This Top 600 really reinforces a few things we’ve always believed… Druw Jones, for us, is a cut above the rest. College hitters are good. Really good. And deep. The high school pitching in this class has the potential to be one of the stronger groups in recent memory. Where do we currently have Termarr Johnson, Druw Jones, Jackson Holliday, and Elijah Green currently ranked? What about Chase DeLauter, Brooks Lee, Kumar Rocker, Jace Jung and others?
This Top 500 really reinforces a few things we’ve always believed… Druw Jones, for us, is a cut above the rest. College hitters are good. Really good. And deep. The high school pitching in this class has the potential to be one of the stronger groups in recent memory. Where do we currently have Termarr Johnson, Druw Jones, Jackson Holliday, and Elijah Green currently ranked? What about Chase DeLauter, Brooks Lee, Kumar Rocker, Jace Jung and others?
This Top 400 really reinforces a few things we’ve always believed… The Top 3 guys in this class are a cut above the rest. College hitters are good. Really good. And deep. The high school pitching in this class has the potential to be one of the stronger groups in recent memory. Where do we currently have Termarr Johnson, Druw Jones and Elijah Green currently ranked? What about Chase DeLauter, Brooks Lee, Kumar Rocker, Jace Jung and others?
Happy New Year! One of my favorite things about living in Florida is that the baseball offseason is essentially two months long. When the World Series ends in late October, there are just a few weeks to wait until prep tournaments are up and running in the new year. This is truly the first look at how players spent their downtime and is the start of the most important spring of their baseball lives for high school seniors.
Before we get started, keep in mind that this tournament took place in the middle of January and is the first live action some players have seen in several months. Most everyone is out here to shake off the rust as they start preparing for their school season start. So, it’s expected that velocities and timing might be a touch off when compared to midseason form. Without further ado, here’s what I saw at the fields.
Arkansas commit
Jones was without a doubt the most high profile player at the event. He’s a bat-first shortstop (likely destined for third base down the road given his strong, muscular build) who brings big time bat speed and power to the plate. The offensive profile is power over hit and Jones looks to do damage on just about every swing – and when he connects, the contact is loud. It was a tough weekend for him at the plate in his first action of the new year as he struggled to make consistent quality contact, but he did manage to square up a few pitches and collect extra bases. How much Jones hits will be the biggest question for him heading into this spring. The more he hits, the higher he’ll rise up draft boards.
Jayson Jones (2022, @RazorbackBSB commit) shoots one back up the middle over the weekend at PG’s MLK East tournament. Jones has big time raw power 💣💣@ProspectsLive #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/tiu9Qef3pv
— Joe Drake (@JDrake349) January 17, 2022
San Jacinto commit
Dukes is a masher, through and through. He’s a big, strong kid who whips the bat through the zone and is able to lift and drive the ball with authority. The bat is quick, but stays through the hitting zone for while due to its relatively flat path. He sees the ball well and is able to drive it to all fields with loud contact. Dukes moves well for his size, too; I clocked a 4.47 home to first this weekend.
Elijah Dukes ('22 FL) mashed this one into CF. Confident hitter, always hits & produces loud barrels. #SanJac commit #EastMLK pic.twitter.com/r5LDiF1uoj
— Perfect Game Florida (@Florida_PG) January 16, 2022
Ohio State commit
Graveline’s long, projectable frame is the first thing that stands out when you see him. He has that look of a ballplayer with broad shoulders and a high waist. Athletic and versatile with a strong arm that plays well from behind the plate and in the outfield. At the plate, he uses a quiet hand load and a quick, compact swing that is direct to the ball and will produce a lot of line drive contact.
Matthew Graveline (2022, @OhioStateBASE commit). Line drive approach with a compact stroke that’s direct to the ball and has some pop.@ProspectsLive #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/yQNlFrKMDl
— Joe Drake (@JDrake349) January 19, 2022
Arkansas commit
There are several factors here that immediately bring Josh Hader to mind, from the near-sidearm left-handed slot to the flowing, blond locks. Fitzpatrick’s delivery is abrupt and aggressive, which gives hitters a tough look and makes it tough to pick up the ball out of his hand. Strike-throwing will be a point of concern because of the difficulty repeating mechanics like that, but he’s kept the walks in check over the last year. The fastball touched 91 this weekend, lived in the upper 80s and missed a ton of bats, showing good run and solid carry from a low slot. Showed a breaking ball while warming up, but did not feature it in-game.
Sean Fitzpatrick (2022 TX) dominant in relief last night. Up to 91 mph, settled upper-80s, FB explodes out of the hand. Lots of S/M w/ a very low rel. height. Showed feel for a CB in warmups; 7K in 3IP. #Arkansas commit. #PGDraft @Texas_PG pic.twitter.com/X2nfOnRYpE
— Perfect Game Florida (@Florida_PG) January 16, 2022
Arkansas commit
Huskey, a lefty with a strong build, dominated this weekend to the tune of 8 strikeouts over 5 innings with just 1 hit allowed and no walks. The delivery is athletic, gets down the mound well, and shows a fast arm, though there is some effort in the release. His fastball was 82-85, touching 88 and missed plenty of bats while the breaking ball was 72-75 and flashed solid bite.
Jordan Huskey (2022 AR) w/ 2 quick punchouts in a 1-2-3 first. Quick arm, good angle, can locate to both halves. Flashed hard CB @ 75 and sat 83-85/87. #Arkansas commit. #EastMLK pic.twitter.com/pWPvq7RYze
— Perfect Game Florida (@Florida_PG) January 15, 2022
Arkansas commit
Robinett was a busy man this weekend making an impact both on the mound and at the plate. He was untouchable Friday night out of the bullpen with 3.2 perfect innings and 9 strikeouts. The big righty sat low-80s with little effort and ran it up to 87, showing ride and run, as well as a pair of breaking balls in the mid-70s. At the plate, he shows a quick bat and ability to lift the ball - one of his four hits this weekend left the yard. Robinett has a big 6’3” frame that should continue to add strength.
Reese Robinett (2022, @RazorbackBSB commit) goes down and lifts this one over the infield for a hit. Good weekend for Reese who launched a HR earlier in this game.@ProspectsLive #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/EKwYnXYxHS
— Joe Drake (@JDrake349) January 21, 2022
Arkansas commit
Despite being a 2023, Souza was clearly one of the best in the field at PG’s MLK East. He’s quick, athletic, and strong, having added noticeable strength since last summer. He shows an advanced swing with good bat speed that produces loud contact when he squares it up. He manned third this weekend, but shows plenty of quickness and athleticism to stick up the middle.
Nolan Souza (2023, @RazorbackBSB commit) is one of the top middle infield prospects in the 2023 class and he certainly looked the part this weekend, showing a ton of athleticism and keen eye at the plate. One to watch on the travel circuit this summer@ProspectsLive #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/XbsnaO79F8
— Joe Drake (@JDrake349) January 18, 2022
Seo is a two-way prospect who shows potential on both sides of the ball. At the plate, he features a quick, compact swing that produces line drive contact and he has the wheels to pick up extra bases in the gap and stick up the middle on defense. On the mound, he’s catching even more buzz after popping a 97 during an offseason bullpen. This weekend, he sat upper-80s and touched 91 with an upper-70s breaking ball that flashed solid depth.
MJ Seo (2023, @RazorbackBSB commit) drives one through the left side for a single. Seo has a quick bat, strong arm and projects to stay up the middle.@ProspectsLive #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/G9b9mD0GjK
— Joe Drake (@JDrake349) January 21, 2022
After an excellent WWBA Underclass showing in the fall, Hunter had himself another terrific weekend driving the ball hard all over the field and racking up several extra-base hits. Carns has added strength, but remains very projectable with long levers and broad shoulders. He’s an excellent athlete who covered the bases in under 16 seconds on an inside-the-park homerun and could play just about anywhere on the field defensively with his strong arm and athleticism. Carns is quickly shaping up to be one of the premier players in the 2024 class.
2024 Hunter Carns (@FSUBaseball commit) scorched one to the LCF wall last night and motored around the bases for a home run in under 16 seconds. Super athletic and looks very comfortable behind the plate.@ProspectsLive pic.twitter.com/JDqXLvyVAC
— Joe Drake (@JDrake349) January 15, 2022
This Top 300 really reinforces a few things we’ve always believed… This college crop of hitters is good. Really good. And deep. The high school pitching in this class has the potential to be one of the stronger groups in recent memory. Where do we currently have Termarr Johnson, Druw Jones and Elijah Green currently ranked? What about Chase DeLauter, Brooks Lee, Kumar Rocker, Jace Jung and others?
With summer wood bat leagues, the summer high school showcase circuit, and fall scrimmages well under way, it’s time to reshuffle the top prospects for the 2022 class. As always, our boards are based on three pillars. Our team’s Live Looks. We’ve got every corner of the country covered. Trackman, Rapsodo and big data evaluation. Industry connections and conversations. Without further ado, here are the Top 200 prospects in the 2022 MLB Draft.
We’ve got some big changes since the Top 100 originally dropped.
This college crop of hitters is good. Really good. And deep.
The high school pitching in this class has the potential to be one of the stronger groups in recent memory.
While college pitching isn’t particularly top-heavy, there looks to be some pretty good value plays in the second and third round region this year.
It’s time we turn the page and flip our focus to the 2022 draft class. Over the past month, we’ve had one of our evaluators take in over 25 Cape Cod League games. Three of our evaluators were in attendance for all four days of the Perfect Game National Showcase. We’ve also got credentials at the USA Baseball College National Team contests. In total, our evaluators have taken in over 100 college baseball games over the past calendar year, developing their thoughts on the 2022 draft class, capturing footage along the way.
