Tag: 2023 MLB draft

Alabama signee Bryce Eldridge drafted by San Francisco Giants in 2023 MLB draft

Two-way player Bryce Eldridge was selected No. 16 overall by the San Francisco Giants on the first night of the 2023 MLB Draft.

Alabama baseball signee Bryce Eldridge was selected No. 16 overall by the San Francisco Giants on Day 1 of the 2023 MLB draft. Eldridge had previously signed his national letter of intent to play at Alabama next season.

Eldridge is a two-way player out of James Madison High School in Fairfax, Virginia. He was the Gatorade Virginia Baseball Player of the Year as a senior.

Eldridge is listed at 6-foot-7 and 223 pounds. He bats left-handed and had quite the production at the plate during his senior season. Eldridge amassed a .422 batting average with eight home runs and 23 runs batted in. Even more impressive, Eldridge obtained a 9-0 record on the mound while holding a 1.06 ERA.

When asked about the decision to draft Eldridge, Giants amateur scout Michael Holmes spoke on what stood out about Eldridge.

“For us, it’s about the athletic ability, the ability to impact the game. Reggie, we felt like even as a hurt player could impact the game, both offensively and on the mound. We’ll put together a player development plan for Bryce moving forward. We’ll turn him over to [director of player development] Kyle Haines and his crew and allow them to kind of map that out for him. More than anything, we’re just really excited to put this type of talent into our system.”

Given that Eldridge was drafted in the first round, the likelihood that he ends up in Tuscaloosa is relatively slim. With that said, he will likely begin his professional career in the Giants organization.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the Alabama baseball program.

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CBS Sports’ draft grades for Wyatt Langford, Hurston Waldrep picks

CBS Sports gives superlative grades for both of the Gators drafted in the first round.

The first two rounds of the 2023 Major League Baseball amateur draft are officially in the books, which saw a trio of former Gators taken — including a pair in the first round alone. While one player had a chance to be the first Florida alumnus taken first overall, both of the first-rounders still did well for themselves.

Firstly, outfielder [autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] — who was expected to be among the first three selected on Sunday and a possible 1:1 pick — was drafted by the Texas Rangers at No. 4 overall after the Detroit Tigers passed him over for a high schooler. CBS Sports’ R.J. Anderson put together his draft grades on Monday morning and here is what gave the Langford pick.

Langford would have been a good get at No. 1 most years, so landing him at No. 4 is a great value. He’s a potential middle-of-the-order hitter who torched SEC pitching (.350/.484/.720 with one fewer walk than strikeout). He boasts sneaky athleticism and a veteran scout estimated he had a coin flip’s chance of remaining in center into his big-league days, so don’t be surprised if the Rangers give him a long look there. Grade: A

Secondly, there is starting pitcher [autotag]Hurston Waldrep[/autotag], who was plucked at No. 24 by his childhood favorite Atlanta Braves. Here is how that pick graded out.

Some scouts and analysts who spoke to CBS Sports in the lead up to the draft considered Waldrep worthy of a top-10 selection. That’s because he has some of the nastiest stuff in the class, including an elite splitter that very well could be this year’s best individual offering. Waldrep slipped because of his command: he walked more than 14% of SEC foes he faced, giving him more relief risk than some of his peers. The Braves can afford to swing for the fences this late in the first. Grade: A

Finally, starting pitcher Brandon Sproat was taken by the New York Mets at No. 56 overall. Anderson did not offer grades for selections made after the first 28.

The 2023 MLB draft continues on Monday for rounds three through 10. Things fire back up at 2 p.m. EDT and can be followed on live stream at MLB.com.

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MLB Draft fans in Seattle stopped booing Rob Manfred to boo the Astros instead

Manfred is terrible but hating the Astros is tradition.

At this point, it might as well be a time-honored tradition for American sports fans to boo the commissioner during a league draft. It happens to Roger Goodell in the NFL, Gary Bettman is no stranger to it in the NHL, and Rob Manfred gets his according hate in the MLB, too.

But sometimes, hostility for a commissioner doesn’t actually come first to fans. Take what happened during the 2023 MLB Draft in Seattle on Sunday.

Manfred was busy receiving his usual chorus of boos throughout the first round. But when he mentioned that the Houston Astros were about to make their first pick, fans turned up the volume on their jeering. It’s almost as if hating Manfred didn’t matter compared to hating baseball’s preeminent “villain” team in Houston.

Check it out in the video below via ESPN:

Manfred has received a fair amount of rightful criticism since he took over as MLB commissioner. This is a guy who has weak explanations for racist advertising and who put bat boys and bat girls on notice (yes, seriously) for how they apparently slow down the pace of games.

But it seems the Astros — after their unceasing run atop the league and past major cheating scandal — still hold a special place of loathing in the hearts of baseball fans. We have a real Sophie’s Choice here.

Which Scarlet Knight got ranked in the Top 100 College Prospects for the 2023 MLB Draft?

Rutgers outfielder Ryan Lasko is ranked among the 2023 Top 100 College Prospects heading into this year’s MLB Draft.

Outfielder Ryan Lasko is ranked among the 2023 Top 100 College Prospects heading into this year’s MLB Draft.

The 2023 MLB Draft is underway on Sunday, with day one including the first 70 selections, covering rounds one and two. According to Prospect Live, the Rutgers outfielder is ranked the No. 78 prospect in this year’s draft. Also, Lasko got ranked No. 89 in MLB’s Top 2023 Prospect Rankings, according to MLB.com.

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The New Jersey native from Jackson has made an immediate impact with the Scarlet Knights. Lasko has grown into one of the top outfielders in the nation since he joined the Scarlet Knights in 2021. With three years with Rutgers, Lasko developed into a top MLB prospect. He is a run producer with solid power. Also, he has a strong arm and can cover ground in the outfield with great instincts.

The 6-foot 190 pounds prospect has a career batting average of .314 with Rutgers baseball. In 156 games played, Lasko recorded 201 hits, 47 doubles, 38 home runs, 135 RBIs, and 120 strikeouts. Lasko received All-Big Ten First Team honors in 2022 and 2023. Also, he tied Rutgers’ single-season doubles record (24) in 2022.

All signs point to Lasko being taken on Monday with a third-round projection. Lasko is projected to be the first Scarlet Knight off the board, with right-handed pitcher Drew Conover behind him. Conover is ranked the No. 247 (Prosect Live) and No. 220 (MLB.com) prospect in this year’s draft.

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LSU RHP Grant Taylor selected by Chicago White Sox in second round of 2023 MLB draft

Grant Taylor missed the entire 2023 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Despite missing the entire 2023 season due to injury, LSU right-handed pitcher [autotag]Grant Taylor[/autotag] was selected by the Chicago White Sox with the 51st pick in the second round of the MLB draft on Sunday night.

The sophomore underwent Tommy John surgery prior to the season after undergoing a torn ACL. Prior to his injury, he likely would have been a part of LSU’s starting pitching rotation.

As a freshman in 2022, the Florence, Alabama, native made 17 appearances with two starts. In 31 innings pitched, he had a 4-1 record, 5.81 earned run average and 1.710 walks plus hits per inning pitched. He also struck out 39 batters.

Taylor impressed over the summer in the Cape Cod Collegiate Summer League, and it was enough to land him a spot in the second round of the draft.

It remains to be seen whether Taylor, who is still recovering from injury, will sign with the White Sox or return to Baton Rouge for what would be his redshirt sophomore season.

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Ty Floyd goes No. 38 overall to the Cincinnati Reds in 2023 MLB draft

Ty Floyd’s draft stock flew through the roof after his performance against the Florida Gators in the College World Series.

An impressive postseason for [autotag]Ty Floyd[/autotag] paid off. The junior LSU right-handed pitcher was selected with the 38th overall pick in the competitive balance portion of the first round in the 2023 MLB draft Sunday.

Floyd’s draft stock flew through the roof after his performance against the Florida Gators in the College World Series. Floyd went eight innings and gave up three runs on five hits, one walk, and 17 strikeouts. That game helped propel him into the first round.

Floyd finished the 2023 season with a 7-0 record and a 4.35 ERA. He had 120 strikeouts and 37 walks in 91 innings of work. Floyd was drafted as the No. 38 overall pick of the competitive balance round by the Cincinnati Reds.

In a year where everyone was focused on the dominant numbers that Paul Skenes was putting up, Floyd continued to go out on the mound and give it his all for LSU. He will be a great addition to the Reds organization. The Reds are trending up this year as they are leading the NL Central by 1 game over the Milwaukee Brewers.

Floyd is the third LSU Tiger from the national championship squad to be taken in the draft.

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Hurston Waldrep drafted 24th overall by Atlanta Braves

Hurston Waldrep’s one year in the Swamp won’t be forgotten, and Gators fans can keep cheering him on in the Atlanta Braves organization.

Right-hander [autotag]Hurston Waldrep[/autotag] transferred from Southern Miss to Florida last offseason to help boost his draft stock, and that gambit paid off Sunday as the Atlanta Braves drafted him 24th overall in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft.

Waldrep cemented himself as a first-round pick as the Gators’ Saturday night starter. An incredible run through the College World Series put him on the radar of every scout seeking a college arm. Although his fastball can reach up to 98 miles per hour at times, it’s the splitter that has MLB experts so excited about him.

When Waldrep can command his splitter, he generates a ton of a swing and miss and is a threat to neutralize any offense. He also has a slider that works well, especially when the other two pitches are hitting their marks.

He finished the 2023 campaign with a 4.16 ERA and 156 strikeouts over 101 2/3 innings. His 12.7% walk rate could use some work, but his 34.7% strikeout rate made up for it.

Waldrep is the 19th Florida baseball player to be drafted in the first round and the 27th arm to be selected in the first five rounds under head coach Kevin O’Sullivan.

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2023 MLB Draft: Tracking every pick in the first round

The next generation of baseball players will be chosen at the 2023 MLB Draft.

The 2023 MLB Draft is here and the next generation of baseball players are ready to take the stage.

On Sunday, July 9, the first two rounds of the 2023 MLB Draft will take place. The MLB draft is a much different beast compared to the NFL, NBA and NHL drafts, not only taking place in the middle of the season but it also features some interesting and unique rules.

Coming into the 2023 MLB Draft, LSU boasts the top two prospects after winning the College World Series last month. Tigers pitcher Paul Skenes was picked No. 1 overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates and outfielder Dylan Crews was not far behind, going No. 2 to the Washington Nationals.

Here are all the selections made in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft.

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LSU signee Blake Mitchell drafted by Kansas City Royals with 8th pick

Blake Mitchell is one of the top players in LSU’s 2023 recruiting class.

LSU signee [autotag]Blake Mitchell[/autotag] likely isn’t making it to campus.

On Sunday night, the Kansas City Royals made Mitchell the eighth overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft, joining [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] and [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag], who went first and second overall.

Mitchell is a class of 2023 commit for [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag]. He is ranked as the No. 1 catcher in the country and the No. 8 prospect in the country by Perfect Game.

This is one of those deals where you recruit the best players in the country and let them decide whether to go to school or to go pro. The ball is now in Mitchell’s court.

Mitchell was taken as the No. 8 overall pick by the Kansas City Royals. Mitchell was presumed to be the Royals’ No. 1 target on their draft board and they believe they can sign him even if they give him over his slot value of $5,980,100.

If Mitchell signs with the Royals, LSU should be okay at catcher. The Tigers still have [autotag]Brady Neal[/autotag] and [autotag]Jared Jones[/autotag] behind the plate. Plus, we don’t know if [autotag]Alex Milazzo[/autotag] or [autotag]Hayden Travinski[/autotag] will come back for another year.

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Reactions as Paul Skenes, Dylan Crews make MLB draft history as first top-2 picks from same school

LSU stole the show at the draft on Sunday night.

For the first time in the history of the MLB draft, the first two picks came from the same school.

Despite late speculation that Florida outfielder Wyatt Langford would be the first pick, the Pittsburgh Pirates ultimately took the top pitcher in the draft in [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag]. The Washington Nationals followed that by drafting 2023 Golden Spikes recipient Dylan Crews second overall.

After winning a national championship — the seventh in program history and first under coach [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] — this past spring, the Tigers have now made history at the 2023 MLB draft.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to Skenes and Crews’ selections on Sunday night.