2023 Draft Page

[Yankees]

Pick #10 - Spencer Jones - of - Yankees: This was a risky pick as high floor prospects like Neto & Cross were still on the board, as well as Rushing, another player I quite liked. That said, there are not a lot of players in this draft who combine recent results and massive upside the way that Jones does. He's an athletic OF who won't have to play DH. He has explosive batted ball numbers, too. He just needs to cut down on the K's and elevate the ball a little more. For a 6'7" dude to find his swing, the Yanks are a great system to be in.

Pick #19 - Jett Williams - if - Mets: This was a much less risky pick. Jett has a pretty high floor for a prep bat with athleticism to defend up the middle and excellent bat to ball skills. He impacts the ball well, but the over the fence power may never get more than average. There are his believers who think it will come as he muscles up (see Pedroia & Altuve), which would make him a true 5-tool impact player. I felt incredibly lucky he fell to this spot, as he was not my target for it...but I was thrilled he landed to me.

Pick #22 - Cole Young - if - Mariners: This was the guy I traded up to #19 to get...so then I traded up to #22 to get again. He can absolutely play at ss, but has Gold Glove potential at 2b. Combine the defense with a potentially elite hit tool, eye, and speed, and you could have a truly special leadoff hitter. There's reason for optimism on his power, but, like Jett, there's a good chance it holds him back from being a true superstar. He's also a cold weather prep bat, so, you know...whatever...

Pick #41 - Jud Fabian - of - Orioles: Fabian is an absolute toolshed who had some 1.1 buzz prior to some swing and miss issues in college. He tore up A before some struggles in HA, but the SIM took to him...giving him a 3.0 full season war. If he can even be a 40 hitter, that will allow the excellent power and eye to play and he's still pretty young with room to fill out. He's in a great system that has done a good job of developing bats especially. Likes Jones, he's another risk...but the upside + the usable SIM is really exciting.

Pick #104 - Ryan Cermak - of - Rays: What, another toolshed outfielder with massive upside but real questions? Cermak destroyed the MVC with his massive power the last two years while also being their defensive player of the year. He has pro defensive potential in the outfield, at 3b, and at ss. He has tremendous speed and an arm that has been clocked at 95 mph. He just has yet to see consistent, high-level pitching and that has masked real swing-and-miss issues. It was down to him and one other for this pick, and the deciding factor was the organization. If he's going to tap into his potential, the Rays are a good bet to do it.

Pick #126 - Nathan Martorella - 1b - Padres: I was planning to take Martorella at 101 before Cermak dropped. Think half the league can corroborate this as I kept trying to trade for picks back. Martorella tore up the Cape Cod League and the Pac12 before getting snagged in the 5th round. From there he just kept raking, finishing the year in the middle of the lineup for the A ball champs. The exit velocity data matched the results. This dude is a hitter. The big problem is that he’s undersized, 1b-only, and does not elevate it enough to truly tap into his plus power. Ok, three issues. I’m gonna bet on the track record and Padres prospect power development to get him to his ceiling.

Pick #99 (at #130) - Colby Thomas - of - Athletics: Thomas is a plus plus athlete who was growing into his plus power and having an eye-opening year at Mercer before shoulder surgery slowed him down and he was shut down for his pro debut. Improving his pitch selection really unlocked his power, making him a contender for most homers in D1 before the injury. He can easily play all three outfield positions, but has the arm and athleticism to be a true plus defender at either corner. He has been susceptible to good off-speed pitching in the limited looks he's had against elite competition, so he'll be someone that figures it out and explodes or will be limited to 4th OF/AAAA. BP, BA, and MLB all liked him, and I think he was really good value this late in the draft.

Pick #132 (waivers) - Danny Serretti - if - Tigers: Serretti was not on my list of targets, but he was definitely a late cut for it. He's just really interesting. He wasn't really on anyone's radar until he had a solid Cape season in 2021. From there, he exploded in 2022 at North Carolina, crushed both A balls, and held his own at AA. He pushed himself on the Tigers radar enough to receive a (brief) invite to camp this year. He doesn't have loud tools, he may not be a shortstop...but he also hasn't really made many outs since the spring of 2021. He wasn't worth a trade, but certainly worth a waiver wire pickup.

[Yankees]

Done with the draft! I'm really happy with it.

I would have posted this sooner but I had to smoke an cigarette after stroking my ego so hard.

[Brewers]

You got it all backwards. Usually you rosterbate and THEN you smoke a cigarette.

[Yankees]

Sorry...had to go back for one more ego stroke.