Checking In on Paul Skenes and Every MLB Team's 1st-Round Pick from 2023 Draft
It's been a year since the first picks were made in the 2023 MLB draft, which makes now an appropriate time to ask a simple question: Where are they now?
Let's find out by checking in on every first-round pick from last year's draft. The list goes 30 players deep, and needless to say, the progress is all over the place. Whereas most players are toiling in the minors, a few have reached the majors and one even got a historic All-Star nod on Sunday.
In any case, we'll work our way from the bottom to the top of last year's first round three at a time.
Note: All prospect rankings are courtesy of B/R's Joel Reuter.
30-28: Tai Peete, Jonny Farmelo, Brice Matthews
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30. SS Tai Peete, Seattle Mariners
Age: 18
2024 Stats (A): 69 G, 313 PA, 1 HR, 21 SB, .281 AVG, .364 OBP, .376 SLG
Organizational Rank: Not Ranked
Peete was the last of three Mariners picks in the first round last year. They drafted him as a third baseman before shifting him to shortstop for his first full season as a pro.
An ankle injury sidelined him for a little over a week in May, and he only just hit his first home run of the year on June 28. As his power tool is supposed to be stronger than his hit tool, it's not encouraging that he has just three homers in 93 minor league games.
Speed is Peete's best offensive tool, though, and it's showing through just fine. Those 21 stolen bases come with just one caught-stealing.
29. CF Jonny Farmelo, Seattle Mariners
Age: 19
2024 Stats (A): 46 G, 221 PA, 4 HR, 18 SB, .264 AVG, .398 OBP, .421 SLG
Organizational Rank: 7
Alas, Farmelo's numbers are going to be frozen in time for the rest of the season. He tore his right ACL in June, an injury that will keep him sidelined until 2025.
Still, let's give the guy credit for how he started the year before he got hurt.
Like Peete, he showed off his speed by stealing 18 bases in 20 attempts. His OBP otherwise underscores a strong approach, as Farmelo paired a 16.3 walk rate with a reasonable 23.5 strikeout percentage.
28. SS Brice Matthews, Houston Astros
Age: 22
2024 Stats (Rk/A+/AA): 38 G, 169 PA, 7 HR, 16 SB, .293 AVG, .408 OBP, .500 SLG
Organizational Rank: 3
Matthews is another 2023 first-rounder whose 2024 season has been sidetracked by the injury bug. He developed a back issue in April that sidelined him for about a month.
Following a brief stint in the rookie-level Florida Complex League, he promptly earned a promotion to Double-A by mashing upon his return to High-A Asheville. In 11 games, he hit .391 with six homers.
Humility has since found him, though. In 13 games at the Double-A level, the powerful, speedy Matthews is 9-for-46 with 19 strikeouts.
27-25: Aidan Miller, George Lombard Jr., Dillon Head
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27. SS Aidan Miller, Philadelphia Phillies
Age: 20
2024 Stats (A/A+): 59 G, 269 PA, 7 HR, 13 SB, .240 AVG, .361 OBP, .422 SLG
Organizational Rank: 2
Miller didn't do much in the 10 games he played at Single-A in 2023, but he was so good there earlier this year that he got promoted after only 39 games.
A 14.3 walk rate helped him rack up a .401 OBP, and he had 16 doubles to go with his five home runs. His pop is legit, as he topped out at 108.1 mph and averaged 99.5 mph in the top 50 percent of his batted balls.
Though the Phillies technically drafted Miller as a third baseman, he's only played shortstop as a pro. The 12 errors he has this year aren't ideal, but he surely has enough arm for short and has looked up to the challenge athleticism-wise as well.
26. SS George Lombard Jr., New York Yankees
Age: 19
2024 Stats (A): 61 G, 280 PA, 2 HR, 24 SB, .234 AVG, .361 OBP, .329 SLG
Organizational Rank: 8
Lombard is still a teenager, but he has the approach of an older player.
At 15.4 percent, his walk rate is one of the highest in the Florida State League. He's also started to cut down on the strikeouts, racking up only six over his last 12 games. He actually has more stolen bases than punchouts in this span.
The power is coming along more slowly, but it looks better if you take your eye off Lombard's results. His tracked batted balls have averaged 88.4 mph, safely above the Single-A average of 86.7 mph.
25. CF Dillon Head, San Diego Padres (now with Miami Marlins)
Age: 19
2024 Stats (Rk/A): 26 G, 123 PA, 2 HR, 5 SB, .243 AVG, .317 OBP, .396 SLG
Organizational Rank: 4
To say it's been a tumultuous year for Head would be putting it lightly.
Though he began the season in the Padres organization, he shifted to the Marlins in May by way of his involvement in the Luis Arraez trade. He got into only three games with Single-A Jupiter before he needed season-ending surgery on his left hip.
Head's best tool is his 80-grade speed, so all the Marlins can do is hope that he can still fly upon his return in 2025.
24-22: Hurston Waldrep, Ralphy Velazquez, Colt Emerson
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24. RHP Hurston Waldrep, Atlanta
Age: 22
2024 Stats (AA/AAA): 10 GS, 55.1 IP, 57 H (3 HR), 59 K, 18 BB, 3.09 ERA
Organizational Rank: 3
He wasn't the first or best-known first-round pitcher from 2023 to make his debut this season, but that day indeed came for Waldrep on June 9.
As he allowed 13 runs on nine hits and eight walks in seven innings, it would be a reach to say his two starts for Atlanta went well. But his stuff looked good at least. He averaged 95.8 mph on his fastball and got whiffs on 40 percent of his splitters.
Due to inflammation in his right elbow, Waldrep hasn't pitched anywhere since his second major league start on June 16. There is no timetable for his return yet.
23. 1B Ralphy Velazquez, Cleveland Guardians
Age: 19
2024 Stats (A): 68 G, 316 PA, 9 HR, 7 SB, .265 AVG, .373 OBP, .451 SLG
Organizational Rank: 5
The Guardians drafted Velazquez as a catcher, but he's played all of one game behind the plate as a pro. His future is as a first baseman.
This indicates a stronger belief in his bat than in his defense, and it's not necessarily misplaced. He's rocking a 14.2 walk rate next to a 21.5 strikeout percentage, and he's cranked 20 doubles in addition to nine home runs.
Velazquez's returns have been diminishing, though, and it's generally been a struggle for him against left-handers. The lefty swinger is hitting only .225 against same-side pitchers.
22. SS Colt Emerson, Seattle Mariners
Age: 18
2024 Stats (Rk/A): 23 G, 108 PA, 2 HR, 3 SB, .286 AVG, .435 OBP, .417 SLG
Organizational Rank: 4
It's been tough out there for Seattle's first-round picks from last year. Like Peete and Farmelo, Emerson has also lost ample time to the injured list by way of a fractured foot.
On the plus side, his plus hit tool has shown through when he's been healthy. His 18.3 walk percentage is one of the highest in the California League, and he's otherwise struck out in just 14.4 percent of his plate appearances.
Emerson only recently rejoined Single-A Modesto, but it's been business as usual as he's gone 4-for-10 in three games.
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21-19: Chase Davis, Arjun Nimmala, Brayden Taylor
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21. OF Chase Davis, St. Louis Cardinals
Age: 22
2024 Stats (A): 63 G, 266 PA, 7 HR, 5 SB, .217 AVG, .338 OBP, .389 SLG
Organizational Rank: Not Ranked
Davis's season numbers look bad in a vacuum, but they've recently been trending up.
He caught fire in June, batting .333/.464/.683 with five home runs. He led the Florida State League in OBP, SLG and OPS and was also among the leaders with 23 runs batted in and 17 walks.
Power is meant to be Davis' primary offensive calling card, and that certainly tracks. He's putting 88.5 mph on his tracked batted balls, nearly 2 mph above the Single-A norm.
20. SS Arjun Nimmala, Toronto Blue Jays
Age: 18
2024 Stats (Rk/A): 45 G, 189 PA, 5 HR, 4 SB, .209 AVG, .339 OBP, .411 SLG
Organizational Rank: 4
The Blue Jays actually demoted Nimmala earlier this year, and frankly he didn't give them much choice.
He began the year with Single-A Dunedin, but after 29 games he was hitting only .167 with 43 strikeouts in 125 plate appearances. That works out to a 34.4 strikeout percentage, which is...not great.
Nimmala's time in the Florida Complex League seems to have served him well, however. Since returning to Dunedin, he's 10-for-29 with only five strikeouts in eight games.
19. 3B Brayden Taylor, Tampa Bay Rays
Age: 22
2024 Stats (A+): 70 G, 323 PA, 12 HR, 21 SB, .285 AVG, .399 OBP, .539 SLG
Organizational Rank: 4
It took a while for Taylor to start getting hits consistently, but even then, he wasn't having much trouble getting on base. Through May 11, his .250 average came paired with a .414 OBP.
He's since been doing everything right, slashing .298/.388/.597 with 10 home runs in 45 games for High-A Bowling Green. He's now second in the Florida State League in OPS.
Though drafted as a third baseman, Taylor has more often played shortstop in 2024. And fairly well, at that, as he has five errors in 39 games at short compared to six in 27 games at third.
18-16: Brock Wilken, Enrique Bradfield Jr., Bryce Eldridge
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18. 3B Brock Wilken, Milwaukee Brewers
Age: 22
2024 Stats (Rk/AA): 58 G, 250 PA, 9 HR, 1 SB, .226 AVG, .320 OBP, .396 SLG
Organizational Rank: 5
It's a blessing that Wilken is even out there playing right now. He got quite the scare in April when he sustained multiple fractures from taking a 94 mph fastball to the face.
The 6'4", 225-pounder's power has been there since he returned to Double-A Biloxi on May 7, as all nine of his homers have come in his last 52 games. But he's also hit a modest .230 in this span.
Strikeouts have been an issue for Wilken, though less so recently. After previously fanning 35 times in 27 games, he's done so only six times in his last nine.
17. CF Enrique Bradfield Jr., Baltimore Orioles
Age: 22
2024 Stats (A+): 58 G, 254 PA, 2 HR, 41 SB, .268 AVG, .347 OBP, .359 SLG
Organizational Rank: 5
The thing to know about Bradfield is that he's fast. Like, really fast.
He's seen as an 80-grade runner and has sure looked the part for High-A Aberdeen. His 41 stolen bases rank fourth among all players at all minor league levels, and he's also been known to cover huge swaths of ground in the outfield.
Power is not among Bradfield's best tools, but that won't matter as long as he makes consistent enough contact. To this end, his 17.7 strikeout percentage is one of the better marks in the South Atlantic League.
16. 1B Bryce Eldridge, San Francisco Giants
Age: 19
2024 Stats (A/A+): 60 G, 269 PA, 11 HR, 2 SB, .274 AVG, .342 OBP, .481 SLG
Organizational Rank: 2
Eldridge was known in some circles as the "American Ohtani" heading into the 2023 draft, but so much for that. He gave up pitching before this season began.
It's a good thing, then, that the bat looks legit. The 6'7", 223-pounder has plus raw power, and he recently earned his promotion to High-A by putting up a .874 OPS and eight homers in his last 36 games for Single-A San Jose.
The lefty swinger's .194 average against lefty pitchers is not to be ignored, but it's nonetheless so far, so good at the next level. In nine games, he's 11-for-32 with nine runs batted in.
15-13: Jacob Gonzalez, Kyle Teel, Matt Shaw
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15. SS Jacob Gonzalez, Chicago White Sox
Age: 22
2024 Stats (A+/AA): 79 G, 359 PA, 5 HR, 13 SB, .266 AVG, .345 OBP, .372 SLG
Organizational Rank: Not Ranked
Gonzalez's hit tool is supposed to be the best he has, and that sure seemed like the case as he went on a 28-game heater between April 23 and May 26.
He hit .336 in that span, which bridged both his time with High-A Winston-Salem and his initial introduction to Double-A Birmingham. Notably, he struck out only 16 times in 134 plate appearances.
Though he's still putting the ball in play at a consistent rate, the hits haven't been there as much for Gonzalez since May 28. In 37 games, he's batting only .221.
14. C Kyle Teel, Boston Red Sox
Age: 22
2024 Stats (AA): 63 G, 285 PA, 8 HR, 5 SB, .301 AVG, .390 OBP, .463 SLG
Organizational Rank: 3
As he was rated by MLB.com as the No. 7 talent in the draft, it was seen as a gift when Teel fell to the Red Sox with the No. 14 pick.
This much hasn't changed in 2024, at least where his bat is concerned. He's behind only Double-A Portland teammate Marcelo Mayer in batting average among Eastern League hitters, and the lefty swinger is even doing better (.313 AVG) against lefty pitchers.
There's a blemish on Teel's record in the form of a 16 caught-stealing percentage, but it's not worth panicking over. It wasn't even a year ago that he went viral for his pop time.
13. 3B/2B Matt Shaw, Chicago Cubs
Age: 22
2024 Stats (AA): 68 G, 291 PA, 10 HR, 19 SB, .251 AVG, .361 OBP, .428 SLG
Organizational Rank: 3
Shaw got off to a hot start for Double-A Tennessee this year, only to promptly cool off for a long time. He had a 33-game run in which he hit .168 with no home runs.
Those days are over. In 27 games between May 27 and his last appearance on June 27, he turned the bat back on and hit .305 with seven long balls. He was the Southern League's Player of the Week for June 17-23.
Shaw's defense is generally seen as a bigger question mark, but he's at least been sure-handed at both third and second base this season. In 56 games at the two spots, he's made a total of six errors.
12-10: Tommy Troy, Nolan Schanuel, Noble Meyer
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12. SS Tommy Troy, Arizona Diamondbacks
Age: 22
2024 Stats (Rk/A+): 24 G, 102 PA, 1 HR, 5 SB, .200 AVG, .265 OBP, .311 SLG
Organizational Rank: 2
To this point, Troy's professional career has basically been an ongoing challenge to stay healthy.
He came into this year after having had offseason surgery to repair a fracture in his left foot. And then, after 12 games with High-A Hillsboro, he sustained a left hamstring strain that sidelined him for close to two months.
Troy recently got back to High-A after a rehab stint at the Arizona Complex League, but it's been a struggle to readjust there. He's 2-for-19 (both hits are singles) in five games.
11. 1B Nolan Schanuel, Los Angeles Angels
Age: 22
2024 Stats (MLB): 80 G, 333 PA, 8 HR, 2 SB, .241 AVG, .316 OBP, .352 SLG
Organizational Rank: Not Eligible
Whatever anyone expected for Schanuel after the Angels drafted him with the No. 11 pick, it probably wasn't that he would be in the big leagues just two months later.
The advanced approach he was known for came through as he posted a .402 OBP in 29 games with the Angels last season, but this year has been more of a struggle. His zone discipline is fine, but that only goes so far when you struggle against the fastball.
Still, a "stay tuned" is in order. The 6'4", 220-pound first baseman has been better lately, batting .314 with a .400 OBP in his last 23 appearances.
10. RHP Noble Meyer, Miami Marlins
Age: 19
2024 Stats (A/A+): 12 GS, 50.1 IP, 25 H (5 HR), 61 K, 31 BB, 3.22 ERA
Organizational Rank: 1
There's no hiding the wart on Meyer's season, but here's a hint in case it doesn't immediately jump out: That's a lot of walks.
He's issued at least two free passes in 10 of his 12 starts, a sample that notably includes an outing in which he walked four of the eight men he faced on April 13. None of this is necessarily surprising given his youth, but it's still not ideal.
Meyer, who lives on a plus fastball-slider combination, is nonetheless getting better with time. Spanning his last four starts at Single-A and his first four for High-A Beloit, he's logged a 2.23 ERA with 51 strikeouts against 18 walks in 36.1 innings.
9-7: Chase Dollander, Blake Mitchell, Rhett Lowder
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9. RHP Chase Dollander, Colorado Rockies
Age: 22
2024 Stats (A+): 13 GS, 67.0 IP, 58 H (6 HR), 102 K, 26 BB, 2.82 ERA
Organizational Rank: 1
There's always an "Are you sure about this?" vibe whenever the Rockies use a high pick on a pitcher, but this one is working out swimmingly so far.
Dollander's 102 strikeouts are the most of any pitcher in the Northwest League, and they've come pretty consistently. He's yet to whiff fewer than five batters in a start and has gone into double digits four times.
The righty has an overpowering fastball and slider, and there's a bit of deception in his delivery. He'll need all that to succeed whenever Coors Field calls after him.
8. C Blake Mitchell, Kansas City Royals
Age: 19
2024 Stats (A): 68 G, 306 PA, 11 HR, 19 SB, .264 AVG, .402 OBP, .480 SLG
Organizational Rank: 1
A high school catcher in the top 10? It worked with Joe Mauer in 2001, but not the next time with Kyle Skipworth in 2008. And prior to Mitchell, that was also the last time it happened.
For now, though, it looks like Mitchell's bat is going to play. He's third in the Central League in OBP and tied for third in home runs. He's also hot, as he's batting .350 in his last 10 games for Single-A Columbia.
It's nonetheless not ideal that Mitchell is running a 30.7 strikeout percentage, nor that he's nabbed only 14 percent of base stealers from behind the plate. His arm is better than that, but it needs to play as such for him to stick at catcher.
7. RHP Rhett Lowder, Cincinnati Reds
Age: 22
2024 Stats (A+/AA): 15 GS, 68.2 IP, 78 H (7 HR), 77 K, 17 BB, 5.24 ERA
Organizational Rank: 1
It only took five starts at High-A Dayton before Lowder got bumped up to Double-A Chattanooga, and he surely earned it by way of a 2.49 ERA and 4.8 K/BB ratio.
Things have taken a turn since he made the leap, though. The righty's 6.85 ERA at Double-A is the highest of any pitcher who's logged at least 40 innings in the Southern League.
Though his changeup is his best pitch, Lowder has especially struggled to keep left-handed batters at bay this year. They have a .862 OPS against him, with six of the seven homers he's served up.
6-4: Jacob Wilson, Walker Jenkins, Wyatt Langford
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6. SS Jacob Wilson, Oakland Athletics
Age: 22
2024 Stats (RK/AA/AAA): 42 G, 180 PA, 7 HR, 2 SB, .461 AVG, .494 OBP, .731 SLG
Organizational Rank: 1
It hasn't been all good for Wilson this season. He notably missed a little over a month between mid-May and mid-June because of a knee issue.
Apart from that, though, "holy smokes" is the only appropriate expression. He has hit safely in 35 of 42 games, with multiple hits in 23 of those. He's struck out 13 times all year for a minuscule strikeout rate of 7.2 percent.
Wilson has even turned on the power since getting the bump to Triple-A, going deep four times in 15 games. The A's, it seems, have struck gold.
5. OF Walker Jenkins, Minnesota Twins
Age: 19
2024 Stats (Rk/A): 32 G, 139 PA, 2 HR, 6 SB, .286 AVG, .410 OBP, .411 SLG
Organizational Rank: 1
It took just one game for Jenkins' season to get a bad kind of jolt. He strained his left hamstring on Opening Day, an injury that ultimately cost him more than a month.
As much as it looks like he has been fine since his return, his overall numbers are skewed by a dominant showing in the Florida Complex League. He only has a .738 since returning to Single-A Fort Myers on June 4.
Jenkins does have more walks (17) than strikeouts (13) for Fort Myers, though, and he's been warming up. His last 12 games have yielded a .414 OBP and both of his home runs.
4. LF Wyatt Langford, Texas Rangers
Age: 22
2024 Stats (MLB): 65 G, 295 PA, 4 HR, 7 SB, .259 AVG, .328 OBP, .385 SLG
Organizational Rank: Not Eligible
Because he had dominated both in his first taste of pro ball in 2023 (1.157 OPS) and in spring training this year (1.137 OPS), it wasn't the biggest surprise when the Rangers tabbed him for their Opening Day roster.
It took a while for Langford to get going. Through May 31, all he had to show for his rookie season was a .573 OPS and a three-week stay on the IL with a right hamstring strain.
Since then, however, the star hitter that was promised has begun to show through. Wyatt has hit .322 since June 1, with 14 extra-base hits to go with six stolen bases. Per his .906 OPS, he's been the Rangers' best hitter in this span.
3-1: Max Clark, Dylan Crews, Paul Skenes
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3. OF Max Clark, Detroit Tigers
Age: 19
2024 Stats (A): 68 G, 310 PA, 6 HR, 24 SB, .281 AVG, .382 OBP, .400 SLG
Organizational Rank: 2
The Tigers haven't had the best luck at the top of the draft in recent years, especially with former No. 1 picks Casey Mize and Spencer Torkelson looking like busts.
So far, though, Clark looks like he's going to be a Riley Greene-type success story. He's tied for fourth in the Florida State League in OBP, as well as for stolen bases. He's also been red-hot in July, going 9-for-19 with two home runs.
Power may never be Clark's carrying tool, but his hit and especially his speed tools are so good that it might not matter. The Tigers need him to be a Jarren Duran, not an Aaron Judge.
2. CF Dylan Crews, Washington Nationals
Age: 22
2024 Stats (AA/AAA): 68 G, 294 PA, 8 HR, 18 SB, .265 AVG, .328 OBP, .436 SLG
Organizational Rank: 2
Following a junior season for LSU in which he hit .426/.567/.713, there was buzz that Crews would be the No. 1 pick last year. Bully for the Nationals, then, that he dropped to them.
The overall returns on Crews' first full season in pro ball aren't great, but the progress is there if you know where to look. He indeed forced his promotion to Triple-A Rochester in June by hitting .303 in his last 30 games for Double-A Harrisburg.
We also know Crews is averaging 90.9 mph on his tracked batted balls. That is 3 mph above the leaguewide average at the Triple-A level.
1. RHP Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates
Age: 22
2024 Stats (MLB): 10 GS, 59.1 IP, 48 H (7 HR), 78 K, 12 BB, 2.12 ERA
Organizational Rank: Not Eligible
Crews may not yet be a star in MLB, but the Pirates have to feel pretty good about taking Skenes instead with the No. 1 pick.
He laid waste to Triple-A hitters earlier in the year, notably striking out 45 of the 105 batters he faced. Major league hitters haven't fared much better, and who can blame them? His 99.2 mph fastball is the hardest by any starter and his "splinker" is the most valuable split-finger fastball in the game.
Skenes made history on Sunday, becoming the first player to go from the No. 1 pick in the draft to the All-Star Game in just one year. The way he's going, it won't be the last time he makes history.
Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.
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