2023 MLB Draft Results: Grades for Overall Team-by-Team Results

The 2023 MLB draft has brought a fresh wave of promising young talent to baseball's minor league ranks.

The Pittsburgh Pirates kicked off this year's action by taking LSU right-hander Paul Skenes with the No. 1 overall pick, and the Washington Nationals made history at No. 2 overall when they took his LSU outfielder Dylan Crews, marking the first time in draft history that a pair of teammates have gone back-to-back to open the draft.

As expected, the next three picks were a trio of outfielders, with Max Clark (Detroit Tigers), Wyatt Langford (Texas Rangers) and Walker Jenkins (Minnesota Twins) long viewed as the remainder of a five-player top-tier of talent.

The biggest surprise of the first round is the fact that in a deep class of high school shortstops with first-round tools, Arjun Nimmala was the first one off the board at No. 20 overall to the Toronto Blue Jays, while several players from that demographic expected to be first-round picks slipped out of the opening round.

Ahead we've provided an all-encompassing grade for all 30 teams based on early impressions of their 2023 draft class. That's followed by a closer look at the best and the worst of this year's draft.

2023 MLB Draft Team Grades

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SEATTLE, WA - JULY 09: A general view of the board before the MLB Draft presented by Nike at Lumen Field on Sunday, July 9, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

2023 MLB Draft Team Grades

• Arizona Diamondbacks: A-
• Atlanta Braves: C
• Baltimore Orioles: B
• Boston Red Sox: B+
• Chicago Cubs: B
• Chicago White Sox: B+
• Cincinnati Reds: A
• Cleveland Guardians: B+
• Colorado Rockies: A
• Detroit Tigers: B
• Houston Astros: B
• Kansas City Royals: C-
• Los Angeles Angels: C
• Los Angeles Dodgers: A
• Miami Marlins: A-
• Milwaukee Brewers: B+
• Minnesota Twins: A
• New York Mets: A
• New York Yankees: B
• Oakland Athletics: B
• Philadelphia Phillies: B+
• Pittsburgh Pirates: A+
• San Diego Padres: B
• San Francisco Giants: A+
• Seattle Mariners: B
• St. Louis Cardinals: B+
• Tampa Bay Rays: A-
• Texas Rangers: B+
• Toronto Blue Jays: A
• Washington Nationals: A+

Worst Grade

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SEATTLE, WA - JULY 09: A general view of the stage as Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. announces Blake Mitchell as the Kansas City Royals first round pick during the MLB Draft presented by Nike at Lumen Field on Sunday, July 9, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Let me preface this by saying Blake Mitchell has the tools to develop into a standout offensive catcher and the heir apparent to Salvador Perez behind the plate.

However, for a rebuilding Kansas City Royals team that can't afford to whiff on a high selection, choosing from the draft's riskiest demographic is a bold strategy that could wind up burning them.

While guys like Joe Mauer and J.T. Realmuto are exception, there is a long history of high school catchers drafted in the first round failing to develop into MLB players. Mitchell does have a slightly higher floor than most thanks to a rocket arm and some potential fallback ability on the mound, but it's a risky selection nonetheless.

The Royals then doubled down on their approach and chose a high-risk, high-reward pitcher with their second selection in prep right-hander Blake Wolters. Coming from a cold weather state (Illinois) he did not face the best competition in high school, and much of his upside is predicated on the development of his still raw secondary stuff.

Again, these two could both end up developing into impact players, but the high-risk approach here doesn't fit what the Royals should be doing to rebuild.

Best Grades

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SEATTLE, WA - JULY 09: Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. announces Dylan Crews as the Washington Nationals first round pick during the MLB Draft presented by Nike at Lumen Field on Sunday, July 9, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

The Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants and Washington Nationals are the three teams that absolutely knocked the 2023 draft out of the park.

For the Pirates and Nationals, they benefited greatly from selecting 1-2 in a draft that featured a pair of potential generational talents in LSU teammates Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews, and despite some rumblings of below-slot deals they wisely made them the first two selections.

The Pirates followed the selection of Skenes at No. 1 overall with a high-floor college shortstop (Mitch Jebb) and a high-ceiling prep pitcher (Zander Mueth) before taking seven college pitchers among their eight Day 2 selections. Great strategy to restock the system.

The Nationals managed to follow the Crews selection with University of Miami slugger Yohandy Morales at No. 40 overall and flame-throwing prep right-hander Travis Sykora at No. 71 overall. All three players will likely slot into the top 10 prospects in an up-and-coming system when organizational prospect lists are updated, and to walk away with three of the top 40 or so players in a draft is a huge win.

Finally, the Giants grabbed dynamic two-way player Bryce Eldridge at No. 16 overall, reeled in a player they were tied to all spring when they took prep shortstop Walker Martin at No. 52 overall, and then walked away with the steal of Day 1 when Kent State lefty Joe Whitman was still on the board at No. 69, despite receiving significant first-round buzz.

Throw in Tennessee shortstop Maui Ahuna and breakout Maryland catcher Luke Shliger on Day 2, and the Giants absolutely nailed it without the benefit of a top-15 pick.