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Draft  | Mock Draft  | 12/16/2021

PG Staff Mock Draft

Jheremy Brown      Tyler Russo      Colton Olinger      Vincent Cervino      Jered Goodwin      Brian Sakowski     
Photo: Perfect Game
Welcome to the first of many 2022 mock drafts that we’ll be doing over the course of the next seven months or so. This one is intended to be purely for fun, as we’ve split the teams evenly and allowed our scouts to represent various team GMs. It’s absurd to try and tie players to teams this early in the process, so the process here is each scout simply took who they wanted to take, with notes on each pick.




1. Baltimore Orioles | Brooks Lee, SS, Cal Poly
Baltimore and GM Mike Elias have shown a willingness to sign their first pick to a heavy underslot in order to spend more flexibly and creatively later on with prep fallers. Lee would fit this bill both as a high-floor college shortstop but also more than deserving to be the first overall pick based on the tools. He’s a sure-handed shortstop whose mobility might force him to third base long term but the plus hit tool should carry him throughout pro ball. -Vinnie Cervino

2. Arizona Diamondbacks | Termarr Johnson, SS, Mays HS (Ga.)
Picking from this spot, the Diamondbacks will have their choice of some of the best this class has to offer and if Baltimore goes the college route, they’ll likely be making a difficult choice between a pair of high-upside prep bats. Termarr has shown extensively, on the biggest stages, that he has one of the best pure hit tools a prep prospect could offer and the combination of that good of a hit tool with plus power, a refined approach, supreme athleticism and the tools to stick on the dirt all while swinging it from the left side make him as good of a high-floor AND high-upside type prospect you could select, not to mention he’ll barely be 18 on draft day. -Tyler Russo

3. Texas Rangers | Elijah Green, OF, IMG Academy (Fla.)
With the Rangers looking to step forward into a new window of contention, I wanted to give them the highest possible upside with their third overall pick, so it’s a huge steal for me to Green, the No. 1 player on my board, here at pick 3. Green offers a tantalizing power/speed combination with center field projection and the type of power that makes 40 home run seasons possible. He’s got the upside of a franchise player. -Jered Goodwin

4. Pittsburgh Pirates | Dylan Lesko, RHP, Buford HS (Ga.)
No prep right-hander has ever gone first overall, though every couple of years an arm comes along who challenges the spot but alas it still holds true since the MLB Draft was implemented in 1965. Right-hander Dylan Lesko isn’t your typical prep arm however as his scouting card is full of pluses, from his athleticism to mechanical operation and command, and of course the arsenal. He’ll run the fastball into the upper-90s with near pinpoint command, show one of the better changeups we’ve seen in recent years while flashing plus on the breaking ball, leaving little doubt that he’s the premier arm from the high school ranks this year. -Jheremy Brown

5. Washington Nationals | Andruw Jones, OF, Wesleyan HS (Ga.)
Jones’s knack for preforming against top-level talent has now placed him squarely in the conversation to become a top-five pick. The body and measurables all project as a top-end defender at the pro level with very little question as to whether he will stick in center field with his 6.3 speed. At the plate he has as much upside if not more than any prep bat in the class. A slender 6-foot-4, 180-pound frame still leaves plenty to dream on suggesting the power he has shown is just the beginning of what’s to come. -Colt Olinger

6. Miami Marlins | Chase DeLauter, OF, James Madison
DeLauter checks in at No. 3 overall on our draft board as well as the No. 1 college player in the class, so I’m excited to get him all the way down here at No. 6. A physical specimen, DeLauter has plus-plus left-handed power along with plus speed and good hitting traits, setting him up to be a defensive asset in an outfield corner as well as a monster at the plate. JJ Bleday is already in the system, but DeLauter brings more power and it won’t be a problem to find spots for two impact bats. -Brain Sakowski

7. Chicago Cubs | Jace Jung, 2B/3B, Texas Tech
The younger brother of Rangers first rounder Josh, Jace is similarly an excellent hitting prospect with some of the biggest raw power in the draft. He was a bona fide Golden Spikes candidate during a breakout sophomore campaign where he finished with 21 home runs, more walks than strikeouts, and a slash line of .337/.471/.697. The power is the carrying tool here as it truly plays to all fields and will approach plus-plus at maturity, while his position at second base ultimately won’t matter if he hits (and will draw plenty of Max Muncy comps). -VC

8. Minnesota Twins | Daniel Susac, C, Arizona
The Twins certainly have had no problem changing up their approach from year to year, almost alternating with prep and college picks in the first round, and in this mock we have them going with a first-round catcher for first time since franchise favorite Joe Mauer. Susac, a PG All-American as a prep back in 2019, certainly has no shortage of tools as a true power-profiled catcher with a big arm and loads of pop in the bat and if he has a sophomore season similar to what he did as a freshman, he could easily find himself in this spot come draft day. -TR

9.  Kansas City Royals | Robert Moore, 2B, Arkansas
The elephant in the room here is that Robert Moore’s father is Dayton Moore, GM of the Royals, but that fact didn’t impact this selection, and the value match is strong. Moore is a twitchy, extremely talented infield defender who is plus at second base and likely could play shortstop as well. He’s added serious power to his game and has always had excellent contact and approach tools, making him a well-rounded, impactful addition to the club. -JG
10. Colorado Rockies | Jackson Ferris, LHP, IMG Academy (Fla.)
The altitude in Colorado makes it a tough attraction for pitchers via free agency, meaning they have to draft and develop their arms and Ferris is amongst the best both in terms of stuff and polish in this year’s crop. At 6-foot-4, 190 pounds, Ferris certainly looks the part of a future front of the line starting arm and his track record over recent years speaks for itself. Left-handers who’ll work in the 93-96 mph range for the majority of an outing, show one of the best curveballs in the class and strike out 37 while issuing just 3 walks in 19 1/3 innings in a challenging summer circuit won’t last and Ferris could ultimately be a steal at 10. -JB

11. New York Mets | Logan Tanner, C, Mississippi State
Tanner comes into the early draft process being thought of as the most complete catching prospect in the class in a draft year that could see as many as three college backstops go in the first round. It is not only his abilities behind the plate but the flashes of power he has shown over his time in Starkville that has the Mets excited to land him at 11. Behind the dish it is well-rounded defensive tools, with his ability to catch and throw being the carrying tool as he possesses top-of-the-charts arm strength. -CO

12. Detroit Tigers | Gavin Cross, OF, Virginia Tech
The Tigers’ contention window has opened given their existing farm system and recent FA acquisitions, and Cross is an impactful left-handed college bat who fits that window of contention. He’s mashed his entire career to date and the power he added to his game has really upped the profile. He projects as an above-average hitter with plus power who can play either outfield corner, and as a college bat, should move quickly through the system. -BS
13. Los Angeles Angels | Peyton Pallette, RHP, Arkansas
We’re in murky territory now as the favorite for top college arm is very much up in the air heading into the spring. Pallette has electric stuff, however, and with a big year will likely go higher than 13th. Pallette has elite arm speed, a fastball regularly into the mid-90s, a sharp breaking ball and has regularly been compared to former Vanderbilt ace Walker Buehler. He missed time with injury last season and his health will be watched closely this spring. -VC

14. New York Mets | Blade Tidwell, RHP, Tennessee
The Mets double down on college prospects with their two first round picks, this time landing what could end up being the best college arm in the country. Tidwell is a draft-eligible sophomore and after coming on strong at the end of his freshman year, has built up quite the head of steam heading into year two. The fastball was topping out at 98 mph last year in the SEC tournament, and with an adjustment to hand speed on the slider it has the potential of the kind of long, athletic power right-handed arm the Mets have had in the past. -CO 
15. San Diego Padres | Brandon Barriera, LHP, American Heritage HS (Fla.)
Barriera has long been regarded as one of the top arms this class has to offer and his uptick in stuff over the course of the summer and into the fall has established himself as a prep arm that could go in this spot quite comfortably. It’s an impressive overall repertoire with three pitches that have true swing-and-miss potential with the fastball showing good spin rates in the mid-90s while he kills spin well on a potential plus changeup and has a weapon in a low-80s slider. He's athletic and has shown the kind of pitchability and competitiveness that will lead to big performances at the next level. -TR

16. Cleveland Guardians | Cam Collier, 3B, Chipola JC
Collier was originally in the class of 2023 before reclassifying to ‘22 and graduating early to attend Chipola this spring. One of the youngest players in the class as a result, Collier has an extremely advanced approach at the plate to go along with impactful left-handed power and a plus arm across the diamond. He has Big League bloodlines and a chance to be a big-time left-handed hitting power bat with walks and a solid third base glove. -JG

17. Philadelphia Phillies | Jacob Berry, 3B, LSU
He only has one year of collegiate baseball under his belt, but Berry has already amassed quite the resume, solidifying a top-of-the-class hit tool that we’ve seen since his prep days in Arizona. Jumping over to Baton Rouge from Tucson alongside Head Coach Jay Johnson, Berry was a force throughout last spring as he hit .352 with 17 home runs and 12 doubles as a true freshman, getting on base at a .439 clip. Though he’ll be changing jerseys this spring, many expect the results to remain the same as the switch-hitting Berry quickly established himself as one of the best bats in the country last season. -JB

18. Cincinnati Reds | Gavin Turley, OF, Hamilton HS (Ariz.)
The eye-popping numbers present too much upside for the Reds to pass up at 18. Turley, an Oregon State commit, put up one of the bigger performances at the PG National Showcase where he showed the makings of an impact player on both sides of the ball. His combination of speed and power in the outfield will allow him to stay in the middle of the field where his 6.29 speed will cover plenty of ground. The speed will play on the offensive side as well, but when paired with the power he has showcased, it is a separator from other speedsters in the class. The chance to pick up a high-upside bat along with middle-of-the-field defender checks a lot of boxes. -CO

19. Oakland Athletics | Brock Porter, RHP, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Preparatory (Mich.)
Porter represents some of the best pure upside in the class to go along with a solid amount of present polish. He’s athletic and projectable with huge arm speed, already reaching triple digits with his fastball and showing a 70 changeup at times. With continued refinements of his breaking balls and command this spring, he could easily go higher than this. -BS

20. Atlanta Braves | Carson Whisenhunt, LHP, East Carolina
Whisenhunt is the top college left-hander on the board and the World Series champion Braves have shown a proclivity to draft college talent in recent years, with their last prep pick being the unsigned Carter Stewart in 2018. Whisenhunt has the best changeup in the country with a filthy double-plus cambio, a heater that will flirt with the mid-90s and a solid slider to boot. He’s a very solid bet to start throughout his career and will be anchoring a very good East Carolina team this season. -VC

21. Seattle Mariners | Kevin Parada, C, Georgia Tech
Parada was one of the top talents to make it to a college campus back in 2020 and he certainly showed it early on hitting in the heart of the Georgia Tech order and putting together a more-than-respectable freshman campaign with plenty to build on going into the spring. His hit tool tracks back to his prep days where he showed he could hit against the best of the circuit’s arms and he’s got enough power to make him intriguing at any position, but he’s extremely athletic behind the dish and has the tools to make an impact back there at the highest of levels. -TR
22. St. Louis Cardinals | Bryce Hubbart, LHP, Florida State
Hubbart made a jump this summer in the Cape Cod League, establishing himself as one of the top collegiate arms for the draft. He checks a ton of boxes with an athletic delivery, a fastball that flirts with the mid-90s, and a four-pitch mix highlighted by a hammer 12/6 curveball. For most of his Seminole career he’s been inconsistent at times, both in terms of stuff and results, but with consistency and maintained stuff he could go in the top half of the first round. -JG

23. Toronto Blue Jays | Justin Crawford, OF, Bishop Gorman (Nev.)
The bloodlines on the Jay's Big League roster have been well documented with Vlad Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio, so why not give them the biggest name in this year’s draft with Justin Crawford, the son of PG Hall of Famer Carl Crawford. That said, whether his last name were Brown or Sakowski, Crawford’s talent speaks for itself and certainly warrants first round attention as he’s a dynamic athlete with 80 speed and a left-handed swing that continued to find the barrel throughout the summer circuit while still possessing plenty of physical projection. -JB

24. Boston Red Sox | Noah Schultz, LHP, Oswego East HS (Ill.)
After signing 13 of their 20 picks in 2021, the Red Sox once again go with a high schooler in the first round, this time landing Schultz, the long, lean Vanderbilt commit. While Schultz is the third prep left-hander of the board, the upside is off the charts. At 6-foot-9, 220 pounds, the frame is still developing, whereas the fastball has already shown some mature traits maintaining 91-93 mph for five innings. The slider is the difference maker though, from his lower slot and to this point has proven to be one of the top breaking balls in the prep class. -CO

25. New York Yankees | Zach Neto, SS, Campbell
Neto is a very high-performing college middle infielder, who raked throughout last spring and then continued his torrid pace on the Cape, establishing himself as one of the better pure hitters in the college class. He can drive the ball gap-to-gap and has good pull-side juice as well, in addition to the fact that he can play shortstop at an above-average level. This is a safer pick as far as risk vs. reward goes, but Neto has the makings of an everyday Big Leaguer who impacts the game on several levels. -BS

26. Chicago White Sox | Jayson Jones, SS, Braswell HS (Texas)
Jones is a supremely talented prep shortstop who represents an excellent blend of hit and power tools moving forward. He’s not a lock to stick at shortstop as he’s a bigger bodied shortstop, but he’s an underrated athlete and has big power that comes from excellent torque and core movement. His exit velocities and batted ball data all point to big power and the White Sox certainly like preps with big power upside. -VC

27. Milwaukee Brewers | Carter Young, SS, Vanderbilt
Young enjoyed a breakout season hitting 16 home runs as a sophomore for the Commodores, and his uptick in overall physicality, while maintaining the athleticism for the shortstop position, has given him first round potential. As far as the college bats go in this class, there’s a chunk of talent near the top but Young looks the part of a first round collegiate shortstop and if he can show similar pop in the bat with some lower strikeout rates in the coming spring, he should have his name called right around this spot if not an even better one. -TR

28. Houston Astros | Andrew Dutkanych IV, RHP, Brebeuf Jesuit Academy (Ind.)
Dutkanych is the top prep arm to come out of Indiana in recent memory as his combination of explosive arsenal along with confidence on the mound produced big results over the summer. He’s got three pitches that will flash plus in a fastball, slider, and curveball and the amount of strikes he throws coupled with his low release height make his fastball play very well at the top of the zone. He’ll have a choice between pro ball and Vanderbilt, but there’s no doubting the stuff here. -JG

29. Tampa Bay Rays | Brock Jones, OF, Stanford
Jones really came into his own last spring during his sophomore year for the Cardinal as an everyday starter, connecting for 18 home runs and 62 RBI while swiping 14 bags, and though he struck out 59 times, he also walked 49 times. Jones is as physical as he is athletic at 6-foot, 197 pounds and was viewed as a two-sport athlete coming out of high school, seeing some time on the gridiron as a freshman at Stanford. With his attention fully focused on baseball last spring, Jones’ production took off and his full collection of tools, paired with his performance, has him one of the more intriguing college bats this spring. -JB

30. Los Angles Dodgers | Ian Ritchie Jr., RHP, Bainbridge HS (Wash.)
Checking a lot of boxes at the back end of the first round, Ritchie brings a solid combination of polish and upside to the mound. The fastball has routinely been into the mid-90s as he showed at PG National and the All-American Classic, where he touched 95 mph. The slider and changeup round out a true three-pitch mix, with the slider already showing flashes of a plus pitch at the pro level with late, sharp bite. It is this kind of athleticism and pitchability that the Dodgers have had so much success with in the farm system in recent years, helping to keep it among the strongest in baseball. -CO

31. San Francisco Giants | Ryan Ritter, SS, Kentucky
Ritter’s story is well known as a freshman JUCO transfer from John A. Logan who has steadily climbed boards during his collegiate career. He’s huge and can play a good shortstop, and the bet here is that his frame, as it continues maturing and strengthening, gives him more power projection than your average college player. If that power comes on in a big way this spring, we might even be low here. -BS
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