Kendall George, catchers and the Northeast among oddities from Day 1 in Seattle.
Max Clark of
Franklin Community (Franklin, Ind.) was no surprise as the top high school player chosen in the 2023 Major League Baseball Draft, but there were a number of other surprises in the first two rounds.
1. Two high school catchers chosen in the first round
The tendency over the years is for teams to go with college catchers rather than prep backstops. This year a pair of high school catchers went in the first round with
Blake Mitchell of
Sinton (Texas) taken by the Kansas City Royals at No. 8 and
Raffaele Velazquez of
Huntington Beach (Calif.) going to the Cleveland Guardians at No. 23. Mitchell was the top catcher chosen while Velazquez was No. 3.
2. Kendall George rockets into the first round
Ranked No. 88 overall in the Class of 2023 by Perfect Game and ranked as the No. 17 outfielder in the class,
Kendall George of
Atascocita (Humble, Texas) landed with the Los Angeles Dodgers with the last pick of the first round. He ends up as the 13th high school player chosen.
3. Left-handed prep pitchers slide
Left-handed pitchers are a prized commodity in baseball, but high school southpaws were notably absent in the first two rounds.
Thomas White of
Phillips Academy (Andover, Mass.), ranked as the No. 5 overall player in the Class of 2023, dropped to the 35th overall pick in the draft after being chosen by the Seattle Mariners. Only one other lefty,
Alex Clemmey of
Bishop Hendricken (Warwick, R.I.), went on the first day, coming off the board to the Cleveland Guardians at No. 58.
Cam Johnson of
IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), the No. 11 overall ranked player, is the top left-handed pitcher available starting with Round 3 on Monday.
4. California has one player drafted
Each year, California has among the highest number of high school players chosen in the MLB Draft. In the first two rounds, however, only one California player, Velazquez, was selected.
Eric Bitonti of
Aquinas (San Bernardino, Calif.) is the top California prospect still available. He's ranked No. 19 overall by Perfect Game.
5. The Northeast has big first day
With snow and cold weather dominating in the Northeast during the early parts of spring, high school players from Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and the New England states don't get as much time on the field as those from the South, Southwest and Western parts of the United States. In the first two rounds, however, the Northeast had more picks than the state of Florida or the combined selections of Texas and California. White (Mass.), Clemmey (R.I.),
Kevin McGonigle of
Monsignor Bonner/Archbishop Prendergast Catholic (Drexel Hill, Pa.),
Sam Stafura of
Walter Panas (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.), and
Josh Knoth of
Patchogue-Medford (Medford, N.Y.) made up the five from the Northeast. Florida had five players taken while California and Texas combined had three.
Blake Mitchell of Sinton was one of two high school catchers taken in the first round of the MLB Draft. Typically, teams opt for more seasoned college catchers. (Photo: Jim Parker)
