Lower than a month stays earlier than the 2022 MLB Draft, and prospects with Georgia ties are anticipated to make a giant mark from the beginning.
A number of of these gamers — 4 of the highest 12 prospects in MLB.com’s rankings are merchandise of Georgia excessive colleges or faculties — determine to be off the board by the point the Atlanta Braves decide at No. 20 general on July 17. The extremely coveted standouts embrace MLB.com’s high prospect, Druw Jones, the son of longtime Braves heart fielder Andruw Jones and like his father is an outfielder. Jones performed highschool baseball at Wesleyan in metro Atlanta.
Jones is one in every of three prospects from Georgia that MLB.com ranks amongst its high 10, becoming a member of second baseman Termarr Johnson of Mays Excessive College (No. 4 general) and Georgia Tech catcher Kevin Parada (No. 6 general).
Right here’s a better have a look at MLB.com’s high prospects with Georgia ties for the upcoming draft:
MLB.com’s take: Andruw Jones made 5 All-Star groups and received 10 Gold Gloves in a 17-year profession within the Majors, and his son reminds scouts of his father’s recreation. Druw is taller and leaner than his dad was as a youngster, however he has related five-tool potential as a middle fielder. He improved all through the summer season on the showcase circuit and he has impressed scouts this spring with a extra selective strategy and extra constant at-bats.
Whereas Jones’ right-handed swing continues to be considerably of a piece in progress, he understands it nicely, exhibits the flexibility to make changes and does injury towards high quality pitching. He already has loads of bat velocity and drives balls to the gaps, and as he fills out his 6-foot-4 body he ought to develop plus energy. He is a plus-plus runner when he activates the jets and is able to beating out floor balls to the left facet.
Jones is the very best defensive heart fielder within the 2022 highschool crop and may be the very best defender in your entire Draft. His velocity and instincts mix to present him super vary and his well-above-average arm power stands out at a place not recognized for a lot of cannons. Scouts who’ve seen the Vanderbilt recruit take infield say he has the instruments and actions to play a nice shortstop as nicely.
Top: 5-foot-10, 175 kilos
MLB.com’s take: Although he is a excessive schooler who tasks as a second baseman, Johnson is a possible No. 1 general selection as a result of he may be the very best pure prep hitter in many years. He has a monitor document of pummeling pitchers on the showcase circuit and a few evaluators give his bat top-of-the-scale 80 grades. One scout gave him a double Corridor of Famer comparability by calling him a mixture of Wade Boggs’ plate self-discipline and Vladimir Guerrero Sr.’s bat-to-ball expertise.
Johnson’s hand-eye coordination and swing choices make him an elite contact hitter from the left facet of the plate. He is not fazed by mid-90s fastballs or high quality breaking balls, utilizing his fast, compact stroke to drive the ball to all fields. Although his listed 5-foot-10 top may be a bit beneficiant, his capability to barrel balls alongside together with his bat velocity and power may make him a 25-30 homer risk within the massive leagues.
A shortstop in highschool, Johnson will change positions as a professional as a result of his quickness and arm are extra common than plus. His arms work nicely within the area in addition to on the plate and he profiles greatest at second base, the place he needs to be at the very least a strong defender. He dedicated to Arizona State in Could.
MLB.com’s take: The most effective highschool catchers within the 2020 Draft, Parada may have gone within the second or third spherical if he hadn’t been set on attending Georgia Tech. After a robust freshman season and summer season with the U.S. collegiate nationwide group, he is anticipated to be the primary backstop chosen in 2022. His protection drew some blended critiques throughout his school debut however his bat earned reward all through and he set a faculty document for homers (26 by means of the top of the common season) this spring.
Parada does not attempt to do an excessive amount of on the plate, conserving his right-handed swing beneath management and lashing line drives everywhere in the park. He has good really feel for the barrel, makes repeated exhausting contact towards all sorts of pitching and he is displaying elevated energy to all fields this yr. He tasks as a possible .280-.300 hitter with 20-25 homers per season who may match into the center of a giant league batting order.
Parada runs nicely for a catcher however is not probably the most agile or bodily behind the plate, and he wore down over the course of final spring and summer season with Georgia Tech and Group USA. He has seemed higher as a sophomore and scouts credit score him for working diligently on his protection. He earns common to strong grades for his receiving and wishes to enhance his fringy arm power and his throwing accuracy after erasing simply 12 p.c of basestealers as a freshman.
College: Chipola Junior Faculty (Mount Paran Christian)
MLB.com’s take: The son of former massive leaguer Lou Collier, Cam started the summer season as one of many extra intriguing prospects for the 2023 Draft. However the Georgia highschool standout determined to reclassify for the 2022 Draft, get his GED and head to Chipola Junior Faculty for his spring season. After a summer season of displaying off spectacular offensive expertise and a robust displaying at Chipola’s scout day this fall, Collier has been watched as one of many extra intriguing — and one of many youngest — bats on this Draft class.
A lot of the pleasure about Collier facilities round his left-handed bat. He has a free stroke with excellent bat velocity and uncanny bat-to-ball expertise. For many of the summer season, he squared nearly the whole lot up, utilizing the entire area and never being bothered by premium velocity, and he continued to point out skilled at-bats this spring. There’s good uncooked energy in his swing, with extra more likely to come. Whereas he’s not a burner, he’s a strong runner.
With an arm that has hit the low-90s from the mound, Collier has the possibility to suit properly at third base, the place his offensive upside may match nicely. If the recent nook doesn’t work, a transfer to an outfield nook or first base might be in his future, however it’s the Louisville recruit’s bat that may carry him and places him in conversations in regards to the first spherical.
College: Buford Excessive College
MLB.com’s take: Lesko turned the primary junior ever to say Gatorade nationwide baseball participant of the yr honors in 2021, when he went 11-0 with a 0.35 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 60 innings. A dominant begin to his senior season alongside together with his mixture of stuff, polish, athleticism and projection had the Vanderbilt recruit poised to grow to be the primary pitcher — school or highschool — chosen in July. However he injured his elbow in early April and had Tommy John surgical procedure, clouding his standing.
Lesko already works at 92-95 mph and tops out at 97 together with his fastball, which options good carry up within the strike zone and armside run and sink when he retains it down, and he ought to add extra velocity as he will get stronger. He has the very best changeup within the Draft, a dastardly low-80s providing that scoots sideways and in addition has some depth. His curveball is his least dependable pitch, however his upper-70s bender has excessive spin charges and the potential to grow to be a plus weapon.
Lesko generates premium stuff with ease and locates it nicely because of his capability to repeat a sound supply with little effort. He will get good extension, making him even more durable on hitters, and attracts reward for his intelligence and maturity. He has ace potential and may have little greater than a return to well being and innings towards professional competitors to complete refining his stuff and attain his lofty ceiling.
College: No college (2018 North Oconee Excessive College grad)
MLB.com’s take: After coming into 2021 as that Draft’s top-rated prospect, Rocker is that this Draft’s largest enigma regardless of two spectacular full seasons at Vanderbilt. As a freshman in 2019, he threw a 19-strikeout no-hitter towards Duke within the NCAA Tremendous Regionals and earned two victories and Most Excellent Participant honors on the Faculty World Collection. In 2021, he helped the Commodores return to the CWS finals and topped NCAA Division I in wins (14) and strikeouts (179 in 122 innings, tying teammate Jack Leiter). The Mets chosen him tenth general in July 2021 and agreed to a $6 million bonus, however they walked away from the deal after a post-Draft bodily created unspecified issues about his shoulder and elbow.
Rocker’s velocity fluctuated through the 2021 season, together with his fastball averaging 93 mph, sitting within the low 90s at instances and touching 99 at others. His heater options some run and sink but additionally flattens out once in a while. All 19 of his strikeouts towards Duke got here on his slider, a mid-80s wipeout pitch with energy and depth when at its greatest, and he additionally employs a low-80s curveball with extra vertical break.
Rocker additionally has a sinking mid-80s changeup that exhibits indicators of changing into a median providing, although it will get too agency at instances and he does not use it a lot. The son of former NFL defensive lineman Tracy Rocker, he is a bodily right-hander who throws strikes however possesses simply common command. It will not be clear the place he’ll match into the 2022 Draft till groups get extra particulars about his well being. Quite than return to Vanderbilt, he opted to go to the impartial Frontier League, the place he’ll pitch in a couple of managed outings main as much as the Draft.
College: Mississippi State (South Forsyth Excessive College)
MLB.com’s take: Sims entered his 2019 senior season as a Georgia excessive schooler with an opportunity to go within the high three rounds, however inconsistency together with his secondary pitches and management mixed together with his dedication to Mississippi State left him undrafted. He was unhittable in his first two school seasons as a reliever, posting a 1.44 ERA with 13 saves, a .151 opponent common and 100 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings because the Bulldogs received their first-ever Faculty World Collection championship in 2021. This spring, he tried the identical bullpen-to-rotation transition that landed fellow CWS hero Will Bednar within the first spherical final July, however he blew out his elbow in his third begin (whereas fanning 10 of the 11 Tulane hitters he confronted) and required Tommy John surgical procedure in March.
Sims’ high-spin fastball sits at 94-96 mph and touches 98 with a tough strategy angle and super carry up within the strike zone, leading to excellent swing-and-miss (38 p.c) and chase (29 p.c) charges on his heater final season. His tight mid-80s slider is simply as exhausting to deal with and works towards each left-handers and right-handers. He did not make the most of a 3rd providing as a reliever and did not pitch within the fall, however he says he believes in his changeup and is wanting ahead to utilizing it.
Along with his robust 6-foot-2 construct and strike-throwing capability, Sims is provided to deal with beginning. Whereas he does function some spin and recoil at instances in his supply, he has proven the aptitude to manage his mechanics in longer outings. He comes with a ceiling of a mid-rotation starter and the chance that he is a high-leverage reliever and maybe a better. Space scouts love his make-up and he reminds a few of them of Wallace State (Ala.) CC star Craig Kimbrel, albeit with higher management and a greater probability to reach a rotation.
College: Collins Hill Excessive College
College: Mercer (Valdosta Excessive College)