MLB Pipeline Releases its 2023 Top 30 for Washington

While not quite as deep into spring training as in years past, MLB still couldn’t get this to us during the doldrums. Consequently, this feels like a check-the-box exercise.

After an outlying year in 2022, the MLB Pipeline Top 30 is back in lockstep with the Baseball America Top 30 for the most part.

The Top 5 – James Wood, Robert Hassell, Elijah Green, Cade Cavalli, and Brady House – are identical, while MLB has Crithian Vaquero at #6 and Jarlin Susana at #7 instead of vice-versa for BA, and Jake Bennett at #9 instead of #11 and, again, the opposite for MLB for Jackson Rutledge.

However, just as a year ago, there are some differences in which MLB seems to be valuing making the team in 2023 more than the player’s ceiling. Thad Ward, for example, is #12 instead of #16 and Jake Alu made the Top 30. Then again, MLB has Matt Cronin lower than BA (#21 vs. #18) and Israel Pineda (#22 vs. #19).

Other differences:

• C Drew Millas (#30 vs. #25)
• 3B Trey Lipscomb (#19 vs. #24)
• LHP José Ferrer (#26 vs. #20)
• OF Jared MacKenzie (#25 vs. NR)
• LHP Mitchell Parker (#24 vs. #14)
• OF Brenner Cox (#23 vs. NR)

The accompanying writeup breaks no new ground, which it probably shouldn’t as it’s aimed towards a more general audience with an implied utility for gambling fantasy baseball.

Now, back to the business of pretending Spring Training is meaningful…