2022 MLB Draft Review: Los Angeles Dodgers

Full list of draftees

The Dodgers had their first round pick pushed back ten spots due to luxury tax penalties, then also lots their second round pick after signing Freddie Freeman, leaving their first two picks at #40 and #105. Still, the Dodgers always draft well and were able to extract good value from the position they were in, with a very bat-heavy draft that didn't see a pitcher taken until Virginia lefty Brandon Neeck. There was also some California flair with picks out of UCLA, St. Mary's, and Westmont in addition to two additional picks (Arizona State's Sean McLain and Baylor's Kyle Nevin) that grew up in Southern California.
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.

2-40: C Dalton Rushing, Louisville. My rank: #37.
Slot value: $1.95 million. Signing bonus: likely around slot value.
The Dodgers may have had their pick pushed back, but they still got a very good player at number forty. Dalton Rushing didn't play much over his first two years at Louisville, but hit .319/.406/.543 with seven home runs in 39 games in the Cape Cod League and significantly raised his profile. His rise continued this spring, when he hit .310/.470/.686 with 23 home runs and led Louisville to super regionals. Rushing has a strong, compact 6'1" frame with a compact swing from the left side, but he produces plus power from it that he has tapped more and more in games. He does swing and miss some, but he's disciplined at the plate and draws a ton of walks, so the transition to pro pitching should not be an issue. It's a really appealing offensive profile that could produce 25-30+ home runs a year, with relatively high walk-driven on-base percentages. The defensive side isn't quite as clear, as he hasn't received consistent reps behind the plate and he's looked just decent back there. The Dodgers can choose to be patient with him back there, but with long term answers like Will Smith and Diego Cartaya already in the organization, they may not need to. If he's not a catcher, the Memphis-area product will probably be confined to first base or DH since he's not nearly fast enough to play the outfield. Still, the bat has a chance to be good enough to profile anywhere, and if he does manage to stick behind the plate, it's a potential All Star profile. I expect he'll sign somewhere around slot value.

3-105: SS Alex Freeland, Central Florida. Unranked.
Slot value: $582,400. Signing bonus: likely around slot value.
Alex Freeland was in that next group of guys I would have added to my list if I had the bandwidth, but he's coming off a very solid sophomore season at UCF in which he hit .282/.419/.570 with eleven home runs in 42 games. With an August birthday, he's eligible this year but still younger than most other college eligible players and carries some leverage, so I don't think he'll take much of a discount if at all. Freeland is a polished switch hitter that works counts well and draws plenty of walks, also showing off some pull side power when he can get his arms extended and catch the ball out front. He did not hit well on the Cape last year (.211/.348/.250 with no home runs in 28 games) but his strong sophomore season does alleviate some of those concerns. I'm not fully convinced that the power will play up with wood, but he's young, polished, and has a good 6'2" frame to build off. The Dodgers also have a lot of success with this type of player, as they do with most types of players. Defensively, he may have to move off shortstop (especially in a system as deep as the Dodgers'), but the Southwest Florida native should be athletic enough to handle second base and third base adequately. It's a utility outlook for now, but certainly with a chance for more if he can impact the ball with wood bats the way he did in the AAC this year.

4-135: OF Nick Biddison, Virginia Tech. My rank: #175.
Slot value: $435,000. Signing bonus: likely below slot value.
Nick Biddison will follow Saige Jenco and Carson Taylor on the Blacksburg to LA pipeline, and he'll do so as the very last player to crack the public portion of my rankings this year. Biddison had an up and down career with the Hokies, earning some draft interest heading into his junior year after a strong shortened 2020 campaign, but he slumped to .235/.331/.388 as a junior and came back to school. That decision paid off, as he broke out for a .351/.434/.598 slash line with 14 home runs and 21 stolen bases while hitting atop the best lineup in the country. The Richmond-area native is a sparkplug on the field, one who can impact the game in a lot of ways. He's disciplined at the plate and makes a lot of contact, and despite his compact 5'10" frame, he has sneaky power and can hit for impact to all fields. Biddison is an above average runner as well and knows how to deploy his speed, helping him on both sides of the ball. He's as versatile as it gets, having played every position except pitcher and shortstop during his time in Blacksburg (yes, including 28 games at catcher!), but he's probably a full time outfielder for the Dodgers and that's what they drafted him as. Despite being a senior, he's young for the class and was still 21 on draft day.

5-165: SS Sean McLain, Arizona State. My rank: #218.
Slot value: $325,200. Signing bonus: likely around slot value, perhaps a bit below.
The Dodgers went local in grabbing Beckham (Tustin) High School grad Sean McLain, the younger brother of current Reds prospect Matt McLain and the older brother of highly regarded prospect and Arizona State prospect Nick McLain. Sean has been a very steady hitter for the Sun Devils over the past two seasons, hitting .328/.410/.487 with ten home runs over 113 games. He possesses a quick, compact right handed swing that sprays line drives to all fields with great consistency, helping drive high batting averages wherever he's played. For now, the power is below average and I don't think he'll ever be much of an over the fence threat, though he has been an extra base machine in Tempe with 31 doubles and four triples over the past two seasons as he consistently finds gaps. The Orange County native is fairly aggressive at the plate, but he controlled the zone better as a sophomore and I feel confident he'll handle pro pitching well. A good runner that manned shortstop for Arizona State this spring, he profiles better at second base going forward but could fill in there in a pinch. I see a classic utility profile here, one that can hit for average and make a little noise on the basepaths.

6-195: SS Logan Wagner, P27 Academy [SC]. My rank: #145.
Slot value: $253,200. Signing bonus: likely well above slot value.
For their first high school pick of the event, the Dodgers will likely go way above slot value to pull Logan Wagner away from a Louisville commitment. A Chicago-area native, he transferred down to P27 Academy in the Columbia, South Carolina area as a senior to face better competition and it paid off big time. He put up a huge senior season that had scouts rushing in to see him play, and likely would have gone a couple rounds higher if signing bonuses didn't play such a big role. A switch hitter, Wagner shows off a powerful operation from both sides with a rotational operation that sees him put loft on the ball with authority. He was a bit inconsistent last summer on the showcase circuit, but he made a lot more contact in the fall and this spring, enough for the Dodgers to feel very confident he will tap his above average power against pro pitching. As with most prep prospects, there is a lot of ceiling here as a potential every day guy that adds value to the Dodger lineup. Although he was drafted as a shortstop, he figures to slide over to third base in pro ball due to a lack of quickness, though his strong arm should help him make it work there.

7-225: SS Christopher Campos, St. Mary's. Unranked.
Slot value: $199,700. Signing bonus: likely below slot value.
The Dodgers picked up their second Southern Californian in Christopher Campos, who grew up in Hacienda Heights and attended Damien High School a little to the north in La Verne. He was a two-way guy at St. Mary's, but it looks like the Dodgers want him as a shortstop only after he hit .299/.361/.373 for the Gaels this year despite a late season slump and injury. Campos struck out in just 10% of his plate appearances this spring, making a ton of contact and making defenses worse. However, he's undersized at 5'10" and didn't make a ton of hard contact, so his production for now is very dependent on his BABIP as he also doesn't walk much. There's raw strength in there, as Campos also had a 2.16 ERA and a 23/8 strikeout to walk ratio across 16.2 innings on the mound where he ran his fastball up to 95, so he'll have the arm strength to stick on the left side of the infield. Los Angeles will work to bulk him up just a little bit so that he can hit for some impact at the big league level and really put those excellent bat to ball skills to work.

12-375: RHP Jacob Meador, Dallas Baptist. My rank: #150.
Slot value: up to $125,000. Signing bonus: probably around $125K if he signs.
Jacob Meador is not a lock to sign here (though I think it's likely), but if he does, it's a very interesting profile to inject into the Dodger system. Again if he does, the Dodgers have a really interesting prospect on their hands. Meador was a known commodity out of his Fort Worth-area high school, but instead opted to attend TCU and build his stock. He struggled to break through their deep pitching staff and transferred just down I-20 to Dallas Baptist, where he got the innings he was looking for but still couldn't quite put it together. In all, Meador posted a 5.24 ERA, a 1.53 WHIP, and a 91/44 strikeout to walk ratio across 68.2 innings. The 6' righty has an explosive fastball that can get up to 96 with great riding action, settling more often in the low 90's. His curveball is a true hammer, eliciting ugly chases when he's at his best, while his changeup also flashes above average on his best days. A good athlete, he has all the ingredients to turn into a real impact arm, but his command has been very inconsistent and he gets into too many hitters' counts. The Dodgers have done a great job with Nick Nastrini, a similar pick a year ago with perhaps a more extreme profile, and they have a chance to turn Meador into a solid starting pitcher if they can get him to throw more strikes. If not, he has the nasty stuff to play up in the bullpen.

13-405: OF Chris Newell, Virginia. My rank: #199.
Slot value: up to $125,000. Signing bonus: probably around $125K if he signs.
Signing bonus-wise, Chris Newell is probably in the same boat as Jacob Meador in that he'll probably sign, but on day three of the draft nothing's ever a certainty. Newell was an even better prospect than Meador out of high school, where he had a chance to go in the top one hundred picks in 2019, but elected to head down south to Virginia to build his stock further. The move initially looked like it paid off after he hit .407/.545/.729 over 18 games in his shortened freshman season, but he's been much less consistent over the past two seasons and has slashed .258/.354/.432 with a 30.6% strikeout rate in that timeframe. A very good athlete, the Philadelphia-area product flashes above average raw power that he does sometimes get to in games, including twelve home runs this past season. His hands are very quick in the box and he gets uphill in his swing to create loft, but he struggles to reach fastballs up in the zone and for now has trouble recognizing offspeed, leading to a much less refined approach at the plate than most hitters coming out of UVA. Newell is also an above average runner that will stick in center field, providing some value when his bat is cold. While he has suffered through long stretches of futility at the plate, there are also few players out there more dangerous when he's hot, and Los Angeles will hope to bring that best side out of him more often.

15-465: SS Nicolas Perez, B-You Academy [PR]. My rank: #174.
Slot value: up to $125,000. Signing bonus: likely well above $125,000 if he signs.
Nicolas Perez is less likely to sign than Meador and Newell as a high school product with a Florida State commitment in hand. If he does sign, it will be well above the $125,000 threshold for day three picks and will count against the bonus pool. Perez won't turn 18 until September, which makes him one of the youngest players picked in the entire draft. He's steadily commanded more and more attention in Puerto Rico before exploding for an excellent showing at WWBA in the fall, and the Dodgers are buying into the trajectory here. He's not huge at six feet tall, but he has room to fill out his frame and continue to add strength, which will play up because he has strong feel for the barrel as it is from a powerful right handed swing. For now, he's an aggressive hitter, but it hasn't hurt him to this point and again, he's so young that you have to expect it. He's also a solid defender at shortstop with a chance to stay there as he gets bigger, faster, and stronger, and could become an all around contributor at the next level.

2022 MLB Draft Team by Team Reviews

Below, you can find links to all thirty team by team draft reviews as they come out. I will start shortly after the draft concludes and work my way backwards from the team with the last first pick, in this case the Dodgers.

Arizona Diamondbacks (published 9/1)

Atlanta Braves (published 8/6)

Baltimore Orioles (published 9/3)

Boston Red Sox (published 7/31)

Chicago Cubs (published 8/23)

Chicago White Sox (published 7/30)

Cincinnati Reds (published 8/7)

Cleveland Guardians (published 8/11)

Colorado Rockies (published 8/19)

Detroit Tigers (published 8/16)

Houston Astros (published 7/28)

Kansas City Royals (published 8/20)

Los Angeles Angels (published 8/14)

Los Angeles Dodgers (published 7/23)

Miami Marlins (published 8/24)

Milwaukee Brewers (published 7/29)

Minnesota Twins (published 8/21)

New York Mets (published 8/18)

New York Yankees (published 7/31)

Oakland Athletics (published 8/6)

Philadelphia Phillies (published 8/7)

Pittsburgh Pirates (published 8/28)

San Diego Padres (published 8/12)

San Francisco Giants (published 7/24)

Seattle Mariners (published 8/5)

St. Louis Cardinals (published 8/4)

Tampa Bay Rays (published 7/26)

Texas Rangers (published 8/30)

Toronto Blue Jays (published 8/3)

Washington Nationals (published 8/27)

2022 MLB Draft: Region by Region All Stars

I like to end my draft cycle on this piece because, frankly, it's a fun way for me to wind down ahead of the big event. In this article, we'll be comparing the kind of talent produced by different regions, with a catch. Instead of using a player's current school, we'll use their hometown. So for example, Georgia Tech catcher Kevin Parada will join the California team because he grew up in the Los Angeles area, Campbell's Zach Neto will go to Florida because he's from Miami, etc. I did this exercise last year, where the Northeast came out as the best overall team led by Jack Leiter (Summit, NJ), Henry Davis (Bedford, NY), Sal Frelick (Lexington, MA), and many other stars. This year, it's the Eastern South leading the way with a massive amount of talent coming out of Atlanta. We'll use the same regions as last year, but adding in Canada this time, and we will not include players who have removed their names from the draft.

Northeast (ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT, NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, DC, WV)
Average rank: 89.6
C: #79 Cade Hunter (Mount Laurel, NJ)
1B: #100 Luke Gold (Ballston Spa, NY)
2B: #54 Max Martin (Edgewater Park, NJ)
SS: #20 Cole Young (Wexford, PA)
3B: #137 Trey Lipscomb (Frederick, MD)
LF: #148 Jayden Hylton (Basking Ridge, NJ)
CF: #196 Chris Newell (Newtown Square, PA)
RF: #14 Chase DeLauter (Martinsburg, WV)
DH: #50 Tyler Locklear (Abingdon, MD)
SP: #80 Connor Staine (Branchburg, NJ)
SP: #114 Trey Dombroski (Manasquan, NJ)
SP: #92 Michael Kennedy (Troy, NY)
SP: #107 Jake Madden (Enola, PA)
SP: #112 Caden Dana (Montgomery, NY)
RHR: #83 Nazier Mule (Paterson, NJ)
LHR: #47 Reggie Crawford (Frackville, PA)
Honorable mentions: #115 Henry Williams (Darien, CT), #116 Dominic Keegan (Methuen, MA), #125 Matt Wood (Gibsonia, PA), #156 Adonys Guzman (Valley Cottage, NY), #187 Noah Dean (Little Egg Harbor, NJ)

A year ago, the Northeast led the way with an incredible average ranking of 28.1, a banner year for the region that included Jack Leiter, Henry Davis, Sal Frelick, Will Bednar, Benny Montgomery, and Chase Petty, among others. This year's team isn't quite as robust, with only two players (#14 Chase DeLauter and #20 Cole Young) beating the average ranking for last year's team. Cade Hunter comes away as the team's starting catcher, but there were numerous options including the big bats of Dominic Keegan and Matt Wood as well as the top-tier glove of Adonys Guzman. The team could have used central Pennsylvania outfielder Paxton Kling on this team, but he announced this week that he is removing his name from the draft to attend LSU. Meanwhile, Reggie Crawford represents the best pitching prospect with a fastball that can reach triple digits, but there are few sure things behind him. Connor Staine and Jake Madden have big upside but have battled injuries and inconsistency, while Nazier Mule brings a lightning bolt of an arm in need of refinement and Michael Kennedy and Trey Dombroski are crafty lefties that need to add velocity.

Midwest/Great Plains (OH, IN, MI, IL, WI, MN, IA, MO, KS, NE, SD, ND)
Average rank: 62.9
C: #123 Ike Irish (Hudsonville, MI)
1B: #98 Estevan Moreno (Hanover Park, IL)
2B: #104 Robert Moore (Leawood, KS)
SS: #85 Gavin Kilen (Milton, WI)
3B: #49 Max Wagner (Green Bay, WI)
LF: #81 Clark Elliott (Barrington, IL)
CF: #77 Ryan Cermak (Riverside, IL)
RF: #12 Drew Gilbert (Stillwater, MN)
DH: #113 Drake Baldwin (Madison, WI)
SP: #16 Brock Porter (Milford, MI)
SP: #30 Connor Prielipp (Tomah, WI)
SP: #32 Owen Murphy (Riverside, IL)
SP: #39 Jacob Miller (Baltimore, OH)
SP: #55 Adam Mazur (Woodbury, MN)
RHR: #66 Jacob Misiorowski (Grain Valley, MO)
LHR: #28 Noah Schultz (Aurora, IL)
Honorable mentions: #91 Karson Milbrandt (Liberty, MO), #122 Tommy Specht (Dubuque, IA), #124 Cade Obermueller (Iowa City, IA), #134 David Lally (Grand Blanc, MI), #140 Alan Roden (Middleton, WI), #145 Logan Wagner (Aurora, IL)

The Midwest/Great Plains region, a cold-weather region that stretches from Ohio across to the Dakotas, is significantly improved from last year by jumping from an average rank of 80.5 to 62.9. The difference is on the pitching staff, where all seven pitchers rank in the top 66 and five rank in the top 39. Brock Porter may be the first pitcher off the board in this draft, while Connor Prielipp and Jacob Misiorowski are surging after a strong showing at the MLB Draft Combine. Meanwhile, Owen Murphy and Noah Schultz had scouts scrambling to get to Chicago to see them pitch. In the field, the trio of Drew Gilbert, Ryan Cermak, and Clark Elliott make for a fantastic defensive outfield that any team would envy, and they bring interesting bats too (especially Gilbert, who could sneak into the top ten picks). Elsewhere on the field, Ike Irish, Robert Moore, and Gavin Kilen saw their stocks dip after uneven springs, but Max Wagner did the opposite by coming out of nowhere to slash .369/.496/.852 with 27 home runs for Clemson.

Eastern South (VA, NC, SC, GA)
Average rank: 44.4
C: #108 Brooks Brannon (Randleman, NC)
1B: #40 Tucker Toman (Columbia, SC)
2B: #3 Termarr Johnson (Atlanta, GA)
SS: #45 Tanner Schobel (Williamsburg, VA)
3B: #6 Cam Collier (Austell, GA)
LF: #86 Chandler Simpson (Atlanta, GA)
CF: #1 Druw Jones (Suwanee, GA)
RF: #71 Colby Thomas (Valdosta, GA)
DH: #78 Nick Morabito (McLean, VA)
SP: #11 Dylan Lesko (Buford, GA)
SP: #34 Jackson Ferris (Mount Airy, NC)
SP: #36 Kumar Rocker (Athens, GA)
SP: #44 Thomas Harrington (Sanford, NC)
SP: #57 Carson Whisenhunt (Mocksville, NC)
RHR: #23 Landon Sims (Cumming, GA)
LHR: #68 Tristan Smith (Chesnee, SC)
Honorable mentions: #94 Jonathan Cannon (Alpharetta, GA), #95 Ryan Clifford (Raleigh, NC), #96 Chandler Pollard (Winston, GA), #103 Zach Maxwell (Acworth, GA), #110 Levi Huesman (Hanover, VA), #117 Nate Savino (Sterling, VA)

The Eastern South comes away with the best average rank of any region at 44.4, powered by an Atlanta Metro that produced six of the team's sixteen players including four of the top eleven players on my overall draft board. Seriously, the ATL brings us Druw Jones, in my opinion the best overall player in the class, Termarr Johnson with one of the best hit tools ever seen out of the high school ranks, Cam Collier, who beat up on Florida JUCO pitching as a 17 year old and turned heads in the Cape Cod League, and Dylan Lesko, the consensus best pitcher in the class until he went down with Tommy John surgery. This is a speedy outfield that won't let many balls drop between Jones, Chandler Simpson, and Colby Thomas, while Brooks Brannon is a bit of a sleeper out of central North Carolina. On the mound, Jackson Ferris and Kumar Rocker both have ace upside behind Lesko, and Landon Smith has some of the most explosive stuff in the class when healthy. Georgia alone could have produced a pretty solid team that would have stacked up nicely with some of these other regions.

Western South (KY, TN, AL, MS, LA, AR)
Average rank: 93.8
C: #73 Logan Tanner (Lucedale, MS)
1B: #164 Sonny DiChiara (Hoover, AL)
2B: #61 Cade Doughty (Denham Springs, LA)
SS: #27 Eric Brown (Bossier City, LA)
3B: #25 Cayden Wallace (Greenbrier, AR)
LF: #51 Jordan Beck (Hazel Green, AL)
CF: #109 Gavin Guidry (Lake Charles, LA)
RF: #8 Gavin Cross (Bristol, TN)
DH: #37 Dalton Rushing (Brighton, TN)
SP: #40 Blade Tidwell (Loretto, TN)
SP: #62 Peyton Pallette (Benton, AR)
SP: #144 Grayson Saunier (Collierville, TN)
SP: #169 Colby Holcombe (Florence, AL)
SP: #197 Bradley Loftin (Southaven, MS)
RHR: #84 Ben Joyce (Knoxville, TN)
LHR: UR Hayden Mullins (Gallatin, TN)
Honorable mentions: #139 Silas Ardoin (Moss Bluff, LA), #172 Hayden Dunhurst (Carriere, MS), #191 Dakota Jordan (Canton, MS), UR Ross Highfill (Madison, MS), UR Blake Burkhalter (Dothan, AL), UR Zane Denton (Brentwood, TN)

The story for this year's Western South team is catching. Logan Tanner, Silas Ardoin, and Hayden Dunhurst are three of the best defensive catchers in the class (and all grew up just north of I-10 along the Gulf Coast), which means slugger Dalton Rushing won't be seeing much time behind the plate on this hypothetical team. Rushing, Gavin Cross, Cayden Wallace, Jordan Beck, and arguably the best right-now hitter of them all, Sonny DiChiara, bring a ton of pop to this lineup that is a bit lacking in defensive studs elsewhere on the diamond (though Wallace can really hum it from third base), while Eric Brown and Gavin Guidry help diversify a bit. On the mound, I would be very nervous watching this rotation try to hold up over a full season with Blade Tidwell's shoulder issues, Peyton Pallette's Tommy John surgery, Grayson Saunier's nagging minor injuries, and Colby Holcombe's general relieverish tendencies, but the upside his huge. Pallette, Tidwell, and Holcombe will likely all touch triple digits in the near future, while Ben Joyce blows them all out of the water with a fastball that can reach 105, though he too has battled injuries in the past.

Florida
Average rank: 62.5
C: #97 Brady Neal (Bradenton)
1B: #65 Sal Stewart (Miami)
2B: #149 Drew Faurot (Tallahassee)
SS: #10 Zach Neto (Miami)
3B: #90 Cameron Smith (Lake Worth)
LF: #52 Sterlin Thompson (Ocala)
CF: #35 Jud Fabian (Ocala)
RF: #2 Elijah Green (Windermere)
DH: #59 Roman Anthony (North Palm Beach)
SP: #17 Brandon Barriera (Hollywood)
SP: #46 Parker Messick (Plant City)
SP: #53 Walter Ford (Pace)
SP: #64 Bryce Hubbart (Windermere)
SP: #74 Hunter Barco (Jacksonville)
RHR: #127 Andrew Walters (Palm Bay)
LHR: #60 Carson Palmquist (Fort Myers)
Honorable mentions: #131 Brandon Sproat (Pace), #143 Dylan DeLucia (Port Orange), #154 Gabriel Rincones (Tampa), #167 Malachi Witherspoon (Jacksonville), #176 Ethan Petry (Land O'Lakes), #177 Jordan Taylor (Jacksonville), #182 Chris Stanfield (Tallahassee)

It's a good year for the sunshine state, besting last year's average ranking of 80.3 by 18 points this year. Potential #1 overall pick Elijah Green and Jud Fabian won't let any fly balls drop between them in the outfield, while those two plus Zach Neto, Roman Anthony, and Sal Stewart make for one mean middle of the lineup. On the mound, Florida went left handed this year with 5/7 pitchers coming from the left side, including two unique Florida State arms in Parker Messick and Bryce Hubbard. Carson Palmquist brings another unusual look as a lefty sidearmer and his Miami teammate Andrew Walters struck out more than 50% of his opponents this spring, almost exclusively with his fastball.

Texoma (TX, OK)
Average rank: 90.4
C: UR Jimmy Crooks (Euless, TX)
1B: #63 Ivan Melendez (El Paso, TX)
2B: #82 Jalen Flores (San Antonio, TX)
SS: #4 Jackson Holliday (Stillwater, OK)
3B: #31 Peyton Graham (Waxahachie, TX)
LF: #128 Jeric Curtis (Tomball, TX)
CF: #13 Jett Williams (Heath, TX)
RF: #135 Max Belyeu (Aledo, TX)
DH: #9 Jace Jung (San Antonio, TX)
SP: #21 Cade Horton (Norman, OK)
SP: #67 Cole Phillips (Boerne, TX)
SP: #87 Jake Bennett (Bixby, OK)
SP: #106 Brandon Birdsell (Willis, TX)
SP: #111 Chase Shores (Midland, TX)
RHR: #150 Jacob Meador (Burleson, TX)
LHR: #189 Brennan Phillips (Owasso, OK)
Honorable mentions: #126 Jayson Jones (Savannah, TX), #165 Jalen Battles (San Antonio,  TX), #179 Jace Grady (Elgin, TX), #180 Jared McKenzie (Round Rock, TX), #202 Trey Faltine (Richmond, TX), #209 Brenner Cox (Prosper, TX)

This year's Texoma team is unmistakably led by a murderer's row of bats, including potential first overall pick Jackson Holliday, potential top ten pick Jace Jung, a 5'8" slugger in Jett Williams, and the 2022 Golden Spikes winner Ivan Melendez, who hit .387/.508/.863 with 32 home runs for Texas this year. Holliday, Peyton Graham, and Jalen Flores make this a strong defensive infield as all three have a shot to play shortstop at the next level, and it would be even stronger if defensive whiz Anthony Silva (San Antonio) hadn't pulled his name from the draft. On the mound, mega riser Cade Horton takes over as the ace while triple digit man Cole Phillips and the 6'8" Chase Shores bring the upside. Jake Bennett, meanwhile, provides some stability as a high probability big league starter. Interestingly, last year's team got 15/16 players from Texas, but Oklahoma had a stronger showing this year with four names, including two likely first rounders in Holliday and Horton.

West Minus CA (NM, AZ, CO, UT, NV, WY, MT, ID, WA, OR, AK, HI, BC)
Average rank: 96.9
C: #155 Beau Sylvester (Kailua, HI)
1B: #18 Jacob Berry (Queen Creek, AZ)
2B: UR Jack Pineda (Albuquerque, NM)
SS: #193 Carter Young (Selah, WA)
3B: #194 Aiva Arquette (Kailua, HI)
LF: #133 Mason Neville (Las Vegas, NV)
CF: #22 Justin Crawford (Las Vegas, NV)
RF: #69 Gavin Turley (Chandler, AZ)
DH: #33 Jacob Melton (Medford, OR)
SP: #24 Gabriel Hughes (Eagle, ID)
SP: #56 JR Ritchie (Bainbridge Island, WA)
SP: #76 Jacob Zibin (Langley, BC)
SP: #93 Drew Thorpe (Washington, UT)
SP: #102 Trystan Vrieling (Kennewick, WA)
RHR: #89 Jackson Cox (Toutle, WA)
LHR: #43 Robby Snelling (Reno, NV)
Honorable mentions: #119 Adam Maier (North Vancouver, BC), #206 Riley Cornelio (Monument, CO), #210 Justin Boyd (Parker, CO), #216 Andrew Morris (Boulder, CO)

The team of the non-California west narrowly avoided being the only team with an average ranking above one hundred after my last second decision to include British Columbia (with thanks to Jacob Zibin), and that means it's nearly thirty spots better than last year's average of 124.1. Oregon's Aaron Zavala was the top ranked player on that team at #35, but this year's team has four players better than that led by potential top ten pick Jacob Berry. This team did it without a great showing from Phoenix, its traditional hotbed that only sent two players (Berry and Gavin Turley), or Colorado, which got completely shut out after Zibin took Riley Cornelio's spot. Instead, it pulled from off-the-radar places like rural Washington, southwestern Utah, Idaho, and even Hawaii. Still, despite the improvements, it remains the region with the worst average ranking. Berry and Justin Crawford lead the offense as two polar opposite players, as Berry is a middle of the order bruiser while Crawford will kill you with speed and power potential. Jacob Melton, meanwhile, splits the difference. Behind them, there is a deep crop of high school bats with huge potential. Gabriel Hughes gives the rotation a true ace while JR Ritchie, Jackson Cox, and Robby Snelling have the potential to join him in that regard. Drew Thorpe, meanwhile, is more of a steady innings eater, and Zibin and Trystan Vrieling are somewhere halfway between the two.

California
Average rank: 52.6
C: #15 Daniel Susac (Roseville)
1B: #7 Kevin Parada (Pasadena)
2B: #58 Mikey Romero (Menifee)
SS: #72 Josh Kasevich (Palo Alto)
3B: #5 Brooks Lee (San Luis Obispo)
LF: #39 Henry Bolte (Palo Alto)
CF: #29 Spencer Jones (Encinitas)
RF: #26 Dylan Beavers (Paso Robles)
DH: #37 Brock Jones (Fresno)
SP: #19 Cooper Hjerpe (Capay)
SP: #48 Justin Campbell (Simi Valley)
SP: #75 Cutter Coffey (Bakersfield)
SP: #88 Riley Kelly (Tustin)
SP: #118 Jaden Noot (Oak Park)
RHR: #105 Austin Charles (Bakersfield)
LHR: #101 Brycen Mautz (San Diego)
Honorable mentions: #70 Malcolm Moore (Sacramento), #101 Jacob Reimer (Yucaipa), #120 Anthony Hall (San Diego), #121 Joe Lampe (Petaluma), #129 Chris Paciolla (Temecula), #130 Kassius Thomas (Northridge)

California beats last year's ranking of 81.3 on the strength of an imposing lineup that includes seven of the class's top 39 players. Daniel Susac and Kevin Parada are the top two catchers in the class, while Malcolm Moore didn't even make the team but provides a third catcher (though he probably won't stick). There's a ton of athleticism in the outfield between Henry Bolte, Dylan Beavers, and Spencer Jones, so much so that former Stanford safety Brock Jones is forced to DH. Cooper Hjerpe and Justin Campbell are by far the best arms in the rotation, but Bakersfield provides a pair of two-way stars in Cutter Coffey and Austin Charles that could help out with their bats as well. It wasn't a banner year for San Diego, which produced just two players (Spencer Jones and Brycen Mautz) on this team, but the middle of the state pulled its weight better than usual between the two Bakersfield two-way guys, Brock Jones, Beavers, and 1-1 candidate Brooks Lee.

Comparing the Four
Average overall rank:
    1. Eastern South (44.4)
    2. California (52.8)
    3. Florida (62.5)
    4. Midwest/Great Plains (62.9)
    5. Northeast (89.6)
    6. Texoma (90.4)
    7. Western South (93.8)
    8. West Minus CA (96.9)
Average lineup rank:
    1. California (32.0)
    2. Eastern South (48.7)
    3. Western South (61.7)
    4. Florida (62.1)
    5. Texoma (79.4)
    6. Midwest/Great Plains (82.4)
    7. Northeast (88.7)
    8. West Minus CA (118.6)
Average pitching rank:
    1. Midwest/Great Plains (38.0)
    2. Eastern South (39.0)
    3. Florida (63.0)
    4. West Minus CA (69.0)
    5. California (78.7)
    6. Northeast (90.7)
    7. Texoma (104.4)
    8. Western South (135.1)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For the third and final installment of the hometown pick series, we'll take a look at the AL and NL East divisions to see which local kids they have a chance of keeping home. You can find the West and Central already on the site.

Atlanta Braves: 3B Cam Collier, Chipola JC
Hometown: Austell, GA. My rank: #14.
The Atlanta area is absolutely loaded with premium talent this year, but because the Braves don't pick until #20, they have virtually no shot to select Druw Jones (Wesleyan HS via Suwanee), Termarr Johnson (Mays HS, Atlanta), or Dylan Lesko (Buford HS). Even so, I think they would be elated to take a shot at Cam Collier if he falls that far. Collier grew up in the western suburb of Austell on the Cobb/Douglas county line, originally playing at Mount Paran Christian HS up in Kennesaw. Following in the footsteps of one Bryce Harper twelve years earlier, he graduated early and skipped both his junior and senior seasons to head to Chipola JC in the Florida Panhandle. Despite being just 17 years old playing against mostly 19-20 year olds, he hit .333/.419/.537 across 52 games to solidify himself as one of the best pure hitters in the class. Collier is a pro hitter through and through. He has a thick, strong, mature 6'2" frame that should only continue to add strength as he finishes out his teens, and he combines that strength with a professional approach in the box to make repeated hard contact to all fields. He works counts like a veteran and makes contact with all kinds of pitches, with a smooth swing that helps him produce above average game power. It's not the most explosive offensive profile, but if anybody in this class could reach the big leagues before they can legally buy alcohol, it's probably Collier. He's also an average defender at third base with a strong arm, so he should stick there. He's committed to Louisville next year and will be draft-eligible again at 20 years old, so he will not be a cheap sign if he makes past the halfway point in the first round. Given the way he's trending, it's not necessarily a likelihood he'll still be around.
Other options: RHP Landon Sims (Mississippi State via Cumming, GA), LHP Tristan Smith (Boiling Springs HS, SC), 3B Tucker Toman (Hammond HS, Columbia, SC), RHP Kumar Rocker (Tri-City ValleyCats via Athens, GA), 2B Chandler Simpson (Georgia Tech via Atlanta, GA)

Baltimore Orioles: 1B Tyler Locklear, Virginia Commonwealth.
Hometown: Abingdon, MD. My rank: #66.
The Orioles like to draft position players and they like college bats in particular, and Tyler Locklear provides them as potent a bat as you can find. Locklear grew up in Abingdon in southern Harford County, just down the road from Cal Ripken Jr.'s hometown of Havre De Grace. He knows Baltimore well, though, having commuted every day down I-95 to Archbishop Curley High School just a couple miles northeast of the Inner Harbor. Since reaching campus at Virginia Commonwealth down in Richmond, he has been a one man wrecking crew, slashing .345/.515/.686 as a sophomore and now on pace to beat all three slash numbers as his junior season winds down. Locklear hits the ball as hard as anybody in the game, showing plus-plus raw power that he taps in games combined with a patient approach that helps him deploy it strategically. His crazy numbers have come against so-so competition in the A-10 Conference, but he also hit .256/.333/.504 in the Cape Cod League and his plate discipline has been so strong that the Orioles should be plenty comfortable projecting him as an impact bat. That bat has a pretty clear first round value on its own, but his lack of defensive value may drop him out of the first round, despite that he closed his season on an absolutely torrid run. He's a divisive prospect but the fact that he hit absolutely everything in sight once the calendar turned to May is probably turning even his detractors into fans, which means he would fit best to the Orioles at pick #33 if he's still around, or #42 at worst.
Other options: 3B Trey Lipscomb (Tennessee via Urbana, MD), OF Chase DeLauter (James Madison via Martinsburg, WV), C Jack Bulger (Vanderbilt via Bowie, MD), RHP Matt Wyatt (Virginia via Towson, MD), 1B Maxwell Costes (Maryland via Baltimore, MD)

Boston Red Sox: C Dominic Keegan, Vanderbilt
Hometown: Methuen, MA. My rank: unranked.
2021 was a banner year for talent hailing from New England, and more broadly the Northeast as a whole, but this year is a bit of the opposite. The region's top native prospect coming into the spring, Northeastern right hander Sebastian Keane, has been inconsistent to say the least, but another man has risen to take his place and that's Vanderbilt catcher Dominic Keegan. Keegan was actually a part of that special class last year but elected to return to school rather than accept a 19th round selection by the Yankees (a slide induced by signability), and he would fit in very well with the Red Sox if they want to make the Yankees pay this year. Boston loves established, well-rounded hitters with track records of performance and the ability to hit for power, which makes this reunion all the more possible. Keegan grew up in Methuen, about 26 miles almost straight north from downtown Boston, and attended Central Catholic HS in nearby Lawrence. He hit .345/.427/.638 against a tough SEC schedule as a junior and like Tyler Locklear has a shot to beat all three slash numbers this year. Also like Locklear, he shows off plus-plus raw power, coming from a ridiculously strong six foot frame that gives him the ability to just flick the barrel through the zone with tremendous force. He struggled with strikeouts last spring and punched out at nearly a 28% rate, but he has cut that down this year and now has a chance to project as an average hitter if things click in pro ball. Keegan moved behind the plate this spring and has been adequate, but like last year's fifth round pick Nathan Hickey, he'll have to work to remain a catcher up to the majors. He's a senior this year but is very young for his class, so he still won't turn 21 until after the draft. He'll likely be one of the hottest senior sings this spring and may not take a huge discount, and he would make sense for Boston starting in the Comp B round (pick #79) and on to the third and possibly fourth rounds.
Other options: RHP Sebastian Keane (Northeastern via North Andover, MA), 2B Luke Gold (Boston College via Ballston, NY), LHP/1B Reggie Crawford (Connecticut via Frackville, PA), RHP Cam Schlitter (Northeastern via Walpole, MA), C/OF Brendan Tinsman (Wake Forest via Cape Elizabeth, ME)

Miami Marlins: OF Roman Anthony, Stoneman Douglas HS, Parkland, FL
Hometown: North Palm Beach, FL. My rank: #51.
The Marlins pick at #6 this year, which is probably a bit too early to take first round prospects Brandon Barriera (American Heritage HS) and Zach Neto (Campbell via Miami), but their second round pick at #46 brings a great opportunity to keep fast rising outfielder Roman Anthony home. Anthony grew up in North Palm Beach but played his high school ball a bit farther south at the power Stoneman Douglas program in Parkland, where he has set the world on fire as a senior. Anthony possesses huge raw power from an intimidating 6'3" frame, unleashing a beautiful left handed stroke that can really send the ball impressive distances. He swung and missed a lot over the summer, but he's been much more consistent this spring against tough South Florida competition and has firmly calmed scouts' worries about his hit tool, looking the part of a well rounded hitter in addition to a slugger. He may not stick in center field but has plenty of arm strength to be an asset in right field, giving the Marlins a lot of incentive to keep him from heading to Ole Miss for college. In the second round, they should be able to make it work without having to go too crazy far above slot.
Other options: LHP Brandon Barriera (American Heritage HS via Hollywood, FL), SS Cameron Smith (Palm Beach Central HS, FL), 3B Sal Stewart (Westminster Christian HS via Miami, FL), LHP Carson Palmquist (Miami via Fort Myers, FL), SHP Jurrangelo Cijntje (Champagnat Catholic HS, FL via Curacao)

New York Mets: RHP/SS Nazier Mule, Passaic County Tech HS, Wayne, NJ
Hometown: Paterson, NJ. My rank: #77.
The Mets have five of the first ninety picks, so they have some leeway to take risks as well as spread some money around. Across the river in New Jersey, they have an opportunity to roll the dice in a big way and hope for a huge outcome. Nazier Mule is a Paterson native playing for Passaic County Tech northwest of Manhattan, and there might not be a player in the country outside the first round range with more raw talent. Mule can pop triple digits with his fastball and comfortably sits in the mid to upper 90's, with a ton of run that makes it even harder to square up. He also snaps off some above average sliders but isn't as consistent with the pitch, while his changeup is more advanced than you might expect for a flame throwing 17 year old considered raw by most evaluators. Presently, he's much more thrower than pitcher, with a high effort delivery featuring a ton of head whack as he hurls the ball towards the plate, negatively impacting his command. That would typically make you think of the 6'2" righty as a relief prospect, but he's extremely young for the class and won't turn 18 until October, making him nearly a year and a half younger than some of the older prospects in the class. Because of his extreme youth that would make him belong age-wise in the 2023 class, in addition to being a cold weather arm that doesn't get to throw as often, I'm willing to cut him some slack and give him a shot at becoming an impact starting pitcher down the line. There's a lot to do, notably cleaning up his delivery and getting more consistent with his offspeed stuff, but the arm strength and raw talent are absolutely tremendous. He's also a shortstop with a ton of bat speed from the right side of the plate, but his swing isn't the smoothest and his approach is very raw at the plate, as you'd expect given his youth and focus on pitching. Mule is committed to Miami and will be draft eligible again at 20 years old in 2025, but the Mets will have plenty of bonus pool money and could pop him as early as the second round or in the second compensation/third round range.
Other options: LHP Trey Dombroski (Monmouth via Manasquan, NJ), LHP Michael Kennedy (Troy HS, NY), 2B Luke Gold (Boston College via Ballston, NY), RHP Connor Staine (Central Florida via Branchburg, NJ), RHP Henry Williams (Duke via Darien, CT)

New York Yankees: RHP Connor Staine, Central Florida.
Hometown: Branchburg, NJ. My rank: #74.
From Clarke Schmidt to Richard Fitts, the Yankees don't shy away from banged up college arms, and they could be in the market again at pick #61 if they want to bet on a local product. Connor Staine has his hometown variously listed as Branchburg, a far western suburb in Somerset County, New Jersey, or Clinton, which is two towns further west in Hunterdon County. Regardless, he attended West Morris Central High School in neither of those counties, a bit to the north in far western Morris County, and grew up not a Yankees or Mets fan but a Rays fan. From there, he began his college career at Maryland before transferring to UCF this year, getting off to a red hot start by not allowing an earned run over his first 33.2 innings into mid April. Things have been a bit more up and down since then as he's battled back and blister issues, but it's easy to envision an impact MLB starter. The 6'4" righty sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and has touched as high as 97, while his slider is an above average pitch and he rounds out his arsenal with a curve and changeup. His command has gotten better as he's grown into his big frame, allowing him to finally get the most out of his loud stuff, and the whole package has a lot to like. He may fall to the Yankees there in the second round because of the nagging injuries that have allowed him to complete four innings just once since early March, but if they can get him healthy, he can be a #3 starter.
Other options: 2B Luke Gold (Boston College via Ballston, NY), C Adonys Guzman (Brunswick HS, Greenwich, CT via Valley Cottage, NY), RHP Henry Williams (Duke via Darien, CT), RHP Caden Dana (Don Bosco HS, Ramsey, NJ via Montgomery, NY), 1B Jayden Hylton (Palm Beach Gardens HS, FL via Basking Ridge, NJ)

Philadelphia Phillies: C Cade Hunter, Virginia Tech
Hometown: Mount Laurel, NJ. My rank: #67.
The last time Virginia Tech had a position player go in the top three rounds, it was a South Jersey product in Mark Zagunis (Riverton native, Holy Cross HS). Tech could have as many as three go in that range this year, with one being another South Jersey native in Mount Laurel's Cade Hunter (Lenape HS). Hunter played just 31 games over his first two seasons in Blacksburg, but just like the Hokies team as a whole, he broke out in a big way in 2022 to push himself way up draft boards. He possesses plus raw power from the left side that manifests into huge exit velocities, something that's very hard to find in a true catching prospect. The hit tool is a bit behind the power and he'll need to continue to learn to handle high octane pitching as he moves up, but he's making a ton more contact than 2021 (when he struck out 32% of the time) and given that he hasn't seen the field much until this year, it's not terribly surprising. Behind the plate, Hunter is a great athlete who can pop out of the crouch in a hurry and turn in average run times. For now, that athleticism doesn't always manifest into consistent agility back there, but he's improving. As he continues to get more feel for the position, he should be able to stick back there with a strong arm, especially if we get robot umpires in the near future. This is a potential middle of the order bat at a premium position if the Phillies can help him clean up a couple of things, and while they don't pick between #17 and #93, there's a chance he's still around at the latter selection.
Other options: SS Max Martin (Moorestown HS, NJ), LHP/1B Reggie Crawford (Connecticut via Frackville, PA), LHP Noah Dean (Old Dominion via Little Egg Harbor, NJ), RHP Jake Madden (Northwest Florida State via Enola, PA), OF Chris Newell (Virginia via Newtown Square, PA)

Tampa Bay Rays: RHP Bryce Hubbart, Florida State
Hometown: Windermere, FL. My rank: #35.
Bryce Hubbart has fallen a little bit since I had him at #35 on my rankings and he'll appear a bit lower the next go around. The Rays currently pick at #29, #65, #70, and #71, with the former representing his ceiling if he pitches well in the NCAA Tournament and the latter three looking closer to his most likely range if he does not throw well. Regardless, this is a Rays profile through and through. Hubbart grew up in the western Orlando suburb of Windermere and attended Windermere HS, then headed north to Tallahassee to pitch at Florida State. There, he forms one of the best one-two punches in the country with Plant City native Parker Messick, another lefty. Hubbart has the kind of fastball the Rays covet, an invisiball that sneaks past hitters with riding action, though its velocity has been inconsistent. He touched as high as 97 on the Cape, where he was one of the league's most dominant pitchers, but more often this spring he's been down in the 89-91 range, where it is still effective due to its movement. On the Cape, Hubbart flashed a pair of plus breaking balls in a curveball and a slider, but he hasn't used them as often this spring as he has more consistent feel for his fastball. He also rounds out his arsenal with an average changeup. A bit undersized at a skinny 6'1", he comes from an uptempo delivery that might have some evaluators pointing to the bullpen, but his command has steadily improved to average and I still see a starter for now. He's also young for the class and will only turn 21 shortly before the draft, giving him extra time to sort things out, and he impressed me in this interview with Prospects Live as a student of the game who understands the art of pitching. We're not quite sure who the real Bryce Hubbart is yet, but if he ends up in this system, you can bank on the Rays turning him into the absolute best version of himself. Given how he threw on the Cape (0.87 ERA, 45/8 K/BB in 31 IP), that's a scary thought.
Other options: LHP Parker Messick (Florida State via Plant City, FL), RHP Walter Ford (Pace HS, FL), OF Jud Fabian (Florida via Ocala, FL), LHP Carson Palmquist (Miami via Fort Myers, FL), RHP Brandon Sproat (Florida via Pace, FL)

Toronto Blue Jays: RHP Jacob Zibin, TNXL Academy, FL
Hometown: Langley, BC. My rank: unranked.
Jacob Zibin's hometown of Langley, British Columbia may be more than two thousand miles from Toronto, but that doesn't mean it's not firm Blue Jays territory. Between him and Oregon's Adam Maier (a North Vancouver native), the Vancouver area has given us two very good arms in this cycle. Zibin grew up in Langley, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southeast of downtown Vancouver near the US border, but headed more than 2,500 miles across the continent to TNXL Academy in the Orlando area for high school. He then reclassified from the 2023 class to the 2022 class, making him the only player on my radar born in 2005. That's even younger than my dog. Despite his youth, the Canadian righty has plenty of present stuff. He sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and can scrape the upper 90's at best, with some run to boot. His sweepy slider provides a reliable out pitch for now while his changeup is very advanced for a 17 year old, giving him a well rounded arsenal to work with. Zibin throws plenty of strikes from a simple delivery, with plenty of present strength but more room to grow into his 6'3" frame. The combination of arm strength, pitchability, and size is very hard to find at that age, and while he will need some refinement, the Blue Jays can get a nice and early start if they draft him in the second to third round range. Committed to Kentucky where he would be draft eligible again shortly after his 20th birthday, he might get expensive quickly if they let him get much farther than those compensation picks between the second and third rounds.
Other options: RHP Adam Maier (Oregon via North Vancouver, BC), OF Owen Diodati (Alabama via Niagara Falls, ON), 1B David McCabe (Charlotte via Oshawa, ON), LHP Antoine Jean (Alabama via Montreal, QC), RHP Eli Saul (Sacramento State via Vancouver, BC)

Washington Nationals: SS Nick Morabito, Gonzaga HS, DC
Hometown: McLean, VA. My rank: unranked.
The Nationals' farm system hit rock bottom prior to the 2021 draft and subsequent major league selloff, but they've begun to restock the system with a focus on young bats. From the international side, we have Jeremy De La Rosa and Viandel Peña starting to make some noise, while Brady House, Sammy Infante, TJ White, and Daylen Lile have come in through the draft. They'll likely add more prep bats in this draft, and one of them could come from right in their backyard. Nick Morabito is a product of McLean, Virginia, an inner DC suburb home to many congressmen and other high ranking officials, and he commutes across the Potomac River to attend Gonzaga HS on H Street in Washington's NoMa neighborhood. Like fellow Northern Virginia infielder James Triantos a year ago, Morabito has really come on strong this spring and is rising quickly up boards. He's a bat-first prospect with a lightning quick swing from the right side, driving pretty much everything in site lately. It's a compact operation that especially helps him do damage up in the zone, in contrast with many of today's low ball hitters, and he has a chance for above average power down the line despite a smaller 5'11" frame. The glove will need more work, as he isn't quite explosive enough to stick at shortstop and may be forced to second base or left field in the long run. That puts some pressure on the bat, but he has a lot of believers. Another slight ding on his profile is age, as he already turned 19 more than two months before the draft and is more in line with the age of a college freshman. Committed to a Virginia Tech program fresh off an ACC regular season title, he'll be eligible again in 2024 as a sophomore if he goes that route and will be expensive. He makes sense for the Nationals in the second or third round.
Other options: RHP Jacob Watters (West Virginia via Rocky Gap, VA), LHP Levi Huesman (Hanover HS, VA), SS Tanner Schobel (Virginia Tech via Williamsburg, VA), RHP Jack O'Connor (Bishop O'Connell HS, Arlington, VA), LHP Nate Savino (Virginia via Sterling, VA)

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)