The North Carolina Tar Heels’ baseball program is hoping to navigate some murky waters here this season. The future is looking bright for Scott Forbes and his program despite some recent struggles.
But a key piece for the future may not be in Chapel Hill at all.
North Carolina commit Walker Jenkins is the Tar Heels top player in the recruiting class but he’s also a top prospect for the 2023 MLB draft set to take place this Summer. And right now, it looks like there’s no shot he will be on campus to play for UNC.
MLB.com released its early look at the top 10 players for the draft and the South Brunswick product was mocked to go No. 3 to Detroit by Jim Callis and No. 4 to the Texas Rangers by Jonathan Mayo.
Here is what Callis said about Jenkins at 3:
I think if we surveyed 30 teams, Jenkins might win three-quarters of the votes, but if you were putting grades on them, they’d be neck-and-neck. I just think Jenkins is slightly ahead for a majority of the teams. I think they’re comparable hitters. I think Jenkins has significantly more power, at least a grade better, and while Clark is a better runner and athlete, Jenkins is running better this spring. Clark is definitely a center fielder, and Jenkins might be a center fielder. If he’s not a center fielder, he’ll fit the right field profile with a strong arm.
We are just under 75 days until the MLB draft but the buzz around Jenkins continues to grow.
That’s certainly a good thing for the prospect as he will very likely be a top 10 pick and potentially top 5.
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