The next crop of top baseball prospects from the college and high school ranks could hear their names called in July as the 2023 Major League Baseball Draft gets underway during All-Star Week. 

With some of the top prospects wrapping up the college baseball season in Omaha in June, the focus will quickly turn from Omaha to Seattle for top prospects such as Dylan Crews and Paul Skenes, the pair of LSU Tigers widely believed to be the top two picks in this year’s draft. 

The draft, which used to be held in early June just as the College World Series was beginning, shifted in 2021 when MLB made the draft part of its All-Star Week festivities, and began holding the draft on location. 

This year is no different. Here’s what you need to know about the 2023 MLB Draft. 

When Is The 2023 MLB Draft?

The first round of the MLB Draft will begin on July 9 in Seattle, Washington ,at 7 p.m. ET. 

How To Watch The 2023 MLB Draft

The MLB Draft will be broadcast on MLB Network and ESPN. The first round will be broadcast on both networks, while MLB Network will continue to broadcast the remaining rounds. 

How Many MLB Draft Rounds Are There?

Surprisingly, the MLB Draft has shrunk over the years. 

This year’s draft will be 20 rounds. That’s down from the 40 rounds that were held before the 2019 CBA changed the format. 

What’s Different With The MLB Draft In 2023?

The MLB Draft is different in 2023 in that this is the first time the order was determined by a lottery instead of the final records of the previous season. 

The Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Nationals and the Oakland Athletics had the best chance to win the No. 1 pick, but it was the Pirates, who had No. 1 pick in 2021, who won the lottery. The Pirates had a 16.5 percent chance of winning the top pick. 

The A’s, which had the second-worst record in baseball, were the biggest losers in the lottery. The A's would have owned the No. 2 pick in the draft in previous years but landed the No. 6 pick in 2023. 

Will Dylan Crews Or Paul Skenes Go No. 1 To The Pittsburgh Pirates?

For more than a year, LSU superstar outfielder Dylan Crews has been the presumptive No. 1 pick. 

The 21-year-old Crews is considered the best hitter in college baseball and was a consensus All-American in 2022. Crews' junior year numbers didn't just get better from his two previous years, they exploded. He batted .423 and slugged .722. His strikeout numbers went from 56 in 2022 to 44.

As of June 22, he had 102 hits, 18 home runs and 68 walks. 

But his teammate is coming on strong. 

Skenes, the 2023 Dick Howser Trophy Winner and National Player of Year, could be the only player to unseat Crews as the top pick. As of June 22, the 6-foot-6, 247-pound right-hander, who transferred to LSU from the Air Force Academy, was 12-2 with a 1.81 ERA. He had an absurd 200 strikeouts as of June 22 during his junior year. 

Skenes' dominance at LSU has some scouts pondering if the 21-year-old could debut in the MLB the same year he was drafted.  

MLB First Round Draft Order

Here is the first round order: 

First round order

1. Pittsburgh Pirates
2. Washington Nationals
3. Detroit Tigers
4. Texas Rangers
5. Minnesota Twins
6. Oakland Athletics
7. Cincinnati Reds
8. Kansas City Royals
9. Colorado Rockies
10. Miami Marlins
11. Los Angeles Angels
12. Arizona Diamondbacks
13. Chicago Cubs
14. Boston Red Sox
15. Chicago White Sox
16. San Francisco Giants
17. Baltimore Orioles
18. Milwaukee Brewers
19. Tampa Bay Rays
20. Toronto Blue Jays
21. St. Louis Cardinals
22. Seattle Mariners
23. Cleveland Guardians
24. Atlanta Braves
25. San Diego Padres
26. New York Yankees
27. Philadelphia Phillies
28. Houston Astros

What Is The Prospect Promotion Incentive Round?

The Seattle Mariners received the No. 29 pick in the draft as part of the Prospect Promotion Incentive Round. 

The new program was put in place in the latest CBA to curb service time manipulation and reward draft picks to teams if a player, who was on various top 100 prospect lists, wins Rookie of Year. Teams who have the second and third place Rookie of The Year finishers also receive international picks. 

Players have to be on top 100 prospect lists compiled by MLB.com, Baseball America and ESPN to qualify.  

What Is The Competitive Balance Round A Order?

After the Prospect Promotion Incentive Round, the first round will continue with the Competitive Balance Round A. Here’s the order: 

• 30. Seattle Mariners        
• 31. Tampa Bay Rays        
• 32. New York Mets        
• 33. Milwaukee Brewers        
• 34. Minnesota Twins        
• 35. Miami Marlins        
• 36. Los Angeles Dodgers        
• 37. Detroit Tigers        
• 38. Cincinnati Reds        
• 39. Oakland Athletics

What’s The Rest Of The MLB Draft Order?

After the first round, the rest of the draft order is based on the previous season's records, which means the Washington Nationals, which won 55 games in 2022, will have first pick in the rest of the normal rounds.