With the Draft just days away, all eyes are on the Orioles and what they will do to kick things off on June 3. While general manager Mike Elias continues to keep things close to the vest, the main narrative has been that Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman was the consensus choice to go No. 1. But just how clear was that consensus?

MLB Pipeline sought to find out with a poll sent to general managers, scouting directors and executives and national crosscheckers. The question was simple: If you had the No. 1 pick in this year’s Draft, who would you take, and why? It was left open-ended by design, to allow scouts to respond with any name they chose.

A total of 22 responded, from 17 teams. While Rutschman was the clear choice (he got 16 votes), it wasn’t unanimous. The other six provided very strong support for Bobby Witt Jr., the toolsy shortstop out of the Texas high school ranks. No other player received a vote.

It’s an interesting comparison. Both play premium positions and project to stay there for a long time. Both have plus tools on both sides of the ball. On either side of the vote, there were descriptions of each player as an elite-level, game-changing kind of player in the future.

Let’s start with the runner-up.

Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Colleyville Heritage (Texas) High School
Witt, No. 2 on our Draft Top 200, is a potential five-tool shortstop. He currently has three 60 grades (run, arm, field) on the 20-to-80 scale, and it’s not hard to dream that he could be a plus hitter, certainly with plus power, down the road.

“He’s a generational prospect,” one national crosschecker said. “It’s not even close for me.”

Another national scout brought up Witt’s sixth tool: His makeup. Witt plays the game with joy and passion, showing plus work ethic and a desire to get better.

“He’s tooled up out of his mind with excellent makeup,” the scout said. “The guy should be a mainstay up the middle for quite some time.”

One respondent, a scouting executive, drew a comparison between the two players. It wasn’t about who the better player is right now, but rather what the value would be in the future based on where they play on the diamond.

“I would take Witt,” he said. “You know the tools package, but the long-term upside at that position vs. the wear and tear of catching and the effect on the offensive game would be the separator for me.”

Witt is on the older side for a high school draftee, turning 19 a week after the Draft, but the fact that scouts are still so effusive in praising him despite him being an "old" prep prospect speaks to his impressive potential.

Adley Rutschman, C, Oregon State
Those in the Rutschman camp, and there were 15 of them, were not as concerned about that. Finding catching is hard, and finding an elite-level backstop is even tougher.

“He’s the best player, and he plays the most premium position,” one general manager said plainly. “It’s an easy call for me.”

“I would never call any pick a no-brainer, but Rutschman checks an awful lot of boxes physically, tools-wise, position, performance and makeup,” a scouting executive agreed. “That would be my choice.”

Both players get high marks for their makeup as well as their physical tools. That should help Rutschman not only lead from behind the plate, but also deal with the spotlight of being the top pick in the Draft.

“He’s the surest best player at a very difficult position to acquire talent for,” one scouting executive said. “He’ll be quick to [get to the] big leagues at a position of need in most organizations. There’s the added benefit of adding intangibles which will impact the roster, the organization and the community. He’ll be be able to handle that first-pick scrutiny.”

For some, Rutschman isn’t just the best player in this current Draft class. He’s one of the best prospects they’ve seen in the past two decades.

“He’s simply one of the best all-around position player prospects in the last 20 years,” another scouting executive said. “He has a great eye, a legit bat from both sides of the plate, real power and top-flight defense. He has monster ability and strong performance.”

One final scouting executive may have put it the most succinctly:

“He’s a stud on and off the field,” he said. “An athlete, hitter, gamer, leader.”