Detroit Tigers: Projecting the top 5 picks in the 2023 MLB Draft

Detroit Tigers draft day inches closer and closer.

The Detroit Tigers are quickly approaching draft day, and it will be time for the team to settle on a player and see who is available when the team picks at third overall. It's been a really intriguing spring on the draft circuit, seeing the rumors constantly change and just a ton of movement up and down draft boards.

For the Detroit Tigers, there's been several names tossed around and even some changes on who "the guy" might be for the squad. But in this piece, we won't talk about the Tigers only. This will be a piece analyzing & projecting the top five picks in the 2023 MLB Draft.

With that being said, this is simply my opinion. My thoughts on who will be picked, first, second, third, etc., looking at the 2023 draft board. The opinions are more of informed decisions, but in no way are the perfect projection. So take things with a grain of salt.

A bit of a personal thought here, it's been really tough to project the top of this draft, which seems crazy given how much the baseball world was all in on Dylan Crews and Paul Skenes early on. But some shifting and changing around the draft board made it less of a slam dunk to predict things. I think things have calmed down with the draft board jumps, as we close in on the big day.

The Tigers will have their pick of the litter at third overall, no matter how things play out. So even if this prediction is laughable by next week, the Tigers faithful should still be happy with how things play out. Especially since the team moved up in the draft lottery.

Let's jump into it, putting the Pittsburgh Pirates on the clock with the first overall pick.

1. Pittsburgh Pirates: OF Max Clark, Franklin HS (Ind.)

In the early part of Spring, suggesting anyone but Dylan Crews for the 1:1 spot would be blasphemous, but it's safe to say it's either going to be Crews or Max Clark at first overall in my book. In my mind, it's going to be Clark who takes the cake at first overall.

It seems like the Pirates will be able to hammer out a deal to make Clark that first overall pick and be able to find common ground on the signing bonus that allows them to pair Clark with last year's selection, Termarr Johnson.

Clark is someone the Tigers were considering at third overall if he were there, but in this case, he's going first overall to the Pirates. If you're curious for more about what Max Clark brings to the table, check out his MCB Draft Profile.

In terms of analysis of the pick, it seems like passing on Crews is insane, but the Pirates may be trying to pull a page out of the Orioles' book and breed their talent to show up to the big leagues together and focus on building a winner. An outfielder that projects to have supreme defensive skills and pop upside to patrol the outfield grass.

Plus, it's been two years since the Tigers took Henry Davis with the first overall pick, so it's not crazy to suggest an off-script pick. After all, Davis has a promising future as well.

2. Washington Nationals: RHP Paul Skenes, LSU

This one seems like a slam dunk move with the second name off the board. For the Nationals, they're going to be staring at Paul Skenes on the draft board with the second overall pick, and I have a hard time thinking they can pass him up.

The Nationals picked Stephen Strasburg back in the day, and I'd say that worked out pretty well with them. Staring at the best college arm being right in front of them just seems really tough to avoid. Skenes could be in the big leagues the day after the draft, granted they are not going to start his clock that early or run his arm into the ground after playing a long spring to win the natty.

He could very much so pitch in the big leagues with the way he is on the mound. Skenes holds up around 100 mph and even more during his starts. The fastball will overpower hitters and is easily a 70-grade pitch or even above.

He's got the tighter slider that he turns to often and also a changeup, with room to improve those offerings, but he's a no-brainer as the first arm off the board, especially for the Nationals at no. 2. For more on Paul Skenes' makeup, check out his MCB Draft Profile.

In terms of the pick analysis, there's plenty of reason to assume the Nationals front office will be all over Skenes at no. 2, getting themselves their next top-tier big league arm.

3. Detroit Tigers: OF Wyatt Langford, Florida

Alright, hear me out. Before the pitchforks come out for not taking Dylan Crews, there are reasons to this madness. In this draft scenario, I have the Detroit Tigers taking outfielder Wyatt Langford from the University of Florida.

Do not get it twisted, overall, Dylan Crews is the number one draft pick in this entire draft class. He's exceptional, and his stats this season were god-like, but I got the Tigers taking Langford because who doesn't love a little chaos?

This is my personal belief/opinion leaking out, but I think that Langford has an extremely simple operation in the batters' box, and I like his ability to stay simple in the box and get the job done. He will translate well into affiliate ball with a wood bat, showing some power numbers that should project moving forward.

It's no slight to Crews, who will be a darn good big leaguer too, but Langford impressed me this Spring. Not that Crews did not, but I'm in on Langford; for whoever gets him, he will be a good big leaguer one day, in my opinion. For more on Wyatt Langford, check out his MCB Draft Profile.

For the Tigers, they are likely going to be deciding between some combination of Langford, Crews, and Clark/Jenkins. Langford or Crews are going to be the options since I think Clark will be 1:1, in my eyes.

4. Texas Rangers: OF Walker Jenkins, South Brunswick (NC)

Walker (Jenkins) Texas Ranger, the name fits. But it seems like the Texas Rangers will be taking Walker Jenkins this year in the 2023 MLB Draft. On the prep side of things, Jenkins rivals Clark for the top prep prospect.

Personally, I think Jenkins is the better prep player, but Clark is going to get drafted first, furthering the idea that draft rankings are not concurrent with mock drafts or draft boards. But that's a debate for another time. Jenkins has a ton of upside and seems like someone the Rangers could benefit from having in their system.

A larger frame with projectable power upside and tons of athleticism. Plenty to like as he develops and continues to fill out a projection as a power-hitting corner outfielder. For more on Walker Jenkins, check out his MCB Draft Profile.

In terms of this scenario, it would mean the Rangers take Jenkins and leave Crews on the board. I'm sure this sounds blasphemous, but I'm sticking with my gut on what the Rangers will do. Plus, they would have to spend a full bonus and maybe climb over the slot for Crews, but Jenkins seems like the value play here to help them throughout the other rounds.

It will be interesting to see if this happens and Crews is on the board, and how the Rangers approach that situation, deviating from Jenkins or not, since that's who I believe the team will take in this draft.