As the baseball world gears up for the beginning of All-Star festivities this weekend, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on throughout the day today:
1. MLB Draft kicks off this weekend:
All-Star week festivities will begin with Day 1 of the 2023 MLB draft on Sunday. This year’s draft class is headlined by a pair of LSU standouts: right-hander Paul Skenes and outfielder Dylan Crews. The next tier of prospects is made up by a trio of outfielders, with the University of Florida’s Wyatt Langford standing alongside prep bats Max Clark and Walker Jenkins. The Pirates, Nationals, Tigers, Rangers, and Twins will make the first five picks of this year’s draft. Day 1 of the draft will consist of the first two rounds, with coverage beginning at 5pm CT on Sunday. For more information on how to watch draft coverage, click here.
2. Rodon to make season debut:
Left-hander Carlos Rodon is poised to make his regular season Yankees debut today after missing the first half of the season with a forearm strain and back tightness. Rodon will take the ball for tonight’s game against the Cubs, which starts at 6:05pm CT. Rodon is currently on the 60-day injured list, meaning the Yankees will need to make both a 40-man roster move and an active roster move to accommodate him prior to the game.
Rodon’s return comes as the Yankees seek their first series win in July. The ace lefty sports a 2.62 ERA and 2.42 FIP in 310 2/3 innings of work since the start of the 2021 season with a 33.9% strikeout rate during that time. He’ll join fellow ace Gerrit Cole atop the Yankees rotation, with right-handers Luis Severino, Domingo German, and Clarke Schmidt following up the duo. Even after Rodon’s return, the Yankees will still have two of their five planned rotation members for 2023 on the shelf in lefty Nestor Cortes and righty Frankie Montas.
3. Manoah to return:
Right-hander Alek Manoah is set to take the ball for the Blue Jays against the Tigers tonight at 5:40pm CT. It will be Manoah’s first big league appearance in just over a month, coming on the heels of Toronto optioning the 2022 AL Cy Young finalist to the lowest rung of the minors after he struggled to a 6.36 ERA and 6.53 FIP across 13 starts to open the season. That brutal stretch culminated in a six-run drubbing by the Astros where Manoah threw 38 pitches and recorded just one out.
The Blue Jays are surely hoping that Manoah’s figured something out during his time away, as the 25-year-old hurler looked like one of the most promising youngsters in all of baseball entering the 2023 campaign. During the first two seasons of his career, Manoah posted a phenomenal 2.60 ERA and solid 3.51 FIP across 51 starts. Upon Manoah’s return, Toronto’s Opening Day rotation that also featured Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, Jose Berrios, and Yusei Kikuchi will once again be intact.
If it is close, there’s no way I’m taking a pitcher with the #1 overall pick. In the last 30 years, how many pitchers that were taken #1 panned out? With the risk of arm injuries this day in age, I’d be taking the best position player in a stacked draft like this.
Paul Skenes is pretty good. He either goes 1 or 2. I can’t see him going past that, with pitching being so valued in baseball.
Pauln Skenes scouting report on MLB.com—
Scouting grades: Fastball: 80 | Slider: 70 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 | Overall: 65
Part of an outlandish Louisiana State recruiting class, Skenes spent his first two college seasons at Air Force and pitched two summers with the U.S. collegiate national team before coming to Baton Rouge and winning a College World Series championship this spring. The only NCAA Division I player to reach double figures in wins and home runs in 2022, he might be the top two-way player in the 2023 class. But he’s also the best college pitching prospect since Stephen Strasburg in 2009 and a potential No. 1 overall pick on the mound, so he hasn’t picked up a bat this spring. He won Southeastern Conference pitcher of the year honors, led NCAA Division I in strikeouts (209, breaking Ben McDonald’s school and SEC record), strikeouts per nine innings (15.3) and WHIP (0.75) and ranked second in wins (12), ERA (1.69) and opponents’ average (.165).
After working at 93-95 mph and touching 99 with his fastball as a sophomore, Skenes has averaged 98 mph and hit 102 at LSU, with the flat approach angle and carry on his heater making it almost impossible to hit. His slider has improved under the tutelage of Tigers pitching coach Wes Johnson, becoming an 85-89 mph beast with sharp break and absurd swing-and-miss and chase rates. His power changeup arrives at 88-93 mph with fade and is a solid offering when he lands it in the strike zone.
Physically imposing at 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds, Skenes is athletic with the body control to repeat a sound delivery and provide plenty of strikes. A classic No. 1 starter, he’d also factor into the top three rounds as a position player thanks to his huge right-handed power to all fields and projected solid defense at first base. He caught some at Air Force but is too big for the position.
I think Crews goes 1.
Not all players end up at the position they were drafted.
So Skenes could be the top catcher drafted?
No, they said at the bottom that he is too big for the catching position. He’s 6’6”
In the past 50 years, 17 pitchers have been the first overall pick. Eight of those 17 went on to have fine MLB careers, justifying their status. One, Casey Mize, is recovering from TJS, so its too soon to day. The rest were busts, although Luke Hocevar was a decent reliever for a few years.
But all three HS pitchers taken first were disasters.
Of the 32 position players taken first (one was chosen twice), its too early to say about five of them. Of the other 27, 13 had outstanding careers (several HOFers), five had decent careers, nine were busts.
Fifteen HS position players have been taken #2. Nine of them had outstanding careers. One was decent. Five busted.
Basically, about half the #1s had difference making careers. Pitchers have been almost exclusively boom or bust. Position players less so.
It’s a crap shoot.
I’m taking Skenes if I’m making the pick.
He’s built like a sturdy #1 arm. Looks like a workhorse in the making.
Crews is the top talent in this draft.
pirates won’t ever be able to sign a top SP , so might be worth trying to nab the top one in the draft.
Reynolds, Suwinski & Davis should roam the pirates OF for the next few years , making Crews less valuable to them.
although I absolutely agree that taking a SP is risky (see Dollanders stock now) , Skenes feels like the right risk to take for the Bucs.
Over the last 30 years how many position players that were taken #1 overall have panned out?
Take a look for yourself—
Scroll down a bit on this page below
baseball-reference.com/draft/
Some notables are Ken Griffey Jr, Chipper Jones, Alex Rodriguez, Bryce Harper, and Joe Mauer.
A lot of misses, yes.
How many averaged 2 WAR or greater and played 6 or more years since 1992?
5 pitchers. 7 position players.
Getting drafted 1-1 or anywhere is just a start. So much has to go right to be a success—you need the physical talents, mental toughness, ability to adapt as players figure you out, avoid injuries, and timing. No matter how good you are, if there’s a line of all-star players (aa, aaa, mlb) ahead of you at your natural position, you may never make it.
Scratch Rodon. He got a fever blister fighting Mothra last night and is day to day.
@Candlestoked How’s mothra? Can he go a couple of innings?
Monoah vs the Tigers inept offense is just what the doctor ordered. He’ll likely no-hit them and be back on his way.
Remember when Yankees low minors players put 10 runs on him last month
Niceee that was two weeks ago.
Was that not last month? Or are you working to a different calendar to the rest of us? lol
June 27. I guess June was last month.
Realistically he does this game yeah, but then it will go right to his head he did well against a AA lineup and he will tank again.
Shame he took the ego from WVU, really not easy to root for or like.
If he looks bad against Detroit, it means everything. If he looks good against Detroit, it means nothing. Oakland just got their first shut out of the year against Detroit, and Lyle (KC) looked like a Cy Young candidate.
If he gets lit up by the Tigers, it’s time to pull the fire alarm.
I hope Manoah fails. What a jerk.
Yes, for calling out Saint Gerrit of Cole for his habitual ritual of finger dousing with the sticky wicky icky stuff. How tacky of him.
Well Mr.Baseball, there were huge numbers of pitchers that were using the ……how did you say it in that language of yours…..”sticky icky stuff” and Cole, in a huge media market, got called out on it but try to wrap your little brain around the fact that others were using the same thing……as far as Manoah being a jerk….don’t have a comment other than saying until he has the extended resume of success that Cole has, don’t talk….Manoah has has 2 years of success…. and now is on his ass in year 3 so if your going to talk, make sure you have the playing resume to be heard……
Ah, the words of every six year old in the history of humankind, “But mom, everyone else is doing it.”
Well, then I guess it’s ok.
Seems Cole is doing just fine.
you have personally spoken with the man? suggest you watch the Sportsnet feature on him before you run your mouth.
I would love for you to tell Manoah he is a jerk to his face or on social…the dude is awesome and if you were paying attention your would know this. I’m sure you’re failing at life which is why you would want to wish that on someone you don’t know.
I’ll be sure and leave the windows open on Sunday.
I hope for Crews (1) or Langford (2) and would settle for Clark (3) or Jenkins (4) in that order, but the 2 way standout Skenes would be acceptable, too. MLB TR should have a draft ranking. I know mocks drafts male a mockery of the site, but rankings would be nice. Also, if you guys can do arb projections and some hot prospect lists, what about a prediction about signing bonuses?
Skenes need to just pitch. I don’t want another Brendan McKay situation.
Let the man do one thing very well. Shohei Ohtani’s are complete unicorns. Not a repeatable outcome.
I’d forgotten the Twins got a lucky roll in the new anti tanking draft lottery
@deGromTexasRanger
This might be the year that Pittsburgh doesn’t try to save capital for later, and actually goes for a college player at the top of the draft. I don’t think the Pirates want to wait for High Schooler, as their window approaches. Hoping Detroit takes either Crews or Langford at 3, but if they are both gone, I won’t be happy with another High Schooler like last year.. This team needs Offence desparately, and soon.
Best way to make a pitcher right is let him pitch against Detroit! Could throw a perfect game against us!
I don’t understand why MLBTR avoids predicting the top 5 picks. They have no problem predicting salaries or division winners or MVP candidates or free agent destinations… but the draft picks… no, we don’t do that. Too unpredictable.
They do rank the players, but trying to figure out draft strategies of the different organizations .and the different GM’s is virtually impossible. Some will go with analytics .as the major influence, Some will go with tools. Some will go for need. Some will go with Signablility/Agent. Some will try to save money to use later in the draft. I appreciate what they do provide.
Half of them will never see the majors. It’s not like the other sports where teams can draft someone and expect them to produce next year. In the mlb its more about your draft money pool than the spot imo
If the Tigers have any speed to swipe bags they can rattle Manoah early if they get on-base. The game he pitched in AA he was uncomfortable with runners on base. He had about 4 bags swiped on him on six attempts. In only 5 innings.
If all four bags were swiped then the runners had nothing to stand on. Never mind.
It’s another term for stolen bases. How it works is, if you get on-base and you run toward another base without being thrown out you will be rewarded with a stolen base. Unless there is defensive indifference. That’s another story,,,
I’m always indifferent but it’s not a defensive mechanism.
Apparently Crews is seeking a 10M signing bonus. Good luck with that kid.
pretty much confirms Pirates won’t be taking him
Is ESPN the only source for watching the homerun derby? Or, can I watch it somehow on MLB.com? What about the All Star game? Also, is the all star game going to be on MLB.com for general subscribers? Looking forward to the Texas vs Atlanta World Series preview