Data Pitching Standouts From The 2023 MLB Draft

Grant Taylor, RHP, White Sox 

Louisiana State – Round 2, Pick 51

After a star turn on the Cape last summer, Taylor suffered an elbow injury and had Tommy John surgery, missing all of 2023. While he’s unlikely to make his professional debut until later next year, Taylor has a deep arsenal of pitches with feel for his entire mix. Pre-injury Taylor mixed a mid-90s fastball with a curveball with outlier depth, as well as a cutter, a slider and a changeup. Taylor has feel for spin and the ability to create a variety of shapes. It’s a matter of whether or not Taylor regains his previous form post-Tommy John surgery. 

Alex Clemmey, LHP, Guardians

Bishop Hendricken High, Warwick, R.I. – Round 2, Pick 58

A fire-balling lefthander from the Rhode Island prep ranks, Clemmey is raw, particularly when it comes to strike-throwing—his control and command are both below-average. What makes Clemmey so interesting is his high-spin, mid-to-upper-90s fastball and above-average approach angle. This combination of traits portend bat-missing ability. His primary secondary is a high-70s curveball that’s flashed plus but has been inconsistent overall. His high-effort delivery and lack of repeatability in his mechanics make him a project pick. If the Guardians can harness Clemmey’s stuff and improve his strike-throwing, he could morph into one of the more exciting pitching prospects in the game. 

Andrew Walters, RHP, Guardians

Miami – Supplemental second round, Pick 62

Drafted in the 18th round by the Orioles in 2022, Walters didn’t sign and returned to school. The decision proved to be wise as he went in the supplemental second round to the Guardians in 2023. Walters has been exclusively a reliever at Miami, but one has to wonder how his plus fastball and slider combination could play if stretched out as a starter. It remains to be seen whether or not the Guardians will do that. Walters’ fastball sits 94-96 mph, touching 98 mph with high spin rates in the 2,600-2,700 rpm range, generating ride and run. His slider is his primary secondary, sitting mid 80s with moderate sweep and depth. While he has not shown much of a third pitch, Walters does have a changeup. If Walters can develop a true third pitch and show the ability to handle a starter’s workload without losing effectiveness, he has a chance to be another breakout pitcher in the Guardians system. 

Teddy McGraw, RHP, Mariners

Wake Forest – Round 3, Pick 92

Over two seasons with the Demon Deacons and a pair of summers on the Cape, McGraw showed groundball-driving skills with his low-to-mid-90s sinker and hard, sweeping slider. There have been control and command issues in the past, but the Mariners have done a good job of harnessing pitchers with big stuff and command worries. McGraw will likely be on the shelf for the rest of 2023 and most of 2024 after having Tommy John surgery in March.

Brady Smith, RHP, Dodgers

Grainger High, Rutledge, Tenn. – Round 3, Pick 95

An athletic righthander with a projectable build, Smith has several traits that have come to signify the typical Dodgers pitching prospect. He’s athletic, has a flatter vertical approach angle that allows his fastball to play up and he has an athletic, fluid operation and arm slot that allows these traits to culminate in success. He shows a changeup, downer curveball and the occasional slider. He’s been up to 94 mph on his fastball but mostly sat 90-92 mph on the showcase circuit. With the success of recent Dodgers pitching draftees, Smith is a name to watch. 

Jake Bloss, RHP, Astros

Georgetown – Round 3, Pick 99 

After three seasons at Lafayette, Bloss transferred to Georgetown before the 2023 season. Over 13 starts Bloss struck out 96 over 76.2 innings while pitching to a 2.58 ERA. Bloss uses a low-to-mid-90s fastball with above-average ride as well as a sweepy low-80s slider, a mid-70s two-plane curveball and a changeup. It’s not a mix that jumps off the page at you but Astros player development has done well with starters with hoppy four-seam fastballs and two breaking ball shapes. With added velocity, Bloss could break out as a professional. 

Carlson Reed, RHP, Pirates

West Virginia – Round 4, Pick 104 

Draft eligible at 20 years old, Reed was one of the youngest college players in the draft. While he had around a half dozen starts as a collegiate, Reed excelled as a reliever, as he struck out 60 batters across 38 innings for the Mountaineers this season. Reed uses three pitches, led by a mid-90s four-seam fastball with dead zone shape that plays up due to his easy plus slider. His slider sits 83-84 mph with between 14-16 inches of horizontal break. Against the slider this spring Reed generated whiffs on 57% of swings. While it’s clearly a third pitch based on usage, Reed’s changeup performed similarly to his slider this spring as he generated whiffs at the same rate, with a slightly higher chase rate. With size, three pitches with average or better stuff and collegiate success, Reed has a shot to make the transition to a starter as a professional. 

Skylar Hales, RHP, Rangers

Santa Clara – Round 4, Pick 108

One of the better athletes among pitchers in the class, Hales’ collegiate numbers look fairly unassuming, as he worked primarily from the Broncos bullpen. This season, Hales struck out 11.2 batters per nine innings while walking just 2.4 batters per nine. His pitch mix consists of mostly two pitches, led by a mid-90s fastball with some cut and moderate ride, but with a low 5-foot-5 release height that plays up the pitch’s plane. Adjustments to the fastball’s shape via grip adjustments could yield results. He has one secondary in a mid-80s gyro cutter-slider hybrid and it did a solid job of missing bats, with a 37% whiff rate in 2023. He’s likely a reliever long term, but Hales has exciting stuff and an athletic frame to project on. 

Eriq Swan, RHP, Dodgers

Middle Tennessee State – Supplemental fourth round, Pick 137 

Swan’s fastball shape is just average but the pitch plays due to his average fastball velocity of 97-99 mph, touching as high as 101 mph. While his fastball has top-of-the-scale velocity it’s his slider in the mid-to-high 80s with gyro spin that gets the majority of Swan’s swings and misses. In the spring of 2023 Swan generated whiffs at a rate of 50%. He’ll mix in a firm changeup that has solid velocity and vertical separation off his fastball. The biggest issue for Swan has been his well below-average command. If the Dodgers can improve his strike-throwing you could see Swan become another Dodgers success story. 

Alejandro Rosario, RHP, Rangers

Miami – Round 5, Pick 144 

Rosario never quite met expectations while at Miami. While his strikeout rate jumped this spring, so did his walks. This is the struggle Rosario faces—missing bats with his good stuff across his pitch mix and throwing enough strikes for it to matter. His fastball sits 94-96 mph with two-seam shape, generating heavy run from a low release height due to his low three-quarter slot. His firm changeup generates heavy run but is used less than his low-to-mid-80s slider with high spin rates and two-plane break. If the Rangers can help Rosario find his best stuff consistently and get it in the zone, he has a chance to break out in the coming years. If he cannot harness his good stuff he’ll likely end up in the bullpen. 

Brody Hopkins, RHP, Mariners

Winthrop – Round 6, Pick 187

Hopkins spent two seasons primarily as a position player for College of Charleston. He transferred to Winthrop for his junior season and started 12 games for the Eagles while hitting .288/.368/.538 with nine home runs over 185 plate appearances. Announced as a pitcher for the Mariners, Hopkins has untapped potential on the mound. He’s a standout athlete with fairly big stuff for a pitcher with such a limited track record. His four-seam fastball sits 92-94 mph, touching 98 mph at peak. He pairs his fastball with two secondaries in a mid-80s slider with slight depth and some sweep and a high-80s changeup he does an excellent job of killing lift on. It’s a projectable three-pitch mix to dream on and the Mariners are among a handful of organizations on the cutting edge of pitching development. 

Teddy Sharkey, RHP, Orioles 

Coastal Carolina – Round 7, Pick 211

Sharkey is filthy. He had an up-and-down career at Coastal Carolina but finished on a high note in 2023, going 7-2 with 11 saves and 74 strikeouts over 49.2 innings. Sharkey has legitimate stuff, with his fastball (114 Stuff+) and slider (109 Stuff+) ranking favorably on Stuff+ models. His fastball sits 94-96 mph, touching the upper 90s with above-average ride. His slider is a mid-80s offering with above-average spin and gyro shape. His curveball might be his most interesting pitch, sitting 79-81 mph with plus-plus depth. There’s little chance Sharkey is a starter at the next level but he’s certainly an exciting relief prospect with high-leverage bullpen appeal. 

Craig Yoho, RHP, Brewers

Indiana – Round 8, Pick 242

It wouldn’t be outlandish to say that Yoho has the best stuff on this list. A 23-year-old who was draft eligible for the third time may turn out to be one of the better stuff picks of the draft. He missed the 2021 and 2022 seasons due to having Tommy John surgery and a knee injury, but his stuff looked all the way back in 2023 as he showed a nasty three-pitch mix. His fastball sits 92-93 mph, touching 96 mph at peak with two-seam shape and heavy arm-side run. He uses two secondaries in a hammer curveball with depth and sweep in the mid 70s and spin rates that average 2,900-3,000 rpm and a changeup in the low 80s with heavy arm-side run. While Yoho is likely headed to the bullpen, he has some of the most notable pure stuff of any player drafted in 2023. 

Zach Fruit, RHP, Orioles

Troy – Round 9, Pick 271 

It’s been a long and winding road to professional baseball for Fruit. He began his career at Lansing (Mich.) CC before transferring to Eastern Michigan, then transferred to Troy after two seasons with Eastern Michigan. While Fruit didn’t see much success over his collegiate career, he does have notable stuff. His fastball sits mid 90s with ride and run, his slider is a low-to-mid-80s mini-sweeper and his curveball sits 79-80 mph with heavy two-plane break. The long-standing issue for Fruit is his inability to consistently throw strikes—Fruit has issued 5.3 walks per nine innings over his college career. 

Jay Driver, RHP, Guardians 

Harvard – Round 9, Pick 278 

Following a breakout summer in the Cape Cod League with Hyannis, big things were expected of Driver this spring. After performing out of the Harvard bullpen in 2022, Driver made the jump to a starter role in 2023. He made 12 starts this past spring, striking out 69 batters to 29 walks across 67.1 innings. While his command was just pedestrian, he showed the ability to keep the ball on the ground and in the ballpark. Driver’s fastball sat 92-94 mph, touching 95 mph in consecutive summers on the Cape. The pitch has serious sink with heavy arm-side run. The sinker sat just 90-92 mph as a starter this season for Harvard but perhaps the Guardians can get Driver’s velocity closer to his Cape performance in time. He pairs the sinker with a sweepy slider, which is his best swing-and-miss pitch, and a changeup in the low-to-mid 80s with tumble and heavy fade. His low sidearm slot allows Driver to play the east-west game with three different pitch shapes. 

Drew Conover, RHP, Athletics 

Rutgers – Round 11, Pick 316 

Conover spent two seasons at Seton Hall before transferring to Rutgers for his junior season. Drafted in the 20th round out of Seton Hall by the Tigers in 2022, Conover chose not to sign and instead honored his commitment to Rutgers. This spring Conover made 14 starts for the Scarlet Knights to mediocre results. He showed the ability to miss bats, striking out 83 batters over 68 innings, but his lack of command was a consistent problem. Conover mixes a high-spin sinker at 92-94 mph with a sweepy slider in the 82-84 mph range with spin rates in the 2,900-3,000 rpm range. He’ll show a high-80s cutter as well, but his primary pitches are his fastball and slider. Conover’s long arm action and sidearm slot allow his sinker and slider to play up. He’s another arm with relief risk but who provides an unusual look. 

Brett Banks, RHP, Mets 

UNC Wilmington – Round 11, Pick 336 

The Mets have had success drafting college relievers and converting them to starters. While I doubt Banks follows that path, he has the type of stuff that makes him a name to watch. Banks sits 94-96 mph, touching 98 mph at peak with plus ride on the fastball. He pairs his fastball with a slider at 83-85 mph with heavy cut that misses bats. He lacks a true third pitch, but Banks’ fastball and slider combination have potential to settle in as two plus pitches. 

Colson Lawrence, RHP, Marlins

South Alabama – Round 13, Pick 383

A two-way player at South Alabama, Lawrence was announced as a pitcher in round 13. He made 11 appearances out of the bullpen this season while primarily seeing time as a position player. Over his 16.2 innings of work, Lawrence struck out 22 batters to just four walks. Lawrence sits 92-93 mph with heavy bore on his fastball, generating both ride and run. His slider has tight gyro shape, sitting 83-85 mph, and it acts as his primary secondary. Lawrence hasn’t shown a changeup or curveball but could develop a third pitch as a professional. He’s an interesting development project and a good athlete with a starter’s frame.