A's Draw 6th Pick; Here are the Top 10 Bats in the 2023 Draft
After MLB's first-ever Draft Lottery, the A's will be selecting at pick #6 after finishing with the second-worst record in baseball in 2022.
Now that we know where the A's are picking, it's time to take a look at some of the top names available, and where they rank right now, with the help of Locked on MLB Prospects host, Lindsay Crosby.
I asked Lindsay for the top ten bats in the Draft according to him, and below is the list that he provided with some insight into each guy.
The reason I asked for bats only is because the A's have been targeting bats in the first round in every Draft since they took A.J. Puk at #6 overall back in 2016. They also took Daulton Jefferies that season at #37 overall.
If you keep going backwards, Sonny Gray was a first rounder back in 2011 at pick 18, and Sean Doolittle was selected 41st overall back in 2007, but he was still a position player when he was taken.
That said, David Forst is the new President of Baseball Operations with Billy Beane moving to an advisor role, so they A's could choose to go with a pitcher. Then again, they have been targeting pitchers in trades and building out their rotation that way for a number of seasons now.
Before they were all traded, Chris Bassitt was acquired in the Jeff Samardzija deal with the White Sox after the 2014 season. Sean Manaea was brought aboard when the A's shipped Ben Zobrist to Kansas City. Frankie Montas was part of the Rich Hill/Josh Reddick deal with the Dodgers.
The current rotation candidates were brought in the same way. Cole Irvin was acquired from the Phillies for cash. James Kaprielian was part of another trade with the Yankees that sent an A's starter to New York, but that one was Sonny Gray. Frankie Montas followed in his footsteps years later and the Bombers sent over Ken Waldichuk and JP Sears. By trading Bassitt and Manaea, the A's brought in Adam Oller and Adrián Martínez. Even Paul Blackburn was brought in via trade, when the A's shipped Danny Valencia to Seattle.
Hogan Harris and A.J. Puk are the only pitchers on the 40-man roster that were drafted by the A's.
With all of that in mind, here are Lindsay Crosby's top 10 bats for the 2023 Draft.
OF Dylan Crews, LSU - Crews may only stand six-foot tall and 203 pounds, but his tools are much larger. He strides the crucial balance between power and plate discipline, with outsized (and elite) exit velocities yet minimal strikeouts with plenty of walks. Swing and miss concerns are still there, especially against the elite stuff, but his collegiate 19% strikeout rate isn’t exorbitant for someone with his prodigious power. His defensive skills are apparent, with the speed to play center field at a high level and a strong arm that will have him perfectly suited for right field at the big league level. He’s as close to a 5-tool talent as you’ll find in this class.
SS Jacob Gonzalez, Ole Miss - One of the safer bets in this collegiate class, Gonzalez combines quality contact ability with flashy defense. A plus hit tool plus burgeoning pull-side power has scouts excited, while coaches rave about his above average arm and quality glove at SS. Currently 6’2, 200, continued physical development may necessitate a move to 3rd base but the defensive skills are real and he’s athletic, despite the lack of top-end speed.
SS Jacob Wilson, Grand Canyon - One of the best batting eyes in the entire class - he struck out only seven times in 275 plate appearances in 2022. Lacking top-end power projection, he’s a high-floor selection as a contact-oriented infield defender with elite baseball instincts, makeup, and leadership.
OF Wyatt Langford, Florida - A premium power bat with 26 homeruns in 70 career college games, Langford has an impactful right-handed swing that has power to all fields. Despite being only an average runner, his speed plays up on the basepaths and defensively thanks to elite instincts. He’ll be pushed to left field due to a fringy arm, but he’ll be drafted to bring the power.
OF Enrique Bradfield, Vanderbilt - Quite possibly the fastest player in the entire class, Bradfield fits the “old-school” model of a centerfielder who bats leadoff: Get on base and wreak havoc. The left-handed hitter drew 86 walks in 129 career college games (while only striking out 82 times) and stole 93 bases while being caught only six times. With room for some physical projection to push him into double-digit home runs as a professional, Bradfield’s ceiling of elite defense and game-breaking speed gives him one of the higher ceilings in the entire class.
SS/3B Brayden Taylor, TCU - A versatile defender with a strong arm who has played all across the diamond between college and the Cape Cod League, Taylor’s short swing is violently whippy (in a good way). The line drives spray to all fields and the pull-side power is growing, with double digit home runs in his first two collegiate seasons thanks to impressive exit velo and his good pitch discernment (104 career walks to 86 career strikeouts in 117 games)
OF Jack Hurley, Virginia Tech - Another high-ceiling outfielder, Hurley’s full of tantalizing tools with the potential to impact games in almost every respect. A very mature approach at the plate has produced consistently above-average power to all fields in one of the top offenses in college baseball, with a .375/.452/.664 slash line and 14 home runs in 58 games in 2022. If there’s a downside, it’s that his arm strength is merely fringe to average and he occasionally struggles with changeups, both development pieces that can improve.
C/OF Kyle Teel, Virginia - A versatile athlete, Teel combines high-level contact ability with advanced zone awareness. He does a good job of spoiling borderline pitches until he finds something he can drive, and the athleticism allows him the versatility to play both behind the plate and in the corner outfield. Still unlocking his potential as a power hitter, he’s occasionally prone to ground ball issues but the power is real when the swing’s dialed in.
1B Tre’ Morgan, LSU - One of the best 1B defenders in college baseball, Morgan has a ton of raw tools but still requires development to bring them into games. Rarely striking out, he’s a contact-oriented hitter that sprays balls across the entire field and walks a good amount. The batted ball data is strong, and more development of the in-game power could lead to Morgan being the breakout player of this entire class.
SS/2B Tommy Troy, Stanford - A well-rounded tool set and impressive wood-bat performance at the Cape Cod League has Troy rising up draft boards. With surprising pull-side power for his 5’10 frame, thanks to a twitchy swing and lightning-quick hands, he rarely posts poor at-bats because his strong eyes allow him to get that bat in the zone fairly quickly. He’ll be tested at shortstop this upcoming season, but the soft hands and smooth actions should allow him to stick in the middle infield going forward.