2022 MLB Mock Draft: Predicting the top-ten selections
It’s one of the most exciting times of the year for baseball fans as we are less than a week away from the start of the 2022 installment of the MLB Draft.
While the draft as a whole is nearly impossible to accurately predict (especially with the Orioles picking first), it’s still a tradition like no other to form the best MLB mock draft that you can.
The Orioles comment above is out of absolutely no disrespect to the system GM Mike Elias and Co. have going for them. The thing with Baltimore is nobody ever knows what exactly they’re going to do with their first pick in the draft.
This year they are rumored to be considering picking an untraditional player first round in an effort to spread out their available bonus pool money instead of centering it all around one single player.
MLB Mock Draft: Predicting the top-ten picks
Following the Orioles in this year’s installment are the Diamondbacks, Rangers, Pirates, Nationals, Marlins, Cubs, Twins, Royals and Rockies.
10. Colorado Rockies mock draft: INF/OF Jacob Berry
There is no guarantee that Jacob Berry will still be available this late in the draft. However, the total talent pool in this year’s draft is absolutely outrageous and there’s a real shot that he falls all the way to tenth and the Colorado Rockies will be happy to snag him.
Berry has an exceptional eye at the plate and has light-tower-power from both sides of the plate. He’s made significant strides in his game by cutting down on the amount of times he strikes out in his most recent stint in college ball. All told, he hit 15 home runs with a slash-line of .370/.464/.630 this spring so he will be a hot commodity in this year’s draft.
Berry is a third baseman by trade but he does not do well on defense. He’s gotten looks at third and in the outfield corners but has looked rough everywhere he’s been played by his collegiate LSU Tigers. The lack of defense does impact his value and is what I believe will make him drop to tenth.
9. Kansas City Royals mock draft: OF Gavin Cross
Cross is another college bat that has a knack of getting on base consistently. He had an on-base percentage of .411 with Virginia Tech last season, hitting 17 home runs and stealing 12 bases along the way.
Cross, 21, has a great eye at the plate as well, as he drew nearly as many walks (30) as he did strikeouts (41) in 57 games with the Hokies.
His blend of speed and on-base skills mixed with his budding power makes him an exciting pick for this Kansas City Royals squad. He is a center fielder by trade but he will be able to slot in anywhere in the outfield down the line, with the athleticism to play above-average defense anywhere.
8. Minnesota Twins mock draft: SS Zach Neto
One of the many high-end infielders available in this draft, Zach Neto is one of the sharpest defenders available and is a true shortstop, playing arguably the hardest defensive position with ease.
Neto’s power is slowly getting there but his value lies more in a unique mixture of speed, defense and the uncanny ability to get on base at an insanely high clip. This spring with his collegiate Campbell Fighting Camels, Neto did hit 15 home runs with 50 RBI but he also stole 19 bases, hit .407 and walked 39 times against just 19 strikeouts. Hell, he even made four relief appearances as a pitcher and struck out eight batters in 4.2 innings.
7. Chicago Cubs mock draft: 3B Cam Collier
One of the youngest available players in the draft, Cam Collier, son of former MLB infielder Lou Collier, has a ton of hype surrounding him and has been connected to multiple teams with higher picks than the Chicago Cubs do.
Collier has been highly-touted all year, ranking No. 10 in Baseball America’s prospect rankings, No. 12 in MLB Pipeline’s and No. 2 in The Athletic’s Keith Law’s top-100 rankings.
While he has yet to hit his 18th birthday, Collier is likely going to be the youngest player taken this high in the draft. This spring in high school ball, he hit eight home runs in 52 games with a slash-line of .333/.419/.537. He may be young, but he seems like the real deal and the Cubs are going to be lucky to get him this late.
6. Miami Marlins mock draft: INF Termarr Johnson
While my latest predictions of the top-five had Termarr Johnson landing in Pittsburgh with the fourth pick, I believe the Pirates are more likely to take a different middle infield prospect with their selection, but we’ll get to that in a bit.
I am now of the belief that the Miami Marlins are going to be the lucky winners of the Johnson sweepstakes. Johnson has what is likely the best hit-tool in the entire draft class but there are some concerns around the industry that his size will get in the way of a long, successful major league career as he is just 5-10 coming out of high school.
Johnson has been described by scouts as “a combination of Wade Boggs’ plate discipline mixed with Vlad Guerrero Sr.’s bat-to-ball skills” which is crazy to think about. He is being held back by his defense limitations (he is a shortstop now but has virtually no chance of sticking there once he is drafted, more likely a second baseman) but will land in Miami and give them a very strong duo of Kahlil Watson and Johnson as the infield of the future.
5. Washington Nationals mock draft: C Kevin Parada
While I had Kevin Parada going higher in my initial predictions, there isn’t a better (and more obvious) fit than Parada and the Washington Nationals. The club has been said to be “very heavily interested” in his services and will be glad to snatch him up with the fifth pick in the draft.
Parada has been on the receiving end of a ton of criticism when it comes to his defense but in recent days he has been said to have taken “massive strides” to better himself behind the plate. His wish is to stick at catcher longterm and it’s a very encouraging sign to see him putting in the work to do exactly that.
The Nationals have Keibert Ruiz atop their current depth chart behind the plate but behind him there’s a whole lot of nothing. Whether Parada stays behind the plate or not remains to be seen but him landing with the Nats feels like the best fit for everyone involved.
4. Pittsburgh Pirates mock draft: OF Elijah Green
The Nationals are said to also be interested in Green, but the Pittsburgh Pirates are going to swoop in and steal him with the pick before theirs.
Green, like nearly every other player in this class, comes with some questions marks — none bigger than his swing and misses, which are something of an issue. But when you put together every other tool he has in his toolbox, the strikeouts and contact issues are almost worth it.
Green has the power, speed and defensive chops to be a multi-time All-Star as a major leaguer regardless of the holes in his game. He is the son of former NFL tight end Eric Green and is somehow even bigger and more athletic than his father. His raw power is similar in some ways to Giancarlo Stanton or Joey Gallo in the fact that if he makes solid enough contact, the ball travels a long way.
Like Parada, Green to Pittsburgh just feels right. The young stud outfielder has some shades of Andrew McCutchen in his game and if he is able to continue his McCutchen-like performance after the draft, he will be a star for a long, long time.
3. Texas Rangers mock draft: SS Brooks Lee
Brooks Lee has been climbing the draft rankings of many in the industry at a rapid pace as of late, with some scouts even saying the Orioles could take him with the first pick overall. To me, the first two picks of the draft are pretty much set in stone so the Texas Rangers are going to be the ones to land one of the more exciting middle infielders in the class.
Lee, another high-end collegiate ballplayer, was given a 65-grade hit tool by MLB.com and his most recent stats with the Cal Poly Mustangs back that up in a big way. The 21-year-old shortstop hit 15 home runs, drove in 55 runs and had a slash-line of .357/.462/.664 in 58 games this past spring. His OPS was 1.125 and he drew 46 walks against just 28 strikeouts.
Long-term, Lee is not likely to remain a shortstop as he doesn’t have the speed or agility that profiles as a shortstop down the line. He has great hands and a solid throwing arm so third base is a likely destination for him with second base also being a realistic option.
2. Arizona Diamondbacks mock draft: SS Jackson Holliday
Jackson Holliday, one of many second-generation ballplayers in this year’s draft class, is a high-doubles hitter with 20-25 home run potential in his bat. He plays a strong shortstop but may even become a center fielder down the line to take advantage of his speed.
The 2022 season saw Holliday’s stock improve dramatically as he was a top-20 pick to begin the year and has made his way all the way up to the top of the draft class.
The left-handed swinging Holliday has occasionally had issues in the past with trying too hard for home runs but he turned things around down the stretch. The son of seven-time MLB All-Star Matt Holliday has acquired a lot of his father’s baseball talents and overall baseball IQ and will pair nicely with Jordan Lawlar for the Arizona Diamondbacks‘ middle infield duo of the future.
1. Baltimore Orioles mock draft: OF Druw Jones
The Baltimore Orioles are going to go against their typical grain and grab the best available player in this year’s draft class, the son of Andruw Jones, Druw Jones. Uber-prospect Adley Rutschman signed for $8.1 million back in 2019 but Jones will likely demand even more money than that.
Fortunately for the Orioles, they have some money to play with and are said to have $16.924 million in bonus pool money for their draft selections.
Jones is already an incredible defender in center field (much like his father) and is well on his way to elite-level defense. He has unreal bat speed and pop in his bat, and has a 60-grade power tool, 70-grade run tool and 70-grade field tool under his belt heading into the draft.
Surprisingly, some scouts have even said that Jones would be a great shortstop which is interesting to consider. Wherever he ends up defensively, Jones will be an excellent addition to this Orioles club that is getting closer and closer to postseason play.