2 The Bigs

By Chris Corso: May 13, 2024

The 2023 MLB Draft was an interesting one and one that could impact Major League rosters for years to come. As avid prospectors here at 2TheBigs, we are excited about many of the impact bats that were selected early in the 2023 MLB Draft. We recognize that not all of these bats make their way to your favorite MLB teams, but there are some can’t-miss talents that we have recognized so far.

Texas Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford is so ahead of the game that he already graces the lineup for the defending world champions the season after he was, so let’s leave him off this list. Let’s take a look at three major impact bats in the 2023 MLB Draft.

I am super excited about what the Minnesota Twins fifth overall pick brings to the table. Outfielder Walker Jenkins stands at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds and has all the physical tools to be a corner outfielder for years to come in the Twin Cities. The 19-year-old from Wilmington, North Carolina is currently on the 7-Day Injured List, but started out his minor league career mashing. In 106 at-bats he’s hitting .358, with three homers, 22 runs batted in, 16 runs, and tacked on six stolen bags. Like I said it’s real early as Jenkins has only experienced a cup of coffee in rookie-ball and the Single-A level, but we recognize potential and tools here at 2TheBigs.

Jenkins is a player that shows the potential for raw power that hasn’t developed fully just yet, and the ability to hit for contact as well which excites us even more. The current No. 1 Twins prospect according to MLB.com has a power and hitting tool of 60. His 10% K-rate across 56 PA in Single-A last year shows his upside on the latter tool; not to mention his insanely good line drive rate to pair (32%).

He has drawn some wild comparisons in the state of North Carolina to Josh Hamilton who was as much of a 5-tool prospect as there ever has been in the history of the game. He obviously swings from the left side of the plate and has developed a reputation for hitting the ball hard due to his quick bat speed.

He’s played a ton of center field just like Hamilton in the high school and college ranks, but the feeling is he’ll be more of a corner outfielder come time to hit the professional level. Jenkins has one of the most sought after autographs in the new 2024 Bowman Baseball set. His base autos are already selling for north of $400. I say take a shot at pulling one of his autos but he’s a tough buy at these astronomical prices right now. Like any prospect in the newest set, give it a few weeks and then buy. Like his expectations from the Twins organization, his prices are through the roof!

Whenever a player out of high school is selected with the third overall pick and has some flair or a little swag, I get excited about him, probably a little more than my brother does. Max Clark, the third overall pick of the Detroit Tigers is already wearing a gold chain with his initials iced out and the kid has some swag. He’s been a social media star since his early teen years and has been given a hype similar to that of Bryce Harper. Clark is even more interesting given the Tigers recent success with 1st-round bats (see Riley Greene, and Spencer Torkelson).

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Max Clark is from Franklin, Indiana and was widely recognized as one of the best high school hitters in the nation in 2023. He hasn’t hit his stride in the minors just yet, but he’s only had 175 at-bats and needs to get some experience under him to show off his potential at the pro-level. He did hit a home run in his first week of rookie ball flashing some promise for the future.

The 19-year-old stands at 6-foot and 205 pounds and bats and throws left-handed. Clark is another player that has five-tool potential and has speed in the outfield, and a smooth left-handed swing that features power potential and high-upside. Clark most notably helped Team USA U-18 capture a gold medal at the World Cup and was named the 2023 National Gatorade Player of the Year for hitting .646 in his last year of high school at Franklin Community High School. Clark is currently at Single-A Lakewood playing for the Flying Tigers. He currently possesses a 60-hit tool and a 50-power tool from MLB.com.

Clark was a hit at the MLB’s inaugural Spring Breakout where he donned Detroit-colored custom cleats. He was 0-2 with a walk in the game but was able to easily steal second base, flashing off his blazing speed. He chatted with and impressed Tigers legend Miguel Cabera. Clark will need some time to focus on the mental side of the game and learn how to adjust to the Double-A level over the course of the next year and a half in my opinion but the flash and skill are all there.

Max Clark’s first Bowman was included in the most recent Bowman Draft set, so his prices have gone down a bit. But they are still pretty high. I don’t hate wanting to get your hands on one of his 1st-autographs since his hype is so high and we know the card market is all about potential.

These two players’ are not going anywhere and have the potential to be two of the faces of the league in the next decade and beyond. But like any other young prospect below Double-A, it’s all about development.