It’s been 10 days since the MLB Draft Lottery set the order for next year’s draft. The Cubs will be picking at number 13 and they should get a very good player at that spot. Within hours of the Draft Lottery, two publications, Baseball America and Prospects Live, threw out a couple of mock drafts and this week MLB Pipeline dropped their own top 100 draft picks for 2023 along with a mock.
Let’s take a look at who each of those publications wrote in at number 13. This is just a reminder, a lot is going to change between now and the first couple weeks in July.
Prospects Live already stepped up their game this year, much more so than other publications, as they already have a top 200. That list included LSU stud RHP Paul Skenes at 13 who has since moved into the top 10 on most other rankings.
Prospects Live also dropped their mock draft shortly after the lottery. They selected infielder Kevin McGonigle for the 13 spot. PL wrote:
The Cubs haven’t shied away from high-end prep prospects. McGonigle has the looks of a stud second baseman at the next level, a guy oh, elementary, fifth grade van, yeah pack and play the band pictures who has a chance to hit .300 year in and year out. He’s got double-digit home run potential too. McGonigle may have the longest track record of pure hit-ability in this class going back several years.
Meanwhile over at Baseball America, they projected Maryland SS Matt Shaw to the Cubs. Shaw was wonderful last summer in the Cape and has shot up into the middle of the first round. As for their top 100 list, prep pitcher Noble Meyer, who I really like, is slotted at 13, just behind, ironically, Skenes at 11 and McGonigle at 12 while Shaw was not too far away at 15.
Here’s a fun article on Shaw’s progress last summer.
FanGraphs, which publishes a small list, has the 13 slot in their rankings given to SS Dylan Cupp from Georgia, who is currently committed to Mississippi State. He’s a big kid at 6-foot-2 with plenty of room to add on. However, he is not as high on other lists or even what would be a first round selection.
As for MLB Pipeline, their top 100 rankings are pretty fresh and pretty hitter heavy in the top 20. They placed P/C Blake Mitchell from Sinton, Texas at 13. Mitchell is a two-way player and has a great arm behind the plate. He still needs some work at the plate. As for his potential as a pitcher, that is not out of the question yet either.
On Thursday, Pipeline released their own mock draft. They had the Cubs taking 3B Yohandy Morales from the U, also known as the alma mater of Max Thoma, broadcaster for South Bend. He’s big at 6-foot-4 and still could add some strength. He also improved his HR total each year so far going from 11 in 2021 to 18 last year. Pipeline wrote the following: “He’s an aggressive hitter looking to do damage and he does consistently barrel up the baseball, showing an ability to drive the ball to all fields.”
These picks and rankings will change greatly over the next seven months. Some will rise, some will fall, and some will do both as there is a lot of baseball left to be played.
As for me, I am going to keep my eyes peeled for a lot of guys in the 20s. RHP Tanner Witt is one of my favorites, He is coming off of TJS. I also like 3B Brock Wilken from Wake Forest and his big ole bat.
I am sure we will see a lot more names pop up like the prospect du jour, two-way player Bryce Eldridge who was a teammate of James Triantos in high school.
Name drops are now complete.
