Now that the 2021 MLB Draft is behind us, it is time to start looking ahead at some of the best prospects for the 2022 MLB Draft.
It is important to remember that we are not “ranking” players here, nor are we attempting to guess which player is going to go with which team.
We are simply highlighting three of the likely top prospects to be entering the 2022 MLB Draft.
1. Elijah Green (OF, IMG Academy)
To put it simply, Green is the most exciting prep prospect in baseball since Jo Adell was around in 2017. And even then, Adell’s baseball profile was clearly not as complete as Green’s is. There is just not much that Green cannot do. Early indications from scouts seem to argue that Green could easily be a plus hitter with amazing double-plus raw power. But that is not all. He is also a considerable threat on the basepaths and is an excellent defender as well, with a 70-ranked arm. Importantly, this is not a fluke as Green plays for one of the premier academies in the country. He is regularly exposed to the best baseball prospect in the county and has continued to thrive.
2. Kevin Parada (Catcher, Georgia Tech)
What are the odds that a catcher goes first overall again, after the Pirates did so during the 2021 MLB Draft? The odds might be better than you think. Parada is just another fantastic catcher coming out of the Yellow Jacket program. Scouts argue that he is bringing the whole package to the table, as he is likely to be a plus hitter with at least plus power. There was considerable chatter that Parada was going to be selected in the 2020 draft, but with limited bonus pools, he remained unselected. Given the circumstances, it is possible that teams have come to regret that decision. Much like former Georgia Tech catcher Joey Bart and Matt Weiters, it is likely that Parada will be allowed to call his own games during the 2022 season, making him, even more, MLB ready.
3. Carter Young (SS, Vanderbilt)
If Young had been draft eligible for the 2021 MLB Draft, he would have been, without a doubt, the first shortstop off the board. There is a chance he may have even been the first hitter off of the board. Currently, he is considered a plus defender with an above-average throwing arm. He has absolutely no problem making a play on any hit ball to his right and is rather effortless going to his left as well. As a batter, Young is a switch hitter but typically get more power and pop when hitting lefty. He is often compared to fellow Vanderbilt shortstops Dansby Swanson and Austin Martin, both of whom were top-five picks in their respective drafts.
