2023 MLB Draft Review: San Francisco Giants

Full list of draftees

The Giants dumped $7 million into their first two picks, giving them a two of the best high school prospects in the class at picks #16 and #52. Because second rounder Walker Martin signed for nearly double his slot value, they were forced to go below slot for nearly every pick for the rest of the draft, but they still came away with a very nice class even beyond the two stars at the top. Joe Whitman wasn't supposed to be available at their third pick and certainly wasn't expected to sign for as little as he did, while fourth rounder Maui Ahuna possesses a ton of talent for his $500,000 signing bonus even though his profile comes with significant drawbacks. I like this position player-heavy class a lot.
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.

1-16: RHP Bryce Eldridge, James Madison HS [VA] {video}
Slot value: $4.33 million. Signing bonus: $4 million ($329,100 below slot value).
My rank: #23. MLB Pipeline: #23. Baseball America: #22. Prospects Live: #19.
The Giants drafted Bryce Eldridge as a pitcher, but he's a true two-way player and a darn good one at that. One of the most interesting prospects in the class, he's a product of the same James Madison High School baseball program that I played for almost a decade ago and which has since produced Cubs 2021 second rounder James Triantos. Though he was drafted as a pitcher, I actually prefer his bat. He's a massive presence in the box at 6'7", giving him tremendous leverage in his left handed swing that translates to natural plus power. He doesn't need to sell out for that power, instead flicking his hands at the ball and letting those long arms and legs do the rest. Eldridge is a patient hitter that chooses good pitches to hit, though like many extra tall hitters, his long arms can create some swing and miss in the zone and that's perhaps his only drawback in the box. He is a better runner than you would think given his size, with surprising athleticism that helps him play a pretty nifty first base or could translate well to right field if he moves out there. On the mound, his height helps him create downhill plane that accentuates the running and sinking life on his low 90's fastball. The slider can be inconsistent at times, though at its best it shows hard, late bite and looks like an above average pitch, while his changeup has come along nicely in its own right. There's some minor head whack in his delivery which can lead to some command questions, but he's mostly around the zone and his athleticism should help him grow into that large body well. It's a pretty solid #3 starter profile. One thing to note is that he has missed some time with various nagging injuries over the past few seasons, but he looks fully healthy now. Eldridge has a chance to be a star on either side (or both sides?) of the ball for the Giants. He's only hitting for now, slashing .305/.400/.610 with five home runs and an 18/10 strikeout to walk ratio through 18 games between the Arizona Complex League and Low A San Jose.

2-52: SS Walker Martin, Eaton HS [CO] {video}
Slot value: $1.62 million. Signing bonus: $3 million ($1.38 million above slot value).
My rank: #21. MLB Pipeline: #30. Baseball America: #24. Prospects Live: #30.
It took nearly double the slot value to sign Walker Martin away from an Arkansas commitment, close to the value of the 27th overall pick, but the Giants got it done and brought in an incredible talent for the second round. Martin simply tormented Colorado high school pitching this spring, and there's no other way to spin it. He has an extremely athletic, projectable 6'2" frame that has done him well on the football field as well, but on the baseball field it gives him plus raw power that he tapped at will in games this spring. Beyond the power, his all fields approach has helped him handle advanced pitching well and he should have at least an average hit tool, giving him a potent all-around bat. Martin moves well at shortstop with quick feet and great athleticism, though he does like to gather himself before he throws and fore that reason he may fit better at second or third base. He's also an average runner, and together it's an extremely well-rounded profile. Perhaps the only true drawback here is his age, as the Colorado native turned 19 back in February, making him a full year older than most high school seniors and age appropriate for a college freshman. Other players with similar age questions such as Brett Baty and Colson Montgomery have performed well, and the hope is that Martin follows their path.

2C-69: LHP Joe Whitman, Kent State {video}
Slot value: $1.07 million. Signing bonus: $805,575 ($268,525 below slot value).
My rank: #49. MLB Pipeline: #37. Baseball America: #35. Prospects Live: #37.
Joe Whitman had serious helium late in the draft cycle, pushing himself into the first round conversation with a strong finish to his junior year and one excellent, highly attended start in the Cape Cod League. Many were surprised to see him drop all the way to the second compensation round, and even more surprised to see him sign for over $250,000 below slot value. If you look at the rankings above, you can see that I wasn't exactly the high man on Whitman, but in this situation that's great value. He's coming off an excellent season at Kent State in which he posted a 2.56 ERA and a 100/29 strikeout to walk ratio over 81 innings. Whitman sits in the low 90's with his fastball but can run it up to 97 in short stints and consistently touches 95 in longer outings, though the movement on the pitch is more average. His slider is his best pitch with great diving action that helps it miss a ton of bats, while his changeup gives him one of the better left handed cambios in the class. It's a really nice three pitch mix that gets boosted further by solid average command that should be above average in time. The 6'5" lefty is plenty durable and repeats his delivery very well, and it all adds up to a high probability #3 or #4 starter package. Whitman could move quickly through the Giants' system. So far, he has allowed one run over four innings in the Arizona Complex League, striking out four against one walk.

3-85: SS Cole Foster, Auburn {video}
Slot value: $820,900. Signing bonus: $747,500 ($73,400 below slot value).
My rank: #117. MLB Pipeline: #95. Baseball America: #124. Prospects Live: #102.
The Giants went under slot again, as they will do for much of the rest of the draft, here in the third round. Cole Foster was a prominent draft prospect out of Plano Senior High School in Texas in 2020, but made it to campus after the shortened draft and has improved every year at Auburn. He put together a career year in 2023, slashing .336/.429/.570 with 13 home runs and a 50/30 strikeout to walk ratio over 55 games and establishing himself as a top three rounds prospect. There's no one standout tool here, but Foster does a lot of things well with average tools across the board. He's a switch hitter that takes good at bats from both sides of the plate, showing solid power that will play best to the pull side with wood bats that could help him produce 15-20 home runs per season. The bat to ball skills are decent, though he did strike out in 19% of his plate appearances in 2023. The Dallas-area native has experience all over the diamond and could profile in a super-utility role with a solid arm and good glovework in both the infield and outfield, though his lack of true explosiveness may limit his effectiveness at the premium positions of shortstop and center field. If any one of his tools can take the next step in pro ball and get to above average, he has a chance to be an everyday player somewhere on the diamond. So far, he's slashing .250/.281/.467 with five home runs and a pretty ugly 30/2 strikeout to walk ratio over 22 games between the Arizona Complex League and Low A San Jose.

4-117: SS Maui Ahuna, Tennessee {video}
Slot value: $569,100. Signing bonus: $497,500 ($71,600 below slot value).
My rank: #109. MLB Pipeline: #48. Baseball America: #72. Prospects Live: #132.
Maui Ahuna was one of the more polarizing prospects in this year's class, as you can tell by the rankings above, and it turns out that those of us that were lower on him were more in line with the league's perception than those that were higher on him. Ahuna began his career at Kansas, where he thrust himself into first round conversations with a massive sophomore year in 2022 (.396/.479/.634). When head coach Ritch Price retired after the season, he transferred to Tennessee for his junior year but was exposed a bit by SEC pitching, slashing .312/.425/.537 on the year with eight home runs and a 77/37 strikeout to walk ratio over 53 games. Still, he remains a very interesting prospect. He's an extremely streaky hitter that can get red hot and carry an offense, showing average power and an all fields approach that leads to plenty of opposite field extra base hits. His left handed swing can get swoopy at times and he can be prone to chasing offspeed pitches below the zone, leading to a fringy hit tool, though that aforementioned willingness to use the opposite field can help him dig himself out of holes in the count. The breaking balls are a major issue, though, as he struck out over 30% of the time this spring and over 50% of the time on the Cape last summer, and I'm not sold on his ability to handle pro offspeed stuff. Ahuna's glove buys the bat some slack, as he's a slick defender at shortstop that can make the big play, with a plus arm to boot that will make him an asset at the position. Throw in his above average speed and you've got yourself a very interesting, versatile defender. The bat may stop him from ever becoming a full time player, but the glove will carry him at least part of the way up the ladder and if he ever reins in his approach, he has a chance to not only play every day but provide impact in the lineup. It's a true boom or bust profile. 

5-153: 2B Quinn McDaniel, Maine {video}
Slot value: $400,600. Signing bonus: $300,450 ($100,150 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #240. Prospects Live: #322.
You don't see many Mainers in pro baseball, but Quinn McDaniel will join fellow Maine Black Bear Nick Sinacola (though a native of Massachusetts) in the Giants' system. McDaniel has been a menace in the America East Conference for a couple years now, putting up his best year yet in 2023 with a .354/.513/.688 slash line, 16 home runs, 32 stolen bases, and a 44/60 strikeout to walk ratio over 53 games. It's a pretty unique profile, as it turns out. He sets up with a big, slow leg kick that acts as a timing mechanism, almost touching his hands to his knee before bringing them back up and slashing them through the zone with impressive quickness. Undersized at 5'11", his quick hands help him tap some moderate power to the pull side, though his 16 home runs in 2023 may have been evidence of him teeing off average pitching in the America East. McDaniel is a very patient hitter that walked in 23% of his plate appearances, which will force pro pitchers to come right after him. We'll see if he can tone down his operation in the box enough to handle what's coming. Defensively, his plus speed should help him stick at second base if he can clean up his actions a little bit. The southern Maine native is young for the class, not set to turn 21 until late September, which will give the Giants a little bit of time to play with his fun profile. So far, he's slashing .255/.449/.455 with three home runs and a 16/20 strikeout to walk ratio over 18 games between the Arizona Complex League and Low A San Jose.

6-180: C Luke Shliger, Maryland {video}
Slot value: $314,800. Signing bonus: $272,500 ($42,300 below slot value).
My rank: #177. MLB Pipeline: #170. Baseball America: #88. Prospects Live: #109.
I'm not quite as high on Luke Shliger as some other outlets, but I certainly think he has an interesting profile regardless. He's been a monster in the Maryland lineup over the past two seasons, slashing .345/.509/.588 with 23 home runs, 24 stolen bases, and a 98/123 strikeout to walk ratio over 125 games combined. Shliger has a very unique approach in the box, setting up with his toes on the inside corner of the batters box in a manner that takes "crowding the plate" to an extreme. Indeed, he's been hit by 44 pitches over the past two seasons, with his 24 this past season finishing eighth in Division I and leading the Big Ten. He's also an extremely patient hitter, running an elite chase rate under 15% this past spring that was the second lowest of any hitter on my draft board and helping him run an exceptional .523 on-base percentage. That elite approach played up on the Cape, where he ran a .404 on-base percentage against some of the best arms in the country. The bat itself is a little more ordinary, though, with below average power that was made to look better by his hitter-friendly home park. He has a quick, uppercut lefthanded swing that helps him maximize what he does have, but with a 90th percentile exit velocity just over 100 and a maxed out 5'9" frame he's unlikely to be much of a power threat in pro ball. The Connecticut native is built like a catcher with a thick, stocky frame, and while he's scrappy back there with a catcher's mindset, his overall actions are more average with an average arm. He should stick but won't necessarily be an asset defensively. Overall, I struggle to see much upside here beyond that of a backup catcher, which is why my ranking was a bit behind the other publications, but he does possess that coveted outlier trait in his approach. His early numbers are right in line with expectations, slashing .279/.380/.326 with a 6/5 strikeout to walk ratio through 12 games with Low A San Jose.

8-240: RHP Josh Bostick, Grayson JC [TX] {video}
Slot value: $198,800. Signing bonus: $397,500 ($198,700 above slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #176. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: #251.
Though most of their bonus pool money was tied up by Walker Martin in the second round, the Giants managed one more significant over slot bonus for Josh Bostick, giving him fifth round money to sign away from a UT Arlington commitment. Bostick has bounced around the JuCo scene and landed at Grayson JC in North Texas this past spring, then went on to impress in a short Cape Cod League stint before the draft. He sits in the low to mid 90's and can touch 98 at best, up significantly from last year (where I am 40% sure I hit a double off of him in a Dallas-area men's league game, but it was probably his brother, I can't remember), with some nice riding action as well. His secondaries are inconsistent but his slider flashes above average, while his changeup is fringier. He's still learning to harness his improved stuff but he has a ton of arm strength and doesn't need to expend too much effort to reach his velocity, giving hope he can have at least average command down the line. If Bostick can bring his changeup and command along just a little farther, he has a chance to be a #4 starter. So far, he has allowed two earned runs over 4.2 innings with seven strikeouts to two walks in the Arizona Complex League.

11-330: C Jack Payton, Louisville {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $175,000 ($25,000 above slot value).
My rank: #195. MLB Pipeline: #148. Baseball America: #116. Prospects Live: #306.
Jack Payton was eligible last year, but has steadily improved during his time at Louisville and worked his way into being a very solid prospect in this year's draft. He tripled his home run total from four to twelve while slashing .374/.472/.642 with a 41/22 strikeout to walk ratio over 48 games, looking like one of the few bright spots on a disappointing Cardinals team this year. Payton has fringy to average tools across the board, profiling as a potential backup catcher. His compact right handed swing gets on plane early and naturally elevates the ball, a little reminiscent of former teammate Henry Davis, helping to maximize his fringy raw power in games. His approach is average, with a bit of a tendency to chase but pretty good ability to make contact around the zone. Overall, it's probably a 45 grade hit tool and 45 power, which is useful from a catcher. Behind the plate, he's decent enough to continue getting opportunities to catch in pro ball, but it will take some work and his arm is fringy. If he has to move to a corner outfield spot, I'm not sure his bat will stand up to the increased scrutiny, so his best route to the majors is certainly through refining his defense. So far, he's slashing .289/.360/.400 with a home run and an 11/3 strikeout to walk ratio over 14 games between the Arizona Complex League and Low A San Jose.

2023 MLB Draft: an early look at the SEC West

2022 draftees: 41. Top school: Arkansas (9)
2022 preseason writeup (published 10/17/2021, full SEC)

Top 2022 draftees:
1-6, Marlins: 3B Jacob Berry (Louisiana State)
CBA-34, Diamondbacks: RHP Landon Sims (Mississippi State)
2-48, Twins: LHP Connor Prielipp (Alabama)
2-49, Royals: 3B Cayden Wallace (Arkansas)
2-55, Reds: C Logan Tanner (Mississippi State)
2-62, White Sox: RHP Peyton Pallette (Arkansas)
CBB-72, Brewers: 2B Robert Moore (Arkansas)

Ironically enough, the SEC West exactly matched the SEC East last year with 41 players drafted among the seven teams, though no team could reach double digits on its own like Tennessee did. In all, the SEC's 82 players drafted smashed the previous year's mark of 68 while also easily beating the second place ACC's total of 57 draftees. Arkansas (9) and Auburn (8) led the way last year for the division, but this year it looks like LSU will lap the competition with a loaded roster that features half of the top ten prospects in the division, including arguably the top prospect in the entire class in Dylan Crews. Three of the top ten prospects here are transfers, highlighting the incredible influx of talent heading to the SEC that will only continue to grow, and two are presently in the conversation for the first overall pick. Moving further down the list, there is a tightly packed tier of players all in that late second to fourth round range, with little daylight separating them at this point.

1. OF Dylan Crews, Louisiana State.
Bat: R. Throw: R. 6', 205 lbs. Born 2/26/2002. Hometown: Longwood, FL.
2022: 22 HR, .349/.463/.691, 5 SB, 56/42 K/BB in 62 games.
At this point, Dylan Crews has to be the favorite to go first overall. A first round talent out of Lake Mary High School in the Orlando area back in 2020, he struggled on the showcase circuit leading up to his senior season and the COVID shutdown didn't give him much of an opportunity to rebuild his stock. Many teams viewed him more as a second round talent at that point due to questions about swing and miss, but Crews knew who he was and pulled his name out of the draft so he could attend LSU. As it turns out, all he did was slash .356/.458/.677 with 40 home runs over 125 games, and with Ivan Melendez out of college baseball and into the Diamondbacks system, it's safe to say he's now the best hitter in the world at the amateur level. From the minute he stepped on campus in Baton Rouge, it has been readily apparent that he simply does not belong in college baseball, and opposing pitchers are paying dearly for that. So how does he do it? Crews possesses the most explosive right handed swing in college baseball, producing elite exit velocities with astonishing consistency. Hitting from a wide base, he can hit the snot out of the ball to any field, putting tremendous carry on his line drives that just never seem to come down, even when he goes the other way. Not just a power hitter, he also possesses a very strong eye at the plate and rarely expands the strike zone. With those big, explosive hacks he takes, there will always be some swing and miss and his strikeout rate actually rose from 15.3% as a freshman to 18.2% as a sophomore, but that's still a very solid number for a power hitter in the SEC and it hasn't inhibited his production for the Tigers one iota. His time with the US Collegiate National Team was a bit more up and down, but you'd be hard pressed to find any scouts that are particularly concerned by that. The fact of the matter is that Crews has simply bullied some of the best pitching in the country for two years now with no signs of slowing down, showing off the potential for 30+ home runs per season with high on-base percentages, perennial All Star-caliber production. He brings a solid glove, too, with above average speed and a plus arm that makes him a bit of a weapon out there. He started all 62 games for the Tigers in center field last season, and may have a shot to continue doing so in pro ball until a quicker defender pushes him to right field.

2. SS Jacob Gonzalez, Mississippi.
Bat: L. Throw: R. 6'2", 200 lbs. Born 5/30/2002. Hometown: Glendora, CA.
2022: 18 HR, .273/.405/.558, 4 SB, 32/50 K/BB in 65 games.
There may not be a more complete player in the country than Jacob Gonzalez. A well-known prospect out of high school, he set the college baseball world on fire as a true freshman by slashing .355/.443/.561 with twelve home runs and more walks (38) than strikeouts (34). That's just something you don't see often in the SEC. The power was just as potent in 2022 with 18 home runs, but his overall numbers weren't quite as gaudy (.273/.405/.558) as pitchers often pitched around him. Still, you'd be hard pressed to find a hole in his game. The Southern California native has an extremely disciplined approach at the plate, running a 16.7% walk rate and just a 10.7% strikeout rate in 2022 against some of the best pitching in the country. Hitting from a wide base, he does a great job of leaving the hands back and getting that coveted hip/shoulder separation that enables him to both track pitches deep as well as generate plus raw power from the left side. Gonzalez prefers to yank line drives to the pull side, and he has such strong pitch selection skills and plate coverage that he can get away with that approach easily even against elite competition. Not just an elite hitter, he also provides plenty of value on defense as well. Gonzalez has started all 132 games at shortstop for Ole Miss the past two seasons, showing off a plus arm and solid feel for the position that will give him a chance to stick there in pro ball. He's not the quickest player on the diamond, though, so a stronger defender may be able to push him to third base if he slows down at all with age. Still, that would be an above average glove at third combined with a 25+ home run bat and high on-base percentages, a perennial All Star projection if it works out. The discipline and underlying ability to hit the ball hard point to a high floor as a solid everyday third baseman, and with a late May birthday, he's fairly young as far as college juniors go. This may be the safest pick in the draft at this point combined with a very high ceiling. He's very much in play for the first overall pick at this point.

3. RHP/DH Paul Skenes, Louisiana State.
Bat: R. Throw: R. 6'6", 235 lbs. Born 5/29/2002. Hometown: Lake Forest, CA.
2022 (@ Air Force): 10-3, 2.73 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 96/30 K/BB in 85.2 innings.
2022 (@ Air Force): 13 HR, .314/.412/.634, 0 SB, 40/21 K/BB in 52 games.
Make that three players in a row who had fantastic true freshman seasons, though Paul Skenes did his damage in the Mountain West as opposed to Dylan Crews and Jacob Gonzalez in the elite SEC. Still, as an 18 year old in 2021, Skenes hit .410/.486/.697 with 32 extra base hits in 48 games, all while hopping on the mound and putting up a 2.70 ERA out of the Air Force bullpen. Like Gonzalez (and unlike Crews), his bat came back to earth a little bit in 2022 but he still hit .314/.412/.634 in 52 games, while his pitching took a big step forward and he held down the Friday night starter role all season long. He is one of numerous famous transfers heading to Baton Rouge this spring, and he does so as perhaps the best two-way player in the country. He's a better prospect as a pitcher right now, even if he's a career .367/.453/.669 hitter. Skenes has seen his fastball steadily tick up throughout his college career, from the low 90's early on into the mid 90's more often lately and touching as high as 99 in the fall. Coming from a three quarters slot, he puts high spin rates and good carry on the pitch in addition to tough angle from a crossfire delivery. He adds a hard, tight slider that plays average for now and stands out more for velocity than movement, while his changeup flashes plus at its best and gives him a weapon to play off his fastball. The 6'6" righty also shows improving command and spots the ball especially well to his glove side, so if he can miss a few more bats with that slider, he becomes a very intriguing #2 starter candidate. At the plate, Skenes packs plenty of punch as well. He shows above average raw power from the right side and was an on-base machine at Air Force, though those long arms that help him send the ball deep also lead to some swing and miss concerns with a strikeout rate over 20% in both of his seasons so far. As a below average athlete that may find himself as a 1B/DH type in the long run, there will be a lot of pressure on the bat to come along, but that transition from the Mountain West to the SEC will be no easy task. If he does keep hitting against that famous gauntlet, suddenly a unique prospect becomes even more interesting. To boot, the Southern California native is young for the class with a late May birthday, in fact one day before fellow SoCal product Gonzalez.

4. RHP Nathan Dettmer, Texas A&M.
Bat: R. Throw: R. 6'4", 215 lbs. Born 4/26/2002. Hometown: San Antonio, TX.
2022: 6-3, 4.99 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 82/25 K/BB in 92 innings.
Nathan Dettmer is yet to put it all together in College Station, but he has the stuff to become the next great Aggie arm. He earned a dozen starts as a freshman with promising results, then brought a 3.13 ERA into the month of May this year but embarked on a late season slide that saw him allow thirty earned runs over a seven start stretch, ballooning that ERA to 5.40. He salvaged the season with a dominant showing against Notre Dame in the College World Series, bringing his final mark down to 4.99, but the best is likely still ahead for Dettmer. He sits in the low to mid 90's with his sinker and ran it as high as 99 in the fall, and if he can maintain that higher velocity going forward, we could be in turbo sinker territory. The San Antonio native also flashes plus with his slider with nasty bite at its best, while his changeup plays well off his sinker to give him a third above average pitch. However, despite a big league arsenal, he has struggled to miss bats so far with the Aggies and ran just a 20.1% strikeout rate last year. His control is ahead of his command to this point and he gets hurt when his pitches catch too much plate, so next on his to do list will be refining that command and potentially even creating more deception to keep hitters from picking up his stuff out of the hand. The 6'4" righty has the stuff and frame to become a mid-rotation starter at the big league level, but he'll have to miss more bats this year for evaluators to be comfortable even if he projects as more of a ground ball guy in pro ball. Like many other names on this list, his age will be a bonus, not turning 21 until late April.

5. OF Colton Ledbetter, Mississippi State.
Bat: L. Throw: R. 6'1", 200 lbs. Born 11/15/2001. Hometown: Hoover, AL.

2022 (@ Samford): 16 HR, .318/.407/.640, 14 SB, 28/30 K/BB in 57 games.
The SEC is filled with famous transfers like Paul Skenes, Tommy White, Hurston Waldrep, and Maui Ahuna, among many others, but don't sleep on Samford transfer Colton Ledbetter. Auburn struck gold when they took Sonny DiChiara from the Bulldogs a year ago, and Mississippi State is looking to do the same with Ledbetter. Not only is Ledbetter following DiChiara's path from Samford to the SEC, but they're actually from the same hometown of Hoover in the Birmingham suburbs, home of the SEC Tournament. He's coming off a huge season at Samford in which he showed a broad array of tools, which he backed up with a strong .380/.478/.675 run through the NECBL, one of the top non-Cape summer leagues in the country. Ledbetter has a very athletic 6'1" frame that he deploys into a loose left handed swing, channeling that strength into big bat speed and separation that helps him project for plus power. Not only that, but he walked more (12.1%) than he struck out (11.3%) against a solid SoCon schedule and nearly did so again in the NECBL. His combination of power and plate discipline should help make the jump to the SEC much more manageable, where he could really rise up boards with more exposure. Ledbetter is also a good runner that stole 26 bases in 30 attempts between Samford and the NECBL, giving him an outside shot to stick in center field if he doesn't slow down with age. Even in left field, he has the bat to be an every day player at the big league level.

6. 1B Tre' Morgan, Louisiana State.
Bat: L. Throw: L. 6'1", 190 lbs. Born 7/16/2002. Hometown: New Orleans, LA.
2022: 5 HR, .324/.414/.462, 0 SB, 26/25 K/BB in 62 games.
This is a profile you don't see often, but it's one you really, really want to see work out. Tre' Morgan joined Dylan Crews in putting up a fantastic freshman season at LSU in 2021, slashing .357/.441/.526 with six home runs despite not turning 19 until after the season, then nearly matched it in 2022 at .324/.414/.462 with five home runs. Morgan is an extremely disciplined hitter in the box with a plus hit tool, utilizing a short, simple left handed swing that helps him guide the barrel to the ball with consistency and helping him post just an 8.8% strikeout rate last year. While he can elevate the ball when he needs to, that's not really his game and the power hasn't shown up much in games, and it's unlikely that he'll ever be a big home run threat. For a first baseman, that's unusual even if he projects to get on base at a high clip, but Morgan is no ordinary first baseman. He has tremendous range, footwork, and instincts around the bag that make him an elite defender by that position's standards, bailing out his infielders on poor throws on one play and then going over his shoulder to catch a fading foul popup on the next. An above average athlete with an above average arm, he would make a very solid third baseman if he were right handed, but unfortunately that's not on the table for the southpaw. It's a profile reminiscent of Evan White, the seventeenth overall pick out of Kentucky in 2017, though Morgan has the advantage of batting left handed even if he is a couple inches shorter. The New Orleans native doesn't project to go quite that high, fitting more in the third round range right now. White doubled his home run total from five to ten between his sophomore and junior seasons, and if Morgan can do something like that and show average or better power in 2023, he could creep closer to that range. To boot, he's very young for a junior and won't turn 21 until right around draft time, giving him extra time to tack on a little more physicality.

7. RHP Christian Little, Louisiana State.
Bat: R. Throw: R. 6'4", 210 lbs. Born 7/5/2003. Hometown: St. Louis, MO.
2022 (@ Vanderbilt): 1-2, 3.72 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 46/17 K/BB in 38.2 innings.
Christian Little is one of the most enigmatic prospects in the SEC, likely to draw very split opinions as he enters his junior season. Arguably the top arm in the 2021 high school class entering the season, he instead enrolled early at Vanderbilt well shy of his 18th birthday. Working as a midweek starter, he showed promise but was hit around a bit as you'd probably expect from a 17 year old, then took a modest step forward as a swingman in 2022 as he dropped his ERA from 5.48 to 3.72, upped his strikeout rate from 25.4% to 27.7%, and improved his walk rate from 11.4% to 10.2%. Heading to the Cape Cod League, he had an opportunity to put it together on a big stage, but never found his groove there either. So now, that leaves us with a post-hype prospect that never put things together at Vanderbilt but is still set to play his entire junior season at just 19 years old as he transfers to LSU. Little sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and can reach 98 with riding action, adding a cutter, curveball, and changeup that all flash above average even if none have stepped forward to become a true strikeout pitch. Control is ahead of command here as the St. Louis native tends to get hit over the plate, and he'll need to get more consistent with at least one of if not multiple offspeed pitches to navigate pro lineups going forward. The good news is that given his extreme youth, he could choose to go back to school next year and still be very young for the 2024 class if things don't come together in 2023, even though his eligibility will run out before he's old enough to drink. At this point, I am choosing to bank on Little's youth, arm strength, and frame and I think he'll figure things out enough to crack it as a big league starting pitcher.

8. LHP Grayson Hitt, Alabama.
Bat: R. Throw: L. 6'3", 195 lbs. Born 12/11/2001. Hometown: Germantown, TN.

2022: 4-3, 5.34 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 68/30 K/BB in 60.2 innings.

Grayson Hitt was one of the best pitching prospects to reach campus following the 2020 draft, but he struggled mightily as a freshman before landing a full time role in the rotation in 2022. Still, his 5.34 ERA and so-so peripherals left room for improvement. As it turns out, that improvement showed up in a big way in the fall, where he was Alabama's most impressive arm and set himself up for a potential breakout in 2023. His fastball now runs up to 97 while sitting in the low to mid 90's, albeit with steeper angle. His slider has emerged as an above average pitch with two plane bite, while his curveball and changeup represent fringier show-me options that he's still working to hone. While he didn't miss a ton of bats as a sophomore (24.5%), he actually bumped his strikeout rate up to 26.6% in the Cape Cod League over the summer and could continue to rise in 2023. With a projectable 6'3" frame and a repeatable delivery, he looks the part of a starting pitcher so long as his command continues to make the necessary improvements. He has an up arrow next to his name right now and those highest on him think he could pitch his way into the first round with continued success in the spring, though he fits more in the second to third round range right now.

9. RHP Grant Taylor, Louisiana State.
Bat: R. Throw: R. 6'3", 220 lbs. Born 5/20/2002. Hometown: Florence, AL.
2022: 4-1, 5.81 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, 39/21 K/BB in 31 innings.
In 2018, a big right handed pitcher graduated from Florence High School in North Alabama and made his way to LSU, where he would be draft-eligible as a sophomore and earned a second round selection from the Nationals in 2020. Grant Taylor is hoping to follow the exact same path as Cole Henry three years later, and despite a mediocre freshman season, a very strong run through the Cape Cod League (2.14 ERA, 30/2 K/BB in 21 IP) has him in the right position. Taylor's fastball has been steadily ticking up, now sitting in the low to mid 90's and frequently reaching 95. He throws a four seam, two seam, and cutter, so he can really vary the shape of his fastball to work in different locations and against different types of hitters. His best pitch is an above average hammer curveball that flashes plus with hard bite, giving him a true strikeout option, while his slider and changeup are also solid pitches he can pull out when he needs them. It's a strong four pitch mix from a durable frame, but the command has come and gone so far. He ran a 13.9% walk rate last year at LSU then lived in the zone on the Cape, so how that balances out this year will be closely watched. If he can hold onto average command, it's a mid-rotation starter profile, but there is one drawback that's partially out of his control – LSU has an incredibly crowded rotation outlook this year between Skenes, Little, Blake Money, Ty Floyd, Samuel Dutton, and Will Hellmers, among others, and it may not be easy to earn innings as a starter.

10. 2B Cole Foster, Auburn.
Bat: S. Throw: R. 6'1", 195 lbs. Born 10/8/2001. Hometown: Plano, TX.

2022: 9 HR, .267/.395/.488, 2 SB, 46/29 K/BB in 53 games.
One of the more famous names to reach campus from the 2020 high school class, Cole Foster didn't play much in 2021 but showed well as a full time player in 2022 and is looking to build on that foundation in 2023. He brings average tools across the board, even if he lacks a true carrying tool. A switch hitter, Foster takes good at bats and finds good pitches to hit, frequently barreling the ball up from both sides of the plate. He did run a 21.3% strikeout rate last year, which is a little higher than you'd like to see for this profile, so it's probably more of an average hit tool than above average. He has an average build at 6'1", and as he adds strength he has the quick bat and feel for the barrel to tap into above average, 20+ home run power at his ceiling, though that power is closer to average right now. It's not the most exciting offensive profile, but I like the way he's trending and I get a good feeling overall that he'll develop into at least a useful part time bat. A decent athlete, he has the ability to play all over the diamond, though he's not quite explosive enough for shortstop or center field. He likely profiles best as an offensive-minded second baseman, but the flexibility should help him move up.

Honorable Mentions
The last five names on this list are all pretty close, with many being more or less interchangeable, and there are a couple names that just missed the list that fit in the same tier. Texas A&M first baseman Jack Moss is coming off a huge year for the Aggies (.380/.437/.520), showing big exit velocities from the left side. His swing can get a bit swoopy and his inside-out approach doesn't lend itself to much over the fence power, which is a question for a 1B/LF defensive profile. Meanwhile Arkansas righty Jaxon Wiggins has one of the best fastballs in the conference, sitting in the mid 90's and touching triple digits with explosive riding life. For now, he's kind of a one tool player with a fringy slider that stands out more for its velocity than its movement in addition to a solid changeup that flashes above average at its best. His command is fringy and he ran a 13.8% walk rate last year, and I think it comes down to what MLB development organization he ends up in – a team like the Dodgers or Mariners could make him an impact starting pitcher, but in the Nationals or Tigers organizations he likely ends up a middle reliever.