Now that we know where the Detroit Tigers will pick, who could they take with their first-round pick in 2023?
The Detroit Tigers were lucky enough to land the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft in the draft lottery Tuesday. They will get their chance at some top talent. Fortunately for them, there's a lot to choose from, especially from the college ranks.
College hitters especially are in abundance for this draft. Four of the projected top 10 players for 2023 are college hitters. This is great news for a team that needs young hitting talent, fast.
It may seem early for draft talk being seven months away from the draft, and things could (and most likely will) change drastically between now and July, but draft talk is fun. We're going to look at a few players the Tigers could take at No. 3 overall in the 2023 MLB Draft. Let's get started.
OF Dylan Crews, LSU
As of writing this, Crews is the consenus No.1 overall pick in the 2023 draft, but that could easily change in the next seven months. Nobody expected Jackson Holliday to go No. 1 this time last year, and nobody had the Tigers picking Jackson Jobe at No. 3 in 2021.
Crews could have been drafted pretty high out of high school, but he skipped it and decided to go to LSU, where he's been a star. In his first two years of college, Crews has hit 40 home runs and slashed .356/.458/.677, as well as walking at a 13.6% clip. He's an incredibly impressive prospect.
Here's what Joe Doyle of Prospects Live had to say about him in a recent mock draft:
""...Crews has the potential to be a middle-of-the-order slugger with the potential to play a plus right field. In this case, we’re taking the 5-tool guy that can play every single day.""Joe Doyle, Prospects Live
It's easy to see why Crews is the current consensus top guy. He seems like a can't-miss type of prospect, and those don't come around very often. The question for the Detroit Tigers is how likely is it that Crews is there when they pick at No. 3 overall?
Right now, again, it seems unlikey. But on the other hand, like we've already said, there's still seven months until the draft. Teams could either fall out of love with Crews or fall in love with other players, such as Tennessee pitcher Chase Dollander or prep outfielder Max Clark.
Crews would obviously be a fantastic addition to the Tigers farm system. An outfielder who hits for power, runs well, and walks? Count me in. Time will tell whether he's there when the Tigers are on the clock or not.