2022 MLB Draft Review: Minnesota Twins

Full list of draftees

I really like what the Twins did here, especially with their first couple of picks. Brooks Lee, in my opinion, was the best college player available in the entire draft and they got him for a small over slot bonus at #8, while Connor Prielipp has a top-ten profile if he had actually been healthy and Tanner Schobel should not have lasted to #68. That's a very, very good top three. Minnesota had to shift gears a little bit to save some money later on, picking up a slew of high-floor guys that should be able to contribute in reserve roles, in the back of the rotation, or in middle relief. I do think guys like fifth rounder Ben Ross and fourteenth rounder Omari Daniel come with interesting upside. In all, it was a middle infielder-heavy draft with seven players drafted as shortstops, and most of them have a chance to at least compete to stick there.
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.

1-8: SS Brooks Lee, Cal Poly. My rank: #5.
Slot value: $5.44 million. Signing bonus: $5.68 million ($232,600 above slot value).
The Twins have to be thrilled that Brooks Lee was still available to them after getting interest as high as the first overall pick. In my opinion the best college player available, period, Lee has a chance to fly through their system and be one of the first hitters from this class to reach the majors. A highly touted prospect out of San Luis Obispo High School in California, he priced himself out of the draft with a firm commitment to play for his father at Cal Poly. He continued to build his stock throughout his time at school, including a fantastic junior season in which he slashed .357/.462/.664 with 15 home runs and a 28/46 strikeout to walk ratio over 58 games. Lee perhaps stands out most for elite bat to ball skills, making a ton of contact both inside and outside the strike zone. He was a bit of a bad ball hitter early in his career, but he cut down on his chases in 2022 and his walk rate more than doubled from 7.2% to 16.1% while his strikeout rate dropped from 13.6%, which was already low, to 9.8%. Most guys with contact rates like that are slap hitters, but Lee shows above average raw power from both sides of the plate and taps all of it in games, with a chance for plus power down the line as he continues to develop. He regularly finds the barrel and hits screaming line drives around the field, and now that he's only swinging at pitches in the zone, there's not much soft contact to be found. He's a shortstop for now, with good feel for the position and the chance to stick there if he doesn't get bumped by a better defender, but his long term position may be third base because his build lends itself more to strength than quickness. The ceiling here is an Anthony Rendon-type of player, which ain't half bad given he's a high probability major leaguer with very low bust risk. He has taken to minor league pitching well, slashing .340/.386/.491 with two home runs and a 9/4 strikeout to walk ratio through 13 games between the Florida Complex League and High A Cedar Rapids.

2-48: LHP Connor Prielipp, Alabama. My rank: #30.
Slot value: $1.62 million. Signing bonus: $1.83 million ($202,300 above slot value)
Connor Prielipp is one of the more enigmatic arms in this class and it will be very interesting to track his progress. He was utterly untouchable when he first reached campus at Alabama, tossing 26 shutout innings on just nine hits, six walks, and 43 strikeouts over his first five career starts, between the four in the shortened 2020 season and his 2021 season opener. However, he went down with an elbow injury after that first start, then only threw one inning in each of his next two starts after a lengthy absence. The end result was Tommy John surgery, which subsequently wiped out his entire 2022 season as well. So now we're left with a kid who dominated for 26 innings against mediocre mid-major competition a long time ago, got knocked around by Auburn and LSU last year, and hasn't pitched in a game since. Though it is important to note that he came back and pitched at the MLB Draft Combine in June and left evaluators, particularly the Twins scouting department it appears, very impressed. When Prielipp is on the mound, he has nasty stuff that fist much better in the first round than the second. He sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and has been up to 97-98 at peak, coming in from a steeper slot. His best pitch is a true plus slider that just darts under bats at the last second, while he's flashed an above average changeup in his limited looks as well. It's an exceptional three pitch mix from a lefty, especially given that he repeats his delivery well and fills up the strike zone with above average command. The 6'2" lefty has projection remaining and is fully healthy now, showing everything you want to see from a potential frontline starter except the track record. Tommy John affects us all it seems and he appears durable otherwise, but it is a big risk to take a 21 year old pitcher whose entire track record consists of 28 innings a long time ago, with the 26 most effective coming against weaker competition. Additionally as a fun aside, Prielipp gives the Twins another Upper Midwesterner as a native of Tomah, Wisconsin, a small town on I-94 about halfway between Madison and Eau Claire only two and a half hours from the Twin Cities.

CBB-68: SS Tanner Schobel, Virginia Tech. My rank: #45.
Slot value: $1 million. Signing bonus: $1 million.
The Twins were heavily tied to Virginia Tech outfielder Gavin Cross with their first selection, and that may have been the pick had Brooks Lee not fallen into their laps. Instead, they'll grab another Hokie sixty picks later, and it's a good one. Tanner Schobel has been a steady riser throughout his two seasons in Blacksburg, culminating with a fantastic season in 2022 in which he slashed .362/.445/.689 with 19 home runs and a 40/35 strikeout to walk ratio over 59 games, at times outshining Cross himself. Schobel isn't a big guy at a listed 5'10", 170 pounds, but he plays much bigger. He takes big hacks from the right side of the plate and can really turn on the ball with above average power to the pull side, but he stays under control and can send line drives the other way as well. He's a patient hitter that is willing to work counts, keeping his strikeout rates down and his walk rates high. The power definitely plays best to the pull side, and some teams don't think it will play as well with wood bats, but the Twins (and I) certainly do and he knows how to get to it. The Williamsburg, Virginia native also plays a very solid shortstop with solid range and enough arm strength to stick, though like Lee, he might not stick. While Lee might be too physical for the position, Schobel might not be physical enough and could be pushed by someone with more explosive athleticism, though he does have enough arm. The floor here is that of a utility infielder but I think he'll be an every day guy that can pop for 15-20 home runs per season with high on-base percentages, whether that's at second base, shortstop, or third base. So far, he's slashing .207/.281/.224 with a 10/5 strikeout to walk ratio through 15 games between the Florida Complex League and Low A Fort Myers.

4-114: RHP Andrew Morris, Texas Tech. My rank: #216.
Slot value: $533,300. Signing bonus: $500,000 ($33,300 below slot value).
Andrew Morris was a sleeper on a lot of teams' boards, and the Twins were the first to pounce. He spent three years at Division II Colorado Mesa University before transferring to Texas Tech, where he put up a 4.58 ERA and a 91/28 strikeout to walk ratio over 88.1 innings. Despite playing four years of college ball, he's still somehow only 20 years old, making him three months younger than true sophomore Tanner Schobel. Morris sits in the low 90's with his fastball and gets up to around 96, adding a slider and changeup that both flash above average. He comes from a deep shoulder tilt in his delivery that puts some downward plane on his pitches, but the fastball still gets some solid riding action and the angle helps his slider play up. In my look in Lubbock, his slider looked consistently above average early on, but flattened out later in the start. There are relief concerns given his smaller 6' frame, but the Denver-area native has proven durable to this point and pounds the strike zone with above average control and average command, so there is still a good shot he winds up a #4 starter. Given his combination of experience and youth, he could move through the minors quickly and reach the majors at 22. He tossed a clean inning in his Florida Complex League debut, striking out one.

5-144: SS Ben Ross, Notre Dame College. My rank: unranked.
Slot value: $398,500. Signing bonus: $220,000 ($178,500 below slot value).
No, not that Notre Dame. This one's in Cleveland. Ben Ross has been one of the better hitters in Ohio regardless of level, coming off two huge seasons at Notre Dame College including a 2022 in which he slashed .392/.452/.747 with 14 home runs and a 33/24 strikeout to walk ratio over 52 games. Looking for more exposure against higher level pitching than what he saw in the Division II Mountain East Conference, he went off to the Northwoods League this summer and put up more huge numbers over a large sample size, slashing .421/.502/.649 with ten home runs and a 28/27 strikeout to walk ratio over 42 games. That run through the Northwoods League is likely what sold the Twins on Ross, who signed below slot to help them afford Brooks Lee and Connor Prielipp. The Springfield, Ohio native takes big, healthy hacks from the right side that help him drive the ball in the air with authority, but he stays under control and still struck out in just 13.9% of his plate appearances in the Northwoods League after running a 14.9% rate at NDC. A good defender at shortstop, he'll compete with Lee and Tanner Schobel for the position while moving up the ladder. It may be a bit of a steep transition to pro ball, but he's young for the class and only turned 21 in June so there's no huge rush. So far, he's slashing .222/.344/.519 with two home runs and a 7/5 strikeout to walk ratio through seven games between the Florida Complex League and Low A Fort Myers.

6-174: SS Jorel Ortega, Tennessee. My rank: unranked.
Slot value: $301,200. Signing bonus: $250,000 ($51,200 below slot value).
Jorel Ortega was a big reason why Tennessee outperformed initial expectations and became the best team in the country for much of the season. He didn't play in 2020 and barely saw the field in 2021, but broke out in 2022 to slash .323/.398/.672 with 18 home runs and a 40/25 strikeout to walk ratio over 66 games. Those numbers may have been a bit inflated hitting at Tennessee's hitter-friendly home park, but hitting in the SEC is never easy no matter where you're playing. While Ortega lacks a carrying tool, he does a lot of things well. He utilizes a simple, quick right handed swing to put barrel to baseball consistently, using the whole field effectively and showing some pop to the pull side. He's an aggressive hitter that walked in just 9.5% of his plate appearances this spring, but he still makes plenty of contact and only struck out in 15.2% while facing a ton of quality pitching. It's a balanced offensive profile that could lead to 15 or so home runs per season with decent on-base percentages at best, especially if he gets a little more patient at the plate. Defensively, he again shows average tools across the board and could wind up filling any position the Twins need him at. The Puerto Rican mainly played second base in Knoxville, but also saw some time at first base and has enough arm strength to make it work at shortstop or third base. It's probably a strong utility profile going forward. Through three games between the Florida Complex League and Low A Fort Myers, he has one hit in five at bats to go along with three strikeouts and two walks.

7-204: RHP Kyle Jones, Toledo. My rank: unranked.
Slot value: $235,600. Signing bonus: $235,600.
Two rounds after drafting Ben Ross out of Notre Dame College in the Cleveland area, the Twins went back to the region to take another player out of a smaller northern Ohio school. Kyle Jones had a very solid season for Toledo, posting a 4.24 ERA and a 114/25 strikeout to walk ratio over 91.1 innings against a pretty solid MAC schedule. Jones sits in the low 90's with his fastball, which is fairly generic coming in with steep angle, but he's mainly noted for his offspeed stuff. His curveball has big 12-6 break and can send hitters diving down out of the zone to catch it, while his splitter has sharp diving action to elicit its fair share of chases as well. The 6'1" righty fills up the strike zone with above average command and has every chance to stick as a starter, though he will have to figure something out with his fastball in order to do so. That either means adding velocity to make up for its lack of bat missing qualities or finding a way to get some life on it. If he does move to the bullpen, he can pitch more effectively off his curveball and splitter as a junkballer of sorts, and given his command, he could be very effective in that role. The Detroit-area native could move fairly quickly given his advanced pitchability and the fact that he's already 22. He tossed a clean inning in his Florida Complex League debut.

10-294: SS Dalton Shuffield, Texas State. My rank: unranked.
Slot value: $153,800. Signing bonus: $20,000 ($133,800 below slot value).
Dalton Shuffield is already 23, so this isn't exactly an upside play. A fifth year senior that has been a mainstay in the Texas State lineup since 2018, he broke out for his best year yet in 2022 by slashing .378/.444/.668 with 13 home runs and a 32/28 strikeout to walk ratio over 61 games. That made him a major factor in leading Texas State to a #2 seed at the Stanford regional as one of the best mid major programs in the country. He has a very unique setup at the plate, leaning on his back leg while extending his front leg almost straight towards the plate, holding his hands high while waggling the bat and bouncing that front foot. Still, he consistently gets into a good hitting position and uses exceptional barrel control to make consistent, hard contact to all fields. Very undersized at 5'9", 170 pounds, the power is below average even if he did crack 13 home runs this spring, so he'll focus more on a gap to gap approach in pro ball. Given his bat to ball skills and propensity to square the ball up, that should work out just fine. He's an aggressive hitter that makes a lot of contact even on pitches outside the zone, so even though he effectively kept the strikeouts down with a great 11.7% rate in 2022, he may want to be a little more selective in pro ball. The San Antonio native is an above average runner that shows plenty of range at shortstop, pointing to a future as a utility infielder that can slap some doubles and triples for you. So far, he's slashing .333/.474/.533 with one home run and an even 4/4 strikeout to walk ratio through five games between the Florida Complex League and High A Cedar Rapids.

14-414: SS Omari Daniel, Walker HS [GA]. My rank: unranked.
Slot value: up to $125,000. Signing bonus: $232,800 ($107,800 above slot value).
Omari Daniel was originally committed to Oregon, but changed at the last minute to Northwest Florida State JC and will now attend neither as the Twins borrowed more than $100,000 against their bonus pool to grab him with a fourteenth round pick. Daniel is a physical specimen at 6'2", 185 pounds, with plenty of strength already present in his still-projectable frame. He can really rope the ball from the right side, showing big time bat speed and great leverage with some uppercut action. As he gets stronger and learns to deploy his power in games, that could translate into plus power in time. The approach is a little bit raw and he may need to spend a year in complex ball to sort things out, but that's why these physical tools are available in the fourteenth round and he's pretty young for a high schooler anyways, only having turned 18 in May. In the field, Daniel stands out for a plus arm that he deploys well, naturally playing his momentum through ground balls and getting his body moving towards first base. The Atlanta-area native is an above average runner for now that should stick at the position, though if he bulks up any further third base could be a better fit. I think I'd like to see him get quicker about making throws without a shuffle/extra step, but again he's young and has plenty of arm strength to get to that point. Be patient with this one but there is a ton of upside.

20-594: OF Korbyn Dickerson, Trinity HS [KY]. My rank: #178.
Slot value: up to $125,000. Signing bonus: did not sign.
I have to think the Twins were offering the same money to Omari Daniel and Korbyn Dickerson, and it was Daniel who was willing to sign while Dickerson will head to Louisville. The Cardinals have to be ecstatic about getting Dickerson to campus, bringing with him tremendous upside that could help him emerge a first round pick in 2025, especially given that they lost outfielders Levi Usher (Royals) and Cameron Masterman (A's) to the draft this year. He is a great athlete with plenty of whippy bat speed and the chance at plus power as he fills out his 6'2" frame, though his pitch recognition is a bit behind and he'll need some mechanical cleanup to catch up to ACC pitching. For that reason he may not start right away, but it shouldn't be long before he's playing every day and mashing. The Louisville-area native is also a plus runner that could take over for Usher in center field.

2022 MLB Draft: Previewing the Nationals #5 Overall Pick (June Update)

The Nationals pick at #5 this year, their highest selection since their back to back first overall picks in 2009 and 2010, which means virtually every player should be under consideration here. In fact, the only player I can confidently say won't reach the Nationals is Atlanta-area high school outfielder Druw Jones, whose combination of plus power, considerable polish, and supreme athleticism make him the top prospect in the class. Everyone else, though, should be in play. I previewed ten options back in February then again in April, and now we'll give one more update on who Nationals fans should be looking for as the July 17th draft rapidly approaches.

The Nationals have a bonus pool of just over $11 million and a slot value of just under $6.5 million for their first round pick. They can spend as much or as little as they want in that first round, but are bound by that $11 million number for all of their picks combined, lest they start incurring penalties.

All rankings from my May 4th update. Some players have moved up or down since then.

C Kevin Parada, Georgia Tech. My rank: #5.
2022: 26 HR, .360/.453/.715, 11 SB, 31/30 K/BB in 59 games.
It's no secret that the Nationals have really locked in on Georgia Tech catcher Kevin Parada, and if the draft were today, it seems most likely that this would be the pick if he were available. Parada has some interest throughout the top five so that's no guarantee, but with plenty of other talent available (especially on the high school side), it's certainly possible and perhaps even likely. A product of the Los Angeles high school ranks, he drew second round interest back in 2020 but headed across the country to school and that has paid off, finishing his Yellow Jacket career with 35 home runs and a .340/.428/.630 slash line across 111 games. Ever since those prep days, Parada has stood out for his extremely professional at bats, showing a sublime ability to work counts, make adjustments, and use the whole field against premium pitching. The power, meanwhile, has ticked up steadily as he's matured, from above average as a high schooler to plus as a freshman to perhaps plus-plus as a sophomore, playing against strong ACC pitching and sending home runs out to all fields with ease. Between the power and the approach, there is very, very little to nitpick with the bat, especially considering he won't turn 21 until after the draft. Some may not like his unique setup, in which he holds his hands high above his head with the barrel pointed down his back as if he's trying to use it as a back scratcher, but he's always on time with his load and I have no problem with the setup. The glove isn't quite at the same level as the bat, but it is improving. He has an unremarkable arm and is not the most nimble backstop I've seen behind the plate, so a better defender like Keibert Ruiz, Drew Millas, or Israel Pineda (if the latter two's bats come along) could push him off the position. However, he is in a better place than he was two years ago as a prep and scouts love his work ethic, and I expect that the Nationals feel confident he will work hard enough to become an adequate defender. The upside here is an everyday big league catcher that can pop 30+ home runs per year while getting on base at a high clip. To put that in perspective, only two catchers (Salvador Perez and Mike Zunino) hit more than 25 home runs last year and neither had an on-base percentage above the league-wide average of .317. I do not expect that Parada would take a discount on his signing bonus given his age and interest throughout the top ten picks.

OF Elijah Green, IMG Academy [FL]. My rank: #3.
Druw Jones won't be available at the fifth overall pick, but the Nationals could get a shot at a player with similar or perhaps superior physical tools, but a bit less polish. Like Parada, Green has plenty of interest throughout the top five picks and there is no guarantee he is available, but if he does reach the Nationals, it's hard to see them passing on the upside. Green might have the loudest raw tools of any player in the class, showing off massive raw power, plus-plus speed, and tremendous arm strength from the outfield from a premium 6'3", 225 pound frame. And he's not raw, either. The Orlando-area native came out of the gate a bit slowly this spring and struck out more than evaluators would have like to have seen from a top of the draft prospect, but he righted the ship in a big way as the spring wore on and regained any stock that might have slipped in February and March. There is still some swing and miss, especially on fastballs up and breaking balls down and away like most young hitters, and his swing is more geared to do damage down in the zone. He'll likely always be a little streaky, but he's shown enough polish to make evaluators very comfortable that he'll be able to maximize those prodigious tools. There is true superstar upside here, perhaps more than any individual player in the Nationals' system right now. With a Miami commitment in hand and quite a few teams competing to get him into their system, Green will not come cheap and I doubt the $6.5 million slot value will be enough to put a curly W on his hat.

OF Gavin Cross, Virginia Tech. My rank: #7.
2022: 17 HR, .328/.411/.660, 12 SB, 41/30 K/BB in 57 games.
While Parada and Green may be gone when the fifth overall pick rolls around, Gavin Cross will most likely be there. They have shown heavy interest in Cross and could be tempted by one of the best bats in the class. Cross hits the ball as hard as anybody in the class, regularly posting elite exit velocities virtually every time he comes up to hit. He has always shown the ability to track and recognize pitches, but in the past he was prone to chasing anyways simply because he was an aggressive hitter. This year, he's done a much better job of choosing the pitches he can do damage with, and the result has been a decreased strikeout rate (20.5% to 14.6%) and an increased walk rate (7.3% to 10.7%). That makes him a much more complete hitter, and one who could move fairly quickly through the Nationals' system. With his huge power, the Bristol native profiles as a middle of the order thumper who can hit 30+ home runs per year with good on-base percentages, close to the same projection as Parada. He played right field last year but moved to center field for the Hokies this season and showed well with average range and a plus arm, so even though he'll likely move back to right in pro ball, he should be above average there. Unlike Parada and Green, Cross may not require full slot value to sign here as most of his interest is in the back half of the top ten rather than the front half.

2B Termarr Johnson, Mays HS [GA]. My rank: #2.
Though he's one of the most famous names in the class and has been talked about near the top of the draft for a long time, Termarr Johnson is one of the harder names to pinpoint as teams will likely have diverging opinions. Johnson really made a name for himself on the showcase circuit by hitting everything in sight, but in a league that values recency, he didn't have much of a chance to build on his already robust resume this spring. Elijah Green hit very well against top competition in Florida, Druw Jones did the same in the Atlanta suburbs, and Jackson Holliday set the world on fire against more average competition in northern Oklahoma, while Johnson saw average competition in the city of Atlanta. Still, the whole package is very very enticing. Standing just 5'9", he has elite bat to ball skills and the same can be said about his eye at the plate, making it very, very difficult to get anything by him. Despite the smaller frame, he generates great torque from a rotational swing and those highest on him believe he could hit for plus power on top of his .400+ on-base percentages. While he's renowned for the bat, Johnson can flash the leather a little bit with smooth actions on the infield, but he's not quite explosive enough to handle shortstop and will likely fit in at second base going forward. This is generational talent when it comes to the hit tool, so if teams at the top of the draft believe there is 25+ home run power in the tank as well, he could go well before the Nationals pick at #5. However, if those same teams opt to go with more explosive athletes like Jones, Green, and Holliday that offer a little more upside, Johnson may fit closer to the back of the top ten. He committed to Arizona State very late in the process and may fit in right around slot value for the Nationals, perhaps a few ticks above.

3B Cam Collier, Chipola JC [FL]. My rank: #14.
2022: 8 HR, .333/.419/.537, 5 SB, 33/25 K/BB in 52 games.
Cam Collier is looking like a very similar prospect to Termarr Johnson at this point, and with my most recent rankings having come out over a month ago, that #14 is inaccurate. When the draft rolls around, he'll almost certainly have a single digit number next to his name if he keeps hitting on the Cape like he has. Collier was supposed to be a high school junior this year at Mount Paran Christian High School in the Atlanta area, but he graduated two years early to enroll at Chipola Junior College in the Florida Panhandle this spring. Despite having just turned 17 in November, he slashed .333/.419/.537 against some of the best JuCo pitching in the country and struck out just 15.3% of the time, an extraordinary feat for someone so young. Professional hitter doesn't even begin to describe Collier, who recognizes all kinds of pitches and uses the entire field with ease even against pitchers two to three years his senior. While he still has plenty of time to develop physically, he already packs a lot of compact strength into his 6'2" frame and can really drive the baseball, enough so that with his barrel accuracy he should be able to provide 20+ home runs a year in the majors. Like Johnson, he's not quite an explosive athlete, but he plays a very solid third base and has a much stronger arm than his fellow Georgian, which should help him stick there. This is the highest floor you could possibly ask for from a 17 year old. If he can reach the majors by the end of 2024, he'll be the first teenager to play Major League Baseball since Elvis Luciano in 2019 and the first to do so without the aid of a Rule 5 fluke since Juan Soto in 2018. It won't be easy and I'm not saying it's likely, but it's certainly possible and he has the best odds in this class. He is getting more and more interest near the top of the draft, but because guys like Jones, Green, Holliday, and even Johnson have more upside, I'd say it's pretty likely he'll be available to the Nationals at pick #5. Committed to Louisville, he'll be draft eligible again at 20 years old and that may seem enticing if he doesn't get the bonus he wants, but Washington should still be able to grab him without going too far above slot.

SS Jackson Holliday, Stillwater HS [OK]. My rank: #6.
When I wrote my first article in February, Jackson Holliday was more likely to be the Nationals' second round pick than their first. When I wrote my April update, Holliday got a mention but I wrote that fifth overall might be a bit of a stretch. Now in June (and in fact not long after I wrote that first article), not only is fifth overall not a stretch, but there's a sizable chance he isn't even available when the Nationals pick (the Rangers are reportedly targeting him at third overall). Matt Holliday's son has exploded this spring into one of the best high school players in the country, tacking on significant strength and immediately deploying those physical gains into game power. He was already well-regarded for his approach at the plate and ability to find the barrel, so going from below average to above average power really completed the profile. Holliday is also a strong defender in the infield and has a chance to stick at shortstop, but even if he slows down a touch, his strong arm will make him an above average third baseman. The Nationals would get a complete package in Holliday who could team up with Brady House to form a mean left side of the infield for years to come. Committed to Oklahoma State to play for both his uncle and father, he will not be cheap in this spot and will likely require the Nationals to go well above slot value.

SS Brooks Lee, Cal Poly. My rank: #4.
2022: 15 HR, .357/.462/.664, 3 SB, 28/46 K/BB in 58 games.
Brooks Lee is another player who may not reach the Nationals, having received interest throughout the top of the draft and as high as the Orioles at #1. He has some of the best bat to ball skills in the entire class, striking out at just a 13.6% clip as a sophomore and then dropping it below 10% this year despite rarely getting much to hit. Lee was a very aggressive hitter early in his career, regularly chasing pitches out of the zone but still finding ways to make things happen and rarely swinging and missing. This year, he dialed it back significantly and forced pitchers to come to him, then punished them on the rare occasions that they did. The California native also possesses plus power from both sides of the plate, which is a scary thought for someone who makes as much contact as he does. He's really filled out since high school and looks like a physical specimen with plenty of compact strength in his 6'2" frame. On defense, he's a high IQ player that makes all the routine plays, though if he slows down at all as he ages, he'll be forced over to third base where his arm will still play. Despite being a college player, Lee has enough interest throughout the top of the draft that I expect he will require at least full slot value.

2B Jace Jung, Texas Tech. My rank: #8.
2022: 14 HR, .335/.481/.612, 5 SB, 42/59 K/BB in 61 games.
Jace Jung has received interest throughout the back half of the top ten, and he's every bit the hitter that Gavin Cross, Kevin Parada, and Brooks Lee are. He has absolutely demolished Big 12 pitching while at Texas Tech, slashing .336/.472/.653 with 35 home runs and far more walks (108) than strikeouts (87) in 117 games over the past two seasons. Jung has always been a very patient hitter that is happy to spit on junk out of the zone, which is mostly what he saw in college, forcing pitchers to come to him or simply taking his walks instead. Like Lee above him here, he punishes pitchers when they do come into that zone, with strong pitch recognition that allows him to put the barrel on the ball with regularity and drive it out to all fields. He records high exit velocities that translate into plus power in games, and he should be a relatively quick mover through the minors. His defense is unremarkable, with the ability to play an adequate second base or third base but nothing flashy, and he could be forced to first base if he's surrounded by better defenders. Still, the bat will profile anywhere, with the potential for 25+ home runs annually with high on-base percentages that will have him hitting in the middle of the lineup with a high degree of confidence. If he goes fifth overall, I doubt he will require the full slot value to sign and Washington could use that money later in the draft.

RHP Brock Porter, Orchard Lake St. Mary's HS [MI]. My rank: #19.
Pitching up in Michigan, Brock Porter came on strong later in the spring when it finally warmed up, and he'll probably see a slight bump up from that month-plus-old #19 ranking when my final rankings come out before the draft. While Dylan Lesko has long been considered the best prep pitcher in this class, his recent Tommy John surgery has clouded his draft stock and signability and allowed Porter to move into contention to be the first prep pitcher drafted. Porter throws as hard as any teenager in the country, comfortably sitting in the mid 90's and reaching back for 99-100 at his hottest. With plenty of arm strength, the Detroit-area high schooler holds that velocity deep into starts, and he gets some life on the pitch as well. Unlike most prep power pitchers, his go-to offspeed is a plus changeup with a ton of movement down in the zone, leaving high school hitters helpless and likely to do the same in pro ball. His breaking balls are a bit behind the fastball and changeup, but they've ticked up this spring with his curveball showing nice depth and his harder slider showing late snap. It's a truly enviable four pitch mix that is only trending upwards, and his clean, athletic delivery lends itself well to starting in the future even if it needs some minor touchups. While he's not pinpoint, the 6'4" righty fills up the strike zone and when you throw that hard, that's often enough. He's committed to Clemson and while high school pitchers are always expensive, I suspect that if the Nationals reach down the board a little bit for Porter, they can still get him to sign for well below slot value. He's older for a high school prospect having already turned 19, but the present stuff is so loud that that shouldn't matter too much.

Second Round Targets (pick #45, slot value $1.73 million)

Talking about the second round is just guesswork, but we know how the Nationals like to draft and we can at least highlight some options. I'll start with some money savers first in the case that Mike Rizzo goes above slot to land a player like Elijah Green or Jackson Holliday.

LHP Parker Messick, Florida State. My rank: #26.
2022: 3.38 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 144/18 K/BB in 98.2 innings.
I would love if the Nationals took Parker Messick in the second round, even if that #26 ranking has probably slipped a little since my May rankings update. Messick fits the Nationals' mold as a power conference performer with advanced pitchability and the ability to move quickly through the minors. He sits in the low 90's with his fastball, but it plays up because he hides the ball well from a deceptive delivery and because he can locate it. Messick flips in a couple of average breaking balls that he can land for strikes or use to generate chases, while his changeup has flashed plus and helps him rack up the strikeouts. Lastly, he's a dogged competitor on the mound that goes right after hitters with confidence.

RHP Jonathan Cannon, Georgia. My rank: #73.
2022: 4.02 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 68/12 K/BB in 78.1 innings.
Here is another arm that fits the same mold as a pitchability guy with strong performance in a power conference. Jonathan Cannon does not have loud stuff, but gets it done with some of the best command in the entire class having walked fewer than four percent of his opponents this spring. The lanky, 6'6" righty sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball, having touched 97 in the past, but it's fairly straight and he needed to add a cutter this spring to get more movement and keep hitters off the fastball. He flashes an above average slider and changeup, and because he's constantly in pitcher's counts and hitting his spots, they play up. The Atlanta-area native turns 22 on Day Three of the draft and won't likely command a huge signing bonus in this spot, and he should move quickly through the minors as a #4 starter type.

RHP Ben Joyce, Tennessee. My rank: #110.
2022: 2.23 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 53/14 K/BB in 32.1 innings.
Ben Joyce isn't exactly the same type of pitcher as Messick or Cannon, but he still seems like a guy the Nationals would like given that they have not been shy about jumping on power conference relievers like Holden Powell, Reid Schaller, and Michael Kirian in the past. His #110 ranking is also not representative of where he is today, having moved up perhaps forty or so spots when I redo my rankings. If you watch college baseball, you know Ben Joyce. The 6'5" righty sits comfortably in the 101-103 range with his fastball, hitting 105 at one point this spring and completely overwhelming hitters when he's around the zone. The fastball plays up even farther because of the extension and angle he gets, making it virtually impossible to hit unless you sit on both the fastball and the location. He also shows a hard, upper 80's slider with some nice snap, but he struggles to locate it and it mostly plays up because hitters have to be ready for the fastball. The Knoxville native should move quickly as a reliever and would likely come at a discount here in the second round.

Others: RHP Connor Staine (Central Florida), C Logan Tanner (Mississippi State), OF Clark Elliott (Michigan), SS Nick Morabito (Gonzaga HS, DC), C Malcolm Moore (McClatchy HS, CA)

The above group represents some names the Nationals could look at to save some money if they went over slot on Jackson Holliday or Elijah Green, but now let's look at some splurge options if they instead go below slot on a guy like Gavin Cross, Jace Jung, or Brock Porter.

RHP Walter Ford, Pace HS [FL]. My rank: #31.
It's hard to find a better projection play than Walter Ford. He reclassified from the 2023 class so he won't turn 18 until the offseason, but already possesses a ton of athleticism and room to add good weight to his rangy 6'3" frame. Scouts love the way he moves on the mound at such a young age, and I'm sure the Nationals would love to get him into their development system and see what they can create. The fastball sits low to mid 90's for now, touching 97 with downward plane and promising to add more velocity in the future. While it's not the flat approach angle teams look for nowadays, the Nationals are more traditional and might be less concerned with that, especially considering he gets high spin rates and some hop on the pitch. Ford also spins a slider and changeup, with the former flashing above average, but both (in addition to his command) need more consistency. Ford needs a lot of development and the Nationals would have their work cut out for them, but few pitchers offer more upside in this draft. Committed to Alabama where he would be draft eligible again at just 20 years old, he'll almost certainly require a big over slot bonus in this spot.

RHP JR Ritchie, Bainbridge Island HS [WA]. My rank: #37.
JR Ritchie is a good picture of what Walter Ford might look like in a year and a half, because that's how much older he is. He's another athletic right hander, standing an inch shorter at 6'2", with plenty of projection remaining. His fastball sits in the same range, low to mid 90's with a peak around 97, also showing some ride and hop but mostly typical fastball movement. Ritchie's age and polish shine through with his secondaries, as he flashes plus with his slider while also showing good feel for his curveball and changeup. The Seattle-area native moves very well on the mound and throws strikes, and he also stands out as someone who really understands the game and will certainly work hard to maximize his potential. Committed to UCLA, he'll be eligible again as a sophomore in 2024 and will require more than slot value to sign here.

3B Tucker Toman, Hammond HS [SC]. My rank: #69.
Tucker Toman has seen quiet but consistent helium throughout the spring, and it could make him an over slot option for the Nationals in the second round. Toman is a switch hitter that takes whippy, powerful hacks that are very conducive to tapping game power, though for now, his left handed swing is quicker and more powerful than his right handed swing. In addition, he recognizes pitches well and gets his barrel to them with consistency, giving him the look of an all-around hitter that should transition fairly smoothly to pro ball. He's not athletic enough for shortstop but may have enough arm for third base, or he could be pushed to an outfield corner. Regardless, the Nationals would be buying the upside in his bat. Committed to LSU, he would require a sizable bonus to sign here.

Others: RHP Cole Phillips (Boerne HS, TX), OF Roman Anthony (Stoneman Douglas HS, FL), OF Henry Bolte (Palo Alto HS, CA), LHP Noah Schultz (Oswego East HS, IL), RHP Blade Tidwell (Tennessee)

2022 MLB Draft: Ten early options for the Nationals at pick #5

We're entering a new era of Nationals baseball, with the newest generation of fans perhaps not used to picking so early in the draft. From 2012-2020, they never picked higher than sixteenth (Lucas Giolito, 2012), then in 2021 moved up to eleventh. In 2022, they'll be picking in a range more familiar to older fans, with their first top five pick since they made Bryce Harper their second of back to back first overall picks in 2010. Harper was part of an extremely successful run from 2009-2012 that also saw them take Stephen Strasburg (1st overall, 2009), Drew Storen (10th, 2009), Anthony Rendon (6th, 2011), and Giolito (16th, 2012) with first round picks. Since then, the 2010's were a bit of rough sledding with Erick Fedde (18th, 2014) and Carter Kieboom (28th, 2016) being the only two first rounders to make any kind of impact on the big league club, and Nationals first rounders since 2013 have actually combined for -0.4 fWAR in that timeframe.

With the lack of recent success from early picks, coupled with the constant trading of prospects during the Nationals' many playoff runs and several high profile international signings floundering, the farm system has fallen precipitously and was actually ranked dead last by Baseball America prior to the 2021 season. The deadline selloff that year, as well as a breakout from Cade Cavalli and high profile additions in Brady House and Christian Vaquero, helped bump Washington up to 26th out of 30 in the 2022 version of that list, but there is still a ways to go. It's clear that the system's traditional player development strategy has fallen behind other, more progressive systems, and for that reason Mike Rizzo is shaking things up going forward. For that reason, it's very hard to peg what direction the Nationals will go in 2022, and it might be easier to simply list out the best prospects in the draft, all of whom figure to have a chance to wear the Curly W. Before we dive in, let's take a quick look back at the Nationals five most recent first round picks:

2021: SS Brady House, Winder-Barrow HS, GA (11th overall)
2020: RHP Cade Cavalli, Oklahoma (22nd overall)
2019: RHP Jackson Rutledge, San Jacinto CC (17th overall)
2018: RHP Mason Denaburg, Merritt Island HS, FL (27th overall)
2017: LHP Seth Romero, Houston (25th overall)

Brady House broke a streak of four consecutive pitchers taken in the first round and a streak of six consecutive first rounds selecting a pitcher. He's the first hitter the Nationals had taken to begin a draft since Kieboom in 2016, when they also selected college righty Dane Dunning one pick later. The one demographic the Nationals have really avoided with that first pick is a college bat, with Rendon in 2011 being the most recent, but there will be a bevy of options available this year that could cause that to change. Given the already-shallow college pitching class that has been further battered by injuries, as well as teams' usual reluctance to gamble on high school pitching at the very top of the draft, the available options are likely pointing to Washington taking a hitter with the fifth overall pick. There are three absolute studs at the very top of the prep bat class if they want to double up after taking House last year, while the college bats provide the deepest group of high-end talent of any demographic in the class. Let's explore some options, with their ranking on my current board in parentheses.

2B Termarr Johnson, Mays HS [GA] (#1)
If the draft were today, it would be highly unlikely for Termarr Johnson to make it past the first couple of picks, but high schoolers can be unpredictable with their bonus demands and we have a long spring ahead of us. So if other bats overtake him or if he starts asking for an astronomical number, Johnson could be available at pick #5. There are no two ways about it – TerJohn is a special, special hitter. Despite being nearly a year younger than much of his competition that consists of an oddly old group of top high school prospects, he has stood out with the best combination of polish and power we have seen in a long time. He takes extremely professional at bats, rarely chasing pitches he doesn't like even with an eye for the strike zone well beyond his years. When he does get his pitch, he can find the barrel with his eyes closed if he wants to with exceptional plate coverage and hand eye coordination. That level of confidence in the box allows him to rip off ferocious hacks from the left side without sacrificing his hit tool, giving him plus power despite a stocky 5'9" frame that might not look the part. For those familiar with last year's class, you can imagine Kahlil Watson's build, power, and swing (perhaps toned down just a hair) combined with more than a full grade better hit tool. On the defensive side, the Atlanta native shows a smooth and quick glove that profiles well at second base, though he probably lacks the explosive physical tools for shortstop in the long run. One of the Orioles, Diamondbacks, Rangers, or Pirates will probably pick him up before the Nationals come around at pick #5 if he keeps hitting like he does, but if he slips through, it would be hard for Washington to pass him over. He surprisingly remains uncommitted, so it remains to be seen how his bonus demands shape up and affect his market.

OF Druw Jones, Wesleyan HS [GA] (#2)
Termarr Johnson goes to school just west of downtown Atlanta, but up in the northeastern suburbs less than 25 miles away, we have another talent with equal if not greater upside in Druw Jones. The son of longtime Braves great and deserving future Hall of Famer Andruw Jones, Druw fits right at the top of the class as well and could also be gone before Washington selects. He is a supreme athlete that has steadily added more and more polish to his game, putting him fully in contention for the top overall spot on my board. He has an ideal frame at 6'4" with long arms and legs and plenty of room to add strength, something teams absolutely love to see early in the draft. A right handed hitter, he has plus raw power and loves to turn on pitches, driving them impressive distances with great strength and leverage in his swing. Despite a pull-centric approach, he shows great plate coverage with those long arms and strong barrel accuracy giving him the ability to pull pitches on the outer half of the plate with authority as well. He does show the ability to go the other way with authority already, but for now, that's usually not his approach. To top it off, Jones has strong plate discipline and pitch recognition and does not chase often. As a whole, the package at the plate makes him a tremendous ball of clay for the Nationals' pro development staff to get their hands on, and once you combine the strength, athleticism, and plate discipline befitting of the sone of a major leaguer with some tweaks to his overall approach and swing path, you have MVP upside. Not just a hitter, Jones shines on defense as well, with plus-plus speed helping him track down virtually anything hit in his direction in center field. As you'd expect given his father's defensive prowess, he's also polished out there beyond what you'd expect from most high schoolers. Throw in a strong arm and he has a chance to win Gold Gloves in center field. Jones is committed to Vanderbilt and will be an expensive sign, which could enable him to drop to the Nationals at pick #5.

OF Elijah Green, IMG Academy [FL] (#5)
Rounding out the Big Three prep bats is Elijah Green, perhaps the most physically gifted high schooler we've seen in a long time. While Termarr Johnson is only 5'9" and Druw Jones still has plenty of room to grow into his 6'4" frame, Elijah Green has already filled out his 6'3" frame with 225 pounds of fast-twitch muscle. The son of former NFL tight end Eric Green, Elijah brings that kind of football athleticism to the baseball field and it manifests most prominently in some of the best raw power in the class, easily plus if not plus-plus. He takes big hacks from the right side to get the most out of that power, dropping some absolute bombs that leave scouts adding exclamation marks to their reports. In addition to his jaw dropping power, he's also a plus-plus runner that can make things happen on the bases, giving him true 30-30 upside in the majors. While he certainly has a healthy uppercut in the box, Green stays balanced up there and for years has shown the ability to tap his power in games, making him one of the most famous names in the 2022 prep class for a while now. He's especially potent down in the zone, where he can really go down and lift the ball, but lately pitchers have found holes in his swing with fastballs up in the zone as well as with well-placed breaking balls that dive out of the zone away from him. How the Orlando-area native adjusts this spring will dictate whether he remains in play at the top of the draft or slips a little bit, and scouts will have plenty of opportunity to evaluate him playing on the most talented high school program in the nation, the IMG Academy boarding school outside of Tampa. Defensively, his speed will help him stick in center field, while his plus arm will make him a true weapon and can help him compete for Gold Gloves if he can get a little more polished out there with his reads and routes. He's committed to Miami, but if he shows well enough this spring to be in play when the Nationals pick at #5 overall, that shouldn't be an issue.

RHP Dylan Lesko, Buford HS [GA] (#10)
The Atlanta area is consistently one of the top talent producing metros in the country, but 2022 is on another level. Already boasting Termarr Johnson and Druw Jones, who in my opinion are the two best prospects in this entire class for now, the ATL also gives us the near-consensus top pitching prospect in the prep class (and perhaps the entire draft) in Dylan Lesko, just twenty miles northeast of Jones' Wesleyan School and forty miles northeast of Johnson's Mays High School (yeah, the ATL is absolutely massive). It's crowded near the top of the prep pitching class, but Lesko has done just enough to provide some daylight between himself and the next tier. His fastball sits in the mid 90's and can get into the upper 90's, with good extension down the mound helping give that fastball a little extra hop. Lesko's bread and butter plus changeup with excellent diving action that can even be effective if he misses up in the zone, while he also adds two breaking balls. He throws his curveball more often than his slider, and while it's still a work in progress with inconsistent shape, he gets high spin rates on it that give it plenty of upside if the Nationals' staff gets their hands on it. The 6'2" righty has a sturdy frame and a clean delivery that helps him fill up the strike zone, generally doing a very good job of spotting his pitches to both sides of the plate. It's not so much of a "wow, I've never seen that before" profile as it is one that checks all of the boxes you look for in a premium prep pitching prospect, and if he stays healthy and continues pounding the strike zone with big league stuff like he has throughout his high school career, he could very well be in play at pick #5. Another factor that could push him up the board to Washington is the poor college pitching class, so if the Nationals want a true impact arm, he may be the best and possibly only option. As with Druw Jones, they'll also have to contend with an expensive Vanderbilt commitment.

SS Brooks Lee, Cal Poly (#3)
2020-2021: 10 HR, .342/.384/.626, 3 SB, 34/18 K/BB in 55 games.
If the Nationals are going to take the first college hitter in the first round since 2011, there are tons of options but Cal Poly shortstop Brooks Lee might be the best at this point. A top two rounds talent out of San Luis Obispo High School in 2019, he instead headed to school to play for his dad and a massive sophomore season vaulted him to the top of the class. He immediately stands out for his pure feel for the barrel, which is arguably the best in the entire college class. Lee is an aggressive hitter that frequently expands his zone, but his barrel accuracy is so elite that he still rarely swings and misses and can do plenty of damage outside of the strike zone. When he connects, he shows above average raw power that he consistently taps in games, with the chance to grow into true plus power from his strong 6'1" frame once he incorporates a little more loft into his swing. On the defensive side, he's a heady defender that can make all the routine plays at shortstop but may be forced to move to third base as he fills out his frame and slows down a tick. He seems like exactly the kind of player the Orioles would love to get their hands on with the first overall pick, especially if he's willing to sign below slot value, but given the glut of position player talent at the top of this draft there's a very good chance he's available at pick #5. If he can tighten his strike zone a little bit in 2022 while continuing to tap his power, he could make sense for Washington as a potential prime Daniel Murphy-type hitter, bringing the added benefit of being a switch hitter and providing better defense.

OF Chase DeLauter, James Madison (#4)
2020-2021: 7 HR, .385/.488/.657, 14 SB, 24/34 K/BB in 42 games.
The Nationals also have a hometown option if they want to go that route, which I think would be really cool. Chase DeLauter grew up just over the Blue Ridge from the DC area in Martinsburg, West Virginia, just over sixty miles northwest of the White House. He's absolutely torn the cover off the ball at JMU, ripping .385/.488/.657 over 42 games to make scouts take notice, but it was his performance on the Cape (.298/.397/.589) against elite competition that really vaulted him up boards similar to New Mexico State's Nick Gonzales a few years ago, though they're very different players. DeLauter is listed at an intimidating 6'4", 235 pounds, and he looks it in the box. He has a very loose, effortless uppercut in the box that reminds me somewhat of James Wood from last year's draft, producing easy loft and playing well to his body type. It's not the most traditional swing path and his pure bat to ball skills are probably closer to average than plus, but he's an extraordinarily disciplined hitter that works counts with precision until he gets his pitch to hit. Despite facing a weaker schedule at JMU, that plate discipline held up extremely well on the Cape where he saw a big step up in competition, continuing to walk more (21) than he struck out (18) in 34 games. This is a true power hitter who is completely unfazed by premium stuff and whose small school should not be held against him. He's also a good runner that may be able to make it work in center field for a little while, though as he slows down he'll probably move to right field where his strong arm will play. To top it off, DeLauter is extremely young for the class and won't turn 21 until October, much like Jud Fabian a year ago. He'll be tested right away with a series against Florida State during the opening weekend, where he'll face two of the best lefties in the country in Parker Messick and Bryce Hubbart. How he fares against those two and the tough FSU staff as a whole will be closely watched, and if he performs like he's capable in that series and throughout the season against JMU's Colonial schedule, he'll very much be in play at pick #5.

OF Gavin Cross, Virginia Tech (#6)
2020-2021: 11 HR, .345/.415/.621, 9 SB, 48/17 K/BB in 51 games.
The Nationals have had a bit of UVA flavor lately between Ryan Zimmerman, Sean Doolittle, and briefly Mark Reynolds, but in 2022 they have an opportunity to flip across the rivalry and bring in a Hokie. Gavin Cross grew up in Bristol, Tennessee, just minutes over the border with Virginia, which makes him a quasi-hometown pick as well. He's actually a bit of a cross between Brooks Lee and Chase DeLauter in that he combines Lee's aggressiveness and pitch recognition with DeLauter's power and size, making his at bats somewhat of a laser show. He crushes baseballs with massive exit velocities on a scarily consistent basis, regularly driving them out to all fields for true plus power that plays in games. While he is aggressive, his pitch recognition and bat to ball skills are very strong and he makes a lot of hard contact outside the zone. While you might think that better pitching would exploit this, he has performed in the ACC and he hit a scorching .455/.474/.879 over eleven games with the Collegiate National Team, where he faced some of the best arms in the country. He's not quite as quick as DeLauter and probably won't sniff center field in pro ball, he'll be just fine in right with a cannon arm. I've mentioned this every time I've written about him, but the whole package really reminds me of Juan Soto minus his generational plate discipline (which of course is a big part of what makes Juan Soto Juan Soto). Cross has the size, frame, and swing of his Nationals counterpart, and his strong pitch recognition harkens to Soto as well. If he can tighten up the strike zone a little bit and show more of a patient approach at the plate in 2022, he should be in play for Washington at #5.

2B Jace Jung, Texas Tech (#7)
2020-2021: 25 HR, .322/.457/.678, 5 SB, 60/67 K/BB in 75 games.
In 2018, Texas Tech third baseman Josh Jung went eighth overall to the in-state Rangers, and in 2022, the Nationals could help his younger brother beat that position. It's hard to know what direction Mike Rizzo will go given how he will be changing the strategy this year, but out of everyone on this list, Jung probably feels the most like a National. He probably has the most balanced profile of any college hitter this year, and like I've mentioned before it's a very deep class in that regard so that's no small honor. He's extremely patient in the box and recognizes pitches well, enabling him to consistently do damage against strong competition. There is at least above average power in his 6' frame, which he taps extremely consistently in games because he's always finding the barrel. Some quibble with the San Antonio native's unique load, in which he cocks his bat back towards the backstop, but I like it because it puts him in a good position to hit and brings with it very little wasted movement. The overall product is a hitter that can produce 20-30 home runs annually with high on-base percentages and hit near the top of a lineup, and there's a pretty high floor as well. Jung isn't a strong defender, with just enough glove for second base or just enough arm for third base depending on which you want to stretch, but you're buying the bat here. There's not much he can do to build off his tremendous 2021 season, but if he can just repeat it, he'll be in play at pick #5.

RHP Landon Sims, Mississippi State (#13)
2020-2021: 6-0, 1.82 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 123/22 K/BB in 69.1 innings.
It's a very shallow college pitching class that was initially led by a trio of SEC righthanders in Arkansas' Peyton Pallette, Tennessee's Blade Tidwell, and Mississippi State's Landon Sims. However, a shallow pitching class got shallower when Pallette went down with Tommy John surgery and Tidwell was shut down with shoulder soreness, leaving Sims as the clear leader despite having never started a game at the college level. Instead, he's served as the Bulldogs' closer where anyone who watches college baseball at all has likely seen him. He'll transition to the rotation this spring after the departures of Will Bednar and Christian MacLeod, where he has a chance to really push himself up boards in a big way. It's the most explosive stuff in amateur baseball, bar none, that makes the Atlanta-area native special. His fastball sits in the low to mid 90's, touching 97, but its movement is perhaps even more impressive than its velocity with tremendous carry that makes it nearly impossible to square up. His slider is just as good, a devastating breaker with nasty late bite, and the two pitches helped him strike out 46.9% (!) of the hitters he faced this past season despite going up against a strong SEC and NCAA Tournament schedule. For the most part, he's relied on those two pitches to get out, but he's been working on his changeup in preparation for his rotation move and the pitch is already looking very promising. Sims is a fire breathing competitor and an absolute bulldog when he comes in to close out games, but if the Nationals are going to draft him fifth overall, they're going to do so with conviction that he will be a starter. He commands the ball much better than you'd expect with his kind of stuff, which will bode well for that transition to the rotation this spring, and if his stuff is anywhere close to being as explosive as it is out of the bullpen, the sturdy 6'2" righty could pull it off. Watch to see how he holds up the second and third time through the order this year to see whether he's worth a shot at #5.

SS Carter Young, Vanderbilt (#16)
2020-2021: 16 HR, .268/.347/.522, 10 SB, 101/35 K/BB in 79 games.
If he wants to go fifth overall, Carter Young has more work to do than anybody else on this list, including Landon Sims and his transition to the rotation. Young was trending towards this part of the draft after hitting .328 in his shortened freshman season (albeit without much power in a small sample size) and coming out of the gate hot again in 2021, but a shoulder injury in May scuttled his momentum and he was still dealing with lingering effects after he returned in June. That second half slump in 2021 hurt his outlook, but he's fully healthy heading into 2022 and will look to build his stock back up. Young is a switch hitter that taps plus raw power in games with a big, healthy hack, with a mature all-fields approach that helps him handle high end stuff. However, that big swing also leads to some swing and miss, an issue that snowballed after his injury when he wasn't able to cut loose as effectively. In 2022, he'll have to not only get back to his pre-injury self, but cut down further on the swing and miss to prove he belongs at the very top of the class. Working in his favor is his defense, with both the range and the arm strength to profile as a plus defender at shortstop. Not many shortstops boast the kind of bat he shows at his best, and the Nationals would love it if he could put it all together this spring and cut his strikeout rate to a tolerable level. If he does, it will be one of the better all-around profiles in the class.

Other Dark Horse Candidates

LHP Brandon Barriera, American Heritage HS, FL (#15)
2B Robert Moore, Arkansas (#17)
LHP Jackson Ferris, IMG Academy, FL (#20)
3B Cam Collier, Chipola JC (#22)
OF Justin Crawford, Bishop Gorman HS, NV (#38)

2022 MLB Draft: an early look at mid-majors (west)

2021 draftees: 76. Top schools: Dallas Baptist/San Diego State/Tulane (5).
2021 preseason writeup (published 1/22/2021)

Top draftees:
1-5, Orioles: OF Colton Cowser (Sam Houston State)
1-18, Cardinals: RHP Michael McGreevy (UC Santa Barbara)
2-67, Angels: LHP Ky Bush (Saint Mary's)
CBB-71, Padres: LHP Robert Gasser (Houston)
3-81, Mets: RHP Dominic Hamel (Dallas Baptist)
3-96, Braves: LHP Dylan Dodd (Southeast Missouri State)

Just like in the east, the western mid majors have a strong candidate to go first overall in Cal Poly shortstop Brooks Lee, rivaling James Madison's Chase DeLauter on the other side of the country. However, at this point it's really Lee running the show in the west with no other prospects looking like clear-cut first rounders, with the next group of prospects looking to go more in the second to third round range with questions surrounding power output for the hitters and ability to stick in the rotation for the pitchers. Below, we'll look at the top ten for the 2022 draft.

1. SS Brooks Lee, Cal Poly.
Bat: B. Throw: R. 6'2", 205 lbs. Born 2/14/2001. Hometown: San Luis Obispo, CA.
2021: 10 HR, .342/.384/.626, 3 SB, 34/18 K/BB in 55 games.
Brooks Lee, the son of Cal Poly head coach Larry Lee, was a very well-known prospect coming out of San Luis Obispo High School back in 2019 and had a chance to go in the the top two rounds had he been signable. Instead, he was the fourth best prospect to reach campus behind three SEC-bound stars in Vanderbilt's Jack Leiter, Florida's Hunter Barco, and LSU's Maurice Hampton. He barely got to play in 2020 when the COVID shutdown came down just as he was returning from hamstring surgery, but he set the league on fire with a huge sophomore season with a .342/.384/.626 line in 55 games. Seeing time with both the Collegiate National Team and in the Cape Cod League over the summer, he was exposed to some of the top amateur pitchers in the country and thrived to the tune of a .375/.405/.600 line with seven home runs in 32 games, leaving no doubt that the bat is for real. Lee employs an extremely aggressive approach at the plate, swinging at almost everything he considers hittable. For the vast majority of players, that kind of free swinging mentality would lead to high strikeout rates and ugly K/BB ratios (think Javier Baez), but it actually works extremely well in this case because his feel for the barrel is perhaps unparalleled in college baseball. It doesn't matter what he's up against, velocity, quality breaking stuff, in the zone, out of the zone, whatever, Lee is going to see it, hit it, and hit it hard. He's not just a slap hitter, either, with plus raw power that he taps in games, with wood bats, and against quality competition, coming from a sturdy 6'2" frame that should continue to add strength in pro ball. A switch hitter, he's been known for his choppy swing since high school, though despite its optics he's direct to the ball and can effectively catch pitches out in front to drive them to all fields. Lee plays shortstop for now and his instincts help him perform well at the position, but he's a fringy runner and his lack of range might push him to third base in the long run, where he'll still be a net-positive defensively. Headed into pro ball, he has a very complete profile that figures to hit 20-30 home runs a year with high on-base percentages, though he'll have to cut back just a little bit on his tendency to expand the zone because he won't always be able to get away with chasing  like he does against college pitching. For now, he's in play right at the start of the draft and should be a lock for the first round if he even comes close to matching his strong 2021 season.

2. OF Jace Grady, Dallas Baptist.
Bat: B. Throw: R. 5'10", 185 lbs. Born 5/25/2001. Hometown: Elgin, TX.
2021: 4 HR, .337/.417/.534, 15 SB, 33/23 K/BB in 49 games.
Jace Grady did not reach campus at Dallas Baptist with nearly as much fanfare as Brooks Lee, but after hitting just .187/.295/.237 in the shortened 2020 season, he's been trending straight up. Grady was an integral piece of the Patriots' super regional team, hitting .337/.417/.534 with 15 stolen bases in 49 games, then he took it to another level by slashing .348/.383/.596 with six home runs in 22 games on the Cape. Previously regarded as a potential fourth outfielder who could spray line drives around the field, his power surge against elite competition over the summer added a whole new ceiling to the profile. He's a patient hitter that doesn't chase much, but he still rarely strikes out or walks because when he does get his pitch, he rarely misses it and makes consistent hard contact to all fields. "All fields" can at times be associated with a slap-heavy approach, but Grady is not afraid to turn on the ball and shows some solid pop to the pull side. The Austin-area native runs well enough to stick in center field, giving him a really nice all around profile. Evaluators will want to see him tap that power consistently throughout the 2022 season to feel comfortable popping him in the top fifty or so picks, but if he can continue to show enough juice to profile for perhaps 10-15 home runs a year to go along with his high on-base percentages, he could knock on the door of the first round. For now, he probably fits better in the second or early third, with the fact that he's relatively young for the class working in his favor.

3. SS Andrew Pintar, Brigham Young.
Bat: R. Throw: R. 6'2", 190 lbs. Born 3/23/2001. Hometown: Spanish Fork, UT.
2021: 9 HR, .333/.433/.556, 4 SB, 29/32 K/BB in 48 games.
Brigham Young has not had a player drafted in the top five rounds since 2013, when the Cubs took Jacob Hannemann in the third round, and 6th rounder Jackson Cluff (2019) marks the only Cougar to go in the top ten rounds since then. There is a good chance that changes in 2021 with Andrew Pintar and Cy Nielson looking to be two of the best prospects BYU has had in a long time, though Nielson has significant relief risk and Pintar is, for now, clearly the better prospect. Pintar hit .302/.381/.358 as a freshman then added power to his game in 2021 with a monster .333/.433/.556 line, ending the season especially hot with eleven multi-hit games over his final fourteen. He has some of the stronger plate discipline in the west and selects good pitches, leading to high on-base percentages and low strikeout rates. He loves to get his arms extended and because of that has power to all fields, not just to the pull side, with impressive exit velocities to boot and a chance for above average power in pro ball. Together, that gives the Salt Lake City-area native the projection of 15-20 home runs a year with high on-base percentages at his peak, a very favorable offensive profile especially at shortstop. He'll likely stick there with strong feel for the position that makes up for his average physical tools, giving him an extremely well-rounded game. You won't find many plus tools in Pintar's arsenal, but he has a very strong chance to work his way up as a consistently solid regular who will help the team out in a lot of ways. For now, that's a second to third round projection, but teams love polished college hitters that can stick at shortstop and Pintar fits.

4. SS Jordan Sprinkle, UC Santa Barbara.
Bat: R. Throw: R. 5'10", 170 lbs. Born 3/6/2001. Hometown: Palm Springs, CA.
2021: 7 HR, .353/.402/.536, 26 SB, 39/14 K/BB in 58 games.
Jordan Sprinkle is a favorite among West Coast area scouts, coming off a huge sophomore season (.353/.402/.536) and following that up with a very respectable run with both the Collegiate National Team and in the Cape Cod League (combined .276/.348/.362 in 19 games). He makes a ton of contact from the right side, spraying line drives around the field and looking unfazed for the most part against elite pitching over the summer, though he did strike out in over 30% of his plate appearances after posting a 14.9% rate for UCSB. Sprinkle also shows some ambush power and runs into his fair share of home runs due to the high volume of hard hit balls he produces, though again, that power did not show up with wood bats over the summer as he ended with four extra base hits (no home runs) in those 19 games. At a skinny 5'10", he'll likely always be hit over power, and on the docket for 2022 will be drawing a few more walks and maintaining that 45 grade power projection. The Southern California native has a very favorable defensive outlook with plus speed that gives him great range at shortstop, with plenty of arm strength to help him not just stick there but thrive. The overall package reminds me a bit of Jose Torres, who went to the Reds in the third round last year out of NC State and had a very strong debut in the low minors (.333/.387/.590 in 28 games). The very strong glove will buy his bat plenty of time to adjust to pro pitching and if the power never comes along, his bat to ball skills will make him a valuable utility infielder at the least. I see him fitting in the third or fourth round for now with a chance to work his way up this spring.

5. RHP Troy Melton, San Diego State.
Bat: R. Throw: R. 6'4", 190 lbs. Born 12/3/2000. Hometown: Anaheim, CA.
2021: 4-5, 6.14 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 83/30 K/BB in 73.1 innings.
Troy Melton was draft-eligible last year, but because he was one of the youngest players in the class and didn't quite live up to expectations, he returned to San Diego State and will still be younger than many first-time eligible players this year including four of the next five players on this list. Relatively new to pitching, he looked strong in the COVID-shortened 2020 season (3.22 ERA, 26/9 K/BB in 22.1 IP) and was tabbed as a breakout candidate heading into 2021. While he did make 15 starts and threw over 70 innings in the Aztec rotation, the results themselves were somewhat pedestrian and he was more hittable than expected. Heading into 2022, evaluators are hoping his youth, projection, and increased experience will help him turn the corner and finally have that breakout season. The 6'4" righty sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball, scraping the upper 90's at his best and playing up due to his lower release point and good extension. He adds a full arsenal of secondary pitches led by a sweepy slider in addition to more of a get-me-over curveball and changeup. He pounds the zone with strikes, but his lack of a putaway offspeed pitch left him vulnerable to hard contact when his pitches caught too much plate. In 2022, Melton will want to take a step forward with one or more of those offspeeds to keep hitters off his fastball and get away with more location misses, in which case he could really move up boards in a hurray. Scouts already love the athleticism and projection in his frame, and there is plenty of starter upside here if things break right. He ranked #163 on my 2021 list and hasn't seen his stock move much since, so right now it's a middle-of-day-two projection that will likely change significantly before draft day.

6. RHP Devereaux Harrison, Long Beach State.
Bat: R. Throw: R. 6', 190 lbs. Born 11/8/2000. Hometown: Vacaville, CA.
2021: 3-1, 1.57 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 42/12 K/BB in 34.1 innings.
In Devereaux Harrison, we already have an early submission for the all-name team. He's seen nothing but success in two seasons out of the Long Beach State bullpen, putting together a 1.50 ERA and a sharp 60/18 strikeout to walk ratio over 48 innings, often working two, three, or even four innings at a time. His live right arm earned him brief stints with both the Collegiate National Team and Wareham in the Cape Cod League, and now heading into the 2022 season he's one of the more interesting pitchers on the West Coast. Harrison sits in the low 90's with his fastball and regularly peaks into the mid 90's, and the pitch plays up significantly because he generates exceptional ride to the arm side. His secondaries, namely a slider and changeup, are more of a work in progress, with the slider varying considerably in its quality but flashing above average at its best and the changeup existing really to give hitters another look. The 6' righty isn't huge but he's cleaned up his delivery significantly since getting to Long Beach and is throwing more strikes, though his long arm action still causes some inconsistency in his release point. At this point, he probably projects more as a reliever due to the fact that he's mostly a two pitch guy for now that hasn't been stretched out and struggles with inconsistency at times, though he has a whole spring to show evaluators he can start. If the Northern California native can successfully transition to the rotation this spring and maintain his high octane stuff, he could jump quickly into the top two to three rounds, but college relievers have a very checkered track record in pro ball and it might be more of a middle-of-day-two projection if he can't shed that profile.

7. RHP Jacob Meador, Dallas Baptist.
Bat: R. Throw: R. 5'11", 170 lbs. Born 10/26/2000. Hometown: Burleson, TX.
2021: 1-1, 5.68 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 24/11 K/BB in 19 innings.
Jacob Meador is just about as DFW as it gets, having grown up in Burleson in the far southwestern corner of the Metroplex, pitching two years at TCU in Fort Worth, and now transferring across the Mid Cities to Dallas Baptist. Meador has always possessed great stuff and he stood out for just that with the Horned Frogs but a combination of poor command and a deep pitching staff meant he never really got the chance to settle in with consistent innings. However, he spent the summer with Yarmouth-Dennis in the Cape Cod League and shined, pitching to a 3.62 ERA and, most importantly, a nice 34/8 strikeout to walk ratio over 27.1 innings. Now he'll hope that he can continue to combine his high octane stuff with newly found command to fully turn the corner at DBU. Meador sits in the low 90's with his fastball but has touched the upper 90's, once reportedly getting as high as 99, while adding a slider and changeup that are both devastating when they're on. Unfortunately he rarely has everything working at once, and for much of his career his command has been well below average. The 5'11" righty moves very well on the mound and is trending hard in the right direction, and if the change of scenery is enough to help him put it all together, he has the talent to go in the top couple of rounds. His stock could move in any number of directions this spring depending on how his command and offspeed stuff looks, but there's an up arrow next to his name and a lot of area scouts are rooting for the guy they saw on the Cape to show up this spring. If he does, there is mid-rotation starter upside.

8. RHP Drew Thorpe, Cal Poly.
Bat: L. Throw: R. 6'4", 190 lbs. Born 10/1/2000. Hometown: Washington, UT.
2021: 6-6, 3.79 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 104/38 K/BB in 90.1 innings.
Drew Thorpe does not have the flashiest stuff on this list, but he's been as dependable as they come for Cal Poly and in two seasons has a very respectable 3.65 ERA and a 135/45 strikeout to walk ratio over 118.1 innings, beginning with seven innings of two run ball against reigning national champion Vanderbilt in his very first collegiate outing. Thorpe pitched for the Collegiate National Team this summer and was roughed up to the tune of eleven runs on nineteen hits in eight innings, but he righted the ship a bit in the Cape Cod League with just one earned run over ten innings, including nine strikeouts. The 6'4" righty sits in the low 90's with his fastball, topping out at 95 over the summer but lacking big life on the pitch. He flips in a fringy, get-me-over curveball but really lives by his plus changeup, and he works through that three pitch arsenal very effectively in games. With a sturdy frame and an easy, repeatable delivery, he has the look of a workhorse starter that could give a major league team 180+ innings a year (that's a workhorse these days) while avoiding trips to the injured list or bouts of wildness. To reach that #4 starter ceiling, however, he'll have to improve that breaking ball to at least an average pitch so he can more effectively get to his changeup and put hitters away, and we saw with the CNT what happens when advanced hitters are able to sit on pitches. Given his gamer profile, it seems like a good bet he'll be able to figure something out with that breaking ball, and if he doesn't he probably profiles as a long reliever. It's the most complete starting pitcher profile on this list, though that doesn't necessarily mean "high floor" just because a consistent starting pitcher that tops out in AA/AAA provides the exact same amount of value as a guy who flames out throwing poorly-aimed 100 in Low A.

9. RHP William Kempner, Gonzaga.
Bat: R. Throw: R. 6', 220 lbs. Born 6/1/2001. Hometown: San Jose, CA.
2021: 3-3, 3.10 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 34/29 K/BB in 40.2 innings.
It's November so naturally Spokane is in full basketball mode, but the Gonzaga baseball team has a pair of interesting pitching prospects in William Kempner and Gabriel Hughes. Kempner is probably just a little bit ahead of Hughes in terms of prospect status for now, coming off a strong summer in the Alaska Baseball League in which he averaged nearly six innings per start and posted a strong 2.87 ERA and a 44/11 strikeout to walk ratio over 40.2 innings. He stands out first and foremost for having one of the better fastballs in the class, a low to mid 90's offering that can touch 98 in relief and which comes in with tremendous running life to the arm side, somewhat similar to former Oklahoma pitcher and Red Sox seventh rounder Wyatt Olds last year. He also adds a solid slider that can flash above average at its best but which can sometimes lack bite, while his above average changeup plays really nicely from his wide, low three quarters arm slot. The 6' righty has a sturdy build and has shown that he can handle a starter's workload, but his below average control and unique operation likely push him to the bullpen long term where his stuff should tick up. That likely limits his draft ceiling a bit, but there are plenty of teams actively searching for data-rich pitchers who can provide a unique look they can play with, and Kempner certainly fits that profile. Depending how his control looks in 2022 and how many bats he can miss (his 18.3% strikeout rate was just a bit lower than you'd like to see in 2021), we'll see how just enticing the profile ends up looking.

10. C Nate Rombach, Dallas Baptist.
Bat: R. Throw: R. 6'4", 225 lbs. Born 11/26/2000. Hometown: Mansfield, TX.
2021: 9 HR, .222/.359/.521, 0 SB, 47/25 K/BB in 40 games.
If you look at Nate Rombach's career, you'll really see a story of two different players. He hit .333/.453/.750 with nine home runs over his first 25 games, spanning his shortened freshman season with the first six games of 2021, but his production fell off a cliff once the calendar turned to March and he hit just .106/.268/.242 over his next 24 games with a staggering 39% strikeout rate. Fortunately, Rombach started to bust out of that slump and homered in three straight games against Kansas, Baylor, and TCU in late May, then hit .298/.417/.394 over the summer in the California Collegiate League. So, after all of that, we're left with the question of who is the real Nate Rombach? He's a big, physical catcher at 6'4" with plus raw power from the right side, which he gets to in games when he's going right. I was in attendance for game #21 of that hot stretch to start his career, where he took eventual first round pick Gunnar Hoglund deep on a 93 MPH fastball and later produced very hard hit balls against a hard Hoglund slider and a slow Austin Miller curveball in the same game. He's patient in the box, but he doesn't always have the bat to ball skills to be successful in those deep counts and often came away on the losing end, especially during his slump. It may be a case of finding a balance in his two strike approach between toning down his big, powerful swing and still wanting to do damage. He'll likely always be power over hit, though if he can stick behind the plate, there is enough upside in the bat to be excited. Hopefully a change of scenery to Dallas Baptist near his hometown of Mansfield (where he'll team up with fellow transfer and #7 on this list Jacob Meador, who grew up one town over) will help him put it all together. Behind the plate, Rombach is a bit rough around the edges, but he's a big target back there and his cannon arm helps make back some of that value. With robo umps likely coming in the near future, he has a better chance to remain a catcher than he might have a few years ago. He's also known to have a strong work ethic, which will obviously benefit him on both sides of the ball.

Top 10 Draft Prospects to Reach NCAA - 2020

With all my draft reviews complete and college baseball players beginning to trickle back to campus, let's take a look at the top unsigned 2019 high school draftees who will be making their new head coaches very happy. I wrote on this subject prior to the 2018 season, which included guys like UCLA's Garrett Mitchell (.349/.418/.566), UNC-Wilmington's Greg Jones (.341/.491/.543), Florida's Brady McConnell (.332/.385/.576), Auburn's Tanner Burns (2.82 ERA, 101/23 K/BB), and Texas A&M's Asa Lacy (2.13 ERA, 130/43 K/BB), who were phenomenal in 2019. I didn't write one for the 2019 season, but that list would have included Vanderbilt's Kumar Rocker (3.25 ERA, 114/25 K/BB) and Mississippi State's JT Ginn (3.13 ERA, 105/19 K/BB), who have already made huge impacts on their respective programs as freshmen. Quite a few top 2019 high schoolers went unsigned in 2019, so let's see who the top freshman prospects (based on major league projection) will be come next spring.

All draft ranks are based on my 2019 draft rankings, which include both college and high school players and which are intended to project impact at the major league level, not necessarily at the collegiate level.

1. RHP Jack Leiter (Vanderbilt). 2019 draft rank: #31 (#10 High School)
Last year, Vanderbilt landed my #19 draft prospect in Kumar Rocker, who ranked just behind #18 Cole Wilcox (Georgia) as the second best prospect on my list to reach college, but he's certainly surpassed Wilcox now. This year, Vanderbilt will again land a truly elite pitcher in Jack Leiter, the son of former MLB pitcher Al Leiter. However, while Rocker is a big man with a big arm and big stuff, Leiter is a smaller kid with solid stuff who is much more about pitchability than flashiness. Jack, who comes from Northern New Jersey where he was high school teammates with Yankees 2019 first rounder and fellow Vanderbilt commit Anthony Volpe, stands 6'1" and only sits in the low 90's with his fastball, without too much projection for more velocity. He excels everywhere else in his game, as he adds a plus curveball which will be an immediate weapon for retiring SEC hitters, a slider that gets its share of swings and misses, and an advanced changeup for a high school arm. Leiter also commands and mixes everything very well, keeping hitters off balance. Together, Leiter's skill set should help him make an immediate impact and join Vanderbilt's rotation right away, especially after they lost Drake Fellows and Patrick Raby to the draft. However, Leiter is very old for an incoming freshman and turned 19 back in April, so he will be draft eligible in 2021 and may only stay in Nashville for two seasons. Still, Leiter and Rocker will give Vanderbilt a great pair of young arms to watch in that Commodore rotation until they both end up as likely first round picks in 2021.

2. LHP Hunter Barco (Florida). 2019 draft rank: #33 (#13 HS)
Though they lost Riley Greene (#3 HS), the best pure prep hitter in the country, and Matthew Allan (#5 HS), arguably the best prep pitcher in the country, to the Tigers and Mets, respectively, Florida was at least able to land a first round-caliber pitching prospect in Hunter Barco. The Jacksonville native was actually considered an early, early candidate for the 2019 first overall pick during his junior year of high school, but he failed to live up to those expectations during the summer and then this past spring. Still, as a 6'4" lefty who could hit the mid 90's with his fastball, he garnered significant interest and may have gone as high as the first round if his asking price was lower. Barco has been very inconsistent, but when he's at his best, he can sit in the low 90's with his running fastball, add a swing and miss slider, and miss bats with a good splitter. Add in his projectable frame, and he could be sitting in the mid 90's by the time the 2022 draft rolls around. However, with his low three quarters arm slot, he often loses his mechanics, which can cause his secondary pitches to flatten out and also impact his command. Barco's impact might not be as immediate as Leiter's, but with some coaching from the program which has produced a ton of top pitching prospects as of late (including Brady Singer, A.J. Puk, Alex Faedo, Logan Shore, and Shaun Anderson), he could have a higher ceiling.

3. OF Maurice Hampton (Louisiana State). 2019 draft rank: #39 (#15 HS)
Head baseball coach Paul Mainieri will be very happy to see Maurice Hampton on campus, but head football coach Ed Orgeron might be just as excited. The Memphis kid is a legitimate two-sport star who will play both sports in Baton Rouge, manning the outfield on the baseball diamond and the cornerback position on the gridiron. As you might expect, he's an exceptional athlete whose speed is currently his best asset but who also has the physical tools to develop into an all-around player. He generates some power from his quick swing, and he did a fairly good job of getting to it consistently in high school. He's also a very good defender who should stick in center field, and because he didn't turn 18 until August, he's very young for an incoming freshman. Hampton's game is raw, and with his attention continuing to be split between two sports, he won't have as much of a chance to grow as a player as maybe some other guys, but LSU cranks out outfielders (see Mikie Mahtook, Andrew Stevenson, Jake Fraley, Greg Deichmann, Antoine Duplantis) and he does have youth on his side. If he ever decides to focus exclusively on baseball, Hampton has five tool upside.

4. SS Brooks Lee (Cal Poly). 2019 draft rank: #41 (#16 HS)
The top three prospects are going to SEC powers Vanderbilt, Florida, and Louisiana State, which isn't all that surprising considering the success those three schools have had. However, our #4 guy will be headed across town from his home in San Luis Obispo to Cal Poly, where he'll play for a familiar head coach – his father Larry. The younger Lee has a very advanced feel for the game and, especially given Cal Poly's status as a mid-major program, should make an immediate impact once he steps on campus. His swing isn't the most mechanically-sound, in fact it's pretty choppy, but he has excellent feel for the barrel and has proven he can catch up to high velocity and quality stuff on the showcase circuit. He's not the fastest kid in the world, but he should be able to post high on-base percentages right away in the Big West and could find himself leading off fairly early on. He doesn't hit for a ton of power, but mechanical changes could help him get to it a little bit more. Defensively, he again plays above his tools, making all the plays cleanly at shortstop, and he should stick there throughout his college career. Once he turns pro, he may slide over to second base, but that won't be an issue until he's draft eligible in 2022.

5. RHP Bryce Osmond (Oklahoma State). 2019 rank: #53 (#25 HS)
The top prospect in the state of Oklahoma at either the high school or the college level, Bryce Osmond will make it to campus at Oklahoma State as one of the best recruits they've landed in a while. The Tulsa-area native is an athletic, projectable kid at 6'3" who can sit in the low 90's with his fastball at times while adding a good slider and commanding it fairly well. He's skinny at this point and will need to add some weight through the Cowboys' conditioning program, and that will help him maintain his velocity deeper into his starts. Osmond probably won't light the world on fire as a freshman in 2020, but if he gets more physical out in Stillwater, his quick arm could help him rise to the top of the Oklahoma State rotation and make him an early pick in the 2022 draft.

6. 1B/LHP Spencer Jones (Vanderbilt). 2019 rank: #59 (#27 HS)
Make that two big wins for Vanderbilt's incoming freshman class, as Jack Leiter will be the top incoming freshman (in terms of major league projection) in the country but Spencer Jones might have one of the highest ceilings. The San Diego native had a chance at being picked in the first round this year, but an elbow injury held him out for most of the spring and with his stock slipping, he decided to head across the country for school. Jones is a two-way player who is raw on both sides of the ball but shows tremendous upside with both. At 6'7", he has plenty of room to add good weight, and he's athletic for his size. On the mound, he sits in the low 90's with his fastball and shows a good curveball with depth, and he could easily get into the mid 90's once he adds weight and focuses on pitching alone. However, his bat is too good to pass up for now, as he shows plus raw power from the left side and can get to it consistently. He's limited to first base defensively, but with that pitcher's arm, he does provide some positive value there. Jones is all projection at this point and might not play much as a freshman, but Vanderbilt is hoping they have the second incarnation of former Louisville Cardinal and current Tampa Bay Ray Brendan McKay at this point.

7. OF Jerrion Ealy (Ole Miss). 2019 rank: #65 (#29 HS)
This is a similar story to LSU's Maurice Hampton. Not only will Ole Miss head baseball coach Mike Bianco be happy to see Jerrion Ealy on campus this fall, but so will head football coach Matt Luke. Hampton may be the slightly better baseball prospect, but Ealy is actually the better football prospect as a five star running back recruit (topping Hampton's four star rating) who could be NFL bound with some luck. However, we're hear to talk about baseball. Ealy entered the spring a potential first round pick, but a lackluster senior season dropped him to more of a second round projection and he instead will play both sports for the Rebels. He's only 5'10", but as you would expect for a short SEC running back, he's built like a tank and his exceptional speed is his best tool. A good defender in center field, his power is his calling card at the plate despite his size, though he struggled to get to it against mediocre Jackson, Mississippi-area pitching this spring. Ealy's mechanics broke down a bit and he got choppy with his swing a lot, so getting back to himself in the box and adding some loft will do him a lot of good. Focusing on baseball exclusively would help that, but he may never do that.

8. 3B Cade Doughty (Louisiana State). 2019 rank: #81 (#34 HS)
Unlike some of the guys ahead of him on this list, Cade Doughty could produce for LSU on day one. Doughty is an advanced player with good feel for the barrel at the plate, and at 6'1" he should begin to add power as he incorporates loft into his swing more consistently. Together, that makes him an impact hitter, especially at the college level, and that feel for the barrel should make him a productive hitter even if the power doesn't kick in immediately. He's also a good defender over at third base, so he'll provide value on both sides of the ball. The Baton Rouge-area native isn't the type of player that takes off in college and turns himself into a top ten pick, but he's a pretty safe bet to produce at a high level for three years before heading off to the draft in 2022.

9. RHP Brett Thomas (South Carolina). 2019 rank: #84 (#36 HS)
South Carolina lost its top recruit in Tyler Callihan (#14 HS) to the Reds, but they landed the fifth best incoming freshman pitcher in the country in Brett Thomas. The Gamecocks recently produced three top pitchers in Clarke Schmidt (17th overall, Yankees), Wil Crowe (65th, Nationals), and Tyler Johnson (147th, White Sox) in the same 2017 draft, and Thomas will hope to be the next in line. The Atlanta-area kid is already advanced and, assuming health, should slot right into the Gamecocks' rotation immediately. Physically developed at 6'5", he sits in the low 90's with his fastball and adds a hard curve from an overhand delivery, and he commands everything fairly well for a pitcher his age. However, he also missed time this spring with elbow issues, but he proved he was healthy later in the spring and hit the mid 90's with his fastball. Between his size, stuff, and command, he's an ideal pitcher for the SEC, and he'll just have to stay healthy to be a high pick in 2022.

10. UT/RHP Trey Faltine (Texas). 2019 rank: #85 (#37 HS)
The Texas Longhorns have landed perhaps the most versatile player in the incoming freshman class. Not only can he pitch and hit, but he can actually play anywhere on the diamond except for catcher. The Houston-area native, who is also regularly listed as Sammy Faltine, is an athletic 6'3" kid with exceptional feel for the game. At the plate, he has a quick bat and a line drive swing that enables him to spray line drives around the field against quality pitching, and there is some power projection in there once he gets stronger. Defensively, he can handle shortstop, center field, and everything in between, more due to his competency for the game than because of big time tools. This means two things; in college, he should be able to break into the starting lineup pretty quickly due to his advanced bat and his ability to play anywhere, but in pro ball, he might not be quite fast enough for center field or shortstop. Three years of development in Austin could give us a clearer picture. Now on the other side, he's a fine pitcher who should crack the Longhorn starting rotation, if not as a freshman then as a sophomore. He only sits around 90 with his fastball but he commands it well, and he adds three good secondaries in a curve, slider, and changeup, all of which could be above average in time. Three years in Austin will do him good not only to pick a position, but pick whether he wants to pitch or it, and he could take a big step forward from there.

Others: #87 Riley Cornelio (Texas Christian, #38 HS), #89 Chris Newell (Virginia, #39 HS), #94 Will Rigney (Baylor, #40 HS), #101 Jonathan French (Clemson, #42 HS), #110 Hayden Dunhurst (Ole Miss, #44 HS)