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It’s MLB Draft Day 2022 in Los Angeles and the Baltimore Orioles have made their picks.
Ranked No. 1 overall, the Orioles picked up Jackson Holliday, top prospect and son of former major league player Matt Holliday. The Arizona Diamondbacks followed with another son for a former major league (Andruw) and selected Druw Jones.
The Texas Rangers shocked many by picking Kumar Rocker, one of the most recognizable names in the draft, as the 3rd pick. The Pittsburgh Pirates tied Termarr Johnson fourth overall and the Washington Nationals grabbed Elijah Green to round out the top five picks. The first 80 selections are made on Sunday evening, followed by rounds 3-10 on Monday and rounds 11-20 on Tuesday.
Which teams will hit the picks that will surprise everyone? MLB experts Dave Schoenfield and Dan Mullen have everything you need to know about who your favorite team picked for draft night.
7 p.m. ET: Watch the 2022 MLB draft on ESPN
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Team by Team Design Guide: Fits, needs for all 30 teams
Ranking of the top 300 MLB draft candidates
1. Baltimore Orioles: Jackson Holliday, SS, Stillwater HS (OK)
Who is Holiday? The son of a major league all-star (Matt) has established himself as the best prep shortstop in this class thanks to his mighty racquet. He hit .685 with 17 home runs, 79 RBIs and even stole 30 bases in 40 games during his high school season. It’s questionable whether he can stay at shortstop or switch to second base as a pro, but his offensive skills will play in both positions.
Why the Orioles brought him here: After months of speculation that the Orioles could go different paths with this No. 1 pick, Baltimore showed why by bringing in someone other than consensus No. 1 prospect Druw Jones. The big question now is whether Baltimore will be able to sign Holliday on any savings and then use the savings to go over the slot on their later picks tonight (Nos. 33 and 42).
In Holliday, the Orioles get an elite talent who’s steadily climbed the draft boards this spring thanks to his choice of quality tools and projection on the plate. Holliday joins a group of top draft candidates currently making their way to Baltimore while the O’s come out of their rebuild. – Mullen
2. Arizona Diamondbacks: Druw Jones CF, Wesleyan HS (GA)
Who is Jones? Jones is the No. 1 draft pick for Kiley McDaniel and the son of five-time MLB All-Stars Andruw Jones. A number of tools set Jones apart from the rest of the 2022 draft class. He’s a plus hitter with plus power, plus plus speed and a plus defender in midfield, but could also play shortstop in his pro career. While there’s no such thing as a perfect comp for Jones, a healthy Byron Buxton is a good place to start.
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Check out the highlights that helped make Druw Jones a second pick in the 2022 MLB draft.
Why the Diamondbacks brought him here: The Diamondbacks must be thrilled to see the #1 consensus pick in this draft class fall into their laps with the #2 pick. Arizona gets a player with 30/30 potential on the plate and an elite defender in a premium position. D-Backs fans can dream of the possibility of a Druw Jones/Alek Thomas/Corbin Carroll outfield in the future of the franchise. – Mullen
3. Texas Rangers: Kumar Rocker, RHP, Tri-Cities (independent)
who is rocker Arguably the most recognizable name in the draft for a second straight year, Rocker lands here after being undrafted by the Mets as the #10 pick in the 2021 draft. Rather than returning to Vanderbilt for the spring 2022 season, Rocker made five starts for Tri-City (New York) in the independent Frontier League this summer. His mid-’90s fastball with the ValleyCats and almost MLB-eligible stuff helped him get to this point despite longer-term questions about his pitching arm, including shoulder surgery in September 2021.
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Check out Kumar Rocker’s highlights from his season with the Tri-City Valley Cats as he prepares to join the Rangers after being selected third overall.
Why the Rangers brought him here: In what will be the biggest shocker of the night, Rangers stun everyone with the former Vanderbilt star, a player not expected to leave until the 15th at the earliest – and now he’ll join former Vandy teammate Jack Leiter at Rangers connect system. It follows a Rangers trend of seeking polished college prospects in recent years: Josh Jung in 2019, Justin Foscue in 2020, and senior second-pick senior year leader. The hope is all four will be in the majors soon, joining Marcus Semien and Corey Seager to put Rangers back in the playoff hunt. – Schonfield
4. Pittsburgh Pirates: Termarr Johnson, 2B, Mays HS (GA),
Who is Johnson? It’s rare for a prepared-probability second baseman to go this high on draft night, but Johnson has consistently placed near the top of that class because of his elite hit tool. Despite playing in a lower league of high school and standing just 5-foot-10, Johnson has impressed scouts with his raw power and speed on the basepaths, but make no mistake about it — his ability to consistently make hard contact is the important thing lands him here.
Why the pirates brought him here: Though he’s listed at 5-foot-10, there’s a good chance Johnson could develop into the top straight hitter in that class — and that could help him quickly move through the underage for a high school infielder. While his future at second base is likely, the Pirates are getting an offensive prospect who sits 4th overall with Holliday and Jones. – Mullen
5. Washington Nationals: Elijah Green, CF, IMG Academy HS (FL)
who is green Two years ago, Green reaped the most hype of any player in that draft class, drawing comparisons to a young Ronald Acuna Jr. The physical tools that had seen him as the #1 overall pick in the early talks remain, but Green’s swing mechanics , approach and contact rate were question marks throughout his prep career.
Why the Nationals brought him here: No surprise here, even with Georgia Tech catcher Kevin Parada still on the board. The Nationals have a young catcher in Keibert Ruiz and Mike Rizzo always loves to back the high upside talent. In some ways, Green resembles last year’s No. 1 Brady House as a high school player with great raw power and swing-and-miss worries. Also, rumor has it that the Nationals could use an outfielder… – Schonfield
Who is Berry? Berry was named Arizona freshman of the year before following his coach Jay Johnson to LSU. As a switch hitter with arguably the best combination of hit/power/plate selections currently in this draft, Berry is likely a regular in the big league — though his cap and eventual position remain in question.
14. New York Mets
Compensation Tips
31. Colorado Rockies
32. Cincinnati Red
Competitive Record Round A
33. Baltimore Orioles
34. Arizona Diamondbacks
35.Atlanta Braves
36. Pittsburgh Pirates
37. Cleveland Guardian
38. Colorado Rockies
39. San Diego Padres
40.Los Angeles Dodgers
(The Dodgers’ first pick falls 10 spots, from 30 to 40, due to exceeding the competitive balance tax threshold.)
41.Boston Red Sox
(Compensation for unsigned 2021 second-round pick Jud Fabian.)
42. Orioles of Baltimore
43. Arizona Diamondbacks
44. Pittsburgh Pirates
45. Washington nationals
46. Miami Marlin
47.Chicago Cubs
48. Minnesota Twins
49. Royal Family of Kansas City
50. Colorado Rockies
51. Detroit Tigers
52. New York Mets
53. San Diego Padres
54. Cleveland Guardian
55. Cincinnati Red
56. Oakland Athletics
57.Atlanta Braves
58. Seafarers from Seattle
59. St. Louis Cardinals
60.Toronto Blue Jays
61. New York Yankees
62. Chicago White Socks
63.Milwaukee Brewers
64. Houston Astros
65. Tampa Bay Rays
66. San Francisco Giants
67. Baltimore Orioles
68. Minnesota Twins
69. Oakland Athletics
70. Tampa Bay Rays
71. Tampa Bay Rays
72.Milwaukee Brewers
73. Cincinnati Red
74. Seafarers from Seattle
75. New York Mets
76.Atlanta Braves
77.Toronto Blue Jays
78.Toronto Blue Jays
79.Boston Red Sox
80. Houston Astros