2023 MLB Draft Review: New York Yankees

Full list of draftees

The Yankees lost their second and fifth round draft picks after signing Carlos Rodon, pulling in a college-heavy class after starting with one of the best high school shortstops in the country. It's a class that fits the Yankees' developmental strengths, focusing on hitters with strong batted ball data more so than positional flexibility as well as pitchers with power arms and projectable offspeed stuff.
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.

1-26: SS George Lombard, Gulliver HS [FL] {video}
Slot value: $3.07 million. Signing bonus: $3.3 million ($235,000 above slot value).
My rank: #27. MLB Pipeline: #31. Baseball America: #31. Prospects Live: #28.
The Yankees were consistently tied to a slew of prep bats towards the end of the draft cycle, and the rumors came true when they picked up George Lombard, a toolsy shortstop out of Florida. He had been a bit streaky throughout much of his prep career, but he came out of the gate red hot during his senior season and never looked back. Standing 6'3", he is beginning to fill out his projectable, athletic frame and has plenty of room to continue adding strength naturally. He channels that strength into a powerful right handed swing that produces above average power for now, and his swing is geared to tap it in games. As I mentioned, the hit tool had been streaky at times, but when he's going right, you can't get anything by him. Fool Lombard once, and he'll adjust within the at bat to ensure you can't get the same pitch by him again. It's a really well-rounded offensive profile for a kid who just turned 18 in June, putting him on the younger side for the high school class. In the field, there are split opinions on whether he sticks at shortstop, but I think he has a good shot. The arm is closer to average than plus, but it plays up because he has a quick release and the body control and the ability to throw from multiple angles. Foot speed will be the other determining factor, as he's a solid runner for now but may slow down as he gets stronger. Still, with the potential for 20+ home runs per season and high on-base percentages while likely sticking in the infield, it's a potential All Star profile that is well worth the over slot bonus here to keep him from a Vanderbilt commitment.

3-97: LHP Kyle Carr, Palomar JC [CA] {video}
Slot value: $692,000. Signing bonus: $692,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #174. Baseball America: #123. Prospects Live: #280.
It was down year for junior college prospects, allowing Kyle Carr to push to the front and be the first one drafted this year. He began his career at San Diego but didn't make much of an impact, instead transferring to Palomar College in his hometown of San Marcos, California. Carr was lights out for the Comets, going 12-1 with a 2.31 ERA and a 111/19 strikeout to walk ratio over 78 innings, looking stronger and stronger as the season progressed and closing it out with back to back scoreless starts of double digit strikeouts against Southwestern and East Los Angeles. The 6'1" lefty sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and touches 97, holding that velocity throughout his starts with nice life as well. His slider has sweeping action but is very inconsistent at this point, needing to add significant power in order for its bite to play better. While he rarely uses his changeup, it's actually ahead of his slider at this point with fading action to the arm side when he commands it. Carr is skinny but has room to fill out, with a very athletic delivery that helps him generate his velocity effortlessly while pounding the strike zone. The Yankees likely see this as a package they can continue to refine over the long term, with all the puzzle pieces in place already to become a starting pitcher with more development. Though his fastball is his lone established average pitch, it's not hard to imagine a strong Yankees pitching development system bringing those secondaries along. He fits very well in this organization and signed away from a TCU commitment for slot value to get there.

4-129: 2B Roc Riggio, Oklahoma State {video}
Slot value: $506,800. Signing bonus: has not yet signed.
My rank: #156. MLB Pipeline: #130. Baseball America: #139. Prospects Live: #224.
If you watch college baseball, especially if you watched in 2022, then you know who Roc Riggio is. He was actually a well-known prep prospect as well out of Thousand Oaks High School in California, where he was teammates with A's 2021 first round pick Max Muncy and A's 2023 first round pick Jacob Wilson. Riggio had looks in the top five rounds, but made it to campus at Oklahoma State where he made an immediate impact, especially capturing national attention with his high energy, in-your-face style of play at the 2022 Stillwater Regional where he went 15-27 with four home runs in five games. Though he got more national exposure in 2022, Riggio quietly put together a better season in 2023 where he slashed .335/.461/.679 with 18 home runs and a 48/46 strikeout to walk ratio over 59 games. He's a compact player at just 5'9", but he leaves it all on the field with big left handed hacks with natural loft and adjustability to help him hit for power and average despite average exit velocities. He did struggle on the Cape a little bit last summer (.200/.258/.339) and we'll see how the power plays with wood, but he's still trending in the right direction and has a long track record of hitting quality pitching dating back to his prep days. Defensively, the Southern California native isn't remarkable, with a gritty style of play that will work at second base or the potential to move to left field with his fringy arm and speed. The Yankees are buying the bat and the energy here and he'll look to provide both.

6-192: RHP Cade Smith, Mississippi State {video}
Slot value: $285,400. Signing bonus: $282,900 ($2,500 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: #390.
Cade Smith did not rank highly on any public boards, but fits the Yankees profile of athletic, physical power arms. He has been a key cog in the Mississippi State rotation for a couple of years now, but never quite put it together in Starkville and in 2023 posted a 5.23 ERA and a 46/28 strikeout to walk ratio over 43 innings. He throws a low to mid 90's fastball that can touch 96 in relief, with nice life on the pitch that the Yankees can work with. His power slider has gotten harder and sits in the mid 80's now with lite tilt, and he can work it into more of a cutter in the upper 80's as well. The 6'1" righty is athletic on the mound with the sturdy frame to handle a future in the rotation, though to do so he'll have to clean up his inconsistent command that led to a 14.4% walk rate in 2023. He's cleaned up his delivery a little bit in Starkville but there's still more ground to cover. This seems like a project not too dissimilar to Chase Hampton a year ago (and Smith was selected just two picks later in his respective draft, #190 vs #192) and Hampton is quickly establishing himself as one of the best pitchers in the system.

7-222: 1B Kiko Romero, Arizona {video}
Slot value: $224,700. Signing bonus: $197,500 ($27,200 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: #198.
Kiko Romero is a senior sign, set to turn 23 in September, but he has plenty of track record with the bat. He mashed for three years at Central Arizona JC, parlaying an especially huge 2022 season into a spot on the Arizona squad in 2023. He continued to rake in Tucson, slashing .345/.441/.724 with 21 home runs and a 56/36 strikeout to walk ratio over 59 games, putting up one of the better offensive seasons in the Pac-12. Only listed at 5'11", 185 pounds, he's plenty strong for his size and has room to continue filling out. He holds his hands high in his stance, with a slight hitch before bringing them down to with strong barrel accuracy and natural loft in his left handed swing. Romero produces strong batted ball data that should continue to play in pro ball, and he had no problem transitioning from the Arizona JuCo circuit to the Pac-12 while actually lowering his strikeout rate from 25.4% to 19.6%. The Tucson native could stand to get a little more disciplined in the box, which may be his biggest hurdle transitioning to pro ball, but he has a pretty adjustable barrel and has stepped up against good competition before. He played mostly first base at Arizona and that's where the Yankees drafted him, but he's a pretty good runner that actually stole 19 bases at Central Arizona last year and could make it work in a corner outfield spot. He profiles as a future bench/platoon bat with some power.

8-252: RHP Nicholas Judice, Louisiana-Monroe {video}
Slot value: $188,000. Signing bonus: $185,500 ($2,500 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #175. Baseball America: #420. Prospects Live: #162.
The Yankees got great value here in the eighth round with Nicholas Judice. Another senior sign, he was an unremarkable reliever for three years at Louisiana-Monroe before his velocity took off in 2023 and he posted a 3.82 ERA and a 41/10 strikeout to walk ratio over 33 innings. Judice is a massive, 6'8" right hander that comes from a low, wide arm slot that creates an extremely unique look for hitters. He sits comfortably in the low to mid 90's but has the arm strength to eventually touch triple digits in short stints, with running and sinking life. The Baton Rouge native can also spin a nasty, sweeping slider that dives across the plate and flashes plus, while he's been working to incorporate a fringier changeup into the mix as well. Though he filled up the strike zone at ULM, he allowed more free passes in his brief Cape Cod League stint after the season and likely develops into average command. If the Yankees are willing to be patient with the 22 year old and work on the changeup and command, they could develop him into a back-end starter, but he fits better as a power fastball/slider reliever that provides a different look in high leverage spots.

10-312: RHP Brian Hendry, Oklahoma State {video}
Slot value: $164,400. Signing bonus: has not yet signed.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: unranked.
Out of the Yankees' eighteen picks this year, Brian Hendry was the only one from the northeast. A South Jersey native from Medford, where the Pine Barrens meet the Philadelphia suburbs, he pitched three years at St. John's from 2019-2021 but never put it together, finishing with a 5.12 career ERA. After missing the 2022 season, he showcased some impressive stuff in the Cape Cod League that summer and got picked up by Oklahoma State, but where he pitched to a 6.63 ERA and a 51/14 strikeout to walk ratio over 36.2 innings. Hendry sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball, which can touch 97 in short stints with downhill plane and some riding action. He can really spin the ball, with a pair of distinct power breaking balls in a curveball and a slider that both miss bats in bunches, while his changeup gives him a fourth usable pitch. Though Hendry is experienced and has a pretty easy delivery, he is very much control over command and that ultimately led to his stuff getting hit over the plate. He was a swingman at Oklahoma State and may be able to continue earning spots in pro ball, but he'll have to tighten up that command in order to do so. As a fifth year senior sign, Hendry is also extremely old and will turn 24 in October, so he'll want to get moving up that pro ladder quickly.

15-462: C Tomas Frick, North Carolina {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: #448.
This is more of a depth play than an upside play. UNC's starting catcher since he stepped on campus as a freshman, Tomas Frick broke out in 2023 by slashing .322/.408/.571 with 12 home runs and a 36/25 strikeout to walk ratio over 59 games. He lacks a standout tool, instead showing well in a broad array of categories. Frick makes a lot of contact from the right side, showing the ability to get to balls all over the zone with a quick bat and a simple swing. There's some sneaky power to the pull side, though he lacks projection in his compact 6' frame and will likely top out with fringy pop. The Upstate South Carolina native is also a solid defender behind the plate, making up for average actions with a strong arm and a frame built for blocking baseballs. Set to turn 23 in October, he profiles best as a backup catcher who could move relatively quickly.

18-552: OF Coby Morales, Washington {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: unranked.
Coby Morales began his career at Cypress JC in California, then transferred to Washington. He was unremarkable as a sophomore in 2022, but broke out in 2023 by slashing .332/.432/.548 with 12 home runs and a 59/40 strikeout to walk ratio over 55 games. Morales is big and strong at 6'3", with above average power playing to all fields from big left handed hacks. A patient hitter, he does a good job of waiting for a pitch he can drive, though he can get in trouble deeper in counts with fringy pure bat to ball skills that lead to elevated strikeout rates. That's the tradeoff this late in the draft, but getting this kind of power/on-base combination in the eighteenth round is always a nice find. Morales is not a great runner and will likely be limited to an outfield corner, where he profiles as a power hitting platoon bat.

20-612: RHP Bryce Warrecker, Cal Poly {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #286. Prospects Live: #433.
The second 6'8" righty drafted by the Yankees this year, Bryce Warrecker brings an interesting profile to the table. He didn't do much over his first two years at Cal Poly, but earned a spot in the Cape Cod League and was named the league's Most Outstanding Pitcher, where he posted a 2.03 ERA and a 36/8 strikeout to walk ratio over 40 innings. Returning to San Luis Obispo for his junior season, he turned in middling results with a 4.96 ERA and a 79/25 strikeout to walk ratio over 81.2 innings. Warrecker works off deception, coming from a low three quarters slot where he hides the ball well behind his big frame. The fastball sat in the low 90's on the Cape but dipped into the upper 80's at times with Cal Poly, and either way it's not likely to be an overpowering pitch in pro ball. His slider has shown flashes, with more depth at times and sweep at others, and it missed a lot of bats on the Cape. He also shows an above average changeup, giving him a solid three pitch mix. The Santa Barbara native commands everything well and kept advanced Cape hitters off balance consistently. In order to miss more bats in pro ball (he ran just a 22.6% strikeout rate on the Cape and 21.7% at Cal Poly this year), he'll need to find a way to add more power to his stuff, which may only come with a move to the bullpen. There, he could work as a junkballing reliever that gives hitters fits for a couple innings at a time.

Undrafted: RHP Aaron Nixon, Mississippi State {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: unreported.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: unranked.
The Yankees plucked one of the better undrafted arms in Aaron Nixon, who was a key piece of the Texas bullpen for two years before transferring to Mississippi State this year and posting a 2.66 ERA and a 24/10 strikeout to walk ratio over 20.1 innings. It's a power arm that gets up into the mid 90's in relief, while his downer slider has flashed plus at times and should get there consistently with pro coaching. A former two-way player out of high school in the Rio Grande Valley area, he's also a strong athlete on the mound that repeats his delivery fairly well, though the command is fringy. He's a pure reliever going forward but a sleeper that could move up quickly and provide the Yankees with middle innings help in the near future.

2023 MLB Draft: An early look at the Big 12 Conference

2022 draftees: 47. Top school: Oklahoma (11)
2022 preseason writeup (published 9/18/2021)

Top 2022 draftees:
1-7, Cubs: RHP Cade Horton (Oklahoma)
1-12, Tigers: 2B Jace Jung (Texas Tech)
CBA-37, Guardians: RHP Justin Campbell (Oklahoma State)
2-43, Diamondbacks: 1B Ivan Melendez (Texas)
2-45, Nationals: LHP Jake Bennett (Oklahoma)
2-51, Tigers: SS Peyton Graham (Oklahoma)

2022 was a banner year draft-wise for the Big 12, which crushed 2021's total of 38 players drafted by nine. The two Oklahoma schools alone combined for twenty draftees, including four of the first 51 picks, and the the University of Oklahoma led all schools nationwide with eleven draftees. This year, Oklahoma State will lead the way at least early on after placing four names in the top nine prospects heading into the season, certainly aided by the return of Nolan McLean, the highest drafted player a year ago to go unsigned. Let's take a look at those top ten draft prospects in the Big 12.

1. 3B Brayden Taylor, Texas Christian.

Bat: L. Throw: R. 6'1", 175 lbs. Born 5/22/2002. Hometown: West Jordan, UT.
2022: 13 HR, .314/.454/.576, 10 SB, 40/55 K/BB in 59 games.
One of the most consistent hitters in the Big 12 over the past couple seasons is finally draft eligible, and scouts couldn't be more excited. Brayden Taylor needed zero time to adjust to the college game, immediately hitting his way into the TCU starting lineup as a freshman and slashing .319/.450/.574 with 25 home runs and far more walks (104) than strikeouts (86) in 117 games so far. He had a chance to build his stock further against elite competition this summer, but didn't make much impact with the Collegiate National Team and hit a solid if unspectacular .269/.361/.385 with two home runs in 26 games in the Cape Cod League. Taylor stands out for an extremely professional approach at the plate, which is why he was able to adjust to Big 12 pitching so easily and also why he rarely slumps. He rarely ever chases out of the zone and won't swing through many hittable pitches either, and only gets into minor strikeout trouble because he tends to work deep counts. The Salt Lake City-area product has a very loose, whippy barrel that remains long through the zone, helping him work to all fields effectively while further limiting that swing and miss. There is solid power in the tank, with the ability to turn on balls and send them out consistently to the pull side. To really make the most of his power potential, he'll want to tack on additional strength to his skinny 6'1" frame, which would help that power play better to all fields and really push him into top ten consideration. With a late May birthday that will have him turn 21 less than two months before the draft, he is young for the class and has that much more time to fill out. Furthermore, his swing is more oriented for line drives for now and adding loft may help if he chooses to go that route. Either way, it's at least average power for now combined with a plus hit tool, so 15-20 home runs per year with high on-base percentages are well within reach. Defensively, he has played mostly third base to this point and has looked very solid, so a team bullish on his glove could give him a shot at shortstop. Overall, I see this package as very similar to a left handed Cade Doughty, and I really liked Doughty as a first rounder up until a late season slump last year dropped him to the second compensation round. Taylor has a very good shot at the first round as it stands now, and if he comes out in the spring a little more physical, the top ten picks are a possibility.

2. RHP Juaron Watts-Brown, Oklahoma State.

Bat: R. Throw: R. 6'3", 190 lbs. Born 2/23/2002. Hometown: Hanford, CA.
2022 (@ Long Beach State): 4-4, 3.69 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 111/29 K/BB in 73.1 innings.
Juaron Watts-Brown is slowly but steadily trending up and up and up. He was originally a Texas Tech commit, but decided to stay in his home state and attend Long Beach State at first. After sitting out his freshman season in 2021, he announced his presence loudly in 2022 and parlayed that into a strong run through the Cape Cod League (3.83 ERA, 53/16 K/BB in 40 innings). Now he'll head to the Big 12 like he originally planned, but he'll move past Lubbock on his way to Stillwater. Watts-Brown is throwing harder and harder, now sitting in the low 90's with his fastball and getting up to around 96 while adding a full arsenal of secondaries. His slider and curveball both have two-plane action, but remain distinct from each other and look like above average pitches, while his changeup provides a fourth average or better pitch. Everything plays up from a pretty ideal release, as he gets down the mound extremely well to create great extension and a lower release point, in turn giving his fastball nice riding life. The 6'3" righty is very athletic on the mound with plenty of projection remaining, making for a very fun ball of clay for Josh Holliday's staff and eventually a pro staff to play with. For now, the command is fringe-average and could use some improvement, as he can yank his front side at times and lose his release point. It's nothing major and I don't expect it to hold back his profile, which looks to fit somewhere in the second round range for now but which could easily leap into the first round if he takes well to the Big 12. I'm personally a believer which is why I rank him as the best pitching prospect in the conference.

3. RHP Tanner Witt, Texas.
Bat: R. Throw: R. 6'5", 215 lbs. Born 7/11/2002. Hometown: Houston, TX.
2022: 2-0, 1.64 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 14/3 K/BB in 11 innings.
One of the more highly regarded recruits to reach campus following the 2020 draft, Tanner Witt jumped straight into a prominent role in the Longhorn bullpen as a true freshman in 2021 and put up a 3.16 ERA and a 73/25 strikeout to walk ratio over 57 innings. Transitioning into the rotation in 2022, he looked very sharp in starts against Rice and Alabama to start the season, pitching his way into top ten consideration for 2023, but went down with Tommy John surgery and hasn't pitched since. The surgery will keep him out for at least the early part of 2023, though it's not out of the question that he could return later in the season and reclaim some of that draft stock. Even without much track record as a starter, it's hard not to like Witt. He sits in the low 90's and can get up to 96-97 at his best, with natural riding action above what most others are capable of. Interestingly, the 6'5" righty throws from an extremely high release point that puts steep downhill angle on the ball, so those two characteristics counteract each other a little bit. Witt drops in a big 12-6 curveball that he has feel to land for strikes, though it can catch too much of the plate at times and get hit. He also shows an average slider and an above average changeup, giving him a full arsenal of four average or better pitches. The Houston native is very advanced for his age, repeating his delivery well and showing solid command of his four pitch mix, looking every bit like a starting pitcher. He does have an interesting quirk in his delivery where he pulls the ball out of his glove briefly at the top of his leg lift, then taps it back in before bringing out for real. This gives hitters an extra look at his grip, which could become a problem with more seasoned pro hitters, but it's also not a difficult fix. The injury does put a dent in his stock simply because he doesn't get to show what he's capable of, but Witt is very young for the class and won't turn 21 until the third day of the draft, so he's playing with a little bit of house money there. He's also extremely projectable and looks durable aside from the elbow surgery, which at this point is pretty inevitable for any pitcher. Witt looks like a high probability mid-rotation starter.

4. SS Nick Goodwin, Kansas State.
Bat: R. Throw: R. 6', 190 lbs. Born 9/6/2001. Hometown: Overland Park, KS.
2022: 11 HR, .255/.354/.525, 6 SB, 57/30 K/BB in 57 games.
Nick Goodwin may not have a carrying tool, but he does a lot well and has a chance to be a real breakout performer in 2023 after holding down a very solid .267/.354/.502 slash line over two years at Kansas State so far. In addition to being a dependable cog for the Wildcats, he showed similarly well in the Cape Cod League with a .267/.342/.466 line, six homers, and a 42/13 strikeout to walk ratio over 44 games. He's not huge, but he taps average power to all fields with a quick right handed swing that puts good loft on the ball and effectively maximizes his strength. There is some swing and miss, as his strikeout rate jumped from 19.3% as a freshman to 23.1% as a sophomore and clocked in at 22.8% on the Cape, but he has consistently performed well against high level pitching both in the Big 12 and on the Cape so it's not a huge concern. It would be nice though if he could at least cut that down below 20% in 2022, and if he could get it down around 15-16% or so while maintaining his power, this suddenly goes from a third round profile to something much more interesting. Defensively, he has handled shortstop at Kansas State well and will get a chance to play there in pro ball, though he may not be quite explosive enough to make it work long term and could fit better at second or third base. Overall, there is upside of a 15-20 home run infield bat with decent on-base percentages if he cuts down his strikeouts a little, and he'd fit well as a utility infielder even if he does continue to strikeout out at a moderate rate.

5. 2B Roc Riggio, Oklahoma State.
Bat: L. Throw: R. 5'9", 180 lbs. Born 6/11/2002. Hometown: Simi Valley, CA.
2022: 11 HR, .295/.413/.519, 2 SB, 58/34 K/BB in 54 games.
If you watched the 2022 Oklahoma State Cowboys, it would have been hard not to notice Roc Riggio. The 5'9" showman with long hair dyed bright blond plays with as much energy as anybody on the field, the epitome of a new-school, let-the-kids-play electric factory. Having earned considerable draft interest out of his Los Angeles-area high school in 2021, he reached campus in Stillwater and immediately hit his way into the starting lineup as a freshman, acting as a catalyst for one of the best lineups in the country with his bat flips and all-out style of play. Riggio continued on to the Cape Cod League over the summer but couldn't quite match his big freshman season, slashing just .200/.258/.339 with three home runs and a 37/9 strikeout to walk ratio over 36 games. The profile here is carried by the bat, as he takes big hacks from the left side to tap above average power despite his small frame. He does a good job of getting loft under ball when it's down in the zone while keeping a more level swing up in the zone, boding well for both his future power production and contact ability, though for now he's still adjusting to college level pitching and has some swing and miss in his game. He struck out 22.4% of the time for Oklahoma State this spring then ran a 29.6% K rate on the Cape, so bringing that down will be high on the priority list. Right now he profiles for 20+ home runs a year with solid on-base percentages if he can. Riggio is not the greatest athlete and will have to work to remain at second base, with the outfield a real possibility if he gets pushed by a better defender in pro ball, so his value will rely on his ability to hit pro pitching. As a draft-eligible sophomore, he's younger than most of the juniors he'll compete against for draft position and turns 21 a month before the draft.

6. SS Marcus Brown, Oklahoma State.
Bat: L. Throw: R. 5'11", 185 lbs. Born 9/14/2001. Hometown: Springdale, AR.
2022: 4 HR, .316/.378/.441, 5 SB, 38/21 K/BB in 64 games.
Roc Riggio may be the most exciting player on the Oklahoma State roster, but the guy playing right across the bag from him is the school's flashiest defender. Springy and athletic, Marcus Brown moves very well around the dirt and makes it look easy out there with an above average arm. That glove will be the carrying tool in his profile, but he can swing it a little bit too. Employing a loose left handed hack that gets the barrel long through the zone and produces plenty of line drive contact, he puts nearly everything in play and struck out just 13.7% of the time in 2022, easily the lowest mark on this list. A career .323/.388/.436 hitter in Stillwater, like Riggio he struggled to make an impact on the Cape and slashed just .233/.315/.295 in 44 games there. His 20% strikeout rate was much lower than Riggio's 29.6%, but still elevated above his number with the Cowboys as he struggled to find gaps and fences with wood bats. Still, I remain fairly optimistic on the bat especially given that his glove will buy it plenty of time to develop. Though he's undersized at 5'11", he naturally whips the barrel through the zone with authority and getting even a little bit stronger could help him threaten for double digit home run totals in pro ball. He'll always make plenty of contact and keep defenses on their toes, though the minimal swing and miss in his game to date does keep his walk rates down – 7.6% at OSU and 6.1% on the Cape.

7. OF Elijah Nuñez, Texas Christian.
Bat: L. Throw: L. 5'10", 185 lbs. Born 12/6/2001. Hometown: Arlington, TX.
2022: 1 HR, .281/.435/.368, 31 SB, 48/58 K/BB in 60 games.
Elijah Nuñez brings an old school profile to the ballpark here, so he stands in contrast to many other players scouts will be looking at. A glove-first guy like Marcus Brown, he will certainly stick in center field with plenty of speed and exceptional feel for the position, immediately providing a strong baseline of value. It's easier to carry a profile with your glove if you catch or play a mean shortstop like Brown, but Nuñez gets it done in center field with the best of them. He's also a very patient hitter at the plate that doesn't swing and miss much (16.7% strikeout rate) and draws a ton of walks. In fact his 58 free passes tied for eighth in the nation last year, a feat made even more impressive when you consider he was younger than all seven players ahead of him as well as the guy tied with him, and also the fact that he did so in fewer games than all but one player in that group. When he does swing at the ball, he's a gap to gap line drive hitter that doesn't try to do too much, with below average power that has manifested in just two home runs in 114 career games for the Horned Frogs. While the glove and legs give his profile plenty of baseline value, his offensive profile will be reliant on keeping those on-base percentages high because he likely won't threaten for double digit home runs. To me, it's a pretty clear fourth outfield profile but one that has a chance to be extremely valuable.

8. RHP Cam Brown, Texas Christian.
Bat: R. Throw: R. 6'3", 215 lbs. Born 10/15/2001. Hometown: Flower Mound, TX.
2022: 5-2, 4.42 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 49/31 K/BB in 53 innings.
Cam Brown is very much an enigma at this point. One of the stars of the showcase circuit in the summer of 2019, he was pitching his way into the top two rounds but did not look like himself during his COVID-shortened senior spring in 2020. That led him to campus at TCU, where he barely pitched as a freshman and had an up and down sophomore season in which he did not miss nearly as many bats as hoped. Taking his talents to the Cape Cod League over the summer, he pitched to mixed results once more and allowed seven runs in nine innings with an 11/9 strikeout to walk ratio. At his best, Brown looks like a bona fide impact starting pitcher, running his fastball into the upper 90's and flashing above average with his entire arsenal of secondaries, consisting of a slider, curve, and changeup. It's really loud stuff from a big league body, but he's just never been able to put it all together. The delivery can get stiff and he struggles to command it all, often falling behind in the count and leaving pitches over the plate to get hit or giving up free passes. I'm worried that the fastball may play a bit true out of his hand and play below its low to mid 90's velocity, and inconsistent secondaries led to just a 20.6% strikeout rate last year. The DFW native could benefit from a pro development program to help him find more deception and perhaps improve his command a tick, in which case he really could pull it all together and become a mid-rotation starter in the majors. At some point, though, you're going to want to see some results and he just hasn't missed enough bats in the Big 12 yet to feel comfortable projecting him in that role. But that's why you get three years in college, right?

9. 3B/RHP Nolan McLean, Oklahoma State.
Bat: R. Throw: R. 6'3", 205 lbs. Born 7/24/2001. Hometown: Garner, NC.
2022: 19 HR, .285/.397/.595, 2 SB, 107/37 K/BB in 64 games.
2022: 2-1, 5.01 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 39/13 K/BB in 25.1 innings.
Nolan McLean will rank as the ninth best prospect in the Big 12 for the second year in a row after the Orioles failed to meet his signing bonus demands at the 81st overall pick last year, making him the highest drafted player to go unsigned. Eligible as a sophomore last year, he'll still be close to age appropriate this year and will turn 22 just after the draft, making him just a couple months older than Nick Goodwin, Marcus Brown, and Cam Brown. A true two-way player, he was one of three Cowboys to appear in all 64 games last year (along with #6 prospect Marcus Brown) and also made 23 appearances on the mound, so scouts have seen him plenty to this point. At the plate, McLean stands out for plus-plus raw power as evidenced by this 478 foot opposite field home run that ranks among the best in the country. He's big and strong at 6'3" with long arms that naturally channel that strength into leverage and bat speed, but he has been extremely inconsistent to this point thanks in large part to a well below average hit tool. In fact, his 107 strikeouts this past season set an all time Division I record, as he struggles to adjust his grooved swing to correct for mistakes in pitch/location identification. The power is absolutely tantalizing, but when you strike out 36.9% (!) of the time, it's hard to get scouts to buy in. Going back to school will give him a chance to at least bring that number down below 30% and ideally closer to 25%, where scouts could slap a 40 grade on his hit tool and call it a risk worth taking. The Orioles actually drafted him as a pitcher this past season, and he'll have an opportunity to step into a larger role for Oklahoma State as the Cowboys lost their top seven arms by innings pitched to the draft, the transfer portal, or graduation. He can touch the upper 90's in short stints and is gradually improving his feel for spin with both a curveball and slider in hand, together helping him miss enough bats to run a very strong 35.1% strikeout rate. Below average command, in addition to his duties at third base, have kept him in the bullpen so far, but it would be interesting to see if Josh Holliday and co. give him a shot in the rotation this spring with so many spots opening up. If he takes another step forward with that command, suddenly the arm strength and feel for spin become really interesting here.

10. LHP Lucas Gordon, Texas.
Bat: L. Throw: L. 6'1", 195 lbs. Born 2/13/2002. Hometown: Los Angeles, CA.
2022: 7-2, 3.06 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 77/26 K/BB in 85.2 innings.
Once Tanner Witt gets healthy, the 2023 Texas rotation will have a very similar feel draft-wise to the 2021 rotation. Witt, like Ty Madden, is a potential first rounder from Houston with a power fastball from a high slot and strong command, while Lucas Gordon, like Pete Hansen, is a soft tossing command/control lefty from California. Funny how that works out sometimes. Gordon is coming off a very strong sophomore season in Austin where he formed a strong one-two punch with Hansen, forcing his way into draft conversations by his performance even if the stuff doesn't quite match up yet. He sits around 90 with his fastball and can get up to about 94 at best with some run, so it's an average pitch. Gordon has strong feel for both his sweepy slider and slurvy curveball, but they lack the power and bite you look for in a swing and miss secondary offering. His best pitch is a plus changeup with excellent fading action, rounding out a full big league arsenal. The 6'1" lefty repeats his delivery very well with above average command of both his fastball and his offspeeds, showing the ability to spot everything to both sides of the plate, and he ran a very respectable 7.2% walk rate as a sophomore. The stuff can get hit hard when he leaves it up and over the plate, and in aggregate he didn't miss many bats with just a 21.2% strikeout rate. Scouts know that Gordon can pound the strike zone and control at bats, so in 2023 they'll look for the Los Angeles product to show a little more velocity on his fastball and/or power on his breaking balls to help grow his margin for error a little bit. It's a back-end starter profile if he can.

Honorable Mention: LHP Ben Hampton, West Virginia.
Ben Hampton was the first player off the list, but I wanted to give him his due after an incredible run through the Cape Cod League. He was draft eligible as a sophomore in 2022 but didn't get much interest after posting a 4.66 ERA and a 90/27 strikeout to walk ratio over 83 innings at West Virginia, but reached another level on the Cape with a 2.27 ERA and a 51/4 strikeout to walk ratio over 43.2 innings. The fastball velocity just isn't there yet, parking in the upper 80's and rarely scratching 90, but he hides it very well and gets good ride on it, making it something of an invisiball. His primary offspeed pitch is a sweepy slider with depth that he locates well, and everything plays up because he mixes and matches his stuff to keep hitters off balance. There is not much projection remaining in his stocky 6'1" frame so there is no guarantee he ever consistently reaches the low 90's, where the profile would be much more attractive. Still, there are some similarities to Monmouth's Trey Dombroski a year ago, who went in the fourth round to the Astros, even if Hampton is a good four inches shorter. Despite the exceptional numbers on the Cape, Hampton was up and down in conference play last year (6.15 ERA, 46/17 K/BB in 41 IP) and has never had success against high level competition before this summer. Throw in that he's old for the class, turning 22 a few weeks after the draft, and it's hard to know exactly what to make of the soft tossing Wisconsinite.