The 2023 college draft crop is shaping up to be an impressive one. College Baseball Nation was on the scene at the Team USA trials last summer in Cary, North Carolina and saw first hand how balanced this year’s draft eligible talent is.
For starters, for the first time in literally years, there’s an impressive collection of both pitchers and hitters that will be available in July — however, as has become customary during this era of the Tommy John epidemic, we caution that this could change drastically during the next five months.
Though Dylan Crews is viewed in most places as the consensus top draft-eligible collegiate, he will have plenty of competition — and much of it from within the ultra-competitive SEC. Wyatt Langford offers a similar set of tools but with a bit more physicality while Jacob Gonzalez is college baseball’s best all-round shortstop since the Dansby Swanson/Alex Bregman Show nearly a decade ago. And don’t sleep on Jacob Wilson, whose expected uptick in power will compliment his superb hit tool and exquisite glovework.
On the pitching side, Chase Dollander, Hurston Waldrep, and Rhett Lowder are all guys who could hear their names called within the first half hour of the draft. Let’s hope they, and all the other big arms, stay healthy, because if they do, the 2023 draft has a chance to be special.
Below is a list of the top 50 draft eligible players, a tally we’ll be updating and expanding as the season progresses.
Stay tuned because in the coming weeks we’ll be introducing our Freshman All-America teams as well as the Top 50 draft eligible high school players.
1. Wyatt Langford, OF, Florida: Former catcher has enjoyed meteoric rise due to exceptional batted ball data, pitch recognition skills, and ability to play CF.
2. Chase Dollander, RHP, Tennessee: Lanky righthander’s electric arsenal and expert command make him the best college righty since Gerrit Cole.
3. Dylan Crews, OF, LSU: Complete tool kit and history of success in the SEC make him a no-brainer top-5 pick.
4. Jacob Gonzalez, SS, Ole Miss: Silky smooth 2-way SS has a knack for finding the barrel.
5. Brayden Taylor, 3B, TCU: Still must mature physically, but ultra-polished at the plate and projects as well above average at the hot corner.
6. Jacob Wilson, SS, Grand Canyon: Best pure hitter in the class added 15 pounds of muscle in the offseason while offering a deluxe defensive package.
7. Hurston Waldrep, RHP, Florida: Compact power righthander in the Ben Sheets mold.
8. Enrique Bradfield Jr., OF, Vanderbilt: 80 speed with 80 glove; his ability to impact the baseball has improved steadily.
9. Travis Honeyman, OF, Boston College: Legitimate 5-tool player likely to start his pro career in CF.
10. Rhett Lowder, RHP, Wake Forest: Checks all of the boxes to be a future front-of-the-rotation MLB starter, with his change-up garnering special praise.
11. Paul Skenes, RHP, LSU: Physically imposing 6-06/245 2-way player likely has more of a future on the hill.
12. Jack Hurley, OF, Virginia Tech: Despite modest size, posts some of the best batted ball data in the class though he must improve his swing decisions and prove he has a viable future in CF.
13. Tanner Witt, RHP, Texas: Tommy John survivor could shoot up draft boards if he shows well in June pre-draft workouts or makes it to the mound for the Longhorns.
14. Will Sanders, RHP, South Carolina: Lanky hurler who profiles as a durable mid-rotation arm.
15. Matt Shaw, 2B, Maryland: Destroyed pitching in the Cape Cod League last summer and will further improve his draft stock if he defies the odds and proves he can stick at SS.
16. Cade Kuehler, RHP, Campbell: Mature, durable arm who should buzz through the minors.
17. Brock Wilken, 3B, Wake Forest: Physical third baseman who will shoot to the front of this list if he proves he can make better contact against breaking stuff.
18. Teddy McGraw, RHP, Wake Forest: Has been inconsistent, but his mid-90’s heater and 3000-RPM slider portend good things for the New York native.
19. Tommy Troy, 2B, Stanford: Undersized MIF who has done nothing but hit every spring and summer.
20. Nathan Dettmer, RHP, Texas A&M: His fastball approached the century mark this fall, and his slider was just as lethal.
21. Chase Davis, OF, Arizona
22. Jaden Woods, LHP, Georgia
23. Kyle Teel, C, Virginia
24. Jared Dickey, OF/C, Tennessee
25. Maui Ahuna, SS, Tennessee
26. Ross Dunn, LHP, Arizona State
27. Wyatt Crowell, LHP, Florida State
28. Marcus Brown, SS, Oklahoma State
29. Carter Trice, OF/IF, NC State
30. Yohandy Morales, 3B, Miami
31. Patrick Reilly, RHP, Vanderbilt
32. Colton Ledbetter, OF, Mississippi State
33. Kemp Alderman, OF, Ole Miss
34. Jaxon Wiggins, RHP, Arkansas
35. Matthew Etzel, OF, Southern Miss
36. Joseph Gonzalez, RHP, Auburn
37. Juaron Watts-Brown, LHP, Oklahoma State
38. Luke Keaschall, IF/OF, Arizona State
39. Nolan Schanuel, 1B/OF, Florida Atlantic
40. Ryan Lasko, OF, Rutgers
41. Alex Mooney, SS, Duke
42. Jason Savacool, RHP, Maryland
43. Ty Langenberg, RHP, Iowa
44. Jake Cunningham, OF, UNC Charlotte
45. Jake Gelof, 3B, Virginia
46. James McCoy, 3B/OF, Kentucky
47. Jackson Baumeister, RHP, Florida State
48. Carson Montgomery, RHP, Florida State
49. Ryan Bruno, LHP, Stanford
50. Cole Carrigg, SS, San Diego State
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