The 2022 College Baseball season is finally underway, allowing fans to fill the void left behind by the MLB lockout. The Washington Nationals have the opportunity to speed up their rebuild thanks to owning the fifth pick in the upcoming draft. After spending four of their last five first-round picks on pitchers, the Nationals need to focus on prioritizing position players.
Here are six college bats to keep an eye on during the 2022 season.
Jacob Berry, 3B, LSU
Ranked the top College player by MLB Pipeline, Jacob Berry is fresh off of a monster freshman season where he slashed .352/.439/.676 with 17 homers at Arizona. He transferred to LSU in the off-season and was named to the 2022 Golden Spikes watch list, awarded to the top high school/college baseball player.
A switch hitter, Berry is equally productive from both sides of the plate and has impressive power, which MLB Pipeline gave a 65 grade (on a 20-80 scale). Defensively, Berry was primarily used as a DH at Arizona, but he will be playing third at LSU. However, scouts believe he may need to move off of third in the pros due to his average arm strength with first base an option.
Brooks Lee, SS, Cal Poly
Similar to everyone else on this list, Brooks Lee was named to the 2022 Golden Spikes watch list. Considered a top-five draft pick by MLB Pipeline, he dealt with injuries during the 2020 shortened season that led to him appearing in only two games. However, he was finally healthy last season and made his presence felt, slashing .342/384/.626. His performance led to him being named co-Big West Player of the Year.
His calling card is his ability to hit for contact and the way he manages the strike zone, striking out a measly 35 times in 252 plate appearances at Cal Poly. Defensively, he has impressive range and a cannon for an arm that plays all over the infield.
Jace Jung, 2B, Texas Tech
The younger brother of Texas Rangers prospects Josh Jung, Jace Jung is the reigning Big 12 Conference player of the year. Last year he slashed .337/.462/.697, with 21 homers and an OPS of 1.159 in 56 games at Texas Tech. He has an impressive eye at the plate, walking more than he’s struck out over his two years at College, but he’s most known for his impressive power. Defensively, he has a fringe arm strength at the hot corner and is better off sticking at second.
Brock Jones, OF, Stanford
Brock Jones put the Pac 12 on notice last season after slashing .311/.453/.646, with 18 homers, and an OPS of 1.099 in 56 games. He has solid speed, seen by his 14 stolen bases and impressive power that he has yet to fully access. A former college football safety during his freshman year, Jones has the knowledge and instincts to make correct reads in center, but he will be limited by his fringe arm strength.
Chase DeLauter, OF, JMU
Born in West Virginia, Chase DeLauter burst onto the scene last year at JMU slashing .386/.508/.723 in 26 games. He then took his game to the next level over the summer at the Cape Cod Leauge, slashing .298/.397/.589, with nine homers in 34 games. He has raw power that he still hasn’t tapped into and has walked more (34) than struck out (24) over his two years in College.
He has solid speed that allows him to cover ground in centerfield, but due to his size and arm strength, may move to a corner outfield spot in the pros.
Gavin Cross, OF, Virginia Tech
Gavin Cross turned heads last year after .345/.415/.621, with 11 homers — leading to him being named to the All-ACC First-Team. He can drive the ball constantly to all fields, but needs to work on his strikeout problem ( 20.5 strikeout rate last season). Cross has an impressive arm that plays well in the outfield to go with his solid speed.