The 2023 MLB draft is less than one month away. MLB teams are actively scouting players in preparation for the draft. At Baseball Prospect Journal, Dan Zielinski and Logan Quinton have actively covered the draft prospects in this year’s class.
This is our second staff draft of the year, as we conducted our first one on May 12. As you read the staff draft, you will notice it is college-heavy. That mostly has to do with the track record of these prospects, the strengths in this year’s class and our draft preference.
A staff draft is different than a traditional mock. The results tend to be a personal preference over what actually might happen. We are making the picks based on our evaluations of each prospect and what we would do if we were selecting for that specific team.
| Pick | Team | Writer | Player | Position | School |
| 1. | Pirates | DZ | Dylan Crews | OF | LSU |
| 2. | Nationals | LQ | Paul Skenes | RHP | LSU |
| 3. | Tigers | DZ | Wyatt Langford | OF | Florida |
| 4. | Rangers | LQ | Walker Jenkins | OF | South Brunswick (N.C.) |
| 5. | Twins | DZ | Max Clark | OF | Franklin Community (Ind.) |
| 6. | Athletics | LQ | Chase Dollander | RHP | Tennessee |
| 7. | Reds | DZ | Jacob Wilson | SS | Grand Canyon |
| 8. | Royals | LQ | Jacob Gonzalez | SS | Ole Miss |
| 9. | Rockies | DZ | Kyle Teel | C | Virginia |
| 10. | Marlins | LQ | Arjun Nimmala | SS | Strawberry Crest (Fla.) |
| 11. | Angels | DZ | Rhett Lowder | RHP | Wake Forest |
| 12. | Diamondbacks | LQ | Blake Mitchell | C | Stinton (Texas) |
| 13. | Cubs | DZ | Matt Shaw | SS | Maryland |
| 14. | Red Sox | LQ | Tommy Troy | SS | Stanford |
| 15. | White Sox | DZ | Nolan Schanuel | 1B/OF | Florida Atlantic |
| 16. | Giants | LQ | Enrique Bradfield | OF | Vanderbilt |
| 17. | Orioles | DZ | Hurston Waldrep | RHP | Florida |
| 18. | Brewers | LQ | Bryce Eldridge | RHP | James Madison (Va.) |
| 19. | Rays | DZ | Colin Houck | SS | Parkview (Ga.) |
| 20. | Blue Jays | LQ | Yohandy Morales | 3B | Miami |
| 21. | Cardinals | DZ | Noble Meyer | RHP | Jesuit (Ore.) |
| 22. | Mariners | LQ | George Lombard Jr. | SS | Gulliver Prep (Fla.) |
| 23. | Guardians | DZ | Colt Emerson | SS | Glenn (Ohio) |
| 24. | Braves | LQ | Chase Davis | OF | Arizona |
| 25. | Padres | DZ | Thomas White | LHP | Phillips Academy (Mass.) |
| 26. | Yankees | LQ | Brock Wilken | 3B | Wake Forest |
| 27. | Phillies | DZ | Brayden Taylor | 3B | TCU |
| 28. | Astros | LQ | Colton Ledbetter | OF | Mississippi State |
| 29. | Mariners | DZ | Dillon Head | OF | Homewood-Flossmoor (Ill.) |
Notable Picks
- The first wild card to me is Kyle Teel. He is the best catcher in the draft, and he has a long line of success in the ACC. The Virginia Cavalier has garnered some buzz, and we think it’s not out of the question that Teel could break into the top five picks. -LQ
- Speaking of catchers, Blake Mitchell has raised some eyebrows. Like Teel, he is in a class of his own, albeit the prep ranks. If Arizona doesn’t go Waldrep, Mitchell has to be the play if you go with a high school selection. Considering Lowder is taken here by the Angels, things shape up for Mitchell being the best selection for the Diamondbacks. -LQ
- I think Arjun Nimmala is the first of many prep shortstop to go. Miami is the perfect fit for the Florida native. It’s revamped front office could really feel validated with this selection. Nimmala’s raw power gives him the edge over a handful of comparable options. His frame has plenty of room to fill out as well. There will be a theme with high school shortstops in this year’s draft. -LQ
- Nolan Schanuel has improved his draft stock over the last few months. He was one of the top hitters in college baseball during the regular season and has an exciting profile. He mostly played first base at FAU out of necessity, but he can handle a corner outfield spot in pro ball. There’s a bunch of teams in on him. -DZ
- Hurston Waldrep didn’t perform up to expectations due to various reasons this season. But he has electric stuff and top-of-the-rotation potential. He should thrive in a pro player development system. How far will he fall in the teens? Time will tell, but one team could be getting a potential steal. -DZ
Read more in-depth stories on top 2023 MLB draft prospects at Baseball Prospect Journal.
Wanting to read more draft content? Check out our 2023 MLB Draft: Mock Draft 2.0.
