MLB Draft Day 1 Winners and Losers: Best picks, worst selections, and more

The MLB Draft once again coincided with the All-Star festivities this year, and it brought several surprises for everyone involved. Heading into the first day of the MLB Draft on Sunday, there was a lot of speculation and a general consensus about who will end up in which team. However, true to form, there were still a few unexpected turns despite the numerous predictions. Let's take a closer look at the winners and losers of Day 1 of the MLB 2023 Draft:

Winners:

1. Pittsburgh Pirates: The Pirates selected LSU Tigers pitcher Paul Skenes for the first pick and won big. The highly-rated right-hander has just won the College World Series while also being named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.
2. Washington Nationals: The Nationals bagged another LSU star in the form of Golden Spikes award winner Dylan Crews. The five-tool ace put up a 1.280 OPS last season and is one of the most promising young talents in the country.
3. San Francisco Giants: The Giants picked up one of the most interesting players this year in the form of Bryce Eldridge. The seventeen-year-old is already living up to the mantle of being called the "American Ohtani". Alongside the 2022 top pick Reggie Crawford, the Giants now have two would-be two-way stars in their system.
4. Bosotn Red Sox: The Red Sox got lucky when they were able to select the best catcher in the draft: Kyle Teel. The catcher was ranked seventh in MLB's top 10 prospects in the country and the Bosotn team got a steal by landing him at number 14.

Losers:

1. Oakland Athletics: Fans' hatred towards owner John Fisher continued even while the Draft picks were being announced. It is clear that the Athletics are the worst team in the country thanks to their owner and they have not much to look forward to either.
2. Seattle Mariners: While the Mariners started the day as the only team with four picks on Day 1 of the draft, it looks like they didn't make the most of it after the dust settled. They picked up three high-schoolers and Ben Williamson, placed in 243 in Baseball America's rankings.
3. Kansas City Royals: The Royals seem to have made the biggest gamble by going with catcher Blake Mitchell ahead of top-rated Kyle Teel at no.8. Only time will tell if that was the right way to go.
4. High School pitchers: While Noble Meyer was picked at no. 10 overall by the Miami Marlins, there were no other high school pitchers picked on the day. It is the first time history that only one high school pitcher was picked in the first round when ususally an average pf eight of them are selected.

Other notable picks of Day 1 of the 2023 MLB Draft

It was the first time in decades that only one high school pitcher was selected in the first round of the MLB Draft. On average, no less than eight high school pitchers have been picked in the past and this was a surprising turn of events.

Another notable incident was the Oakland Athletics fans protesting their team's imminent move in the background while the draft picks were being announced by the MLB Commissioner.