2023 MLB Mock Draft 1.0: Who will go No. 1 to the Pirates? - ESPN

The rumors have begun to fly in mock draft discussions around baseball — I've already heard a lot of theories during the slow moments of NCAA conference tournaments this week. There continues to be a consensus that the clear top tier of five prospects are very likely to go in the top five picks — or top six picks if you foresee one major surprise, which is normally a good bet.

With Dylan Crews the consensus top draft prospect since Adley Rutschman in 2019 and teammate Paul Skenes the best draft pitching prospect in a dozen years(since Gerrit Cole in 2011) — both in amateur baseball's best conference, the SEC — there's a feeling among some fans that the top of the draft will be chalk like it was in 2019, similar to my first mini-mock, which looks pretty similar to the rankings I did alongside it.

What I think will actually happen is something similar to the mayhem we saw in 2021, when there was a top tier of eight players and none of the popular candidates for top talent in the draft went first overall. Without further ado, here's a look at my first mock draft leading up to the 2023 MLB draft on July 9.

Max Clark, CF, Franklin Community HS (IN)

Now, I still think Crews at No. 1 is the most likely option, but my previous mini-mock outlines how I think that would go — Crews, Skenes, WyattLangford, WalkerJenkins, Clark, in that order — so I wanted to use this mock to outline what I think is the second most likely outcome and lean into the chaotic vibe I'm getting from my conversations with decision-makers.

The Clark rumor has been gaining steam for weeks and was the first thing a number of scouts mentioned to me at the ACC tournament this past week. If you're wondering how the Pirates could pass on Crews, the logic isn't