The 2023 MLB Draft is just a day away with the first two rounds of the 20-round draft beginning at 7 p.m. ET Sunday night.
Shortstop Maui Ahuna could hear his name called late Sunday night as he projects as a late second round/early third round selection. But right-handed pitcher Chase Dollander is poised to become Tennessee’s fourth first round selection of the Tony Vitello era.
Dollander was in the conversation to be the top pick in the 2023 MLB Draft after a dominant 2022 season. As a sophomore, Dollander posted a 10-0 record and 2.39 ERA in 79 innings pitched. The Georgia Southern transfer was simply dominant on his way to earning SEC Pitcher of the Year and First Team All-American honors.
The Evans, Georgia native wasn’t nearly as dominant in his junior campaign as consistency and first inning issues plagued him. Dollander posted a 7-6 record and 4.75 ERA in 89 innings as a weekend starter for Tennessee.
While Dollander won’t be a top five pick like he was projected entering the season, he will still likely be selected in the opening half of the first round.
Let’s take a look at where Dollander is projected to land in the final mock drafts.
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CBS Sports
- Pick: No. 9
- Team: Colorado
- What they said: “If you’re a draft-eligible pitcher, chances are the Rockies have scouted you this spring. They’ve been tied to every pitcher with a chance to go in the first round, particularly the college guys, and Dollander has had a lot of top 10 buzz the last few weeks. The case can be made he is the second-most talented pitcher in the draft class behind Skenes, though there are enough inconsistencies that he could slide much further down the board.”
MLB
- Pick: No. 9
- Team: Colorado
- What they said: “The buzz here continues to be arms and with Lowder from the college crop and Meyer from the prep group off the board, Dollander, who had an inconsistent season this spring but has the potential to have premium stuff at the next level, is up next. The Rockies could still switch gears and look at a college bat like Wilson.”
Sporting News
- Pick: No. 9
- Team: Colorado
- What they said: “Bats have been the focus of past drafts for Colorado given the difficulties for pitchers to succeed in Coors Field. But that has left the farm system barren of future quality arms, and has put an emphasis on the need to improve that in 2023. Chase Dollander, at his peak, could be exactly the type of arm to succeed in Denver: a high-velo hurler with a wicked slider that will be impacted less by the altitude than a curveball. Getting him back to his sophomore year form (10-0, 2.39 ERA) will be the goal with this pick.”
The Athletic
- Pick: No. 12
- Team: Arizona
- What they said: “The D-Backs were heavy on Dollander down the stretch, hoping they’re getting a top-five talent who had an off year because some genius told him to change his slider grip to get more sweep. I’ve also heard them with Houck, Shaw, Troy and Gonzalez, who might have a floor here.”
ESPN
- Pick: No. 15
- Team: Chicago White Sox
- What they said: “The White Sox are checking out the prep bats here, but I think this pick will come down to Yohandy Morales or Dollander. Morales closed well and could hit 30 homers as a third baseman, while Dollander had a real shot to go in the top three picks when the spring started. He wasn’t bad this spring, he just performed below the lofty expectations.”
