2023 MLB Draft Results: Grades for Overall Team-by-Team Results

The 2023 MLB draft has brought a fresh wave of promising younger expertise to baseball’s minor league ranks.

The Pittsburgh Pirates kicked off this yr’s action by taking LSU appropriate-hander Paul Skenes with the No. 1 total make a choice, and the Washington Nationals made history at No. 2 total when they took his LSU outfielder Dylan Crews, marking the first time in draft history that a pair of teammates admire gone support-to-support to open the draft.

As anticipated, the following three picks had been a trio of outfielders, with Max Clark (Detroit Tigers), Wyatt Langford (Texas Rangers) and Walker Jenkins (Minnesota Twins) lengthy viewed as the rest of a five-player top-tier of expertise.

The preferrred surprise of the first spherical is the truth that in a deep class of excessive college shortstops with first-spherical tools, Arjun Nimmala was as soon as the first one off the board at No. 20 total to the Toronto Blue Jays, while several gamers from that demographic anticipated to be first-spherical picks slipped out of the gap spherical.

Forward we now admire provided an all-encompassing grade for all 30 groups in accordance to early impressions of their 2023 draft class. That’s followed by a closer look for on the preferrred and the worst of this yr’s draft.

2023 MLB Draft Crew Grades

• Arizona Diamondbacks: A-
• Atlanta Braves: C
• Baltimore Orioles: B
• Boston Pink Sox: B+
• Chicago Cubs: B
• Chicago White Sox: B+
• Cincinnati Reds: A
• Cleveland Guardians: B+
• Colorado Rockies: A
• Detroit Tigers: B
• Houston Astros: B
• Kansas City Royals: C-
• Los Angeles Angels: C
• Los Angeles Dodgers: A
• Miami Marlins: A-
• Milwaukee Brewers: B+
• Minnesota Twins: A
• Contemporary York Mets: A
• Contemporary York Yankees: B
• Oakland Athletics: B
• Philadelphia Phillies: B+
• Pittsburgh Pirates: A+
• San Diego Padres: B
• San Francisco Giants: A+
• Seattle Mariners: B
• St. Louis Cardinals: B+
• Tampa Bay Rays: A-
• Texas Rangers: B+
• Toronto Blue Jays: A
• Washington Nationals: A+

Let me preface this by announcing Blake Mitchell has the tools to invent correct into a standout offensive catcher and the heir apparent to Salvador Perez in the support of the plate.

However, for a rebuilding Kansas City Royals team that can now now not give you the money for to whiff on a excessive need, deciding on from the draft’s riskiest demographic is a plucky device that can also indirectly now not sleep burning them.

Whereas guys love Joe Mauer and J.T. Realmuto are exception, there may maybe be a lengthy history of excessive college catchers drafted in the first spherical failing to invent into MLB gamers. Mitchell does admire a barely increased floor than most thanks to a rocket arm and some ability fallback capacity on the mound, however it no doubt’s a perilous need nonetheless.

The Royals then doubled down on their methodology and selected a excessive-threat, excessive-reward pitcher with their second need in prep appropriate-hander Blake Wolters. Coming from a cold weather explain (Illinois) he didn’t face the preferrred opponents in excessive college, and a ways of his upside is predicated on the enchancment of his aloof raw secondary stuff.

Again, these two can also both now not sleep rising into impact gamers, however the excessive-threat methodology right here doesn’t match what the Royals have to aloof be doing to rebuild.

The Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants and Washington Nationals are the three groups that utterly knocked the 2023 draft out of the park.

For the Pirates and Nationals, they benefited very a lot from deciding on 1-2 in a draft that featured a pair of ability generational skills in LSU teammates Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews, and no matter some rumblings of below-slot deals they properly made them the first two choices.

The Pirates followed the different of Skenes at No. 1 total with a excessive-floor college shortstop (Mitch Jebb) and a excessive-ceiling prep pitcher (Zander Mueth) sooner than taking seven college pitchers amongst their eight Day 2 choices. Immense formulation to restock the blueprint.

The Nationals managed to apply the Crews need with College of Miami slugger Yohandy Morales at No. 40 total and flame-throwing prep appropriate-hander Travis Sykora at No. 71 total. All three gamers will possible slot into the tip 10 potentialities in an up-and-coming blueprint when organizational prospect lists are updated, and to trot away with three of the tip 40 or so gamers in a draft is a famous uncover.

Lastly, the Giants grabbed dynamic two-methodology player Bryce Eldridge at No. 16 total, reeled in a player they had been tied to all spring when they took prep shortstop Walker Martin at No. 52 total, after which walked away with the establish stop of Day 1 when Kent Teach lefty Joe Whitman was as soon as aloof on the board at No. 69, no matter receiving primary first-spherical buzz.

Throw in Tennessee shortstop Maui Ahuna and breakout Maryland catcher Luke Shliger on Day 2, and the Giants completely nailed it without the coolest thing a few top-15 make a choice.