

Chase Dollander may be the frontrunner for the Nationals at pick number two, but Dylan Crews is probably the better prospect at this point and sits comfortably in the top spot on my draft board. If the Pirates don't take him first overall, I would hope Rizzo and co. would pull the trigger here unless his bonus demands are outrageous. He's the kind of bat that can transform a lineup, and throwing him into that outfield mix with Green, Wood, Vaquero, Robert Hassell, Jeremy De La Rosa, and Brenner Cox might give Washington the best group of young outfielders in baseball. Crews was considered a first round talent early in the 2020 draft cycle but an up and down summer leading up to his senior year of high school dropped him closer to second round consideration. He wound up at Louisiana State and has done nothing but hit since day one, slashing .356/.458/.677 with 40 home runs over 125 games while playing a very tough SEC schedule. The power potential here is simply different. He consistently produces some of the highest exit velocities in college baseball, punishing baseballs to all fields that never seem to come down. He can take you deep to in any direction on any day of the week, profiling for 30+ home runs annually at the big league level. Crews isn't just a slugger, though – he's a very patient hitter at the plate that takes professional at bats and consistently works counts into his favor. When he does get a pitch he can do damage on, he rarely misses it, and his career 16.8% strikeout rate is very impressive as an underclassman power hitter in the SEC. He may be a little bit power over hit at this point, but it's not by much. Additionally, he started all 62 games for LSU in center field last season, bringing above average speed and a plus arm that makes him a net positive out there as well. Teams love up the middle talent early in the draft, and at least for now, Crews fits that profile. However, with numerous prospects that could fit in center field long term, he would probably profile as a right fielder in the Nationals' system and could become at least an above average defender there. He would likely move quickly and could potentially beat every outfield name I mentioned earlier to the majors.

3. SS Jacob Gonzalez, Mississippi (#4)
Dylan Crews and Chase Dollander are the top two prospects in the draft for now, but Jacob Gonzalez is the top infielder in the country and could easily hit his way into this spot just by continuing the pace he's set over his first two seasons at Ole Miss (30 HR, .315/.424/.560). The Nationals are not developing talent well at all right now, and by drafting Gonzalez, they would get one of the most big league-ready players in the class that doesn't need much development. He has impeccable feel for the strike zone, walking four more times than he struck out as a true freshman before bumping that number to eighteen as a sophomore. He is completely comfortable with premium SEC pitching and should seamlessly transition to pro pitching, perhaps enough to start off with AA Harrisburg in 2024. Gonzalez also packs plenty of strength into his 6'2" frame and channels it very well in his left handed swing, showing easy plus raw power to the pull side. He's mostly a pull hitter to this point, but his pitch recognition skills enable him to be successful with that approach even when being pitched on the outer half. It might take some tweaking in pro ball as pitchers are able to better execute to the outside corners and change speeds more effectively, but I really don't imagine he'll have any trouble at all adjusting. Unlike Crews, Gonzalez would give the Nationals an infield bat to join a pretty thin group at that position group in the system. A shortstop for now, he probably fits better at third base going forward due to below average foot speed, but he's plenty athletic enough to stick there. Gonzalez' batting average and on-base percentage dropped from .355/.443 as a freshman to .273/.405 as a sophomore as pitchers stopped pitching to him, but if he adjusts back like he is capable of, he would make a lot of sense at #2.

4. OF Max Clark, Franklin Community HS [IN] (#2)
Could the Nationals make it three years in a row taking a prep bat? Prep bats are my favorite demographic, and the team made me very happy drafting Brady House and Elijah Green the past two seasons. If they go that route again in 2023, Max Clark is in my opinion the clear top prep player on the market with a tremendous combination of physical projection, present feel for the game, and work ethic. More so than any high school hitter in the country, I feel confident Clark is going to grow into his game naturally and become a true five tool player down the line. For now, he's hit over power with a line drive, gap to gap approach that has him hitting for high averages against elite prep pitching. He recognizes spin and can get the barrel to the ball all over the zone, utilizing a simple operation in the box rather than selling out for power and trying to do too much. That said, the power will come. He has a very well proportioned 6'1" frame with plenty of room to add strength, and he has been hitting the weight room hard to help build that strength. As he fills out physically, the power will come naturally without him having to change his approach at the plate, which should enable him to continue to hit for high averages while still putting up high home run totals. Beyond his bat, Clark is an elite defender in center field with plus-plus arm strength and plus-plus speed, making for the highest upside in the class. In some ways, he'd be a perfect complement to Green, who also shows that double plus speed and arm strength, with the right handed hitting Green a power-over-hit bat that is looking to even things out and the left handed hitting Clark a hit-over-power bat looking to tack on strength. If the draft were today, I would be thrilled with any of Crews, Dollander, or Clark in this spot no matter what the bonus demands were.

5. RHP/DH Paul Skenes, Louisiana State (#12)

As I've mentioned, the Nationals' system is almost completely barren of pitching talent and they could really use an impact arm to give the system a boost. At this point, I much prefer Chase Dollander (and Hurston Waldrep for that matter), but Paul Skenes has generated buzz near the top of the draft and does feel like a guy Mike Rizzo could target if he takes well to the SEC.  He dominated the very hitter-friendly Mountain West Conference while at Air Force to the tune of a 2.73 ERA and a 96/30 strikeout to walk ratio over 85.2 innings last year, and this year he joins LSU in hopes of proving his chops against the best hitters in the country. The stuff is trending up and up and up, and he looked even better this fall when he ran his fastball up to 99 and flashed plus with both his slider and his changeup. Big and durable at 6'6" and 235 pounds, he pounds the strike zone and creates difficult angle with his size. In the spring, he'll need to show that his improving stuff can miss bats in the SEC after running a more-good-than-great 27.0% strikeout rate at Air Force last year, when his fastball was a few ticks slower and his slider played closer to average. That version of Paul Skenes would probably fit closer to the back of the first round, but showing that mid 90's velocity and plus offspeed stuff over a full spring season would make him a top ten prospect. Of course, he comes with that service academy work ethic that only adds to the profile.

6. RHP Rhett Lowder, Wake Forest (#13)
Rhett Lowder probably fits closer to the middle of the first round at this point and my ranking reflects that, but he's the kind of pitcher that could play his way to an under slot deal with the Nationals if he builds his stock a little this spring. Again, there isn't much pitching talent in the system right now, and Lowder's advanced all around game would be a welcome site if he takes another step forward this spring. He's up to 97 with his fastball and and shows above average with his slider and changeup, giving him a nearly big league ready arsenal as it is. Lowder also commands everything very well for his age and could report straight to AA Harrisburg to start 2024, with advanced feel for pitching that is hard to find at his age, especially among pitchers with his kind of stuff. At this point, he lacks a true swing and miss offering and profiles more as a safe bet #3 starter than a true top of the rotation stalwart, so there is work to be done. If he wants to go second overall, he'll need to miss more bats this year and improve on last year's 25.1% strikeout rate either by adding some life to his fastball or some snap to his slider. I certainly believe that is possible, and if he can do that, he's the kind of pitcher Mike Rizzo would love to add into the system on a below slot deal.

7. RHP Hurston Waldrep, Florida (#7)
Hurston Waldrep is a very different pitcher, but he does find himself in a similar position to Paul Skenes transferring into the SEC. He comes from Southern Miss, where he struck out 140 batters in 90 innings for a sky high 37.3% strikeout rate. There are some very strong lineups in Conference USA, but the jump to the SEC will certainly be a test for Waldrep and therefore an opportunity for him to boost his stock even further. With an uptempo delivery and a skinny build at 6'2", he doesn't look on the surface like the low risk, steady starting pitcher that you'd think Rizzo would target at the top of the draft (Dollander, Skenes, and Lowder fit that description better), but he is a little reminiscent of other top ten picks like Carson Fulmer and Jack Leiter. Everything with Waldrep is explosive. The fastball is easily in the mid 90's and approaches triple digits with big time riding action, while the rest of his arsenal is equally impressive. He shows a hard slider, a power curve, and a rapidly improving splitter that all flash at least above average if not plus, so it's hard not to see him continuing to miss SEC bats in bunches like he did in the C-USA. With average command, the SEC will be a test as more advanced hitters will make it a little tougher for him to control the strike zone. He walked 8.8% of his opponents last year, which isn't a huge number but is still the highest on this list above Dollander (4.2%), Lowder (6.2%), and Skenes (8.5%). If he can continue to elicit chases and avoid walks with Florida while maintaining his stuff and health, Rizzo may be interested in his services on a below-slot deal, especially if Dollander, Lowder, and Skenes don't seize their opportunity.

8. 3B Brayden Taylor, Texas Christian (#9)

The last time the Nationals drafted, developed, and reaped the benefits from an impact player was 2011, when they took Anthony Rendon with the sixth overall pick out of Rice. Twelve years later, they may have an opportunity to make a similar pick from the Lone Star State in TCU's Brayden Taylor, though Taylor has the added benefit of batting left handed. While there's no matching the otherworldly numbers Rendon put up for the Owls from 2009-2011 (52 HR, .373/.505/.680 in 187 games), Taylor has been a one man wrecking crew in his own right for two years now (25 HR, .319/.450/.574 in 117 games) and still won't turn 21 until May. He fits what the Nationals like as an advanced, all-around bat that can do a little bit of everything. Taylor takes extremely professional at bats, as evidenced by drawing more walks than strikeouts in both his underclass seasons. He controls the strike zone, rarely chasing but consistently doing damage on the pitches he does choose to attack, helping him produce elite on-base percentages of .445 and .454 the last two seasons. He's definitely hit over power at this point, but he does show average power overall and can take you deep to the pull side when he turns on one. At this point, I don't think he's in play at the second overall pick, but he's not far off and his to do list is pretty simple. Fairly slender at 6'1", tacking on some strength and tapping more all-fields power in 2023 would certainly move him closer to the conversation, and given his youth and athleticism I could definitely see that happening. Taylor has also played almost exclusively third base during his time at TCU, but with Tommy Sacco gone to the Astros, he could get some looks at shortstop this year. He has shown well at the hot corner to this point and if he also takes well to shortstop, that would be another feather in his cap. Show both the added power and the aptitude at shortstop, and you have a strong candidate to go second overall to the Nationals.

9. 3B Aidan Miller, Mitchell HS [FL] (#16)
Usually, teams prefer up the middle talent at the top of the draft. Aidan Miller, the younger brother of Reds prospect Jackson Miller, may not quite fit that description, but if he can prove what he needs to prove in 2023, he could work his way as high as the Nationals' pick at #2. It's some of the best power in the prep class, coming naturally from a big league body at 6'2" that enables him to tap it consistently without selling out. Miller also takes big league at bats, with a disciplined approach that helps him stay in the zone and attack pitches he can do damage on, though like many power hitters, he can be prone to chasing fastballs up. There are some moving parts in the swing which hamper his pure hit tool, representing an opportunity where he can improve and potentially push his draft position up, which presently stands closer to the middle of the first round. Given that he'll already be 19 well before the draft, the Nationals will want to see that polished up a bit before rolling the dice at pick #2. More pressing, though, especially at the top of the draft, is his future position. A plus arm gives him a chance to stick at third base, but he's not a quick twitch guy and can't afford to slow down much more. If he can come out and continue to show good range at the hot corner this spring and help Rizzo and co. feel comfortable that he can avoid a move to first base, it would make them much more likely to pull the trigger this early in the draft, especially if his hit tool ticks up a little in addition. He wouldn't be the first player from J.W. Mitchell High School in the Tampa suburbs to star for the Nationals, as the school was also one of the many stops Tyler Clippard made as he bounced around from high school to high school as an amateur.

10. SS Roch Cholowsky, Hamilton HS [AZ] (#20)
We'll round it out with a wild card pick. In ranking Cholowsky 20th on my board, I'm actually significantly higher on him than Baseball America (#28), Prospects Live (#33), and MLB Pipeline (#35), and he still has a ways to go to get to #2. Still, eventual 2022 first overall pick Jackson Holliday was ranked outside the top 50 on many lists at this point a year ago, and I think Cholowsky has a chance to be that guy in 2023. The Phoenix-area product is a fantastic athlete that actually has a chance to play quarterback at UCLA in addition to baseball, and it's that physical upside that makes me think he could make the jump. He moves effortlessly on the diamond, showing above average range and arm strength that makes the shortstop position look easy, so he already has that up the middle defensive projection that teams prefer at the top of the draft. Of course, you're not drafting anything less than a future top/middle of the order bat at pick #2, and Cholowsky does have some work to do to get there. The good news is the foundation is there, so if he comes out in 2023 a little stronger and a little more polished, he could fly up boards. He already shows very natural bat to ball skills and for the most part combines that with good swing decisions, making for a potential above average hit tool in the future. His swing is also very fluid and with the physical upside I mentioned, any strength gains could get him to at least average power if not better, especially as he learns to make better use of his legs. So there are two things that need to happen for Cholowsky to make the leap: more polish, and more physicality. I think the physicality is more or less a given and could easily show up this spring, while the polish may come a little later given his two-sport nature but is also pretty strong as it is. I really like this kid and I would be thrilled to see him swing his way up to #2.

Other Top Ranked Candidates

OF Wyatt Lanford, Florida (#5)

OF Walker Jenkins, South Brunswick HS [NC] (#8)
SS Kevin McGonigle, Monsignor Bonnor HS [PA] (#10)

OF Enrique Bradfield, Vanderbilt (#11)

SS Jacob Wilson, Grand Canyon (#14)

Other Dark Horse Candidates

OF Travis Honeyman, Boston College (#6)

OF Jack Hurley, Virginia Tech (#18)
SS Arjun Nimmala, Strawberry Crest HS [FL] (#21)
LHP Thomas White, Phillips Academy [MA] (#22)
LHP Grayson Hitt, Alabama (#37)

2023 MLB Draft: an early look at the SEC East

2022 draftees: 41. Top school: Tennessee (10)
2022 preseason writeup (published 10/17/2021, full SEC)

Top 2022 draftees:
1-25, Yankees: OF Spencer Jones (Vanderbilt)
1-28, Astros: OF Drew Gilbert (Tennessee)
1C-31, Rockies: OF Sterlin Thompson (Florida)
CBA-38, Rockies: OF Jordan Beck (Tennessee)
2-44, Pirates: LHP Hunter Barco (Florida)
2-52, Mets: RHP Blade Tidwell (Tennessee)
CBB-67, Orioles: OF Jud Fabian (Florida)

Last year, I left the SEC as one conference, but now that an already incredibly deep conference is getting even deeper with the help of the transfer portal era, I had to split it into two. The SEC East, which contains seven teams, saw 41 players drafted and only Missouri and powerhouse Florida, ironically enough, failed to have five players hear their name called. Even though they fell to the bottom of the conference with four, all four Gators went in the first ninety picks. Last year, each of the first four players drafted from the SEC East were outfielders, but this is a conference known for its gauntlet of arms and six of the top eight prospects and each of the first three players that missed the list are pitchers. Let's take a look at the top ten prospects from South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, and Missouri.

1. RHP Chase Dollander, Tennessee.
Bat: R. Throw: R. 6'3", 190 lbs. Born 10/26/2001. Hometown: Evans, GA.
2022: 10-0, 2.39 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 108/13 K/BB in 79 innings.
Last year, Tennessee was the most dominant team in college baseball for most of the season and led the SEC East with ten players drafted, and they return in 2023 with not just the best prospect in the division, but likely the best pitcher in the entire draft class heading into the season. Chase Dollander began his career at Georgia Southern near his hometown in the Augusta area, but transferred to Tennessee as a sophomore and just dominated the SEC on all fronts. At this point, he's pretty much the ideal pitching prospect. Dollander sits comfortably in the mid 90's with his fastball and can reach back for 99 when he wants to, so triple digits will certainly be on the figurative radar for 2023. Beyond its velocity, it's an explosive fastball that carries from a fairly low release point with strong extension, getting on hitters in a hurry. He throws two breaking balls highlighted by a plus slider with late bite, as well as a deeper curveball, and his changeup gives him a fourth average or better pitch. It's truly explosive stuff that would be hard to handle even if hitters were able to get ahead in the count and look for hangers, but that's not all. The 6'3" lefty also has a very athletic, efficient delivery that enables him to pound the strike zone and get ahead in the count in a hurry, and he never walked more than two batters in any of his 14 starts last year while striking out 35.3% of his opponents. With his combination of explosive stuff, athleticism, durability, and command, it's really hard to poke any holes in this profile and he has a chance to go first overall if he continues to throw like he did in 2022.

2. OF Wyatt Langford, Florida.
Bat: R. Throw: R. 6'1", 225 lbs. Born 11/15/2001. Hometown: Trenton, FL.
2022: 26 HR, .355/.447/.719, 7 SB, 44/36 K/BB in 66 games.
Up in the North Florida town of Gainesville, they pull most of their talent from larger hotbeds to the south such as Miami, Tampa, and Orlando, but the outfield was full of local kids like Jud Fabian (Ocala), Sterlin Thompson (Ocala), and Wyatt Langford (Trenton). Fabian and Thompson both went in the top forty picks at various points, but Langford has a chance to beat both the Ocala boys by a good margin. He earned just four at bats as a freshman in 2021, but took the conference by storm in 2022 with an incredible sophomore season in which he led the SEC with 26 home runs and 184 total bases and tied Dylan Crews (LSU) for the conference lead with 73 runs scored. Langford packs a ton of strength into his 6'1" frame, channeling it efficiently into a smooth right handed swing that keeps the barrel in the zone for a long time while still creating loft. An advanced hitter, he uses the whole field effectively with few holes in his swing, and can easily spread out that power by getting his arms extended and taking you deep to right field. He held strong strikeout (14.5%) and walk (11.9%) rates in 2022, though as an outfielder looking to go near the very top of the draft, he'd do well for himself to up the latter a bit to potentially eclipse the former. That's nitpicky given he really doesn't have problems with swing and miss, especially considering his plus power, but that's how it goes in the top ten picks. Defensively, Langford's above average speed gives him a chance to stick in center field, and a team that believes in his glove might give him a long look in those top couple of picks. If he slows down at all though, or if he ends up on a team with a bona fide center fielder already on the roster, he may move to left field. That would put pressure on his bat and may move him back closer to a team picking in the 8-15 range if that's how teams evaluate him, but there is plenty, plenty enough bat to profile in that role. At his peak, Langford has a chance for 30+ home runs per season with solid or better on-base percentages.

3. RHP Hurston Waldrep, Florida.
Bat: R. Throw: R. 6'2", 205 lbs. Born 3/1/2002. Hometown: Thomasville, GA.
2022 (@ Southern Miss): 6-2, 3.20 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 140/33 K/BB in 90 innings.
One of the top transfers in the entire country this year, Hurston Waldrep dominated Conference USA last year and finished eighth in the nation with 140 strikeouts for Southern Miss. After teaming with fellow top draft prospect Tanner Hall in the Golden Eagles rotation, he heads across the Gulf to Florida, where he'll be gunning for one of the most coveted Friday night roles in the country. The stuff is absolutely there – Waldrep sits in the mid 90's with his fastball that can touch 99, coming in with explosive ride that makes it a similar pitch velocity and movement-wise to Chase Dollander's fastball. While Dollander has better command and is the better overall prospect, Waldrep's secondaries do make it close. He throws a power slider in the upper 80's with hard sweeping action, and his deep hammer curveball has knee-buckling bite to give hitters another thing to worry about. Additionally, he's been working on a splitter that looks above average at its best, making for arguably the best four pitch mix in the country. The 6'2" righty comes in with an uptempo delivery, taking advantage of his quick twitch athleticism and exploding towards the plate. He repeats it well, though his command is just average for now and will be something to watch against those disciplined SEC lineups. If he can continue to pound the strike zone and miss bats with his devastating stuff, he has a chance to be the first pitcher off the board.

4. OF Enrique Bradfield, Vanderbilt.
Bat: L. Throw: L. 6'1", 160 lbs. Born 12/2/2001. Hometown: Hialeah, FL.
2022: 8 HR, .317/.415/.498, 46 SB, 40/41 K/BB in 62 games.
There might not be a more enjoyable player to watch in all of college baseball than Enrique Bradfield. A potential top three round pick out of high school in 2020, he instead made it to campus at Vanderbilt and has tormented the rest of the SEC since day one. He hit .336/.451/.414 as a freshman and led the nation with 47 stolen bases, then tied for second in the nation in 2022 with 46 stolen bases while getting on base over 40% of the time and bumping his home run total from one to eight. Speed is the name of the game here, as he is an 80 grade runner that further causes problems with elite instincts on the base paths. He's not just the best baserunner in this draft, but the best in quite some time. Not only did he steal 46 bases last year, he didn't even get caught once – no other player in the nation stole more than 18 bases without being caught. But Bradfield is not just a runner. An ultra-skinny kid at 6'1", 160 pounds, he guides the barrel around the zone with precision and makes hard all fields contact with regularity, giving himself more than ample opportunity to utilize that blazing speed in games. A patient hitter as well that will make you work to get him out, he walked more than he struck out both in 2021 and 2022 and nearly did so again on the Cape last summer, where he ran a .389 on-base percentage against the best pitching in the country. He'll never be a power threat with that rail-thin build, but given his feel for the barrel and strong pitch selection, he could turn on a few mistake pitches at the big league level and ambush you for 5-10 home runs per season. The calling card, of course, will always be the speed, and outfielders will have to be careful they don't let routine base hits become doubles or let balls in the gap turn into triples. As you might expect, the elite speed translates into plus defense in center field, giving him a third plus or better tool. As long as he continues to impact the ball in 2023 like he has the past two seasons, he has a very good chance to go in the middle of the first round or better.

5. RHP Patrick Reilly, Vanderbilt.
Bat: R. Throw: R. 6'3", 210 lbs. Born 10/7/2001. Hometown: Sea Girt, NJ.
2022: 2-3, 4.99 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, 69/35 K/BB in 52.1 innings.
Had the 2020 high school season not been cut short by COVID, there's a good chance Patrick Reilly would have never made it to Nashville as he had been carrying plenty of helium into the season. He has tantalized with his arm talent for two years now, but to this point is yet to put it all together and for the second straight season is one of the conference's more prominent breakout candidates. He holds a 4.99 ERA and a 122/63 strikeout to walk ratio over 95.2 innings through two seasons at Vanderbilt, and after a pair of strong scoreless starts in the Cape Cod League in 2021, he was up and down on the Cape in 2022 with a 4.26 ERA and a 20/19 strikeout to walk ratio over 25.1 innings. Those are not particularly inspiring numbers, but this is a premium arm nonetheless. Reilly sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and has reached as high as 98, with moderate riding action that isn't quite enough to elicit a ton of chases, but does keep it off barrels. His best secondary pitch is an inconsistent, deep slider that regularly flashes plus, while he also works in a harder cutter and a changeup. This 6'3" righty has a premium pitcher's frame, and throughout his time in Nashville he has gotten much more athletic with his delivery. To this point, his command has not followed suit as he can get too uptempo and struggle to stay under control, but the athleticism does give plenty of hope that he can eventually get more consistent in that regard. With the power arm, durability, athleticism, and deep arsenal, he has a chance to put everything together and pitch his way into the first round this spring.

6. RHP Will Sanders, South Carolina.
Bat: L. Throw: R. 6'6", 215 lbs. Born 3/30/2002. Hometown: Atlanta, GA.
2022: 7-3, 3.43 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 91/31 K/BB in 89.1 innings.
South Carolina has another horse ready to lead them to a competitive year in the SEC East. Will Sanders has been an impact arm since the day he reached Columbia, holding a career 3.47 ERA and a 145/42 strikeout to walk ratio over 142.2 innings almost entirely as a starter. Built like a stick of bamboo at 6'6", he offers plenty of projection even as he's steadily tacked on velocity with South Carolina. He presently sits in the low 90's but can bump it up to the mid 90's at will, though the pitch has pretty generic plane and movement. Sanders stands out more for his secondaries, including an above average slider that is still searching for its identity and can flash plus at its best, as well as an above average changeup that represents one of the better cambios in the class. The Atlanta native has a very simple, low effort delivery with a strong lower half that helps him pound the strike zone with above average control and average command while holding his velocity deep into starts. The flip side is that he doesn't create much deception, and when you combine that with his generic fastball, his ceiling may be a bit limited unless he finds a way get more movement. Still, with three above average pitches, durability, projection, and solid command, he is a high probability mid rotation starter.

7. OF Jared Dickey, Tennessee.
Bat: L. Throw: R. 6'2", 200 lbs. Born 3/1/2002. Hometown: Mount Juliet, TN.
2022: 7 HR, .380/.484/.690, 3 SB, 12/20 K/BB in 40 games.
Jordan Beck, Drew Gilbert, Trey Lipscomb, Jorel Ortega, Luc Lipcius, Evan Russell. If you watch college baseball, you're very familiar with those names that helped make up Tennessee's murderer's row of a lineup last year, but Jared Dickey flew somewhat under the radar in a reserve role. Appearing in 40 of the team's 66 games and only starting 25, he slashed .380/.484/.690 with seven home runs and struck out less than ten percent of the time. He stands out most for his tremendous combination of discipline and barrel accuracy, making him an extremely tough out and helping him get on base nearly half the time. Dickey utilizes a very simple left handed swing, keeping his hands inside the ball and squaring it up with consistency, leading to a high volume of singles, extra base hits, and even home runs in Tennessee's hitter-friendly home park. There will be a lot of eyes on him in 2023 as he gets more consistent at bats and opposing teams are able to focus more on their game plans against him with Beck, Gilbert, and co. out of the way. Continuing to perform now that the secret is out will certainly benefit his stock, but given a 9.5% strikeout rate and a 15.9% walk rate last year, it's hard to imagine there's anything opposing teams can throw him that will fool him. He has the upside of a high on-base hitter that can knock 15-20 home runs per season, certainly a hit over power profile for now unless he changes his approach to chase that power. He has seen some time behind the plate but likely profiles as a corner outfielder, where the pressure will really be on his bat, but he has time to work on his catching and guys like Dalton Rushing and Nathan Hickey have been able to make it work with similar profiles. Proving he can catch while continuing to hit would likely push him into the first round.

8. SS Maui Ahuna, Tennessee.
Bat: L. Throw: R. 6'1", 170 lbs. Born 3/11/2002. Hometown: Hilo, HI.

2022 (@ Kansas): 8 HR, .396/.479/.634, 13 SB, 49/28 K/BB in 53 games.
Hurston Waldrep isn't the only big name player transferring into the SEC East. While Kansas baseball has struggled for a long time now, Maui Ahuna was one of the best players to come through the program in a long time and hit .357/.447/.532 with nine home runs in 103 games over two seasons. He had a chance to be the first Jayhawk drafted since third rounder Ryan Zeferjahn in 2019 and the first to go in the top two rounds since Curt Shaw way back in 1990, but upon head coach Ritch Price's retirement, he announced his intention to transfer to Tennessee. He had an up and down run with the Collegiate National Team but struggled in a short stint on the Cape, striking out 15 times in 28 plate appearances, so his transition to SEC pitching will be closely watched even if he dominated against strong Big 12 pitching. Ahuna lacks a carrying tool, but he does almost everything well and brings plenty of ceiling. A skinny kid, he comes with a very athletic 6'1" frame with plenty of room to add good weight, and he did already improve from one home run as a freshman to eight as a sophomore. He gets good leverage from the left side with those long arms and a big, powerful swing, so he should get to above average power as he gets stronger. The Hawaii native did strike out in over 20% of his plate appearances last year and had that rough Cape run, so the hit tool is a bit more in question with a bit of a swoopy swing, but he has a very accurate barrel and had no problem performing in the Big 12 last year, where he led the conference in batting average. Ahuna also brings value with his glove, as a potential above average defender at shortstop with a good arm, though he may have to move to third base if he slows down at all. Optimists will give him above average tools across the board while pessimists may see more average tools, leaving a lot of room for split opinions. A team that believes in the tools might consider him as high as the first round, while those that are more off-put by the 53.5% strikeout rate on the Cape and see him as a third baseman rather than a shortstop might want to wait until the second or third round to roll the dice.

9. LHP Magdiel Cotto, Kentucky.
Bat: L. Throw: L. 6'4", 250 lbs. Born 6/24/2002. Hometown: Fort Mill, SC.
2022: 3-1, 6.06 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, 36/19 K/BB in 32.2 innings.
Magdiel Cotto teamed with Will Sanders at South Carolina as a freshman in 2021, but struggled to find innings in that loaded pitching staff and transferred to Kentucky as a sophomore. Serving as a swingman, he struggled with consistency and ended up with forgettable numbers, but he turned heads in the Cape Cod League with a 3.73 ERA and a 33/12 strikeout to walk ratio over 31.1 innings. At his best, Cotto has some of the loudest left handed stuff in the country, and he's learning to harness it now. His fastball sits in the low to mid 90's and gets up to 97, coming in with that tough lefty angle to boot. His slider shows good sweep and looks above average, and he drops in a solid changeup as well to give him a very strong three pitch mix from the left side. The 6'4", 250 pound left hander creates deception hiding the ball behind that big frame, which also projects durability. Cotto has struggled with command in the past but looked better in that regard on the Cape, trending towards average which would really help him stick in the rotation long term. In 2023, scouts will obviously be looking for much more consistency than he showed over the past two years, hoping his loud stuff plays up against SEC lineups like it is capable of. Additionally, he doesn't turn 21 until shortly before the draft, making him one of the younger college players available.

10. LHP Liam Sullivan, Georgia.
Bat: L. Throw: L. 6'6", 245 pounds. Born 5/16/2002. Hometown: Sandy Springs, GA.
2022: 4-3, 4.62 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 51/20 K/BB in 48.2 innings.
Over the past few years, Georgia has produced quite a few polished arms such as Emerson Hancock, Ryan Webb, and Jonathan Cannon, but in 2023 they have a pair of power armed lefties that have a chance to break out. I like Jaden Woods a lot, and he just missed this list, but Liam Sullivan has helium and pushed into the back. He sits in the low 90's and has hit 96 with his running fastball, adding a downer curveball and a solid changeup to form a very good three pitch mix. He is yet to put it together in Athens, but he really elevated his stock with a dominant run through the Cape Cod League in which he posted a 2.17 ERA and a 45/8 strikeout to walk ratio over 29 innings and looks to ride that success into 2023. Standing 6'6", 245 pounds, he is a big, physical presence on the mound that works downhill and can overpower hitters at his best. The command hasn't quite been there at Georgia, but he pounded the zone on the Cape and continuing to do so could push him into the top two rounds as a mid rotation starter type.