2022 MLB Draft Review: Seattle Mariners

Full list of draftees

Continuing last year's trend that saw them select Harry Ford, Edwin Arroyo, and Michael Morales with their first three picks, the Mariners went heavy on high schoolers again this year with three more in their first four picks. They targeted premium athleticism with those prep picks, especially with the two pitchers in Walter Ford and Ashton Izzi that have strikingly similar profiles, then had to spend virtually the rest of the draft saving money. After selecting Izzi in the fourth round, four of their next six picks signed for $50,000 or less despite six figure slot values.
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.

1-21: SS Cole Young, North Allegheny HS [PA]. My rank: #20.
Slot value: $3.29 million. Signing bonus: $3.3 million ($7,100 above slot value).
Part of the reason Jerry Dipoto felt comfortable dealing star shortstop prospects Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo to the Reds in the Luis Castillo trade was because of this pick right here. Cole Young was one of the more intriguing prep bats available throughout the draft cycle, showing extremely well over the summer and again this spring to earn chatter throughout the first round. The Mariners were thrilled to see him fall out of the top twenty picks, and didn't let him get any further. Young is a very polished young hitter that makes extremely consistent, hard, line drive contact from the left side. He rarely swings and misses, showing some of the better barrel adjustability in the class to spoil tough pitches and get on base just as pitchers thought they had him beat. Give him one in his wheelhouse, though, and he can really turn on the ball with impressive exit velocities and sneaky power. For now though, power isn't a big part of his game and he's much better when he's focused on all-fields line drive contact, which he knows and executes. Defensively, he glides around the dirt at shortstop with above average instincts and a strong arm, giving him every opportunity to stick there in the long run. Interestingly enough, if you met the Pittsburgh-area native on the street, you might never know he's a professional athlete. He's strong and lean at six feet tall, but carries himself with great humility and strikes you more as a typical high school kid in interviews. He's a smart kid that was strongly committed to Duke, and he'll put his head down and get to work in the Seattle system. Look forward to a potential 15 homer bat with high on-base percentages and good defense at shortstop if you're a Mariners fan.

2-58: 3B Tyler Locklear, Virginia Commonwealth. My rank: #50.
Slot value: $1.28 million. Signing bonus: $1.28 million.
Tyler Locklear is one of the more polarizing prospects in this year's class, but the Mariners are all in. He has been nothing short of a one man wrecking crew at VCU, and in 2022 put up some of the best numbers in the entire country by slashing .402/.542/.799 with 20 home runs and a 25/47 strikeout to walk ratio over 62 games. He got hotter and hotter throughout the season, including an eleven game run leading up to regionals in which he slashed .700/.786/1.475 with nine home runs and zero strikeouts to lead VCU to an A-10 championship. Locklear brings tremendous raw power from the right side, a product of just good old fashioned brute strength and a calm, quiet setup that gives way to an explosive swing. He hits the ball as hard as anybody in college baseball, to the point where he can still do damage even when he doesn't quite square it up. The Baltimore-area native is also extremely disciplined at the plate and looked laughably overqualified to face A-10 pitching this spring, but he also hit .256/.333/.504 with nine home runs and a 32/6 strikeout to walk ratio in the Cape Cod League last summer and has shown he's perfectly comfortable against high end pitching as well. Now there are reasons some teams didn't like him nearly this early, and the trio of MLB Pipeline, Baseball America, and Prospects Live had him ranked #98, #99, and #82, respectively. He's a well below average athlete that will most likely end up at first base or in left field, putting all of the pressure on his bat to make that transition from the A-10 to pro pitching. While he did slug nine home runs on the Cape, he did expand the zone much more often than he did at VCU and some still think pro pitchers may adjust to him fairly quickly. The Mariners are clearly not of that line of thought and neither am I, and we'll get to sit back and watch to see what route he goes. The upside here is that of a 30+ home run bat that gets on base at a high clip, anchoring Seattle lineups with Julio Rodriguez, Cole Young, Harry Ford, Kyle Lewis, and Jarred Kelenic for the long run.

CBB-74: RHP Walter Ford, Pace HS [FL]. My rank: #53.
Slot value: $887,400. Signing bonus: $1.25 million ($362,600 above slot value).
Signing for nearly as much money as Tyler Locklear sixteen picks later is Walter Ford, one of the most interesting players in the class who had been committed to Alabama. Ford originally attended McAdory High School on the outskirts of Birmingham before transferring south to Pace High School in the Pensacola area and reclassifying, making him one of the youngest players in the entire draft. He was a bit uneven this spring, which quieted some first round chatter, but the reality is that the Mariners are getting an incredible ball of clay with as much upside as anybody in the class. Ford sits in the low 90's with his fastball, touching 97 when he reaches back, with high spin rates and steep downhill plane. He shows good feel for spin with a slider that flashes above average at its best, while his firm changeup is a distant third pitch. The command has been less consistent, especially with his offspeed stuff, as he's still growing into his body and learning himself as a pitcher. The 6'3" righty is a premium athlete with a ton of projection, a quick arm, and impressive ability to get down the mound and channel his strength, all well before his 18th birthday that won't roll around until the offseason. The Mariners have a lot of work to do, including ironing out his delivery and getting him more consistent with his mechanics, as well as refining his offspeed stuff, but there aren't many young kids that can move on the mound like Ford can. If they get this right, they could have a true ace on the mound and a fun Walter Ford-Harry Ford battery that will be tough on Chevy drivers.

4-126: RHP Ashton Izzi, Oswego East HS [IL]. My rank: #211.
Slot value: $474,900. Signing bonus: $1.10 million ($625,100 above slot value).
The Mariners continued their spending spree with a fourth consecutive seven figure bonus to Wichita State commit Ashton Izzi, who teamed with White Sox first round pick Noah Schultz in the Oswego East High School rotation. Izzi turned a lot of heads this spring and made his way up draft boards with his combination of stuff and athleticism. His fastball typically sits in the low 90's, but reaches 97 at its best and there should be more velocity coming. He has feel to spin a breaking ball, with a slider that flashes above average but still needs to find its identity with inconsistent shape, while he does have some feel for a changeup. The 6'3" righty stands out most for his projection, with an extremely athletic frame that has plenty of room to add weight. He moves well on the mound, utilizing a shorter arm stroke with a relatively steep approach angle on his pitches, though his command has been inconsistent to this point. It's honestly a very similar profile to Walter Ford one pick ahead, albeit with a bit less athleticism and more than a year older. The Mariners will work with the Chicago-area product to put on weight, get stronger, and get more consistent with his offspeed stuff and command. There is a lot of work to do, but the ceiling of a mid-rotation starter is within reach.

6-186: SS Josh Hood, North Carolina State. My rank: unranked.
Slot value: $272,800. Signing bonus: $250,000 ($22,800 below slot value).
Josh Hood has been on scouts' radars for some time now, but finally gave them what they needed to see to pull the trigger in 2022. Originally a member of the Penn baseball team, he hit .331/.411/.580 as a freshman in 2019 but only played in eight games before the 2020 shutdown and then missed the entire 2021 season when the Ivy League inexplicably barred all its young healthy athletes from competing outside. He transferred to North Carolina State in 2022 and got regular playing time for the first time in nearly three years, slashing .268/.350/.498 with 13 home runs and a 57/31 strikeout to walk ratio over 57 games. The South Jersey native has a clean right handed swing and the ball jumps off his bat, giving him potentially 15+ home run power from a lean 6'2" frame. Despite interruptions, he's hit everywhere he's gone and has kept his strikeout rates to a reasonable level, and there should be no reason that should change in pro ball. While it's not an offensive profile that jumps off the page, it's very well rounded and it profiles well at shortstop, where he projects to stick long term. It's probably a utility infield profile with some upside if uninterrupted playing time allows his offensive game to take another step forward.

8-246: C Tatem Levins, Pittsburgh. My rank: unranked.
Slot value: $175,600. Signing bonus: $50,000 ($125,600 below slot value).
Tatem Levins was an accomplished hitter at La Salle, where he slashed .318/.402/.524 with 17 home runs and more walks than strikeouts over a three year career. La Salle ended up disbanding their baseball program in 2022, so he transferred to Pitt and continued to hit with a .321/.435/.613 slash line, 16 home runs, and a 31/33 strikeout to walk ratio over 56 games. Levins stands out most for his extremely advanced plate discipline, which has enabled him to get on base a ton throughout his college career and will help him make a quick transition to pro ball. He crushes mistakes and elevates the ball with authority, which is why he knocked 33 home runs over his four year college career, but doesn't necessarily have have the raw exit velocities to project for significant power in pro ball. An average defender, he projects as a backup catcher at best and if not, a decent bench bat. If his defense does take, he could move quickly through the minors due to a bat that's probably already ready for High A. 

9-276: RHP Tyler Gough, JSerra Catholic HS [CA]. My rank: unranked.
Slot value: $159,400. Signing bonus: $275,000 ($115,600 above slot value).
The Mariners went back to the high school pitching ranks one more time here in the ninth round, grabbing Tyler Gough out of the powerhouse JSerra program in Southern California. Gough crept up boards late in the process, and wound up command sixth round money in the ninth round to sign away from an Oregon State commitment. His fastball sits in the low 90's but can touch the mid 90's in short stints, playing up with great riding life and a flatter approach angle. His go-to offspeed pitch is a curveball that gets deep break at times but needs to add significant power, while he's also flashed a harder cutter/slider and a changeup, the latter of which he slows his arm down to throw. The 6'2" righty throws strikes and generally stays around the zone, though he does have a little bit of trouble repeating his delivery and his command will need refinement in pro ball. There are numerous tweaks to be made to this profile, but the arm strength is there and he showed well at the MLB Draft Combine, giving the Mariners a lot to work with.

17-516: RHP Stefan Raeth, Washington. My rank: unranked.
Slot value: up to $125,000. Signing bonus: $50,000.
The Mariners did make one hometown pick in University of Washington grad Stefan Raeth. Raeth is not originally from the Pacific Northwest, having grown up in Northern California and bouncing around the Bay Area from Acalanes High School to Napa Valley College to Los Medanos College before landing in Seattle. He spent two years with the Huskies and was at his best in 2022, when he posted a 3.39 ERA and an 89/19 strikeout to walk ratio over 66.1 innings as a long reliever. He sits around 90 with his fastball, but it plays up because he hides it well from a shorter arm action. His slider has some sweep and should miss bats in pro ball, while he also adds an average curve and changeup. The 6'1" righty throws a lot of strikes and has an efficient delivery, so the main focus will just be adding power to his stuff to help it play up a little better against pro bats. He already controls the zone well and missed a lot of bats in college despite a lack of velocity, so any gains should immediately impact his numbers in a positive way.

2022 MLB Draft: One potential hometown pick for every AL/NL Central Team

This is the second installment in the three part hometown pick series, following the AL and NL West (you can now find the AL/NL East here). If you've followed me for any amount of time, you probably know that I love a good hometown pick. Over the offseason, I recreated all thirty teams if they only used players from their "home turf," and last year I practiced this same exercise for the draft. Last year, the central divisions actually followed along somewhat, with the Royals taking both Carter Jensen (Park Hill HS) and Ben Kudrna (Blue Valley Southwest HS) out of the Kansas City area and the Brewers drafting Oak Creek native Alex Binelas out of Louisville, though they lost their good standing by almost immediately trading him to Boston. With that, let's look at some hometown pick options for the AL and NL Central.

Chicago Cubs: 3B Estevan Moreno, Montini Catholic HS, Lombard, IL
Hometown: Hanover Park, IL. My rank: #95.
Two years ago, the Cubs drafted shortstop Ed Howard out of Mount Carmel HS on the South Side, and they'll have plenty of opportunities to do it again this year. Their #7 overall pick is probably a little bit too early to grab Oswego native Noah Schultz, who figures to go somewhere in the middle to back of the first round if signable, but head a little bit north and east and you have Hanover Park's Estevan Moreno, who is having a strong spring at Montini Catholic HS in Lombard. I'm a big fan of Moreno, who could fit somewhere in the third to fifth round range for the Cubs if they want to keep him home rather than let him move on to Notre Dame for school. He does a lot of things well at the plate, using an all fields approach that effectively helps him put barrel to baseball with regularity. Come into his wheelhouse, though, and there is plenty of strength in his 6'2" to really turn on the ball, and the hope is that in time, he'll learn to spread that power out to all fields. That would create a very favorable offensive profile combining power and a professional approach if it works out. There isn't as much upside on the defensive side, as he's an average athlete that can handle third base for now but will have to work to stay there rather than move to first base or an outfield corner. Moreno is a smart, driven kid that loves baseball and should thrive in a competitive environment in pro ball.
Other options: LHP Noah Schultz (Oswego East HS, IL), OF Clark Elliott (Michigan via Barrington, IL), RHP Owen Murphy (Riverside-Brookfield HS, Riverside, IL), OF Ryan Cermak (Illinois State via Riverside, IL), RHP AJ Izzi (Oswego East HS, IL)

Chicago White Sox: OF Ryan Cermak, Illinois State.
Hometown: Riverside, IL. My rank: #71.
I strongly considered Oswego East HS lefty Noah Schultz here, but even though the White Sox broke their streak of staying on the college side with Indiana high schooler Colson Montgomery last year, I think Schultz might be a hair too risky for them as a high school pitcher coming off a bout with mono. I honestly think he still has a decent chance of ending up on the South Side, but instead I'll go with Illinois State breakout star Ryan Cermak. Cermak attended Riverside-Brookfield High School just west of the Chicago city limits, then after hitting .284/.349/.553 as a sophomore but running up a 25.1% strikeout rate, he has improved significantly in all three slash categories this spring while dropping that strikeout rate. Though he's four inches shorter, he reminds me of Cincinnati's Joey Wiemer a few years ago as a super athlete from a mid-major Midwestern school with tools all over the place. Cermak has plus raw power that he has tapped very consistently against MVC pitching this spring, effectively channeling some moving parts in his load into a very simple, compact right handed swing. He's very aggressive at the plate but he has been at least a little more disciplined this spring, lending hope to an average hit tool. Given his immense athleticism, you may not be surprised to learn he's a plus runner with a plus arm that could be an asset in center field going forward. This seems to be a profile the White Sox could like, maybe not in the first round at pick #26 but potentially in the second round at pick #62 or in the third round at #101 if he slides a bit.
Other options: LHP Noah Schultz (Oswego East HS, IL), SS Ryan Ritter (Kentucky via Tinley Park, IL), 3B/RHP Jack Brannigan (Notre Dame via Orland Park, IL), RHP AJ Izzi (Oswego East HS, IL), LHP Cole Kirschsieper (Illinois via Frankfort, IL)

Cincinnati Reds: RHP Jacob Miller, Liberty Union HS, Baltimore, OH
Hometown: Baltimore, OH. My rank: #55.
The Reds love their prep bats, but there are none on my radar in that Ohio/Kentucky/Indiana area. They haven't drafted and signed a high school pitcher in any round since Lyon Richardson and Yomil Maysonet in 2018 (a year after Hunter Greene), but with five of the first 94 picks, they have some extra money to play around with and they have two really good options in their extended backyard. I took a good, hard look at Indianapolis righty Andrew Dutkanych, a personal favorite of mine, but ultimately decided to stay in state with another rising righty in Jacob Miller. Miller attends Liberty Union High School in Baltimore, a small Fairfield County town about half an hour southwest of Columbus, where he has been turning heads with a strong spring. Miller has a powerful right arm, sitting in the low to mid 90's and hitting 97 with his fastball, but he makes his money with a wicked curveball that ranks among the best in the class. He also adds a solid slider and changeup, giving him a full arsenal to succeed as a starting pitcher. The 6'2" righty fills up the strike zone well and has a sturdy frame, furthering that starter projection. Miller wasn't quite as consistent later in his high school season and does need to shore up his in-zone command a bit, but it's a very enticing profile for the Reds' picks at #32, #55, and #73. With a Louisville commitment in hand, he's likely to be very expensive at pick #73 and would still likely require an over slot bonus at #55, but Cincinnati has the money if they want to go that route.
Other options: RHP Andrew Dutkanych (Brebeuf Jesuit HS, IN), OF Alec Sayre (Wright State via Dover, OH), C Dalton Rushing (Louisville via Brighton, TN), 3B Ben Metzinger (Louisville via Louisville, KY), RHP Jared Poland (Louisville via Fishers, IN)

Cleveland Guardians: RHP Mack Anglin, Clemson
Hometown: Marengo, OH. My rank: unranked.
The Guardians like college arms and high school bats. There aren't any big name prep bats in Northern Ohio that I know of (and only one position player, Medina's Luke Raley, from Northern Ohio even appeared in an MLB game in 2021), so we'll go with a college arm. In 2021, Cleveland drafted a whole host of college arms that had gone unselected in the 2020 draft for one reason or another, including with five of their first eight picks, and in this case I have them doing that again in 2022. Mack Anglin could have gone somewhere in the middle of day two had he been signable, but ultimately opted to head back to Clemson and bet on himself. Anglin grew up in the tiny Central Ohio town of Marengo, home to 342 residents between Columbus and Mansfield on I-71, then headed south to Clemson for college. He flashed some of the nastiest pure stuff in the ACC last spring, when he struck out 75 batters over 56.1 innings as a draft-eligible sophomore, but he bet on himself and headed back to school. This year has been more or less much of the same, so if Cleveland wants to bring him back home, he probably figures once more somewhere in the middle of day two. Anglin runs his fastball into the mid 90's but stands out the most for his ability to spin the ball. His curveball is a plus pitch with vicious spin rates and his slider is a distinct, above average pitch in its own right, giving him numerous big league out pitches with which to attack hitters. Unfortunately, his command has been below average throughout his career and with a high effort delivery and a fringy changeup, he looks ticketed to the bullpen. Given how much starting pitching depth Cleveland has in the minors, they can stomach that and hope his stuff can take yet another step forward in the bullpen. I'd be really interested to see how that plays in short stints.
Other options: RHP Jacob Miller (Liberty Union HS, Baltimore, OH), 3B Zach Dezenzo (Ohio State via Alliance, OH), SS Phillip Glasser (Indiana via Tallmadge, OH), LHP Drake Batcho (Florida International via Warren, OH), SS Cole Young (North Allegheny HS, Wexford, PA)

Detroit Tigers: RHP Brock Porter, Orchard Lake St. Mary's HS, MI
Hometown: Milford, MI. My rank: #19.
I strongly considered having some fun and giving the Tigers Porter's battery mate Ike Irish, but ultimately, this was a match made in heaven and could really happen. The Tigers love young, hard throwing pitchers and have a history of drafting them from Beau Burrows to Jackson Jobe. Brock Porter could be next, and he would give them a Metro Detroit native. Porter grew up in Milford, just over thirty miles northwest of downtown in western Oakland County, and he commutes back east to play for the powerhouse Orchard Lake St. Mary's program that produced Alex Mooney last year and also includes Irish, as mentioned. Porter is one of the hardest throwers in the prep class, comfortably sitting in the mid 90's and reaching triple digits at his best, with the pitch really jumping on hitters. It's not just a case of him going all out, as he has the arm strength to hold that mid 90's velocity deep into his starts. He throws two breaking balls in a loopy curveball and an inconsistent slider, though the latter flashes plus at its best and the former could tighten into an out pitch as he develops. Unlike most power high school arms, he actually stands out the most for his changeup, a plus pitch that has really dazzled hitters everywhere he's gone. Also unlike most preps that throw as hard as he does, the 6'4" righty does a good job of filling up the strike zone, though he does need to get a bit better about hitting his spots. Still, when you throw that hard, you don't have to be perfect. Porter has a clean, athletic delivery, but there is some head whack to be cognizant of. One small drawback in the profile is age, as he turns 19 more than a month before the draft and is older than some college freshmen. It will be expensive to buy him out of a Clemson commitment but at pick #12, Detroit shouldn't have to go too far above slot value.
Other options: C Ike Irish (Orchard Lake St. Mary's HS, MI via Hudsonville, MI), OF Gregory Pace (Edison HS, Detroit, MI), RHP Andrew Taylor (Central Michigan via Alto, MI), OF Nolan Schubart (Orchard Lake St. Mary's HS, MI via Durand, MI), OF Clark Elliott (Michigan via Barrington, IL)

Kansas City Royals: RHP Karson Milbrandt, Liberty HS, MO
Hometown: Liberty, MO. My rank: #123.
Last year, the Royals not only drafted the Ben Kudrna (Blue Valley Southwest HS), hometown pick I gave them in last year's article, they also made it double and grabbed Carter Jensen (Park Hill HS) as well. This year, I'll go back to the high school ranks again and put Karson Milbrandt on their radar, who is having a nice spring at Liberty High School northeast of the city. He stands out first and foremost for his fastball, typically a low 90's pitch that has gotten up to 96 this year. Coming from a low arm slot, the pitch features huge spin rates and a ton of arm side run, making it one of the tougher fastballs to square up in the class. He's gotten more consistent with his offspeed stuff this year, showing an above average slider and flipping in an average curveball. His changeup is behind, which isn't uncommon for prep arms, but we have the chance for a full starter's arsenal from a unique slot. Milbrandt's command comes and goes and there is certainly reliever risk, especially combined with the lower slot and his smaller 6'1" frame, but he's on the younger side having only turned 18 in April and has time to fill out. Perhaps most importantly for Kansas City, his Vanderbilt commitment will make him an expensive sign, especially if they wait until their third round pick to grab him. High school pitchers are unpredictable, but the second round feels a bit rich for right now.
Other options: 2B Robert Moore (Arkansas via Leawood, KS), RHP Jacob Misiorowski (Crowder JC via Grain Valley, MO), RHP Ben Bybee (Blue Valley Southwest HS, Overland Park, KS), LHP Jake Bennett (Oklahoma via Bixby, OK), RHP Carter Rustad (Missouri via Kansas City, MO)

Milwaukee Brewers: SS Gavin Kilen, Milton HS, WI
Hometown: Milton, WI. My rank: #53.
Like the Royals, the Brewers took my advice and drafted last year's hometown pick Alex Binelas (Oak Creek native) in the third round, though they promptly traded him to Boston in the Hunter Renfroe deal. They like their young hitters and have seen some success from guys like Felix Valerio, Joey Wiemer, Sal Frelick, and Jackson Chourio, even if they're still waiting on Garrett Mitchell and Hedbert Perez to find their groove. For that reason, there's a chance they could go out to that I-90 corridor and grab Gavin Kilen out of Milton High School just north of Janesville. Kilen can really, really play, utilizing a very mature approach at the plate and strong bat to ball skills to make contact as consistently as anybody in the class outside of that top tier. He also plays a slick shortstop with plenty of range. One the down side, the Milton native is far from the most physical player in the class, with a skinny 5'11" frame that does not produce much power to this point, especially since he's more focused on all fields, line drive contact. Kilen also has some arm strength, but not quite the cannon teams look for at shortstop and he may fit better at second base, where he would be above average. Coming into the season, Kilen and potential top five pick Jackson Holliday were very fairly similar players, but Holliday has gotten much stronger and had an electric spring while Kilen has underwhelmed just a touch. If his ends up being a late bloomer physically like Holliday, he could end up an extremely well-rounded player in the end. Committed to Louisville like so many others from the area in recent years, he could go get stronger with the Cardinals, but it would be fun to see the Brewers jump on him in the second or CBB round.
Other options: LHP Connor Prielipp (Alabama via Tomah, WI), 3B Max Wagner (Clemson via Green Bay, WI), OF Tommy Specht (Wahlert Catholic HS, Dubuque, IA), RHP Jack Washburn (Mississippi via Webster, WI), C Drake Baldwin (Missouri State via Madison, WI)

Minnesota Twins: RHP Adam Mazur, Iowa
Hometown: Woodbury, MN. My rank: #32.
There are two Washington County products that figure to go in the top fifty or so picks in this draft between Tennessee's Drew Gilbert and Iowa's Adam Mazur. Minnesota's second round pick doesn't roll around until #48 and may not get a shot at either, but between the two, Mazur is probably more likely to be available (getting blown up by Indiana recently doesn't hurt his chances of reaching #48 either). The pick would make sense, too, after the Twins spent last year's second round pick on another funky Big Ten arm in Michigan's Steven Hajjar. Mazur went to Woodbury High School in St. Paul's eastern suburbs, where he played against nearby Stillwater High School's stars Gilbert and Will Frisch (now at Oregon State) and alongside Marlins top prospect Max Meyer. He's well-travelled throughout the Upper Midwest, having begun his career at South Dakota State before transferring back east to Iowa, where he's seen his stock rise significantly. Mazur sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and gets up to 97 with arm side run, while a plus slider with deep bite is his best secondary. He also shows a solid curveball and changeup, giving him a full arsenal. The 6'4" righty is plenty projectable and is really growing into his body well, getting more consistent with his mechanics and improving his command along the way. He has a chance to be an impact starting pitcher and he could do so at home in Minnesota.
Other options: OF Drew Gilbert (Tennessee via Stillwater, MN), RHP Will Frisch (Oregon State via Stillwater, MN), 1B Peyton Williams (Iowa via Johnston, IA), 3B Mac Horvath (North Carolina via Rochester, MN), RHP Seth Halvorsen (Tennessee via Plymouth, MN)

Pittsburgh Pirates: SS Cole Young, North Allegheny HS, Wexford, PA
Hometown: Wexford, PA. My rank: #36.
The Pirates went all out last year when they had the largest bonus pool and signed Anthony Solometo, Lonnie White Jr., and Bubba Chandler to massive over slot bonuses, and this year they can be aggressive again with the fourth largest pool of any team and three of the first 44 picks. While Cole Young won't be in play at the fourth overall pick, he makes sense as a reasonable over slot candidate at #36 or #44 if he wants to stay home. Young attends North Allegheny High School in Wexford, a northern suburb of Pittsburgh within a few miles of David Bednar's Mars Area High School and Neil Walker's Pine-Richland High School. In stark contrast to fellow prep shortstops Jackson Holliday, Mikey Romero, and Max Martin, Young has seen his stock hold extremely steady throughout the cycle, a testament to his simple, consistent style of play. He's a very heady ballplayer that makes, you guessed it, very consistent hard contact at the plate, using a line drive approach that serves him just as well against high-octane showcase arms as it does against the Pittsburgh-area high school competition back home. He finds the sweet spot regularly on pitches inside and outside the zone, handling velocity and quality breaking balls with ease. While that contact-over-power approach does limit his game power a bit, he produces higher exit velocities than you'd expect given his skinny six foot frame when he does decide to turn on one. Young is also a strong defender with a good chance to stick at shortstop, further adding to his value. Committed to Duke, he will likely be an expensive sign.
Other options: OF Paxton Kling (Central HS, Roaring Spring, PA), RHP Jake Madden (Northwest Florida State JC via Enola, PA), C Matt Wood (Penn State via Gibsonia, PA), OF Derek Orndorff (Liberty via Mill Run, PA), RHP Cameron Weston (Michigan via Canonsburg, PA)

St. Louis Cardinals: 3B Cayden Wallace, Arkansas
Hometown: Greenbrier, AR. My rank: #62.
It's a down year for talent in the Eastern Missouri/Southern Illinois region this year, so I had to cast my net a little wider to bring a hometown pick to St. Louis. Living in Texas, I've learned that Arkansas (especially northern and eastern Arkansas) is deep Cardinals country, so I feel perfectly good going down to the Natural State to grab Cayden Wallace as the Cardinals' hometown pick. Wallace grew up in the small town of Greenbrier, about 45 minutes north of Little Rock and five and a half hours southwest of Busch Stadium. He was a big time prospect at Greenbrier High School that was good enough to hear his name called in the five round draft in 2020, but signability led him to Fayetteville instead where he has built his stock further. Seen as mostly a power hitter in high school, Wallace got on base at a .369 clip as a true freshman and .352 in the Cape Cod League and is now flirting with .400 this season as of this writing. He still possesses plus raw power from the right side, capable of producing big exit velocities and putting the ball out to all fields. Wallace is still learning pitch selection and can be susceptible to offspeed stuff, but he's improving and his ability to keep his barrel long through the zone helps him limit his strikeouts to a reasonable number. His future position is up in the air, as his cannon arm alone gives him a shot at third base, but he still has some work to do with the glove if he wants to stay there. He runs well for his size and could be a solid defender in right field. The Cardinals like these more or less complete college bats with some pop, so it would not be surprising to see Wallace head across the border to St. Louis. It seems unlikely they would bite with their 22nd overall pick unless he catches fire through the postseason, but if he's still available at pick #59, it would make a lot of sense. He probably fits about a dozen or so picks before that on talent alone but signability may play a factor as he's sophomore eligible and does not turn 21 until August.
Other options: C Dalton Rushing (Louisville via Brighton, TN), LHP Bradley Loftin (DeSoto Central HS, Southaven, MS), OF Kevin Graham (Mississippi via O'Fallon, MO), C Jimmy Obertop (Michigan via St. Louis, MO), RHP Collin Baumgartner (SIU Edwardsville via Brighton, IL)