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2023 Overall Rankings Update

September 9, 2022
Shooter Hunt
Vice President, Scouting



Max Clark.

The mere mention of the new #1 overall player in the 2023 class lights up the face of any scout, player, parent, or coach, and his presence on any diamond is sure to bring a massive crowd of onlookers and spectators. A massive social media following is glued to his every movement, and Clark’s cutting edge delivery in said space is sure to be the example that many future prospects follow.

But for all the hype, there is no gimmick.

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A five-tool prospect with across-the-board abilities that are unmatched, Clark’s incessant pursuit of perfection might be his most awe inspiring attribute. No player brings as much talent to the diamond, but even more impressively, no player brings as much energy and exuberance. Max Clark is ALWAYS on. There is no half-speed to his motor. He glides around the outfield gracefully, and is equally as dangerous in turning a routine ground ball to shortstop into a single as he is stretching a standup double into a triple. He is a throwback player who is defining the future of amateur baseball, and is unwilling to be type casted.


Two years ago at PBR’s Fall Championship, Clark stole the spotlight playing next to a slew of 2021 MLB Draft prospects that included a first rounder, and emerged as a must follow, can’t miss for the entire scouting community.

“His left-handed stroke is dynamic, and he possesses exceptional understanding of movement patterns with the ability to change planes on the swing along with making pitch-to-pitch adjustments with his approach. Varying between a reverse toe-tap, leg kick, and early setup, his hybrid approach does not hinder the ability to drive the ball to both gaps, and rather serves as a look at the future of hitting.”

-Shooter Hunt (September 16, 2020)

The frame has continued to evolve over the past two years, and the now 6-foot-1, 190-pounder holds peak performance attributes with lean, defined strength throughout, including a thick lower-half. All of his dynamic capabilities make him a slam dunk Top 10 pick, especially given the elite projection that the bat carries. Only intensifying his hold on the top spot is the maturity and professional manner that he carries himself with while standing under the brightest of spotlights. No player has experienced the pressure of Max Clark, and rather than fold under it, he has channeled it to help raise his game to new heights.

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However, for a draft class to be considered as potentially historic, it can hardly lean entirely on one player.


Pushing Clark from the #2 and #3 spots are a pair of run-producing sluggers with elite hit/power tools. OF Walker Jenkins (South Brunswick HS, NC), a North Carolina recruit, brings similar energy to the diamond where he carries a blue-collar approach on both sides of the ball. Perhaps the most imposing presence in the class at a square-shouldered, 6-foot-3, 210-pounds, the left-handed hitter commands each of his at-bats where a heavy barrel is delivered more often than not. His power potential, and present ability to cover the plate, is coveted by professional clubs, and his makeup is equally as impressive. 3B Aidan Miller (JW Mitchell HS, FL), an Arkansas recruit, has carried the spotlight as one of the top prospects in the class since the day he stepped foot in high school. Always a consummate performer, Miller hardly rested on his talents, but rather raised them to new heights. Now, a sturdy 6-foot-2, 205-pound athlete, the right-handed hitter has emerged as an elite bat in the class with the ability to drive the ball to all fields with authority.

 

The newest members of the top 10, and most notable risers on the entire list are a trio of electric arms.

 
RHP Noble Meyer (Jesuit HS, OR), an Oregon recruit, has emerged as the top right-handed arm in the class. Featured prominently in Arms Race: Pacific Northwest from last spring, the wiry, long-limbed 6-foot-5, 200-pounder has steadily matured on the mound as the pure stuff has made an electric leap. Now equipped with a fastball that reaches into the upper 90s along with feel for a potential wipeout slider with 3000+ rpm and a faded changeup, Meyer’s confidence has grown to new heights, and there is a strong chance that he is ultimately the first pitcher taken off the board next summer. Hailing from the same high school as 2020 Phillies 1st Round Pick, RHP Mick Abel, Meyer might have an even higher ceiling than what the future big leaguer showed at this age.

LHP Cameron Johnson (IMG Academy, FL), an LSU recruit, has shown nothing but swing-and-miss stuff against the top hitters in the country. An imposing 6-foot-5 230-pound southpaw, he is relaxed under the limelight which allows his explosive stuff to shine. Vicious on left-handed hitters from a whippy, low ¾ slot with a mid 90s fastball that features heavier arm side life, Johnson attacks the zone with a whiff-happy fastball. His enticing upside is only enhanced by a sweeping slider (77-79) that he demonstrates some ability to manipulate, and developing feel for a low 80s changeup. There is some funk to the delivery with the ball jumping a bit at the plate, and the crude swings that are given only help in highlighting his frontline profile.
 No pitcher in the class can match the raw arm talent that RHP Travis Sykora (Round Rock HS, TX) brings to the mound. Routinely touching triple digits with a bullying fastball that challenges any and every hitter, the Texas recruit is as big as they come in a state that prides itself in being so. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound right-hander is hardly all heat, and routinely has demonstrated the ability to drop in each of his secondary offerings for strikes with the slider standing out as a potential plus-offering in the future. A gifted athlete who carries nearly equally as impressive power at the plate as he does on the mound, the idea of Sykora one day blossoming into a frontline guy with premium stuff is likely going to be at the forefront of many meetings within scouting departments over the next year.


Mega Risers:

Colin Houck SS / 3B / Parkview, GA / 2023

Rankings  StateRank: 2 / POS: 2 OverallRank: 14 / POS: 4

Houck’s status as a 3-star quarterback made him a high profile dual-sport target for many schools, but his stellar showing this summer might ultimately steer him towards focussing all of his attention on the diamond in the future. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound shortstop checks plenty of boxes on the diamond thanks to his elite athleticism (6.6-runner, 90 mph across). His ability to impact the baseball from the right side with effortless power is what is sure to excite MLB scouts along with a poised demeanor and innate ability to slow the game down while playing fast. Houck committed to Mississippi State at the end of the summer.

Barrett Kent RHP / 3B / Pottsboro, TX / 2023

Rankings  StateRank: 3 / POS: 2 OverallRank: 26 / POS: 5

Somewhat hidden in the large shadow cast by the triple digit heat of Travis Sykora, Kent doesn’t hold quite as much arm talent yet (93-95 in August), but it comes out so easy right now, that he someday might. The imposing, 6-foot-4, 200-pounder is an easy mover down the mound with the ability to spot the fastball to all four quadrants. He looks the part of a future starter, and that moniker is sure to be imprinted on the minds of scouts as they head out to see him next spring. Look for the Arkansas recruit to light up radar guns with his effortless stuff, and potentially move his way into Day 1 consideration.

Charlee Soto RHP / SS / Reborn Christian Academy, FL / 2023

Rankings  StateRank: 5 / POS: 1 OverallRank: 27 / POS: 6

Last September, Soto was a wiry-athletic, uncommitted shortstop who hopped on the mound at the PBR Cup and showcased a short, quick arm with 87-89 fastballs. Fast forward a year, and the Central Florida recruit is quickly rocketing up draft boards with a fastball that sizzles through the zone at a heavy 93-96 with a tunneled slider at 80-84 and feel for a changeup at 83-85. His emergence in prospect-dense Florida boosts the class even more, and he still shows signs of rising to new heights.

Cooper Pratt SS / RHP / Magnolia Heights, MS / 2023

Rankings  StateRank: 1 / POS: 1 OverallRank: 32 / POS: 10

Pratt, an Ole Miss recruit, emerged as a must-follow talent coming out of the Magnolia State next spring after a strong summer. Broad-shouldered with a pro-ready 6-foot-4, 195-pound frame, the shortstop is impossible to miss on the diamond where his easy actions provide for smooth movements on both sides of the ball. However, it is the upside of the right-handed stick that is likely to bring important eyes to Magnolia Heights in the spring.

Walker Martin SS / 3B / Eaton , CO / 2023

Rankings  StateRank: 1 / POS: 1 OverallRank: 33 / POS: 11

A year after exploding at the PBR Future Games where he showcased one of the sweetest, purest strokes at the event, Martin appeared to have elevated his game to another level. Still oozing projection with a 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame that is already impressive, the left-handed hitter provided a glimpse at an impressive hit-tool against some of the top arms in the class. If that wasn’t enough, the Arkansas recruit demonstrated big power potential that is likely to be developed considerably in coming years.


Other Notable Risers:


+ RHP Cole Schoenwetter (CA)
+ RHP Mikhai Grant (GA)
+ LHP Matthew Dallas (TN)
+ RHP James DeCremer (AZ)
+ LHP Justin Chambers (AZ)
+ LHP Alex Clemmey (RI)
+ OF Brandon Winokur (CA)
+ RHP Porter Buursema (GA)
+ IF Myles Naylor (ON)
+ LHP Gavyn Jones (TX)
+ SS A.J. Ewing (OH)


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