MLB Draft 2023 live updates: Day 2 tracker, Day 1
With the first day of the MLB Draft in the rearview mirror, let’s discuss what stood out. From the players to teams to trends, here are my seven biggest takeaways.
The five teams at the top of the draft did the right thing
For several years, many small- and middle-market teams made first-round selections with a focus on their ability to sign players or on managing their overall draft pool money rather than simply taking the best player available. However, thanks to the new collective bargaining agreement and the new rules that have been implemented, this year the top five teams in the draft all took the best player available to them regardless of financial demands or concerns over their overall pool budget.
Position players dominated the draft
Only five of the first 32 players selected in the first round were pitchers and only one was a high school pitcher (not including two-way player Bryce Eldridge, whom the Giants took at No. 16), which demonstrates how much front offices have devalued high school arms because of the high risk of them either regressing or undergoing some type of surgery between the time they’re drafted and (hopefully) reach the major leagues.