The 2023 MLB Draft class one year in

It has been over a year since the 2023 MLB draft, and Draft Nation thinks this a good time to take a look at how the top 30 picks are performing. We all know that the first overall pick, Paul Skenes has been dominating and has already started an All-Star game. Today, we'll look at Skenes, as well as the other picks from the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft.

1- Paul Skenes, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates

Skenes may be the best pitcher in baseball and he has only made 12 starts. He has dominated since pitch one and has already made an All-Star game, in fact he was the starter. He is 6-1 with a 1.93 ERA. In 74.2 innings, he has 97 strikeouts and only 13 walks. Skenes is as generational as we have seen from a pitcher in a very long time.

2- Dylan Crews, OF, Washington Nationals

There were a lot of pundits who thought Crews could have and should have gone No. 1 to Pittsburgh. I think those comments have all been drowned out by the start of Paul Skenes, and the struggles of Dylan Crews. Crews has had strikeout issues and his power has not come along as easily as first thought. Crews is hitting a combined .263 with nine homers between AA and AAA this season. Draft Nation still believes the Nats will have a future All-Star roaming around in center field.

3- Max Clark, OF, Detroit Tigers

Clark was considered a possible No. 1 pick and the most talented prep hitter in this class. Clark has been everything as advertised, and in 78 games this season between A and high-A, he is hitting .291 with seven homers. He has also walked 49 times, which is almost as many times as he has struck out (63). He is only 19 years old and could be a fixture in Comerica Park right around the time he is allowed to have his first drink.

4- Wyatt Langford, OF, Texas Rangers

If it wasn’t for a man named Paul Skenes, more people would be talking about Wyatt Langford of the Texas Rangers. Langford, like Skenes, is already playing major league baseball and although his stats aren’t as dominating as Skenes, he has shown the capability to do anything on the ballfield. He is hitting .244 with five home runs and 43 RBI in 82 games. 

5- Walker Jenkins, OF, Minnesota Twins

Jenkins is another former prep hitting star that has taken off in his professional debut. The 2023 MLB draft has a chance to be a special one with these top five players. Between rookie ball and A-ball this season, Jenkins is hitting .295 with three homers and 40 RBI. He has more walks than strikeouts (36-19) and appears on track to be another future young superstar in the AL Central.

6- Jacob Wilson, SS, Oakland A’s

Wilson has put up computer game numbers this season playing between rookie ball, AA and AAA. In 185 at bats combined, he was hitting .438 with seven home runs. He got promoted to Oakland in July and had a hit in his very first at bat. However, he pulled a hamstring rounding third five minutes later and got put on the IL. Wilson is going to be another player from this draft class who has All-star potential, and Oakland is proving everybody right by taking Wilson as high as they did.

7- Rhett Lowder, RHP, Cincinnati Reds

Lowder dominated down at High-A, but hit a little bit of a snag when he first got promoted to AA. He has since started pitching better for AA-Chattanooga and is 2-4 with a 5.31 ERA on the year. Lowder could be promoted to AAA later this year, and could be on next year’s opening day Reds roster.

8- Blake Mitchell, C, Kansas City Royals

Mitchell has performed well in single-A after being drafted out of high school. He has hit .255 with 12 bombs, but has struck out 106 times in 290 at bats. 

9- Chase Dollander, RHP, Colorado Rockies

Dollander looked like a man against boys at the high-A level. He went 4-1 with 111 strikeouts in just 70 innings. He has since been promoted to AA where he has started just one game so far. Colorado could see Dollander as early as late 2025, and he will be a much needed addition to their rotation.

10- Noble Meyer, RHP, Miami Marlins

The first prep pitcher off the board in 2023 has been electric in his first full pro season. Between A and high-A, Meyer is 2-4 with a 3.15 ERA. In 13 starts, he has struck out 64 batters in 54.1 innings pitched. 

11- Nolan Schanuel, 1B, Los Angeles Angels

Schanuel is the only player from the 2023 draft class to play in the 2023 season. After only 97 minor league plate appearances. Schanuel was called up to Los Angeles last year and hit .275 with one homer in 109 at bats. This season he started with the Angels and has been a solid performer. Schanuel is hitting .251 with 11 home runs and 38 RBI.

12- Tommy Troy, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks

The Stanford shortstop looked good at rookie ball but has struggled since his promotion to high-A Hillsboro. He is hitting just .185 with one homer and has struck out 30 times in 119 at bats. 

13- Matt Shaw, SS, Chicago Cubs

Shaw has played the whole 2024 season at AA, and has held his own. He is hitting .256 with 13 home runs and has stolen 22 bases. Shaw should receive a promotion to AAA soon and could be an opening day player in 2025 for the Cubbies.

14- Kyle Teel, C, Boston Red Sox

Teel is another 2023 draft pick who has done well at the AA level at an early stage. He is hitting .295 with nine homers and 53 RBI in 288 at bats. Teel appears to be on the expressway to the big leagues.

15- Jacob Gonzalez, SS, Chicago White Sox

Gonzalez has been excellent with the glove in the early going, and his bat has started to heat up after a slow start. He is hitting .245 with five homers and 14 stolen bases between high-A and AA. At AA he has sort of hit a snag, hitting only .227 in 229 at bats. His glove and left handed bat will get to Chicago in the next couple of seasons.

16- Bryce Eldridge, 1B, San Francisco Giants

The 6-foot-7 Eldridge was drafted as a two-way player, but has since been a hitter only. He started at single-A and hit .263 with 10 homeruns in 205 at bats. He was then promoted to high-A where he has hit .257 with one homer in 70 at bats. 

17- Enrique Bradfield, Jr., OF, Baltimore Orioles

Bradfield was best known for his defense and speed at Vanderbilt and has shown it in a big way at high-A Aberdeen. He has stolen 50 bases in 69 games, and is hitting .281. Bradfield will be a top of the order hitter in the Orioles lineup in the future. 

18- Brock Wilken, 3B, Milwaukee Brewers

Wilken is hitting .226 but has shown his ability to create power, hitting 12 home runs for AA Biloxi. His glove has been a question mark and he could project to move to first base. Wilken will also need to cut down his strikeout totals as he makes his way up the organizational ladder.

19- Brayden Taylor, 3B, Tampa Bay Rays

Taylor is having a strong season at high-A Bowling Green. He is hitting .271 with 14 home runs and 45 RBI. He has also shown elite speed, stealing 26 bases. He has a good eye at the plate, walking 61 times and having an OPS of .907. Taylor should see a promotion soon to AA and continue his journey to the Rays lineup.

20- Arjun Nimmala, SS, Toronto Blue Jays

Nimmala, 18, has hit a rough patch for single-A Dunedin this season. He is hitting .196 and has made 12 errors in just 48 games. He has shown some pop however, hitting nine homers in 189 at bats. At his age and progression he will most likely be several years away from his MLB debut.

21- Chase Davis, OF, St. Louis Cardinals

Davis has shown some flashes of why he was a first round pick, but has lacked consistency at single-A Palm Beach. He is hitting .232 with eight homers. He is already 22 and may not reach the majors until he is 25-26 years old.

22- Colt Emerson, SS/3B, Seattle Mariners

The prep star from Ohio has struggled early on with his glove in the minor leagues. This season he has committed 13 errors in 31 games. His season was halted in May with a fractured foot that has kept him out of action for two months. He was hitting .282 in 131 at bats for single-A Modesto.

23- Ralphy Velazquez, C/1B, Cleveland Guardians

The 19-year-old prep hitter has played the whole 2024 season for single-A Lynchburg. He has played mostly at first base and is hitting a respectable .253 with nine homers. He could see a promotion to high-A by season’s end. It does appear that Cleveland may be making him a first baseman and ending his catching career. 

24- Huston Waldrep, RHP, Atlanta Braves

Waldrep proved enough to the Braves organization earlier this year that he was ready for the big leagues, after 12 starts over four different affiliations. In Atlanta, he has made two starts and went 0-1 with a 16.71 ERA in seven innings. Waldrep was placed on the IL after suffering right elbow inflammation. The Braves are being cautious with his return, and Waldrep should do some rehab assignments for AAA-Gwinnett.

25- Dillon Head, OF, Miami Marlins (Drafted by San Diego Padres)

Dillon Head was traded to the Miami Marlins in the trade for second baseman Luis Arraez. Head was hitting .243 overall this season in 111 at bats. However, on June 19th it was announced that Head will undergo season ending hip surgery. At 19-years-old this is a setback, but hopefully the hip surgery will strengthen him and he will be able to continue playing early next season.

26- George Lombard Jr., SS/3B, New York Yankees

Lombard is going through some growing pains at single-A, especially in the field. The prep star from Gulliver Prep in Florida is hitting .235 with four home runs, but has struck out 83 times in only 289 at bats. He is still a top five Yankees prospect and will continue to progress through the organization.

27- Aidan Miller, SS, Philadelphia Phillies

Miller performed well at single-A but has hit a wall at high-A Jersey Shore. He is hitting .200 with two homers in 115 at bats. Miller, 20, was one of the older prep hitters taken in the first round and it will be interesting to see how Philadelphia handles his promotions going forward.

28- Brice Matthews, SS, Houston Astros

Matthews has climbed the rung quickly for Houston in 2024. He started in rookie ball and has gotten 94 at bats in AA. Combined on the season he is hitting .293 with 11 home runs. This 22-year-old appears to be on the fast track to Houston.

29- Jonny Farmelo, OF, Seattle Mariners

Farmelo has spent his first year of professional baseball in single-A Modesto. He is hitting .264 with four home runs and he has stolen 18 bases. He is a left-handed hitter and a solid center fielder who was moving up the draft boards last season because of his upside. The 19-year-old is a solid top 5 prospect going forward for Seattle.

30- Tai Peete, SS, Seattle Mariners

Seattle seems to have hit the jackpot with picks 29 and 30. Peete has also played his first professional season in single-A Modesto. Peete has shown elite speed, stealing 25 bases. He also looks comfortable at the plate, hitting .269. His strikeout totals however are something to worry about. He has struck out 115 times in 331 at bats.