The 2023 MLB draft was one of the major events throughout the MLB season. Held on Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, United States, it took place from July 9, 2023 to July 11, 2023. The draft, like the previous years, allows all the MLB teams to acquire new players from colleges and high schools to their teams.
The 2023 MLB draft was unique because it introduced the lottery system in the draft. This allows the teams to pick the first six players in the draft. Moreover, 20 rounds of the draft were held and 614 players were drafted throughout the three days. Moreover, the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers had to move down their first-round picks after 10 slots as they exceeded their first luxury tax threshold by $40 million or more. Notably, the St. Louis Cardinals, the New York Yankees and the Chicago Cubs received compensation picks during the draft. The fans of the game were able to watch the draft actions on ESPN and also stream it on MLB Network.
2023 MLB Draft First Pick
The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted Paul David Skenes with the #1st overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. The draft lottery process for the MLB draft in 2023 was organized on December 6, 2022, in San Diego, California, United States. The Pittsburgh Pirates won the draft lottery and became the team to pick the overall #1 player at the 2024 MLB draft.
Hailing from Fullerton, California, United States, Paul David Skenes is a former student-athlete of Louisiana State University and a member of the LSU Tigers baseball team. Skenes played a crucial role in the LSU Tigers winning the College World Series in 2023. Notably, he won the College World Series Most Outstanding Player award and was also declared the SEC Pitcher of the Year. Moreover, he was also honored as the 2023 D1 Baseball Player of the Year and was also awarded the Dick Howser Trophy.
Paul Skenes made his MLB debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 11, 2024. Since then, he has scored 70 strikeouts in 52.1 innings in only 9 games as of 2024.
Other Notable First-Round Picks in the 2023 MLB Draft
Several other notable players were drafted in the first round of the 2023 MLB draft. This table provides a list of all the players along with their present teams and their colleges/high schools -
| Draft Pick | Player Name | MLB team | Position | Previous College/High School |
| 2 | Dylan Crews | Washington Nationals | Center Fielder | Lousiana State University |
| 3 | Max Clark | Detroit Tigers | Outfielder | Franklin Community High School (IN) |
| 4 | Wyatt Langford | Texas Rangers | Left Fielder | University of Florida |
| 5 | Walker Jenkins | Minnesota Twins | Outfielder | South Brunswick High School (NC) |
| 6 | Jacob Wilson | Oakland Athletics | Shortstop | Grand Canyon University |
| 7 | Rhett Lowder | Cincinnati Reds | Pitcher | Wake Forest University |
| 8 | Blake Mitchell | Kansas City Royals | Catcher | Sinton High School (TX) |
| 9 | Chase Dollander | Colorado Rockies | Pitcher | University of Tennessee |
| 10 | Noble Meyer | Miami Marlins | Pitcher | Jesuit High School (OR) |
| 11 | Nolan Schanuel | Los Angeles Angels | First Baseman | Florida Atlantic University |
| 12 | Tommy Troy | Arizona Diamondbacks | Shortstop | Stanford University |
| 13 | Matt Shaw | Chicago Cubs | Second Baseman | University of Maryland |
| 14 | Kyle Teel | Boston Red Sox | Catcher | University of Virginia |
| 15 | Jacob Gonzalez | Chicago White Sox | Shortstop | Ole Miss |
| 16 | Bryce Eldridge | San Francisco Giants | Outfielder | James Madison High School (VA) |
| 17 | Enrique Bradfield | Baltimore Orioles | Center Fielder | Vanderbilt University |
| 18 | Brock Wilken | Milwaukee Brewers | Third Baseman | Wake Forest University |
| 19 | Brayden Taylor | Tampa Bay Rays | Third Baseman | Texas Christian University |
| 20 | Arjun Nimmala | Toronto Blue Jays | Shortstop | Strawberry Crest High School (FL) |
| 21 | Chase Davis | St. Louis Cardinals | Outfielder | University of Arizona |
| 22 | Colt Emerson | Seattle Mariners | Shortstop | John Glenn High School (OH) |
| 23 | Ralphy Velazquez | Cleveland Guardians | Catcher | Huntington Beach High School (CA) |
| 24 | Hurston Waldrep | Atlanta Braves | Pitcher | University of Florida |
| 25 | Dillon Head | San Diego Padres | Center Fielder | Homewood-Flossmoor High School (IL) |
| 26 | George Lombard Jr. | New York Yankees | Shortstop | Gulliver Preparatory School (FL) |
| 27 | Aidan Miller | Philadelphia Phillies | Third Baseman | J. W. Mitchell High School (FL) |
| 28 | Brice Matthews | Houston Astros | Shortstop | University of Nebraska |
FAQ's On MLB draft
A. Dylan Crews was drafted by the Washington Nationals with the second overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft.
A. The 2023 MLB draft was held from July 9, 2023, to July 11, 2023, at Lumen Field, Washington, United States.
A. Junior Caminero was the youngest MLB player in 2019 at 19 years old.
A. The Pittsburgh Pirates got the first pick in the MLB draft in 2023.
A. The Pittsburgh Pirates won the 2023 MLB draft.
