2023 MLB Draft Odds: Who Will Be Taken No. 1 Overall?

The 2023 MLB Draft kicks off on Sunday with a pair of LSU superstars set to hear their names called early. As Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews gear up for a life-changing night, there remain questions surrounding who will go No. 1 overall.

Crews entered the 2023 season as the likely No. 1 selection, but after expressing uncertainty with joining the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, and a few financial elements as well, the SEC Player of the Year isn’t a lock to go first overall as Sunday nears.

For Skenes, the National Player of the Year according to several publications, his odds have risen dramatically over the last few months after carving a historic season in Baton Rouge.

Here we took a look into the four players who have the best odds to be taken No. 1 overall by the Pirates on Sunday night:

Wyatt Langford - Florida CF - +140

Langford strung together a historic season for the Florida Gators in 2023. The certified slugger quickly asserted himself as one of the top hitters in all of college baseball, boosting his stock significantly while leading the Gators to the College World Series Finals.

Now, with Draft Day nearing, his odds to be selected No. 1 overall are skyrocketing. Langford now has the best odds to be taken by the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.

Here’s what The Athletic’s Keith Law said of Langford after placing the Gators outfielder at No. 1 in his latest mock draft:

“Langford has clearly been on the short list for the Pirates all year, but with Dylan Crews appearing to want over slot to sign here and the team’s apparent preference for a bat over an arm possibly leading them away from Paul Skenes, Langford is the best fit as someone who’s absolutely good enough to be the first overall pick but would sign at a number that will let the Pirates go over slot with later picks,” Law said. “Don’t discount Max Clark here either, for the same reasons, although I think the Pirates would prefer the college guy who’ll get there faster. Clark is motivated to go first overall and there’s a very good argument that he has the highest upside of any candidate to go here.”

Paul Skenes - LSU RHP - +250

There isn’t much left to say about Skenes. After transferring to LSU late last July and putting his name on the map while in Baton Rouge, the right-handed pitcher has been coined a “generational talent” by many.

After setting the single-season SEC strikeout record (209) and catapulting his name into the No. 1 pick conversation, Skenes now has the second best odds to be taken first overall by the Pirates.

In several mock drafts, Skenes is selected No. 1, but with financial pieces of the puzzle also being a factor, it could lead Pittsburgh in another direction (Langford or Clark). For now, Skenes is in great position to be taken first overall, but the Pirates are certainly taking everything into consideration ahead of their selection.

Max Clark - Franklin Community HS OF - +350

Clark is the lone high schooler in the No. 1 conversation as of right now. The Indiana native has been a hot commodity on the baseball scene for years, and with MLB Draft dreams right in front of him, he’s at the top of most Big Boards.

When it comes to the No. 1 selection, Clark has the third best odds here. He’s a youngster with tremendous upside who the Pirates have dialed in on over the last few months.

Here’s what MLB.com said of Clark’s game:

“Clark is the best prospect to come out of Indiana since Bryan Bullington went No. 1 overall in 2002 and the state's best prepster ever. Gatorade's National Baseball Player of the Year, he's a viable candidate for the Pirates with the top pick. Besides his physical ability, he has excellent makeup and a penchant for rising to the occasion, such as when he provided a clutch homer against Canada and three hits in the gold medal-winning game against Taiwan at the 18-and-under World Cup in September.

Clark has four tools that grade as at least plus, starting with his hitting ability, which some evaluators rate as plus-plus. He has a sweet left-handed swing and a mature approach that focuses on smoking line drives from gap to gap. He presently concentrates on making hard contact rather than launching balls, but his bat speed and projectable strength should translate into at least 20-homer power that he already hints at in batting practice.”

Dylan Crews - LSU CF - +500

Crews came into the 2023 season as the frontrunner to be taken with the first overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. As Sunday nears, it appears he will not be taken with the No. 1 selection by the Pirates.

Here’s what ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel said in his latest MLB Mock Draft that had Crews going No. 2 overall to the Washington Nationals.

“The indication has been made to the teams at the top of the draft that LSU CF Dylan Crews wants more than the top slot in the draft, which is $9.721 million. Whether this number has been said out loud or implied, or this is merely shorthand for ‘over slot,’ multiple teams picking at the top have said to me this week that Crews wants $10 million.”

Crews enters Sunday with the fourth best odds to be taken No. 1 overall with a high chance he is taken second overall by the Nationals.

*All odds are according to DraftKings Sportsbook*