Prep Baseball Report

2023 All-PBR Team


PBR Staff

Prep Baseball Report is unveiling its 2023 All-PBR Team roster following our Player of the Year announcement earlier this week.

The All-PBR Team roster features 22 athletes from across the country whose performances warrant praise on a national stage. Many of the players on this list earned the POTY honor from their own respective states following the conclusion of their spring season. Today, we’re revealing the prospects who will help cap our 2023 high school season coverage by earning a place on this exclusive and esteemed list:

CATCHERS

Luke Stevenson C / Wake Forest, NC / 2023

BA OBP SLG HR
RBI
OPS
.529 .646 1.313 17 58 1.960
NORTH CAROLINA COMMIT

For the second consecutive season, a backstop from North Carolina occupies a spot at catcher on the All-PBR Team. The state is called home by more and more pro prospects, so it’s not short on POTY candidates. Luke Stevenson wrestled Walker Jenkins – the No. 2-ranked player in the country’s ‘23 class – for the PBR North Carolina POTY honor and ultimately slugged his way to the top at the end of the narrow race, finishing the season with 17 home runs, 58 RBIs, and a 1.960 OPS, which is one of the highest on this entire list, all while playing a difficult schedule, even by his state’s competitive standards.

Blake Mitchell C / RHP / Sinton, TX / 2023

BA OBP HR
RBI
Runs SB
.471 .692 6 41 47 35
LSU COMMIT; MLB Draft, 1st Round (Royals)

Sinton’s Blake Mitchell is PBR Texas’ Player of the Year, and he was most recently selected by the Kansas City Royals in the first round of the MLB Draft. While he was drafted as a catcher, where he profiles best currently, Mitchell’s excellent athleticism made him a versatile and especially valuable player to his high school program in 2023. He played a little shortstop and pitched some, and the athlete in him is what enticed the Royals enough to override the prep catcher tropes that have forced decision-makers to hit pause on that profile on draft day. He’s on this list for that versatility and his loud left-handed bat, which he used to hit .471 this spring with six homers, 41 RBIs, and he stole 35 bases.


INFIELDERS

Trent Caraway SS / JSerra, CA / 2023

BA OBP SLG 2B HR
OPS
.467 .521 .790 11 7 1.312
OREGON STATE COMMIT

Trent Caraway’s bat helped guide JSerra to its second consecutive CIF-SS Division 1 championship this past spring, leading the Lions in batting average (.467), hits (49), home runs (7), doubles (11), runs (23), on-base percentage (.521), slugging (.790), and OPS (1.312). His 49 hits recorded are a single-season record, breaking Royce Lewis’ 2017 mark. The Oregon State-bound shortstop pushed JSerra past Corona in the CIF-SS D1 semis in a four-hit performance that was a triple shy of the cycle. His senior season stats are all the more impressive considering the strength of schedule, as JSerra navigates inside one of the most competitive schedules in the country.

Walker Martin SS / Eaton, CO / 2023

BA OBP SLG 2B 3B HR
RBI
OPS
.633 .722 1.632 11 4 20 75 2.355
ARKANSAS COMMIT; MLB Draft, 2nd Round (Giants)

PBR Colorado’s Player of the Year was a no-doubter: Walker Martin. The Arkansas recruit was a second round pick in this year’s MLB Draft by the San Francisco Giants and he was fresh off one of the most impressive statistical springs on this list, in which he slugged 20 home runs, and that appears to have been the most in the country. Also a shortstop, Martin’s homer count boosted his OPS on the season to a ridiculous 2.355 mark, and he drove in a whopping 75 runs while hitting .633 on the spring. On top of his individual stats, Martin helped guide Eaton to its third straight state title in a spotless 29-0 season.

Roch Cholowsky SS / Hamilton, AZ / 2023

BA OBP SLG 2B 3B HR
RBI
OPS
.466 .577 .970 9 5 11 35 1.548
UCLA COMMIT

Hamilton’s Roch Cholowsky was PBR Arizona’s Player of the Year after helping lift the Huskies to a second straight state title in 2023, aided by his .466/.577/.970 slashline. The UCLA recruit recorded 25 extra-base hits this spring, including 11 home runs, and he drove in 35 runs and scored 45 himself. Cholowsky is one of the most exceptional multi-sport athletes on this list, though he’ll begin to focus his attention solely on baseball in Los Angeles after implying that he’ll enroll at UCLA this fall on social media – he was one of the top-ranked players on the Draft HQ board not selected in this week’s MLB Draft.

Trey King SS / McIntosh, GA / 2023

BA OBP 2B HR
RBI
Runs SB
.517 .578 23 4 44 52 22
GEORGIA COMMIT

A heavyweight state like Georgia has many preseason Player of the Year candidates to consider, but I’m not sure Trey King would have been among them back in February. The McIntosh shortstop and UGA recruit was named PBR Georgia’s POTY at the end of the spring season after helping guide McIntosh to a state runners-up finish, boosted by a staggering 23 doubles and four home runs, generating 44 RBIs and 52 runs. Those 23 doubles led the entire state this past season, and his enhanced discipline at the plate boosted his on-base percentage (.578) by over 150 points from 2022 to 2023.

Colt Emerson SS / John Glenn, OH / 2023

BA OBP 2B 3B HR
RBI
Runs SB
.458 .602 12 3 8 25 39 26
AUBURN COMMIT; MLB Draft, 1st Round (Mariners)

Colt Emerson was just selected with the MLB Draft’s No. 22 pick by the Seattle Mariners on Sunday night, capping an historic season for the John Glenn High prep, who was also PBR Ohio’s Player of the Year. The shortstop Emerson hit .458 for Glenn this spring with 23 extra-base hits, which include eight homers, and he scored 39 times with the help of 26 steals, and he also drove in 25 runs.

Carson Rucker SS / 3B / Goodpasture Christian, TN / 2023

BA 2B HR
RBI
Runs SB
.523 16 18 79 57 31
TENNESSEE COMMIT

From Goodpasture Christian, Rucker kicked off the ‘23 baseball season with a strong statistical performance at the PBR Super 60 in February where demonstrated elite athleticism for a player with his kind of physicality, listed at a strong 6-foot-2, 200 pounds. There, he ran a 6.71 in the 60 and clocked a top speed of 20.8 mph, before recording a loud batting practice from the right side. In the spring, Rucker proved to be one of the best run manufacturers in the country, finishing the season with a .523 average, 16 doubles, and 18 home runs that helped tally 79 RBIs and 57 runs – and he swiped 31 bags too.


OUTFIELDERS

Max Clark OF / Franklin Community, IN / 2023

BA OBP SLG HR
RBI
Runs BB OPS
SB
.646 .808 1.215 6 33 45 55 2.023 35
VANDERBILT COMMIT; MLB Draft, 1st Round (Tigers)

It’s been a busy week for the nation’s most famous high school baseball player, who’s about to be referred to as one of the most popular MLB prospects instead. Just this week, Max Clark was named our PBR Player of the Year only days after being the No. 3 overall pick in the MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers, and the first prep player selected. Clark entered the spring with sky high expectations and, yet, he met or even surpassed them by slashing .646/.808/1.125 this spring for Franklin Community High. His 2.023 OPS is one of the highest on this list, as are his 35 steals, and he did this while patrolling center field as adeptly as anyone in the country, which is part of the reason why he was drafted as high as he was. Clark is also the only player on this list who appeared on the 2022 All-PBR Team as well. The two-time PBR Indiana POTY looks destined to begin his professional career, finally, in the not-too-distant future.

Walker Jenkins OF / South Brunswick, NC / 2023

BA 2B 3B HR
RBI
SB
.527 12 2 10 40 18
NORTH CAROLINA COMMIT; MLB Draft, 1st Round (Twins)

Since, really, last fall, Clark and Walker Jenkins duked it out for the top spot on most analysts’ draft boards and that’s how it played out in last weekend’s MLB Draft too. Clark was called on No. 3 overall, and Jenkins was drafted by the Minnesota Twins two picks later in the No. 5 spot, and the two remain tied together as the first two preps picked in the ‘23 Draft. We referenced it earlier, but Jenkins was actually not the PBR North Carolina POTY, that title belongs to Luke Stevenson, who also appears on this list. Regardless, Jenkins had POTY-worthy numbers, they were just suppressed, somewhat, by the amount of walks (32) he was dealt. Still, he caught fire offensively toward the end of the season and he still ended up slugging 12 doubles, two triples, and 10 home runs while hitting .527 for South Brunswick, generating 40 RBIs.

Donovan Lasalle OF / Barbe, LA / 2023

BA OBP SLG 2B 3B HR
RBI
Runs OPS
.510 .606 1.010 14 3 10 43 57 1.616
OKLAHOMA STATE COMMIT; MLB Draft, 19th Round (Royals)

Donovan Lasalle was instrumental to Barbe winning its 12th state title in program history this past spring. It was a particularly memorable season for the Bucs, which went 39-1, dropping a mid-March contest to South Houston, 4-2, and never lost again. After an early exit in 2022, in a game in which Lasalle was responsible for the final out, the center fielder forced both himself and the Barbe squad to rebound in 2023. The reigning PBR Louisiana Player of the Year faced the ultimate test in the state title game against ‘22 champs West Monroe while down 4-1 in the top of the seventh, stepping into the box with the bases loaded. Lasalle slugged one of the year’s most dramatic home runs, a go-ahead grand slam that placed the Buccaneers into a permanent lead. He finished the season with a .510/.606/1.010 slashline with 14 doubles, three triples, and 10 homers, to go along with 43 RBIs, 57 runs, and 33 steals as the team’s everyday center fielder. Lasalle was just selected in the 19th round of the MLB Draft by the Kansas City Royals, though it’s likely he’ll be headed to Oklahoma State instead.

Coleman Mizell OF / Hartselle, AL / 2023

BA 2B 3B HR
RBI
BB
.500 16 2 15 58 25
ALABAMA COMMIT

Coleman Mizell, from Hartselle High, is one of five selections on this list who participated in this year’s PBR Super 60. He recorded an especially loud round of batting practice from the left-handed batter’s box, all while offering noteworthy athleticism for a brawny 6-foot-3, 208-pound prospect, measuring a 6.80 time in the 60-yard dash and a 20.1 mph top speed. Come springtime, Mizell was yet again a force for Hartselle, which fell short of its third straight state title, though their Alabama recruit carried his weight offensively. He mashed 15 home runs and drove in 58 runs, and over half of his 64 hits went for extra bases, amidst his 25 walks. Mizell was not selected in the MLB Draft this year, meaning the Crimson Tide will welcome the state’s top-ranked player to its campus in the fall.


PITCHERS

Noble Meyer RHP / Jesuit, OR / 2023

IP ERA WHIP K BB H
69 0.41 0.58 142 20 19
OREGON COMMIT; MLB Draft, 1st Round (Marlins)

The top-ranked prep arm on the PBR Draft HQ board was also viewed as a virtual lock to be the first prep pitcher selected in the MLB Draft, and sure enough, he was. The Miami Marlins picked Noble Meyer at No. 10 overall on Sunday evening. The back-to-back PBR Oregon Player of the Year overwhelmed his opposition again this past spring, punching out 129 batters over 58.1 innings against just 20 hits allowed and eight walks, good for a WHIP of 0.48 and a 0.72 ERA. In his two-year run of dominance at Jesuit, Meyer struck out a total of 271 batters in 127.1 innings. While prep right-handers have an historically spotty track record inside of the MLB Draft, Meyer is as good as it gets, with 95-98 mph velocity and two swing-and-miss secondaries, including one of the draft’s best sliders, and an encouraging changeup that only got better this spring.

Josh Knoth RHP / Patchogue-Medford, NY / 2023

IP ERA K BB H
41.2 0.17 109 15 5
OLE MISS COMMIT; MLB Draft, CB-A (Brewers)

After Meyer, it was something of a toss-up in which prep arm would be drafted next – San Francisco drafted a two-way high schooler at pick No. 16 – and Josh Knoth ended up being the next prep pitcher-only to hear his name called, at No. 33 overall to the Milwaukee Brewers. Knoth was one of the draft class’ youngest prospects, and he spins one of its best curveballs too. At Patchogue-Medford this spring, Knoth was a special kind of dominant, limiting batters to just five hits this season in 41.2 innings, and he struck out 109 over that span and allowed just 15 walks, finishing 7-0 with a 0.17 ERA.

Alex Clemmey LHP / Bishop Hendricken, RI / 2023

IP ERA K BB H
43 0.33 105 25 6
VANDERBILT COMMIT; MLB Draft, 2nd Round (Guardians)

Another Northeastern prep arm takes a spot on this list, southpaw Alex Clemmey, a Vanderbilt recruit who looks like he’ll be headed to pro ball instead after earning a second-round selection by the Cleveland Guardians in the MLB Draft. The Bishop Hendricken star was one of the country’s best pitching prospects and his spring stats underscore his ranking inside the top-20 of our Class of 2023 rankings. Clemmey K’d 105 batters in 43 innings this spring and allowed only six hits and two earned runs (three total), finishing his senior season with a 0.33 ERA.

Blake Wolters RHP / Mahomet-Seymour, IL / 2023

IP ERA WHIP K BB H
48.2 0.43 0.56 106 14 13
ARIZONA COMMIT; MLB Draft, 2nd Round (Royals)

Blake Wolters exploded onto the national stage at February’s PBR Super 60, erupting into one of the best high school pitching prospects in the country at the same time. Up to 97.7 mph in that February performance, scouts continued to flock to his games in Central Illinois’ Mahomet-Seymour High where he re-emphasized his status as one of the top righties in the class. His velo climbed as high as 99 mph in the spring, demonstrating he’d begun to harness his lively arsenal more capably as a senior, and with secondaries that induced more swings and misses. An all-around athlete, Wolters pitched in offensively for his Bulldogs as well, launching nine homers while hitting .440, but his pitching statistics vaulted him onto this list, obviously. He struck out 106 batters in 48.2 innings and allowed only 13 hits and 14 walks over that span, finishing his senior spring with a 0.43 ERA and 0.56 WHIP, en route to being named the PBR Illinois Player of the Year.

Jacob Gholston RHP / Flower Mound, TX / 2023

W-L IP ERA K
12-2 87 0.97 111
OKLAHOMA COMMIT; MLB Draft, 18th Round (Brewers)

The second Texan on this list fits the traditional power prep arm mold the state is accustomed to producing. Jacob Gholston, an Oklahoma recruit, helped charter Flower Mound to Texas’ 6A state title this spring as the team’s ace of staff. Gholston struck out 111 batters in 87 innings, and he finished his senior season with a 0.97 ERA. His 10 Ks in a near-shutout of Guyer vaulted the Jaguars to a state tourney berth, too. Gholston was an 18th round pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in the MLB Draft, but he appears to be on his way to the Sooners instead, a big win for Oklahoma as he was also their top-ranked recruit overall.

Tate McGuire RHP / Liberty North, MO / 2023

IP ERA WHIP K BB H
59.2 0.23 0.73 109 16 28
ARKANSAS COMMIT

Continuing a common theme, here’s another prospect selected to this list who helped his program secure a state title this past season. PBR Missouri Player of the Year Tate McGuire helmed Liberty North’s rotation, the state’s preseason No. 1 team which also finished on top for the second straight season. In 2023, McGuire pitched 59.2 innings for the Eagles and allowed only two earned runs all season, and just 28 hits and 16 walks total, resulting in an ERA of just 0.23. Meanwhile, the Arkansas recruit struck out 109 batters this season and dominated key starts in the state quarterfinals and semis, which teed up the program to win a consecutive state title.


UTLITY / TWO-WAY

Christian Rodriguez RHP / OF / Stoneman Douglas, FL / 2023

W-L ERA K BA 2B HR RBI
12-0 0.69 117 .370 8 6 21
FLORIDA COMMIT

Stoneman Douglas’ program is on an historic run, as winners of three straight Florida 7A state titles, and two-way star Christian Rodriguez was integral to the Eagles’ reign. He finished his prep career as one of the most decorated individuals in the state’s recent history, which is obviously one of the most talent-laden in the nation. In 2023, Rodriguez operated as Stoneman Douglas’ ace, and he went 12-0 with 117 strikeouts and a 0.69 ERA. When he wasn’t atop the mound, the Florida recruit typically roamed the outfield, and he was plenty useful inside the lineup, where he finished the season hitting .370 with 21 RBIs and 15 extra-base hits, including six home runs. Ranked in the top-75 within our Class of 2023 overall rankings, Rodriguez was not drafted, and it looks like both he and fellow Florida prep Liam Peterson will headline the incoming recruits set to restock the Gators’ innings lost to the MLB Draft and to graduation for the 2024 season.

Bryce Eldridge RHP / 1B / James Madison, VA / 2023

IP ERA K BA HR OPS
53.2 1.30 88 .420 9 1.750
ALABAMA COMMIT; MLB Draft, 1st Round (Giants)

The No. 11-ranked senior in the country, Bryce Eldridge, wound up being the fifth prep selected in the MLB Draft this week when the San Francisco Giants took him at pick No. 16 – and they even announced him as a two-way player, which was somewhat noteworthy, though the organization does have freshly laid track record of attempting to develop two-way prospects. Before the draft however, Eldridge made sure to finish his prep career with an exclamation point, winning James Madison High its second state baseball title in three years. In between all of his walks, he slugged nine home runs and hit .420 with an OPS of 1.750 as one of the strongest left-handed hitters in the country. A righty on the mound, Eldridge can also run it up into the mid-90s and he went 11-0 for the Warhawks in 2023 with 88 Ks in 53.2 innings, finishing the season with a 1.30 ERA and as the PBR Virginia/DC Player of the Year.

Dylan Loy LHP / 1B / Pigeon Forge, TN / 2023

IP ERA K BB H BA 2B RBI
71.1 0.10 169 11 23 .549 13 35
TENNESSEE COMMIT

The aforementioned Chase Rucker and Tennessee recruit Dylan Loy were a part of a competitive race for the state’s POTY race, and Loy came out on top, ultimately, as he tallied some of the most impressive pitching stats in the country – and he hit .549 too. Loy had a 0.10 ERA this spring in 71.1 innings, and he struck out a staggering 169 batters this spring, which is the most in the nation as far as we can tell. A first baseman when he’s not acing it on the mound, Loy also tallied 13 doubles and drove in 35 runs from the right-handed batter’s box, though his future is inside the Vols’ rotation one day.

Cooper Pratt SS / RHP / Magnolia Heights, MS / 2023

IP ERA K BB H BA 2B 3B HR Runs RBI
49 0.14 66 8 19 .463 18 4 4 69 45
OLE MISS COMMIT; MLB Draft, 6th Round (Brewers)

Cooper Pratt, Mississippi’s top-ranked senior, looked increasingly likely to stay close to home following the MLB Draft as the projected first- or second-rounder did not hear his name called on Day One. In fact, Pratt fell all the way to the sixth round as signability questions naturally emerged, but the Milwaukee Brewers spent pick No. 182 on the Magnolia Heights prospect and it’s well within reason that they believe they can sign him. Pratt’s a position player prospect at the next level, but he thrived on both sides of the ball for his high school this spring, having finished his senior season with a 0.14 ERA in 49 innings with just 19 hits allowed and 66 Ks. Offensively, he hit .463 with 18 doubles, four triples, and four homers, resulting in 69 runs and 45 RBIs, earning him the PBR Mississippi Player of the Year award in the process.


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