The best tools in the 2023 MLB Draft

It should come as no surprise that the two schools that have just played for the national championship — LSU and Florida — are well represented at the top of the draft board and here.

Best hitter: Dylan Crews, OF, LSU (score 70)
Callis: Incredible year – he hit . 426, was a Golden Spikes winner, was the SEC Player of the Year two years in a row, and won the national championship. He has a board system – he tied for the NCAA Division I lead with 71 walks. He hit base on every game. He communicates a lot, has a great approach, paints a lot of walks, and uses the opposite field a lot. He hits the ball consistently, he’s dominated the strike area and he’s made the power connection better than ever this spring.

Also in discussion: Max Clark, OF, Franklin (Ind.) HS; Nolan Chanwell, 1B/OF, Florida Atlantic; Jacob Wilson, SS, Grand Canyon

Best Strength: White Langford, Fla. (65 score)
May: It’s not that other players don’t have usable power, but it’s a combination of raw power and club speed – and getting close to the plate. I mean, he’s a 60-degree hitter, so there’s a lot of confidence that he’s going to hit that power, and he’s definitely done that in the last couple of years. He hit 26 homers last year, to put him on the map, batting . 719. This year, he hit 21 more homers, batted . 784 and had more strikeouts going. So, I think he’s got the edge, 65, because of the confidence that he’s going to continue to get to that strength on the next level.

Also in discussion: Dylan Crews, OF, LSU; Walker Jenkins, MD, of South Brunswick (N.C.) HS; Brock Wilkin, 3b, Wake Forest

Fastest Runner: Enrique Bradfield Jr., Vanderbilt (Score 80)
Callis: The Vanderbilt player would be the most visible. I actually think Bradfield might do a little better as a freshman and a sophomore than he did this year. He actually went 46-46 stealing bases last year, and I think he’s been caught seven or eight times this year. His speed – and not just speed but also his ability to use it – he’s a formidable base stealer. He is a great defender in midfield. He got a lot from Kenny Lofton’s companies. This is the positive side of it. Not only does he have such incredible speed, but he also knows how to get the most out of it.

Also in discussion: Kendall George, OF, Atascocita (Texas) HS; Dillon Head, OF, Homewood-Flossmoor (Ill.) HS; Adrian Santana, SS, Doral Academy (FL) HS

Strongest Arm: Cole Carrig, SS/OF/C, San Diego State (Score 70)
May: I think the interesting thing about him is that he played all over the place. Not only during this time in college, but also during the summer and things like that. At San Diego State, he didn’t catch much. But he caught a lot. I think a lot of teams are going to be interested because of the 70 levers. He had some triple-digit throws from the court at the Combine, and he’s athletic enough that he can play center field, and he can play outfield. I think there will be teams that want to shoot behind the board.

Also in discussion: Connor Burns, C, Long Beach State; Blake Mitchell, C, Sinton (TX) HS; Nolan McClain, RHP/OF, OSU

Best defender: Enrique Bradfield Jr., Vanderbilt (score 70)
Callis: We’ll just stick with Enrique Bradfield because he covers a lot of ground in the middle of the field – and not only is he phenomenal pace, he also makes effective runs and runs. So I think it is.

Also in discussion: Maui Ahuna, SS, Tennessee; Connor Burns, C, Long Beach State; Tre’ Morgan, 1B/OF, LSU

Best Fastball: Paul Skenes, RHP, LSU (with a score of 80)
Callis: Our selection that we will choose in the first place. He transferred from Air Force to LSU, is the SEC Pitcher of the Year, leads the NCAA Division I in strikeouts, and has broken Ben McDonald’s School and SEC records. He leads the nation in strikeouts per nine innings pitched and a WHIP, and is second in wins and ERA average to competitors. His fastball was pretty good as a sophomore, it was 94-95 mph and touched 99. This year he averaged 98 and hit 102. First College World Series start, he threw 100 like 48 times or something. crazy. In addition, next to the speed, he has a flat angle of approach and with a lot of load, he commands it well. That was easy.

Also in discussion: Chase Dollander, RHP, Tennessee; George Klassen, RHP, Minnesota; Travis Sikora, RHP, Round Rock (TX) HS

Best curve ball: Josh Knoth, RHP, Patchogue-Medford (NY) HS (Pitch 60)
May: Knuth is from New York, a high school senior, and he’s the only 60-curve ball player in our class—and for good reason. It sucks, plus, it revs with regularity at the elite level, routinely north of 3000/3100 rpm. It’s really really good ground.

Also in discussion: Alex Clemmey, LHP, Bishop Hendricken (RI) HS; Isaiah Coupet, LHP, Ohio State; Cole Schoenewetter, RHP, San Marcos (CA) HS

Best passer: Paul Skenes, RHP, LSU (score 70)
Callis: Paul Skenes, I’ll answer anything you ask in the promotion section – and you know, it’s Paul Skenes, whose slider is pretty silly. He got even better under the tutelage of famed LSU coach Wes Johnson. He has an 85-89 mph slider with plenty of break. Huge swing and miss rates and stalking, I don’t know how anyone hits the ball. It’s not one of those, “just chase it out of the strike zone,” and you wonder how it will fare against better hitters. He can throw that evil slider for strikes, too.

Also in discussion: Lebarron Johnson, RHP, Texas; Seth Keener, RHP, Wake Forest; Juaron Watts-Brown, RHP, OSU

Best change-up: Ryan Bruno, LHP, Stanford (with a score of 65)
May: It’s a go-to game. The positive side of this stadium is absolutely ridiculous. He’s had a 65 percent miss rate on that pitch this year, and hitters are batting . 058 against that pitch. It’s just ridiculous.

Also in discussion: Tanner Hall, RHP, Southern Miss; Rhett Lauder, RHP, Wake Forest; Carson Reed, RHP, West Virginia

Other Best Company: Hurston Waldrep, RHP, Florida (Partition 65)
May: People saw, again, during the postseason, a 63 percent strike rate and a 0.062 batting average against — that’s just an incredibly bad pitch. Even if he ends up doing it one day – you know, there’s some anxiety about that because of it. However, this break would knock the big hitters out of the league.

Also in discussion: Ryan Brown, RHP, Ball State (splitter); Grayson Heat, LHP, Alabama (cutter); Grant Taylor, RHP, LSU (cutter)

Best Control: Rhett Lowder, RHP, Wake Forest (score 60)
Callis: Two-time ACC Pitcher of the Year in Wake Forest. He matched up with Skenes in a formidable pitcher’s duel in the semifinals—Skenes went eight scoreless, and Lauder went seven scoreless. But, Lowder has one of the better changes. He has three pitches: a fastball, a much improved slider this year, and an evil changeup. And he not only throws batters, but he throws good batters – and he’s been consistent every time he’s out this year for Wake. Loader has good stuff, but it’s not overwhelming stuff – not the ’70s and ’80s – and he’s gone out, it seems every week, pounding the strike zone and putting the ball where he wants it, and winning. He went 15-0 and were 17-0 until an 11-inning MCWS loss in his 18th^y Begins. As good as his stuff is, and I think it’s very powerful, it’s his ability to manipulate and control them that makes him who he is.

Also in discussion: Tanner Hall, RHP, Southern Miss; Paul Skenes, RHP, LSU; Logan Van Treck, LHP, Lipscomb