Clemson baseball prospects make ESPN MLB mock draft, Top 250 rankings

Caden Grice is one of two 2023 Tigers to be in the MLB.com Top 250 draft prospects, along with Cooper Ingle. (Photo: Jim Dedmon / USATODAY)

by TigerNet Staff - Wed Jun 28 10:01:05 GMT-04:00 2023

MLB.com bolstered its top prospects ranking to 250 recently ahead of next month's MLB draft and there are some notable names regarding Clemson.

Two 2023 Tigers made the list at No. 118, with John Olerud Award winner Caden Grice, and catcher Cooper Ingle at No. 232.

"Though scouts agreed Grice was South Carolina's best prep prospect in 2020, they were split on whether he was better as a hitter or as a pitcher. Three years later, that debate continues as he draws Joey Gallo comparisons for his frame, power and swing-and-miss tendencies, all of which are massive," said MLB.com's analysis. "He may have more upside as a slugger but a greater chance for success on the mound, though it's unclear how much he really wants to pitch as a pro. He starred both ways and earned MVP honors as Clemson won the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in May...

"The arm strength that served Grice well in right also translates to a fastball that sits in the low 90s and reaches 95 mph with some boring action in on right-handers. He shows the ability to miss bats with an upper-70s slider and a sinking mid-80s changeup as well, and while he lacks polish and experience, he could get significantly better if he focused on the mound. The best course of action may be to see how his bat plays in pro ball and use pitching as a fallback option."

"After going 1-for-16 as a freshman in 2021, Ingle has been one of Clemson's best hitters the past two seasons," MLB.com said of Ingle. "He has started games at five different positions: catcher, both outfield corners, DH and second base. Scouts love his makeup and appreciate his bat-to-ball skills, but they wonder whether he's physical enough to handle a full-time workload behind the plate."

Clemson commits are led by outfielder Dillon Head at No. 27, then shortstop Sammy Stafura at No. 32 and right-handed pitcher Aidan Knaak at No. 193.

Head, who committed to Clemson in July last year, and Stafura, who committed to Clemson in July 2021, are both projected as Top 40 picks by ESPN ($).

Head is predicted to Toronto at No. 20.

"Head has been tied to the Jays for a while, with this pick and No. 25 to San Diego as the most likely landing spots," said ESPN's Kiley McDaniel. "I think Toronto is still pretty open to other demographics, but I'm hearing mostly prep bats here, which also seem to be what will be on the board."

That pick has a slot value of $3.7 million.

Stafura is pegged six picks later to the New York Yankees.

"I'll stick with Stafura here, as has been long rumored, but I think this rumor is so often repeated that the Yanks aren't getting tied to many other players by rival scouts. Maybe they'll take my advice and land a precedent-shattering draft haul? Would Hal Steinbrenner allow such a bold move?" McDaniel said.

That slot has a value of $3.1 million.

The MLB draft will be held from July 9-11, with rounds 1 and 2 being held starting at 7 p.m. on July 9. The draft goes to 20 rounds.