It’s never too early to start looking at the future.
As we await the start of the spring season, USA Baseball and Major League Baseball announced the initial 25 players that will participate in this year’s Prospect Development Pipeline League. This year’s event will return to the USA Baseball Training Complex, located in Cary, North Carolina, from June 29th-July 6th. It is a 6-game tournament featuring the best high school players in the world with the chance for those players to receive instruction from some of the best baseball minds in the world. The league is a joint initiative where 96 of the top high school prospects in the country will train, practice, and participate. The league also represents a chance for players to be selected to USA Baseball’s National 18U Team.
The PDP League is, in many ways, a first look at whom many scouts believe will be the premier names in the following year’s draft. Last week, we published our 2023 Top 100 MLB Draft Prospects. 19 of our initial Top 100 were announced as PDP participants, whilst three more were featured inside the 10 that just missed the list.
Here’s the list of those prospects divided up by their position group, as well as their rankings on our 2023 Top 100 board. Expect more players to be revealed as the spring and summer progress.
Catchers
Blake Mitchell, Sinton HS (TX) - #19
Ryder Helfrick, Clayton Valley HS (CA) - #96
Campbell Smithwick, Oxford HS (MS)
Infielders
Dylan Cupp, Cedartown HS (GA) - #8
Braden Holcomb, Foundation Academy (FL) - #25
Kevin McGonigle, Monsignor Bonner HS (PA) - #30
Antonio Anderson, Tri Cities HS (GA) - #56
Eric Bitonti, Aquinas HS (CA) - #71
Outfielders
Max Clark, Franklin Community HS (IN) - #3
Walker Jenkins, South Brunswick HS (NC) - #5
Dean West, Notre Dame HS (CA) - #41
TayShaun Walton, IMG Academy (VA) - #50
Gavin Grahovac, Villa Park HS (CA)
Dillon Head, Homewood Flossmoor HS (IL)
Pitchers
Thomas White, Phillips Academy (MA) - #9
Aidan Miller, JW Mitchell HS (FL) - #23
Travis Sykora, Round Rock HS (TX) - #26
Zander Mueth, Belleville East (IL) - #31
James Hays, The Westfield Schools (GA) - #72
Adam Hachman, Timberland HS (MO) - #87
Aiden Keenan, Live Oak HS (CA) - #91
Kade Anderson, St. Paul’s HS (LA)
Cameron Johnson, Bishop McNamara HS (MD)
Christian Rodriguez, Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS (FL)
Nolan Stevens, Franklin HS (CA)