MLB Draft Odds: First-Pick Betting With Wyatt Langford To Pirates
Following the conclusion of the College World Series, which saw LSU top Florida, ex-Tigers pitcher Paul Skenes was considered the consensus favorite to go No. 1 overall in the 2023 MLB Draft. However, Wyatt Langford’s odds are firmly in the mix for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Let’s break down the latest MLB Draft odds.
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2023 MLB Draft: No. 1 Pick Odds
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Skenes, Crews, Or Langford?
When MLB Draft odds initially became accessible on June 28, Skenes was priced as a -290 favorite to go first off the board. But on Friday morning, they moved heavily in favor of Wyatt Langford. He’s currently listed as the favorite at both DraftKings (+100) and FanDuel Sportsbook (+130) after opening at +2000 in this market.
The Florida product slashed .373/.480/.762 in 114 games from his sophomore campaign onward, manufacturing 42 homers and more walks (80) than strikeouts (78) while playing the premier conference in college baseball. Langford even outslugged Crews in SEC play this year.
“Langford has clearly been on the short list for the Pirates all year, but with Dylan Crews appearing to want over slot to sign here (Pittsburgh) and the team’s apparent preference for a bat over an arm possibly leading them away from Paul Skenes, Langford is the best fit as someone who’s absolutely good enough to be the first overall pick but would sign at a number that will let the Pirates go over slot with later picks,” MLB analyst Keith Law said in Friday’s mock draft.
As Law alluded to in his column, Crews — Skenes’ teammate at LSU — is rumored to prefer landing with the Washington Nationals, which possess the No. 2 overall pick.
In fact, fellow analyst Joe Doyle tossed around the notion that Boras intentionally threw large signing bonus demands at the Pirates on Crews’ behalf — with the intent for the star outfielder to head to D.C. This insight certainly conflicts with the market movement, yet as we saw amid the 2023 NBA Draft hoopla, insider speculation doesn’t necessarily translate into a profit. After all, it’s out there for public consumption.
As for Skenes, some talent evaluators believe he’s the top prospect in this draft class. The 6-foot-6, 235-pound righty showcases upper-90s velocity and a strikeout rate near 48% against SEC competition. Crews slashed .405/.545/.685 with more walks (27) than strikeouts (22) in conference play. He was listed as the No. 1 pick betting favorite for a brief period on Thursday.
“I wouldn’t screw around when this when that type of talent (Skenes) is available to you,” Dan O’Dowd, the former Colorado Rockies general manager, said on a Pittsburgh radio station. “It almost impossible to have a draft that lines up when the best player on the board fits the need of the organization and it’s a desperate need.”
We’ll continue to update this page with additional information. Follow TheLines on Twitter for more on MLB Draft odds.
How To Watch 2023 MLB Draft
Rounds 1 and 2 of the MLB Draft will take place on Sunday at 7 p.m. EST from Seattle. ESPN and MLB Network will air those picks.
Then, MLB.com takes over with coverage of Rounds 3-10 on Monday and Rounds 11-20 on Tuesday — both beginning at 2 p.m. EST.
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