Arizona only had two players from its 2022 team get picked in the 2022 MLB Draft, but one of those was a first-round selection in catcher Daniel Susac.
The Wildcats could have themselves another first-round draft pick on the roster for next season, according to Baseball America, which has released its list of the top 100 prospects for the 2023 draft.
Sitting at No. 46 is UA outfielder Chase Davis, who is coming off a breakout sophomore campaign in which he hit 18 home runs with 54 RBI. The left-handed hitter was then invited to try out for the USA Baseball College National Team, and is currently playing for the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Summer League.
Here’s what Baseball America had to say about Davis:
Davis was one of the highest-ranking players in the 2020 class to make it to campus. He finished as the No. 55 prospect in the 2020 class, but primarily came off the bench for Arizona during his 2021 freshman year and hit just .233/.343/.400 in 27 games and 35 plate appearances. During the 2022 season Davis started every day in left field and hit .289/.414/.583 with 18 home runs and 13 doubles. Davis has big power and arm strength, which are likely his two best tools, and his sophomore season was an encouraging signal about his ability to access that power in-game against quality pitching.
At No. 46, Davis would be an early second-round pick in 2023, but another good season would likely catapult him into the first round. The last time the UA had players go in the first round in consecutive drafts was in 1989-90, when Alan Zinter went 24th to the New York Mets in 1989 and Lance Dickson went 23rd to the Chicago Cubs in 1990.