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The 2023 MLB Draft will happen in Seattle, Washington between July 9-11. The point of the event is to assign the best talents in amateur baseball leagues to their eventual homes in the MLB.
With 20 rounds, the MLB draft is one of the longest and most comprehensive events of it's kind in pro sports, and the only draft in North America that takes place during the season. Only players from the United States and Canada may be drafted into the league.
The 2023 MLB Draft lottery took place on December 6 2022 in San Diego. The lottery participants were set in reverse order of winning percentage, and teams that exceeded the MLB's luxury tax threshold, such as the New York Mets were bumped down by ten points.
"With the new MLB Draft lottery, here are the teams with the best odds to get the No.1 pick in 2023" - FOX Sports: MLB
Going into the 2023 Draft, the Oakland Athletics, Washington Nationals and Pittsburgh Pirates all had the highest percentage of being drawn for the first overall pick, at 16.5%. With a record of 55-107 in 2022, the Washington Nationals had the worst record in baseball.
Lo and behold, the Pittsburgh Pirates were selected to receive the first overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. It will mark the second time in the past three seasons that Pittsburgh has gotten to choose first.
The Oakland Athletics, despite having one of the highest chances of being drawn to pick first, had terrible luck at the draft. As a result of the draw, the A's will have to settle for the 6th overall pick. The top ten picks are as follows:
- Pittsburgh Pirates
- Washington Nationals
- Detroit Tigers
- Texas Rangers
- Minnesota Twins
- Oakland Athletics
- Cincinnati Reds
- Kansas City Royals
- Colorado Rockies
- Miami Marlins
After helping the LSU Tigers to victory recently in the College World Series, outfielder Dylan Crews and pitcher Paul Skenes are expected to be very high selections.
"Ages of the Projected Top 3 for the 2023 MLB Draft." - Peter Appel
Crews, 21, was presented with the 2023 Golden Spikes Award, given to the best college baseball player. In 71 games for LSU this season, the outfielder hit .426/.567/.713 with 18 home runs and 70 RBIs. While his teammate, Paul Skenes, is a formidable pitcher, it is hard to imagine the Pittsburgh Pirates selecting anyone other than Crews in the 2023 MLB Draft.
2023 MLB Draft selections will not take the field for awhile
While these young players are undoubtedly at the top of amateur baseball, the nature of MLB player development usually means that fans will likely not see these stars for a few seasons. Either way, these are momentous decisions for team that are not meant to be taken lightly.
