2023 MLB Draft

[imref]

Surprising pick given House in the system.

Here’s more:
https://amp.miamiherald.com/sports/college/acc/university-of-miami/article277093888.html

[bluestreak]

From what I’ve read, he likely won’t stay at third.

[ZimW1N]

From what I’ve read, he likely won’t stay at third.

Dude has 1st base written all over him.

[imref]

one of the ESPN commentators noted that if Skenes wins RoY next year, the Pirates get another first round pick in 2025. Does anyone know how that works?

[Mattionals]

The Nats are giving me 2010s Cubs rebuild vibes. Lots of position players in the system right now with some high ceilings. Some guys have decently high floors as well. I'd say we are all hopeful that Wood, Crews, and House are high ceiling, high floor types. Then you've got players like Hassell who could start moving up the rank chart because he is young and has flashed tools in the past. Vaquero and Green are young and raw, and both also could have sky high ceilings. The Nats system seems long on corner OF/1B/DH types, has a few true CF types, one likely stud 3B, and then dries up. Much like those Cubbies, you need to get some pitching in there, and probably another MI since I'm continuing to lose trust in Garcia.

[SkinsNatFan21RIP]

one of the ESPN commentators noted that if Skenes wins RoY next year, the Pirates get another first round pick in 2025. Does anyone know how that works?

That can’t be real lol. So basically one of the teams who caused the draft lottery still benefits. I have to believe that’s inaccurate

[Mattionals]

one of the ESPN commentators noted that if Skenes wins RoY next year, the Pirates get another first round pick in 2025. Does anyone know how that works?

Check out the Mariners this year with Julio Rodriguez last year. They got a late 1st round pick (29th overall I think) because they drafted Julio Rodriguez, brought him up, and he won ROY.

[Natsinpwc]

That can’t be real lol. So basically one of the teams who caused the draft lottery still benefits. I have to believe that’s inaccurate

End of first round bonus pick. Not lottery.

[Natsinpwc]

The whole Nats are ineligible for the lottery thing blows my mind. The lottery is the top six picks but they can pick no higher than 10.  Does that make sense to anyone other than Manfred?

[nobleisthyname]

The fact that it's also based on revenue sharing when nobody seems entirely clear on who is a revenue sharing recipient or not is also mind blowing to me.

[imref]

Found this: https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/mlb-prospect-promotion-incentive-rookie-year-cba/ja5ts8eaxcuv85xujnzriafb

Essentially as part of the new CBA, teams who have a draft pick win RoY the year after they are drafted get a draft pick at the end of the first round. If they have a player who finishes 2nd or 3rd in the RoY voting, the team gets an extra international signing. This was designed to incentivize teams to call up their top prospects rather than manipulate service time by keeping them in the minors longer than necessary.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Any of the top 5 would have been 1-1 in other years

this. I think the big thing about ending up with Crews rather than Skenes or Langford (or even Clark or Jenkins) is that it kind of tells you where the organization holes are going forward. As ESPN said in its evaluation of the organization's strengths and weaknesses, we have a lot of high end outfield prospects now, all throughout the system. Below AA, there's Vaquero, Green, and Lile, perhaps De La Rosa, and others who are young but raw. On the flip side, you have Jacob Young who is performing well. I would be OK with more of a focus on up the middle infielders and, as ESPN put it, lefty pitchers.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Reds have to take Teel.

really happy he fell to the Red Sox.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Kiley McDaniel has him at 18 on the Big Board. Keith Law at 32.

fwiw, Longenhagen / Fangraphs had him at #13 high risk 45+.

Morales arrived on campus with a ton of profile because 6-foot-4 infielders with plus power and arm strength don't typically make it to school. After a somewhat disappointing freshman season, Morales improved in each subsequent year and finished his career in Coral Gables with a god-like .408/.475/.713 line. Morales is a ferocious swinger with a prototypical baseball player's frame, projecting for at least plus raw power at maturity if he doesn't have it already. His swing has always been a little stiff and odd, and indeed there are some in-zone vulnerabilities that make him a volatile corner infield prospect, but Morales' talent and 30-homer potential are going to force someone to take him in the first round. Even as he's filled out to about 225 pounds, he's retained the athleticism to play third base quite well, and his arm is an easy left-side fit on the infield. It's possible the move Morales' hands make before he actually starts his swing can be toned down to help him shorten up and pull more pitches without detracting from his power. He has the ceiling of an impact everyday third baseman.

https://www.fangraphs.com/prospects/the-board/2023-mlb-draft?search=&filter=&org=&pos= [the quote is from the linked the "report"]

[nobleisthyname]

Sounds like quite the potential steal. I wonder why he dropped so much compared to expectations.

Edit: Referring to Morales, though Teel seems like a steal as well.

[stoneghost28]

this. I think the big thing about ending up with Crews rather than Skenes or Langford (or even Clark or Jenkins) is that it kind of tells you where the organization holes are going forward. As ESPN said in its evaluation of the organization's strengths and weaknesses, we have a lot of high end outfield prospects now, all throughout the system. Below AA, there's Vaquero, Green, and Lile, perhaps De La Rosa, and others who are young but raw. On the flip side, you have Jacob Young who is performing well. I would be OK with more of a focus on up the middle infielders and, as ESPN put it, lefty pitchers.

The biggest thing to me is that we didn't tumble down the lottery. W/the new rules, odds set the way we were, we had a genuine chance to get royally <censored> beyond just not getting the pick we should get in the '24 draft. I don't know how you guys did but when I played with the draft sim I was stunned how often the Nats picked well below 1.01. To land the #1 position player in the draft, and the 1.01 for a lot of people in this class was huge, huge, huge. It was in its own way analogous to when we landed Harper 15 years ago or whenever it was. A HUGE win for us.

I also thought based on the write ups that we landed another guy with top 15-25 upside with our 2nd rounder. Pretty huge.

Wthe talent infusions from the '21 draft going forward, the position player situation for '24 and beyond is looking quite promising, it's pitching that remains a big concern. Hopefully they can start addressing pitching effectively with this class and some moves at the deadline.

[stoneghost28]

Sounds like quite the potential steal. I wonder why he dropped so much compared to expectations.

Edit: Referring to Morales, though Teel seems like a steal as well.

I think Law covered it writing about two concerns w/his hitting, if I remember right he had him at 32, or maybe 34. We got him a bit lower than expected but not crazily lower. To me whats attractive is just getting a ceiling guy with that pick, a guy with the potential to be a legit weapon in two years or so. Exciting.

[imref]

some local guys drafted last night:
 
- Matt Shaw from UMD (13th to the Cubs)
- Kyle Teel from UVA (14th to Boston)
- Bryce Eldridge from James Madison HS in Fairfax (16th to the Giants)
- Jonny Farmelo from Chantilly HS (29th to Seattle)
- Ben Williamson from W&M (57th to Seattle)

[Kevrock]

Surprising pick given House in the system.

Here’s more:
https://amp.miamiherald.com/sports/college/acc/university-of-miami/article277093888.html

You don't draft based on need...

Anyway, I like Miami so I watched a ton of Yoyo this year. He's a complete stud.

[Section214]

I'd be happy with Jack Hurley from VT with our first pick today or we can go with Hunter Owen from Vanderbilt. Rizzo loves his big projectable arms with a history of injury issues!

[Section214]

You don't draft based on need...

Anyway, I like Miami so I watched a ton of Yoyo this year. He's a complete stud.

Yeah, I never understand anyone referring to need in the baseball draft. You always need everything, best player available always.

[imref]

heading into day 2:

TallkNats is suggesting Cameron Johnson, a HS pitcher who is committed to LSU. MLB pipeline had him at 42. 6'5" 240lb LHP. Had elbow tendinitis at the end of the year but threw well in the combine. Mid-90s FB/ upper 70s slider.

here's BBA's best available:
-No. 36 RHP Travis Sykora
-No. 37 RHP Joey Volchko
-No. 38 OF Jack Hurley
-No. 42 SS Roch Cholowsky
-No. 43 LHP Cameron Johnson
-No. 46 RHP Juaron Watts-Brown

MLB pipeline has:
- Hurley (36)
- Sykora (40)
- Johnson (42)
- Cole Schoenwetter (HS RHP) (43)
- Cholowsky (44)

Sykora is HS RHP who has a 100MPH FB and mid-80s slider. Seems like a Rizzo guy

[Mattionals]

I'd take Sykora.

[imref]

Longenhagen:

The Nationals now have two star-level outfielders in their farm system in Crews and James Wood. Morales had a mid-first round grade from me and was incredible value in the second round.

[Kevrock]

heading into day 2:

TallkNats is suggesting Cameron Johnson, a HS pitcher who is committed to LSU. MLB pipeline had him at 42. 6'5" 240lb LHP. Had elbow tendinitis at the end of the year but threw well in the combine. Mid-90s FB/ upper 70s slider.

here's BBA's best available:
-No. 36 RHP Travis Sykora
-No. 37 RHP Joey Volchko
-No. 38 OF Jack Hurley
-No. 42 SS Roch Cholowsky
-No. 43 LHP Cameron Johnson
-No. 46 RHP Juaron Watts-Brown

MLB pipeline has:
- Hurley (36)
- Sykora (40)
- Johnson (42)
- Cole Schoenwetter (HS RHP) (43)
- Cholowsky (44)

Sykora is HS RHP who has a 100MPH FB and mid-80s slider. Seems like a Rizzo guy

Tanner Witt will go today. He's ranked in the 70s but was on track to be a top 10 pick before needing surgery. Seems like a Rizzo pick for round 3-5 if signable with some overslot money.