Sunday July 9th, 7 PM. For many, this'll just be a normal evening before yet another mundane work week. But for twenty-eight individuals, it'll mark their greatest milestone to date in the sport of baseball: The opportunity to play professionally. To work their way up the ladder, through the minors, and to the big leagues. Dreams slowly beginning to be realized. Culminations of years of hard work, sweat and perseverance. Congrats in advance to these young men!
It's not quite as stacked of a class as last year, at least from the high school level, but there's definitely a ton of potential in this group. With about half of a week left until the big night, we picked out 13 of the top prospects to detail. Starting out with the presumptive #1 pick...
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| Photo: Matthew Hinton/AP |
Dylan Crews- OF/LSU
Dylan Crews may not be the surefire, consensus #1 pick in this draft, he's about as close as you're going to get. Scouts think the starting centerfielder for the National Champion LSU Tigers may have the athleticism to stick with the position long term. He repped obscene .426/.567/.713 splits at the dish this year too, with 18 home runs and 70 RBI. He did show a marginal power decline from his junior campaign, but teams will happily accept the 77 point increase in his batting average. If Pittsburgh shocks the world and doesn't take Crews #1, it'd be because they fell in love with our next prospect...
Paul Skenes- RHP/LSU
...And teammate, Paul Skenes. The young man had always dreamed of being a part of the United States Air Force, realizing that dream in 2021. In the process however, he discovered that he's a rare pitching talent, with so much realistic potential that many at the Academy told him to test those waters and come back to serve when he's done.
What a smart decision. The 6'6" righty is an absolute powerhouse on the mound, regularly pumping his fastball into the triple digits, seemingly with minimal effort. He also features a dominant slider and a changeup with possibly the highest ceiling of all three pitches. 12-2 overall, a 1.69 ERA and 209 strikeouts compared to just 20 walks. This cat's different, won't make it past the second pick, and should be a quick riser through any farm system.
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| Photo: Twitter/ @langford_wyatt |
Wyatt Langford- OF/Florida
The closer this draft gets...the more rumblings I've started to hear about Langford possibly jumping Crews as the second player selected. Not sure I believe it but just reporting what I've heard! He's a big time power prospect, having set the Florida record for most home runs in a season in 2022, but his other four tools are as sharp as any. He hit .373/21/57 during the Gators' recent runner-up campaign, successfully stealing on nine of ten attempts and walking twelve more times than he struck out. Top notch prospect here.
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| Photo: Twitter/ @hunterdollander |
Chase Dollander- RHP/Tennessee
Despite the top tier talent, Tennessee's Chase Dollander actually hurt his stock some this year. His ERA inflated from 2.39 to 4.75, as his home runs allowed and walk rate doubled. Production wise, not exactly what you're looking for. But the Vol still very much looks the part while in action, with a fastball that touches 98 and a wicked slider. He'll surely be a top ten pick, with many pundits believing his problems are easy fixes.
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| Photo: Mike Kropf/ The Daily Progress |
Kyle Teel- C/Virginia
Our top catcher on the board was originally projected as an early round pick in 2020 before letting pro organizations know that he was not going to be forgoing his college commitment. A man of his word, Teel put together three highly productive seasons for the Cavaliers, specifically his most recent one. The junior posted a .407/13/69 stat line, all career highs, helping lead his team into the NCAA regionals. And as a former football star, he isn't afraid to put his body on the line behind the dish. Pretty clean cut player here who could be a quick riser through the minors.
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| Photo: Wake Forest Athletics |
Rhett Lowder- RHP/Wake Forest
If you didn't tune in for the Rhett Lowder- Paul Skenes College World Series showdown, find a way to watch that game...as good as it gets on the collegiate level. Lowder was the ace for Wake Forest, going 15-0 with an insane 1.87 ERA and about six strikeouts per every walk. The Deacs went 18-1 when he was on the bump, with favorable game scripts always provided by the top pitcher in the ACC. His mid-90's fastball is a very good pitch, but his changeup may be the best in this entire draft class.
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| Photo: Joe Frisaro |
Walker Jenkins- OF/South Brunswick HS
Our first high school baller on this list is Walker Jenkins from South Brunswick, New Jersey. The senior stands at 6'3" and 205 pounds, a salivating physical frame for those projecting him ahead a couple of years. Jenkins really exploded onto the scene as a junior, ripping a .527 average with 25/49 hits going for extra bases. His productivity did not drop off much as a senior, despite many teams simply just walking the stud, rather than dealing with the consequences. He'll be playing collegiate ball at the University of North Carolina if a deal isn't struck with whatever team drafts him.
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| Photo: Grand Canyon Athletics |
Jacob Wilson- SS/Grand Canyon
I'll go on the record as being unaware that Grand Canyon University was any more then an online school. Thank you Mr. Wilson for that tidbit of information! Son of major league stalwart Jack Wilson, Jacob has flown under the radar as one of the elite hitters in the nation for much of his career. His contact improved by 40 points or more each season from 2021-2023, possibly at the expense of some of his power in the process. Regardless, many scouts think he'll be able to regain that pop as he ascends the minors. He also has an unheard of 61 walks to just 31 strikeouts in three years of college ball; world class contact and an eye to match it. He'll probably get scooped up somewhere from the low teens to the early 20's.
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| Photo: Daniel Shirley/ Getty Images |
Aiden Miller- 3B/Mitchell HS
Our next prospect is still considered a first round talent despite missing his entire senior campaign with a broken hamate. At 6'2" 210 though, and loaded with power, how could you not get excited about this kid? In three seasons of varsity ball, he hit .385/8/47 with an on-base percentage over .500. Currently projected as a corner infielder, if Miller fills out physically like many predict he could, he could end up the top power bat in this class.
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| Photo: Saul Young/ USA Today |
Enrique Bradfield Jr.- OF/Vanderbilt
From the most powerful positional player in this draft to arguably the fastest, Vanderbilt's Enrique Bradfield Jr. is an electrifying young outfielder. The three year starter at Vandy went an immaculate 46/46 on stolen bases as a sophomore, only being caught 13 times in 143 chances through his collegiate career. Wheels... His contact numbers have been steadily declining since a breakout freshman stint, but Bradfield still walks more than he strikes out. On top of that, he's an elite defender with the capability to remain in center field long term. There's a ton of value he can add to any roster.
Tommy Troy- SS/Stanford
Got to see Tommy Troy in action some against Wake Forest this College World Series, posting a solid 2-4 day at this dish in the second double elimination round. Just another day at the office for the Stanford infielder. He slashed a .394/17/58 line in his most recent season, helping lead the Cardinal to a 44-20 record overall. Troy's got a compact frame, leading experts to believe he projects best at second base as a major leaguer, equipped with plus contact potential and above average power.
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| Photo: Josh McCoy/ Ole Miss Athletics |
Jacob Gonzalez- SS/Ole Miss
Ole Miss didn't have a good season as a team, peaking at #2 in the country before finishing just 25-29 in a brutal SEC, but they did stash a top player in this upcoming draft: Jacob Gonzalez. The junior has been up and down at the dish through his career, dipping down to .273 during his encore to a strong .355 freshman showing. He evened things back out in this third season, ripping .327 with ten long balls and 51 RBI. Gonzalez isn't going to steal many bases or hit for a ton of power, but he'll get on base with regularity, as evidenced by his positive walk to strikeout ratio and .427 collegiate OBP. At 6'2", 200 pounds, third base could be in his professional future.
Arjun Nimmala- SS/Strawberry Crest HS
From the cricket pitch to the baseball diamond, Arjun Nimmala's journey into draft consideration has been as fascinating as it has been unique. At 6'1", 165 pounds, he's a long, strong and lean prospect built for the left side of the infield. He also won't be 18 until December, giving him a natural advantage in his development from a timeline standpoint alone. An attendee of Strawberry Crest High in Dover, Florida, Nimmala's senior season was impressive, featuring a .479 batting average, six home runs and an OPS of 1.477. I imagine it'll take a hefty over slot bonus to lure him away from his college commitment to Florida State.
Draft Order
1. Pittsburgh Pirates
2. Washington Nationals
3. Detroit Tigers
4. Texas Rangers
5. Minnesota Twins
6. Oakland Athletics
7. Cincinnati Reds
8. Kansas City Royals
9. Colorado Rockies
10. Miami Marlins
11. Los Angeles Angels
12. Arizona Diamondbacks
13. Chicago Cubs
14. Boston Red Sox
15. Chicago White Sox
16. San Francisco Giants
17. Baltimore Orioles
18. Milwaukee Brewers
19. Tampa Bay Rays
20. Toronto Blue Jays
21. St. Louis Cardinals
22. Seattle Mariners
23. Cleveland Guardians
24. Atlanta Braves
25. San Diego Padres
26. New York Yankees
27. Philadelphia Phillies
28. Houston Astros
Credits to MLB.com and Baseballreference.com, among other sources, for information found in this story
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@Choppinglines
*I own no rights to any images found in this blog
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