2023 Overall Draft

It's been an unreal year for Paul Skenes. After transferring into Baton Rouge after two years at the Air Force Academy, Skenes saw his stuff explode under the direction of pitching coach Wes Johnson. Now he's being talked about as the best college pitching prospect in 20 years.

The fastball catches the headlines sitting 97-99 deep into outings and grabbing triple digits with regularity early in his starts. The pitch explodes at the top of the zone and he commands it very well. Despite possessing uninspiring shape from a conventional stuff perspective, Skenes generates enormous value from the fastball thanks to occlusion, extension and command. Skenes throws a slider close to 90 mph, and it's been a whiffs machine all season. There's also a low-90s changeup in there, though he's hardly had to use it. Ironically, scouts liked the changeup more than the slider entering the season.

This is as close to an ace profile as you'll ever find. He comfortably has two 70-grade or better offerings and looks like the type of arm who could be pitching on a Major League roster before the 2024 season comes to a close.

Crews has been a headliner going back to his high school days. He's long been considered a first round talent, but the COVID-shortened 2020 season limited scouts' looks at the Lake Mary grad.

Crews possesses plus raw power and he gets into just about all of it thanks to a premium bat path and an approach well beyond his years. He hardly ever chases outside of the strike zone, and when pulling the trigger makes hard contact at impressive rates. Crews really doesn't have many holes in his offensive game and could move quickly through a minor league system.

Defensively, scouts believe Crews could stick in centerfield as an average defender, but most believe he'll slide to a corner where his above average speed and plus throwing arm will play more comfortably. Crews is the total package and the argument can be made he's the best projection college bat since Bryce Harper.

After hardly playing at all in 2021, Langford burst onto the scene in 2022 as a regular for the Gators. He proved himself one of the most impactful players in college baseball blasting 25 homers as part of his complete-player profile.

Langford's bat carries his prospect status. It's plus raw power and an above average hit tool, maybe a tick better. He doesn't expand the zone, and his ability to cover spin and velocity in the strike zone is tough for his peers to match. The exit velocities here compare favorably to just about any single player in this draft class.

He's a plus runner who has the chops to handle centerfield or left field at the next level. It's polished too. Langford is yet to record an error in his three-year Gator career. Langford's throwing arm may be his only tool that is below above average grade. The standout Gator has a chance to join the 25-25 club at the next level while providing high on-base clips.

Jenkins is the most physical prep bat in the 2023 class with a legitimate shot at a 60 hit tool and 60-grade game power. Between he and Max Clark, it's essentially a toss-up in this spot depending on your flavor.

Jenkins has had an extremely loud spring, albeit a short sample at time of publish. His physicality really stands out, and his athleticism in the corners, as well as his plus throwing arm look like real assets moving forward.

On top of his traits on the diamond, Jenkins is a unanimous 80-grade human being with an extremely humble disposition and a unique approach to his own professional development. Jenkins is an accomplished swimmer in his off-seasons. You'd be hard-pressed to find another player who scouts speak more highly of than Jenkins. It's a cherry-on-top that he has 30-homer upside moving forward.

Clark has a very real shot at becoming a 5-tool player at the next level. The hit tool really stands out with a long resume of hitting good arms.

Clark is a plus runner who takes strong routes in centerfield, his above average throwing arm holding runners in place. Clark went through a small swing change this spring to add a bit more loft to what was a hit-over-power profile entering the year. That said, the bat speed is unquestionable. The raw power is in there, it all depends on whether he'll unlock it in games.

Clark figures to stick in centerfield where a Grady Sizemore type of career could be in the cards if everything clicks.

Finding another player in the 2023 class with a hungrier desire for greatness would probably lead to dead ends. Clark plays with a chip on his shoulder.