College World Series 2023: Predictions, Top Prospects to Watch in Finals Game 2
The LSU Tigers are one game away from claiming college baseball's top prize following an exhilarating 4-3 victory over the Florida Gators in Game 1 of the 2023 NCAA Men's College World Series.
Sunday, the nation's top two teams will compete once again in a high-stakes Game 2 featuring some of the game's top prospects and most explosive young players.
Ahead of the game, find out who they are and what makes them stand out.
College World Series Schedule
Game 1: Saturday, June 24
LSU def. Florida, 4-3 (11 innings)
Game 2: Sunday, June 25
Florida vs. LSU (3:00 p.m., ESPN)
Game 3: Monday, June 26
Florida vs. LSU (7:00 p.m., ESPN) (if necessary)
Dylan Crews, OF, LSU
Dylan Crews is the top-rated pro prospect according to MLB Pipeline and it is not difficult to see why.
Since 2022, he has accounted for 40 home runs and 141 RBI, and even threw in 11 stolen bases for good measure. He walked 112 times and in 2023, achieved an OPS of 1.268. He is a hard hitter, with a slugging percentage of .691 and .707 in 2022 and '23, respectively, and has worked on increasing his speed in an attempt to better track down balls out in center field.
A player who has exhibited a willingness and ability to improve on his weaknesses over the course of his collegiate career, he is as complete a baseball player as any in this year's draft and it stands to reason that he will hear his name called first overall come July 9.
He will need to improve upon his performance in Game 1 of the series against Florida where he was either walked, hit by a pitch or flew or grounded out. The key will be convincing the Gators to throw to him, then making the most of the pitches that do come his way.
Wyatt Langford, OF, Florida
If anyone can challenge Crews for that top spot in the draft, it is Wyatt Langford.
The left fielder is a big kid with the body of a much more experienced major leaguer. It certainly helps with his power at the plate, displayed in his 19 dingers, 29 RBI, and slugging percentage of .750 in 2023.
An OPS of 1.238 only helped enhance the back of his baseball card and set him up to be one of the first names called in July's draft.
Langford is no stranger to the big stage, either, having played on Team USA last summer in international competition.
An aggressive player, he made all of the changes and developments necessary to not only be one of the top prospects in the nation, but also to inch closer to becoming a five-tool player.
Whether it is enough to leapfrog Crews remains to be seen but one would be hard-pressed to imagine a scenario in which Langford is not one of the first five names announced. A big double in Saturday's Game 1 loss to LSU in 11 innings will only help his case.
Paul Skenes, RHP, LSU
It is unknown at this time if college baseball fans will get to see the top pitching prospect in the country compete against in this world series. Paul Skenes has been lights out and is undeniably the best at his position, even drawing comparisons to the once-in-a-lifetime prospect and Major League World Series winner, Stephen Strasburg.
Skenes has given up just 14 total home runs his entire four-year college career, struck out 209 batters in 2023 and recorded a WHIP of 0.750. He currently has an ERA south of two (1.69), won 12 games and lost just two his senior season.
But wait, there's more.
Skenes is a two-way player in an era where Shohei Ohtani is rapidly ascending "greatest of all time" lists in the majors.
The LSU Tiger may not have swung much this season as he prepares to be the top pitcher off the board, but he does have 24 home runs, 43 walks, a slugging percentage of .669 and an OPS of 1.046 in 402 plate appearances.
He is a game-changer on both sides of the ball. The question is if he ends up in a big league clubhouse with the support staff around him to maximize his ability to contribute both on the mound and at the plate or if his offense will be sacrificed to ensure his dominance as a pitcher.
A dominant force, Skenes might be the best overall player in the draft and a potential generational talent. We may not see him on the mound for the remainder of the series, at least not in any extended outings, but he certainly deserves recognition among the best prospects still playing this postseason.