A new year, a new board and new ranks. With college ball right around the corner and more industry insight at our fingertips, it’s time to dive into the top college prospects for the 2023 class. As always, our boards are based on three pillars:
Our team’s Live Looks.
Trackman, Rapsodo and big data evaluation.
Conversations within the industry. What are scouting executives, cross-checkers and area scouts seeing at the ballfields?
This Top 100 really establishes a few things:
There’s a bunch of dynamic bats available in the 2023 class
There’s quality pure stuff on the college pitching side, but polish is necessary.
This is a better college class, as a whole, than 2021 or 2022.
Last Update: 2/6/2023
1. Chase Dollander
Right-Handed Pitcher, Tennessee
Dollander is the real deal. It's a buttery delivery with a low-launch, three-quarter arm slot and electric arm speed. Some evaluators have compared the way he moves to Jacob deGrom. The fastball eats. It’s got ride, run and immense deception. He can run it up to 99 mph and he'll hold mid-90's throughout his outings. Dollander mixes in a bevy of pitches, but it's his tight-spinning, sweeping slider that gets whiffs. Some scouts project it double-plus and the best breaking ball in the class. Dollander offers a big, high-70's curveball with huge sweep, though he's hardly had to use it. He'll also show the occasional changeup, but it's largely tertiary at this point. As if the pure stuff wasn't enough, Dollander has premium command, pitch-ability, athleticism and polish. Pretty much the complete package and the argument can be made he's the best college pitching prospect in over a decade.
2. Dylan Crews
Outfield, LSU
Crews burst onto the scene as a true freshman, crushing baseballs, earning All-American honors almost unanimously. He carried that over into an equally impressive sophomore campaign in 2022. Crews produces elite exit velocities and balances the raw power with a strong approach and feel for the strike zone. He doesn't strike out and draws a ton of walks as well, though the swing-and-miss can get streaky against better stuff. In the field, Crews is likely destined for right field where his plus throwing arm and above average speed will be valuable assets. Crews is as close to a 5-tool talent as you’ll find in this class and could move quickly through the minor leagues given his position and skillset with the bat. He’s got a way about impacting the game in every aspect of the game.
3. Wyatt Langford
Outfield, Florida
Langford has been an offensive force for the Gators providing plenty of punch and impact at the plate in Gainesville. This is a premium power bat with easy plus raw power to all fields. He's also a solid-average runner, but the legs play up thanks to strong instincts and burst in the field. He's probably destined for left field at the next level being pushed over by a superior defender up the middle. His speed will be an asset at any outfield spot, but he does have a fringy arm that may preclude him from right field. Still, this bat will be drafted for the juice. It's one of the more impactful bats available in 2023.
4. Jacob Gonzalez
Shortstop, Ole Miss
Gonzalez almost never strikes out, and he makes a ton of contact as well. This kid has fantastic eyes at the plate and can anchor any lineup he’s thrust into. His batted-ball metrics are loud. Really loud. He's got juice to the pull-side and only projects to develop more as he ages and works to understand what he's capable of. Some scouts question the swing mechanics at the next level as Gonzalez has a tendency to throw open his hips and can step in the bucket at times, but his production has never wavered against premium college stuff. Defensively, it's a solid average glove with an above average arm, though his size may ultimately shift him to third base. Gonzalez isn't a burner and probably won't be a base-stealer as a pro, but he’s a very good athlete.
5. Enrique Bradfield
Centerfield, Vanderbilt
If Enrique Bradfield isn't the fastest player in the country, he's in the conversation. Bradfield will never been a thumper, but he's got elite vision at the plate, hardly ever expands the zone and walks just about as much as he strikes out. His frame still has room to add some muscle, so it wouldn't surprise scouts if he ended up with enough juice to run into double-digit homers at his pro peak. He’s a guy who knows how to get on base and is a nightmare for the opposition when he runs. In the field, he's comfortably a plus defender in center. We're betting on his dynamic glove, speed, and gamebreaking ability. He's a Kenny Lofton type of spark-plug that provides far more value than his slugging percentage will ever indicate.
6. Paul Skenes
Right-Handed Pitcher, LSU
While he has some two-way potential, Skenes has more upside on the mound working from a three-quarter arm slot with smooth mechanics, a short-arm action, hiding the ball on his back hip and creating a lot of deception. Skenes’ velo sits in low-to-mid 90s, though when he rears back he's been up to 99. He generates plenty of carry on the heater, with spin rates in the 2400 RPM range. Primary secondary offerings include a fall-off-the-table split-change and a devestating breaking slider, both in the low-to-mid 80s, the latter featuring extreme sweep when he wants to grab it. Skenes has shown the ability to manipulate the shape of his slider, and it's paid dividents depending on the handedness matchup. As far as the two-way potential goes, offensively Skenes has some contact issues but really excels at finding the barrel and has legitimate slugging potential. Evaluators certainly prefer the arm, but there’s two-way upside.
7. Rhett Lowder
Right-Handed Pitcher, Wake Forest
The reigning ACC Pitcher of the Year, Lowder has some of the best pitchability in the entire class. He's been into the mid-90's with the fastball, sitting in the low-90's later into starts with running life, mixing it with a good slider in the low-80's and a diabolical change-up with late parachute and fading life out of the zone in the mid-80's. It’s one of the best changeups in the class and comfortably projects plus. He can pitch backwards off the slider and change-up with ease and has good command and feel of his entire arsenal.
8. Matt Shaw
Shortstop, Maryland
Shaw does a little bit of everything well. He's a thick, twitchy middle-infielder who could certainly stick at shortstop, though some believe he could end up at second base or third base because of his shorter strides and muscular frame. Featuring above average power and a potential solid average hit tool, Shaw has impact in his bat and a mature approach. An above runner, maybe a tick more, he's got the potential to net double digit homers and stolen bases at his peak whilst developing into a Kike Hernandez type pro.
9. Jacob Wilson
Shortstop, Grand Canyon
The son of MLB-veteran shortstop Jack Wilson, Jacob Wilson has been one of the most accomplished, mature hitters in the country during his stay at GCU. He's got a prolific eye at the plate with an extremely advanced approach and a grand willingness to use the whole field. Wilson never strikes out. Like, ever. In 2022, he took 25 free passes, punching out just seven times. Wilson showcases 40-grade power but many believe he'll grow into fringe-average pop in the pros. He's an average defender at shortstop and could comfortably move to third base or second base. Elite instincts on the field and makeup off the field, Wilson checks a ton of boxes and is a very popular figure among his peers and evaluators.
10. Hurston Waldrep
Right-Handed Pitcher, Florida
Waldrep transferred out of Southern Miss to Florida for his junior year after some impressive undergrad campaigns. The fastball gets up to 99 with immense hop at the top of the zone and true bat-missing qualities. The slider is thrown firm and short with late two-plane tilt that Waldrep gets hitters to chase regularly. The curveball may have the most potential of all his secondaries, but landing it for strikes consistently has come and gone. He's also flashed an above average splitter, though it's inconsistent both in shape and execution. Waldrep has a super-athletic frame with well-proportioned strength and a wicked quick arm. He's a true power pitcher with a bulldog mentality on the bump.