The draft has come and gone and as many suspected, LSU’s Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews went off the board with the first two overall selections. For many, those two prospects instantly became the most sought-after in dynasty leagues and first-year player drafts alike. Alas! How could thee thinketh otherwise? After all, generational prospects, as they’ve been labeled, are likely to cause such a reaction. And perhaps it’s for good reason. Sure, Skenes is a great choice at No. 1 in a first-year player draft. But I get up on my rooftop at this time every summer (it takes me roughly that long to tear down the holiday lights), and remind our readers that draft position should not dictate FYPD board position. There are many, many places to find and steal value along the way. Maybe there’s a bat that went outside the first 18 picks that you should consider in your top five players overall. Or a mid-second-round diamond in the rough that fell 20 spots past where he probably should have. It’s all about being creative and better informed than those around you. In this week’s column, we’ll break down five FYPD sleeper sticks from the 2023 college draft class, followed by another five to keep your eye on.
1. Wyatt Langford, OF, Texas Rangers (Round 1, Pick 4)
The number four overall pick is a sleeper in first-year player drafts? Not exactly. Any dynasty league worth playing in is undoubtedly informed about Langford to a high degree. That being said, I think he possesses the best value of any 2023 draftee in the top 20 overall picks. Skenes and Crews will be penned into the top two of most owners’ FYPD boards, with Max Clark and Langford right behind. But if you have the top pick, you need to consider Langford. And if you’re positioned at No. 3 or No. 4, stay put, as you’re in line to have the best value pick in the first round. Langford will hit for significantly more power than Crews at the next level, and Crews’ marginal advantage defensively is not a factor here. The Trenton, Fla. native will move quickly through the minors, as he’s already been promoted to High-A after three games in Rookie ball. Langford went 5-for-13, slashing .385/.429/.846 with one homer, three doubles, and one steal in his first 14 pro plate appearances. He has 65-grade raw power that might be more of 70-grade in all fairness, and he was a .363/.471/.746 career hitter in college. At No. 1 overall in FYPDs, I’m going Skenes or Langford.
Wyatt Langford with another double ? pic.twitter.com/A8jlMlEJjU
— Milb Central (@milb_central) July 29, 2023
2. Brayden Taylor, INF, Tampa Bay Rays (Round 1, Pick 19)
When one of the ten best players in the draft goes at 19, there’s typically value there. Taylor was ranked No. 4 in my preseason list and No. 7 in my updated college rankings, coming in at No. 15 overall at MLB Pipeline, which was too low for my blood. Taylor had arguably the smoothest left-handed swing in the 2023 college class and profiles as a middle-of-the-lineup impact bat with the potential to appear in multiple Midsummer Classics at the hot corner. The TCU product slashed .315/.442/.595 with 48 homers in three seasons, popping 23 long balls and 15 doubles in 67 games this past season. Taylor is among the first bats I’m taking in FYPDs after Wyatt Langford in a tier alongside prepsters Max Clark and Walker Jenkins.
Brayden Taylor (‘23 Elig.) backs up the preseason hype with this blast to RF to put @TCU_Baseball up 7-3. #PGDraft @vcervinoPG @B_Sakowski_PG
Analytics:
EV: 110 MPH
Distance: 412 Feet pic.twitter.com/XAF6OBmTEr— PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) February 17, 2023
3. Yohandy Morales, INF, Washington Nationals (Round 2, Pick 40)
One thing is certain: Morales is going to hit. The Miami Hurricanes slugger fell to the 40th overall pick, 20 spots below where he was projected. It’s difficult to fathom why. Aside from a few outliers, most of the scouting community believes Morales can stick at third base. But even if he doesn’t, who gives? Morales has a 50-hit tool and 60-grade juice, coming off a .408/.475/.713 college campaign that saw him swat 20 dingers, 13 doubles and 70 RBI. There are swing-and-miss concerns but such has never interfered with Morales’ ability to reach base. he was a .343 career hitter at Miami, reaching base at a 41.3% clip. Here are his strikeout and walk numbers by season, with totals listed at the end: 20.5 K%/7.5 BB%, 21.4 K%/12.1 BB%, 19.8 K%/10.8 BB%, 20.6 K%m 19,3 BB%. For a guy capable of 30-40 homers annually if he can stay below 25% or so at the next level, No. 40 is far too low for Morales to be on your FYPD board.
4. Roc Riggio, INF, New York Yankees (Round 4, Pick 129)
The hair. The flair. The post-bomb stares. Riggio plays with major moxy and confidence and although he’s undersized at 5-9, he’s a lefty-swinging second baseman with major pop. Riggio hit .295/.413/.519 as a freshie and then .335/.461/.679 this past year with 18 homers, 17 doubles, and seven steals. And to be fair, he went right around where he was projected as MLB Pipeline’s No. 130 overall draft prospect. However, there aren’t too other many collegiate second basemen in this draft with the potential to make the type of impact at the next level that Riggio possesses. Depending on how deep your FYPD is, Riggio makes for a great mid-to-late round flier.
The New York Yankees get a steal with the 129th overall pick!
Oklahoma State infielder Roc Riggio is headed to the Bronx!#GoPokes #RepBX #MLBDraft
— Noah Bieniek (@NoahB77_) July 10, 2023
5. Gavin Dugas, INF/OF, Washington Nationals (Round 6, Pick 165)
Dugas comes as a mid-round draftee after winning a national title at LSU, hitting .290/.464/.589 with 17 tanks in his fourth and final season in Baton Rouge. Overall, he launched 44 home runs with a 1.005 career OPS in college. Dugas strikes out plenty (188 in 201 career games), but has steadily improved his walk rate as he’s matured. Having also shifted around the infield before finding a home in left, Dugas could also bring defensive versatility down the line as well. It’s a deep flier, but one worth taking if you’re at the tail-end of your draft.
Next Five: Calvin Harris, C, Chicago White Sox (Round 4, Pick 116); Bryson Ware, INF, Philadelphia Phillies (Round 8, Pick 253); Ben McCabe, C, Colorado Rockies (Round 9, Pick 262); Jared Wegner, OF, New York Yankees (Round 9, Pick 282), Will McGillis, INF, Los Angeles Angels (undrafted)
That’s all for this week, Razzball fam! As always, I’m happy to take this conversation into the comments section or on Twitter, where you can find me @WorldOfHobbs.
