Tag: MLB Draft

Former LSU outfielder announces transfer to Big 10 school

After spending the last two years at LSU, Josh Stevenson is headed to Ohio State.

After spending the last two years at LSU, [autotag]Josh Stevenson[/autotag] is headed to Ohio State.

Stevenson played in 40 games as a freshman in 2022, finishing the season with a .200 batting average, four doubles, a homer and 9 RBI. Last season, Stevenson only appeared in 24 games and had 10 at-bats. He was mainly used as a late-inning defensive replacement.

The Buckeyes finished last season 31-25 and failed to make the Big Ten conference tournament. Hopefully, Stevenson will go to Columbus and be successful.

As for LSU, the Tigers are gearing up for Sunday’s MLB draft where they will see multiple names called in the first round. [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag], [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag] and possibly [autotag]Ty Floyd[/autotag] may all hear their names called early tomorrow night. The 2023 MLB draft starts at 6 p.m. CT.

After the draft, we should know more about who LSU is pursuing in the transfer portal as well.

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Meet Paul Skenes, the hard-throwing LSU pitcher viewed as one of the best pitching prospects of all time

Paul Skenes could be pitching in the Major Leagues sooner rather than later.

Making his first start at the 2023 Men’s College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, Paul Skenes brought the heat from Baton Rouge.

Skenes, the top pitching prospect in the 2023 MLB Draft, was practically unhittable against the Tennessee Volunteers. In a 7.2-inning outing, he allowed just two earned runs while striking out 12.

Of the 123 pitches the right-hander threw that night, an unbelievable 46 of them recorded a velocity of at least 100 miles per hour on the radar gun.

That’s just a taste of what Skenes, who could find himself as the No. 1 overall pick on Sunday night, brings to the table.

A transfer addition last offseason from Air Force, Skenes became the best pitcher in college baseball under the tutelage of head coach Jay Johnson and pitching coach Wes Johnson, who was recently hired as the head coach at Georgia.

He finished the year with a 12-2 record as the Friday night starter and a 1.69 ERA, which ranked second in the nation. His 209 strikeouts — an SEC record — led the nation, in addition to his 0.75 walks plus hits per inning pitched.

That aforementioned game against Tennessee wasn’t even his best outing in Omaha; that honor is reserved for the elimination game gem he pitched against top-seeded Wake Forest.

In that game, he pitched eight shutout innings with nine strikeouts as LSU outlasted the Demon Deacons and likely first-round pitcher Rhett Lowder.

MLB.com’s Jim Callis recently dubbed Skenes the second-best pitching prospect of all time behind Stephen Strasburg. But if being a generational pitching talent wasn’t enough, Skenes can hold his own at the plate, too.

He played catcher on his off days while at Air Force. Though he gave up hitting to focus on pitching when he got to Baton Rouge, he recently said that he plans to pick it back up at the professional level.

There was speculation this season that Skenes is already good enough to help out a Major League rotation. Whether that’s true remains to be seen, but regardless of who selects Skenes on Sunday night, he will likely be pitching in the majors sooner rather than later.

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12 Men’s College World Series standouts who could be picked in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft

Dylan Crews and Paul Skenes aren’t the only big names from Omaha likely to be picked Sunday night.

The 2023 MLB Draft is nearly upon us, and it features one of the best groups of collegiate prospects in recent memory.

The group is headlined by Dylan Crews and Paul Skenes, who have been widely projected all year to be the first and second overall picks (in varying orders). The LSU stars led the Tigers to their seventh national championship last month.

They’re not the only draft prospects who showed out in Omaha. Others — such as Florida’s Wyatt Langford, who is becoming a late dark horse to be the first pick — are likely to hear their name’s called during the first round on Sunday night.

Here’s a rundown of some of the players who made a name for themselves in Omaha and could be selected in the first round of the draft.

5 MLB veterans (Eric Karros!) with sons in the 2023 draft

 

Why the Pittsburgh Pirates may not select LSU superstar Dylan Crews with the first pick in 2023 MLB Draft

Dylan Crews has been the projected No. 1 pick all year, but things seem to be changing on the eve of the draft.

Since he signed with LSU, superstar center fielder Dylan Crews has been viewed as a potential No. 1 overall MLB Draft pick in 2023.

The Longwood, Florida, native likely would have been a first-round pick out of high school in 2020, but he turned heads when he opted to withdraw from the draft and honor his commitment to LSU.

Now, three years later, that decision has proven to be fortuitous for the Tigers, who Crews led to their seventh national championship last month.

As a three-year staple in the center, Crews had one of the most prolific careers in college baseball history. The back-to-back SEC Player of the Year also won the Golden Spikes Award this past season after finishing as the national leader in runs scored (100) and walks (71).

He was also second in on-base percentage (.567) and base hits (110), while his .426 batting average ranked third. Though he’s known for his discipline at the plate more than his power, he also knocked 58 home runs in his collegiate career.

This is a long way of saying that Crews is a phenomenal baseball player, and whoever lands him will be very pleased. But despite spending nearly the entire season as the projected top pick, things seem to be changing on the eve of the draft.

The latest mock draft from ESPN baseball insider Kiley McDaniel has Crews falling to the second pick behind teammate Paul Skenes. Other mocks have projected high school outfielder Max Clark going with the first pick to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

So, what’s the deal?

According to McDaniel, the answer could revolve around money. Crews is reportedly asking for what would be a record-setting $10 million signing bonus. For reference, the previous record bonus for a top pick in the current era went to Spencer Torkelson in 2020, who inked an $8.42 million deal with Detroit Tigers.

There’s been speculation that the demand could be an attempt to dissuade the Pirates from drafting Crews, who may wish to play elsewhere. Whether there’s substance to that, it seems like Pittsburgh may not take the risk of not signing the top pick in such a talented draft class.

Even if Crews ultimately falls past the first pick, he likely won’t be available long. It would be a surprise to see him fall past the Washington Nationals or Tigers, who pick second and third, respectively.

But in a sport in which teams have to balance drafting the right player with drafting someone who will ultimately choose to sign, the best prospect may not be the first taken.

If Crews falls, that will likely be the case once again.

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5 MLB veterans (Eric Karros!) with sons in the 2023 draft

You’ll recognize some dads of these top MLB Draft prospects.

With the 2023 MLB Draft kicking off on Sunday, it’s a good time to remind you that there are some bloodlines running through it.

Some of the top prospects who could hear their names called on Day 1 and beyond have fathers who played in the majors, which will both be really cool to watch AND make you feel old as you’re watching their kids get taken (this happened in 2022 when Jackson Holliday, the son of ex-MLB outfielder Matt Holliday, was selected first overall by the Baltimore Orioles).

So let’s run through some of the big name prospects who have MLB dads:

D1Baseball includes three Auburn players in Top 150 MLB draft college prospects rankings

These three players had great careers on the Plains. Now, it is time to take their talents to the next level.

The 2023 MLB draft is on deck, and three Auburn players will have the chance to take their talents to the next level.

Ahead of the MLB draft, which will take place July 9-11, D1Baseball has constructed a list of the top 150 college players that have the best chance to hear their names called during the draft. Among those 150, three of Auburn’s most talented players are included.

Infielders [autotag]Cole Foster[/autotag] and [autotag]Bryson Ware[/autotag] and pitcher [autotag]Joseph Gonzalez[/autotag] are all on D1Baseball’s top 150 MLB draft prospects rankings. Foster and Ware had incredible seasons for the Tigers in 2023, while Gonzalez was limited due to injury setbacks.

Foster starts the list by checking in at No. 43 in the rankings. Foster has a career average of .305 with 22 home runs and 97 RBI. The 2023 season was his best at the plate, where he was fourth on the team in average with .336, third on the team in hits with 75, and was one of three players to hit ten-or-more home runs by smashing 13. His 49 RBI were also tied for fourth-best on the team with [autotag]Cooper McMurray[/autotag].

Pitcher Joseph Gonzalez is next at No. 92. Gonzalez was expected to be the Tigers’ ace on the mound this season, but setbacks due to a nagging shoulder injury kept him away from the team for the majority of the season. He has a 10-7 record with an ERA of 4.08 in 37 appearances. His sophomore season in 2022 saw him record 54 strikeouts and allowed just 28 earned runs in 15 games, with 14 starts. This season, he pitched just one game, which was a winning decision against Indiana on Feb. 18. He tossed 5.0 innings of shutout baseball, where he allowed just one hit.

Finally, Auburn’s all-time single-season home runs leader rounds out the list at No. 105. Ware crushed 24 home runs this season, breaking [autotag]Hunter Morris[/autotag]’ previous record of 23 back in 2010. Ware also led the team RBI (63), and slugging percentage (.731). He was second in average (.350) and hits (78) behind freshman [autotag]Ike Irish[/autotag].

Foster and Gonzalez have at least one more season of eligibility remaining. So if they are not pleased with their draft selection, they have the chance to return to Auburn for one more season. Other players of note that may get the chance to turn pro are pitcher [autotag]Tommy Vail[/autotag], as well as outfielders [autotag]Justin Kirby[/autotag], [autotag]Kason Howell[/autotag], and [autotag]Bobby Peirce[/autotag].

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2023 MLB Draft: LSU’s Paul Skenes slight favorite to go No. 1 ahead of teammate Dylan Crews

Oddsmakers like two LSU Tigers to go back-to-back to start the 2023 MLB Draft.

The LSU Tigers have plenty to be excited about after winning the 2023 College World Series over Florida.

However, there might be one Tiger who’s just a bit more excited than the other as the 2023 MLB Draft approaches next month.

Right now, LSU pitcher Paul Skenes is projected to go first overall in the draft. His Tigers teammate, outfielder Dylan Crews, is slated to go second.

Per DraftKings, oddsmakers have Skenes as a -225 favorite to go first overall next month to the Pittsburgh Pirates, while Crews is +170 to be selected first. He’s a likely fit for the Washington Nationals, who hold the draft’s second pick.

LSU pitcher Ty Floyd is also expected to be picked in an earlier round during next month’s draft.

As for the Gators, they’ll be able to celebrate the impending selection of outfielder Wyatt Langford, who has +2000 odds to go first but could be a fit for the Detroit Tigers with the draft’s third-overall pick.

Dave Van Horn won’t complain about the MLB Draft anymore

The MLB Draft delays the roster building process but Dave Van Horn won’t complain about it.

The College Baseball season has come to an end with rival LSU taking home their seventh College World Series title.

Now it’s time to think about the summer off-season and for Van Horn that means dealing with the MLB Draft. 

The gift and the curse of having a good team in college athletics is the professional leagues are going to come for your best players. Overall, the Hogs has four player on the roster that are top 200 prospects, Bohrofen (No. 61), Hollan (No. 83), Wiggins (No. 99) and Josenberger (No. 114)

Van Horn isn’t a fan of the MLB draft process because it leaves him trying to figure which of his players are going to play professional baseball or come to college.

The MLB is scheduled for July 9. Last year, Van Horn called out the owners calling the draft a “joke” for having it during All-Star Weekend. This year he is taking a different approach.

“I’m done complaining about it and I think every division one coach talked about it until we’re blue in the face,” Van Horn said about dealing with the timetable of the MLB Draft. “The draft should have been two weeks ago, or at the very latest, maybe now, so at least we can move on.”

The Hogs have the top recruiting class this year, but 10 players are in the MLB’s top 200 prospects, half in the top 100.

Van Horn and the rest of his staff (like other college coaches) must figure out how to manage the roster and if they should hit the portal sooner than later.

“We don’t know whats going on with Aiden Miller or Walker Martin. I can on and on. We are talking to them to try to figure out what kind of money they’re going to demand to sign and what they are really thinking, if they really want to go to school. You’re having all those conversations. [It’s] just what you do.”

Martin said he is still excited to be a Hog but he is still mulling the option of jumping to the big leagues, currently ranked as the no. 12 propect. If Martin does decides to skip the draft and bring his talents to Fayetteville, he is expected to be the starting shortstop with Harold Coll entering the transfer portal.

Van Horn is still confident he will be able to keep some of the guys who are on the MLB’s radar. The Hogs also some good players coming in from the Portal, and returning starters like Kendall Diggs.

Bringing back those MLB prospects would surely make the Diamond Hogs a pre-season CWS favorite but like Van Horn, can’t complain about it.

Chase Dollander projected as top 15 pick in 2023 MLB draft

Tennessee pitcher Chase Dollander is projected as a top 15 pick in the 2023 MLB draft.

The 2023 Major League Baseball first-year player draft will take place July 9-11 in Seattle, Washington.

The MLB first-year player draft will be held in conjunction with the 2023 MLB All-Star Game on July 11.

Ten Tennessee players were selected during the 2022 MLB draft:

OF Drew Gilbert – Houston Astros – first round – No. 28 overall
OF Jordan Beck – Colorado Rockies – first round (competitive balance round A) – No. 38
RHP Blade Tidwell – New York Mets – second round – No. 52
3B Trey Lipscomb – Washington Nationals – third round – No. 84
RHP Ben Joyce – Los Angeles Angels – third round – No. 89
LHP Will Mabrey – Arizona Diamondbacks – sixth round – No. 168
2B Jorel Ortega – Minnesota Twins– sixth round – No. 174
OF Seth Stephenson – Detroit Tigers– seventh round – No. 207
RHP Mark McLaughlin – Chicago White Sox– seventh round – No. 221
SS Cortland Lawson – Washington Nationals – 14th Round – No. 411

MLB Pipeline released its latest mock draft ahead of the 2023 Major League Baseball draft. Tennessee pitcher Chase Dollander is projected as a top 15 selection. MLB Pipeline’s latest mock draft is listed below.

Mac Horvath being mocked as a first round pick

UNC baseball standout Mac Horvath is seeing his stock on the rise ahead of the 2023 MLB draft.

The 2023 MLB Amateur draft is set to start on July 9th as teams will add more prospects to their farm systems in hopes of landing the next superstar.

For one North Carolina Tar Heels player, his stock took a big bump this season and he could find himself selected as early as the first round come July. Mac Horvath is UNC’s top prospect going into next month’s draft and the latest mock from Bleacher Report has him going No. 32 overall to the New York Mets.

It would be a Competitive Balance Round A pick as the Mets moved back due to exceeding the luxury-tax mark.

This could be a good fit for Horvath who has experience playing in both the infield and outfield, which helps his value. His bat is also a strength but is an area in which he could improve on.

Last season, Horvath accomplished a rare feat by becoming the first UNC player to record 20 stolen bases, 20 home runs, and 20 doubles in the same season.

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