MLB Draft, Day 1 recap: Tigers’ Scott Harris goes bold with HS bats for first two picks

The 2023 Major League Baseball Draft kicked off Sunday night in Seattle, with Detroit selecting No. 3 overall.

The Tigers also had the No. 37 and No. 45 overall picks Sunday.

Pittsburgh picked No. 1, and Washington went No. 2.

Here’s a recap of all the first- and second-round action from News sports writer Tony Paul.

Tigers take Max Clark at No. 3

The Tigers need offense, and fast.

But they pulled a bit of a stunner in the first round of the MLB Draft on Sunday night, instead taking a high-school outfielder in Max Clark, out of Indiana.

Clark, 18, is considered one of the best high-school prosects in years, and the Tigers, under president Scott Harris, were enamored enough to take him over Florida outfielder Wyatt Langford, a Golden Spike Award finalist.

According to The Athletic’s Keith Law, Clark was the priority pick of the Texas Rangers at No. 4.

Former Colorado Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd said on MLB Network on Sunday night that the Clark pick will eventually allow the Tigers to move Riley Greene to a corner-outfield spot, and plug Clark in center.

“Another evaluation where they feel the high-school kid is going to be as good or better than the college bat,” O’Dowd said on MLB Network’s coverage.

Clark, a Vanderbilt commitment, was interviewed by the Indianapolis Star shortly after the pick.

“I just had a call with the Tigers yesterday and it went really, really well and I was face-to-face with (Harris) so we just have this really good connection, spoke about stuff man-to-man, it was fantastic,” Clark said. “It’s such a blessing. I’m still living the high right now. It’s unreal.

“Detroit is awesome, I went up there for a little private workout. It was sweet. I actually thoroughly enjoyed it.

“The food is really good and the people were great. It was awesome.”

The slot value at the No. 3 pick is $8.34 million, but the Tigers will be getting him for a little bit less. That will allow them to go a little more bold with their picks later Sunday night.

With their second selection Sunday night, the Tigers drafted high-school shortstop Kevin McGonigle at No. 37, in the Competitive Balance-A round. McGonigle was ranked No. 33 on MLB.com’s pre-draft board, and is considered one of the best high-school bats in this draft class, along with the Tigers’ pick at No. 3, Clark.

“Brand-new (president), this is his first draft,” O’Dowd said of Harris. “I think he’s setting a clear direction that they’re going to take upside talent.”

Said MLB.com draft analyst Jim Callis on the Tigers’ taking two high-school bats early in the draft: “It’s just getting talent. It doesn’t matter where it comes from.”

McGonigle is an Auburn commitment. Slot value for his pick is $2.31 million.

With their third and final pick Sunday night, at No. 45 overall in the second round, the Tigers took Nebraska second baseman Max Anderson, who was among the best hitters in the Big Ten this past season. Slot value for his pick is $1.906 million.

The draft continues Monday with rounds three through 10, and concludes Tuesday with rounds 11 through 20.

Stay tuned to detroitnews.com for your complete 2023 MLB Draft coverage.

Round 2C

∎No. 70, Atlanta: Cade Kuehler, RHP, Campbell

∎No. 69, San Francisco: Joe Whitman, LHP, Kent State

∎No. 68, Chicago Cubs: Jaxon Wiggins, RHP, Arkansas

Round CB-B

∎No. 67, Pittsburgh: Zander Mueth, RHP, Belleville East HS (Illinois)

∎No. 66, Kansas City: Carson, Roccaforte, OF, Louisiana-Lafayette

∎No. 65, Colorado: Cole Carrigg, C, San Diego State

∎No. 64, Arizona: Caden Grice, LHP, Clemson

∎No. 63, Baltimore: Jackson Baumeister, RHP, Florida State

∎No. 62, Cleveland: Andrew Walters, RHP, Miami

Round 2

∎No. 61, Houston: Alonzo Tredwell, RHP, UCLA

∎No. 60, Los Angeles Dodgers: Jake Gelof, 3B, Virginia

∎No. 59, Atlanta: Drue Hackenberg, RHP, Virginia Tech

∎No. 58, Cleveland: Alex Clemmey, LHP, Bishop Hendricken School (Rhode Island)

∎No. 57, Seattle: Ben Williamson, 3B, William & Mary

∎No. 56, New York Mets: Brandon Sproat, RHP, Florida

∎No. 55, Tampa Bay: Colton Ledbetter, CF, Mississippi State

∎No. 54, Milwaukee: Mike Boeve, 3B, Nebraska-Omaha

∎No. 53, Baltimore: Mac Horvath, OF, North Carolina

∎No. 52, San Francisco: Walker Martin, SS, Eaton HS (Colorado)

∎No. 51, Chicago White Sox: Grant Taylor, RHP, LSU

∎No. 50, Boston: Nazzan Zanetello, SS, Christian Brothers HS (Missouri)

∎No. 49, Minnesota: Luke Keaschall, 2B, Arizona State

∎No. 48, Arizona: Gino Groover, 3B, N.C. State

∎No. 47, Miami: Kemp Alderman, OF, Mississippi

∎No. 46, Colorado: Sean Sullivan, RHP, Wake Forest

∎No. 45, Detroit: Max Anderson, 2B, Nebraska

∎No. 44, Kansas City: Blake Wolters, RHP, Mahomet-Seymour HS (Illinois)

∎No. 43, Cincinnati: Sammy Stafura, SS, Walter Panas HS (New York)

∎No. 42, Pittsburgh: Mitch Jebb, SS, Michigan State

∎No. 41, Oakland: Ryan Lasko, OF, Rutgers

∎No. 40, Washington: Yohandy Morales, 3B, Miami

Round CB-A

∎No. 39, Oakland: Myles Naylor, 3B, St. Joan of Arc (Ontario)

∎No. 38, Cincinnati: Ty Floyd, RHP, LSU

∎No. 37, Detroit: Kevin McGonigle, SS, Monsignor Bonner HS (Pennsylvania)

∎No. 36, Los Angeles Dodgers: Kendall George, OF, Atascocita HS (Texas)

∎No. 35, Miami: Thomas White, LHP, Phillips Academy (Massachusetts)

∎No. 34, Minnesota: Charlee Soto, RHP, Reborn Christian HS (Florida)

∎No. 33, Milwaukee: Josh Knoth, RHP, Medford HS (New York)

∎No. 32, New York Mets: Colin Houck, SS, Parkview HS (Georgia)

∎No. 31, Tampa Bay: Adrian Santana, SS, Doral Academy (Florida)

∎No. 30, Seattle: Tai Peete, SS, Trinity Christian HS (Georgia)

Round PPI

∎No. 29, Seattle: Jonny Farmelo, OF, Westfield HS (Virginia)

Round 1 recap

HOUSTON SELECTS BRICE MATTHEWS AT NO. 28

Brice Matthews, a shortstop from Nebraska, was the 28th overall pick by the Houston Astros, closing out the first round of the 2023 MLB League Baseball Draft.

We’ll go through two rounds, with the Tigers getting two more picks Sunday.

AIDAN MILLER GOES NO. 27 TO PHILADELPHIA

High-school shortstop Aidan Miller, from Florida, was the 27th overall pick to the Philadelphia Phillies. He fell a bit, as he was ranked No. 13 on MLB.com’s pre-draft board.

Phillies president Dave Dombrowski gets some good value here.

N.Y. YANKEES PICK GEORGE LOMBARD JR. AT NO. 26

George Lombard Jr., a high-school shortstop from Florida, is the 26th pick, to the New York Yankees. He is the son of current Tigers bench coach George Lombard.

He was ranked No. 31 on MLB.com’s draft board.

SAN DIEGO LANDS ON DILLON HEAD AT NO. 25

High-school outfielder Dillon Head is the No. 25 pick, going to the San Diego Padres. Speed is his best tool, though he projects to have a good upside with the bat, too.

Head is from Illinois.

ATLANTA SELECTS HURSTON WALDREP AT NO. 24

Right-hander Hurston Waldrep, a right-hander from Florida, has gone No. 24 to the Atlanta Braves. He averaged about 14 strikeouts per nine innings each of the last two years.

Scouts are obsessed with his split-finger pitch, LSU coach Jay Johnson said on MLB Network.

CLEVELAND GOES WITH RALPHY VELAZQUEZ AT NO. 23

Ralphy Velazquez, a high-school catcher from California, has gone No. 23 to the Cleveland Guardians. He was ranked a bit lower on most draft boards, but the Guardians were intrigued. He hit .402 this season.

Cleveland last took a catcher in the first round in 2018.

SEATTLE TAKES COLT EMERSON AT NO. 22

The Seattle Mariners, to a rousing ovation form the home crowd Sunday night, took high-school shortstop Colt Emerson with the No. 22 pick.

He is from Ohio, and was ranked 29th on MLB.com’s pre-draft board.

ST. LOUIS TAPS CHASE DAVIS AT NO. 21

The St. Louis Cardinals like their college prospects, and they took Arizona outfielder Chase Davis at No. 21. MLB Network analyst Harold Reynolds said Davis is the best hitter in this year’s draft.

“Beautiful swing,” Reynolds said Sunday night.

TORONTO SELECTS ARJUN NIMMALA AT NO. 20

The Toronto Blue Jays have taken another shortstop in the first round of the MLB Draft, with high-schooler Arjun Nimmala going at No. 20.

He was Florida’s Gatarode player of the year.

BRAYDEN TAYLOR GOES NO. 19 TO TAMPA BAY

Given the Tampa Bay Rays’ developmental success, you might be hearing from Brayden Taylor soon, after going No. 19 overall in the MLB Draft.

Taylor is a shortstop from TCU who hit 23 home runs this past season.

MILWAUKEE TAKES BROCK WILKEN AT NO. 18

Another Wake Forest player is off the board, with third baseman Brock Wilken going to the Milwaukee Brewers with the No. 18 pick.

Big-time hitter here, with an ACC-record 71 homers in his college career.

BALTIMORE GOES WITH ENRIQUE BRADFIELD JR. AT NO. 17

Vanderbilt center fielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. has gone No. 17 to the Baltimore Orioles.

He projects really well on defense and with his speed, with MLB Network analyst comparing him to St. Louis Cardinals legend Willie McGee.

SAN FRANCISCO TAPS BRYCE ELDRIDGE AT NO. 16

The run of solely position players has come to an end, with the San Franciso Giants taking Virginia high-schooler Bryuce Eldridge. He is a right-hander, but also is considered an intriguing two-way prospect.

Eldridge, also a first baseman, is the fifth high-school taken in the first 16 picks.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX LAND JACOB GONZALEZ AT NO. 15

Shortstop Jacob Gonzalez, from Mississippi, has gone No. 15 to the Chicago White Sox.

This was a highly rated prospect, with The Athletic’s Keith Law having him going No. 5 overall. It’s another college bat drafted early by the White Sox.

BOSTON TAKES KYLE TEEL AT NO. 14

Another catcher is off the board, with Virginia’s Kyle Teel going 14th overall to the Boston Red Sox.

He was ranked in the top 10 on MLB’s latest draft-prospects board, so good value here, it would appear.

CHICAGO CUBS TAKE MATT SHAW AT NO. 13

Another shortstop is off the board, with Maryland’s Matt Shaw taken by the Chiago Cubs 13th overall.

He’s got a compact swing, not unlike Tigers great Alan Trammell. He might project more as a second baseman, according to MLB Network analyst Dan O’Dowd.

ARIZONA GOES WITH TOMMY TROY AT NO. 12

The Arizona Diamondbacks have taken Stanford shortstop Tommy Troy at No. 12.

At just 5-foot-10, he’s super-athletic, and can even dunk a basketball. MLB Network analyst Dan O’Dowd called Troy the “most-professional hitter” in this draft class.

L.A. ANGELS LAND NOLAN SCHANUEL AT NO. 11

At No. 11, the Los Angeles have selected FAU first baseman Nolan Schanuel.

He is considered an extremely fast-track pick for a team who’s clock might soon be running out on sluggers Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani.

MIAMI NABS NOBLE MEYER AT NO. 10

Noble Meyer, who some consider the top high-school pitcher in this draft, went No. 10 to the Miami Marlins.

Meyer is from Oregon; The Athletic’s Keith Law said Meyer’s “floor” might be Carlos Rodon.

Meyer received a nice ovation from the Seattle crowd at the draft, being from nearby.

“I have no words,” Meyer said on MLB Network. “I’m on top of the world right now.”

Meyer is a mountain of a young man, at 6-foot-5.

CHASE DOLLANDER OFF BOARD AT NO. 9 TO COLORADO

The Colorado Rockies have taken Tennessee right-hander Chase Dollander at No. 9 overall.

He was undrafted out of high school, but entered this season the projected top college pitcher in this draft, before eventual No. 1 overall pick Paul Skenes passed him.

Hollander, yet another SEC pick, can hit 100 mph on the radar gun.

KANSAS CITY PICKS BLAKE MITCHELL NO. 8 OVERALL

The Kansas City Royals have taken high-school catcher Blake Mitchell with the No. 8 overall pick. He is a two-time Gatorade high-school player of the year out of Texas.

This was a bit of a shot up the board, with Mitchell ranked No. 14 in MLB.com’s draft-prospect rankings.

“Not a surprise,” LSU head coach Jay Johnson said of Mitchell, an LSU commitment.

Johnson, interestingly, said Mitchell could end up pitching, if catching doesn’t work out.

“There’s really nothing he can’t do very well,” Johnson said on MLB Network.

CINCINNATI TAPS RHETT LOWDER AT NO. 7

It’s pitching for the Cincinnati Reds, with Wake Forest right-hander Rhett Lowder, a finalist for national college pitcher of the year this past season.

He is considered the second-best college pitcher in the MLB Draft, behind No. 1 overall pick Paul Skenes.

The ACC’s all-time strikeout leader is a fast-track pick for the Reds.

OAKALND TAKES JACOB WILSON AT NO. 6

The first shortstop is off the board, to the Oakland A’s at No. 6.

“This is a dream come true,” Grand Canyon’s Jacob Wilson said on MLB Network, in attendance in Seattle.

Oakland was a victim of MLB’s first draft lottery, following to the sixth pick. Wilson is the son of Jack Wilson, a former major-league All-Star.

Jacob Wilson is the highest draft pick in GCU history.

MINNESOTA GOES WITH WALKER JENKINS AT NO. 5

A second high-school outfielder goes in the top five, with Walker Jenkins, of North Carolina, going off the board to the Minnesota Twins with the fifth overall pick.

The question here, according to The Athletic’s Keith Law, is how much he’ll cost to sign.

The slot value at the pick is nearly $7.14 million.

Interestingly, according to MLB Network, he’s a two-sport athlete, with his second sport … swimming.

WYATT LANGFORD TO TEXAS AT NO. 4

The Texas Rangers wanted high-schooler Max Clark, but will get Florida outfielder Wyatt Langford at No. 4 instead.

It’s a great consolation prize. Langford was considered a possible pick by Pittsburgh at No. 1.

Langford was a Golden Spike Award finalist; No. 2 pick Dylan Crews won the award.

DETROIT SHOCKS WITH MAX CLARK AT NO. 3

The Tigers were said to be going with a college outfielder. But they threw a curveball, taking Max Clark, a high-school outfielder from Indiana, with the No. 3 overall pick.

Clark could’ve been a No. 1 overall player many years, but not this year, with this deep class.

Clark told the Indianapolis Star he recently had a private workout in Detroit, and that he’ll sign for slot-four money, meaning the Tigers will save nearly $650,000 to spend on later picks. They have two more picks Sunday.

The Tigers took Clark over Florida’s Wyatt Langford, who went with the next pick to the Texas Rangers.

WASHINGTON TAKES DYLAN CREWS AT NO. 2

The Washington Nationals, reportedly wishing for right-hander Paul Skenes, turned to Skene’s LSU teammate, outfielder Dylan Crews, with the No. 2 overall pick.

That means for the first time ever, two college teammates went 1-2 in the MLB Draft.

LSU coach Jay Johnson compared Crews to Hall-of-Famer Kirby Puckett, except more athletic.

The Tigers pick No. 3, and might have to settle for Florida outfielder Wyatt Langford.

PAUL SKENES GOES NO. 1 TO PITTSBURGH

A shocker at No. 1 overall in the MLB Draft. Right-hander Paul Skenes was selected No. 1 overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates, despite reported signability concerns.

The slot value at No. 1 is $9.721 million, and he’s represented by super-agent Scott Boras, who reportedly is seeking more than that.

Skenes won a College World Series championship at LSU, and has drawn comps to Stephen Strasburg.

The Washington Nationals, at No. 2 overall, were said to be sold on taking Skenes. Too bad.