As the MLB season reaches the halfway point, the 2022 MLB draft got underway on Sunday from Los Angeles.
The Braves, with the 20th pick and a World Series title from last season, did what they do best and went with a pitcher by drafting RHP Owen Murphy from Riverside Brookfield HS (Illinois).
Murphy dominated his prep schedule this spring to the tune of a 0.12 ERA and 137 strikeouts over 58 1/3 innings. He also spent time at third base where he hit .548 with 18 homeruns but his future is clearly on the mound due to his smooth delivery and league-ready command.
The Baltimore Orioles, who held the No. 1 overall pick, selected SS Jackson Holiday out of Stillwater HS (OK), son of former MLB All-Star Matt Holliday. After the first round came to an end, there would be six players with local ties who would be drafted to the big leagues.
Consensus No. 1 prospect and Vanderbilt commit CF Druw Jones, son of former Atlanta Braves OF Andruw Jones, would be picked second overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks out of Wesleyan HS (Peachtree Corners).
The five-tool Jones, the 2022 Gatorade National POY, could make the switch to shortstop at some point but he was a gift to the D-backs with the No. 2 pick and has drawn comparisons to another Georgia product, Minnesota Twins CF Byron Buxton (Appling Co. HS)
With the 3rd overall pick, the Texas Rangers surprised most MLB analysts and drafted former Vanderbilt P Kumar Rocker (N. Oconee HS).
Rocker was drafted 10th overall by the New York Mets last season after a successful college career but failed to sign with the team due to concerns about his arm health. He spent the 2021 season with the Tri-City Valley Cats (Troy, NY) of the Frontier League where he appeared in five games.
Termarr Johnson, 2B from Mays HS (Atlanta), was taken by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the fourth pick. Despite his smaller stature (5-foot-10), Johnson impressed scouts with his raw power and elite speed between the bases.
With the ability to make hard contact on a consistent basis, there is a good chance Johnson could develop into the best pure hitter in this class and rank right up there with Holliday and Jones.
Outside of the top-10 picks, division rival New York Mets selected Georgia Tech C Kevin Parada at the 11th spot.
Over his last 60 games, Parada hit .361 with 26 home runs and 88 RBIs. Mets already have one of the best catching prospects in the minors in Francisco Alvarez so there could either be a position change for Parada or a timeshare with Alvarez.
At the 15th spot, the San Diego Padres went with another Vanderbilt signee, RHP Dylan Lesko from Buford HS (Buford, GA).
Entering this spring and coming off Tommy John surgery in April, Lesko was easily the top pitching prospect in the draft after becoming the first junior to win the Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year award in 2021. He posted a record of 11-0 with a 0.35 ERA with 112 strikeouts over 60 innings for the Wolves.
Finally, with the 18th pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, the Cincinnati Reds picked former Mt. Paran (Kennesaw) 3B Cam Collier.
Another son of a former major leaguer (Lou Collier) and the youngest prospect in this draft at 17-years-old, Cam chose to reclassify and played this spring at a junior college. His bat is his biggest upside but, due to his age, more than likely slid down the draft board despite being the fifth-ranked prospect according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.
The remainder of the 20 rounds of this year's draft will wrap up on Tuesday night, just in time for the Midsummer Classic.