2022 MLB Draft top prospects

The MLB Draft is a unique event. It often flies under the radar of most sporting press, not being the razzmatazz, headline-grabbing events of the NFL or NBA draft, and can often be simply ignored altogether. Partly this is a result of the fact that baseball, uniquely, can draft directly out of high school. Even the NBA requires a one-and-done in college as a minimum prerequisite.

This state of affairs will often mean that the top overall picks are prep players that have little national profile outside of the offices of MLB scouting departments. The top college prospects may only barely break into the top ten come draft day, making the entire process a bit of a letdown for the public.

The top 10 prospects in the 2022 MLB Draft according to MLB Pipeline are made up of an even split of five college players and five prep players. Let’s take a look at them here.

1. Druw Jones

With a father like Andruw Jones, you are going to have a big set of shoes to fill, and through high school, Druw the younger has lived up to that challenge. He has five-tool possibilities that has kept scouts coming back for more, and led his team to the Georgia Class A private school state title while taking Gatorade’s Georgia high school player of the year award for himself.

Defensively, Jones is ready for high-A ball, maybe even the Show, with his outstanding glove and the ground that he can cover, but his career will hinge on his bat, and that element is something that would benefit from him taking his time, not rushing things, perhaps even foregoing any MLB offer to follow through on his commitment to Vanderbilt next year.

2. Jackson Holliday

Son of seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday, Jackson has a big swing that has won him Gatorade’s Oklahoma prep player of the year, along the way breaking J.T. Realmuto’s national high school record for hits in a single season, going for 89 in 41 games for a slash line of .685/.749/1.392.

Perhaps his biggest enemy is his over-reliance on that power, which has at times led him to swing for the fences rather than simply putting the ball in play. When he slows his motion and stops reaching for the ball, he is one of the best hitters in the country. If he follows through with his commitment to Oklahoma State, he could be one of the guiding hands that brings them a CWS in a few years time.

3. Elijah Green

Another son of a famous father, this time former NFL Pro Bowl tight end Eric Green, Elijah is one of the fastest players in the draft class and can make wonderful contact, when he makes contact. His struggles with high heat and off-speed pitches could use a little work either in A ball if he signs with an MLB team, at Miami where he has committed for college ball.

If he can come to grips with his whiffs, he can become a volatile threat on the base paths, with his ability to cover large patches of terrain making his defensive capabilities something that any team would pay big for.

4. Termarr Johnson

Perhaps the best pure, natural hitter in the draft, and definitely the only prep player who is ready to face high-A pitching today, Termarr will make a splash when he finally does make it to the Show. With a college commitment to Arizona State, he might be willing to forego an MLB offer to attend college, not for the batting but for fielding experience.

At the next level, he will almost certainly be shifted out of his high school shortstop position, probably over toward second base since his average arm strength would appear to rule third base out. If he does go over to the right side of the infield, he could become a solid defender and be ready to take that next step up.

5. Brooks Lee

Drafted at 35 coming out of high school, Brooks decided to attend Cal Poly, where his father Larry was head coach. The move has served him well, with his hitting benefitting from the experience, finishing college .342/384/.626. His Cape Cod league last summer showed that he can keep that performance up with a wood bat as well, where he hit .405/.432/.667 with six home runs in only 84 plate appearances.

As a switch-hitting infielder, he has outstanding bat-to-ball skills from either side of the plate and can drive the ball with power with either hand. Rarely striking out, he is a batting coach’s dream. Likely to move over to third base at the next level due to his above-average arm strength, he is one of the smarter baseball players around, thinking like his coach father and playing like a veteran.

6. Kevin Parada

Perhaps the best high school catcher in the 2020 Draft, decided to attend Georgia Tech and had a strong freshman season and went on in his sophomore year to win the Buster Posey award as the best D1 catcher in the country, largely down to his work ethic behind the plate.

He set a school record with 26 home runs this year and his strong bat skills combined with a solid backstop ability is reminiscent of Gary Carter. Not the most agile of movers, he has a tendency to wear down over the season, and could use some work on his arm strength, throwing out only 12% of base stealers.

7. Jacob Berry

Maybe the best overall hitter in the top ten, he doesn’t have the natural eye of Termarr Johnson, but has more than made up for that with his selectivity and experience at the top D1 baseball level. He slashed .352/.439/.676 with 17 homers as a freshman at Arizona, before following coach Jay Johnson to Baton Rouge where he became one of the most potent weapons in the Tigers’ lineup.

His defensive skills are the only question mark over Berry, where he has below-average speed and arm strength, leading most scouts to feel that he will be moved away from his third base position. He has performed best at the DH spot, but with his solid glove and decent six-foot height, he may well have first base in his future.

8. Cam Collier

Son of former big league utility man Lou Collier, Cam stood out in high school before opting for a GED and spring ball at Chipola Junior College. Impressing the scouts with his bat, he is one of the youngest in the 2022 MLB Draft class.

Able to make contact almost at-will, and with unbelievable bat speed, he is a natural power hitter and can spray the ball all over the field.

He has shown good speed on the mound, with low-90s recorded, but to capitalize on his offense, he will almost certainly be moved to a position at the next level. Slightly above-average running speed would make him suitable for a corner outfield slot or third base, where he could put that strong throwing arm to good use.

9. Jace Jung

Younger brother of Texas Tech standout and current Texas Rangers prospect Josh Jung, Jace is perhaps a better hitter than his brother was, if not quite as well-rounded in the field. Working from the left side of the plate, he has a solid swing and discerning eye, drawing walks at a rate of two to one over strikeouts.

On defense, he is a slow third baseman with an iffy arm, which will almost certainly see him shifted over to the right side of the dirt and play next level ball at second.

10. Gavin Cross

With no draft possibilities coming out of high school, Cross attended Georgia Tech, where he jumped into the national consciousness immediately, hitting .369 in 16 games as a freshman. A southpaw at the plate, he packs decent power and has been one of the best hitters in college ball. His strike zone control and whiffs will need work in the minors, but once under control he can become a solid big-league hitter.

Defensively, he has played center field, but his speed may rule him out for that at the next level, perhaps pushing him toward either a corner spot or first base, where he spent a little time in college.