Sure, the SEC is probably the best league in college baseball. But there are stars and then there are future MLB Draft picks. The season just started and obviously the draft picture will be much clearer in a few months when the College World Series rolls around. But here’s our early ranking as to the SEC’s top 10 prospects for the 2023 MLB Draft:

10. Brandon Sproat, P, Florida

MLB teams don’t waste 3rd-round picks, so it was a little shocking to see Sproat turn down the Mets and return to UF. Last season, he went 9-4 with a 3.41 ERA. He gave up just 5 homers in 89 2/3 innings pitched.

He wasted little time in showcasing his arsenal this year, too. He pitched 5 2/3 innings of no-hit baseball in Friday’s opener vs. Charleston Southern. He struck out 7. All good. The not-so-good? He walked 3, hit 2 and gave up 3 earned runs.

Sproat’s fastball is hard but hittable, but his slider could be his developmental key. He’s probably the oldest player on this list, but also one who could hit the big leagues pretty quickly.

9. Tre’ Morgan, 1B, LSU

There’s a prejudice that says that first basement should just be blasters. Morgan is more in the Joey Votto or Freddie Freeman mode than the Mark McGwire prototype, but his sweet swing will make some MLB team very happy.

Don’t be fooled by his rough start to 2023: He went hitless in LSU’s opening series.

In 2 previous years at LSU, Morgan has hit .341 with 11 homers and 96 RBIs. He has struck out just 67 times, including just 26 in 253 at-bats last season. Morgan is reasonably fast (15 stolen bases), is a very agile defender, and can be a solid starter for a decade or more even if he never starts hitting the longball.

8. Will Sanders, P, South Carolina

South Carolina’s ace projects to an innings eater at the next level. He’s 13-6 with a 3.47 ERA at Carolina, with 145 strikeouts in 142 2/3 innings. Sanders has a good fastball and is comfortable with his change-up. His ability to work on another breaking pitch and not give up quite as many homers (23 in college) are the keys to him jumping even higher on this list. He was the Gamecocks’ opening day starter this year for a reason.

7. Enrique Bradfield, Jr., OF, Vanderbilt

He’s a throwback kid whose 93-for-99 stole base record at Vandy defies logic. He’s like Vince Coleman if he could hit or a younger Rickey Henderson with less baggage. The biggest issue Bradfield will have at the next level is going in the face of MLB’s hostility toward the stolen base. Assuming nobody tries to make him into a slugger (and with a .456 slugging percentage at Vandy, he has enough punch already), he could literally change the nature of MLB.

6. Hurston Waldrep, P, Florida

Waldrep is a Southern Miss transfer who brings nasty stuff to Gainesville. As a Golden Eagle, he went 7-2 with a 3.22 ERA and an eye-opening 156 strikeouts in 106 1/3 innings pitched. He throws hard, but has a variety of nasty breaking stuff, from an out-pitch slider to a curve he can throw for strikes. The only question with Waldrep is whether he’ll remain a starter or transition into a lights-out closer at the next level.

5. Paul Skenes, P/DH, LSU

Skenes is one of those players who seems to fit the moment. Could he be another Ohtani? The parallels are there. A 6-6 specimen of raw power, Skenes can hit the high 90s on the mound and can hit the ball even harder than he throws it. In 2 years at Air Force, Skenes hit .367 with 24 homers while going 11-4 with a 2.72 ERA on the mound (126 Ks in 112 1/3 innings pitched). The two-way potential makes him one of the most interesting prospects in the SEC. But that’s only if he hits, of course. Skenes struck out 12 in 6 innings in his LSU debut, but he didn’t hit once in the series. That was by design, too. He took batting practice, however. Is he making the transition to full-time pitcher? Stay tuned. His arm is special.

4. Dylan Crews, OF, LSU

In 2 years at LSU, Crews has hit .356 with 40 homers and 114 RBIs. Still, he’s been surrounded by top-flight talent at LSU and doesn’t always do a great job making contact, with 100 strikeouts in 495 LSU at-bats. Crews is probably one of the safer picks in this bunch and should go in the high first round. Still, the ceiling feels a little lower than the players above him, and contact issues and some defensive questions make him not quite the top overall prospect that many have picked him to be.

3. Wyatt Langford, OF, Florida

This one is about potential. Langford wasn’t a big-time prospect upon arrival and batted 4 times in 2021. Then in 2022, he exploded for 26 homers while hitting .356. He’s also been great in a pair of Summer League stints, and his dedication in going from a vaguely out of shape catcher to a major potential outfielder shouldn’t be ignored.

2. Chase Dollander, P, Tennessee

In 2021, Dollander was 4-3 with a 4.04 ERA at Georgia Southern. After his transfer to Tennessee, he was the best pitcher in the SEC, going 10-0 with a 2.39 ERA and 108 strikeouts in 79 inning pitched. Dollander throws hard (mid-90s plus on his fastball), has a good variety of off-speed pitches (slider and curve) and an ability to throw strikes (just 13 walks in those 79 innings). Given his improvement from 2021 to 2022, if he can take another step forward, he might be the top guy on this list.

1. Jacob Gonzalez, SS, Ole Miss

Gonzalez wasted little time getting off to a hot start in 2023. He opened the season with a homer and 8 RBIs as Ole Miss swept overmatched Delaware.

The opposition will improve, but don’t expect Gonzalez to slow down.

In 504 at-bats at Ole Miss, Gonzalez has hit .316, with 30 homers and 107 RBIs. Factor in his 88 walks to 66 strikeout ratio and stellar middle infield defense and you get why he’s our top draft prospect. There’s a reason Gonzalez has been an anchor on Team USA’s college national team. Some lucky team will figure Gonzalez to solidify their middle of the field for a decade and a half or so.