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MLB Rule 5 Draft 2023 Results: Team by Team Breakdown

Joseph Zucker@@JosephZuckerX.com LogoFeatured Columnist IVDecember 6, 2023

WORCESTER, MA - APRIL 27: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders RHP Mitch Spence (15) throws a pitch during a AAA MiLB game between the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders and the Worcester Red Sox on April 27, 2023, at Polar Park in Worcester, MA. (Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

With most baseball fans glued to the newest rumor surrounding the top free agents and trade candidates, another piece of MLB offseason business unfolded Wednesday.

All 30 teams gathered to conduct the Rule 5 draft, an exercise that allows general managers to take a flier on prospects who have fallen through the cracks a bit. Josh Hamilton, José Bautista and Johan Santana are among the three most notable Rule 5 picks who went on to stardom.

That trio is by far the exception to the rule because most Rule 5 selections remain largely anonymous during their MLB runs.

Here's a quick recap of this year's draft.


2023 Rule 5 Draft Results

Major League Phase

  1. Oakland Athletics: RHP Mitch Spence (NYY) 
  2. Kansas City Royals: RHP Matt Sauer (NYY) 
  3. Colorado Rockies: RHP Anthony Molina (TB) 
  4. Chicago White Sox: LHP Shane Drohan (BOS) 
  5. Washington Nationals: SS Nasim Nuñez (MIA) 
  6. St. Louis Cardinals: RHP Ryan Fernandez (BOS)
  7. Los Angeles Angels: pass
  8. New York Mets: RHP Justin Slaten (TEX) 
  9. Pittsburgh Pirates: pass 
  10. Cleveland Guardians: 3B Deyvison De Los Santos (AZ) 
  11. Detroit Tigers: pass 
  12. Boston Red Sox: pass 
  13. San Francisco Giants: pass 
  14. Cincinnati Reds: pass 
  15. San Diego Padres: RHP Stephen Kolek (SEA) 
  16. New York Yankees: pass 
  17. Chicago Cubs: pass 
  18. Miami Marlins: pass 
  19. Arizona Diamondbacks: pass 
  20. Minnesota Twins: pass 
  21. Seattle Mariners: pass 
  22. Toronto Blue Jays: pass 
  23. Texas Rangers: RHP Carson Coleman (NYY) 
  24. Philadelphia Phillies: pass 
  25. Houston Astros: pass 
  26. Milwaukee Brewers: pass 
  27. Tampa Bay Rays: pass 
  28. Los Angeles Dodgers: pass 
  29. Baltimore Orioles: pass 
  30. Atlanta Braves: pass

Full results available at MLB.com


MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo listed right-hander Matt Sauer as one of the top pitchers potentially in play, and the Kansas City Royals made him the second prospect off the board.

Sauer was the No. 25 player in New York's farm system, splitting his 2023 season mostly between High-A and Double-A. He had a 3.41 ERA and 93 strikeouts with 34 walks across 74 innings.

The Yankees also watched two other pitchers, Mitch Spence and Carson Coleman, get selected. The New York Post's Joel Sherman said before the event the team could be losing some serious depth across the board:

Joel Sherman @Joelsherman1

Yankees traded 3 starters for Verdugo and pitching would be at the center of a Soto deal if concluded and strong chance Mitch Spence goes near top of the Rule 5 draft, maybe Matt Sauer is taken too. Their depth is a strength but also being thinned.

Spence went 8-8 with a 4.47 RA and 153 strikeouts in 29 starts for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

Somerset Patriots @SOMPatriots

Mitch Spence led all Yankees minor leaguers in innings pitched in 2023🐶 <a href="https://t.co/A2AFocqex3">pic.twitter.com/A2AFocqex3</a>

Lance Brozdowski @LanceBroz

Thread w/ data thoughts on some Rule 5 Draft arms...<br><br>Mitch Spence, RHP, NYY ➡️ OAK<br><br>Cutter at 91 mph, most used, around 7" iVB, 3" cut. In zone a lot, meh SLG allowed. Sweeper looks good, 83 mph w/ 14" sweep, 45% swing-miss.<br><br>Sinker on ground a lot. Curve, change not in zone… <a href="https://t.co/6pmd7bQO9g">pic.twitter.com/6pmd7bQO9g</a>

The Oakland Athletics won an MLB-worst 50 games in 2023 and don't figure to take a big leap forward in 2024. The road may be wide open for Spence to earn his way into the rotation.

Nasim Nuñez was the first position player taken in the major league portion.

The 23-year-old middle infielder played 125 games for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, the Miami Marlins' Double-A affiliate a season ago. His hitting left something to be desired as he had a .225/.341/.286 slash line. But he stole 52 bases, and MLB.com gives him a 70-grade for his defense.

Like the A's, the Nationals are still in the rebuilding phase. Washington might see Nuñez as a defensive alternative for CJ Abrams, who will continue to be a big part of the organization's future despite an uneven first full season in the nation's capital.

In all cases, there's a chance each Rule 5 pick could return to his old team. Under the rules of the format, a Rule 5 pick has to remain on the 26-man roster for the entirety of the ensuing season. Otherwise, the team that lost him can sign him back for $50,000.