The Seattle Mariners had three first-round selections in the 2023 MLB Draft, but it's third-round pick RHP Teddy McGraw out of Wake Forest who is generating some buzz as the potential steal of the draft.
Tom Walter of Wake Forest baseball told MLB Network Radio that McGraw is “the steal of the draft” and would have been “right there with Paul Skenes” had he remained healthy.
While Walter might be a tad bit biased as McGraw's coach at Wake Forest, it's worth noting that Walter has been a head coach at the collegiate level since 1998 and has seen his fair share of prospects. Comparing McGraw to Skenes, who might be the best collegiate pitching prospect since Stephen Strasburg and was selected first overall, should definitely be enough to get some people within Seattle's organization excited.
McGraw has always been a highly regarded prospect, but health concerns after two Tommy John surgeries were enough to drop him down draft boards. McGraw wasn't even the highest selected pitcher from Wake Forest baseball, as that distinction went to RHP Rhett Lowder, who was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds with the No. 7 overall selection.
Still, McGraw might be the higher upside arm if he can manage to avoid further injury. Here's the breakdown of McGraw's stuff from MLB.com's prospect profile:
“[McGraw] was sitting at 95-98 mph with a wipeout slider in intrasquad action when he went down and required a second elbow reconstruction with an internal brace. He may have more upside than fellow Wake Forest right-hander Rhett Lowder, a lock first-rounder, but McGraw can't match his consistency or health.”
It's a gamble on health for the Mariners, but there seems to be no questions about Teddy McGraw's overall talent. Whether or not he can live up to his former college coach's billing as the steal of the 2023 MLB draft and keep pace with a talent like Paul Skenes, though, remains to be seen.
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