Jacob Gonzalez headlines Ole Miss players considered as top MLB Draft prospects
The 2023 MLB Draft is a little over a month away and Ole Miss continues to have players high on the list of draft prospects, starting with Jacob Gonzalez.
When it comes to MLB.com’s list of Top 150 Draft Prospects Ole Miss is headlined by Gonzalez as the shortstop continues to be a Top 10 prospect.
Throughout most of the season Gonzalez was considered a Top 5 prospect but having concluded what is more than likely his final season in an Ole Miss uniform Gonzalez is currently the No. 8 best prospect for the draft.
He is the second best shortstop on the list only behind Grand Canyon’s Jacob Wilson who is slotted just above Gonzalez at No. 7.
Gonzalez wrapped up his junior season with the second best batting average among everyday Ole Miss players, hitting .327 and finishing behind Kemp Alderman’s .376. He hit 10 home runs — tying second baseman Peyton Chatagnier for the third most — plus 51 runs batted in and 18 doubles.
The batting average improved by over 50 points from .273 in the 2022 season and Gonzalez had similar RBI numbers but did hit eight fewer home runs in 2023.
In the field Gonzalez lowered his errors from 14 last season to five this spring.
Alderman joins Gonzalez on the Top 150 list, coming in as the 64th best draft prospect. Catcher Calvin Harris rounds out the current Ole Miss players on the list at just inside the Top 150 at No. 145.
Leading the offensive threat for Ole Miss Alderman took a major step from last season to his 2023 campaign. Along with the team best batting average Alderman led the team in home runs with 19 and seven ahead of Harris who had 12.
The trio also finished at the top three in the hits category. Alderman led with 80 followed by Harris with 67 and Gonzalez with 66.
Ole Miss also has a few of its high school commits on the list which will cause a few worries this summer.
Recruiting top talent at the high school level that is also receiving strong interest from the MLB ranks is a calling card for the Ole Miss baseball program.
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Head coach Mike Bianco and his staff have a knack for eyeing good players that might not even step foot on campus, opting to go with the team that drafted them instead.
The double-edged sword of wanting to recruit at a high level but also struggling to retain those players and get them on the roster.
Of the handful of high school players Ole Miss is keeping close tabs on Cooper Pratt is at the top of the list. The Magnolia Heights shortstop cracks the Top 50 of MLB.com’s list and named the 43rd best prospect.
Pitchers Zander Mueth and Josh Knoth also make the list. Mueth (Belleville East – IL) is slotted at the 56th best prospect while Knoth (Patchouge-Medford – NY) is considered the 120th best draft prospect.
The one current high school commit that did not crack the Top 150 is Oxford High School catcher Campbell Smithwick. Look for him to also potentially get drafted at a number or round that is to his liking, giving him a decision to make.
Ole Miss is primed to have several players get selected in July when the 2023 MLB Draft takes place in Seattle as part of the All-Star Game festivities. The Rebels roster is going to look drastically different come this fall and will soon be able to start seeing how much turnover takes place.
