There were some eye-popping trends in the 2023 MLB Draft

By Melanie Heller | July 12, 2023

There are facts and figures aplenty to be gleaned by poring through the 20 rounds of the 2023 MLB Draft, from the number of players drafted from a single school or program to the array of international sensations who heard their names called over the course of the three-day event. Here are some of the most interesting numbers to come out of this year's Draft:

• Day 1 analysis | Day 2 analysis | Day 3 analysis | Draft Tracker | Top 250 | Draft Central

A baker's dozen on the Bayou
Not only did Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews become the first teammates to go 1-2 in MLB Draft history, but 11 LSU teammates followed behind them. The reigning Men’s College World Series champions topped the list for most players drafted by any school or program with 13. The previous record for most Tigers drafted in a given year was nine in 2013.

Double-digit Demon Deacons
Wake Forest, this year’s No. 1 seed in the MCWS, followed closely behind LSU. With 10 picks, the Deacs reaped their best Draft to date. The program had nine picks multiple times, most recently in 2017.

Premier preps
The 30 Major League teams averaged 4.1 high schoolers across the 20 rounds of the Draft. The most successful high school program this year was IMG Academy, a prep school in Bradenton, Fla., specializing in athletic performance. Three IMG high schoolers were taken this year -- OF TayShaun Walton (Round 4, 130th overall) by the Phillies, C Stone Russell (Round 18, 529th overall) by the Royals and LHP Cameron Johnson (Round 20, 605th overall) by the Cardinals. In addition, three college players who previously attended IMG were also selected -- OF Mac Horvath (UNC) to the Orioles in Round 2 (53rd overall), 3B Jake Gelof (Virginia) to the Dodgers in Round 2 (60th overall) and SS Josh Rivera (Florida) to the Cubs in Round 3 (81st overall).

Although the Brewers picked 10 high schoolers, the Phillies were perhaps the most hungry in this regard. Each of the Phils’ first three picks were prep stars. They chose a pair of shortstops in Aidan Miller (J.W. Mitchell HS, Fla.) in Round 1 with the 27th overall pick and Devin Saltiban (Hilo HS, Hawaii) in Round 3 with the 98th overall pick in addition to Walton.

JUCO juggernaut
With 44 Draft picks coming from junior colleges, three played for Florida SouthWestern State College, a small school nestled in Fort Myers, Fla. All three players were earmarked for the Keystone State. The Phillies selected RHP Martin Gair (Round 13, No. 403 overall) and OF Anthony Shaver Jr. (Round 17, No. 523 overall) while the Pirates chose righty reliever Tyler Kennedy (Round 19, No. 557 overall).

But Texas scored the most JUCO players, with five of their 18 picks coming from two-year schools: RHP Izack Tiger (Round 7, No. 201 overall); OF Quincy Scott II (Round 9, No. 261 overall); LHP Josh Trentadue (Round 14, No. 411 overall); LHP Michael Trausch (Round 15, No. 441 overall); RHP Brendan Morse (Round 18, No. 531 overall).

The year of the two-way player
Eight two-way players were drafted over the weekend. Yes, eight. That’s twice as many pitcher-hitters than in the previous four Drafts combined. Starting with first-rounder Bryce Eldridge going to the Giants with the 16th overall pick, it appeared teams were going all-in to find the next Shohei Ohtani. More »

Skewed selections
There were 129 infielders and 92 outfielders taken, averaging four and three selections respectively per team. There were a few teams, though, who went without. While the Rangers lacked an infielder in their Draft class, the Pirates and Brewers decided against picking up an outfielder.

Southpaws made up a quarter of drafted pitchers (90 of 355). Even still, the Phillies only went with right-handers, eight of them to be exact: George Klassen (Round 6, No. 193 overall); Jake Edington (Round 7, No. 223 overall); Cam Brown (Round 10, No. 313 overall); Brandon Beckel (Round 12, No. 373 overall); Marty Gair (Round 13, No. 403 overall); Luke Russo (Round 16, No. 493 overall); Ethan Chenault (Round 18, No. 553 overall); Casey Steward (Round 19, No. 583 overall).

Meanwhile, the Red Sox went with two switch-hitters: SS Antonio Anderson (Round 3, No. 83 overall) and SS Justin Riemer (Round 4C, No. 133 overall).

Beasts of the Bay
The Giants brought home the highest-ranked prospects of the Draft. With eight ranked draftees, they racked up 1,281 Draft points: Eldridge (Round 1, No. 16 overall); SS Walker Martin (Round 2, No. 52 overall), LHP Joseph Whiteman (Round 2C, No. 69 overall); SS Cole Foster (Round 3, No. 85 overall); SS Maui Ahuna II (Round 4, No. 117 overall); C Luke Shliger (Round 6, No. 180 overall), RHP Joshua Bostick (Round 8, No. 240 overall); C Jack Payton (Round 11, No. 330 overall).

Points are calculated by taking the inverse of the prospect ranking: the No. 1 prospect is worth 250, No. 2 is worth 249, and so on. San Francisco may have had more in volume, but it was the Orioles who nabbed the most Top 250 prospects with 10: OF Enrique Bradfield Jr. (Round 1, No. 17 overall); OF Mac Horvath (Round 2, No. 53 overall); RHP Jackson Baumeister (Round CB-B, No. 63 overall); RHP Kiefer Lord (Round 3, No. 86 overall); OF Tavian Josenberger (Round 3, No. 100 overall); RHP Levi Wells (Round 4, No. 118 overall); OF Jake Cunningham (Round 5, No. 154 overall); OF Matthew Etzel (Round 10, No. 301 overall); RHP Tanner Witt (Round 18, No. 541 overall); SS Kollin Ritchie (Round 19, No. 571 overall).

International sensations
Among those tabbed during the Draft were 10 Puerto Ricans: SS Sabin Ceballos (ATL, Round 3, No. 94 overall); OF Quincy Scott (SD, Round 3, No. 96 overall); SS Bryan Gonzalez (LAD, Round 6, No. 190 overall); SS Yahil Melendez, SS (CHC, Round 7, No. 206 overall); OF Jose Ortiz (SF, Round 13, No. 390 overall); 2B Edrick Felix (CWS, Round 14, No. 419 overall); C John Lopez (PIT, Round 15, No. 437 overall); TWP JeanPierre Ortiz (CIN, Round 17, No. 498 overall); OF Wilson Rodriguez (NYY, Round 17, No. 522 overall); RHP Yanzel Correa (COL, Round 18, No. 532 overall).

Nine Canadians heard their name called, most notably 3B Myles Naylor, younger brother of Josh and Bo, taken 39th overall by the A's in the CB-A Round. He was followed by RHP Matt Duffy (Round 4, No. 115 overall), LHP Connor O'Halloran (Round 5, No. 157 overall), OF Sam Shaw (Round 9, No. 274 overall), OF Avery Owusu-Asiedu (Round 9, No. 283 overall), LHP Matt Wilkinson (Round 10, No. 308 overall), OF Pier-Olivier Boucher (Round 10, No. 309 overall), C Brady Cerkownyk (Round 15, No. 440 overall), LHP Jeremy Pilon (Round 18, No. 543).

Only residents of the U.S. and Canada are eligible for the Draft, but there was still an international bent to the Draft. Although they weren’t born in America, they were eligible because they went to high school or college in the States:
Republic of Korea: 3B Kevin Sim (AZ, Round 5, No. 148 overall); 1B Wooyeoul Shin (TB, Round 16, No. 483 overall); SS B.Y. Choi (SD, Round 20, No. 611 overall)
Dominican Republic: RHP Jatnk Diaz (DET, Round 8, No. 230 overall); OF Raudi Rodriguez (LAA Round 19, No. 564 overall)
Japan: 2B Rikuu Nishida (CWS, Round 11, No. 329 overall)
Venezuela: OF Nehomar Ochoa Jr. (HOU, Round 11, No. 344 overall)
France: RHP Mathias LaCombe (CWS, Round 12, No. 359 overall)
Cuba: RHP John Valle (NYM, Round 14, No. 426 overall)

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