2022 MLB Draft Review: Pittsburgh Pirates

Full list of draftees

The Pirates made a huge splash by drafting potential superstar Termarr Johnson fourth overall, then fell back onto a very pitching-heavy strategy that included 15.5 pitchers (Jack Brannigan is a two-way player) over their remaining 20 picks. They targeted a wide variety, from power armed, likely relievers like Brannigan, J.P. Massey, and Cy Nielson to more polished starter types like Thomas Harrington, Hunter Barco, and Michael Kennedy. Athleticism was a big theme here for many.
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.

1-4: SS Termarr Johnson, Mays HS [GA]. My rank: #3.
Slot value: $7.01 million. Signing bonus: $7.22 million ($213,200 above slot value).
It is very, very easy to dream on Termarr Johnson as a future superstar for the Pirates. Long one of the most famous names in the high school class, he may have been the victim of prospect fatigue this spring as the conversation moved from the top five range to more of the 4-10 range, but by giving him more than seven million dollars to sign at fourth overall, Pittsburgh clearly stayed on him. We're talking about one of the most advanced young hitters we have seen in a long time, one that could reach the majors well before he turns 21. Johnson is an extremely disciplined hitter that takes some of the most professional at bats in the class, looking right at home in the box against the top pitchers in the class. Meanwhile, he puts his barrel on virtually everything he swings at, and if you need proof, here he is barreling up a baseball in the opposite batter's box. It all amounts to a double-plus hit tool that could be 80 grade in time. He's not just a slap hitter, though. Johnson possesses very real, plus power despite standing just 5'9", generating a huge amount of torque and lift from a rotational swing and a very strong lower half and quick wrists. Together, it could amount to 30+ home runs a year with very high on-base percentages, which would be perennial All Star caliber. My only concern with the offensive profile is very, very slight, the true definition of a nitpick, but the barrel isn't in the zone for all that long because he cocks the bat a little before swinging, has a little uppercut, and possesses at ton of bat speed that has the bat here and gone in a flash. But really, everything else about his hit tool is so strong that it's virtually moot. Defensively, he's probably not quite explosive enough to stick at shortstop, but he's very smooth on the dirt and could profile as an above average second baseman that makes all of the routine plays if he doesn't slow down at all. When you're handing out $7 million-plus signing bonuses, playing a premium defensive position like catcher, shortstop, or center field is often a priority, but Johnson's bat is so strong that the Pirates or more than happy to overlook it. For an MLB comp, we can go with peak Daniel Murphy but with better defense and potentially more power if the Atlanta native reaches his ceiling. He's off to a slow start to his pro career, slashing .125/.256/.188 with a 10/6 strikeout to walk ratio over 12 games, but he only just turned 18 in June.

CBA-36: RHP Thomas Harrington, Campbell. My rank: #44.
Slot value: $2.15 million. Signing bonus: $2.05 million ($100,300 below slot value).
Thomas Harrington was one of the higher profile risers this spring, and the Pirates will happily grab him in the competitive balance round for below slot value. Lightly recruited out of his North Carolina high school, Harrington walked onto the baseball team at Campbell just up the road from his hometown and immediately found success as a true freshman in the rotation. He took it to another level in 2022, posting a 2.54 ERA and a 111/18 strikeout to walk ratio over 92.2 innings and going at least six innings in every single start except for one, and he was only pulled from the one due to a lengthy rain delay. Harrington is one of the most balanced pitchers in the class with very few weaknesses. His fastball has steadily ticked up and now sits in the low 90's with a peak around 96, and he follows it up with a deep arsenal. His slider, curveball, and changeup are all consistently at least average, often above average and occasionally plus, and together they helped him strike out 30% of his opponents. The 6'2" righty's best attribute is his plus command, which helps him execute all of those average to above average pitches with precision and rarely ever hurt himself with walks. It's a very clear starting pitching profile that should move quickly through the minors, and while he may not be an ace, he has a very good chance to be a #3. He's durable, he only turned 21 shortly before the draft, and it's very hard to find any holes in his game.

2-44: LHP Hunter Barco, Florida. My rank: #74.
Slot value: $1.78 million. Signing bonus: $1.53 million ($251,100 below slot value).
While few scouts knew Thomas Harrington's name out of high school, Hunter Barco was one of the most famous prospects in his high school class, earning even some first round interest. He made it to campus at Florida, had a couple of very good but unspectacular seasons as an underclassman, then looked like he was breaking out with a 2.50 ERA and a 69/11 strikeout to walk ratio over 50.1 innings this spring. Unfortunately, he left a mid April start against Vanderbilt with an elbow injury and wound up succumbing to Tommy John surgery, so we won't see him pitch until mid 2023. Still, there is plenty to like. Barco has had inconsistent fastball velocity throughout his amateur career, touching 96-97 on some days and sitting around 90 on others, coming from a lower slot albeit with average life. His plus, sweeping slider is his best pitch, missing a ton of bats as it dives across the plate. He also throws an above average split change to round out his arsenal, giving him a very solid three pitch mix when the fastball velocity is there. The Jacksonville native is aggressive on the mound and pounds the strike zone, leading to low walk rates, though his in-zone command can be inconsistent. He was at his best throughout throughout out 2022 and it looked like he was putting it all together until he got hurt, and all things considered, it's not the worst time to get the surgery since he obviously isn't ready to contribute to the big league club anyways. The 6'4" lefty also brings plenty of projection to the table with an ideal pitcher's frame, and as he gets stronger post-surgery, the Pirates believe he'll be touching the mid 90's much more regularly. It's a high probability #3/#4 starter profile with a floor as a very solid three pitch reliever.

3-83: 3B/RHP Jack Brannigan, Notre Dame. My rank: #184.
Slot value: $770,700. Signing bonus: $770,700.
Jack Brannigan was ranked #164 by MLB Pipeline, #168 by Baseball America, #182 by Prospects Live, and #184 on my board, so it's safe to say this is much earlier than most thought he would go. Not only that, but the Pirates drafted him as a two-way player, so this will be loads of fun to watch. Brannigan (who by the way has to have the most Notre Dame name of all time) has more experience as a hitter, but the talent is equally intriguing on both sides of the ball and I'll admit I may have been too low on him with my ranking. Starting with the bat, he had an up and down 2022 season and slashed .291/.360/.540 with 12 home runs and a 49/20 strikeout to walk ratio over 57 games, showing off big physical tools but not always the ability to tap them in games. Although he's a bit undersized at 6', 190 pounds, he's quietly one of the best athletes in the class, not just with above average speed but with his natural ability to just move well on the diamond. There is above average power in the tank due both to his strength as well as that natural athleticism and ability to channel that strength, though his swing can get swoopy leading to some swing and miss concerns. He can sometimes struggle with breaking balls and overall is just not consistent with his hit tool. This could be a case of giving up pitching and finding more rhythm in the box, where his natural ability could take over and make him a 20+ home run hitter with decent on-base percentages. Over at third base, he has a chance to be a plus defender there with an absolute cannon of a right arm and the aforementioned athleticism that touches every part of his game. On the mound, he's considerably more raw and has thrown just 23.1 innings over three years at Notre Dame, but he could throw a lot more than that with Pittsburgh. After pitching sparingly in 2020 and 2021, he took on a slightly larger role in 2022 and posted a 7.93 ERA and a 28/8 strikeout to walk ratio over 14.2 innings out of the bullpen. The fastball sits in the mid to upper 90's and can touch triple digits at his best, with plenty of arm side run to miss barrels. He adds a rapidly improving slider that is starting to flash plus when he commands it, and he's worked to add a changeup as well. The Chicago-area native has seen his command improve from perhaps 30 grade to 40 grade, which is still comfortably below average but playable. He doesn't need good command with his stuff, just enough to get strike one and elicit chases. With long arm action and that below average command, he's almost certainly a reliever long term unless he gave up hitting right away and focused exclusively on stretching out, which I don't see happening. He hasn't pitched yet in the minors, but he is slashing .250/.366/.400 with two home runs and a 19/8 strikeout to walk ratio over 17 games between the Florida Complex League and Low A Bradenton. 

4-110: LHP Michael Kennedy, Troy HS [NY]. My rank: #92.
Slot value: $554,800. Signing bonus: $1 million ($445,200 above slot value).
Michael Kennedy is a very interesting prospect that you might miss if you're not watching closely, as he's had a bit less exposure up in Upstate New York and doesn't throw particularly hard. Kennedy sits in the low 90's with his fastball, topping out around 94 and occasionally dipping into the upper 80's, so he does need to add velocity. He flips in an above average, sweepy slider and shows solid feel for his changeup, giving him a good three pitch mix but not one that will stand out among pro prospects. He has a fairly stocky build at 6'1", 205 pounds that lacks projection, but he's a better athlete than you might think and moves very well on the mound. With a crossfire delivery, he gets down the mound with good extension and gets a low release height on his pitches, making them play up. Additionally, the Albany-area native pounds the strike zone with above average command and works those pitches well off each other, making for a very solid all-around product. Now in the Pirates system, it's time to focus on sharpening up his stuff and adding velocity, which I believe he'll do. Throw in that he's extremely young for the class and won't even turn 18 until after Thanksgiving, and you have a kid who could develop into a very solid #3 starter in time.

5-140: OF Tres Gonzalez, Georgia Tech. My rank: #157.
Slot value: $414,600. Signing bonus: $347,500 ($67,100 below slot value).
Tres Gonzalez brings a bit of an old school profile here, a hit-over-power type that could reach the majors quickly. After battering elite Cape Cod League pitching with a barrage of singles last summer, he did the same in the ACC this spring and slashed .339/.458/.474 with five home runs and a 27/45 strikeout to walk ratio over 60 games. He's an extremely disciplined hitter that just looks too advanced to be playing college baseball, managing the strike zone as well as anybody in the class and doing so even against elite arms. He also has excellent bat to ball skills, which combined with that approach led to a sub-10% strikeout rate this spring, spraying line drives around the field with a loose, quick swing. Listed at 5'11", 185 pounds, he is not overly physical and does not project for much power at all, and instead will rely on posting high on-base percentages with plenty of singles, doubles, and walks. A plus runner, he'll be able to make the most of those balls he puts in the gaps. The Atlanta-area native played left field for Georgia Tech but might be able to cut it in center field at least in a part time role. That's important, because with his fringy arm, it's hard to profile in left in any role if you can't hit for power. If he does stick in center, there's an outside chance he can play every day if everything else translates up, but the most likely projection is that of a fourth outfielder that gets on base at a high clip. So far, he's slashing .333/.407/.375 with a 7/2 strikeout to walk ratio over 14 games between the Florida Complex League and Low A Bradenton.

6-170: RHP Derek Diamond, Mississippi. My rank: #187.
Slot value: $311,600. Signing bonus: $311,600.
Derek Diamond has been an interesting prospect throughout his time at Ole Miss, but it's hard to know what to make of him. He jumped into the Rebels' rotation right away as a true freshman in 2020 and showed well, then battled through an up and down 2021 season to still make 20 appearances (14 starts) and throw 75.1 innings. 2022 was more down than up, as he posted a 6.89 ERA and a 57/13 strikeout to walk ratio over 65.1 innings, mostly as a starter, but barely pitched in the postseason as manager Mike Bianco chose to put his faith in more consistent arms. Just as it was looking like he would fall out of day two consideration, he showed very well in pre-draft bullpens and got teams interested again. Diamond can touch 97 with riding action on his fastball but, like Hunter Barco, doesn't always hold that velocity and can dip into the upper 80's. His slider and changeup both flash above average, but again, are inconsistent. The 6'2" righty stands out best for his athleticism on the mound, enabling him to repeat his delivery extremely well and show consistently above average command, which is why he's managed to stick as a starter all this time. When the fastball is around 90 and the secondaries aren't biting, no amount of command is going to make that work, but the stuff he's shown at his peak including just before the draft absolutely will. The Pirates will want to help build up Diamond's stamina to help get him more consistent with his stuff, and if it clicks, it's hard not to like a plus command arm that gets up into the mid 90's with two quality secondaries. He's off to a strong start in the Florida Complex League, tossing four shutout innings on three hits and one walk while striking out four in three relief appearances.

7-200: RHP J.P. Massey, Minnesota. My rank: unranked.
Slot value: $243,000. Signing bonus: $150,000 ($93,000 below slot value).
Big Ten evaluators have been waiting for a J.P. Massey breakout for some time, but haven't gotten it just yet. He was draft eligible as a junior in 2021, but walked 33 batters in 20 innings and returned to school. While you can't call it a breakout, he did get himself figured out a little bit in 2022, holding down a rotation spot and posting a 6.52 ERA and a 63/39 strikeout to walk ratio over 59.1 innings. It's odd to say this about a 22 year old college senior, but Massey is a projection play. His fastball currently sits in the low 90's and touches the mid 90's at best, and he adds a slew of secondaries in a slider, curveball, and changeup that are all extremely inconsistent but show promise. Throw on below average command stemming from troubles with his mechanics, and you have yourself a project. But Massey is listed at 6'5", 205 pounds with great athleticism and moves very naturally on the mound, so scouts continued to come back and watch his starts even as he struggled to a career 6.70 ERA and 17.1% walk rate over four years at Minnesota. The Chicago native does have feel for spin as well on top of his natural athleticism, and a change of scenery away from Minneapolis and into a pro development system might finally help him pull it all together. It's probably a relief profile though unless the Pirates can work some miracles.

8-230: LHP Cy Nielson, Brigham Young. My rank: unranked.
Slot value: $193,200. Signing bonus: $175,000 ($18,200 below slot value).
Cy Nielson has been known for some time now as one of the more electric left handers in the Rocky Mountain region, and after walking 17.3% of his opponents in 2021, his command took a big step forward in 2022 as he dropped that number to 5.1%. The result was a 3.21 ERA and a 45/7 strikeout to walk ratio over 33.2 innings as a reliever, as well as some impressive outings in the Cape Cod League. Nielson sits in the low 90's with his fastball but can get up to 97, showing great riding action that helps him miss plenty of barrels. His slider is fairly inconsistent, but flashes above average and can be especially potent against left handed hitters from his crossfire delivery. The Utah native also adds a changeup and has gotten much more consistent with his delivery, making for a serious MLB relief candidate. He has some experience as a starter on the Cape, but it seems best for the Pirates to play it straight up and let his three pitch mix continue to eat in a relief role. If he can hold his command together and get more consistent with his secondary stuff, he could be a highly valuable left handed reliever in short order. So far, he has allowed three runs in 3.2 innings between the Florida Complex League and Low A Bradenton, with three strikeouts to four walks.

14-410: LHP Julian Bosnic, South Carolina. My rank: unranked.
Slot value: up to $125,000. Signing bonus: $125,000.
Julian Bosnic had significant day two interest in 2021, where he posted a 2.84 ERA and a 78/25 strikeout to walk ratio over 50.2 innings for South Carolina, but bet on himself and went back to school. Unfortunately, he wound up missing the entire 2022 season with an elbow injury, so he signed with the Pirates for $125,000 in the fourteenth round. Bosnic has big stuff, starting with an explosive low to mid 90's fastball that can get up to 97 with excellent riding life. He drops in a hammer curveball that plays extremely well off his fastball, giving him two potential plus pitches to work off while the changeup is a bit behind. As a nearly-23 year old two pitch guy who has never stuck around in a rotation for long, the 6'3" lefty has an uphill climb if he wants to start, though he does show enough command at his best to give it a shot if the Pirates are willing to be patient. More likely, though, is a future where he stays in the bullpen and maxes out that excellent fastball/curveball combination with enough command to make it work. Of course, the first step will be getting healthy.

2022 MLB Draft: An early look at the SEC

2021 draftees: 68. Top school: Arkansas (9)
2021 preseason writeup (published 11/7/2020)

Top draftees:
1-2, Rangers: RHP Jack Leiter (Vanderbilt)
1-10, Mets: RHP Kumar Rocker (Vanderbilt)
1-14, Giants: RHP Will Bednar (Mississippi State)
1-19, Blue Jays: RHP Gunnar Hoglund (Mississippi)
2-40, Red Sox: OF Jud Fabian (Florida)
2-42, Diamondbacks: SS Ryan Bliss (Auburn)
2-44, Rockies: RHP Jaden Hill (Louisiana State)

Beyond hosting both College World Series final teams in Mississippi State, the SEC continued to show why it is college baseball's premier conference in 2021 by leading the way with 68 players drafted. Every team in the league had multiple players selected while five different schools saw at least seven players go in the draft. Meanwhile, Arkansas tied with Texas Tech for the second most players drafted of any individual school with nine, behind only UCLA's ten.

The SEC has always been known for premier pitching, with Vanderbilt righty Jack Leiter earning the largest signing bonus of any player in the draft and four pitchers going in the top nineteen picks a year ago. In 2022, however, the pendulum looks to have swung slightly to the position player side, with a deluge of big bats all jostling for position in the first round. By my count, I see about twelve players who are in a very good position to go in the first round, and while of course that won't be the case come July, it bodes well for the conference's chances of matching or bettering last year's mark of four first round draftees. The depth here is really impressive, and beyond the top couple of names, I really feel bad ranking any of these players outside of the top five and I see very little separation between the top and bottom of the list, which I extended to twelve after doing ten for the other conferences. One interesting trend I noticed was size, as the twelve players on the list average less than 6'1" in height and Hunter Barco (6'4"), the last player on the list, is the only one above 6'2". Not typical for a conference like this one.

1. 3B Jacob Berry, Louisiana State.
Bat: S. Throw: R. 6', 210 lbs. Born 5/5/2001. Hometown: Queen Creek, AZ.
2021: 17 HR, .352/.439/.676, 2 SB, 58/33 K/BB in 63 games.
LSU made a huge splash by hiring away Arizona head coach Jay Johnson this summer, and that move paid immediate dividends when all-everything slugger Jacob Berry decided to follow his coach across the country on Interstate 10. As a true freshman last spring (albeit the age of a sophomore), he was one of the best hitters in the entire country and served as the centerpiece to arguably college baseball's best lineup, slugging the Wildcats to their first College World Series appearance since 2016. He then cranked it up another notch with the US Collegiate National Team, slashing .387/.475/.871 with four home runs in eleven games against arguably the best amateur competition in the country. Berry may only be six feet tall, on the shorter side for a slugger, but he packs as much strength into that smaller frame as you could possibly expect. He trusts that strength and utilizes a simple, direct swing from both sides of the plate to tap into easy plus raw power very consistently in games, never having to sell out or swing out of his shoes to get there. The Phoenix-area product is a patient hitter that draws his walks and keeps his strikeouts to a reasonable level, and he's completely unfazed by high-end velocity and offspeed stuff. There is no doubt that Berry will handle the slight jump in competition from the Pac-12 to the SEC, and very few have any concerns about his ability to continue to produce at a high level immediately in pro ball once he's drafted. The bat will be the carrying tool, because he's a below average defender at third base with a choppy glove that may end up having to move to first base. He'll have plenty of bat to profile at first, but as a decent athlete with better mobility than you'd expect for his frame, a team may be able to run him out at the hot corner if they're patient and prioritize development in that part of his game. Regardless, offensive production is what earns the big bucks and he has it in spades, and between Berry (.352/.439/.676, 17 HR), Dylan Crews (.362/.453/.663, 18 HR), Cade Doughty (.308/.368/.546, 13 HR), Gavin Dugas (.295/.407/.641, 19 HR), and Tre' Morgan (.357/.441/.526, 6 HR), you'll be hard pressed to find a more intimidating lineup in 2022 than the one in Baton Rouge.

2. SS Carter Young, Vanderbilt.
Bat: S. Throw: R. 6', 180 lbs. Born 1/24/2001. Hometown: Selah, WA.
2021: 16 HR, .252/.341/.559, 9 SB, 84/31 K/BB in 61 games.
Jacob Berry has been a more consistent hitter to this point in his career, so I have him as the number one prospect in the conference, but Carter Young has the higher ceiling and probably a better chance to break through and earn a number one overall selection. An immediate contributor in his shortened freshman season in 2020 (.328/.373/.377), he carried that success over into the 2021 season and was one of the SEC's more dynamic players for much of the season, but he injured his shoulder in May and when he returned a few weeks later, he didn't look like the same player. The post-injury slump hurt his overall numbers and he finished with over a 30% strikeout rate, but after taking the summer off to rest and heal, his proponents expect huge things in 2022. Young, like Berry, is a switch hitter with power from both sides of the plate, taking healthy, uppercut hacks that really help him channel his lean strength into useable game power. The swing can get big at times, but when he's going right he's an extremely tough out that is equally willing to take you deep or slap a line drive the other way. There has always been swing and miss in his game, an issue exacerbated by the injury, but the hope is that a healthy 2022 combined with another year of development can help get that under control. On the flip side, the Washington state product is an above average defender who will definitely stick at shortstop, with a plus arm and plenty of range to positively impact the game with his glove. Teams love up the middle athletes early in the draft, and Vanderbilt is no stranger to producing that kind of talent between shortstop Dansby Swanson (first overall, 2015) and utility man Austin Martin (fifth overall, 2020). Young is a better defender than Martin and has more power than both, so how high he goes in 2022 ultimately hinges on the consistency of his hit tool.

3. RHP Peyton Pallette, Arkansas.
Bat: R. Throw: R. 6'1", 175 lbs. Born 5/9/2001. Hometown: Benton, AR.
2021: 1-2, 4.02 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 67/20 K/BB in 56 innings.
The first time I heard Peyton Pallette's name was a roller coaster day and I wrote about it here. Having no idea who he was, I watched him start off an extremely experienced and disciplined top of the Texas lineup six up, six down for two innings, never throwing a fastball under 95 and striking out the last two (Big 12 #6 prospect Trey Faltine and 2021 #196 overall prospect Ivan Melendez) on six consecutive fastballs. The dude just blew me away. After that sensational season opening start, he went on to have some ups and downs including rough starts against Alabama (1 IP, 4 ER) and Ole Miss (4 IP, 7 ER), but he showed enough to stand firm as the top pitching prospect in the best conference in baseball. Pallette sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball, tops out around 97, and gets tremendous ride on the pitch that just seems to explode onto hitters. He adds a plus-plus curveball with elite spin rates that looks to be one of the best breaking balls in the entire class, just crashing down on hitters as if it was spiked like a volleyball. To this point, the Little Rock-area native doesn't use his changeup as much and it's a below average pitch, so that will certainly be a point of development in 2022 and beyond. Despite standing a skinny 6'1", he's a strong kid that holds his velocity deep into starts through a low effort delivery, portending to a safe bet future in the rotation. Pallette often shows above average command but can get hit when he falls behind in the count or grooves one over the plate, so just a bit more consistency in that regard will be another thing to work on if he wants to be the first pitcher off the board on draft day. Relatively young for the class with a May birthday and younger than true sophomore Jacob Berry, there's as much talent in his right arm as anyone in college baseball and he looks the part of a high ceiling ace with some minor smoothing out of the edges in his game. The fastball/curveball combination is elite and the arm strength, body control, and athleticism are there, so the focus just needs to turn to his changeup and avoiding those lapses in command.

4. C Hayden Dunhurst, Mississippi.
Bat: S. Throw: R. 5'11", 220 lbs. Born 9/19/2000. Hometown: Carriere, MS.
2021: 7 HR, .280/.385/.435, 3 SB, 44/32 K/BB in 65 games.
Hayden Dunhurst hasn't quite put it all together yet, but strong defensive catchers who can produce in power conferences are always in demand and he firmly fits that profile. One of the top recruits nationally to reach campus from the 2019 high school ranks, Dunhurst has seen his game translate much more smoothly to the SEC than many anticipated and he now finds himself in the conversation as one of the top catchers in a loaded college class along with Mississippi State's Logan Tanner, Arizona's Daniel Susac, and Georgia Tech's Kevin Parada. He may be a bit undersized for a power hitter at 5'11", but like Jacob Berry he packs a ton of strength into that shorter frame and shows plus raw power from both sides of the plate. To this point, it hasn't shown up in games as much because he has mostly focused on making contact and hitting for average, opting to use the whole field and look for line drives rather than turn on and lift balls out of the park. Some would like to see the southern Mississippi product accept more swing and miss into his game to allow the power to play up, but regardless he has plenty of bat to profile as a starting catcher in the big leagues. Dunhurst really shines on defense, where his cannon arm ranks among the best in college baseball and can completely shut down the running game. While that plus-plus arm is his calling card, he's also come along very nicely with his glovework and figures to be an above average defender in that regard with a little more work, making the whole defensive package extremely enticing. Usually you have take a "glove-first" catcher to get that kind of defense and just hope his bat comes along, but Dunhurst has the bat. He can take it a step further by putting it all together in 2022 and tapping that power without letting his strikeout rate creep up too much, and if he can, he may be able to push to the front of the college catching pack.

5. C Logan Tanner, Mississippi State.
Bat: R. Throw: R. 6', 215 lbs. Born 11/10/2000. Hometown: Lucedale, MS.
2021: 15 HR, .287/.382/.525, 0 SB, 48/39 K/BB in 67 games.
Hayden Dunhurst and Logan Tanner have very similar profiles and are very close on this list, but I ultimately decided to put Dunhurst first because he's a switch hitter, his tools are a touch louder, and Tanner could not take advantage of Dunhurst's slower College National Team run (.160/.267/.160) as he struggled in his own right (.182/.217/.318). Tanner, also a southern Mississippi native who grew up a couple counties over from Dunhurst, was not as highly rated a recruit but was fantastic for Mississippi State in its run to the College World Series championship. He's a very well-rounded hitter that shows above average power from a compact right handed swing, effectively deploying the strength in his sturdy frame into usable game power. His patient, mature approach at the plate helps him tap that power consistently against good pitching, though his pure bat to ball skills are more average and he can sometimes get himself into trouble in deep counts. Behind the plate, he's an extremely good athlete that figures to be a plus defender, showing plenty of agility back there that is apparent to any observer. His plus arm plays up even further due to that agility, with the ability to throw from multiple angles as evidenced by this great throw against Ole Miss. With above average power that he taps in games, a strong enough approach to work in pro ball and make up for any deficiencies in his pure contact ability, and strong defense at a premium position, there are very few weaknesses in this profile and Tanner has a chance to work his way up as a starting catcher.

6. RHP Landon Sims, Mississippi State.
Bat: R. Throw: R. 6'2", 225 lbs. Born 1/3/2001. Hometown: Cumming, GA.
2021: 5-0, 1.44 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, 100/15 K/BB in 56.1 innings.
I will usually be the low man on college relievers. Their track record is as poor as any demographic in the draft, as they're already often performing at maximum capacity and don't get that "bump" in stuff that college starters do in shifting to relief work in pro ball. That said, Landon Sims is different. Despite facing extremely tough competition in 2021, he still struck out 46.9% of his opponents with an elite fastball/slider combination that very few hitters have solved to this point. Sims sits in the mid 90's and will regularly touch 97 without exerting himself, and the pitch plays up further because he gets tremendous riding life that makes it appear to catch another gear halfway to the plate. If you want the dictionary definition of an "explosive" fastball, here's what it looks like from behind the plate. On top of that plus-plus pitch, we have another one in the slider. Sims' slider has devastating late bite, just diving into oblivion at the last possible second and leaving hitters looking silly like this. On top of having two plus-plus pitches, he shows above average command that really helps the two pitches play off each other, something you very rarely see from an amateur pitcher with that kind of stuff. He served as the closer in 2021, often pitching two or three innings at a time, but not because he lacks the ability to start. Mississippi State's staff was absolutely loaded and Sims' mentality on the mound fits perfectly in a closer's role, as he's a fire breathing competitor that will make damn sure you see nothing but his very best from start to finish. He lives for the big stage and relishes in high pressure situations, so he'll for sure be able to handle the bright lights of even MLB's larger markets. So why #6? First, the five players ahead of him project as a middle of the order slugger, an all-around catalyst, an ace, and back to back starting catchers, so that's all elite talent and nothing to be ashamed of falling behind. Second is the reliever thing, and you can see the track record in this tweet. When a starter converts to relieving in pro ball, his stuff takes a natural jump as he goes from throwing six or seven innings at a time to just one or two, but a college reliever doesn't get that bump. I really want to see how Sims' stuff holds up in a starting role in 2022 before feeling comfortable with him as a first round pick, especially as it pertains to holding velocity (he's usually about 93-95, T97 in relief) and keeping that devastating late snap on his slider. We also haven't seen much of a changeup because he really hasn't needed it. There's no reason not to think he can make that jump to starting, especially given his efficient delivery, ridiculous arm strength, strong command, and overall competitiveness on the mound, so he still ranks among the best in the SEC and therefore the best in college baseball. We'll just have to wait and see.

7. 3B Cade Doughty, Louisiana State.
Bat: R. Throw: R. 6'1", 195 lbs. Born 3/26/2001. Hometown: Denham Springs, LA.
2021: 13 HR, .308/.368/.546, 1 SB, 32/22 K/BB in 58 games.
Cade Doughty does not have the loudest tools in the SEC, and certainly does not compare favorably to the other names on this impressive list when it comes to power, speed, or overall athleticism. However, the kid is somewhat reminiscent of another former LSU Tiger, Daniel Cabrera, in that he can just flat out play baseball. I actually like Doughty significantly more than I liked Cabrera, and I (like many others) am enamored enough with his natural feel for the game to rank him high on this list. Doughty was a highly regarded recruit coming out of the Baton Rouge-area high school ranks and I liked him then as well, and all he's done since then is just hit and hit and hit. Doughty is a very professional hitter that makes a ton of contact from the right side, consistently going with the pitch and working an all fields approach. With a bat path that is naturally long through the hitting zone, he has some margin for error on pitches he mistimes. Not just a slappy gap to gap hitter, he has plenty of leverage in his 6'1" frame and taps into above average power both to his pull side and the opposite field. The end product is a very well-rounded bat that has a chance to produce 15-20 home runs annually in the majors while posting relatively high on-base percentages, and I have a feeling he's going to end up closer to his ceiling than his floor. In 2022, he might want to get a bit more selective to try to draw a few more walks, as he tends to make contact early in the count and walked in just 8.5% of his plate appearances last year. He also provides value on defense, with good range and instincts in the infield and an above average arm that would make him a net-positive defender at either second or third base.

8. 2B Robert Moore, Arkansas.
Bat: S. Throw: R. 5'9", 170 lbs. Born 3/31/2002. Hometown: Leawood, KS.
2021: 16 HR, .283/.384/.558, 6 SB, 51/41 K/BB in 61 games.
Every year, guys come around that are just ballers. Last year it was Ryan Bliss, now with the Diamondbacks, and this year Robert Moore seems like the guy. The son of Royals general manager Dayton Moore, Robert is undersized and lacks big tools but can just flat out play baseball with the best of them. He graduated early from Shawnee Mission East High School in the Kansas City suburbs and enrolled at Arkansas when he was just 17, and promptly hit .317/.403/.444 as a freshman despite not being old enough to vote. Moore continued that success with a strong sophomore season at 18-19 years old and then hit .351/.415/.378 as one of the youngest members of the US Collegiate National Team. Standing just 5'9" and with a skinny frame at that, he works counts extremely well and is completely unfazed by elite, older pitching, taking professional at bats consistently day in and day out. The switch hitter is very mechanically sound in his swing from both sides of the plate, creating a ton of whip that gives him more power than you'd expect for his size, especially to the pull side. That power didn't really show up with wood bats for the CNT, where he had just one extra base hit (a double) in eleven games, and given his size it's fair to question how much he'll have in pro ball. It's not quite a Nick Madrigal profile because there is some swing and miss in his game, and he may have to decide going forward what kind of a hitter he wants to be and how much contact he'll trade for power. To me, how much the power will show up with wood bats is probably the most important question. Moore is a sparkplug on defense as well, playing a standout second base for Arkansas and potentially showing the ability to move over to shortstop in pro ball if he can get a little stronger and improve his arm a touch. Either way, he's a plus runner and has the range to play anywhere on the diamond. There are players you don't bet against, and Bob Moore seems like one of them with a Dustin Pedroia ceiling.

9. OF Jud Fabian, Florida.
Bat: R. Throw: L. 6'2", 190 lbs. Born 9/27/2000. Hometown: Ocala, FL.
2021: 20 HR, .249/.364/.560, 6 SB, 79/40 K/BB in 59 games.
We spent a lot of words on Jud Fabian in 2021, and we're going to do it again in 2022. Having graduated a semester early from Trinity Catholic High School in Ocala, Florida in 2018, he enrolled at Florida in time for the 2019 season and had established himself as one of the top prospects in the country (and #3 in the SEC) by the time the 2021 season rolled around. What ensued was an extremely up and down junior year for Fabian, who had four multi-homer games (including one against #2 overall pick Jack Leiter) but at one point also managed to strike out 15 times in 22 hitless plate appearances. The Red Sox still drafted him with the 40th overall pick and offered him a multi-million dollar signing bonus, but it wasn't anywhere close to the $3 million he had asked for (a price some other teams were reportedly willing to meet) and he's returning to school. Last year, Fabian was one of the youngest eligible players from a four year school, still two and a half months shy of his 21st birthday, so he'll be age appropriate for this year's draft and is younger than Hayden Dunhurst. He does a lot of things well and really only has one weakness in his game. The Ocala product has plus raw power and does an excellent job of lifting the ball, with a swing ideal for blasting balls out of the park that has done so consistently against the best arms in the country. As up and down as his season was, he never went more than four games without a home run in the regular season. He also has a very strong eye at the plate, effectively working counts and recognizing spin even against premium velocity and stuff. The problem with his bat, however, is that he simply lacks the barrel accuracy to consistently tap his power and get on base. Fabian's uppercut swing means that even though he rarely chases bad pitches, he often swings through hittable ones and can be prone to long bouts of coming up empty at the plate. In 2022, he'll have to prove he can be more consistent, because another year of ups and downs could knock him out of the top two rounds or so. However, even a small reduction in his strikeout rate where he at least avoids the major slumps that plagued him in 2021 could lock him into the first round. On defense, Fabian provides plenty of value with plus speed and range that will fit very well in center field, taking some pressure off his bat and also helping him out on the bases.

10. LHP Connor Prielipp, Alabama.
Bat: L. Throw: L. 6'2", 205 lbs. Born 1/10/2001. Hometown: Tomah, WI.
2021: 1-1, 3.86 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 12/1 K/BB in 7 IP.
Connor Prielipp is somewhat of the mystery man in this conference. He began his college career perhaps as well as you could possibly expect, tossing 26 shutout innings with 43 strikeouts, six walks, and just nine hits allowed in five non-conference starts against Northeastern, UNLV, Harvard, Lipscomb, and McNeese State. The first four came in the shortened 2020 season, while the McNeese State start ended up being his only start of the 2021 season as his elbow gave out on him. He came back for two much less effective relief appearances against Auburn and LSU in mid-April and mid-May, respectively (2 IP, 3 ER, 4 K), but went down with Tommy John surgery and will likely miss the 2022 season as well. It's not often that an injured pitcher with just 28 collegiate innings to his name can make a first round push, especially when they were not a highly regarded recruit, but Prielipp really is special. His fastball sits in the low to mid 90's and has been up to 97, velocity he has maintained throughout his handful of starts. His slider is a plus pitch with late bite, darting under bats at the last second, and his changeup is an above average pitch in its own right. With a simple, easy delivery, the 6'2" lefty commands his pitches well and has all of the traits you look for in a frontline starting pitcher, and if he hadn't gotten hurt he may very well be the number one player on this list. However, the fact that we haven't seen how he handles a larger workload is important, as he'll be asked to throw roughly seven times his career high in innings in a big league rotation, and for that reason you can't project him as a starter with as much certainty as a guy like Peyton Pallette. Prielipp's five starts have also come against weaker competition, with the two worst innings of his career being the only two he threw against SEC teams (albeit while hurt). On talent alone, he might be the best in the conference, so his low ranking on this list is really just a byproduct of the depth of the conference combined with the unfortunate fact that we just won't have seen him pitch in a very long time come draft day.

11. OF Cayden Wallace, Arkansas.
Bat: R. Throw: R. 6', 205 lbs. Born 8/7/2001. Hometown: Greenbrier, AR.
2021: 14 HR, .279/.369/.500, 0 SB, 61/29 K/BB in 60 games.
Cayden Wallace was one of the top recruits to make it to campus following the shutdown, and he immediately made an impact by working his way into the middle of arguably the best lineup in the country as a true freshman. After swatting 14 home runs as a teenager playing an SEC schedule, he continued to produce with wood bats in the Cape Cod League and slashed .290/.352/.468 with two home runs over 18 games. Because he turned 20 over the summer and will be 21 a few weeks after the draft, he'll be eligible this year as a true sophomore. The first thing you notice with Wallace is the power, as he produces big exit velocities and crushes baseballs impressive distances from the right side. Not the biggest guy in the world at six feet tall, he packs in plenty of lean muscle and produces a ton of force. Evaluators saw him as power-over-hit in high school and that was the case during his freshman season, but he handled SEC pitching better than many expected right out of the gate and was unfazed by the premium stuff he saw on the Cape. There is still some swing and miss in his game with a right handed uppercut that can get a bit long at times, but the barrel does get into the hitting zone early and he does a great job of staying through the ball. As his pitch recognition skills sharpen with age, he should become an average hitter in the big leagues with the potential for plus power. The central Arkansas native is a below average runner but certainly not a base clogger, and his cannon right arm gives him a chance to be an average defender in right field. He played infield in high school and could stick at third base with some more seasoning, and he may get the opportunity to prove himself a bit at the position in 2022 after playing mostly right field in 2021. There's a little more projection required with Wallace because he doesn't control the strike zone as well as many of the names above him on this list, but he's also younger than most of them as well. Either way, expect big things from him in 2022.

12. LHP Hunter Barco, Florida.
Bat: L. Throw: L. 6'4", 220 lbs. Born 12/15/2000. Hometown: Jacksonville, FL.
2021: 10-3, 4.01 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 94/26 K/BB in 83 innings.
Hayden Dunhurst, Landon Sims, Cade Doughty, and Cayden Wallace may have been nationally-known prospects coming out of high school, but Hunter Barco was the most hyped of all of them at Bolles High School in Jacksonville, earning first round grades from some evaluators. His performance at Florida has been more up and down than he may have liked so far, but with a 3.52 ERA and a sharp 120/32 strikeout to walk ratio through 102.1 innings over two seasons, he remains very much a contender for the first round. Barco has a deep arm plunge in his delivery and comes from a low three quarters slot that gives a unique look to hitters, especially from the left side, getting down the mound well with his lower half and showing off his athleticism. His stuff can be inconsistent, with a fastball that can get up to 96-97 at its best but which has also been known to drop into the upper 80's. The slider is his best pitch, a plus, sweepy breaker when it's on that creates a lot of confused swings, while his split changeup gives him another above average pitch. Barco's in-zone command can come and go but he does a very good job of pounding the strike zone even when he isn't feeling as precise with his location, and only once in his twenty career starts has he walked more than three batters in an outing. The 6'4" lefty has projection remaining and is a very good athlete, and he gave a glimpse at his ceiling this summer when he struck out eight of the ten batters he faced for the US Collegiate National Team. On the docket for 2022 will be a bit more consistency, which could help him overtake Connor Prielipp, Landon Sims, and Peyton Pallette as the best arm in the conference.

Honorable Mentions
Given the depth of this conference, I wanted to touch on a couple more names that just missed. Vanderbilt's Spencer Jones was the first name off the list, as he hasn't received much playing time in Nashville but slashed an impressive .309/.409/.457 on the Cape and shows plus raw power from a 6'7" frame. He was one of the more famous players in the 2019 prep class out of high school in the San Diego area but made it to campus after injuries wiped out his senior season, and at the time he drew early round interest as a pitcher with a low 90's fastball and an above average curveball as well. He hasn't pitched at all for Vanderbilt and has only played in 48 games overall in two seasons, so it will be interesting to see how much he can tap that power in games on a consistent basis in 2022 and whether his strong plate discipline can translate to a plus hit tool despite the natural swing and miss you get with arms as long as his. And maybe we'll finally get to see him pitch. Tennessee's Blade Tidwell is another interesting draft-eligible sophomore who will turn 21 in June, coming off a strong true-freshman season in the Volunteer rotation where he had a 3.74 ERA and a 90/34 strikeout to walk ratio over 98.2 innings. The 6'4" righty has a power right arm that can run his fastball up to 97 with ease, sitting in the mid 90's and showing very good feel to spin both a slider and curveball as well. His control is ahead of his command but he pounds the strike zone consistently and rarely hurts himself with walks, giving him a high floor as a back-end starter with a mid-rotation ceiling. Florida's Brandon Sproat might have the strongest arm in the entire conference, but he has a 5.53 ERA and a 26/18 strikeout to walk ratio over just 27.2 innings because he's struggled to throw strikes. His fastball sits in the mid 90's and can touch 99 in relief, while his above average slider provides an out pitch. To this point, he looks like a reliever because of that below average command and the lack of a reliable changeup, but there are no glaring issues in his delivery and more consistent innings in 2022 might help him pull it together enough to earn a shot as a starter. Lastly, LSU's Eric Reyzelman is one of the more interesting transfers out there, having come over from San Francisco. While his numbers against weaker competition weren't that impressive over two years with the Dons (5.72 ERA, 56/36 K/BB in 50.1 IP), he was much stronger on the Cape this summer (2.93 ERA, 38/8 K/BB in 27.2 IP) and he's a breakout candidate for 2022. The 6'2" righty now sits in the low 90's with his fastball and can touch 96-97 in short stints, adding a full arsenal behind it headlined by an above average slider. Reyzelman has a very loose, athletic delivery with some deception and is young for the class, in fact younger than true-sophomore Tidwell despite being a junior.

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)

2019 Draft Review: New York Mets

First five rounds: Brett Baty (1-12), Josh Wolf (2-53), Matthew Allan (3-89), Jake Mangum (4-118), Nathan Jones (5-148)
Also notable: Luke Ritter (7-208), Antoine Duplantis (12-358), Hunter Barco (24-718)

The Mets had a fairly unorthodox strategy here, but ultimately, I like the end product. After going a little underslot with first rounder Brett Baty, they splurged and spent a combined $4.65 million on their second and third round picks – about $2.5 million total above slot – and then proceeded to take seven straight college seniors to save money. After spending a total of $8.55 million on those first three high schoolers, those seven seniors cost them a combined $62,000. Funny what a little leverage can do for you. Brett Baty, Josh Wolf, and Matthew Allan all have tremendous ceilings and are certainly premium talents, but there were some interesting guys taken later on. Of course, nobody can ever say enough about Mississippi State legend Jake Mangum, who finishes college baseball as the SEC's all time hits leader and as possibly the most popular player the league has ever seen. Either way, it's clear that the Mets are significantly invested in these three high schoolers, and the success of this draft will hinge on them.

1-12: 3B Brett Baty (Lake Travis HS [TX], my rank: 21)
Brett Baty is a polarizing prospect, but his immense upside and the bit of savings the Mets got here makes him a worthwhile gamble in the top half of the first round. Baty played alongside Dodgers second rounder Jimmy Lewis for Lake Travis High School near Austin, and he took off by hitting everything in sight during his senior year of high school. He's 6'3" and generates easy plus power from the left side, and he got to it very consistently this spring, so his hit tool looks like a plus for now as well. However, his stock takes a big hit when you consider his age, as he turned 19 in November and is a year to a year and a half older than most high school seniors. Scouts have to weigh that in when considering the way he produced in 2019, it will be very interesting to see how he does against more age-appropriate competition. If Baty shrugs off the age thing and hits like he very well may have the ability to, he could hit 25-30 or more home runs per season with fairly high on-base percentages, making him a true middle of the order threat. He has a cannon arm at third base ubt his glove is a bit uncertain, so it remains to be seen whether he sticks at the hot corner or is forced over to first base. Baty signed away from a Texas commitment for $3.9 million, which was $470,000 below slot, and he's slashing .259/.394/.481 with a home run and a 12/6 strikeout to walk ratio over seven minor league games, five of which came in the complex-level Gulf Coast League and two of which were with rookie-level Kingsport.

2-53: RHP Josh Wolf (St. Thomas HS [TX], my rank: 43)
Josh Wolf saw his stock climb this spring as scouts saw the progress he made. The Houston native is a 6'2" righty that sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and adds a very good curveball, one which generates a lot of swings and misses. His changeup is coming along as well, and while he loses his arm slot occasionally and that can impact his command, he generally fills the strike zone and certainly can't be considered wild. He's very skinny and doesn't look like he has a ton of room to add weight, but he already has plenty of arm strength and may not need to add that much if he wants to remain a starter. He also supposedly has a strong work ethic and that has helped him consistently get better, and he has the ceiling of a #2 or #3 starter and a good shot to be at least a #4. Wolf signed away from a Texas A&M commitment for $2.15 million, which was $780,000 above slot.

3-89: RHP Matthew Allan (Seminole HS [FL], my rank: 12)
Mets fans should be ecstatic that they were able to land Matthew Allan here, who could have easily gone in the first round. With a strong Florida commitment, Orlando-area high schooler was reportedly asking for upwards of $4 million for his signing bonus and slipped out of Day One, but apparently there was some wiggle room and the Mets were able to land him for less, though still massively overslot for this part of the draft. Allan, in my opinion, was the top high school pitcher in the country this year, coming in with a mid 90's fastball, a very good curveball, and a changeup with solid drop. His command isn't pinpoint but it's safely above average, and with an easy delivery and a 6'3" frame, he checks all the boxes that you're looking for in a future impact starter. While I'm not sure he'll ever end up a true ace, Allan has a very good chance to be a #2 or a #3 starter so long as his command holds up. He signed for $2.5 million, which was more than $1.83 million above slot.

4-118: OF Jake Mangum (Mississippi State, unranked)
Their pocketbooks virtually empty after drafting three pricey high schoolers, the Mets started a long run of college seniors with perhaps the most exciting player in college baseball. I'm not talking about Oregon State's Adley Rutschman, but rather Mississippi State's Jake Mangum, who has become the face of college baseball over the past couple of seasons. Very old for his class, he was drafted by the Yankees as a draft-eligible sophomore in 2017, but he turned them down to return to Starkville for his junior season. The Mets drafted him as a 22 year old junior in 2018, but he again turned them down to return to school. Now, he emerges after four years as the SEC's all time hits leader and perhaps the most popular player in Mississippi State history, quite the feat when you consider all the talent that has come through the program from Rafael Palmeiro and Will Clark to Jonathan Papelbon, Mitch Moreland, and Brent Rooker. Mangum, from the Jackson area, slashed .408/.458/.510 as a freshman and never looked back, hitting at least .324 every season and capping it off with a .358/.417/.467 line, one home run, 22 stolen bases, and a 24/22 strikeout to walk ratio over 67 games for the Bulldogs this season. Mangum is a switch hitter with great bat to ball skills and the ability to spray line drives all over the park, though he is strictly a contact hitter and you'd be lucky to get 5-10 home runs per season out of him. Once he puts the ball in play, he's very fast and can use his speed well on the bases, and it also suits him well in the outfield, where he has a strong arm and should be an above average center fielder. Having turned 23 in March, he's much older than most of his draft peers even at the college level, so he'll want to move quickly. Overall, that equates out to a fourth outfielder projection given his age. However, the biggest thing you're getting with Mangum isn't his hit tool or his run tool. His work ethic and leadership qualities are off the charts, and even that's an understatement. The unquestioned captain of not only his team but probably of all of college baseball, you'd be hard pressed to find someone who worked harder, played harder, and who poured more of their soul into not only improving themselves, but everyone around them. Jake Mangum was to Mississippi State what the media played Derek Jeter up to be to the Yankees, and while he never won the College World Series with the Bulldogs (he came close on a few occasions), there's no doubt he has laid the groundwork for that to happen in the near future. As a senior with very little leverage, Mangum signed for $20,000, which was $467,900 below slot, and he's slashing .235/.278/.294 through his first four games at short season Brooklyn.

5-148: RHP Nathan Jones (Northwestern State, unranked)
It was hard for me to find information or video on Nathan Jones, though I've got a little bit. Jones was lightly recruited out of a Shreveport high school and ended up at Northwestern State in Natchitoches, Louisiana, where he relieved his freshman year before starting for the last three seasons. The 6'1" righty put up a 2.78 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP, and an 80/25 strikeout to walk ratio over 81 innings, tossing two complete game shutouts along the way. I don't know anything about his stuff, but given his college numbers, he may have a chance to try to crack it as a #4 or #5 starter with his solid command and proven durability. He signed for $10,000, which was $254,400 below slot, and he tossed two shutout innings while striking out five in his first game with Brooklyn.

7-208: 2B Luke Ritter (Wichita State, unranked)
Luke Ritter has been a big performer for Wichita State over the past two years, slashing .341/.420/.484 as a junior before bumping it up to .333/.458/.545 with nine home runs and a 39/36 strikeout to walk ratio over 59 games as a senior. The Kansas City native is only 5'11" but he has some pop from a powerful swing, and he greatly improved his plate discipline in 2019 to the point where it should be a net positive in his development. He's not great defensively, but he's not a butcher either and should be able to stick at second base, where he'll likely serve as a bench bat at the major league level if he gets there. He does have some offensive upside, making him a sleeper to track and a guy who could surprise if he takes to pro ball well, so his ceiling is not limited to a reserve role despite the fact that he turned 22 in February as a college senior. Ritter signed for $10,000, which was $206,600 below slot, and he's slashing .250/.348/.429 with a pair of home runs and a 13/8 strikeout to walk ratio over 16 games with Brooklyn.

12-358: OF Antoine Duplantis (Louisiana State, unranked)
The Mets grabbed Mississippi State's all time hits leader (and the SEC's all time leader) in Jake Mangum and his 383 hits, so they went ahead and grabbed another big program leader in Antoine Duplantis, who set the LSU all time hits record with 359. And of course, that LSU program has produced hitters like Albert Belle, Todd Walker, Aaron Hill, and Alex Bregman (as well as the previous hits leader Eddy Furniss), so Duplantis coming out on top is no small feat. Duplantis slashed .324/.376/.505 with eleven home runs and a 30/21 strikeout to walk ratio as a senior this year, and when you pair him with Mangum, the Mets picked up two of the greatest leadoff hitters in SEC history. Unlike Mangum, Duplantis has the ability to turn on the ball and drive it over the fence, but at a skinny 5'11", he ultimately does not project for much power in pro ball because he is much more inclined to use his quick, compact swing to spray line drives around the field. The Lafayette, Louisiana native has good range in the outfield, but with a mediocre arm, he doesn't profile as more than an average center fielder, if he sticks there. Overall, that looks like a fourth outfielder profile because he doesn't place the bat on the ball quite so effortlessly as Mangum, but he still should hit for high averages. Duplantis signed for $85,000 and is slashing .136/.174/.182 with five strikeouts to one walk over his first five games at Brooklyn.

24-718: LHP Hunter Barco (Bolles HS [FL], my rank: 33)
With the Mets spending a boatload of bonus pool money to sign second rounder Josh Wolf and third rounder Matthew Allan, Hunter Barco won't sign here, and he'll instead head to Florida, where Allan was committed. The Jacksonville high schooler's stock has been anything but steady, as he shined on the showcase circuit between his sophomore and junior years of high school to put himself on the map as a potential top ten overall pick in early, early mock drafts. However, he was only so-so this past summer, not too dissimilarly to Brewers 2018 first rounder Brice Turang, and his stock fell a little bit. He came out of the gate looking better this spring, but he also dealt with minor shoulder problems and ultimately his stock leveled off in the compensation round-area, in the pick 35-45 range. Ultimately, though his asking price was too high for teams to be comfortable with and he'll look to find consistency as a Gator. Barco is a 6'4" lefty with a low 90's fastball, a slider that flashes plus, and an advanced splitter, but his mechanics have been inconsistent and that affects not only his command but his stuff. Barco throws from a low three quarter arm slot with a cross-body delivery, and at times his arm falls down to almost sidearm and his stuff flattens out. The Florida coaching staff is going to have to work with him on that, but with that projectable 6'4" frame, three potential plus pitches, and left handedness, he has a very high ceiling.

2019 Draft Preview: Left Handed Pitchers

There aren't as many left handers as right handers, so I combined the list here. As with the right handers, none of these guys figure to go in the top five picks, and it's very possible, even likely, that only two get drafted in the first round. There is especially a dearth of high schoolers here, with only two or three expected to go on day one and all coming with signability questions, though the college left handers have much more depth. 

Tier I: Nick Lodolo, Zack Thompson

The first tier consists of two major conference starters, with no high schoolers cracking it. Nick Lodolo took a huge step forward with TCU this year, posting a 2.36 ERA, a 0.98 WHIP, and a 131/25 strikeout to walk ratio over 103 innings before the draft. After posting ERA's of 4.35 and 4.32 over his first two seasons in Fort Worth, respectively, Lodolo has gotten more consistent with his mechanics and his command this year. He's 6'6" and throws in the low 90's, adding a solid curve and changeup, but he's got the best of both worlds in that he's a proven major conference starter as well as a tall lefty with projection remaining. He could be a #2 starter at best but looks more like a #3 and will likely go in the top ten picks, with the Reds at #7 looking like the best bet. Over at Kentucky, Zack Thompson put an inconsistent 2018 behind him by posting a 2.40 ERA, a 1.03 WHIP, and a 130/34 strikeout to walk ratio over 90 innings this year. He's 6'3" and has been creeping up lists all spring long, using his low 90's fastball and full set of secondaries to carve up SEC hitters. His command has been more consistent this spring as well, though it still plays closer to average, and he overall looks like a #3 or solid #4 starter. He figures to go somewhere in the middle of the first round, likely in the top half.

Tier II: Hunter Barco, Blake Walston, Ethan Small

These three pitchers couldn't be more different. Hunter Barco was an early top prospect in this class with an exceptional showing on the summer showcase circuit back in 2017, but he was more inconsistent in 2018 before righting the ship a bit in Spring 2019. He's a 6'4" high schooler from Jacksonville who throws a from a lower arm slot, showing a low 90's fastball, a slider that flashes plus when he doesn't come around it, and a good splitter. His mechanics have been all over the place and dictate his success, so getting him to use a consistent arm slot will be the first thing on his drafting team's list. He figures to go at the end of the first round or in the comp round based on talent, but he'll be a tough sign away from Florida. Blake Walston is an uber-projectable arm out of Wilmington, North Carolina, standing 6'4" with plenty of room to add weight to his athletic frame. He can run his fastball into the low 90's but fades during his starts and can end up in the high 80's at times, also showing an inconsistent curve with good shape but without power at this point. He also has a slider and a changeup, and his command has been pretty good for a raw, projectable high school arm. He'll be a tough sign away from NC State and he needs a lot of work, but he has high upside and could be an ace when all is said and done. He looks like a comp or second rounder, but signability might affect that. Ethan Small is a 22 year old redshirt junior at Mississippi State, but he has been the best pitcher in college baseball this season. In 16 starts before the draft, Small posted a 1.88 ERA, a 0.83 WHIP, and a 160/27 strikeout to walk ratio over 96 innings against some of the top competition in the nation. His fastball only sits around 90 and his secondary stuff is closer to average, but his command and feel for pitching are so good that even the SEC's best hitters can't figure him out. There is deception in his delivery and he varies his timing, and if anybody can make a 90 MPH fastball work in pro ball, it will be Small, who figures to go in the second round and has #4 or #5 starter projection.

Tier III: Spencer Jones, Tommy Henry, Erik Miller, T.J. Sikkema, Brandon Williamson, Graeme Stinson, Matt Cronin

This is where the deep group of college lefties gets going. We'll start with Southern California high schooler Spencer Jones, a two-way player who looked to be a first rounder before an elbow injury cost him most of his senior season. He shows power at the plate but on the mound, the 6'7" lefty shows a low 90's fastball and a good curveball that should be solid building blocks. He's much more about projectability than present stuff, but he has some of the highest upside in the class, so it's hard to peg his draft position. On the college side, Michigan's Tommy Henry has been inconsistent this spring but shows fringe first round stuff at his best. This year, he had a 3.61 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, and a 111/25 strikeout to walk ratio over 99.2 innings, showing really well early in the season but seeing his stuff flatten out at times later on. He's 6'3" and sits in the low 90's with a slider and changeup that can look plus at their best, though as I said before, they flattened out at times later in the season, and his command has played up well this year. He looks like a mid rotation starter at times but at others, his stuff looks fringy in terms of being a major league starter. He looks like a second rounder. Stanford's Erik Miller has also been inconsistent, posting a 3.15 ERA, a 1.35 WHIP, and a 97/42 strikeout to walk ratio over 80 innings this season. He's 6'5" and shows great stuff, sitting in the low to mid 90's and adding a good slider that generates swings and misses, but he loses his mechanics at times and that leads to bouts of wildness. He struggled in the Cape Cod League, but a team that thinks it can clean him up could help him reach his ceiling as a mid rotation starter. He's a second or third rounder. Missouri's T.J. Sikkema has not been inconsistent, putting up a 1.32 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP, and a 101/31 strikeout to walk ratio over 88.2 innings, rivaling Small at times as the best pitcher in the SEC. He's just six feet tall but sits in the low 90's with his fastball, adding a good slider that also helped him put up a 1.72 ERA in the Cape Cod League. He's extremely competitive on the mound, which helps his stuff play up, his command is solid, and he won't be 21 until July, so he has a chance to outplay his #5 starter projection. He looks like a second rounder. Behind Lodolo in the TCU rotation, Brandon Williamson has been inconsistent but shows big stuff at times. He's 6'5" and posted a 4.19 ERA, a 1.53 WHIP, and an 89/36 strikeout to walk ratio over 77.1 innings. He shows a low to mid 90's fastball and a good slider from a smooth delivery, but he's been oddly inconsistent with both the level of his stuff and his command. A 6'5" lefty with velocity and an easy delivery is a scout's dream, but he's been inconsistent enough that he may be forced to the bullpen and may last until the third round. He has a high ceiling if he can put it all together. Duke's Graeme Stinson had a chance to go in the top ten picks with a good run through the ACC, but instead, it was a disaster. Stinson's transition to the rotation lasted just five starts before a hamstring injury, in which he posted a 4.58 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, and a 26/9 strikeout to walk ratio over 19.2 innings. He's 6'5" and shows premium stuff at his best, running his fastball into the mid 90's with a wipeout slider that may be the best in the class, and that helped him put together one fantastic start in the Cape Cod League (5 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 12 K). However, there were durability concerns even before his hamstring injury, and now it looks like he'll be a reliever only in pro ball. Once healthy, he could move quickly in that role and he looks like a second rounder. Lastly, Arkansas's Matt Cronin is a pure reliever, having put up a 2.00 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, and a 40/14 strikeout to walk ratio over 27 innings. He's 6'2" but with a running low to mid 90's fastball and a very good slider, he'll move quickly through the minors and could be a set-up man or even a closer. However, his command is fringy, so he's more of a solid relief prospect than an elite one. He should go in the second or third round.

Others: Ben Brecht, Antoine Kelly, Mason Feole, Avery Short, Hayden Mullins