2023 First Year Player Draft Review: Rounds 1-3
Most first year player drafts in the WHEBO, like many other OOTP leagues, break down as follows:
potential All-Star pitchers and hitters who will likely be starters in the near
future go in the 1st round; high-end relievers and role-playing
hitters/fielders in the 2nd round; value picks that have a decent
upside and may pan out to be those diamonds in the rough we all dream about in
the 3rd round and beyond.
The
2023 draft was a bit different than the norm as the overall talent level was
slightly underwhelming to most GM’s. With no true consensus #1 pick, teams at
the top could look to several solid starting pitchers, a catcher with
leadership skills, or a fairly well-developed shortstop/2B with an outside
chance of making the major league level in a couple of years.
With
less talent to go around this year, many teams were looking for decent value
later in the first round and into the second. Also, there were plenty of potential “high
risk/high reward” players available, which makes this draft a very
interesting one to grade.
(Note:
all ratings are based off of the December 5, 2023 file. Ratings may have
changed for some of these players since that time. Also, I did not grade auto
picks.)
ROUND
ONE
Pick
#1: SP Vincent Reynaud
Age:
21
Overall/Potential:
20/65
Pros:
Good baseball savvy, fastball and splitter could reach 100 mph, endurance to go
deep into games when things are tight
Cons:
Changeup is highly questionable
Grade:
A (He should develop into a top-of-the-rotation starter within three or four
seasons)
Pick
#2: SP Fernando Delgado
Age:
21
Overall/Potential:
20/60
Pros:
Strong raw stuff, keeps hitters in the park, leadership skills
Cons:
Weak pitch selection overall, stamina may limit number of pitches in a game
Grade:
B (There is a good change his changeup will get better, but with a badly rated
slider and average sinker, he may be relegated to the pen)
Pick
#3: C Ryan Gratton
Age:
18
Overall/Potential:
Pros:
Good gap and HR power projections, team leader, solid defensively
Cons:
Currently no rating at catcher, just average contact skills
Grade:
B+ (Having leadership on a team is always a good thing but waiting for this
young man to develop defensively may take a while)
Pick
#4: SS Hector Moreno
Age:
22
Overall/Potential:
35/60
Pros:
Good defensive skillset, above average hitter with a bit of pop, decent speed
on the base paths
Cons:
Weakest part of his game is he may be a bit error prone
Grade:
A (Solid middle infielder with good upside at the plate)
Pick
#5: SP Marcos Jimenez
Age:
21
Overall/Potential:
20/60
Pros:
Good work ethic, above average selection of pitches
Cons:
Control is rather poor considering his age
Grade:
A+ (Jimenez could have easily gone before #5, a strong selection for Charlotte)
Pick
#6: CF Frank Bolanos
Age:
22
Overall/Potential:
20/60
Pros:
Plays all OF positions plus a couple on the infield, speedster on the base
paths, great power projections
Cons:
Average contact skills
Grade:
A (His contact skills should be offset somewhat by his above average eye at the
plate)
Pick
#7: 1B Alfredo Herrera
Age:
22
Overall/Potential:
20/60
Pros:
Solid skillset at the plate, uses intelligence while on the field
Cons:
A bit below average defensively at 1B
Grade:
A+ (The “Love Machine” will get plenty of love from the Vancouver fans as he smashes
the ball over the fences)
Pick
#8: SP Andres Placencia
Age:
19
Overall/Potential:
20/55
Pros:
Strong work ethic/intelligence, compliments the power pitches with a screwball
and knuckle curve
Cons:
Has some difficulty keeping runners close to the bag, control needs to be
developed
Grade:
A (Just seeing a pitcher with a scorching fastball and splitter backed with those
off-speed offerings makes this player one to watch in the future)
Pick
#9: CF Leo Vasquez
Age:
17
Overall/Potential:
20/45
Pros:
Strong contact/gap skills, a true terror on the basepaths, good defensive
ratings
Cons:
His overall plate discipline is highly questionable, age may play a factor in
time of development
Grade:
A (Overall, the pros outweigh the cons when looking at this potential lead-off
man)
Pick
#10: 3B Ryan Nicholson
Age:
22
Overall/Potential:
20/55
Pros:
Plays every infield position, good power projections
Cons:
Weak contact skills, gets fooled on bad pitches leading to more strikeouts than
walks
Grade:
B+ (Shouldn’t be expected to hit more than .250 very often but with his power
and ability to play all over the infield, his value is higher)
Pick
#11: SP Jose Barron
Age:
22
Overall/Potential:
20/60
Pros:
Very nice cutter/curve combo, throws in the high 90’s, keeps runners close
Cons:
Non-existent changeup, low intelligence may hamper development
Grade:
A- (Barron is another pitcher than could have gone higher in the draft and will
likely be a #2 starter in the future)
Pick
#12: SS Luis Torres
Age:
18
Overall/Potential:
20/55
Pros:
One of the more solid hitter available, good defensive skills
Cons:
Lower work ethic and intelligence may slow his development a bit
Grade:
A- (If he reaches his potential, Torres will be a great contributor at the
plate)
Pick
#13: SS Danny Cordero
Age:
22
Overall/Potential:
30/55
Pros:
Solid defensive skillset, great on the basepaths, a little more developed than
some of the younger guys available
Cons:
Average contact and gap skills
Grade:
B+ (His game may be aided by his bunting expertise, which will play well with
his speed)
Pick
#14: CF Leo Nunez
Age:
22
Overall/Potential:
30/55
Pros:
Plays all OF positions and 1B, blazing speed and great stealing skills, very
good contact potential
Cons:
Plate discipline is definitely his weak point
Grade:
A (Nunez could have gone earlier in the draft; a good offensive addition for
the Outlaws)
Pick
#15: CL Angel Rodriguez
Age:
22
Overall/Potential:
25/70
Pros:
Otherworldly stuff and a fastball that can reach 100+ mph, nice control
Cons:
Holding runners close can be problematic, lower intelligence could hurt
potential development
Grade:
A+ (Sometimes a GM just needs to grab the best overall player available; this
should work out well for Las Vegas)
Pick
#16: 2B Jason Glascoe
Age:
20
Overall/Potential:
20/50
Pros:
Can play multiple positions, good speed, decent power projections
Cons:
Low work ethic, average contact skills
Grade:
B (There is some upside with Glascoe as he can play several different positions
in both the infield and outfield)
Pick
#17: SP Nick Bunch
Age:
21
Overall/Potential:
20/55
Pros:
Great control will lead to minimal walks and more strikeouts, decent 3-pitch
arsenal to work with, good defense from the mound
Cons:
Might be susceptible to larger amount of HR’s in some stadiums
Grade:
A- (Bunch is another pitcher that could have gone earlier; looks like a decent
chance for a mid-rotation spot)
Pick
#18: CF Carlos Villalobos
Age:
17
Overall/Potential:
20/45
Pros:
Elite power, decent defensive ratings, nice work ethic
Cons:
Average contact skills, not much in the way of speed or base running ability
Grade:
B (Looking at his age and work ethic, he may be a long time in the minors
developing his game)
Pick
#19: 1B Rafael Mendoza
Age:
16
Overall/Potential:
20/50
Pros:
All-around good projections at the plate for contact, power, and discipline
Cons: Very young, doesn’t always make the smart play on the field
Grade:
B+ (Despite his age, he still projects to be a good offensive player when he
finally gets the call to The Show)
Pick
#20: CF Mario Milan
Age:
16
Overall/Potential:
20/45
Pros:
Good projections for batting average and OBP, good defensive skills
Cons:
Another 16-year-old that really needs some time to build up his overall game,
not really much speed to work with
Grade:
B (Milan could become a strong offensive player someday but that day may be 5
or 6 years down the road)
Pick
#21: SP Juan Gallegos
Age:
17
Overall/Potential:
20/50
Pros:
Nice work ethic, keeps the ball on the ground
Cons:
Holding runners close is an issue as is a weakly rated circle change
Grade:
B- (Gallegos is probably going to be working out of the pen unless something
happens with that circle change)
Pick
#22: CF Guy Dubois
Age:
17
Overall/Potential:
20/40
Pros:
Great speed and base running skills, projects to be a solid contact hitter with
good extra-base production
Cons:
Just 17 years old, needs a lot of work in each OF position/1B to be more useful
to the team
Grade:
B+ (If his position skills don’t shape up, he’ll probably be a solid option at
DH/1B)
Pick
#23: CF Evan Closson
Age:
17
Overall/Potential:
20/45
Pros:
Good contact/power potential, exceptional throwing power from the OF
Cons:
Still young, needs work in the field to reach his potential
Grade:
B+ (As a flyball hitter, Closson will knock his fair share of balls into the
seats)
Pick
#24: SP Ryan Meister
Age:
22
Overall/Potential:
20/50
Pros:
Good control, solid 3-pitch repertoire
Cons:
Average ratings in stuff and movement, stamina could limit pitch count
Grade:
B+ (Meister could earn a spot as a #4 or #5 guy in the rotation in a few years)
ROUND
TWO
Pick
#25: LF Carlos Marrero
Age:
18
Overall/Potential:
20/50
Pros:
Solid gap and HR power, should limit his errors in the OF
Cons:
Needs work in OF positions, average contact skills
Grade:
B+ (He’s just coming out of high school, so the team may need some patience to
help him develop to his potential)
Pick
#26: 3B Oscar Avitia
Age:
17
Overall/Potential:
20/45
Pros:
Good contact/gap power ratings, nice speed on the base paths, good defensive
ratings
Cons:
Terrible plate discipline, needs position work
Grade:
B+ (Still needs a lot of work in the minors, but as a lefty hitter, he projects
well for the future)
Pick
#27: SP Carlos Rodriguez
Age:
17
Overall/Potential:
20/50
Pros:
Three strong pitches to choose from, high work ethic, good at keeping the
runners close
Cons:
Could give up an above average number of homers in some seasons
Grade:
A+ (How could this guy slip into the 2nd round? Did no one look at
his 27-0 high school record?)
Pick
#28: SP Jesus Torres
Age:
17
Overall/Potential:
20/45
Pros:
Very good at keeping hitters in the park, stamina to go deep into games
Cons:
Weak curve and changeup pitches
Grade:
B- (With those two weak pitches, he may be relegated to bullpen duties at the
ML level)
Pick
#29: RP Ivan Cortes
Age:
21
Overall/Potential:
20/60
Pros:
All-around solid pitching ratings, fastball can reach the low 100’s
Cons:
Control needs a lot of work before he sees ML time
Grade:
A (A good “low-risk” selection for a solid reliever)
Pick
#30: SP Estevan Gonzalez
Age:
17
Overall/Potential:
20/55
Pros:
Three above-average pitches, great stamina, will keep runners close to base
Cons:
Low work ethic, badly rated changeup
Grade:
B (This is one of those “high risk, high reward” players; there’s enough good
that it may outweigh the bad)
Pick
#31: CF Dave Tulk
Age:
21
Overall/Potential:
20/45
Pros:
Great speed and defensive ratings in the OF, decent gap and HR power
projections
Cons:
Low work ethic, below average contact skills
Grade:
B- (He can also play 1B relatively well, but he’s probably not a day-to-day starter)
Pick
#32: 3B Juan Rivas
Age:
20
Overall/Potential:
20/40
Pros:
Good work ethic, projects to be a decent contact hitter with good gap power
Cons:
Double play ability is minimal, station-to-station on the bases
Grade:
B (Might be better off learning 1B or hitting as the DH)
Pick
#33: 3B Camilo Foulerton
Age:
17
Overall/Potential:
20/45
Pros:
Above average batting ratings across the board, decent defensively
Cons:
Low work ethic and intelligence may hinder his growth
Grade:
B+ (A bit better hitter than Rivas at #32, but still a long way to go in his
development)
Pick
#34: SP Tony Rivera
Age:
19
Overall/Potential:
20/50
Pros:
Great stamina, will hold runners near their base, good fastball/split-finger
combo
Cons:
Will probably give up a lot of home runs, low work ethic
Grade:
B- (With a low-rated changeup, he may be destined for a long relief role)
Pick
#35: SP Mike Wasserman
Age:
23
Overall/Potential:
20/45
Pros:
Nice 4-pitch selection, great stamina, good at keeping runners close
Cons:
Below average control could be an issue, very weak curveball might cause
trouble as well
Grade:
B- (Wasserman projects to be a back-of-the-rotation starter if he can get his
control in line)
Pick
#36: SP Killian Bigalow
Age:
18
Overall/Potential:
20/40
Pros:
Groundball pitcher, above average pitching ratings
Cons:
Non-existent changeup limits him to just 2 pitches
Grade:
C (With his young age and lack of a third pitch, he will likely be limited to
bullpen duty at the ML level)
Pick
#37: CF David Markowitz
Age:
18
Overall/Potential:
20/40
Pros:
Great speed with solid base running skills, excellent bunting skills, good
power projections
Cons:
Weak contact hitter, low work ethic and intelligence
Grade:
(Auto pick)
Pick
#38: CF Edwin Torres
Age:
17
Overall/Potential:
20/40
Pros:
Great power potential, good work ethic, decent OF range and error projections
Cons:
Needs work in the field, below average plate discipline
Grade:
C (Another “risk/reward” player who might end up being a role player at some
future date)
Pick
#39: 3B Rodrigo Lopez
Age:
21
Overall/Potential:
20/40
Pros:
Good eye at the plate, shows some speed on the basepaths, great infield arm
Cons:
Stealing, base running, and base running are very weak
Grade:
C+ (He’ll be pretty average at the plate but some seasoning at a couple of
infield positions might get him a call up in a few more years)
Pick
#40: RF Angel Ortega
Age:
17
Overall/Potential:
20/40
Pros:
Leadership skills, good work ethic, great outfield arm
Cons:
Weak contact skills, below average base running ability
Grade:
C+ (Any uptick in contact skill would make this pick well worth the selection
here)
Pick
#41: SP Alex Rodriguez
Age:
17
Overall/Potential:
20/45
Pros:
Solid at keeping runners close, good stamina, groundball pitcher
Cons:
Only 2 available pitches with one a low-rated changeup
Grade:
C (How do you grade a starting pitcher who really only has 1 pitch? This will
be an interesting one to watch develop)
Pick
#42: SP Cristobal Rodriguez
Age:
22
Overall/Potential:
20/45
Pros:
Four solid pitches include a potential screwball, great control
Cons:
Will likely give up a large number of HR’s, below average at holding runner
Grade:
B- (The control and potential of having four out pitches makes this a great
value pick)
Pick
#43: 3B Manny Tirado
Age:
22
Overall/Potential:
20/45
Pros:
Great potential defensively, can be deceptive on the basepaths
Cons:
Pretty average across the board at the plate
Grade:
C+ (Sometimes and average hitter with great defensive skills is just what the
doctor ordered)
Pick
#44: 1B Tomas Flores
Age:
17
Overall/Potential:
20/35
Pros:
Plays with intelligence, very good contact skills, enough pop to hit a few out
during a season
Cons:
Lower plate discipline, weak rating defensively at 1B
Grade:
C (Some defensive work is in order for him to see significant time at the ML
level)
Pick
#45: CF Danny Zambrano
Age:
22
Overall/Potential:
20/45
Pros:
Intelligent, will tear up the basepaths with his running ability, excellent
bunting the ball
Cons:
Average hitter overall
Grade:
A- (Zambrano’s speed and bunting skills should help him get to the ML level as
at least a backup outfielder)
Pick
#46: SP Jordan Valencia
Age:
16
Overall/Potential:
20/25
Pros:
Induces more grounders than flyballs, keeps hitters in the park
Cons:
Terrible control issues
Grade:
(Auto pick)
Pick
#47: RF Antonio Ventura
Age:
17
Overall/Potential:
20/40
Pros:
Decent power projections overall, OBP should be above average
Cons:
Low work ethic and intelligence, not much speed to speak of
Grade:
C- (A 17-year-old with low work ethic/intelligence is a fairly big risk to take
here)
Pick
#48: 3B Josiah Woodard
Age:
21
Overall/Potential:
20/45
Pros:
Above average defender, can play every infield position, good speed and
baserunning skills
Cons:
If anything, just average hitting skills overall
Grade:
A (While Woodard may not end up being an everyday starter, he can surely help
the team out in a backup capacity using his speed and fielding skills)
ROUND
THREE
Pick
#49: SP Juan Gomez
Age:
20
Overall/Potential:
20/50
Pros:
Should keep his HR allowed numbers relatively low, can offset his high 90’s cutter/forkball
combo with a nice screwball
Cons:
Needs to work on his control, changeup may be questionable to develop properly
Grade:
A (Finding an above average potential SP here is huge value; if the changeup
develops, it’s an A+)
Pick
#50: 2B Gerbrand van Zandvoort, Jr.
Age:
21
Overall/Potential:
20/30
Pros:
Good speed and baserunning skills, decent defensively
Cons:
Average hitter overall, doesn’t show much power potential to the gaps or over
the walls
Grade:
C- (His speed may help him leg out those close singles, which will allow him
the chance to get on base and be a scoring threat)
Pick
#51: SP Frank Rubio
Age:
17
Overall/Potential:
20/25
Pros:
Good stamina, should keep runners from stealing too often
Cons:
Won’t add many K’s to his stat line, control is very weak, questionable changeup
Grade:
D (Yes, he’s a lefty, but far too many questions concerning his skill set to be
selected here)
Pick
#52: CF Josh Looper
Age:
17
Overall/Potential:
20/40
Pros:
Very good defensive ratings, above average power projections, great running
skills on the basepaths
Cons:
Low work ethic
Grade:
(Auto pick)
Pick
#53: SS Luis Veloz
Age:
17
Overall/Potential:
20/45
Pros:
Great defensive skills, burner on the basepaths, high work ethic
Cons:
Weak contact skills, needs a lot of position work
Grade:
C+ (Veloz is another that can use his speed and bunting skills to get on base)
Pick
#54: SS Antonio Rojas
Age:
21
Overall/Potential:
25/45
Pros:
Solid defensive ratings, intelligent, above average power and plate discipline
Cons:
Weak contact skills, lower work ethic
Grade:
C- (Defensively, Rojas looks fine; that may help him become a ML backup in the
future)
Pick
#55: SP Jose Ortega
Age:
18
Overall/Potential:
20/50
Pros:
Nice fastball/slider/splitter combo, good stamina, keeps runners close
Cons:
Low intelligence may hurt growth, likely to give up an above average number of
home runs
Grade:
B (He could have gone much earlier; nice pickup for the ‘Cades in the 3rd
round)
Pick
#56: CF David Suarez
Age:
20
Overall/Potential:
20/45
Pros:
Great basepaths skills, nice defensive range in the OF, excellent bunting
skills
Cons:
Average OF arm may be a problem on some fields
Grade:
(Auto pick)
Pick
#57: 3B Jose Mayorga
Age:
17
Overall/Potential:
20/25
Pros:
Above average plate discipline, good infield arm
Cons:
Low work ethic, little speed to work with, projects to be below average overall
at the plate
Grade:
D (Boulter (#62 overall) was still on the board so why take this risk?)
Pick
#58: SP Jon Barillas
Age:
17
Overall/Potential:
20/40
Pros:
Excellent fastball/curveball combo, above average stuff and control, good at
keeping runners close to base
Cons:
Low stamina, non-existent changeup
Grade:
B (My guess is the Quakes were looking for Barillas to be in the bullpen rather
than in the rotation despite being listed as a starter)
Pick
#59: SP Rafael Ojeda
Age:
21
Overall/Potential:
20/45
Pros:
Great stamina, good stuff/control, nice fastball/curveball one-two punch
Cons:
May give up too many HR’s, weakly rated changeup
Grade:
C+ (That movement rating is kind of scary, but there will be WHEBO ballparks Ojeda
will thrive in)
Pick
#60: CF Victor Lozano
Age:
17
Overall/Potential:
20/30
Pros:
Above average defensive ratings, decent gap power projections, some speed and
stealing skills
Cons:
Below average plate discipline, needs position work
Grade:
C (Another “risk/reward” type player who could develop into a decent backup in
the future)
Pick
#61: CF Ricky Galiana
Age:
17
Overall/Potential:
20/35
Pros:
Should thrive on the basepaths, overall solid defensive skillset, above average
power projections
Cons:
Weak contact skills
Grade:
(Auto pick)
Pick
#62: 3B Bob Boulter
Age:
16
Overall/Potential:
20/35
Pros:
Great hitting projections for contact/gap power/avoiding K’s, great infield arm
Cons:
Plate discipline is terrible, may not have the range or arm to play 3B, low
intelligence may hurt development
Grade:
B+ (Risk/reward at it’s finest here; give the guy some training at another
position and hope those hitting skills improve)
Pick
#63: SP Martin Handrahan
Age:
17
Overall/Potential:
20/30
Pros:
Great control and stamina, solid curve ball plays well off above average fastball
Cons:
Will likely give up an above average of HR’s each season, low-rated changeup
Grade:
C+ (Another risk/reward player who could develop into something special)
Pick
#64: SP Fernando Davila
Age:
17
Overall/Potential:
20/45
Pros:
Groundball pitcher, above average movement and control potential
Cons:
Low work ethic and intelligence, holding runners close is a concern
Grade:
(Auto pick)
Pick
#65: RP Armando Pena
Age:
21
Overall/Potential:
20/50
Pros:
Great fastball and changeup, above average stuff and control potential, runners
will find it very difficult to get a jump on him
Cons:
Needs to work on his control
Grade:
A+ (This may be the best value so far in the draft; a lefty reliever with a
great upside)
Pick
#66: 3B Josh Tuders
Age:
22
Overall/Potential:
20/40
Pros:
Plays both corner infield/outfield positions, above average power and
discipline potential
Cons:
Relatively weak contact skills, low intelligence may slow his progression
through the minors
Grade:
C+ (He could develop into a solid defensive backup for the ML squad)
Pick
#67: 1B Ramon Tovar
Age:
17
Overall/Potential:
20/35
Pros:
Excellent power potential, good work ethic, decent speed and stealing skills
Cons:
Below average contact projections, will swing at bad pitches resulting in
higher than average number of K’s
Grade:
C (A lot of these low contact/high power hitters become successful in the
WHEBO, so Tovar does have a shot to make it)
Pick
#68: CL Alex Zepeda
Age:
22
Overall/Potential:
20/50
Pros:
Above average pitching ratings, great curveball
Cons:
Has some trouble keeping runners from stealing, non-existent changeup
Grade:
B+ (Another great value selection for the 3rd round)
Pick
#69: CL Luis Gutierrez
Age:
21
Overall/Potential:
20/35
Pros:
Very good cutter/slider combo, above average stuff and movement potential, good
stamina
Cons:
Low work ethic, screwball is rated very low, holding runners close could be an
issue
Grade:
(Auto pick)
Pick
#70: CF Matt Wyse
Age:
21
Overall/Potential:
20/40
Pros:
Very good defensive ratings for CF, great speed and solid baserunning skills
Cons:
Weak contact potential, low work ethic
Grade:
(Auto pick)
Pick
#71: SP Ryan Olson
Age:
19
Overall/Potential:
20/45
Pros:
Three solid pitches to work with, above average control, keeps runners glued to
their base
Cons:
Low work ethic could slow development, questionable changeup
Grade:
A (Finding this possible gem this deep in the draft is a great move for Las
Vegas)
Pick
#72: SS Mario Flores
Age:
20
Overall/Potential:
20/30
Pros:
Above average speed/base running skills, good looking defensive ratings, can
bunt well
Cons:
Below average gap power and plate discipline
Grade:
C (The final “high risk/high reward” player of this review; his work ethic
could help him develop into a ML backup in the future)
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