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By Kristen Wong
MLB Rumors: New mock draft has Florida’s Wyatt Langford going first overall
Well, this is a shocker.
In MLB Pipeline’s last-minute draft predictions, analysts Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis both have Florida’s Wyatt Langford going first overall to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Mayo explained how he ended up picking Langford despite Dylan Crews and Paul Skenes being the frontrunners of the draft.
"There’s a growing sense that the Pirates are leaning toward a bat over an arm (Paul Skenes), and despite the buzz, I think Dylan Crews is still in play. That said, the chatter that he wasn’t their guy was hard to ignore. So if he’s off the table, that likely leaves Langford and Max Clark, and it could come down to whatever combination of agreement on talent and cost."
Per Mayo’s sentiments, Langford would potentially sign for less, which could be the deciding factor for the Pirates. Recent reports say the signing bonus difference between Langford and Crews could be at least half of a million dollars.
In his junior season in 2022, Lanford hit .373 with 21 homers; if he does get taken first, he would make history as no Florida player has ever gone No. 1 overall in the MLB Draft.
Assuming the Pirates want a hitter and not a pitcher, and that they want the best bang for their buck, Wyatt Langford could be their pick on Sunday. Stay tuned for more pre-draft buzz.
Also, there’s this, so the draft could be a total shocker right from the get-go tonight:
The Pirates are shopping a below-slot number to four players for the No. 1 pick, according to multiple industry officials: Wyatt Langford, Paul Skenes, Max Clark and Walker Jenkins.
— Kyle Glaser (@KyleAGlaser) July 9, 2023
There’s a lot of belief Langford will be the pick, but Jenkins is rising as a possibility.