2023 PBA Draft Review

[Commissioner Erick]

The 2023 PBA draft was light on talent, with a lot of relievers, a few talented starters and position players, but not much else. Most clubs were able to pick up a few good arms for their pen, so picking up an elite arm, or a position player really causes teams to stand out. Teams with extra picks generally look worse as the 2022 players should have simply been signed.


Arizona Diamondbacks:

First Round: (9) Michael Runion—P (Pick acquired from Cincinnati along with third round pick [Josh Jenkins*] and Alex Destino for second round pick [* Forfeited to sign Chad Kuhl] and Greg Allen)
First Round: (25) Josh Van Wormer—P
Second Round: *
Third Round: (11) Josh Jenkins—P*
Third Round: (27) Shane Cornelius—CF—Compensation for not signing Alex Tietz
Third Round: (31) George Bratek—P

Best Player: Josh Jenkins

Best Deep Cut: (18) Josh Zemanek—P

Total ML WAR: 3.4

Review: Arizona got a few picks and Alex Destino from Cincinnati for Greg Allen, and a pick lost to sign Chad Kuhl. The first acquired pick, Michael Runion, won’t play in the PBA and was a bust of a first round pick. Destino played only 19 Games for Arizona and was worth -0.3 WAR. Third rounder Josh Jenkins looks like a good reliever, but has struggled in Triple-A so far. For that package, Arizona let go of Greg Allen, who had a couple of good defense-first seasons before falling off. They also lost a pick that was forfeited so the Reds could sign Chad Kuhl. Jenkins may still turn the trade, but Arizona didn’t get much, and gave up a pick that could have turned into a good reliever, and Greg Allen, who was a starting outfielder for a pair of seasons.

Arizona picked Josh Van Wormer late in the first round. He has a six pitch arsenal and throws a mid-90s cutter, but is exceptionally wild and likely won’t be more than a replacement level reliever.

Arizona failed to sign Alex Tietz in 2022, using the comp pick on Shane Cornelius. Tietz looks like a Triple-A caliber arm, while Cornelius looks like a future starting Center Fielder. They made the right move rolling the pick. They also drafted George Bratek and Nick Ramsey in the third and fourth rounds. Both are young pitchers who look like they have homes in future pitching staffs.

Ninth rounder Nick Anderson had some success as a swingman for the Diamondbacks and Rockies, while 13th rounder David Labrador has put up 1.6 WAR in three seasons as a swingman and is still just 26. 18th rounder Josh Zemanek has a shot to be the best pick of all. He’s still wild, but he throws 99 with a wicked knucklecurve that’s impossible to square up. He’ll likely rack up the strikeouts in his career.

Grade: B-. Arizona lost the trade they made, but they picked up a number of good relievers, and a potential starting Center Fielder. That’s a good haul.


Atlanta Braves:

First Round: (16) Kelyn Klattenburger—1B
Supplemental Round: (2) Tim Barton—1B—Compensation for not signing Ken Giles
Second Round: (13) Todd Buonadonna—P
Third Round: (14) Jimmy Torres—RF

Best Player: Kelyn Klattenburger

Best Deep Cut: (17) Matt Wright—SS

Total ML WAR: 23.4

Review: Atlanta knocked it out of the park with the draft. Their first selection was midway through the first round. They drafted Ole Miss grad Kelyn Klattenburger, who developed into a terrific slugger. They eventually traded him, but Klattenburger has led the league in Home Runs, Runs Scored, At Bats, Plate Appearances, and Doubles twice. His 12.6 WAR is second in the class and first among position players. He’s an offensive stud and an excellent find.

The Braves got a Supplemental pick for not signing Ken Giles. Injuries curtailed the closer’s career, but Giles would go on to have one good year in his career after leaving Atlanta. They got Tim Barton from the proceedings and Barton has looked like a solid offensive player. Defense and positionality are issues for Barton, but getting such a good young bat—Barton has had a .771 and .773 OPS the past two years—in the Supplemental Round is a win.

Atlanta kept the good picks coming the next two rounds. They drafted Todd Buonadonna in the second round, and the hulking righty has turned into one of the game’s better relievers. Buonadonna’s been worth at least 1.0 WAR each of the last three years, and the 6-9 righty put up the best strikeout numbers of his career last season. He gets great downward plane thanks to his height and is stingy with home runs as a result. He was a god find in round two.

Atlanta followed that up with Jimmy Torres in the third round. Torres is a streaky slugger, but he has big power and a patient approach that makes him a powerful hitter. He’s walked close to 100 times each of the last two years, making up for the fact that his hit tool isn’t great. When he squares a pitch up though, he hits it far, making him an excellent three-true-outcomes force. Defense is a concern for him, but as a third rounder in a weak draft, he’s a spectacular find.

Fourth round pick Alvaro Espinoza also has had success away from Atlanta. He worked in six games for Boston in 2027, working to a 0.82 ERA. He’s a five-pitch pitcher who can keep hitters off balance with his sequencing, but his fastball is straight and he doesn’t throw hard enough to overcome it. Still, he’s fine as a fourth rounder.

You have to get to the fifth round to find a player who has not and likely will not make a PBA impact, and even then, pitcher Edward Padilla put up 1.6 WAR as a Triple-A swingman last year as a righty who pounds the strike zone. In a park that prevents homers, he may be able to provide decent innings. Sixth rounder Lundahl isn’t conventionally good, but his approach is tough on lefties. He may be able to serve as a second lefty specialist in a bullpen that needs a lot of arms. Seventh rounder Nick Russell gets grounders by the boatload. He was rough in five games last year, but has been good in Triple-A.

10th rounder Robby Moreno is a righty outfielder with a huge arm, good legs, and some power and could be a backup outfielder with a bit more patience or life in his bat. 17th rounder Matt Wright makes a lot of contact, has doubles pop, runs well, and plays a good Shortstop. He’s someone who has a shot as a deep rounder.

Grade: A. A terrific job. Atlanta drafted some of the best sluggers in the class, opting for offense in a class light on bats. They got a good reliever as well, and some depth arms who can pop. A job well done.


Baltimore Orioles:

First Round: (3) Andrew Knutsen—RF
Second Round: (2) Nihat Ecevit—P
Second Round: (18) Dave Hughes—P—Pick received from New York Yankees along with Nate Eovaldi for $1.
Third Round: (3) Kevin Hess—2B

Notes: Received fifth rounder (Jesse Wiles)* from Cincinnati along with sixth rounder (Ryan Stanich), seventh rounder (Chris McKenzie) eighth rounder (Ruben Perez), ninth rounder (R.J. Robinson), and 10th rounder (Gary Ford) for $7 million.

Traded fifth round pick * to Philadelphia for Nick Dunn

Received fifth round pick from Chicago Cubs for Cody Anderson (never conveyed)

Best Player: (10) Gary Ford—3B

Best Deep Cut: (12) Marshall Patch—P

Total ML WAR: 6.8

Review: The Orioles had an awesome draft. Their first pick was number three overall. They picked a young high school outfielder out of Mt. Eden High School in Hayward, California and watched as he took his time to develop. Eventually Andrew Knutsen reached the majors, but he struggled in his rookie year last year, triple slashing just .218/.288/.359. Hoss still has fantastic upside, and should hit for a huge average when he fills out. He’s just 24, so even though he’s behind in his class on production to date, his youth makes that understandable.

Baltimore picked Nihat Ecevit in the second round and watched him develop into a huge reliever. He needed to be included in the Wessel Russchen trade, but he’s produced 40 Saves each of the past two years. He has great strikeout numbers, keeps the ball in the park, and has been worth 3.7 WAR his first two years.

Baltimore got an extra second round pick for taking on Nate Eovaldi’s contract from the Yankees. The pick turned into Dave Hughes, who after a rough rookie year in 2026, has been a serviceable reliever for Baltimore the last two years. Eovaldi found a way to go 3-1 with a 2.66 ERA for Baltimore in 2023 as well. The two assets were well worth the $1 Baltimore gave up to acquire them.

Left Fielder Kevin Hess was picked in the third round, and his extreme profile worked for Tampa Bay last year. Hess always makes contact, flicking doubles all over the field. He hit .381 with a 1.105 OPS in a limited 111 Plate Appearance sample for the Rays as a rookie. He’s not that good, but it’s earned him more playing time.

Baltimore drafted Edward Soto in the fourth round. The Left Fielder is the opposite of Hess. He doesn’t make contact often, and he struggles to square balls up when he makes contact. When things connect though, the ball goes far. He hit four homers in just 54 Plate Appearances for St. Louis last year, and despite struggling in Triple-A, tore up the Pacific Coast League in 2027. He could put up huge slugging numbers in the PBA, but is more likely a pinch hitter who can tie games with one swing of the bat.

Baltimore drafted Edward Martinez with their fifth round pick. Martinez’s speed and line drive swing should crank up the doubles totals, and he’s a good defender in Center Field. He’s a strong fifth rounder. Baltimore traded Cody Anderson for a fifth rounder, but it didn’t convey. They got roughly $300K before 2029, but Anderson was a good swingman for a few years in Chicago.

Baltimore had some extra cash so they purchased a fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and 10th round pick for $7 million. That cash is worth a solid player’s arbitration year or a depth free agent. Baltimore used the picks to get Jesse Wiles, a Double-A starter; Ryan Stanich, a solid reliever; Chris McKenzie who didn’t sign; Ruben Perez and R.J. Robinson, career-minor leaguers; and finally, Gary Ford—All Star Third Baseman. Baltimore then flipped Wiles to Philadelphia for Nick Dunn, a middle infielder who plays much better defense at Second Base than Shortstop, and has put up solid numbers when able to produce a solid empty average, and poor numbers when he hasn’t. He’s still much better than Wiles.

Dunn and Stanich may have been worth a $7 million cost on their own, but Gary Ford is a star and makes the trade a steal. He was a Gold Glove last year, as well as an All Star, and has 65 home runs in two seasons. Only 24, Ford should club a ton of home runs in his career and unlike some sluggers, he’s an exceptional two-way force.

Baltimore also had several of its own picks to work with. They plucked George Cassidy in the eighth round, a short righty who nonetheless gets good downward bite with his fastball and forkball and could find a role in the back of a rotation. Larry Price was the club’s sixth rounder, and while he was overmatched as the team’s 2027 Closer, he was likely too good for Triple-A last year. Price struggled with bouts of his command escaping him, but the stuff is there and he challenges hitters at the plate, a combination that usually works out.

Finally, Marshall Patch had an awful rookie season for the Giants last year with a 5.87 ERA, but Patch’s Curveball misses bats, his two-season gets good downward bite, and he throws pitches in the strike zone. Patch should be a part of San Francisco’s bullpen before too long.

Grade: A. An outstanding draft. The Orioles picked a star in Ford, a potential star in Knutsen, an armada of strong relievers, and some solid outfielders. They got high end talent, they got depth, and they got an A grade.


Boston Red Sox:

First Round: (8) Jeff Pigg—P
Second Round: Pick Forfeited as a result of signing Joe Musgrove
Third Round: Pick forfeited as a result of signing Raul Mondesi

Best Player: (13) Derrick Heins—P

Best Deep Cut: Derrick Heins

Total ML WAR: 4.1

Review: Boston drafted 6-8 righty Jeff Pigg eighth overall. Despite his imposing presence, Pigg is a soft tosser who survives on ground balls and preventing homers. He’s limited the long ball throughout his career, but was extremely wild and couldn’t put hitters away his lone season in the PBA in 2027. He was still wild, but better in Triple-A last year. He looks like he may top out as a fourth starter, but he’ll probably never justify his lofty draft position.

Boston lost their next pair of picks to sign Joe Musgrove and Raul Mondesi despite four straight years with win totals in the 70s. Musgrove signed a three-year, $46.5 million contract, was fine in 2023, but suffered a broken bone in his elbow in 2024 and only made eight career appearances after. Even if he stayed healthy, Boston should have kept the second rounder, but with hindsight, the deal looks even worse.

Meanwhile, Mondesi signed for four years and $58 million. He turned in a decent 2023 with Boston and 2025 with Atlanta, and had a nice batting average in 2024 that led to a 3.3 WAR season.He finished his contract years with an Oakland 21-game cameo. Overall, he provided about 7 WAR for $58 million, about $9 million a WAR. It was decent value, but Boston won a combined 108 Games in two years with Mondesi. What was the point?

Boston’s fourth round pick was Bobby McConnell, a decent lefty specialist at the back of the Red Sox bullpen. Their fifth rounder was used on Pat O’Neill, who looks like a Triple-A platoon right-handed slugger.

Eight-round pick Reggie McClean doesn’t have a position, but he has a decent bat, approach, and pop. He was just taken by Tampa Bay in the Rule V draft.

Their ninth rounder, Bobby Fisher, is a Third Baseman with little home run power. The Cardinals took him in the Rule V draft and watched him hit 17 doubles in 176 Plate Appearances, with a .295 average.

Boston’s best pick was their 13th round selection, Derrick Heins. The lefty has turned into quite the relief ace, with a 9-0 career record and a 2.19 career ERA. He produced 3.0 WAR as a rookie in 2027, and had strong peripherals last year, though a .436 BABIP after returning from a torn labrum hurt his metrics. He had an offseason to recover and should be back to being a terrific reliever again.

Grade: C-. There’s been a lot of "meh" involved with how Boston used its early round picks. There weren’t any total failures—even Musgrove had a good 2023, but aside from McConnell, there weren’t any real positives either, and even McConnell is just a back-roster player. Heins has turned into a good arm, and the Red Sox had a few mid-round picks get taken in the Rule V with Fisher seeing success. A middling grade is probably what the Sox deserve.


Chicago White Sox:

First Round: (33) Mike Ekstrom—SS
Supplemental Round: (5) Tyler Adams—P—Compensation for not signing Alex Bregman
Supplemental Round: (6) Nate Gagner—1B—Compensation for not signing Joe Musgrove
Second Round: (32) Alex Tietz—P
Third Round: (39) Tommy Hobby—P

Best Player: Mike Ekstrom

Best Deep Cut: (18) Tom Leonard—P

Total ML WAR: 5.1

Review: Chicago drafted Mike Ekstrom late in the first round, a solid second-division starting infielder. He doesn’t have a great bat, but he’s serviceable with a bit of doubles pop, a little over the fence power, and serviceable defense. He’s not a great player, but the class is so weak on middle infielders, that it’s not a bad pick.

Chicago got two supplemental picks for not signing Alex Bregman and Joe Musgrove. Bregman had a spectacular run for the Dodgers for four seasons, though it came at an expensive cost and Chicago had financial issues. Joe Musgrove went 6-16 though and only pitched 179 more career innings, so Chicago made the right call letting him walk though. They got Tyler Adams, decent swingman, and Nate Gagner, Double-A First Baseman as supplemental picks, and those aren’t good picks, especially with all the good relievers taken after Adams.

Chicago drafted Alex Tietz in the second round. He has a good repertoire, but doesn’t have good control and doesn’t have the stuff to make up for it. Tommy Hobby was an arm taken in the third round, but he short circuited quickly and is already retired.

Matt Lopez was Chicago’s fourth rounder. He was homer prone as a rookie in 2027 and was injured all of last year. He doesn’t have good enough stuff to be a plus arm, and is homer prone, but is a fine Quad-A pitcher.

Fifth round pitcher Santiago Casilla Jr. is stuck in High-A, probably forever, and sixth round Catcher Jay Mitchell has already retired. Seventh rounder Tim Grove only struck out 84 hitters in 145.1 innings as a rookie last year. He prevented the long ball, but he’ll need to be an extreme control pitcher too with strikeout rates that low.

11th rounder John Smerdon only struck out 86 in 144.2 innings last year, a year after striking out only 37 in 69.2 innings. Unsurprisingly, his career ERA is 6.13 ERA. 14th rounder Danny Mitchell gave up a hit to the only PBA hitter he ever faced. 18th rounder Tom Leonard pitched in the PBA last year and was replacement level in 28 innings.

Grade: D-. Chicago got a respectable middle infielder and a ton of replacement level arms. The sheer quantity of somewhat okay arms is good, but it’s a lacking draft. Chicago hardly got a single impactful player from the class.


Chicago Cubs:

First Round: (20) Justin Walsh—P—UNSIGNED
Supplemental Round: (3) Jerry Zambrano—P—Compensation for not signing Alex Bregman
Second Round: (20) James Gonzalez—CF—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (23) Tobias Fuentes—CF—UNSIGNED

Notes: Received Nick Wittgren from San Francisco, along with Juan Flores, and $2.5 million for fourth round pick (Oscar Diaz) and sixth round pick (Mike Taylor)

Traded fifth round pick to Baltimore for Cody Anderson (never conveyed)

Best Player: (28) Chris Shearer—SS

Best Deep Cut: Chris Shearer

Total ML WAR: 0

Review: The Cubs failed to sign their early picks, traded away a few mid-rounders, and got nothing out of the players they drafted. In fact, the Cubs didn’t draft and sign a pick within the first five rounds between 2021 and 2027. At least the players Chicago failed to sign haven’t amounted to anything, with Tobias Fuentes’ 47 Home Runs in the offensive carnival of the KBO the most success. Still, Chicago didn’t do anything with their picks, and missed out on signing Alex Bregman to some great seasons or getting anything for him with their compensation pick.

They did make a pair of trades. They got Cody Anderson in a deal where a clerical error prevented their draft pick from conveying, eventually costing them a few hundred thousand dollars. They also gave away an elite relief prospect in Mike Taylor for a decent year of Juan Flores, a great year of Nick Wittgren, and some cash.

Grade: F. The Cubs got hardly any talent from the draft and gave away an elite relief prospect for two combined seasons of relief work from Nick Wittgren and Juan Flores. It was a poor job of using their pick resources.


Cincinnati Reds:

First Round: (9) Pick traded to Arizona along with third round pick (Josh Jenkins) and Alex Destino to Arizona for second round pick (forfeited to sign Chad Kuhl)* and Greg Allen. Pick became Michael Runion
Second Round: (8) Pick traded to Kansas City for Jared Lakind and $2.5 million. Pick became Matt Howell
Second Round: *
Second Round: (30) Philip Sowers—P (Pick acquired from Kansas City along with fourth round pick (Josh Campbell), Takao Nakamura, and Chris Berardelli for Austin Gomber.
Third Round:*

Notes: Traded a fourth round pick (Chris Maurer) to Detroit for Drew VerHagen

Traded a fourth-round pick (Josh Campbell) to Kansas City for Eugenio Suarez

Traded a fifth rounder (Jesse Wiles) to Baltimore along with a sixth rounder (Ryan Stanich), seventh rounder (Chris McKenzie) eighth rounder (Ruben Perez), ninth rounder (R.J. Robinson), and 10th rounder (Gary Ford) for $7 million.

Best Player: (22) Ben Castle—P

Best Deep Cut: Ben Castle

Total ML WAR: 0

Review: Cincinnati stunningly, thanks to traded picks, signed free agents, and unsigned draftees, ended up with one signed player before the 12th round in the class.

They traded a first rounder, a third rounder, and Alex Destino for a second rounder and Greg Allen. The traded picks became Michael Runion and Josh Jenkins. Runion is a career minor leaguer, but Jenkins could make it as a solid reliever. Destino had a strong 2021, then fell hard, playing 19 Games for Arizona in 2023 then never appearing in the PBA since. They took back a pick that was forfeited to sign Chad Kuhl to a reasonable contract for reasonable production, and Greg Allen, whose offense took a hit, but still provided defense for a couple of seasons before the whole package fell apart.

The trade is likely a win for the Reds. They didn’t give up too much except a decent looking reliever, and Allen and Kuhl were fine players for a few years. They could have kept the first rounder and drafted a Kelyn Klattenburger or a good reliever instead, but the trade looks alright in hindsight.

They traded a second round pick that turned into Matt Howell for $2.5 million and Jared Lakind. Howell looks like a Triple-A arm, and Lakind had a good three year career with the Reds as a reliever and sometimes Closer. $2.5 million is also nice to have, especially with Cincinnati’s perpetual financial issues. The deal looks like a win for the Reds.

Tired of trading away picks, the Reds acquired a pair of picks in a deal with the Royals, nabbing a second rounder that would become Phillip Sowers, a fourth rounder that would turn into Josh Campbell, Takao Nakamura, and Chris Berardelli for Austin Gomber. Gomber would have two good seasons for Kansas City before falling apart. Sowers will never make it in the majors, though Campbell is on the fringe as a good Triple-A arm. Nakamura pitched two games with the Reds before being cut in the offseason and turning into a fine reliever in the Nippon League. Berardelli had a solid run as a high-average, no defense middle-infielder for a few years. The value is very even on both sides of the trade with Gomber the best player in the deal, but Berardelli having a little bit longer of a shelf life.

The Reds couldn’t handle acquiring a pick though and later traded the pick that turned into Campbell back to Kansas City for Eugenio Suarez. Suarez had a good 2023, and a bad 2024, but he played in the majors for the Reds where Jenkins probably never will.

The Reds traded a fourth rounder that became Chris Maurer to the Tigers for Drew VerHagen. Maurer looks like a decent backup Catcher. VerHagen had a 3.63 ERA in one year for a Reds team than won 84 games, one of only two winning seasons in their history. They probably should have held on to Maurer, but they did get a good season from the relief arm.

The Reds dealt six picks for $7 million dollars, a fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and 10th rounder. The picks turned into Jesse Wiles, Ryan Stanich, Chris McKenzie, Ruben Perez, R.J. Robinson, and Gary Ford. Ford was the big mistake—He’s an All Star with huge power and a Gold Glove—but some of the other picks look good as well as Ryan Stanich has had success as a lefty reliever, and Chris McKenzie looks like a future major league platoon slugger.

The Reds made some nice picks in the deeper rounds. 16th round Aruban Terrence Lucas will turn 24 this season. He’s a strong defender with a quick bat, who can possibly add power as he matures. He could be a starting Center Fielder. Pitcher Kellen Mitchell has good command, a good curveball, and might make it as a swingman someday. He’s still only 23.

Finally, 22-year-old Ben Castle throws in the high 90s and mixes in a sinker. He struggles with command that has held him back his entire career, but he’s destined for a PBA bullpen.

Grade: C. The Reds eeked out value with all the small trades they won, and the good selections they made deep in the draft, but gave away so much by letting the pick that became Gary Ford go for $7 million. The depth the Reds received claws things back a little, but they slightly won a lot of small trades, and badly lost the big trade they made.


Cleveland Indians:

First Round: (6) Mike Nichols—P
Supplemental Round: (7) Kevin Austin—SS—Compensation for not signing David Bollman
Supplemental Round: (8) Brian Wright—P—Compensation for not signing Adam Hyslop
Second Round: (4) Josh Hagey—P
Second Round: (19) Jamie Carroll—P—Compensation for not signing Matt Howell
Third Round: (7) John Belanger—P
Third Round: (25) Phil Anderson—P—Compensation for not signing Roland Lemon

Best Player: Josh Hagey

Best Deep Cut: (19) Paul Sluder—CF

Total ML WAR: 1.6

Review: Cleveland had a lot of extra picks in the 2023 draft, but they didn’t walk away with too much. Their first selection was Mike Nichols, an exciting pitcher with huge stuff before tearing his rotator cuff and losing his control. He’s a replacement-level Triple-A arm now. David Meeks was the pitcher selected right after Nichols.

Kevin Austin and Brian Wright were supplemental round compensation picks received for not signing picks the year prior. David Bollman is a balanced second division left fielder who should debut with Baltimore this year, though Brian Hyslop is a career minor leaguer. Cleveland’s rolled picks turned into Kevin Austin, a defensive Shortstop with power, but whose hit tool should leave him a career backup at best. Brian Wright meanwhile throws hard and gets good movement, but his total lack of command led to his release and current pitching in Japan. Cleveland got better value with the players they drafted and didn’t sign in 2022.

They picked Josh Hagey with their own second round pick He had a successful year out of the St. Louis pen as a hard throwing lefty swingman who kept the ball in the park. They had another second round pick for not signing Matt Howell. Howell’s turned into a fringe starter, and the comp pick turned into Jamie Carroll, who will likely never be a successful pitcher above Double-A.

Cleveland picked John Belanger with their third round pick, a career minor leaguer picked one spot ahead of Brock Straub. They didn’t sign Roland Lemon in 2022, a wild but effective bullpen arm for the Cardinals last year. Cleveland used the comp pick on Phil Anderson, who has already retired.

Eric Kemp was chosen in round four, and he’ll never make it to the upper minors, let alone the PBA, but fifth rounder Chris McBee has turned into a good Triple-A outfielder. Eighth rounder Tim Coon also looks like a solid Triple-A pitcher, and the Indians got some solid upper minors depth in the middle rounds.

Grade: F. Cleveland made worse selections with virtually all their compensation picks compared to their 2022 unsigned selections. Their 2023 picks didn’t amount to anything, and often preceded strong players picked after them. It’s actually a stunning display of incompetent drafting.


Colorado Rockies:

First Round: Forfeited as a result of signing Ken Giles
Second Round: (17) Roland Lemon—P
Third Round: (19) Ralph Porter—OF

Best Player: Ralph Porter

Best Deep Cut: Brett Vlasic (22)—P

Total ML WAR: 9.7

Review: The Rockies would likely want to have their first rounder back instead of Giles. While he put up a 2.83 ERA over 54 IP in 2023, the team lost 94 games. Injuries limited him in future seasons and he ended up putting up 0.4 WAR and a 6.21 ERA as a Rocky. Still that is more than many teams got from their first rounder in 2023. In the second round the Rockies took Roland Lemon. Lemon made the majors but failed to add any value to the Rockies. All of his career WAR comes as a Cardinal. Even with the Cards he hasn't done too much and is a probably an AAAA level arm. Walks have been an issue for him his whole career.

The third round of this draft made up for the Rockies earlier picks as they selected Ralph Porter. Ralph is a good teammate who never misses a chance to golf or to wear his favorite pair of jorts. More importantly though he's been a steady presence for Colorado in right field, averaging 3 WAR a season. He's a plus defender and won last season's Platinum Stick at the position. If you draft a player like Ralph Porter every year you will be a very successful team.

The Rockies best deep cut is RP Brett Vlasic. Brett throws a curve that breaks as sharp as a pickle. He's appeared over 3 seasons for the Rockies but last year was really his first extended go and he put up a very solid 4.32 ERA. He has trouble with lefties but for this late a pick this pickle is a good one.

Grade: B. Porter makes up for the rest of the class not contributing much.


Detroit Tigers:

First Round: (12) Marcos Reyes—P
Second Round: (11) David Heide—P
Third Round: (14) Toshio Yamada—P

Notes: Received a fourth rounder (Chris Maurer) from Cincinnati for Drew VerHagen

Best Player: David Heide

Best Deep Cut: (23) Cody DeFilippis—P

Total ML WAR: 13.0

Review: Detroit had a strong draft with the sixth most WAR in the class despite missing on their first pick. They selected Marcos Reyes 12th overall, but their scouting department soured on him and left him unprotected in the Rule V draft, where he went taken by Seattle and left to suffer through a 1-10 season. Reyes will likely never pitch in the majors again.

David Heide was taken in the second round and he’s turned into a lightning bolt of an arm. Heide has put up three seasons of 2.8 WAR or more—as a reliever, which is spectacular. He led the league in Saves in 2027, a year after putting up a 0.96 ERA. He suffered through some bad Home Run luck last year, but he already has 503 strikeouts in 319 career innings. Ryan Beyer is the only arm with more WAR from the class than Heide.

Toshio Yamada was taken in the third round and has mostly been a good, but not great Triple-A arm in his career. He was picked by Seattle in the Rule V draft in 2027 and had a 3.72 ERA that season. Yamada would likely be a decent back end starter were he able to return to the league.

Their fourth round selection, Chris Mauer, has performed well in the minors throughout his career. He’s an aggressive hitter who may be able to stick as a backup Catcher moving forward. Seventh round pick Ramon Fernandez has been a decent Triple-A arm for three seasons. He’s a fly ball arm but he’s been good at limiting home runs and throwing strikes. He may be able to survive at the end of a bullpen.

Detroit didn’t get much from the middle of the draft, but had a good run once they got to the 10th round. They picked Sean Black in round 10, a respectable defender with a patient approach who can wait for a mistake and hit it out of the park. He’s likely not a major leaguer, but a Triple-A player with a chance is a great pick in the 10th round. 17th rounder Pat Heugly has been replacement level as a lefty reliever so far, and is still young enough to stick in a more solid role.

Their 23rd round pick Cody DeFilippis has been one of the best selections of the draft. He was immediately cut by Detroit and signed by Cleveland and turned into a strong PBA starter. He was extremely homer prone in 2027 as a rookie, but was a solid starter last year, with 13 Wins and 171 strikeouts in 156.1 innings. He’ll likely always be homer prone, but with a fantastic changeup and excellent slider backing up a mid 90’s fastball, he’ll likely always have the stuff to strike out enough hitters where it may not matter.

Grade: B+. Detroit got an elite closer, an intriguing starter, and a bunch of Triple-A players. The quantity of Triple-A depth means there are many bites at the apple of players becoming valuable players, some of whom have already shown some proficiency in the majors. This will be an interesting team to look back on in a few years to see how those Triple-A players perform for the Tigers.


Houston Astros:

First Round: (1) Jeff Morrison—P
Second Round: Forfeited as a result of signing Dansby Swanson
Third Round: (1) Jeff Sutch—P

Best Player: Jeff Morrison

Best Deep Cut: (14) Allen Asbury—P

Total ML WAR: 12.7

Review: Houston had the first overall pick and selected Jeff Morrison. The righty arm is fourth in the class in WAR so far, and is younger than the players ahead of him. He throws 100 with a devastating splitter, but despite the stuff, has mostly been a pitcher who has succeeded by keeping the ball on the ground and in the park. He’s still a fantastic pick, though he’s running out of chances to show he’s an elite arm.

Houston surrendered their second round pick to sign Dansby Swanson. The Shortstop has been fantastic for Houston, with a pair of All Star nods since signing in 2023. The draft hasn’t been a deep one, especially for position players, so signing an All-Star for the cost of a second-round pick was a nice move. However, while the Astros made the ALCS in 2026, they have been about .500 the last six seasons, so they haven’t had great team success with Swanson since surrendering the draft pick. Also, Swanson’s contract was a 10-year deal for roughly $26 million a year. He’s been worth 21.9 WAR with Houston for $152 million, almost exactly $7 million a WAR. It might be good value for Houston, and coming off a 4.6 WAR season, it’s possible he holds up for the final four years of the contract? It’s likely when everything is tallied up, he’ll have performed roughly on par with the contract value, which is remarkable for a 10-year deal given to a middle infielder.

Houston’s next few picks were used on Double-A caliber players until seventh rounder Kiyoshi Furukubo. The Japanese native had a pair of good starts for Oakland in 2027, and was okay at Triple-A last year for two organizations. He throws four pitches and gets good movement on his two-seamer and off-speed pitches, so he may be able to make it as a back-end starter.

Eighth round arm Aaron Lerner has also ended up in Oakland, where he served as a wild and hittable arm last year, but who kept the ball in the park. Lerner walked 39 in 69.2 innings, but despite a 1.56 WHIP, he had a 3.75 ERA. Allowing just six homers helped, as despite the base runners, hitters weren’t always able to cash in.

14th rounder Allen Asbury is the only other player of note. The righty worked in 40 Games for Boston last year, 10 Starts, and went 8-5 with a 3.70 ERA. Asbury has kept the ball in the park his entire professional career, and a huge plus as a righty for the Red Sox. He looks like a quality swingman.

Grade: A-. Houston hit with the first pick and made a good move with the Swanson signing. They rounded things out with a few good arms later on, plus virtually all of their selections are still playing in some capacity. A solid draft.


Kansas City Royals:

First Round: (17) Aaron Smith—P—UNSIGNED (Acquired pick from Seattle along with second round pick (Kyle Ramey*), Taylor Trammel, and Dakota Hudson for Steven Duggar, Damian Mendoza, and Tomito Kawamoto)
First Round: (30) Nick Boutin—P
Second Round: (8) Matt Howell—P (Acquired pick from Cincinnati for Jared Lakind and $2.5 million)
Second Round: (14) *
Second Round: (26) Ryan Fox—P—Compensation for not signing Ted Wilson
Second Round: (30) Pick traded to Cincinnati along with fourth round pick (Josh Campbell), Chris Berardeli, and Takao Nakamura to for Austin Gomber. Pick became Philip Sowers.
Third Round: (9) Ted Wilson—Compensation for not signing Todd Buonadonna
Third Round: (30)— Pick traded to Tampa Bay along with third rounder (never conveyed*), Yoan Moncada, Steve Mulvey, Waylon Linkletter, and Laurenti Baffi for Patrick Leonard and Eugenio Suarez. Then traded pick to Tampa Bay for C.J. Hinojosa. Pick turned into Dan Jones—Compensation for not signing Larry Price
Third Round: *
Third Round: (37) Omar Maldonado—P

Notes: Received a fourth round pick (Josh Campbel) from Cincinnati for Eugenio Suarez

Best Player: (5) Frank Aguilar

Best Deep Cut: (13) Matthew MacKenzie—C

Total ML WAR: 2.1

Review: As always, Kansas City was busy during the draft. They acquired the picks that became Aaron Smith and Kyle Ramey, plus Taylor Trammel and Dakota Hudson for Steven Duggar, Damian Mendoza, and Tomito Kawamoto. Trammel had a good couple of seasons with Kansas City before aging, and Hudson was a strong mid-rotation arm for years with Kansas City. Ramey is likely a Triple-A arm, but Smith was an excellent reliever for Houston last year. However, Kansas City didn’t sign Smith, meaning we have to look at what Kansas City got as a compensation the following year—Right Fielder Matt Rain. The outfielder has power from a big uppercut and he runs well, but he doesn’t have the defense or hit tool to be more than a Quad-A type.

Kansas City also gave up a pair of strong starters in Tomito Kawamoto and Damian Mendoza, plus one good year of Steven Duggar. The swapping over Smith for Rain is what takes this fairly neutral trade down a notch for Kansas City, as even with Hudson, the trade is likely a D+ for them in hindsight.

Kansas City’s own first rounder was used on Florida Gator Nick Boutin. The righty’s never been able to develop a changeup or command his cutter, leaving him a mid-minors reliever. In a draft strong on relievers, Kansas City missed with Boutin.

They acquired a second round pick for Jared LaKind and $2.5 million. The pick turned into upper minors mediocre arm Matt Howell, while Lakind would have two strong years in Cincinnati before aging out, and the $2.5 million would give the Reds some financial flexibility they always need. Kansas City came out losers in that deal.

They picked Ryan Fox in the second round, failing to sign the future Rule-V pick. The rolled pick would end up in the Gary Sanchez trade, then rolled over, eventually turning into one of the Yankees four failed second rounders in 2025. The Royals should have just signed Fox, but getting ammunition for Sanchez worked out.

Kansas City traded the pick that would become Phillip Sowers, along with a fourth rounder that would turn into Josh Campbell, Chris Berardelli, and Takao Nakumura. Sowers and Cambell will likely fail to pitch in the PBA, and Nakumura never pitched in the PBA for Kansas City. Berardelli had a nice career as a second-division Second Baseman. They got Austin Gomber in the deal, who had a strong half season late in 2022, a fine 2023, and was effectively done afterwards. That deal is fairly neutral.

Kansas City rolled over a pick for not signing eventual strong reliever Todd Buonadonna. The rolled second rounder was used on Ted Wilson, a slick glove with a bat so poor, he’s now playing in the Japanese minors.

The Royals didn’t sign Larry Price, a solid relief prospect in 2022. They traded the comp pick, Dan Jones, Yoan Moncada, Steve Mulvey, Waylon Linkletter, and Laurente Baffi for Patrick Leonard and Eugenio Suarez. They tried to trade a second pick in the third round, but it failed to convey. Later they traded the Dan Jones pick back to Tampa Bay for C.J. Hinojosa.

Moncada had a strong 2023, but would soon start his decline period. Mulvey is a good part time bat with Milwaukee, but Linkletter is a prospect who won’t play in the majors, Baffi is a power arm with ace upside, and Hinojosa had a decent season as a utility player. Jones was also in the deal, but already retired.

The Royals received Patrick Leonard, who evolved into one of the league’s pre-eminent sluggers, and Eugenio Suarez, who would have one more good year. Dan Jones was also in the deal, but already has retired.

Kansas City has won the deal based on-field performance so far, though Moncada has been solid over the second half of his career. His contract overshadows some decent production. Kansas City did lose a young phenom in Baffi in the deal though. Since Kansas City were playoff contenders in this era, gaining Leonard helps more than getting Baffi hurts, but since Kansas City did lose some solid prospects and a solid Moncada, it’s not a huge win.

Kansas City used its own pick in the third round on Omar Maldonado, a career minor league reliever, and traded Suarez for a fourth round pick used on Quad-A pitcher Josh Campbell. Keeping Suarez would probably have been the better move as we know he had one good season when Kansas City was contending and Suarez has had zero good seasons so far as Kansas City has been contending.

Frank Aguilar was taken in round five and he’s turned into a guy who pounds the zone at 100 miles-per-hour. He’s homer prone against those with quick bats, but those without elite bat speed can’t square him up.

Sixth and seventh rounders Joe Reynolds and Benedict Leighton have both been good Triple-A arms for Kansas City that would be replacement level in the PBA.

Grade: D-. Kansas City was active, but shockingly ineffective during this draft. Their own picks didn’t work out, their picks that were rolled over would better off been kept, and their picks they made with 2022 rolled picks would better off been used in 2022. A lot of their trades were slight losses on the whole. They got a good reliever in Frank Aguilar, but so did every other team so it doesn’t bring their grade up much.


Los Angeles Angels:

First Round: (2) Steve Rankine—P—UNSIGNED
First Round: (7) Pick traded to Milwaukee along with first round pick (Jayden Parker*), second round pick (Preston Brandenburg*), and second round pick (Ron Ryser*) for Lourdes Gurriel. Pick became David Meeks—Compensation for not signing Kelyn Klattenburger.
First Round: *(14)—Compensation for not signing Mark Storr.
Second Round: (1) Sonny Badillo—RF—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (5) *—Compensation for not signing Dave Withrow
Second Round: (16) *—Compensation for no signing Bobby McConnell
Third Round: (2) Kyle Jackson—RF—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (5) Mincho Maeda—P—Compensation for not signing Mike Mendez—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (20) Beau Lucci—P—Compensation for not signing Kyle Ramey—UNSIGNED

Best Player: (6) Milt Fitzgerald—P

Best Deep Cut: (17) Don Keen—1B

Total ML WAR: 0.4

Review: Early in the decade, the Angels decided that signing draft picks was optional, leading to a mess of picks being unsigned and extra compensation picks. Those extra picks would then go unsigned, leading to a stockpile of unused picks. That mess of an era includes 2023.

They drafted Steve Rankine second overall and didn’t sign him. Rankine was a poor pick as barely looks like a PBA-caliber pitcher, but not signing him and rolling him over didn’t net the Angels anything.

They then traded four picks, two first rounders, and two second rounders, for Lourdes Gurriel. They got the picks in the first place by not signing Kelyn Klattenburger, Mark Storr, Dave Withrow, and Bobby McConnell. The picks turned into Jayden Parker, Preston Brandenburg, Ron Ryser, and David Meeks. Meeks has been a really good back-end arm, while Brandenburg and Ryser are PBA infielders. Neither is the star Kelyn Klattenburger has become, with Storr having a PBA chance, and Mcconnell a decent reliever himself. The decision to roll the picks looks defensible, and the trade for Gurriel largely worked out for Los Angeles that one season.

Gurriel had an .886 OPS, clubbed 22 homers, and was worth 3.5 WAR despite missing a quarter of the year. Still, the Angels were in a long rebuild, were terrible before, with, and after Gurriel, and didn’t get any long term value from the trade aside from a compensation pick. One of the most puzzling deals in PBA history.

Los Angeles still had a second rounder and three third rounders to use. They selected Sonny Badillo, Kyle Jackson, Mincho Maeda, and Beau Lucci. None signed. Badillo has a shot to be a huge slugger after being drafted by Atlanta in 2027. Kyle Jackson hit .173, but with 24 Home Runs for the Reds last year. Mincho Maeda is a Top 10 PBA prospect with Top 10 Prospect Facial Hair, and Beau Lucci looks like he’ll stick as a reliever. The Angels got none of that.

The Angels did get Milt Fitzgerald, who could be a lefty specialist, respectable reliever Justin Panico, whose low strikeout rates are panic-inducing for Angels fans, but who has kept the ball in the park, and Dan Giese, another pitcher with great movement but can’t miss bats.

Grade: F. The Angels had opportunities to draft good players and instead failed to sign some good talent, and traded picks for a one-year rental despite having no chance at making the playoffs. Disastrous.


Los Angeles Dodgers:

First Round: Forfeited to sign Alex Bregman
Second Round: (28) Bobby Spong—P
Third Round: (22) Pick traded to Milwaukee for $1.5 million. Pick became Radoslaw Sulecki

Best Player: Bobby Spong

Best Deep Cut: (27) Kinsey Searfoss—C

Total ML WAR: 7.7

Review: It was a shallow draft for the Dodgers, the result of trades, free agent acquisition, unsigned picks, and most drafted players retiring early. In fact, only six players drafted and signed by the Dodgers are still active. That said, they still got value from the class.

The Dodgers punted their first rounder to sign Alex Bregman to a six-year deal with a player option for the final two years. Bregman made $118 million for four years with the Dodgers, but was an All-Star all four years, hit .309, clubbed 121 doubles, and was worth 22.1 WAR, including a tremendous 2024 where he hit .310 with 33 homers, 19 steals, 38 doubles, and scored 127 times while playing a solid Third Base. He was well worth the cost of a late First Round pick.

The Dodgers hit with their second rounder, drafting strong bullpen arm Bobby Spong. Sponge Bob rose through the ranks quickly, earning an unsuccessful rookie cameo in 2024, and a wild but effective 2025. His control has improved steadily though, trading more home runs for walks, while maintaining a fantastic strikeout rate. He has a career 3.40 ERA and is in the prime of his career so that number should go down.

The Dodgers were cash strapped in 2023 so they sold their third rounder for $1.5 million. The money helped the Dodgers win 84 games that year, but they had the run differential of an 89-win team and missed the playoffs by three games. The pick became Radoslaw Sulecki, a solid young reliever who will produce more than $1.5 million in value in his career.

The only two picks after Spong who were signed, are still playing baseball, and aren’t deep minors Catchers are seventh round outfielder Justin Still, and 10th round reliever Travis Tyre. Still has a terrible approach at the plate holding him back, but he makes contact, is an excellent defender, and can leg out some doubles. If he were faster, he’d have a brighter future as a potential fifth outfielder, but the PBA isn’t foreclosed to him. Tyre, meanwhile, has become an excellent long man who went 13-0 his last season in 2027. His delivery makes him tough to square up, and his slider is a bonafide weapon that helped him whiff 148 hitters as a reliever in 2027

Grade: A-. It’s hard to argue too much with what the Dodgers did. They identified a superstar Third Baseman, and though it cost them a pick and a lot of money, the contract was in line with the production they received. They also picked up two very strong relievers in the class. Giving up on Sulecki wasn’t great, and the lack of depth is a setback, but Bregman and two bullpen weapons is a strong draft.


Miami Marlins:

First Round: (27) Jon Adams—P
Second Round: (25) Justin Hale—P
Third Round: (29) Jonathan Pope—CF

Best Player: (9) Andrew Bolden—P

Best Deep Cut: (17) Jonathan Hartman—RF

Total ML WAR: -0.9

Review: Miami’s first pick was a late first rounder they used on Jon Adams. The lefty reliever made the PBA last year, and though he went 5-0, he had 38 walks against 40 strikeouts in 51.2 innings and was worth -0.8 WAR. He doesn’t look like a PBA-caliber pitcher. Second rounder Justin Hale also made the PBA last year, also had nearly as many walks as strikeouts, also was worth negative WAR, and also doesn’t look like a PBA caliber arm.

Jonathan Pope was selected in the third round and while he makes contact, runs well, and is an okay defender, he isn’t quite a good enough fielder to make his impotent bat a promising PBA player.

Fourth round arm Joe Batchelder was a good selection. A power arm, he’s still honing his command but looks like a solid arm in the middle of a pen, and that’s a nice find in a fourth round.

Fifth round arm Jesse Windle will likely never pitch above High-A, but sixth round Right Fielder, Jayden Trent, may someday reach the majors. He’s a good defender with an adequate bat, some pop, and some speed. He’ll likely never be a difference maker, but there’s enough there to see a low-stakes PBA role.

Ninth round arm Andrew Bolden has been the best selection thus far. The reliever saved 23 games with a 1.49 ERA for Toronto last year, surrendering just two homers. Getting any value from the ninth round is a win, let alone a closer.

12th round pick Shuhei Tsukamoto can play Second and Third Base and has an adequate bat. He may be worth a cup of coffee in the majors. Joanthan Hartman is a three-true-outcomes slugging Right Fielder who patience, pop, and a cannon in Right Field. He doesn’t have much else going for him, but a Quad-A player in the deep minors is a good find.

Grade: C-. Miami got a pair of relievers, and perhaps an outfielder with a shot. That’s not the best haul, especially since the early picks were misses.


Milwaukee Brewers:

First Round: (5) Joe Taylor—CF—UNSIGNED
First Round: (7) Pick received from Los Angeles Angels along with first round pick (Jayden Parker*), second round pick (Preston Brandenburg*), and second round pick (Ron Ryser*) for Lourdes Gurriel. Pick became David Meeks
First Round: (14) *
Second Round: (5) Andy Fleck—LF
Second round: (6) *
Second Round: (16) *—Unsigned
Third Round: (6) Ryan Whalen—P—Compensation for not signing Jeff Kopf
Third Round: (8) Brock Straub—P
Third Round: (22) Pick acquired from Los Angeles Dodgers for $1.5 million. Pick became Radoslaw Sulecki

Notes: Acquired a fifth round pick (Jason Kuhle) from Seattle for $1.5 million

Best Player: (16) Grant Stein—3B

Best Deep Cut: Grant Stein

Total ML WAR: 19.3

Review: Milwaukee drafted a number of solid players, and not all of them the result of picking up four premium picks from the Angels for Lourdes Gurriel.

Their first pick was their best of all, but the Brewers couldn’t sign the pick. Instead, future Red Sox Platinum Stick winner Joe Taylor was allowed to go back to college. Milwaukee used the rolled over pick to draft Fidel Molina the next season, who is decidedly not an MVP candidate unlike Taylor.

The Brewers were given chances to make up for their bungled initial pick by grabbing two more first rounders and two second rounders for Lourdes Gurriel. Gurriel was a nice player, but wasn’t an MVP candidate by any means, nor were the Angels anywhere close to contenders. However, the trade showed how much of a crapshoot prospects can be.

Gurriel’s had a nice career since the trade with 20.5 WAR in six seasons. One of the picks Milwaukee got back, Jayden Parker, retired almost immediately to play in the NFL. A second, Preston Brandenburg was replacement level last year and looks like a Triple-A Second Baseman. David Meeks has been a nice arm at the back of the Brewers rotation, and Ron Ryser never signed, rolling over into Kevin Fleishman in 2025. Gurriel has had 20.5 WAR in six seasons since the deal and is still a solid starter. Fleishman looks like a blah reliever and Meeks is a good, but hardly great starting pitcher. On the surface this was a colossal steal for Milwaukee at the time, but in hindsight looks like a net negative.

Milwaukee’s own second rounder was used on Andy Fleck, a serviceable starting Left Fielder. On the one hand, Ralph Porter was available and would have been a better pick than Fleck knowing how their early careers would turn out. However, aside from Porter, there has been little position player production outside the top of the first round from the class, so getting a serviceable hitter is a win.

The Brewers got a couple of solid arms in the third round. Jeff Kopf was unsigned in 2022 and the Brewers used the comp pick to draft and sign Ryan Whalen, an outstanding arm who has been crowded out of an excellent Milwaukee pen. Milwaukee then turned around and drafted Kopf again in the fourth round—this time signing him. Kopf is likely a Triple-A outfielder, but he can play all three outfield spots and has good pop for a Center Fielder. Both were solid picks.

Milwaukee also snagged Brock Straub with their second third rounder. Straub’s groundball oriented attack has made him a reliable swingman in Milwaukee, with the lefty posting 6.1 WAR and a 3.50 ERA to date. Only one pitcher taken after Straub—San Francisco’s Ryan DiSibio—has posted more WAR to date, and only two players have in total.

The Brewers picked up an extra third rounder for $1.5 million, using the pick on Radoslaw Sulecki. The righty had a nice start to his career this year working out of Minnesota’s bullpen before needing Tommy John surgery. A good reliever is worth $1.5 million, but we’ll see how Sulecki’s post-injury career goes.

Milwaukee’s fifth rounder, Robbie Jolly, retired to play basketball, but the Brewers bought another fifth rounder from Seattle for $1.5 million. They selected Jason Kuhle with the pick, but Kuhle looks like he’ll have trouble escaping Double-A.

Ricky Marquez was Milwaukee’s sixth rounder. He looks like he’s stuck in Triple-A purgatory, but he did hit .337 and have 4.3 WAR in Colorado Spring in 2026.

19th round pick Bruce Crabtree has been replacement level in the majors so far, a win for a 19th rounder. 17th rounder Ben Hulett has a good approach and some power, which gives him a chance at an end-of-bench role in the PBA. 14h rounder Jaiden Griffin can some day pop as a power-focused backup Catcher.

The real prize of the late rounds is Grant Stein. Taken in the 16th round, the Third Baseman has become a Top 10 Prospect. Stein has big power and a great eye, projecting to be a big-time star. Considering how weak the offensive crop is, he may stake a claim to being the best position player from the class some day.

Grade: B+. Milwaukee didn’t do a great job with their early picks and the Gurriel trade, but did pick up an impressive array of depth with Andy Fleck and their third rounders. Milwaukee has upside with Stein late in the draft, and an impressive array of players who have had nice PBA careers already. The Brewers also have a number of upper minor leaguers, and get credit for the sheer number of players from the class still playing, especially in the upper minors. The decision to not sign Taylor looks bad though and pushes the grade out of the A range.


Minnesota Twins:

First Round: (18) Jeff Burton—P
Second Round: (15) Brent Franklin—P
Third Round: (18) Gus Zamora—RF

Notes: Received Nick Kingham from Tampa Bay for Pat Clemens and fifth round pick (Mark Swafford)

Best Player: Jeff Burton

Best Deep Cut: (21) Russ Garcia

Total ML WAR: 8.5

Review: Jeff Burton was a great pick at 18th overall. The lefthander out of Bellwood, Virginia has already put up 8.6 career WAR. He's a ground ball generating machine with a great cutter and changeup. Brent Franklin in the second is in AAA but looks like the type of guy who could get a look as a 5th starter. Gus Zamora, an outfielder in the 3rd round, does not have a Major League future. Using a fifth round pick to help acquire Nick Kingham was smart. The Twins won the World Series the year of this draft with Kingham putting up a 3.38 ERA over 28 starts. the only notable deep cut for the Twins is RP Russ Garcia. He had a 6 ERA last year though and doesn't really look like a ML level player.

Grade: B+. Jeff Burton makes this an above average draft class and using a pick to help win a WS doesn't hurt either.


New York Yankees:

First Round: (19) Matt Oster—CF
First Round: (24) Bob Allison—CF—Compensation for not signing Bryce Zettel
Second Round: (18) Pick traded to Baltimore, along with Nate Eovaldi, for $1. Turned into Dave Hughes
Second Round: (23) Hidemichi Hirai—RF—Compensation for not signing Josh Thomas
Third Round: (21) Brian Hansen—RF
Third Round: (32) Marty Murphy—1B—Compensation for not signing Rob Franco
Third Round: (36) Keith Walling—SS—Compensation for not signing Pat Place

Best Player: (6) Mark Ward—LF

Best Deep Cut: (14) Norm Pauley—P

Total ML WAR: 4.1

Review: The Yankees got a lot of Major League players from this draft who have gap power and patience, and lack a little in contact. It adds up to a lot of Major League level players with no clear standout. Matt Oster the first of their two first rounders doesn't fit this profile and is a step below his draft class mates. He can play a lot of positions but no important ones too exceptionally and he lacks power or eye. Bob Allison, the Yankees next pick has had his career seriously derailed by injuries but when healthy has the ratings to be a solid strong side platoon outfielder. He managed 0.8 WAR last year in only 33 games. The Yankees got this pick from not signing Bryce Zettel which looks to be a mistake. Zettel looks poised to be one of the better young First Basemen in the game.

The Yankees used their first second rounder to dump the over $25 million they still had tied up in a washed up Nathan Eovaldi. The pick became a replacement level reliever in Dave Hughes so this trade is a big win for the Yankees. The next Yankees second rounder, Hidemichi Hirai, was traded for a concussed Yordan Alvarez who was then non-tendered. A bizarre trade in which the Yankees essentially gave away a second for free. Hirai looks like an AAAA player but this was still a bad move.

In the third round the Yankees took Brian Hansen who has proved to be an AAAA level Outfielder. Next they took First Baseman Marty Murphy who was traded for a rental of Gabriel Ynoa in a losing season for the Yankees. Murphy could potentially be a solid everyday 1B so this trade is a loss for them. Keith Walling, their final third rounder has all of 4 career Major League Plate Appearances but at best looks like a platoon Second baseman.

The Yankees fared better in the Fourth round selecting Jason Simmons, a platoon Outfielder with a better injury history than Allison and around the same talent level. He may have the brightest future of any Yankee pick, but to date sixth rounder Mark Ward (who is—you guessed it—a platoon Outfielder), has had the best career.

Grade: C+. There are a lot of young platoon outfielders drafted out of high school who are early on in their careers. It feels a little too soon to fully judge this draft class even though it has produced a lot of Major Leaguers. That said a questionable trade and a big whiff in Oster brings the grade down some.


New York Mets:

First Round: (4) Luis Morales—CF
Second Round: (3) Joe Seale—P
Third Round: (4) Ryan Beyer—P

Best Player: Ryan Beyer

Best Deep Cut: (12) Alfredo Orduna—P

Total ML WAR: 26.6

Review: The Mets got arguably the best hitter and the best pitcher in the class. Luis Morales has been a solid hitter for the Mets and still has room to grow. He hit 38 home runs in 2027 and put up 4.7 WAR. The power dipped last year, but he’s still bookended 2027 with league average OPSs. The defense is the big concern for Morales. Overextended in Center Field, he loses some of what makes him special when he moves to a corner. He just turned 27 though, and Kelyn Klattenburger has been the only hitter on his level thus far.

Joe Seale was a strong second round grab. He’s turned into a reliable swingman for Boston by throwing hard and keeping the ball in the park. He’s had some bad BABIP luck, but would be a clear starter on most teams without Boston’s depth.

Ryan Beyer came out of nowhere to be a dominant arm. He burst on the scene in 2025 with a 7-1, 2.30 ERA in half a season. The next year, he produced a 4.0 season by limiting homers and striking out 223 hitters in 158 innings. 2027 was when he really showed himself to be an upper echelon arm. He went 14-9 with a 2.68 ERA, leading the league in HR/9 with just nine long balls in 171.1 innings. He struck out 239 hitters and put up 6.4 WAR. He was hurt last year, but honed his control leading to a 2.75 ERA in 12 starts. Beyer’s only issue is that he doesn’t go deep in games, but inning-for-inning, he’s one of the best arms in the PBA.

Fourth round Center Fielder Tony Beno is unlikely to make a difference in the PBA, but he has huge power, good speed, and can play Center Field. The hit tool isn’t there, but the rest of the skillset is a PBAer. Seventh round arm Connor LaFleur throws a two-seamer that stays down, but he doesn’t have the command or a real out pitch to be a reliable PBA player. He’s on the radar though.

Things haven’t come together yet for Juan Trinidad as he’s been so wild that it’s rendered his good offspeed pitches ineffective. Scouts believe if you can fix his mechanics, there’s a plus arm there. 10th rounder Matt Power has great power and plays a fantastic Third Base. The hit tool and approach aren’t great, but there’s a starting Third Baseman in the profile.

12th rounder Alfredo Orduna was taken in the Rule V in 2027 and was awful for the Padres, with 57 walks in 83 innings. He calmed his mechanics down last year and picked up 32 saves for San Diego and looks like a long-term solution at Closer.

18th rounder Tyrell James can play all over the infield well, plus Left Field. The bat is middling, but the defensive profile and flexibility could land him on a roster as a utility 26th man. 24th rounder Scott Thurston doesn’t have much of a bat, but he has a mature approach, great speed, and he’s a terrific defender. He too can be a utility outfielder, a win for a 24th rounder.

Grade: A. The Mets got offense and defense, stars and a bit of depth. They’re in the running for the best draft in 2023.


Oakland Athletics:

First Round: (23) Devin Martin—1B—Compensation for not signing Tommy Hobby—UNSIGNED
First Round: (26) Randy Elsass—CF—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (24) Mike Sizemore—RF—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (28) Eric Burris—2B—UNSIGNED

Best Player: (10) Kevin Ecevit—SS

Best Deep Cut: (19) Dave Oliva—SS

Total ML WAR: 0.1

Review: Oakland didn’t sign any of their first five picks in the draft, setting them back on an infusion of talent after their brief contender phase dried up. They had an extra first round pick from not signing Tommy Hobby in 2022, but didn’t sign fringe slugger Devin Martin with the pick either. Hobby’s career has already short-circuited so moving on from him was fine, but didn’t amount to anything.

Randy Elsass, Mike Sizemore, and Eric Burris were the next three picks Oakland made with their normal selections. Elsass has great speed, a decent approach, and was just taken by Oakland in the Rule-V draft, six-and-a-half seasons after they couldn’t come to terms with him after picking him in the second round. Mike Sizemore is a rube who wont make it above Triple-A. Eric Burris was worth -1.0 WAR in A-Ball last year, and doesn’t look like he has much improvement in him.

Kevin Ecevit, a flexible defender with power, is the one player picked to show life. Taken in the 10th round, he’s hit for low averages with solid power throughout his minor league career and was replacement level in a brief St. Louis cameo last season.

Grade: F. Oakland just didn’t walk away with anything from the class, and wouldn’t walk away with much from a draft for a few more years after.


Philadelphia Phillies:

First Round: (33) Barrett Suggs—RF
Second Round: (33) Adam Ames—C
Third Round: (40) Josh Wallace—CF

Notes: Received fifth round pick (Jesse Wiles) from Baltimore for Nick Dunn

Best Player: Barrett Suggs

Best Deep Cut: (14) Greg Scott—P

Total ML WAR: -1.7

Review: Philadelphia drafted Barrett Suggs late in the first round. He’s a three-true-outcomes slugger with an extreme uppercut, limiting his ability to make contact and his utility when the ball doesn’t go over the fence. He can’t hit lefties, and he can’t play defense. He’s not a great first rounder.

Catcher Adam Ames will likely spend the rest of his career in High-A, while Josh Wallace has a decent hit tool and good wheels, but he doesn’t have any pop or patience and can’t play Center Field well. He likely tops out in Triple-A. Fourth round pitcher Jeremy Baker doesn’t have a great third pitch, meaning his straight fastballs will get hit hard by PBA-caliber hitters.

The Phillies traded for Jesse Wiles, a flamethrower that’s exceptionally wild, giving away Nick Dunn in the process. Dunn has been up-and-down, but he plays good defense up the middle and has had several seasons hitting for a high, if empty average. Wiles, meanwhile, will likely never make it to the PBA. Philadelphia lost that trade. Their own fifth rounder, Roberto Perez, is a decent pick. He has a solid hit tool and good doubles power, but his defense limits him to First Base and he doesn’t have enough pop to be a valuable offensive player at the position.

Eighth round pick Mario Custodio is a lefty with an outstanding changeup off a mid-90’s cutter. If he figures out the command to match the arm action, he could be a good back-end starter. Ninth rounder Blaine Wingler plays good defense and has a good approach, but is likely a Triple-A player as his bat isn’t dynamic enough.

12th round starter Joey Johnston throws hard and throws strikes. He’s homer prone when he doesn’t locate his cutter, but he looks like a PBA-caliber pitcher. 14th rounder Greg Scott has had a tough go in the PBA so far as he’s been wild and homer prone, but he throws hard and keeps the ball down. If he’s ironed out his command issues, he could be a strong arm in the pen.

Grade: D-. Philadelphia got a few decent players late in the draft, but their early picks have struggled, they lost the Nick Dunn trade, and they don’t have a player who looks like a sure thing in the PBA. They got just enough to keep the grade from being an F though.


Pittsburgh Pirates:

First Round: (9) Terry Puebla—CF
First Round: (15) Bert Medrano—P—Compensation for not signing Jayden Parker
Supplemental Round: (1) Josh Urzua—P—Compensation for not signing Chad Kuhl
Second Round: (7) Simon Forbes—P
Second Round: (10) Sal Miranda—P—Compensation for not signing Andres Reyna
Third Round: (10) Brian Callahan—P
Third Round: (12) Kevin Ramsey—P—Compensation for not signing Andre Stinson

Best Player: Bert Medrano

Best Deep Cut: (18) Danny Porter—P

Total ML WAR: 0.9

Review: The Pirates didn’t sign their top picks in 2022, and they let Chad Kuhl go in free agency, resulting in a bunch of extra picks in 2023. Their first selection was Terry Puebla ninth overall. While a strong defender, Puebla hasn’t hit well enough to be more than a fringe player. He wasn’t a good selection in the Top 10.

The didn’t sign dual sport athlete Jayden Parker in 2022, which was prescient as the prospect retired to play football. The comp pick was used on Bert Medrano, who looks like a keeper as one of Pittsburgh’s young talented arms. Medrano looks like a solid number two type arm and was an excellent pick.

The Pirates let long time standout Chad Kuhl go in free agency, getting a comp pick in return and using it on Josh Urzua. Kuhl would have a strange rest of his career, as his best year by WAR was easily his worst by ERA. He was a solid mid-rotation arm for four more seasons, and a serviceable reliever with the Yankees last year. He signed an affordable 5-year contract at roughly $10 million a year, fair for what he was worth. The Pirates used the comp pick on Josh Urzua, who won’t play above the mid-minors. Pittsburgh should have just resigned Kuhl.

Simon Forbes was a bust as a second round pick, and Sal Miranda has been sub-replacement level in his two seasons in the majors. Miranda was a comp pick after the Pirates didn’t sign Andres Reyna, a good-looking fourth outfielder in Seattle. The Pirates should have signed Reyna.

Brian Callahan was Pittsburgh’s first of two third rounders. He has electric stuff that touched 103, but he can’t control his fastball at max speed, and he’s hittable when he takes something off. Kevin Ramsey is similar—a hard thrower who also limits homers, at a cost of a ton of walks. Ramsey was the comp pick the Pirates received after failing to sign future All-Star Andre Stinson.

Sixth rounder Damian Macias looks like a good Triple-A arm, but he lacks the control and put away pitch to be a PBA arm. Seventh rounder Chris Currie throws hard, but has been sub-replacement level so far and hasn’t learned the command needed to be reliable.

Phil Schultz has a big arm in Right Field and has hit in the PBA after being popped in the 12th round. He even batted .250 in the playoffs for Toronto last year. He was a nice find deep in the draft. 13th rounder Mike Havlik has hit in the low minors, but not in Triple-A let along a stint with the Pirates he had in 2027. He’s a good pick for a 13th rounder, but is a fringy PBA player at best.

18th rounder Danny Porter throws heat and with three pitches, can start in a pinch as well. Still young, he was a strong pick deep in the draft. 22nd rounder Kyle Yuhas wasn’t ready for the PBA, but made eight appearances last year anyway. He had an 8.68 ERA as his cutter doesn’t miss PBA bats.

Grade: D. For all the extra picks Pittsburgh received, they’d have been better off signing the players they drafted in 2022. They lost out on good talent as a result. Medrano was a good pick, and the Pirates picked up some depth, but it’s not a great draft when you look at all the extra picks they had, plus who they failed to sign the year prior.


San Diego Padres:

First Round: (11) Mike Darrow—P—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (9) Dave Powell—P
Third Round: (13) Matt Lawrence—P

Best Player: (4) David Robinson—P

Best Deep Cut: (11) Felix Moreno—CF

Total ML WAR: 0

Review: The Padres didn’t sign their first rounder, righty reliever Mike Darrow. The pitcher would be selected in the ninth round in 2026, get cut before 2027, and bounce around the Korean minors. The punted pick turned into Roger Ash, a pitcher who looks like a career minor leaguer himself, so San Diego didn’t get any huge benefit for rolling the pick.

The Padres used their second, third, and fourth rounders are three arms that look like Quad-A starters, with a chance to be successful relievers—Dave Powell, Matt Lawrence, and David Robinson. All are in their prime so there isn’t much time left for the trio to make an impact in the majors, and other relievers were picked that have already made significant PBA impacts. It’s good that San Diego got quantity, but ideally, they would have drafted someone who have made more of a difference by now, even in a bullpen role.

San Diego got more Triple-A caliber arms in the seventh, eighth, and ninth rounds with Davey Crawley, Jon Grigsby, and Jim Sheptock, with Sheptock’s four-pitch arsenal giving him the best shot at popping.

11th rounder Felix Moreno is the best position player they drafted. He’s a very good Center Fielder with good speed and excellent instincts on the bases. He doesn’t have a great bat though, and will likely top out in Triple-A.

Grade: D+. San Diego got a lot of quantity depth, so there’s a chance this looks different in five years. However, in a draft pretty good with relief pitching, San Diego didn’t get a single arm that has made it to the PBA yet, and it’s possible they never will. That would be a very disappointing result.


San Francisco Giants:

First Round: (22) Luis Nunez—CF
Second Round: (21) Dylan Jacques—P
Third Round: (17) Miles Goins—RF (Pick received from Seattle along with fourth rounder [Ryan DiSibio] for Matt Krook, Dazon Cole, and Preston Oberling)
Third Round: (24) Chris Rosencutter—RF
Third Round: (26) Eric Denney—1B (Pick received from Texas along with fifth rounder [Tim Howland] for Anthony DeSclafani)

Notes: Received fourth round pick from Chicago Cubs (Oscar Diaz) along with sixth round pick (Mike Taylor) for Nick Wittgren, Juan Flores, and $2.5 million


Best Player: (4) Ryan DiSibio—P

Best Deep Cut: (11) Jim Brookshire—P

Total ML WAR: 16.2

Review: The Giants made a number of trades to give them 16 players drafted and signed in the first 10 rounds of the draft with none coming from compensation picks. They used their first rounder on Luis Nunez, a great defensive Center Fielder who hit enough to be adequate as a full time starter in 2027, and hit really well in a part time role last year. Nunez is a fourth outfielder as a floor and showed that he can be an impactful bat as well. He’s already produced more than his Center Field competitors taken around him, though Bob Allison is much younger.

The Giants selected Dylan Jacques in the second round. Jacques has been a bit homer prone in the majors, seeing him first sent to the bullpen, then to Cincinnati as a result. The offspeed pitches also haven’t been as sharp as needed to make him a plus arm as a starter. He throws hard and scouts are still high on him, so there’s potential for him to be a strong starter moving forward. Andre Stinson was picked right after him though, which stings looking back.

The Giants made a trade to get picks that became Miles Goins and Ryan DiSibio, sending out Matt Krook, Dazon Cole, and Preston Oberling. DiSibio immediately became a fantastic arm, turning in two seasons worth at least 2.9 WAR out of the bullpen. He throws 97 with movement and his park forgives any mistakes. He’s been an outstanding fourth round selection. Goins hasn’t worked out as his hit tool hasn’t played in the low minors yet. The Giants gave up serviceable swingmen in Krook and Cole, and a fringy arm who made two career appearances in Oberling. DiSibio has been more valuable than the trio.

They took Chris Rosencutter with their own third rounder. Rosencutter hit well in a brief stint with the Cardinals in 2027 and did terribly in a similar stint with the Cardinals in 2028. He has big power, but the bat is sketchy and he doesn’t run or field well. If the ball goes over the fence, he’s a good player. If not, he’s worth -1.4 WAR.

They received an extra third rounder from Texas giving up Anthony DeSclafani for picks that became Eric Denney and Tim Howland. DeSclafani was an impending free agent who served as a solid back-end arm for a few years after the trade. Denney is a Quad-A slugger who had a respectable cup of coffee with the Dodgers last year and might be able to hit lefties well enough to earn a platoon role. Howland never developed and is now in Mexico. The idea to trade DeSclafani may not have been the right one as they missed tying for the division lead by one game in a 2022 NL West that saw the top four contenders all within a whisker of one another. DeSclafani’s departure may have cost San Francisco a playoff berth, and they didn’t get enough back to justify it.

The Giants got an extra 2023 fourth and sixth rounder from Chicago. They dealt Nick Wittgren, Juan Flores, and sent $2.5 million to the cash-strapped Cubs for picks that became Oscar Diaz and Mike Taylor. Wittgren was signed to a minor-league contract weeks before the trade after serving as a good, but homer-prone arm in Miami. He flourished for one year in Chicago, the one year he turned off the home run tap. Flores also signed a minor league deal with the Giants weeks earlier after leaving the Cuban League where he once led the league in Saves. He was solid for the Cubs after the trade, then was relegated to Triple-A Iowa for a few years before freeing himself and spending the last two years in Camaguey, Memphis, and a quartet of outings in St. Louis.

The two players helped the Cubs, and the cash was worth more to Chicago than San Francisco, but the Giants got a fantastic prospect out of the deal. Mike Taylor is a blue chip relief arm with a devastating fastball/slider combination that he can locate for strikes. His command needs some work, but AT&T Park is forgiving. There’s a future top-tier closer there. Diaz hasn’t worked out and likely won’t make it above the California League. The deal helped both teams, and San Francisco could have used the duo during a disappointing 83-win 2023, but they did get an impact prospect out of the deal.

Josh Allen was San Francisco’s own fourth round selection. A college junior out of Tulane, he didn’t hit much in the Giants system, but flourished in Kansas City’s last year. He’s a good athlete as his bat will definitely play, and he runs well for a First Baseman, giving him the ability to add value on the bases and the field. He may not be a top-tier classic slugger, but he’s a good pick in the fourth round.

Bobby O’Cain was San Francisco’s fifth round pick. A classic three-true-outcomes slugger, O’Cain doesn’t have a quick bat, but he’ll work a walk, swing through strike three, and hit a mistake over the fence. He’s fine as a fifth rounder with a slight development gain away at a starting PBA job.

The Giants selected Rocky Thompson and Roger Macari in the sixth and seventh rounds. Thompson had a brief successful run in San Francisco’s pen in 2027 and absolutely dominates righties with his sidearm delivery. He could have a niche role in a pen somewhere. Macari has been worth 1.0 WAR over two seasons as a swingman. These are wins for sixth and seventh rounders.

10th rounder Zach Diaz made the Oakland bullpen last year and was worth positive WAR as a 23-year-old rookie taken in the Rule V. He touches 100 and drops a big curveball that makes him an exciting arm. 11th rounder Jim Brookshire touches the mid-90s with a fastball and throws a heavy sinker as well. It’s a weird combo that one images makes it tough to pick up strikeouts, but he’s succeeded at Triple-A.

12th rounder Cody Andelin is a strong infield defender who can excel at Second and Third and do okay at Shortstop. He might have enough of a bat to make it someday. He was taken by the Twins in the Rule V this past season. Brett Garcia is cut from the Jim Brookshire mode, but bigger. He throws a fastball, but harder, a sinker, but with more movement, and he mixes in a changeup just to show hitters. The cost for the extra juice is a complete lack of control, but the stuff is promising. He’s only 23 and has a few years to try to reign things in.

Grade: A. The quantity is impressive, even if the individual moves are mostly singles and doubles over homers. There are few steals, and few moves where the Giants absolutely nailed a star. However, the draft was weak and the Giants came out with an outstanding reliever, an outstanding relief prospect, a solid starter, a serviceable swingman, a serviceable rookie reliever with upside, a starting Center Fielder, a good-looking First Base prospect, three bites at the apple with slugging Quad-A types, and a few Triple-A arms that may be more. San Francisco did sacrifice a chance to make the postseason to acquire some of those picks, and that’s a real drawback, but they ended up with a very good haul.


Seattle Mariners:

First Round: (17) Pick traded to Kansas City along with second round pick (Kyle Ramey), Taylor Trammel, and Dakota Hudson for Steve Duggar, Damian Mendoza, and Tomito Kawamoto. Pick became Aaron Smith
Second Round: *
Third Round: (17) Pick traded to San Francisco along with fourth rounder (Ryan DiSibio) for Matt Krook, Dazon Cole, and Preston Oberling). Pick became Miles Goins.

Notes: Fifth round pick (Jason Kuhle) traded to Milwaukee for $1.5 million

Best Player: (29) Chris Degenkolb—P

Best Deep Cut: Chris Degenkolb

Total ML WAR: 2.5

Review: Seattle traded its first five picks in the draft, a second straight draft where it gave up a lot of early draft capital. It sent its first two picks packing along with Taylor Trammel and Dakota Hudson in 2023. Trammel had a couple of very strong years for the Royals before aging into a backup role, and Hudson was worth 16.4 WAR over six strong seasons with Kansas City. Aaron Smith was a nice rookie reliever for Houston last year, though at 28, he doesn’t have much upside. Ramey has topped out as a career minor leaguer.

Still, the production for the major leaguers in the trade was significant after the deal was made, with Hudson pitching very well in Kansas City. Seattle got Damian Mendoza in the deal, who despite leading the AL with 15 losses in 2025, produced 10.1 WAR as a swingman for his Seattle career. Seattle also got Steven Duggar, who had a solid 2023, before tailing off towards the end of his career and providing 3.6 career WAR post trade. Finally, Tomito Kawamoto came over and was very effective after turning 25, including going 13-8 with a 3.57 ERA and 4.6 WAR in 2027. Seattle got more players and more depth, despite Hudson probably being the best player in the trade. Because the picks didn’t amount to much, and the major league portion of the trade was so similar, Seattle wins it because they saved some money.

Their third rounder saw them acquire depth arms Matt Krook and Dazon Cole, as well as Preston Oberling, for the picks that became Miles Goins and Ryan DiSibio. Krook and Cole were fine for Seattle, but DiSibio turned into one of the National League’s best relievers. They lost that trade.

Seattle sold the pick that turned into Jason Kuhle for $1.5 million. Kuhle looks like he’ll never play above Double-A. $1.5 million turned out to be the better value.

Seattle didn’t get anything out of their sixth, seventh, or eighth rounders but Nolan Bolanos in round nine has a chance. He’s a righty with good downward break on a slider and a developing splitter. He may be able to earn a cup of coffee someday.

Tenth rounder Masayuki Matsunaga runs extremely well, has a decent approach, and has good gap power. He’d be fringy in the PBA, but in the Nippon League, he’s become a two-time All Star, and a Platinum Stick winner—impressive for the second best league in the world.

Seattle’s best pick was deep in the draft, the 29th round. Chris Degenkolb, a small hard-throwing righty saw his velocity jump from the mid-90s to the high 90s, allowing his very good Curveball to play off it very well. Degenkob turned in a strong rookie year and has ace upside—a spectacular return for a 29th rounder.

Grade: B+. Seattle lost the DiSibio trade, but got small wins with their other trades thanks to the picks not amounting to much. Some of their mid round picks have turned into decent players, if not in the PBA then Japan, while Degenkolb has ace upside. That’s solid work for a team without its first five picks.


St. Louis Cardinals:

First Round: (13) Nestor Miranda—CF
Second Round: (12) Jon Ricketts—P
Third Round: (15) Brian Villanueve—P

Best Player: Brian Villanueve

Best Deep Cut: (11) Angelo Estrada

Total ML WAR: 4.4

Review: St. Louis’ first pick was on Nestor Miranda, a fantastic defender whose bat never developed. He’s spent his entire career in Rookie Ball, and doesn’t look like he’ll ever play full season ball. There have been plenty of earlier picks who didn’t have significant major league careers, but there have been few picks taken in the top 15 who have had as inconsequential minor league career as Miranda.

St. Louis picked Jon Rickets with their second pick, and the reliever has had a wild career. He made the majors quickly and put up 1.2 WAR as a rookie in 2025. He then produced -0.8 WAR with two teams the next year, getting traded to Tampa Bay for Andrew Brooks, Andy Manion, and $5 million. He suffered through another negative WAR campaign with the Rays in 2027, put up negative WAR in 20 games for them in 2028, then was traded to Baltimore where he was solid for them in 26 outings. Rickets gets tons of strikeouts, gives up tons of homers, and walks everything. The one season he didn’t give up a boatload of home runs, he had 1.2 WAR. The one half season he kept the walks to a reasonable level, he was worth 0.3 WAR in half a season. Every other portion of his career has been a disaster. He still has upside, but there were a bunch of good relief arms taken shortly after him that would have been better selections.

The Cardinals’ third round choice was an excellent one. Brian Villanueve has led the NL in Saves the last two years and has 232 career strikeouts in 216.1 career innings. He throws 100 low in the zone, gets whiffs with a good forkball, and he keeps his pitches in the zone when he wants to.

Fourth round pick Jordan Cortez looks like a Triple-A lefty specialist, but fifth rounder James Hale had a solid few seasons in AL East bullpens as a wild, but generally effective arm who saved 29 outings for the Rays in 2026. He’s also put up a 2.57 WBC ERA in 28 innings. Not bad for a fifth round pick.

St. Louis didn’t get too much of note with their middle and late round picks.

Grade: D. Missing on Miranda is a major failure, but the lack of talent in the class makes the mistake a little more forgiving. The Cardinals selected a couple of decent closers, and the wild card of Jon Ricketts could pay off. It’s modest, but not a complete failure.


Tampa Bay Rays:

First Round: (31) Matt Sowerby—CF
Second Round: (31) Danny Bent—P
Third Round: (30) Dan Jones—P (Pick received from Kansas City along with third rounder (never conveyed*), Yoan Moncada, Steve Mulvey, Waylon Linkletter, and Laurente Baffi for Patrick Leonard and Eugenio Suarez. Pick then received Kansas City for C.J. Hinojosa.)
Third Round: (38) Jason Guion—P

Notes: 5th Round pick received (Mark Swafford) along with Pat Clemens from Minnesota for Nick Kingham.

Best Player: Jason Guion

Best Deep Cut: (15) Jamie Benz—P

Total ML WAR: 0.8

Review: Tampa Bay’s first two picks in the drafts were misses. First rounder Matt Sowerby is still just 24, but the San Francisco high school pick never developed his bat to an acceptable level, and his defense was overrated. He’d make the PBA as a pinch runner, and nothing more. Second rounder Danny Bent had a fringe future, but was released after 2026 and chose to retire as a 24-year-old after the ordeal.

The Rays picked up the same pick from Tampa Bay twice. They initially were supposed to receive it along with Yoan Moncada, Steve Mulvey, Waylon Linkletter, and Laurente Baffi before the 2023 season for Patrick Leonard and Eugenio Suarez in a blockbuster.

Moncada had a strong season for Kansas City, but wasn’t the force he was with the White Sox. His half season with Tampa Bay was the worst of his career to that point as his OPS was just .714 with Tampa after being over .800 most of his career to that date. Steve Mulvey would go on to be a very nice part-time bat for Milwaukee, picking up two rings in the process. Waylon Linkletter would never amount to anything, but Laurente Baffi has shown potential in the minors of developing into a frontline arm. Tampa Bay received a lot in the deal, but they gave up a fair amount too. Leonard has become one of the PBA’s most fearsome sluggers, eventually hitting 63 in a season and leading the league in long balls in 2027 and 2028. Suarez had one more solid season left in him after the trade, before being replacement level to wind out his career. Most players in the trade only stayed on with their teams for a short while, but Tampa Bay losing Leonard was likely the worst part of the trade from any team’s perspective.

The draft pick never processed though, so Tampa Bay acquired it a second time for C.J. Hinojosa. The infielder was sub-replacement level for the Rays in 2023 and only appeared in seven career PBA games after the season. The pick turned into Dan Jones, who has already retired without playing in the PBA.

The Rays own third round pick was used on Jason Guion, a quiet righty who limited baserunners in a worse-than-it-appears 6-17 rookie year in 2028. Guion keeps the ball down and has a great changeup, traits that should give him a legitimate future. The Rays’ fourth rounder, Josh Brown, never learned how to throw strikes and is now pitching in Korea.

Tampa traded Nick Kingham to the Twins for Pat Clemens and a fifth round pick. Kingham had a steady three year run for Minnesota with 2.6, 2.7, and 2.6 WAR seasons in three straight years. Clemens has been worth negative WAR in a five year career and looks like a back end starter, and the pick became career minor league arm Mark Swafford. Their own fifth rounder was used on Ken Baumgart, a perpetually injured career minor leaguer now in Ethiopia.

Seventh round pick Ruben Encarnacion doesn’t have a great hit tool or glove, but has enough power to be in Triple-A and on the PBA radar. 15th rounder Jamie Benz is wild, but has a terrific slider, throws 100, and keeps the ball down. That’s given him at least a shot in the majors.

Grade: D-. The Rays had a few small successes, but they got nothing from their first two picks, gave up Patrick Leonard for a disappointing haul aside from Laurente Baffi, lost the Nick Kingham trade, and didn’t pick up much depth. Baffi keeps it a passing grade as he could be an ace, but the Rays really struggled with their picks this draft.


Texas Rangers:

First Round: (23) Charlie Dougan—UNSIGNED
Second Round: (22) Andre Stinson—P
Third Round: Pick traded to San Francisco along with fifth rounder (Tim Howland) to San Francisco for Anthony DeSclafani. Pick became Eric Denney

Best Player: Andre Stinson

Best Deep Cut: (11) Sean Zeorb—CF

Total ML WAR: 13.5

Review: Texas drafted Charlie Dougan, a promising relief prospect, 23rd overall, but ended up not signing him. The comp pick was lost when Texas signed Kyle Hendrick the next season, a deal that worked out reasonably for Texas.

The Rangers picked Andre Stinson in the second round, eventually trading him in the Syndergaard deal. Stinson struggled to find a strikeout pitch early in his career, but the command was there, as he always ran incredibly low BABIPs. He just produced a 6.4 WAR season and earned an All-Star nod as his changeup has continued to develop. Not bad for a second rounder.

Texas traded two picks for Anthony DeSclafani. The third rounder became Eric Denney, a Quad-A slugging First Baseman. The fifth rounder turned into Tim Howland, a guy who didn’t hit in A-Ball, and now is a plus player in the Mexican League. DeSclafani was solid down the stretch in 2022 for Texas, putting up 1.2 WAR in 12 starts in a failed Texas playoff push. Considering what Texas gave up, they won the trade.

Sandwiched between the traded picks was Josh Butler. Nicknamed Genghis Khan, Butler has had mixed success in his young career, with a strong 2026, a poor 2027, and a solid 2028. He’s developed nicely though, keeping the ball on the ground and throwing strikes. He’ll likely be in the middle of the Rangers rotation for years to come.

Texas used a sixth round selection on Tadpole Talbot Dobie. Tadpole has good movement, but his stuff hasn’t played as a starter and he was very homer prone his one PBA season in Arizona. He may be able to cut it as a reliever though.

Texas didn’t sign their seventh rounder, but their eighth rounder became Justin Martin, a wild righty who struck out 131 in 118.2 innings last year as a rookie. Martin allowed under a homer-per-nine last year and has had good homer rates in the minors as well. He looks like a good arm and a steal as an eighth round selection.

Marcinek Krzeczkowski was Texas’ 10th round selection. He had a cameo in 2027 and really struggled last year, going 3-12 with a 6.09 ERA. He can soak up innings, but the stuff hasn’t played as a starter. Still, getting a 10th rounder who can be serviceable in the majors is a win.

Sean Zeorb is the last player worth mentioning. He was taken in the 11th round and likely doesn’t have a PBA future, but he plays good Left Field defense and runs well, stealing a combined 70 bases in High-A the last two years. He likely tops out at Double-A, but if he ever gets a ratings bump, he can be a backup Left Fielder.

Grade: A. Texas got three quality starting pitchers from the draft, traded two picks for a half season of a fourth, and let a draft pick go unsigned to get a comp pick they could “spend” to sign a fifth. For a weak draft, that’s excellent work.


Toronto Blue Jays:

First Round: (28) Travis Crombie—P
Second Round: (27) Joel Evans—SS
Third Round: (33) Cesar Sanchez—P

Best Player: Travis Crombie

Best Deep Cut: (15) Stephen Marchant—P

Total ML WAR: 7.1

Review: Toronto went with a high-impact relief arm with their first pick of the draft, the 28th selection in the first round. They drafted and signed University of Tennessee closer Travis Crombie and watched him quickly accelerate up the minors, reaching Toronto the next year. He’s been fantastic when he’s been able to pitch for Toronto with a career 1.79 ERA in the PBA, but he’s always hurt. He missed six weeks with a sprained elbow in 2027, the least time he’s missed due to injury in his career. He’s been terrific when he’s pitched, but Toronto may have been better served with a more durable arm.

Joel Evans was another college graduate taken in the second round. Evans hasn’t played much in the PBA yet to date, but he’s been effective when he has played, including a .333 average during Toronto’s run to the World Series. Evans isn’t a great Shortstop, but he has a quick bat he uses to flick opposite field hits, and he can bang a double if pitchers try to beat him inside. He looks like a solid middle infielder and a good find in a draft bereft of position player talent.

Cesar Sanchez was a college arm from Stanford grabbed in the third round. He could have been a back-end starter, but retired early to play soccer. Fourth rounder Josh Gunnin moves well and has a big arm, giving him defensive versatility. He swings often, but has a bit of juice in his bat, plus he runs well and often. He’s always making something happen, making him a fan favorite and someone who can add some juice to a game. He has a chance to make it as a backup.

Fifth round Villanova alum Greg Layton hit .329 for the Blue Jays in 2026 and combines good defense and with fast legs and serviceable contact skills. He’s not a bad fifth outfielder. Ninth rounder Mike Gianquinto was replacement level in 24 innings for Toronto last regular season, but poured in a 0.84 ERA in 10.2 playoff innings. 11th round pick Aaron Spigelmyer stole seven bases in 28 Games.

Todd Warren, Toronto’s 12th rounder, has a good approach, some power, and a good arm. Still 23, he may be able to make it at Third Base one day. 15th rounder Stephen Marchant throws hard and throws strike, finishing second in International Reliever of the Year voting last season. He can make the fringe of a bullpen, a huge win for a 15th rounder.

Grade: B+. Toronto’s draft was filled with useful pieces. There may not be a star thanks to Crombie’s health, but Toronto got a high-upside reliever, a solid offensive infielder, few promising backup infield types, several fifth outfield prospects, and a reliever who was instrumental in them making the World Series. That’s an impressive amount of depth.


Washington Nationals:

First Round: (Improperly forfeited as a result of Gerrit Cole minor league contract signing)—Compensation for not signing Billy Guerin.
First Round: (29) Omar Lara—P
Supplemental Round: (4) Marc Butler—P—Compensation for not signing Raul Mondesi
Second Round: (29) Marc Caroline—P
Third Round: (34) Josh Swanson—CF—UNSIGNED
Third Round: (35) Devon Armiger—P—Compensation for not signing Jonathan Barton

Best Player: Omar Lara

Best Deep Cut: (20) Julio Tejada—P

Total ML WAR: 12.3

Review: Washington improperly lost a first round pick for signing Gerrit Cole to a minor league contract, a deal that finally worked its way through the PBA courts and turned into financial compensation in 2029. Washington properly selected Omar Lara with the 29th pick and watched him turn into one of the league’s best closers. He made the majors very quickly and settled in as Washington’s closer about a calendar year after being drafted. He’s saved 158 games since then with a healthy 2.98 ERA and strong 1.07 WHIP. He’s been wild, but 538 strikeouts in 300.2 innings will get him out of jams. He’s even made five starts in eight outings for Puerto Rico’s national team, going 5-0 with a 2.17 ERA in international play. He’s been a solid arm and was a solid pick.

Washington let Raul Mondesi go in Free Agency, watching him go for a fair contract. They drafted Marc Butler with the compensation pick Butler took his time developing before being selected by Pittsburgh in the Rule V draft ahead of 2028. He hit for a respectable, but empty average, bopped a few doubles, and started just 10 Games. He has bad instincts in the field, so while the bat looks ultimately promising for a middle infielder, the glove wont play. The Nats had financial issues after winning the 2021 title, but a market rate Second Baseman may have been better to have.

They picked Marc Caroline in the second round, a Triple-A arm without enough command to make the next step. Josh Swanson was selected with the club’s first of two third rounders. He wasn’t signed and looks like a Double-A bat. The rolled over pick turned into mediocre mid-minors arm Shane Stoebner.

Washington’s other third rounder turned into Devin Armiger, a fringy swingman with 1.4 WAR in 193 career innings. For a weak draft, that’s not a terrible return. Armiger was a comp pick received for not signing Jonathan Barton, a player who would later be drafted again in the 29th round. Armiger is much better than Barton.

The Nationals hit again in the fourth round with Vlashi Buzoku. The lefty missed most of 2028 with injuries, but was stellar his first two years in the league with a 3.51 and 2.59 ERA seasons. He looks like another quality reliever from the class. Washington got very little out of picks after the fourth round.

Grade: B+. Washington got two excellent relievers from the class, and a third okay one that was much better than a no hope low minor leaguer they could have had. It’s solid work.


New York Mets 26.6

Atlanta Braves 23.4

Milwaukee Brewers 19.1

San Francisco Giants 16.2

Texas Rangers 13.6

Detroit Tigers 13

Houston Astros 12.7

Washington Nationals 12.3

Colorado Rockies 9.7

Minnesota Twins 8.5

Los Angeles Dodgers 7.7

Toronto Blue Jays 7.1

Baltimore Orioles 6.8

Chicago White Sox 5.1

St. Louis Cardinals 4.4

Boston Red Sox 4.1

New York Yankees 4.1

Arizona Diamondbacks 3.4

Seattle Mariners 2.5

Kansas City Royals 2.1

Cleveland Indians 1.6

Pittsburgh Pirates 0.9

Tampa Bay Rays 0.8

Los Angeles Angels 0.4

Oakland Athletics 0.1

Chicago Cubs 0

Cincinnati Reds 0

San Diego Padres 0

Miami Marlins -0.9

Philadelphia Phillies -1.7

[Commissioner Erick]

Special thanks to Luke Grimmelbein who assisted with the writeup!