The 2023 MLB draft is upon us, and local players have already lit up the big board.
Here’s a list of area connections who were drafted, as well as information about some of them.
Editor’s note: Don’t see an area name that should be included? Email us at websports@dallasnews.com.
Day 1 (Rounds 1 and 2)
Round 1
19. Tampa Bay Rays: Brayden Taylor, SS, TCU
The Rays selected TCU SS Brayden Taylor, a junior shortstop who was a key piece of the Horned Frogs’ College World Series run last season.
The TCU star hit .308/.430/.631 with 23 home runs and 70 RBI in 67 games this spring, and he had a .941 OPS in 43 plate appearances in the Cape Cod League last summer.
Day 2 (3-10)
Round 3
85. San Francisco Giants: Cole Foster, SS, Auburn (Plano High School)
89. Toronto Blue Jays: Jauron Watts-Brown, P, Oklahoma State
91. New York Mets: Nolan McLean, TWP, Oklahoma State
Round 4
120. Tampa Bay Rays: Hunter Haas, SS, Texas A&M
124. Seattle Mariners: Aidan Smith, OF, Lovejoy High School
A 6-3, 190 pound outfielder who MLB.com called “the best pure hitter in the Texas high school ranks,” Smith flirted with a .500 batting average and was the Dallas area’s best all-around hitter in the 2023 high school baseball season.
He hit .491 and finished with 57 hits for Lovejoy (27-9-1), which lost to Whitehouse in the third round of the UIL 5A Region II playoffs. Smith hit 7home runs, 6 triples and 10 doubles. He posted a .582 on base percentage, slugged .862, had an OPS of 1.444 and struck out just 11 times in 141 plate appearances.
— Shawn McFarland
128. San Diego Padres: Homer Bush Jr., OF, Grand Canyon (Southlake Carroll)
129. New York Yankees: Roc Riggio, 2B, Oklahoma State
Round 4C
136. Los Angeles Dodgers: Dylan Campbell, OF, Texas
Round 5
138. Washington Nationals: Marcus Brown, SS, Oklahoma State
139. Oakland A’s: Nathan Dettmer, P, Texas A&M
Round 6
172. Colorado Rockies: Cade Denton, P, Oral Roberts (Rowlett High School)
179. Seattle Mariners: Lucas Gordon, P, Texas
Round 7
199. Kansas City Royals: Trevor Werner, TWP, Texas A&M
204. Los Angeles Angels: Cole Fontenelle, 3B, TCU
Round 8
240. San Francisco Giants: Josh Bostick, P, Grayson College (McKinney High School)
241. Baltimore Orioles: Braxton Bragg, P, Dallas Baptist
Round 9
265. Arizona Diamondbacks: Kyle Amendt, P, Dallas Baptist
Round 10
295. Arizona Diamondbacks: Zane Russell, P, Dallas Baptist
300. San Francisco Giants, Ryan Vanderhei, P, TCU
312. New York Yankees: Brian Hendry, P, Oklahoma State
313. Philadelphia Phillies, Cam Brown, P, TCU (Flower Mound High School)
Day 3 (11-20)
Round 11
318. Cincinnati Reds: Jack Moss, 1B, Texas A&M
335. St. Louis Cardinals: Dakota Harris, SS, Oklahoma
337. Seattle Mariners: Brandyn Garcia, P, Texas A&M
339. Atlanta Braves: Jace Grady, OF, Dallas Baptist
Round 12
345. Washington Nationals: Travis Steele, P, Texas
352. Colorado Rockies: Bryson Hammer, P, Dallas Baptist
372. New York Yankees: Brady Rose, P, Dallas Baptist
373. Philadelphia Phillies: Brandon Beckel, P, Texas Tech
Round 13
376. Oakland A’s: Will Johnston, P, Texas A&M (Keller)
Round 14
405. Washington Nationals: Elijah Nunez, OF, TCU (Arlington Martin)
428. Cleveland Guardians: Zane Morehouse, P, Texas
Round 15
455. St. Louis Cardinals: Tre Richardson, SS, TCU
464. Houston Astros: Garrett Guillemette, C, Texas
Round 17
508. Boston Red Sox: Dylan Schlaegel, OF, Mansfield Legacy
512. Milwaukee Brewers: Jacob Gholston, P, Flower Mound
Round 18
525. Washington Nationals: Nate Rombach, C, Dallas Baptist (Mansfield Legacy)
535. Arizona Diamondbacks: Alec Baker, P, Dallas Baptist
541. Baltimore Orioles: Tanner Witt, P, Texas
Round 19
568. Boston Red Sox: Stanley Tucker, OF, Texas A&M
Round 20
599. Chicago White Sox: Garrett Wright, P, TCU
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