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It took five and a half hours, but the first day of the 2022 MLB Draft has come and gone. There were surprises, there were questionable selections, there was a lot of waiting.
Now let’s take a look at the best fantasy prospects who were drafted on Sunday. Keep in mind this is just for fantasy purposes, not a list of the overall best players drafted. Also remember that these players have to sign before they can enter the system, but the overwhelming majority of players selected in the first two rounds end up playing professional baseball.
Without further ado, here are the top 10 fantasy prospects drafted over the first 80 picks.
1. Druw Jones, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
Jones may have been the second pick of the draft, but in terms of fantasy upside, there’s no one close. The son of former star -- and should be future Hall of Famer -- Andruw Jones, Druw is a five-tool talent, with a chance to be well above-average at everything you can do on a baseball field outside of pitching. He’s already showing plus power, he’s an easy plus-plus runner, and while there could be some swing-and-miss in his game, there’s so much hard contact he looks like he could be the rare player that doesn’t matter for. Add in his impressive defense, and this is a special prospect. Corbin Carroll. Jordan Lawlar. Jones. Things are looking up, Arizona.
ETA: 2024
2. Elijah Green, OF, Washington Nationals
Green is also the son of a former All-Star, but in this case it’s the Pro Bowl and it’s former TE Eric Green. It’s not surprising he’s the son of a former football player with his size (6'3/225), and he’s a 70-grade runner on the 20-80 scale with a strong throwing arm. He also has enormous raw power in his right-handed bat, and could very well be a 30/30 player. The risk here is that Green has a swing that suggests that hitting for average could be an issue, but if he does reach the power/steal potential, it won’t matter as much. There’s more risk here than with Jones, but the reward is (potentially) similar.
ETA: 2025
3. Jackson Holliday, SS, Baltimore Orioles
Hey there he is. Holliday was (surprisingly?) the first-overall pick, and is the son of former All-Star Matt Holliday. Yep, you’re getting old. A left-handed hitting shortstop, Holliday can make hard contact all over the field, and the power is just a tick below the hit tool. He’s also a well above-average runner, but doesn’t have quite the same kind of speed profile as the names above. Holliday should also be able to stay at shortstop, but just doesn’t quite match the upside of the first two names above. That’s not an insult to him, it’s a compliment to Jones and Green. He’s a must-add fantasy player in dynasty formats.
ETA: 2025
4. Termarr Johnson, INF, Pittsburgh Pirates
Johnson was drafted as a shortstop, but no evaluators I spoke with believe that’s his long-term position because he’s an average runner with a so-so arm. That’s really the only negative here. Johnson has the best hit tool in the class regardless of prep or college, and there’s plus power in his left-handed bat as well. He’s going to have to max out to reach his lofty draft status (fourth overall) in real life, but in fantasy? A middle infielder capable of hitting for this kind of average and pop is tantalizing, to say the least.
ETA: 2025
5. Brooks Lee, INF, Minnesota Twins
Yes, there were college players taken on Sunday. Lee was the best of them in terms of fantasy upside as an infielder who hits from both sides of the plate, and hits from both sides of the plate well. The hit tool is the calling-card, but Lee also has above-average power, and he’s a sneaky-fast runner who could steal double-digit bags. The concern here is that Lee is almost assuredly headed to third base, but again, this is the type of bat that can have fantasy value at any position.
ETA: 2024
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6. Cam Collier, 3B, Cincinnati Reds
The steal of the draft? The steal of the draft. Collier is not only one of the top hitting prospects in this group, he’s one of the youngest; he doesn’t turn 18 until November 20. He’s already showing impressive feel for the barrel, and there’s at least above-average power potential in his left-handed swing. Collier is the player you will have to wait or the longest because of his age, but if he reaches his ceiling, he’ll be well worth it.
ETA: 2025
7. Kumar Rocker, RHP, Texas Rangers
First of all, this is awesome. Rocker’s story is well known at this point, but to see him go third overall after what he dealt with last year should warm even the coldest of hearts. And, he’s pretty dang good, too. Rocker’s slider is the out pitch, but he also can keep hitters honest with a mid 90s fastball, and there’s a decent curve here for good measure. The only reason he ranks this “low” is because of the potential injury concerns -- and the other names on here are pretty dang good, too -- but in terms of fantasy upside, he’d be the pitcher I’d want.
ETA: 2024
8. Justin Crawford, OF, Philadelphia Phillies
No relation, but he is the son of Carl Crawford (Note: every prospect drafted today was the son of someone you loved watching not that long ago). He’s not quite as fast as papa, but he’s an easy double-plus runner and projects to be a major stolen-base threat at the highest level. He also has a chance to hit for average, and there could be some untapped power if he adds more loft. Even if he doesn’t, the hit/speed combination makes him a very intriguing fantasy option someday.
ETA: 2025
9. Dylan Lesko, RHP, San Diego Padres
Lesko was the 14th pick of the draft, but if not for the fact that he underwent Tommy John surgery in April, he would have went several -- and we do mean several -- selections higher. He has a plus fastball and curve combo, but the reason to get excited is his change. It’s the best in the class, and it just might be an 80-grade offering when all is said and done. He repeats his delivery well, and the RPMs he generates on his pitches will make him an analytical darling. The injury is concerning, but the reward greatly outweighs the risk, at least in terms of fantasy potential.
ETA: 2025
10. Kevin Parada, C, New York Mets
The Mets got this pick as compensation for not signing Rocker, and while I slightly prefer the hurler, Parada is a lot more than a consolation prize. He’s a catcher who hit 26 homers at Georgia Tech this year, and his loft, bat speed and strength suggests he can be a power-hitter at the highest level. He’s not just a grip-and-rip guy, however, as Parada has good feel for the barrel and projects to be a helper in the average category. What he does not currently project to do is be great defensively behind the plate, and a position change isn’t out of the question. That being said, we’ve seen worse defenders play for a long time as a backstop, and if Parada can stick there, he’s a potential long-term star.
Next in line: Gavin Cross, OF, Kansas City Royals; Chase DeLauter, OF, Cleveland Guardians; Cole Young, INF, Seattle Mariners; Jace Jung, 2B, Detroit Tigers