2022 MLB Draft Review: Kansas City Royals

Full list of draftees

From Brady Singer and Jackson Kowar to Asa Lacy, the Royals have leaned heavily on college pitching lately to mixed results. This year, they started off their class with two college hitters, and in my opinion, they nailed those two picks. Both Gavin Cross and Cayden Wallace have a chance to hit in the middle of the lineup for a very long time, and they'll fit in great with that young core led by Bobby Witt Jr., MJ Melendez, Nick Pratto, and co. After Cross and Wallace, KC moved back to college pitching and selected six such players with their next seven picks, targeting power arms that are toeing the line between starter and reliever profiles. In all, eleven of their twenty picks were college pitchers, following the precedent they've set in prior drafts. Right before wrapping things up, they did nab a fascinating two-way player out of the Bakersfield high school ranks in the twentieth round, so Austin Charles will be a very fun one to follow.
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.

1-9: OF Gavin Cross, Virginia Tech. My rank: #8.
Slot value: $5.2 million. Signing bonus: $5.2 million.
The highest draft pick in Virginia Tech history, beating out 2002 12th overall pick Joe Saunders, Gavin Cross was right in the middle of the Hokies' best ever season this year, slashing .328/.411/.660 with 17 home runs and a 41/30 strikeout to walk ratio over 57 games. That comes on the heels of an equally strong sophomore season in 2021 and a torrid .455/.474/.879 run with the US Collegiate National Team last summer, so he has as much offensive track record as anybody in this draft. Cross is a big, physical presence in the box at 6'3" and strapped with muscle, creating very difficult at bats for opposing pitchers. He hits the ball extremely hard, regularly posting elite exit velocities on hard line, deep fly balls, and scorching grounders all around the park. It translates to plus game power that could produce 30 or more home runs per season, and he will tap it in pro ball. Cross has always shown strong pitch recognition and bat to ball skills, but he had previously been an aggressive hitter that was prone to chasing just because he knew he could hit pitches out of the zone anyways. He cut back on those chases this spring and bumped his walk rate up from 7.3% a year ago to 10.7% this year, while also cutting his strikeout rate from 20.5% to 14.6%. Now, his advanced eye works to his favor, enabling him to confidently track good pitches to hit while letting the bad ones go. I see an above average hit tool with plus power, which would fit right in the middle of the lineup. Very athletic for his size, the northeast Tennessee native handled center field for the Hokies this spring and looked right at home, and the Royals have kept him there so far and will see what happens. If he gets pushed to right field by a quicker defender, which I would say is more likely than not, he has the strong arm to profile there and plenty of bat. Expect Cross to move rather quickly through the system, as he's already slashing .357/.449/.786 with four home runs and an 11/6 strikeout to walk ratio over eleven games between the Arizona Complex League and Low A Columbia.

2-49: 3B Cayden Wallace, Arkansas. My rank: #25.
Slot value: $1.58 million. Signing bonus: $1.7 million ($115,100 above slot value).
I was a big fan of Cayden Wallace out of high school, and then he immediately jumped into a deep Arkansas lineup as a freshman in 2021 and held his own, appearing in all but three games. He took another step forward in 2022, slashing .298/.387/.553 with 16 home runs and a 56/38 strikeout to walk ratio over 67 games. I've gone a bit back and forth on him throughout his time at Arkansas, at times feeling a little concerned about his plate discipline and wondering if he had the power to back it up, but ultimately as the 2022 season went on, I leaned all in on the slugging third baseman and I absolutely love this pick. Wallace represents somewhat of a hometown pick for Kansas City, having grown up in the small north-central Arkansas town of Greenbrier before heading up to Fayetteville for college, just three and  half hours south of Kauffman Stadium on I-49. Like Gavin Cross, he shows the propensity for big time exit velocities, this time from the right side, showing very impressive power to the pull side but plenty enough to drive the ball out the other way as well. He lofts the ball well with some uppercut to his swing path, but he still keeps the barrel in the hitting zone for a long time and doesn't swing through many hittable pitches. A draft eligible sophomore, he only turned 21 after the draft, and there is still some work to be done on pitch selection, as he can be a little prone to chasing offspeed stuff. Given his age, it's nothing glaring and I don't expect it to be too much of an issue, and he has the chance to be an above average contact hitter to go along with plus power if he can tighten that up. Wallace has split reviews on his defense, with some thinking he would fit better in right field, but he's a third baseman for now and nobody questions his absolute cannon for an arm. He's a very good athlete and I think he'll stick at third with a little more refinement, which again brings his youth into the equation. He may not move quite as quickly as Cross, but I think the ceiling is very comparable. Like Cross, he's off to a red hot start and slashing .353/.488/.559 with one home run and a 6/8 strikeout to walk ratio over ten games between the Arizona Complex League and Low A Columbia.

3-87: RHP Mason Barnett, Auburn. My rank: unranked.
Slot value: $724,600. Signing bonus: $697,500 ($27,100 below slot value).
Mason Barnett is a very interesting arm with a lot of talent that hasn't quite put it all together yet. It's the kind of pitcher that could make serious strides in the right organization, but I don't think that's the Royals, who have struggled to develop college pitching lately. Barnett has gradually earned more and more time in the rotation for Auburn, this year posting a 4.38 ERA and an 83/32 strikeout to walk ratio over 63.2 innings, mostly as a starter. He sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and can hit 98 in short stints, with a pretty flat approach angle that plays down because hitters track it well out of his long arm action. He rips off a plus slider with sharp sweeping action, while also looping in a bigger curveball with depth that needs to add power and an average changeup. It's an arsenal full of potential, but he mainly pitches off his fastball and that lack of deception, in addition to fringy command, has kept him from putting up loud numbers. The 6' righty has a big frame and looks durable, but in order to stick as a starter, he'll have to get more consistent with his command and more effectively mix his pitches. If he does end up in the bullpen, the North Georgia product could be nasty with that fastball/slider combination and flip in a few curves and changeups to keep hitters off balance.

4-115: RHP Steven Zobac, California. My rank: unranked.
Slot value: $528,000. Signing bonus: $500,000 ($28,000 below slot value).
Steven Zobac was a two-way player early in his California career, and as an underclassman actually looked more natural in the box than he did on the mound. But the arm strength was always there and he transitioned to pitching full time this spring, finishing with a 4.09 ERA and a 72/20 strikeout to walk ratio over 61.2 innings. His fastball has ticked up, now comfortably sitting in the low 90's as a starter and touching 96 in relief, coming in with flat plane and plenty of hop that makes it tough to square up. He works in an upper 80's cutter/slider with some late bite, also showing a bigger curveball and an average changeup. As he gets further and further into his pitching-only career, he has a chance to really sharpen that whole arsenal and potentially stick as a starter if he can hold onto average command. The 6'3" righty has projection remaining and is trending in the right direction, and he has a chance to turn into a #4 starter or a power reliever in time.

5-145: LHP Hunter Patteson, Central Florida. My rank: unranked.
Slot value: $394,500. Signing bonus: $394,500.
Hunter Patteson was draft eligible last year, but with a 5.50 ERA as a swingman for UCF, he opted to return to school to build his stock. He came out of the gate red hot in 2022, posting a 1.82 ERA and a 41/5 strikeout to walk ratio over 29.2 innings and teaming with Connor Staine to give the Knights one of the best one-two punches in the country. Unfortunately, like Staine he got hurt in April, and in this case that led to Tommy John surgery that ended his season prematurely. He sits in the low 90's with his fastball and gets up to 96, showing serious hop that helps him miss more bats than the velocity says it should. The 6'4" lefty adds a slider and a changeup that are both solid average pitches, and his command has improved considerably during his time in Orlando. Royals fans will have to wait until 2023 to see Patteson on the mound, but once he does, he has the arm strength, command, and arsenal to start and potentially move quickly through the system. Given that he'll be turning 23 when that time comes, it also may make more sense to just stick him in the bullpen and let him pitch off that fastball, which could be overpowering in short stints.

6-175: C Hayden Dunhurst, Mississippi. My rank: #172.
Slot value: $298,800. Signing bonus: $300,000 ($1,200 above slot value).
This is a really interesting pick that has a chance to look like a steal. Hayden Dunhurst was a well-known draft name out of high school in 2019, but made it to campus at Mississippi and a .280/.385/.435 sophomore season put him squarely in the first round conversation as recently as six months ago. However, he was banged up early in the 2022 season and never got it going at the plate, finishing with an ugly .231/.370/.385 line, six home runs, and a 69/36 strikeout to walk ratio over 56 games. Entering the season, he was noted for his strong plate discipline and all-fields contact ability in addition to underlying above average raw power, and 2022 was supposed to be a matter of him showing he could tap both without sacrificing the other. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to show either the hit tool or the power, leading to both that sub-.400 slugging percentage and a strikeout rate north of 30%. He packs a lot of compact strength into a shorter 5'11" frame, so getting back to showing that above average power in games is not out of the question. He's patient at the plate, his at bats seemed to speed up on him in 2022 and it really brings the swing and miss into question, so I'd be more confident in the power coming back than the hit tool. Fortunately, the southern Mississippi native is an excellent defender with an absolute cannon behind the plate, with improving glovework as well that looks like it should be above average. He'll certainly stick back there and the defense will buy his bat plenty of time to catch up, with a good shot at becoming a glove-first backup catcher if he can take better control of his at bats. The Royals' farm system is not very deep, but catching is a strong point between MJ Melendez (no longer prospect eligible), Luca Tresh, Kale Emshoff, and Carter Jensen. Dunhurst will really have to see a resurgence in his bat to push past those guys. So far, he has three hits in seven at bats, including two doubles, to go along with more walks (3) than strikeouts (2) through three games in the Arizona Complex League.

7-205: RHP Mack Anglin, Clemson. My rank: #201.
Slot value: $233,600. Signing bonus: $231,100 ($2,500 below slot value).
Mack Anglin earned draft interest as a sophomore last year, but turned down the Nationals in the thirteenth round to return to school. The results were more or less the same, so now he'll head to the Royals with intriguing upside but considerable work to be done after posting a 4.48 ERA and a 78/52 strikeout to walk ratio over 76.1 innings as a full time starter for Clemson. Anglin has nasty pure stuff, probably the best in this entire Royals draft class, starting with a low to mid 90's fastball that gets up to 98 with explosive life. He throws a pair of vicious breaking balls in a curveball and slider, both of which flash plus with nasty, hard bite, while his changeup is a fringy fourth pitch. Despite explosive pure stuff, the Ohio native struck out only 22.6% of his opponents this spring as he regularly fell behind in the count and and became to predictable. He has a violent delivery that features a lot of late movement, causing him to struggle to repeat his release point and miss spots regularly. For that reason, he is almost certainly a reliever in pro ball, where his stuff could tick up even further as he really lets loose in short stretches. I am a bit concerned about that low strikeout rate but the idea of his stuff eating in the bullpen really intrigues me.

10-295: OF Levi Usher, Louisville. My rank: #223.
Slot value: $153,600. Signing bonus: $72,500 ($81,100 below slot value).
Levi Usher is an interesting senior sign, even if he lacks much upside. A native of Fairfax, Iowa, he graduated from Prairie High School in nearby Cedar Rapids and began his college career literally across the street at Kirkwood JC. There he was one of the best hitters on the Iowa JuCo circuit and made his way to Louisville, where he got off to a red hot start in 2020 before the pandemic shutdown and earned some first round consideration. Unfortunately he struggled to make any impact at all in 2021, lost his starting spot, and elected to return to school, where he rebounded to slash .285/.362/.455 with seven home runs, 36 stolen bases, and a 67/25 strikeout to walk ratio over 64 games. Usher stands out first and foremost as a heady player with tremendous understanding of the game, which at the very least makes him a good guy to have around in your system working alongside younger guys. He's a plus runner and his speed actually plays better than that in games due to his instincts, and in 182 career games between Kirkwood and Louisville he stole 109 bases in 117 attempts for an elite 93.2% success rate. That speed also helps him in center field, where he's a plus defender with great instincts. The bat isn't quite as impactful as we thought it was a couple years ago, showing more line drive and gap power than true over the fence power. Combine that with a 23.9% strikeout rate this spring, and you have a 45 hitter with 40 power that likely will never hit enough to hold down an every day role. However, if he can put just enough balls in the gaps to hold his own in the lineup as a backup, that speed and defense could be valuable in Kansas City. Usher is struggling so far in the Arizona Complex League, picking up just one hit in eighteen at bats with six strikeouts to three walks through six games.

11-325: RHP David Sandlin, Oklahoma. My rank: unranked.
Slot value: up to $125,000. Signing bonus: $400,000 ($275,000 against bonus pool).
If you stretch your imagination a bit, David Sandlin represents a semi-hometown pick in the same way that Cayden Wallace does. A product of Owasso High School in the northern Tulsa suburbs, he grew up less than four hours southwest of Kansas City before heading the opposite direction to Eastern Oklahoma State in Wilburton and finally the University of Oklahoma. He was inconsistent throughout the season, posting a 5.59 ERA and a 102/31 strikeout to walk ratio over 95 innings, but like so many other members of this Sooners team, he came up big when he was needed most. He has plenty of pure stuff, sitting in the low to mid 90's with a fastball that can reach 98 in addition to a slew of secondary stuff. His slider is his best pitch, with hard sweeping action that generates ugly swings, while his curveball is a little softer and deeper and his firm changeup provides another look. Sandlin comes from a higher release point and lacks deception, so hits stuff gets hit harder than it should when it catches too much plate. Tightening his fringe-average command will be helpful if he wants to remain a starter, as he does have the projectable 6'4" frame and deep arsenal to do so. If he does move back to the bullpen, he'll probably work off his fastball/slider combination and let an extra tick of velocity help make up for his somewhat generic fastball.

20-595: SS/RHP Austin Charles, Stockdale HS [CA]. My rank: #105.
Slot value: up to $125,000. Signing bonus: $429,500 ($304,500 against bonus pool).
With their final pick of the draft, the Royals made a big splash by diverting Austin Charles away from a UC Santa Barbara commitment for top-150 money. One of two interesting two-way players in the Bakersfield high school ranks this spring, he'll get a chance to do both in the Royals system while his counterpart, Cutter Coffey, is a shortstop only in the Red Sox system. He's a big, lanky kid at 6'6", showing off plenty of athleticism and just oozing with potential. As a pitcher, he sits in the low 90's and can get up to 96, adding in a solid slider and a fringy changeup. The fastball is fairly straight and the offspeed stuff is inconsistent, so you're really buying the projection here. In addition to that big frame, he has a very quick arm and gets down the mound well with good extension, so there is a ton to work with. With some patience and the right development, the sky is the limit for him on the mound. His bat has also rapidly been improving, and I actually like him better as a position player. He shows plus raw power when he connects, with a simple right handed swing in which he keeps his hands inside the ball and lets his natural strength and leverage do the work. He has previously bee susceptible to breaking balls, but he's trending in the right direction and taking better at bats. At shortstop, he shows off his athleticism well and while he's not quite as quick with his feet and glovework as perhaps he could be, he may just need more time to develop and grow into his body. With that cannon of an arm, he would fit extremely well at third base. I'm very interested to see how this goes, and he's already gotten into two Arizona Complex League games as a hitter, picking up two hits in seven at bats with one strikeout.

2022 MLB Draft: an early look at the Pac-12

2021 draftees: 45. Top school: UCLA (10)
2021 preseason writeup (published 12/17/2020)

Top draftees:
1-17, Reds: SS Matt McLain (UCLA)
2-38, Rangers: OF Aaron Zavala (Oregon)
2-55, Yankees: RHP Brendan Beck (Stanford)
2-63, Rays: 1B Kyle Manzardo (Washington State)
CBB-70, Cardinals: OF Ryan Holgate (Arizona)
3-82, Nationals: 1B Branden Boissiere (Arizona)

Though the Pac-12 snapped a streak of three straight seasons of at least three first round picks (including at least one in the top five overall), it still showed well in 2021 with every school except Utah having at least three players drafted and UCLA's Matt McLain leading a barrage of ten Bruins as the league's sole first rounder. This year, the league could get back on that pace, with some huge bats in Daniel Susac, Brock Jones, Dylan Beavers, and Ethan Long all having very real first round aspirations heading into the season. Throw in Max Rajcic and any pop-up prospects that could come along, and we should hear a lot from the West Coast early on. Overall, this is a hitter-heavy list, led by Arizona State placing three. Heading into the 2022 season, the top prospects for the upcoming draft are:

1. C Daniel Susac, Arizona.
Bat: S. Throw: R. 6'4", 205 lbs. Born 5/14/2001. Hometown: Roseville, CA.
2021: 12 HR, .335/.392/.591, 0 SB, 47/19 K/BB in 61 games.
In 2020, Daniel Susac had a chance to go near the back of the five round draft, but ultimately teams could not meet his asking price and he headed south to Arizona for school. The younger brother of MLB catcher Andrew Susac and a cousin of incoming freshman Anthony Susac, Daniel's massive freshman season now has him ready to take over as the best player in the family. Earning a starting role from day one, he took absolutely no time to adjust to the college level and hit right in the middle of arguably the top offense in college baseball, even rising to the challenge with a .363/.397/.669 line in conference play. Because he's a full year older than much of his high school graduating class, he'll be eligible as a true sophomore but that huge season means he already has plenty of track record. Susac stands out in a variety of areas, bringing a profile that offers both upside and balance. He has plus raw power from both sides of the plate, a product of his long-limbed 6'4" frame that's packed with strength from top to bottom. While he can be an aggressive hitter, he still makes very consistent hard contact and keeps his strikeout rates to a reasonable level, especially for an underclassman. At this point, he rarely walks, but that's not a huge issue for now given his feel for the barrel. On the defensive side, the Sacramento-area product moves very well for his size and will stick behind the plate, adding a plus arm with a quick, effortless release that helps him gun down runners. There are very few holes in Susac's game, with the upside of an All Star catcher who can hit 25-30 home runs per season while getting on base at a solid clip and playing good defense. That's a first round projection, with a chance to hit his way into the top half of the round if he can draw a few more walks.

2. OF Brock Jones, Stanford.
Bat: L. Throw: L. 6' 205 lbs. Born 3/28/2001. Hometown: Clovis, CA.
2021: 18 HR, .311/.453/.646, 14 SB, 59/49 K/BB in 56 games.
I went back and forth between Daniel Susac and Brock Jones for the top spot on this list, and even though I eventually landed on Susac, Jones might have an even higher ceiling. He's a stud athlete that also played ten games at the safety position for Stanford's football team in 2019, then after hitting an unremarkable .228/.323/.316 in the shortened 2020 season, broke out for a .311/.453/.646 line this spring with his focus solely on baseball. He packs a ton of strength into a compact six foot frame, giving him the best combination of physical tools and performance in the entire conference. Jones shows off plus raw power from the left side, with a very simple, direct swing effectively channeling his strength into game power with 18 home runs in 2021. He's also an above average runner that can make things happen on the bases, and that translates to plenty of range in the outfield. Safeties don't throw the football very often and he doesn't have that big left arm you often see from these compact power hitters, so if he gets pushed off of center field by a better defender, left field is his most likely destination. The good news is that the Fresno product should hit plenty enough to profile as an every day player even at that less in-demand position and could be an above average defender there. Jones works a lot of deep counts and while he draws his fair share of walks, he can also get into trouble with strikeouts sometimes. The pure hitting ability is there and as he gets farther removed from his football career, we could see a reduction in his strikeout rate from the 22% we saw in 2021. If that happens, he should go off the board relatively early in the first round, and for now it's probably a back of the first round profile.

3. OF Dylan Beavers, California.
Bat: L. Throw: R. 6'4", 205 lbs. Born 8/11/2001. Hometown: Paso Robles, CA.
2021: 18 HR, .303/.401/.630, 10 SB, 53/32 K/BB in 55 games.
Dylan Beavers is another huge 2021 performer with upside still untapped that could push him into the top half of the first round with a strong 2022. He's extremely young for a college junior, nearly three months younger than true sophomore Daniel Susac, which is something scouts like to see. Beavers produces above average raw power from the left side that he taps very consistently in games, and with his lanky, projectable 6'4" frame, there is probably plus power in the tank. He's really loose in his swing, often just dropping his hands to the ball and letting his natural strength and leverage do the work rather than really selling out for power. A little bit of mechanical refinement to really get him driving up through it will help in that power projection as well. He's fairly aggressive at the plate and struck out in more than 20% of his plate appearances, something he'll want to cut down in 2022, but for now it's not a huge issue and he projects as at least an average hitter if not above average. Beavers' natural athleticism serves him well in the outfield as well, where he has an outside chance to stick in center field if the team that drafts him doesn't have a better option, and he could make a very solid right fielder or a well above average left fielder if it came down to it, showing more arm strength than Brock Jones. For now, because he doesn't control the strike zone as well as the top tier of college hitters in this draft (and an unremarkable eight game run through the Cape Cod League doesn't help either), he probably projects in the second round, but his youth and frame give him every chance to climb boards in 2022.

4. RHP Max Rajcic, UCLA.
Bat: R. Throw: R. 6', 205 lbs. Born 8/3/2001. Hometown: Fullerton, CA.
2021: 2-1, 1.65 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 36/8 K/BB in 32.2 innings.
Like Daniel Susac, Max Rajcic had a chance to go in the back of the shortened 2020 draft if he were signable, and also like Susac, he's eligible again in 2022 because he's old for the class, though still two and a half months younger than his Arizona counterpart. Rajcic is the top pitching prospect in the conference heading into the season, having posted a strong freshman season as the UCLA closer followed by a very respectable run through the Cape Cod League as a starter (4.32 ERA, 28/8 K/BB in 25 IP). He consistently touched 95-96 as a reliever last spring, then sat comfortably in the low 90's as a starter on the Cape with good command of that fastball. His bread and butter is a wipeout slider with extremely high spin rates, coming in with tight, late bite that makes it a plus pitch. For now, he does command his fastball better than his slider, but it has been extremely effective for him nonetheless. Rajcic also throws a changeup with some fade, but doesn't quite have quite as much feel for it as his fastball and slider and he mainly sticks with those two pitches in games. In order to pitch his way into the top two rounds in 2022, he'll want to establish that changeup as at least a consistently useable game pitch, and without it he's more of a third round type. The other big item on his to do list is proving his durability as a starter and holding his stuff throughout the spring, as he'll get less benefit of the doubt as a physically maxed-out six footer with some effort in his delivery. For now, the Southern California product projects in the third round range but I have a hunch he's going to change that.

5. 1B Ethan Long, Arizona State.
Bat: R. Throw: R. 6'2", 215 lbs. Born 5/10/2001. Hometown: Gilbert, AZ.
2021; 16 HR, .340/.417/.704, 0 SB, 46/18 K/BB in 51 games.
Ethan Long is in the same boat as Daniel Susac and Max Rajcic as a true sophomore that's eligible this year with an early birthday, and he's actually the oldest of the three and will turn 21 before many true juniors. Long rounds out the quartet of Pac-12 mashers with Susac, Brock Jones, and Dylan Beavers, and his 1.121 OPS in 2021 healthily bested all three of the others. For now, he's mostly a one tool player, but it's a loud one. The Phoenix-area native has plus raw power from the right side, flinging the barrel through the zone with ease with a ton of bat speed that helps him blast baseballs impressive distances to all fields. He taps that power very consistently in games and needed no time to adjust to Pac-12 pitching, still holding a .330/.423/.680 line against in-conference opponents. For now, that power comes with a healthy amount of swing and miss, with his 24% strikeout rate also the highest of the quartet stemming from an aggressive approach and the need to better identify pitches. He also does not provide much defensive value as a below average runner, but more seasoning and exposure in the field this spring could shed light as to whether he could stick in a corner outfield spot or just be limited to first base. Long's strong arm has run fastballs up to 97 and he even earned 6.2 (scoreless) innings out of the Sun Devil bullpen in 2021, so that could help make right field work. If he comes out in 2022 with a more selective approach at the plate and cuts his strikeout rate to under 20%, he could mash his way into the top couple of rounds with an Aaron Sabato/Seth Beer type of profile.

6. LHP Cooper Hjerpe, Oregon State.
Bat: L. Throw: L. 6'2", 190 lbs. Born 3/16/2001. Hometown: Capay, CA.
2021: 3-6, 4.21 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 98/27 K/BB in 77 innings.
Cooper Hjerpe is a favorite sleeper among Pacific Northwest area scouts, with a profile somewhat similar to TCU lefty Austin Krob, except that he's a year and a half younger with more time to build on his game. Hjerpe sits in the low 90's with his fastball but can run it up as high as 97, adding a sweeping slider and a sinking changeup. The fastball comes in with a flat approach angle, while his slider can pop out of his hand at times but can also show big lateral break, while his changeup has great separation from his fastball. Everything plays up because he comes from a low three quarters, nearly sidearm slot, making everything tough to pick up and producing a unique movement pattern. The fact that he fills up the strike zone with all three pitches is a bonus as well, with a repeatable delivery and a strong frame helping him project as a starter in pro ball. For now, he doesn't quite have the out pitch to profile in the top couple rounds, but a step forward with pretty much anything in 2022 could send him flying up boards. It's a back-end starter projection with a chance for more.

7. RHP Will Frisch, Oregon State.
Bat: R. Throw: R. 6', 225 lbs. Born 7/14/2000. Hometown: Stillwater, MN.
2021: 3-0, 2.38 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 54/24 K/BB in 56.2 innings.
Will Frisch was eligible as a sophomore last spring due to an early birthday, coming in at #201 on my board, but when the money wasn't there, he decided to head back to school and try his luck again. He's coming off a very strong season as a swingman for Oregon State, often throwing multiple innings and going five innings in strong starts against New Mexico, Washington, and Oregon. Frisch sits in the low 90's with his fastball and has popped for as much as 98 in short stints, coming from a lower arm slot that gives the pitch a flat approach angle, with the ability to run and sink the ball when he needs to. He flips in an average slider and flashes an above average changeup, though I have seen him struggle to keep the latter down at times. The 6' righty doesn't have much projection remaining but does generally do a good job of filling up the strike zone, though he can be scattered at times. He projects as a back-end starter or a long reliever for now, with the chance to improve that projection if he can tighten up his slider and/or get more consistent with his location within the zone, both with his fastball and offspeed stuff. The Minnesotan will also be gunning for more innings in the rotation, which with Kevin Abel (Reds, seventh round) and Jack Washburn (transfer, Ole Miss) gone, should be easier in 2022.

8. OF/RHP Steven Zobac, California.
Bat: L. Throw: R. 6'2", 200 lbs. Born 10/14/2000. Hometown: San Jose, CA.
2021: 5 HR, .240/.344/.359, 4 SB, 35/20 K/BB in 52 games.
2021: 2-2, 4.66 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 19/8 K/BB in 19.1 innings.
Steven Zobac is an interesting two-way player that has a chance to work his way into the top couple of rounds in either role. I prefer him slightly as a hitter, where he's yet to make a big impact at Cal but did hit .305/.443/.542 with more walks (12) than strikeouts (11) in 21 games in the California Collegiate League this summer. He has a compact left handed swing and manages the strike zone well, giving him a good shot at an above average hit tool in time. With a strong 6'2" frame, I could see him growing into average power as well if he adds a little bit of loft, and together that's a very balanced offensive profile. As you'd imagine, he has a strong arm in the outfield that will make him a solid right fielder, and he's athletic and fast enough to steal a few bases here and there. To me, it seems like the kind of profile where everything could click once he focuses solely on hitting. On the mound, I haven't seen any velocity numbers for Zobac since high school, where he sat around 90 with his fastball, so I'd imagine he's probably a slight tick above that now. He has a short but sharp cutter/slider that functions as his primary bat-missing pitch, and in general he throws strikes. The San Jose product will need to prove he can handle longer outings after typically throwing one to two innings at a time last spring and over the summer, and in general he looks a bit more natural at the plate than on the mound in my opinion. He looks like a late day two option as a hitter, which could become an early day two profile with a singular focus.

9. 2B Joe Lampe, Arizona State.
Bat: L. Throw: R. 6'1", 185 lbs. Born 12/5/2000. Hometown: Petaluma, CA.
2021: 3 HR, .294/.383/.461, 6 SB, 27/21 K/BB in 54 games.
Joe Lampe played with Spencer Torkelson at Casa Grande High School just north of San Francisco, then after a very successful year at Santa Rosa College (.424/.477/.687 in 20 games), he followed in Torkelson's footsteps down to Arizona State for the 2021 season. He may not have produced the loud numbers of his predecessor, but he was one of the Sun Devils' most consistent hitters last year and figures to provide a similarly steady presence in 2022. Lampe makes a ton of hard contact and struck out in just 12% of his plate appearances in 2021, showing excellent bat to ball skills and using the entire field extremely well. He'll likely always have well below average power, having knocked just two extra base hits in 37 Cape Cod League games this summer, but his plus speed will likely help him hit plenty of doubles and triples as he shoots line drives from gap to gap. He's selective at the plate and usually finds good pitches to hit, and when he gets them, he's adept at going with the pitch and getting his best swing off. His future position is a bit up in the air, but he should provide positive value wherever he ends up, whether that's shortstop (probably only in the best-case scenario), second base, or the outfield. Lampe looks like a late day two pick and projects as a super-utility type who can get on base consistently.

10. 2B Sean McLain, Arizona State.
Bat: R. Throw: R. 5'11", 170 lbs. Born 3/22/2001. Hometown: Tustin, CA.
2021: 7 HR, .322/.386/.519, 6 SB, 52/13 K/BB in 52 games.
Matt McLain has earned most of the attention as a two-time first round pick, but the McLain family has far more to offer. The youngest, Nick, just reached campus at UCLA after turning down six figure offers out of high school, while middle brother Sean is coming off a strong breakout season at Arizona State and could be a high draft pick this spring. Sean has a fairly similar profile to Matt if you take perhaps a half grade off most of his tools, with a consistent line drive bat that has taken very well to the Pac-12. He utilizes a compact right handed swing, again not unlike his brother, with the chance to tap into average power if he adds some loft. The Orange County product is a very aggressive hitter at this point in his career and rarely walks, so he'll want to show better zone control in 2022 to prove to teams that he'll be ready for pro pitching. His speed and athleticism make him a good candidate to stick at second base in pro ball.