Setting the D-backs Draft Board Part 1: Out of Reach Players

Listing the prospects that are likely to be out of reach for the Diamondbacks in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft.

The first round of the 2023 MLB Draft starts Sunday at 4:00 PM MST. The goal in every draft is to try to maximize the talent return for your bonus pool. People often focus on prospects taken on the first night of the draft, especially the first round where teams invest millions of dollars on amateur talent. For the Diamondbacks, their top selection is at No. 12, which means there will be 11 players taken ahead of them.

When setting up the draft board, it's important to take note of players who aren't a realistic possibility for the D-backs. At a minimum, we can easily rule out the top five prospects of Dylan Crews, Paul Skenes, Wyatt Langford, Max Clark, and Walker Jenkins. Not only are they likely to go in the first five picks of the draft, but Arizona lacks a deep enough bonus pool to sign them should they fall out of the Top 10.

The next five picks will have the most impact on the D-backs draft board. There is a very low chance the team will have an opportunity to take a flyer on college righties Rhett Lowder and Chase Dollander. Both players could go anywhere from No. 6 to No. 11 overall, with a strong chance of at least one of them going to the Rockies at No. 8. Kyle Teel is another name who might not fall out of the Top 10 with a solid chance of sticking at catcher and not likely to command too hefty a price to sign. 

That leaves eight names that are likely out of reach in almost any draft scenario for the D-backs. There are a couple more longshots that could make the draft interesting, depending on when teams start to make a run at college bats. The earlier the run starts, the more likely that high school talents such as Noble Meyer and Arjun Nimmala make it to Arizona.