The 2022 MLB Amateur Draft began with the first 80 selections on Sunday night. Another 536 picks are on tap on Monday and Tuesday. The Orioles picked the No. 1 pick for the third time in history and used it on Oklahoma high school outfielder Jackson Holiday. Yes, he is the son of longtime major leaguer Matt Holliday. Here are all the first round picks this year.
Like the baseball season itself, evaluating the MLB draft requires a marathon mentality, not a sprint. Players selected this weekend will disappear into the minors for a few years before reemerging, going through growing pains and then finally establishing themselves as major leaguers. This is not an instant gratification event.
That won’t stop us from announcing winners and losers, of course. Here are some winners and losers from the 2022 MLB Draft, with an emphasis on the winners because nobody likes to call people losers.
Winner: Sons of Major Leaguers
For the first time in draft history, the sons of former MLB players were selected No. 1 and No. 2 in the draft. A total of four sons of major leaguers were drafted in the first round:
1. SS Jackson Holiday: Orioles (son of Matt)2. OF Druw Jones: Diamondbacks (son of Andruw)17. BY JUSTIN CRAWFORD: Phyllis (son of Carl)19. 3B Cam Collier: Reds (son of Lou)
Holliday is the second son of a former major leaguer selected with the No. 1 pick, joining Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. (selected No. 1 in 1987). That’s pretty good company over there. Teams value major league bloodlines, and that was never more evident than it was during Sunday’s first round.
Winner: Kumar Roker
A year ago, Rocker, the former Vanderbilt ace, was the No. 10 pick in the draft, but the Mets didn’t sign him because something about his physical condition spooked them. Rocker had minor shoulder surgery last September, pitched in an independent league this spring and went No. 3 to the Rangers in this year’s draft. Rocker going where he did was a big surprise, he was expected to go somewhere in the back half of the first round, but good for him. Things have worked out after last year’s disappointment. (Rocker also reunites with Jack Leiter, his running mate on the Commodores. Texas took Leiter with the No. 2 pick last summer.)
Because the Dodgers exceeded the third level of the $250 million luxury tax last season, their first-round pick moved back 10 spots, so they had no first-round pick on Sunday. Their first selection was at No. 40 overall, which they used on Louisville running back Dalton Rushing. Los Angeles is so good at drafting and developing that Rushing will likely become a star, but it’s never fun not having a first-round pick. This is especially true for fans watching at home (or in attendance in LA) who have to wait to hear their team’s name.
Winner: The Reds
Cincinnati drafted Collier at No. 18, even though he was a projected top-10 pick all spring, and sometimes even a projected top-5 pick. Collier is an intriguing prospect because he’s a 17-year-old who earned his GED and graduated high school early , and enrolled in a junior college so he could enter the draft as what equates to a junior high school student. Collier has a big upside – he has received several awards from Raphael Devers for his bat – and getting him at No.18 is a huge, huge win for the Reds. My favorite pick of the night.
Loser: College kids
LSU shortstop Jacob Berry went No. 6 to the Marlins and was technically the first college player taken in this year’s draft. I say technically because Rocker, who spent two and three years at Vanderbilt, was drafted out of an independent league. It is the first time since 1971 that a college player has not been selected in the top five. Overall, 15 four-year college kids were taken in the first round, the fewest since 2018.
Winner: Cade Horton
Two months ago, Horton being picked in the top 10 would have seemed crazy. The Oklahoma ace returned from Tommy John surgery in late March and didn’t hit his stride until June, when he was dominant during the Sooners’ run to the College World Series finals. Horton’s impressive postseason performance earned him the Cubs’ No. 7 pick. He was arguably the biggest bully this spring. The kid made a lot of money in the Division I postseason.
Winner: Variety
For the first time in draft history, four of the top five picks were black players. Baseball has struggled with diversity, both on and off the field, and hopefully this year’s draft is an indication that the tide is turning. One of the most effective ways to grow the sport and attract new audiences is to make sure every kid sees someone who looks like them on the field.
Loser: Peters
Teams are increasingly willing to take chances and it shows on draft day. Clubs focus on hitters because they are “safer” than pitchers, who come with so much inherent risk of injury. Also, so many of the top pitching prospects in the draft class were hurt this spring. It was a poor pitching class and as a result only seven pitchers were selected in the first round, nine if you include No. 20 pick Owen Murphy and No. 30 pick Reggie Crawford, two two-way players. That’s the fewest pitcher taken in the first round this century.
Winner: Fans of two-sided players
Two two-way players went to the first round! The Braves used the No. 20 pick on Illinois high schooler Owen Murphy, and the Giants used the No. 30 pick on UConn’s Reggie Crawford. Both will begin their careers as two-way players. Crawford is recovering from Tommy John surgery and threw just eight innings in college, but he throws 99 mph from the left side and has shown some promise with the bat as well. The consensus is that Crawford’s future is on the mound because, well, he throws 99 mph from the left side, but San Francisco intends to develop him as a two-way player. fun!
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