2023 MLB Amateur Draft Live Blog

 Hey team!  Welcome to my live blog of the 2023 MLB Draft.  Here's how it will work. I will post timed updates on this post.  I hope you all will post comments and I will try to get them posted ASAP so we can have an ongoing discussion.  I will let you know if I take a break and give you an estimate of when I will be back.  All times are PDT. 

MLB hosts saying this is the deepest draft in history.  College hitters galore!  Pirates are on the clock:

4:08 PM:  Pirates seem to be trying to cut a deal.  Would not rule out one of the HS OF's as that would likely give them the biggest savings to spend on the rest of the draft.  Does the depth of the draft make it worth passing on Crews or Skenes who both seem to be generational prospects?

4:12 PM:  ....and it's Paul Skenes RHP to the Pirates at #1 overall.  Nationals now have Dylan Crews, who I think is the better pick, fall into their laps.

4:16 PM:  ...but Skenes is easily the top pitching draft prospect since Stephen Strasburg.

4:18 PM:  And it's Dylan Crews OF to the Nationals.  Great jumpstart to that rebuild.  Nats GM Mike Rizzo has made the right call at the top of the draft time and again.  No games.  He just takes the best player available and pays up.

4:23 PM:  A bit of a surprise.  Some talk of Wyatt Langford OF going 1-1.  No the Tigers take Max Clark OF HS at #3.  Very athletic, projectable player who should stick in CF.  Nice pick but will take some time to develop wherea Langford could be MLB ready within 2 years.

4:28 PM: Langford to the Rangers.  Great addition to an organization that really wants to win.  So far, 4 of the top 5 are off the board in the first 4 picks.  Walker Jenkins OF HS next?  

4:31 PM:  Twins on the clock thanks to lottery.  Wife always wants to know if they got someone good.  They should here.  

4:34 PM:  Twins snag Walker Jenkins so top tier of 5 all go in the top 5 picks.  Jenkins has tremendous power projection to go with a sweet swing.

4:38 PM:  A's start the second tier.  Do they take another catcher in Kyle Teel?  It's Jacob Wilson SS from Grand Canyon U.  Son of former MLB SS Jack Wilson.  Incredible contact skills.  Just 5 K's in a full college season.  Maybe too much contact?  Lack of power and lower walk rates may be a concern.  Grand Canyon is a serious college program but the play in a weak conference and I am always skeptical of stats from the desert southwest.  

4:42 PM:  The next several picks will impact the Giants selection at #16.  Draft is deep enough so it may not make much difference in terms of quality of pick.

4:44 PM:  Reds on the clock. They are a bit inscrutable.  Rumored to be in on Rhett Lowder RHP(College).  .....and it's Lowder.  More pitchability than stuff but seems to have a great FB/Change combo.  Likely a fast mover.

4:47 PM:  This is moving faster than I thought.  Giants may be up around 5:30 PM rather than 6 PM.  Sorry if I threw some folks off with that bad estimate.  

4:50 PM:  A bit of a surprise.  Blake Mitchell C to the Royals.  Seems like a tremendous prospect but a risky demographic.  Would Kyle Teel C have made more sense for a rebuilding organization?  

4:53 PM:  Rockies on the clock.  Rumored to want college pitching.  Lowder off the board.  Waldrep or Dollander?  

4:55 PM:  Dollander to the Rocks.  Ran into some command issues this spring but may still have the best overall stuff in the draft.  Coors Field is a tough, tough place to pitch.

4:57 PM:  Picks so far giving the Giants more options at #16 based on rumors of who and what they are interested in.  I mean if Kyle Teel C is there at #16, does FZ go catcher again?  

5:00 PM:  We hit the 1 hour mark and wouldn't you know?  Noble Meyer RHP HS to the Marlins.  Kim Ng knows a thing or two.  Incredibly projectable young pitcher.

5:05 PM:  Angels impressed by Nolan Schanuel OF's video game stats.  Are they a strength of competition mirage?  If it's real, they have a great lefty hitter.  Giants could use one of those.

5:11 PM:  There goes Tommy Troy SS to the Angels. He was my top choice for the Giants although not by a big margin at all.  Matt Shaw SS has a similar profile and may be a better prospect.  Giants may go in completely different direction.  Kyle Teel C still on the board.  

5:14 PM:  Ugh!  There goes Matt Shaw.  Kyle Teel still on the board.  

5:16 PM:  Who's left on the board?  Jacob Gonzalez SS(College), Brock Wilken, power hitter extrordinaire, Hursten Waldrep RHP(college), Thomas White LHP(HS), Colin Houck SS(HS), Walker Martin SS(HS), Chase Davis OF(College), Bryce Eldridge 2-way(HS).

5:21 PM:  Kyle Teel C off the board to the Red Sox.  

5:22 PM:  Arjun Nimmala SS(HS) would be a great projectable pick for the Giants too.

5:24 PM:  Jacob Gonzalez SS(college) to the White Sox.  Has the run on college hitters created value in other demographics?  Giants on the clock.

5:28 PM:  Here we go.  There you go! Giants wanted the 2-way player.  Bryce Eldridge RHP/1B/DH/OF.  Overwhelming physical talent.  Most scouts like him as a hitter.  He looks more like an incredibly dominant pitcher to me.  

OK gonna take a little break here.  Giants next up at #52 overall. They have a third pick today at #69 due to compensation for Carlos Rodon signing with the Yankees.  Gotta say, the more I thought about it the more I liked Eldridge and suspected he was who the Giants wanted.  Ceiling is incredible.