2022 MLB Draft Discussion Thread

[Ehjays]

Andruw Jones would pair nicely with Vlad, Bichette, Biggio. Just collect all the sons.

 

Same problem that happened with Bobby Witt Jr .....he wont be around by the time we pick, Everyone else wants them.

[TwistedLogic]

There's another draft thread that's been used recently

 

https://www.bluejaysmessageboard.com/threads/10193-2022-MLB-Draft-Thread

 

Didn't notice that. Can a mod merge the two threads please?

[jaysfaithful8]

Not sure if this was posted and I’m sure a number of you have already seen it, but I’ll post it again for the thread. Mocks see us taking Dutkanych, Hughes, DeLauter, Williams, or Crawford.

 

https://jaysjournal.com/2022/05/24/blue-jays-overview-early-mlb-2022-mock-drafts/amp/

[Daniel Labude]

If I was betting, id say the Jays will take a college OF in the 1st round

[Benito]

Is this year considered a strong draft class? What's the strength of this class? College, high school, pitchers?

[Daniel Labude]

Is this year considered a strong draft class? What's the strength of this class? College, high school, pitchers?

 

About as strong of a class as there has been in a while. Hitters hitters hitters. The vast majority of top pitchers have had TJ, so they have been out and pushed down draft boards in general (though with the hitters this year not many pitchers would be at the top anyways). Good mix between college and high school at the top. The college depth is top notch this year though

[Benito]

Wow. Nice. I'm even more excited now.

 

Amateur (and international) drafts are always favourite events of mine to look forward to in the season, even though I don't follow amateur competitions.

[Deadpool]

Didn't notice that. Can a mod merge the two threads please?

 

Merged.

[Dagagad]

I’m pretty excited about the draft. The two extra picks make it exciting.

 

Does that give us enough extra pool money where we can play some games here and grab 2/3 first round talents instead of one?

 

Also, random question but when the Mets didn’t take rocker last year,.. I know they get the pick and the extra money this year. Where they allowed to also spend their full pool last year?

[WryNGinger]

Aww, I thought our extra picks and the $ from them came after the first round, not the second round. Still, an extra 1.7 million is a nice bonus.

[Stangstag]

I’m pretty excited about the draft. The two extra picks make it exciting.

 

Does that give us enough extra pool money where we can play some games here and grab 2/3 first round talents instead of one?

 

Also, random question but when the Mets didn’t take rocker last year,.. I know they get the pick and the extra money this year. Where they allowed to also spend their full pool last year?

 

No, as far as I know if the pick isn’t signed they can’t use that money and they lose that slot amount from their overall draft pool. This prevents punting picks in order to sign someone overslot.

[Spanky99]

Is this year considered a strong draft class? What's the strength of this class? College, high school, pitchers?

 

Here's a great site with copious amounts of information on the top 500 spects this draft... https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/2022-mlb-draft-top-400-prospects-h8bxx

 

Notes on this year's class...

 

Just two months to go until the 2022 MLB Draft. Things are becoming clear. Some high school hitters are surging while college performers remain steady at the top. There’s much more safety (if there is such a thing) in the first round this year in the form of college bats. Injured college pitchers continue to represent one of the best “values” teams can land at the back-half of day one. As always, our lists are carried by three pillars:

 

Our team’s Live Looks. We’ve got every corner of the country covered. Our film.

 

Trackman, Rapsodo and data evaluation.

 

Conversations within the industry; What are scouting executives, cross-checkers and scouts seeing at the ballfields?

 

This Top 500 really reinforces a few things we’ve always believed…

 

Druw Jones is simply a cut above the rest for us. That’s not to say he’ll be the first pick, but we feel strongly the ceiling here is immense.

 

This college crop of hitters is good. And pretty deep.

 

Injuries have sabotaged this college pitching class, at least at the top, but it’s still a good group, despite lacking headliners.

 

The high school pitching in this class has the potential to be one of the stronger groups in recent memory.

[Spanky99]

Also, I've been watching the combine the last 2 days, one guy that really has stood out to me is Delauter, this kid is a beast. It's airing on MLBN, I think it's also streamed on MLB.com, it's about time they started doing this, last year was the inaugural event.

[Dagagad]

I wonder if we will go heavy hitters after going heavy on pitchers last year.

[Daniel Labude]

5 college players id like to see us target

 

Chase DeLauter

Sterlin Thompson

Jud Fabian

Hunter Barco

Brandon Sproat

[Benito]

I wonder if we will go heavy hitters after going heavy on pitchers last year.

 

I don't think Shane Farrell and the amateur scouting team have shown any preference, other than bpa. I remember reading last year's draft was deep with pitchers, and a bit thin on position players at the top. In addition, I think they also had a bit limited draft pool to work with last year, which also affected their strategy. They don't seem to favour college or high school either, and generally seem to take the best available based on their draft board.

 

Having said that, and I know you shouldn't draft based on need, but I hope they can draft a true plus CF if it aligns with their board.

[Spanky99]

BPA is always the way to go.

[InsideThePark]

Catchers, shortstops and pitchers. We need nothing else /s

 

Curious who reaches for Ben Joyce. Ranked 118 by mlb.com, but throws 105 mph. I assume someone is going to pick him and try to put him right into an MLB bullpen.

[TwistedLogic]

Catchers, shortstops and pitchers. We need nothing else /s

 

Curious who reaches for Ben Joyce. Ranked 118 by mlb.com, but throws 105 mph. I assume someone is going to pick him and try to put him right into an MLB bullpen.

 

Yeah I think someone is going to reach pretty hard for Joyce and it'll probably work out.

[Ehjays]

MLB Draft Day getting closer here is CBS Mock Draft Blue Jays first Pick.

 

23 Blue Jays

Pick: RHP Kumar Rocker, Tri-City ValleyCats ($3,075,300 slot value)

 

The fun new rumor, which was first mentioned by The Athletic, is several clubs are looking at Rocker as a candidate to pitch in their MLB bullpen this year. The White Sox did that with Garrett Crochet in 2020 (and Chris Sale in 2010) and could be a possibility. The Padres, Phillies, Red Sox, and maybe the Angels would make sense too. The stars align for the Blue Jays as well. They aren't afraid to take risks on draft day (they used the No. 19 pick on Gunnar Hoglund last year, when he was early in his Tommy John surgery rehab), their bullpen needs help, and their World Series window is wide open. (CBS Sports top 30 rank: No. 25)

[John_Havok]

MLB Draft Day getting closer here is CBS Mock Draft Blue Jays first Pick.

 

23 Blue Jays

Pick: RHP Kumar Rocker, Tri-City ValleyCats ($3,075,300 slot value)

 

The fun new rumor, which was first mentioned by The Athletic, is several clubs are looking at Rocker as a candidate to pitch in their MLB bullpen this year. The White Sox did that with Garrett Crochet in 2020 (and Chris Sale in 2010) and could be a possibility. The Padres, Phillies, Red Sox, and maybe the Angels would make sense too. The stars align for the Blue Jays as well. They aren't afraid to take risks on draft day (they used the No. 19 pick on Gunnar Hoglund last year, when he was early in his Tommy John surgery rehab), their bullpen needs help, and their World Series window is wide open. (CBS Sports top 30 rank: No. 25)

 

But is he vaccinated? I wonder how bad the Jays are gonna get shafted by FAs, trades and draft picks in the coming years

[Ehjays]

But is he vaccinated? I wonder how bad the Jays are gonna get shafted by FAs, trades and draft picks in the coming years

 

Yeah good question, Thats why Shapiro loses his s*** when he hears the Jays have an advantage.

[Benito]

Less than a week away. When do final mocks typically get published?

[Dagagad]

Law has us taking Jordan Beck and the Sox taking Rocker right after.

[AMS528]

But is he vaccinated? I wonder how bad the Jays are gonna get shafted by FAs, trades and draft picks in the coming years

 

It just isn't particularly fair for the Jays. The US and Canada have the same rules for people entering. If any Jays were unvaxxed they couldn't play a single game in the US. Right now Djokovic can't get into the States to play the US open and try to tie Nadal.

 

But it doesn't matter cause the Jays are the only Canadian team. So everytime there's an unvaxxed player they'll be out.

[Spanky99]

It just isn't particularly fair for the Jays. The US and Canada have the same rules for people entering. If any Jays were unvaxxed they couldn't play a single game in the US. Right now Djokovic can't get into the States to play the US open and try to tie Nadal.

 

But it doesn't matter cause the Jays are the only Canadian team. So everytime there's an unvaxxed player they'll be out.

 

And that's why it's more difficult for the Jays?

[Spanky99]

Less than a week away. When do final mocks typically get published?

 

Typically the day before for final Mocks as they gather more info, here's Jim Callis last Mock on the 7th...

 

https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-mock-draft-july-6-2022?t=mlb-draft-coverage

 

23. Blue Jays: Tucker Toman, 3B, Hammond HS, Columbia, S.C. (No. 35)

 

One of the best high school bats in the Draft, Toman could climb into the top half of the first round as a discount possibility. Every club from 23-28 seems to have interest in Florida outfielder Sterlin Thompson. The Jays could target other college bats, such as DeLauter, Beavers, Graham, Gilbert and Wallace.

 

Keith Law's latest Mock yesterday...

 

https://theathletic.com/3413419/2022/07/11/mlb-mock-draft-2022-orioles/

 

23. Toronto Blue Jays: Jordan Beck, OF, Tennessee

General sense here is college bat, like Beck, Gilbert, Beavers and Peyton Graham. The broad belief is that the better high school bats will go in the teens, and by the 20s, we’ll see a run on the next tier of college hitters plus the start of the college pitchers like Hughes, Hjerpe and maybe Adam Mazur.

 

Scouting report: Beck has risen up draft boards this spring with a solid, but hardly spectacular, performance, but one that is also supported by tools and athleticism that give scouts reason to believe he can continue to improve in pro ball. Beck has a great build for a hitter, 6-3, 225, with quick wrists and huge raw power that has yet to show up consistently in games, even though he plays in a homer-friendly stadium in Knoxville. He’s very rotational at the plate and has the strength to drive the ball out to all fields, but his approach and pitch recognition have held him back. He’s shown weakness on the outer half, especially on sliders, and expands the zone away too easily. He’s struck out nearly twice as often as he’s walked and hit .252 in regular season SEC play, ranking fourth on the team in homers (16). He’s an above-average runner who plays right field for the Vols because they have a superior defender in center in Drew Gilbert; if he can play center in pro ball, it would substantially add to his value. He’s benefiting from a weak draft class that has left teams looking for upside in unexpected places.

Edited July 12, 2022 by Spanky99

[Krylian]

And that's why it's more difficult for the Jays?

 

I'm guessing he's referring to acquiring new, unvaxxed talent.

[Spanky99]

I'm guessing he's referring to acquiring new, unvaxxed talent.

 

I understand, but that's what JH meant, the Jays are at a big disadvantage for the reasons he outlined.

[jays4life19]

https://theathletic.com/3389573/2022/07/06/mlb-draft-vanderbilt-spencer-jones/

 

"Vanderbilt’s Spencer Jones could be the MLB Draft’s powerful, fast, late-blooming steal"