MLB Mock Draft season is back and MLB.coms latest entry has the Nationals landing one of the top draft prospects.
In a time where MLB news is scarce due to the lockout, it was a pleasant surprise to see MLB.com drop their top 100 draft prospects for 2022. For the Nationals, they have an excellent opportunity to add a top-tier prospect to a farm system that is in need of game-changing position players.
Jim Callis released his first 2022 MLB mock draft, but only went over the first ten picks. Keep in mind that many of these predictions will change this spring as the 2022 high school and college season hasn’t even started yet.
Callis started off his mock draft with the Orioles taking Temarr Johnson who has the best bat-to-ball skills in his class first overall. At number two he had Druw Jones, the son of five-time All-Star Andruw Jones end up with the Diamondbacks.
Picks number three and four saw the Rangers and Pirates take Jacob Berry and Brooks Lee, two collegiate bats. Callis then had Washington taking the high school centerfielder, Elijah Green. Green was once predicted to go number one overall, but he struggled in the summer against higher velocity pitching.
Green is one of the most intriguing players in his class due to his power, speed, and defense. MLB Pipeline uses a 20-80 scale to rank prospects’ attributes and Green’s stats pop off the chart.
Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 70 | Arm: 60 | Field: 60 | Overall: 60
MLB Pipeline broke down Greens game stating,
"“A right-handed hitter, Green is capable of doing just about everything very well. The IMG Academy standout can make very loud contact and has proven he can drive the ball to all fields and hit the ball out of the park just about anywhere with at least plus raw power…Green is an elite-level runner who can steal bases and cover a ton of ground in the outfield, where he should be able to man center field, with a plus arm, for a very long time to come. It doesn’t seem like Green’s whiff rate will turn too many teams off, and the Miami recruit has the chance to be among the first names called in the first round.”"
The downside to Green is he has been showing some swing and miss issues. This past season, he struck out 34 times in 98 plate appearances. His 34% strikeout percentage is alarming, but at the same time, he finished the season hitting .321, with six homers, 21 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.116.
His upcoming senior season will allow for teams and scouts to see if he can start to make strides in the strikeout department. Overall, he has the tools to be a franchise cornerstone, but it is way to early to start getting excited.