In a draft loaded with talent, Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews could be the first teammates to be taken with the top-two picks.
The top pick in this year’s Major League Baseball draft will probably come from Louisiana State’s College World Series-winning team. The only question seems to be which player will head to the Pittsburgh Pirates at No. 1, and which will go to the Washington Nationals at No. 2.
Outfielder Dylan Crews, who won the Golden Spikes award thanks to his incredible blend of patience and power, was the first choice in FanGraphs’ mock draft, while Paul Skenes, a right-handed starting pitcher who averaged 15.3 strikeouts per nine innings and had a 1.69 E.R.A. last season, was first off the board in Keith Law’s mock draft for The Athletic.
M.L.B.’s draft is far less predictable than drafts in other sports, so things could certainly change, but Crews and Skenes, both of whom are 21, have the opportunity to be the first teammates to be taken with the top two picks. Doing so would be especially impressive since this year’s draft is loaded with high-end college talent.
L.S.U. might not stop there, as the right-hander Ty Floyd could be a first-round pick as well.
