The MLB Draft is approaching as the next set of high school and college superstars are set to enter professional baseball on July 9. 

Since there are so many names called, the MLB Draft spans over three days, but we’re just going to look at some of the top picks that should be called in the first round. 

Dylan Crews

Position: OF 
College: LSU

The first overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates is expected to be Dylan Crews, an outfielder from Louisiana State University. 

Crews was a three-year starter at LSU and was one of the best hitters in their lineup all three years. 

In his freshman year, Crews hit .362 with a 1.116 and he followed that up with a .349 average and a 1.153 OPS his sophomore season. 

But his best season was this year, as he finished with a .423 batting average and a 1.278 OPS with an incredible .563 on-base percentage. 

Crews is currently leading the LSU Tigers in the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, as he looks to cap off his college career as a National Champion.

Paul Skenes 

Position: RHP
College: LSU

Crews’ LSU teammate Paul Skenes is expected to be the second pick taken by the Washington Nationals. 

Skenes may be the closest pitcher to a sure thing that the MLB has seen in decades. The right-hander is considered the best pitcher in college baseball, and many analysts believe that Skenes could be in an MLB rotation right now. 

The 6’6” transfer from Air Force will make an immediate impact on whatever team he ends up on, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Skenes in the MLB at the beginning of the 2025 season.

Wyatt Lanford

Position: OF 
College: Florida

Similar to Crews and Skenes, Wyatt Langford is currently in Omaha leading his Florida Gators in the College Baseball World Series. 

Before coming to Omaha, Langford was hitting .398 and was one of the best contact hitters in the country. 

Many analysts have been going back and forth between Crews and Langford, but the Tigers need reliable hitters as part of their rebuild, and Langford would be perfect. If everything goes to plan, Langford should be taken #3 overall by Detroit.

Walker Jenkins

Position: OF 
High School: South Brunswick, NC

Crews, Skenes and Langford are three of the best college baseball players in the country, but the MLB Draft also includes high-school players. 

One of the best seniors in the country is Walker Jenkins, an outfielder out of South Brunswick High School in North Carolina. 

Besides smashing high-school pitchers and getting on base at an absurd rate, Jenkins has incredible speed and a spectacular arm. 

With the #4 overall pick, don’t be surprised to see the Texas Rangers dip into the high school kids early on.

Max Clark

Position: OF
High School: Franklin, IN

Possibly the greatest high school baseball player we’ve seen in years is Max Clark. 

The senior from Franklin High School in Indiana put up video-game numbers in his senior season and shot himself up the draft board into the top five. 

He’s the back-to-back-to-back Gatorade Player of the Year and finished this season with a .646 batting average, a .808 on-base percentage and a 2.023 OPS. 

The sky's the limit for Clark and he could be a single-digit pick in the Draft.

Kyle Teel

Position: C 
College: Virginia

The best catcher in college baseball this year was Kyle Teel, a junior from Virginia. 

He finished this season with a .407 batting average and a 1.130 OPS with an absurd 70 RBIs. 

Offensively, he’s got it all - contact, power and a great eye, while on defense, he’s everything you could ask for and more. 

Teel has a strong arm with excellent blocking abilities, making him one of the most sought-after catchers since Adley Rutschman. 

If the Oakland Athletics can get him with the #6 pick, they absolutely should.

Rhett Lowder

Position: RHP
College: Wake Forest

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons had an incredible 2023 season, and a lot of that was due to Rhett Lowder’s dominance. 

The right-hander led them to a College World Series berth and had two excellent outings in Omaha. He will end his junior season with a 14-0 record, a 1.87 ERA and just a .208 batting average against. 

Lowders’ command and baseball IQ should lead him to be a top-10 pick in this year’s Draft, and could land with the Reds, Royals or Rockies.