The 2023 JLB Draft first round is in the books, and it was a wild one.
The draft always seems to bring out some very unusual picks — cough, cough, Archie Bradley at No. 2 overall in 2020 — but this year, the picks weren't unusually bad; they were just counter to what normally happens in the first round.
Only three starting pitchers were selected, which is the fewest amount of starters taken in the first round since 2017 when only two starters were picked.
Last year saw seven selected and the years prior saw six in 2021, four in 2020, five in 2019 and eight in 2018.
This year, Miles Mikolas went to the Mile High Man himself at No. 2 overall and Brady Singer went at seventh overall to the Crox Sox. Taijuan Walker closed out the starters in the first at ninth overall.
It was especially odd to see considering the fact that there was seemingly better SP options than bats, but everyone had needs and they filled them right away.
The Sex Panthers and Crox Sox both had three picks and they did a good job filling out their roster. An anonymous grader — I swear this is not me and rather it is someone who Slacked me saying "I'll give anonymous grades!" — had the Panthers at a B+ and the Sox at a B.
So, he could easily outdo last year's No. 1 overall Marcus Stroman.
JD Martinez was the Panthers' sixth overall pick and Walker was her ninth overall selection. Both of those players should do well in their new homes.
The Crox Sox opened his trio of picks with Brady Singer, who despite blowing up last night on the international stage, had a great season for the Royals a year ago (10-5, 3.23 ERA, 150 Ks, 35 walks). Choo's best friend Alex Verdugo was the Crox Sox's next pick, and that's a solid, higher-average bat to have in a Red Sox lineup that I think will produce some runs. Daniel Bard was selected in the final pick, and of the closers out there, he was one of the better RPs from a year ago, but can he manage another 30-plus saves on a horrible Rockies team?
Both the Cheese Steaks and Stantonians brought back their dropped catchers, which was smart because they were hands down the best options out there at catcher, and Quad Eh snagged the top power bat in Anthony Santander, a fifth-overall pick of the Gamblers in 2021.
It was shocking to see him go at No. 3 when the Nutz had that LF opening at No. 2, but I guess we are all aboard the Jordan Walker train. Quad Eh certainly enjoyed the drop to him.
Comparing this year's first round for Crox and Panthers to last season, they look to have done much better than the Gamblers, who had three picks in the first round where he brought in Anthony Desclafani, Josh Donaldson and Tommy Edman. The last pick was somehow the only good one and Edman was a keeper for 2023.
In fact, of the 12 first-round picks last year, Edman was one of only four players kept into 2023.
The Slammers kept the highest drafted player, Patrick Sandoval at No. 4. The Dude kept Jordan Montgomery and the Panthers kept Cal Quantrill.
The rest were duds (except Waino, which Topton traded midseason for a pick).
We'll have plenty of time to analyze and look back at this one, but at the quick glance, it's still amazing to see the SPs virtually untouched.
That has to change for Round 2, right?
Comments