It’s Top 1,000 week over on my Patreon, and we’re starting with the Top 100 2022 Dynasty Baseball First Year Player Draft Rankings:
Tier 1
1) Marcelo Mayer BOS, SS, 19.4 – Selected 4th overall, Mayer stays loose and easy in his stance before unleashing a vicious lefty swing that has monster offensive potential written all over it. He did show some swing and miss in his pro debut with a 25.2% K% in 26 games, but he has a mature plate approach (14% BB%) and a swing that is geared for both power and average. He put up a 121 wRC+. Lack of speed is the only issue for fantasy, and it is the reason he is far from a lock for the top pick in first year player drafts. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 89/25/88/.274/.346/.478/8
2) Kahlil Watson MIA, SS, 18.11 – Selected 16th overall, Watson’s upside is high as anyone’s in the draft with lightening quick bat speed and a plus power/speed combo from the left side. He only fell to 16th overall due to signing bonus demands (he ended up with the 10th highest bonus). While he didn’t show much power in his 9 game pro debut (60% GB% with 0 homers), he did steal 4 bags and had an excellent 16.7%/19% K%/BB% in an obviously very small sample. This is the type of upside you look for when drafting at the top of first year player drafts. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 88/23/83/.268/.342/.458/18
3) Jack Leiter TEX, RHP, 21.11 – Selected 2nd overall, Leiter can dominate with just his mid 90’s fastball, but he also has a deep repertoire of pitches, throwing a 4-seamer, 2-seamer, cutter, curve (best secondary), slider and change. He understands the art of pitching which is no surprise considering his dad is Al Leiter. He’s only 6 feet, and his control can waver, but it didn’t stop him from putting up a dominant pitching line of 2.13/0.85/179/45 in 110 IP in the SEC. This could be the rare year when it makes sense to take a pitcher first. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 15/3.48/1.17/218 in 185 IP
4) Brady House WAS, SS, 18.10 – Selected 11th overall, House is a big physical hitter at 6’4”, 215 pounds who has double plus raw power and takes monster hacks at the dish with quick bat speed. He ripped 4 homers in his 16 game pro debut. He also has a mature plate approach and is a good athlete. I know I’m sounding like a broken record, but there is a legitimate argument for him to go 1st overall. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 83/28/92/.268/.339/.492/7
5) Jordan Lawlar ARI, SS, 19.8 – Selected 6th overall, Lawlar has a relatively simple, quick swing that he uses to make tons of contact with the ability to lift the ball. He has plus speed and the power should develop naturally to above average at the least. A shoulder injury that required surgery ended his pro debut after just two games, which is just enough of a bump in the road for me to move him down a few spots on my draft board. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 87/21/79/.268/.335/.448/17
6) Henry Davis PIT, C, 22.7 – Selected 1st overall, Davis’ power breakout happened in the shortened 2020 season, and it carried over into 2021 with Davis slashing .370/.482/.663 with 15 homers, 10 steals, and a 24/31 K/BB in 50 games. He’s got a thick build and absolutely scorches the ball. He stepped right into pro ball and ripped 3 homers in 8 games at mostly High-A before an oblique injury ended his season. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 78/26/89/.268/.337/.481/6
7) Seiya Suzuki FRA, OF, 27.7 – Suzuki has dominated in Japan since 2016 with a righty swing that is both easy and explosive. He ripped a career high 38 homers in 2021, and he combines the power with an advanced plate approach (16.5%/16.4% K%/BB%) and some speed (9 steals in 13 attempts). I’m not expecting him to step into the majors and be a star, but he looks like a great bet to be a damn good overall hitter. If you are a win now team who needs an OF, Suzuki should be in heavy consideration at #1. 2022 Projection: 77/24/81/.264/.336/.463/7
Tier 2
8) Harry Ford SEA, C, 19.2 – Selected 12th overall, Ford generates plus power with one of the quickest bats in the draft, notching an 80.8 MPH max barrel speed which is in the 98.86 percentile of his high school class (stats from Perfect Game). He also had plus speed with a 6.5 second 60 yard dash. He used those skills to rake in his pro debut, slashing .291/.400/.582 with 3 homers, 3 steals, and a 21.5%/13.8% K%/BB% in 19 games. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 77/27/85/.262/.338/.486/10
9) Jackson Jobe DET, RHP, 19.8 – Selected 3rd overall, Jobe has a devastating slider that is an elite pitch with high spin rates. He pairs that with a mid 90’s fastball and a changeup that flashes plus. The delivery is athletic, and while he still needs some refinement, he is the highest upside high school arm in the class. He’s a two way prospect, but his future is on the mound. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 14/3.55/1.19/195 in 177 IP
10) Benny Montgomery COL, OF, 19.7 – Selected 8th overall, Montgomery is possibly the highest upside bat in the class, putting up a 103 MPH exit velocity and a 6.32 60 yard dash time. That puts him at the top of the class in power and speed. His hit tool was supposed to be raw, but it actually looked pretty good in his pro debut, slashing .340/.404/.383 with 0 homers, 5 steals and a 17.3%/9.6% K%/BB% in 14 games. He wasn’t able to get to any of his power with a 55.6% groundball percentage, but seeing the strong K% is almost more important at this stage of the game. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 79/24/83/.258/.332/.460/15
11) Jay Allen CIN, OF, 19.4 – Selected 30th overall, Allen is a 3 sport star and is one of the best athletes in the class. He’s 6’3”, 190 pounds and takes some vicious hacks at the dish, foreshadowing much more power is coming. Even without concentrating on baseball full time he has shown a good feel to hit with the potential for a plus power/speed combo. He impressed right out of the gate in his pro debut, slashing .328/.440/.557 with 3 homers, 14 steals (in 15 attempts) and a 16%/10.7% K%/BB% in 19 games. He’s a major target of mine in off-season prospect drafts. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 89/20/74/.273/.335/.446/20
12) James Wood SDP, OF, 19.7 – Selected 62nd overall, Wood is a big and athletic lefty at 6’7”, 240 pounds with plus power and above average run times. He dominated rookie ball in his pro debut, slashing .372/.465/.535 with 3 homers, 10 steals and a 31.7%/12.9% K%/BB% in 26 games. Like any player this tall, he has some hit tool concerns, and his GB% was a bit high at 49%. This is basically the Oneil Cruz starter kit. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 73/24/81/.247/.326/.458/9
13) Colton Cowser BAL, OF, 22.0 – Drafted 5th overall, Cowser’s power exploded this season with 16 homers in 55 games in the Southland Conference. That was the final piece to the puzzle as he has shown a good feel to hit with an advanced plate approach from the second he stepped on campus. He then followed that up with a strong pro debut, putting up a 158 wRC+ with a 15.3%/17.7% K%/BB% in 25 games at Single-A. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 85/22/80/.278/.350/.458/8
14) Sal Frelick MIL, OF, 22.0 – Selected 15th overall, Frelick has a plus hit, plus speed profile. He’s undersized, and while he doesn’t project for big power numbers, the ball jumps off his bat. He has a strong history of production in the ACC, slashing .345/.435/.521 with 12 homers, 38 steals, and a 50/60 K/BB in 102 games, and he proved those skills will transfer in his pro debut. He has the type of profile that should move through the minors quickly. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 81/14/65/.276/.339/.412/17
15) Matt McLain CIN, SS, 22.8 – Selected 17th overall, McLain is a safe college bat with a good feel to hit, some pop, and plus speed, but doesn’t stand out in any one category. He slashed .333/.434/.579 with 9 homers, 9 steals, and a 34/34 K/BB in 47 games at UCLA, and then performed well in his pro debut at High-A, slashing .273/.387/.424 with 3 homers, 10 steals, and a 20.2%/14.3% K%/BB% in 29 games. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 86/18/71/.274/.343/.425/15
16) Trey Sweeney NYY, SS, 21.11 – Selected 20th overall, Sweeney was a bat first prospect who absolutely raked in college this year, slashing .382/.522/.712 with 14 homers and a 24/46 K/BB in 48 games. He immediately showed his power is legit with 7 homers in 32 games in his pro debut at mostly Single-A. Coming out of the Ohio Valley Conference, he has still yet to face top level competition, but the Yankees are clearly believers, and his pro debut did nothing to prove them wrong. ETA: 2024 Prime Projection: 76/23/82/.261/.337/.457/5
By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)