MLB.com: 2023 Round 1 Mock Draft

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The consensus top two prospects are Louisiana State outfielder Dylan Crews and right-hander Paul Skenes, who are bidding to become the first teammates ever to go 1-2 in the same Draft. After that, virtually every team would agree that outfielders Wyatt Langford (Florida), Walker Jenkins (South Brunswick HS, Southport, N.C.) and Max Clark (Franklin, Ind., HS) are the next three best talents, lining them up in a variety of orders.

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The top choice comes with an assigned worth of $9,721,000, so Pittsburgh can take the best player, break the existing bonus record (the $8,416,300 the Tigers paid Spencer Torkelson in 2020) and still have plenty of leftover cash. And with the Nos. 2 through 5 slots averaging more than $8 million, there's no reason for any of the top prospects to take a deep cut.

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1. Pirates: Dylan Crews, OF, Louisiana State (No. 1) Crews has held onto his preseason No. 1 prospect ranking by leading NCAA Division I in hitting (.486), on-base percentage (.633) and walks (49) while also displaying more speed and a better chance to stay in center field than he had in the past.

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2. Nationals: Paul Skenes, RHP, Louisiana State (No. 2) Skenes has been just as spectacular as his teammate, topping D-I in strikeouts (124) and strikeout rate (17.1 per nine innings, ahead of Ryan Wagner's all-time record of 16.8 in 2003). He's the best college pitching prospect since Stephen Strasburg in 2009, and Strasburg was the best ever.

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