Checking in on Every MLB Team's 1st-Round Pick from the 2022 Draft
The 2023 Major League Baseball draft is set for July 9-11, which means it must be a year since the 2022 iteration took place.
Sounds like a good excuse to check in on every player chosen in the first round, no?
We've done exactly that, encompassing all 30 picks from Jackson Holliday to Reggie Crawford. On top of where they are and how they're doing, our analyses touched on injuries and any other complications and where, if at all, the players stand among the top 100 prospects in MLB right now.
We'll check off three players at a time and proceed in ascending order from No. 30 to No. 1.
30-28: Reggie Crawford, Xavier Isaac, Drew Gilbert
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30. LHP/DH Reggie Crawford, San Francisco Giants
Age: 22
Hitting Stats (Single-A): 10 G, 18 PA, 1 HR, 0 SB, .250 AVG, .278 OBP, .563 SLG
Pitching Stats (Single-A): 6 GS, 10.0 IP, 9 H (3 HR), 16 K, 4 BB, 4.50 ERA
Babe Ruth, Shohei Ohtani...Reggie Crawford? That's the best-case scenario, and Crawford isn't without bona fides as a legit two-way talent. He can touch 100 mph with his fastball, and he once slugged .543 as a sophomore at UConn in 2021.
But first things first. Due to his recoveries from Tommy John surgery and mononucleosis, Crawford's 2023 debut didn't happen until May 24. He's limited for now to two innings per start and one appearance at designated hitter per week.
29. 1B Xavier Isaac, Tampa Bay Rays
Age: 19
Stats (Single-A): 58 G, 239 PA, 6 HR, 4 SB, .270 AVG, .393 OBP, .454 SLG
The thinking at the time was that the Rays had committed a big reach when they tabbed Isaac with the second-to-last pick in the first round of last year's draft. For example, MLB.com had him ranked as the No. 113 prospect in the draft class.
Yet things are looking up for the North Carolina native. Whereas he was too passive earlier in the year, the 6'3", 240-pounder has been more aggressive since returning from a two-week injury absence on May 18 and has slugged .538 over 35 games.
28. OF Drew Gilbert, Houston Astros
Age: 22
Stats (High-A/Double-A): 67 G, 298 PA, 9 HR, 9 SB, .268 AVG, .374 OBP, .440 SLG
It took no time at all for Gilbert to start generating buzz. He earned his promotion from High-A to Double-A after just 21 games, wherein he had a 1.107 OPS. The buzz is still there, as he's our No. 84 prospect and will be present at the Futures Game on Saturday.
Granted, Gilbert has been humbled by Double-A pitching to the tune of a .663 OPS in 46 games. But that's with 32 walks against 34 strikeouts, a sign that his strong hit tool is hanging in there.
27-25: Eric Brown Jr., Noah Schultz, Spencer Jones
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27. SS Eric Brown Jr., Milwaukee Brewers
Age: 22
Stats (High-A): 48 G, 216 PA, 3 HR, 27 SB, .266 AVG, .366 OBP, .348 SLG
Brown wasn't the most prolific base stealer at Coastal Carolina, where he swiped just 26 bases in 123 total games. To this end, at least, he's clearly a different player as a pro. He's swiped 46 bags in 75 minor league games dating back to last year.
Brown's atypical swing might have been cause for concern when he was struggling at the plate early on, but he got hot with a .329 average between May 23 and July 1. He's since been sidelined by an injury, but it seems minor.
26. LHP Noah Schultz, Chicago White Sox
Age: 19
Stats (Single-A): 4 GS, 9.0 IP, 1 H (0 HR), 13 K, 1 BB, 0.00 ERA
Because of a case of mono in 2022 and a forearm strain somewhere else along the line, Schultz had trouble so much as getting on the mound for a while there. He only just made his season debut on June 2 and has been used sparingly since then.
On the plus side, well, you see the numbers. And the potential dominance they foretell is the real deal. Schultz is a 6'9", 220-pound lefty with a hard fastball and an overpowering slider, so the Randy Johnson comps write themselves.
25. OF Spencer Jones, New York Yankees
Age: 22
Stats (High-A): 68 G, 312 PA, 10 HR, 21 SB, .263 AVG, .330 OBP, .470 SLG
Speaking of comps that write themselves, the 6'6", 225-pound Jones started getting compared to Aaron Judge pretty much as soon as the Yankees drafted him. And even if Jones is obviously powerful, that naturally elicits unfair expectations.
If ever there was a time to pump the brakes on the hype train, it's now. If not because of Jones' 31.4 strikeout percentage, then because of the slump he's been in since June 20. Over 14 games, he's hitting .151 with zero home runs.
24-22: Mikey Romero, Brandon Barriera, Cooper Hjerpe
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24. SS Mikey Romero, Boston Red Sox
Age: 19
Stats (Rookie): 8 G, 29 PA, 0 HR, 0 SB, .250 AVG, .379 OBP, .292 SLG
Romero was an instant hit upon beginning his professional career in Aug. 2022. He hit .304 and drove in 17 runs in 19 games overall, highlighted by him going 15-for-43 with four doubles and three triples in nine games with Single-A Salem.
Then his back stiffened up at the outset of 2023. That delayed his season debut until June 23. The Red Sox can still be bullish on Romero's hit tool, but for now he's still getting back in the proverbial swing of things.
23. LHP Brandon Barriera, Toronto Blue Jays
Age: 19
Stats (Single-A): 4 GS, 13.1 IP, 8 H (0 HR), 18 K, 6 BB, 5.40 ERA
He may not be the best left-hander in Toronto's system—shoutout to No. 22 prospect Ricky Tiedemann—but Barriera has potential. Whereas he sat in the low 90s as a high schooler, he's since been working in the mid 90s in games as a pro.
But that, of course, was when Barriera was healthy. He's mostly been injured this year, first with a shoulder issue that delayed his season debut and more recently with elbow soreness that's kept him out since May 25.
22. LHP Cooper Hjerpe, St. Louis Cardinals
Age: 22
Stats (High-A): 8 GS, 39.1 IP, 25 H (8 HR), 49 K, 23 BB, 3.66 ERA
Elsewhere on the topic of sidelined lefties, Hjerpe hasn't pitched since May 23 because of an undisclosed injury. He had previously been hot, ripping off a 1.98 ERA and permitting just a .156 batting average in five outings before he was sidelined.
Setting aside how his recovery goes, it's still fair to question if Hjerpe is a starter long-term. That's a funky delivery he has, which makes it that much more noteworthy that he had been having so much trouble with ball four.
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21-19: Cole Young, Owen Murphy, Daniel Susac
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21. SS Cole Young, Seattle Mariners
Age: 19
Stats (Single-A): 75 G, 363 PA, 5 HR, 16 SB, .269 AVG, .402 OBP, .431 SLG
Like Romero, Young also hit the ground running as he batted .367 in his first 17 games as a professional. And so it goes in 2023, where you can now find him at No. 73 in our prospect rankings.
While he may have a modest average overall, Young is hitting .296 in 19 games since June 14 and he boasts more walks (54) than strikeouts (51) for the season. He's also clubbed 18 doubles and seven triples, a sign that he at least promises to provide gap power.
20. RHP Owen Murphy, Atlanta
Age: 19
Stats (Single-A): 12 GS, 45.2 IP, 44 H (7 HR), 59 K, 18 BB, 4.14 ERA
Murphy had a bit of a rough stretch in June, allowing 13 runs over just 8.2 innings in three outings between June 2 and June 16. He's otherwise been very good, and especially lately as he's racked up 18 strikeouts against seven hits and one walk in his last two starts.
Even if his stuff isn't on the same level, you can see a little Spencer Strider in Murphy when he throws the ball. And since he's still just a teenager, the quality of his stuff can probably only improve.
19. C Daniel Susac, Oakland Athletics
Age: 22
Stats (High-A): 69 G, 283 PA, 4 HR, 4 SB, .284 AVG, .353 OBP, .417 SLG
Susac's older brother, Andrew, was a catcher in his own right and one who had his moments in a six-year career that spanned 2014 and 2020. Notably, he saw action as a rookie during the Giants' World Series championship run in '14.
The younger Susac is off to a solid start, notably collecting 22 multi-hit games. And the A's are bullish on his defense, with assistant general manager Billy Owens saying in May that they believe he can be "one of the better two-way catching prospects in MLB."
18-16: Cam Collier, Justin Crawford, Chase DeLauter
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18. 3B Cam Collier, Cincinnati Reds
Age: 18
Stats (Single-A): 62 G, 255 PA, 4 HR, 3 SB, .216 AVG, .318 OBP, .335 SLG
Collier was considered one of the 10 best prospects heading into last year's draft, so landing him at No. 18 amounted to a steal for the Reds. But after taking the Bryce Harper route to the draft, he's still only 18 and thus on the young side even for a player in the low minors.
It shows somewhat in his results, but it's perhaps good enough that he hasn't been completely overmatched. And Collier—whose father, Lou, played eight seasons in the majors—has been coming on strong lately, batting .296 in 11 games since June 21.
17. OF Justin Crawford, Philadelphia Phillies
Age: 19
Stats (Single-A): 52 G, 230 PA, 1 HR, 37 SB, .345 AVG, .390 OBP, .464 SLG
From one major league son to another, here's where we find Carl Crawford's son, Justin. And he's rising about as fast as his old man used to run the bases in his glory days with the Tampa Bay Rays.
There are more tools in Crawford's kit than just speed, and that's been plenty apparent as he's gone off for a .398 average and 11 extra-base hits over his last 20 games. He's now our No. 58 prospect and the subject of much hype within Philadelphia.
16. OF Chase DeLauter, Cleveland Guardians
Age: 21
Stats (Rookie/High-A): 15 G, 60 PA, 2 HR, 3 SB, .320 AVG, .417 OBP, .560 SLG
You can look to what DeLauter did in the Cape Cod League in 2021 for a sign of what he could be if he proves he can stay healthy. In 34 games that summer, he dominated with a .986 OPS, nine home runs and 21 runs batted in.
Ever since then, though, he's spent a lot of time on the sidelines with a broken left foot that he first suffered in 2022 and then aggravated this spring. He's been quite good since he returned on June 5, but obviously over a small sample size.
15-13: Dylan Lesko, Jett Williams, Zach Neto
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15. RHP Dylan Lesko, San Diego Padres
Age: 19
Stats (Rookie): 3 GS, 3.1 IP, 5 H (1 HR), 6 K, 2 BB, 10.80 ERA
Lesko entered 2022 in the running to go No. 1 in last year's draft, but then he had to have Tommy John surgery in April. With that, he went from a sure thing to something more like a lottery ticket.
Cut to now, and the two-part good news is that Lesko is back on the mound and that he's whiffed six of the 16 batters he's faced. As long as he stays on this track, he can only rise from his current standing at No. 87 in our prospect rankings.
14. SS Jett Williams, New York Mets
Age: 19
Stats (Single-A): 62 G, 269 PA, 4 HR, 23 SB, .234 AVG, .413 OBP, .363 SLG
The second of two picks the Mets made within the top 14 last year, the 5'6", 175-pound Williams is already proving that he carries a big stick. He has just three more strikeouts than walks for the season, and he's been hot with a .345 average since June 13.
Granted, the list of 5'6" players who mostly played shortstop largely consists of guys who played in the 1920s and 1930s. But if Williams eventually must move to second base, so be it. Fellow undersized guys Jose Altuve and Dustin Pedroia did just fine for themselves there.
13. SS Zach Neto, Los Angeles Angels
Age: 22
Stats (MLB): 55 G, 199 PA, 6 HR, 5 SB, .259 AVG, .338 OBP, .431 SLG
Neto was far from the first player chosen in the 2022 draft, but he'll always be able to claim the title of having been the fastest to The Show. He made his debut with the Angels on April 15, less than nine months after they called his name at the draft.
It was that much more impressive, then, when Neto performed 10 percent better than the average hitter on offense while also playing a solid shortstop. And, thus, a bummer when he went on the injured list with an oblique strain in June.
12-10: Jace Jung, Kevin Parada, Gabriel Hughes
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12. 2B Jace Jung, Detroit Tigers
Age: 22
Stats (High-A): 69 G, 312 PA, 13 HR, 2 SB, .250 AVG, .369 OBP, .462 SLG
It wasn't long ago that Jung—whose older brother, Josh, will start at third base for the American League All-Star team—was on an absolute tear. In 19 games between May 31 and June 23, he put up a 1.039 OPS and cranked seven home runs.
Though Jung has cooled off somewhat since then, the hype hasn't dissipated. He landed at No. 96 in our most recent top 100. He's rated even higher at No. 61 by MLB.com, which gives him above average grades for both his hit and power tools.
11. C Kevin Parada, New York Mets
Age: 21
Stats (High-A): 68 G, 298 PA, 8 HR, 1 SB, .274 AVG, .356 OBP, .460 SLG
Francisco Álvarez may have exhausted his prospect eligibility, but the Mets aren't yet out of power-hitting catching prospects. That description also applies to Parada, who became our No. 76 prospect amid a red-hot June in which he hit .303 with five long balls.
Because Parada doesn't have a very good arm, the Mets would likely have to live with frequent stolen bases if he's still behind the plate when he gets the call. But since that's also the case with Álvarez, it seems they'd be willing to live with that.
10. RHP Gabriel Hughes, Colorado Rockies
Age: 21
Stats (High-A/Double-A): 13 GS, 61.2 IP, 60 H (12 HR), 77 K, 26 BB, 6.57 ERA
The Rockies seemed to reach for Hughes when they drafted him 10th overall, but the pick wasn't without merit. Formerly a two-way player, last year was Hughes' first as a full-time pitcher for Gonzaga. Potentially, further experience would reveal more upside.
So far, not so good. Despite his promotion from High-A to Double-A in June, the Alaska native has consistently been hit hard. Notably, he's been taken deep 11 times in just 24 innings since he got to Hartford.
9-7: Gavin Cross, Brooks Lee, Cade Hordon
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9. OF Gavin Cross, Kansas City Royals
Age: 22
Stats (High-A): 74 G, 324 PA, 10 HR, 17 SB, .202 AVG, .303 OBP, .388 SLG
Even if he's into double digits in home runs, Cross' time as a slugger in 2023 is beginning to feel like another lifetime. Since the calendar turned to June, he's homered just once while slugging .306.
It's not all bad, though. Whereas Cross was striking out 34 percent of the time through May, he's down to 23.4 percent since then. That smacks of a guy who hasn't so much run out of gas as been forced into making necessary adjustments.
8. SS Brooks Lee, Minnesota Twins
Age: 22
Stats (Double-A): 70 G, 318 PA, 6 HR, 5 SB, .264 AVG, .342 OBP, .419 SLG
Following a college career at Cal Poly in which he hit .351, Lee went into last year's draft as arguably one of the five best prospects in the class. The Twins lucked out in nabbing him at No. 8, and he's now our No. 29 prospect.
Just in general, there isn't much not to like about a switch-hitting shortstop who has a well above average hit tool. And there's just as much to like about how Lee is thus far proving that point by being remarkably consistent on a month-to-month basis.
7. RHP Cade Horton, Chicago Cubs
Age: 21
Stats (Single-A/High-A): 13 GS, 53.2 IP, 39 H (7 HR), 78 K, 16 BB, 3.19 ERA
Horton had a twisty-turny journey to the Cubs. He had been a two-sport star in high school and the idea was to be the same in college at Oklahoma. But he never broke through in football, then had Tommy John surgery in 2021 and returned in 2022 to post a 4.86 ERA.
Cut to now, though, and the Cubs seem to have had the right idea in picking Horton. Despite getting roughed up in his first and most recent starts at High-A, in between he put up a 1.76 ERA with 49 strikeouts over 30.2 innings. He's risen to the No. 41 spot in our rankings.
6-4: Jacob Berry, Elijah Green, Termarr Johnson
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6. 3B Jacob Berry, Miami Marlins
Age: 22
Stats (High-A): 67 G, 289 PA, 3 HR, 4 SB, .216 AVG, .270 OBP, .352 SLG
Berry was the ultimate tough out with LSU in 2022, posting five more walks than strikeouts while hitting .370. As such, 92 strikeouts against 27 walks as well as a .227 average after 104 pro games is not what anyone could have expected.
But while he's still striking out more than he's walking, Berry has been figuring things out more recently. Go back 23 games to June 10, and he's hitting an even .300 with a .369 on-base percentage. Something to build on, if nothing else.
5. OF Elijah Green, Washington Nationals
Age: 19
Stats (Single-A): 58 G, 248 PA, 3 HR, 22 SB, .218 AVG, .327 OBP, .318 SLG
Green went into the 2022 draft with tools aplenty, with his power and speed standing out the most. The Nationals went all-in on his upside in taking him with the fifth pick, though it meant turning a blind eye to the questions looming over Green's hit tool.
Those questions are now outright concerns. Because even if Green is still a teenager, it's never ideal to see a young hitter with a 42.3 strikeout percentage after 70 pro games. Hopefully, the break Green has been on since June 28 will prove to be what he needed.
4. SS Termarr Johnson, Pittsburgh Pirates
Age: 19
Stats (Single-A): 57 G, 244 PA, 7 HR, 4 SB, .229 AVG, .389 OBP, .391 SLG
Johnson was touted by MLB.com as possibly "the best pure prep hitter in decades heading into last year's draft, so it's a tad disappointing to see him hitting .228 through 80 pro games. However, you don't have to dig deep to find the good stuff in his 2023 season.
For starters, Johnson's 19.7 walk percentage is helping keep his OBP near the coveted .400 threshold. He also turned on the power in June, homering six times after doing so once in April and May. Currently at No. 62, he has the potential to quickly rise in our rankings.
3-1: Kumar Rocker, Druw Jones, Jackson Holliday
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3. RHP Kumar Rocker, Texas Rangers
Age: 23
Stats (High-A): 6 GS, 28.0 IP, 21 H (2 HR), 42 K, 7 BB, 3.86 ERA
A year after the Mets drafted him at No. 10 only to fail to sign him, the Rangers shocked everyone when they took Rocker with the No. 3 pick last year. It initially looked like they had the right idea as the former Vanderbilt star posted a 2.70 ERA through his first five pro starts.
But then Rocker had Tommy John surgery on May 16, ending his season. As such, the only silver lining for the Rangers right now is that drafting Rocker at No. 3 is a reason why they were later able to nab Brock Porter, who's been shoving with a 1.76 ERA at Single-A.
2. OF Druw Jones, Arizona Diamondbacks
Age: 19
Stats (Rookie/Single-A): 14 G, 60 PA, 0 HR, 1 SB, .173 AVG, .283 OBP, .192 SLG
As the son of Hall of Fame hopeful Andruw Jones, Druw Jones really is a chip off the ol' block. He has above average tools across the board, including for his power, speed, arm strength and defensive acumen.
Now, if only he could stay healthy. He had surgery on his left shoulder last August and has since missed further time with quad and hamstring injuries. We still have him ranked as MLB's No. 20 prospect, but his progress is stuck in neutral for now.
1. SS Jackson Holliday, Baltimore Orioles
Age: 19
Stats (Single-A/High-A): 71 G, 326 PA, 7 HR, 20 SB, .331 AVG, .466 OBP, .523 SLG
The last No. 1 pick the Orioles had before 2022 was the one they used on Adley Rutschman in 2019. That's proving to be a win of epic proportions, and it's already looking like Holliday is going to make the O's 2-for-their-last-2. He's arguably the best prospect in MLB right now.
The son of former Rockies and Cardinals great Matt Holliday, the younger Holliday needed just 14 games at Single-A Delmarva before he earned his promotion to High-A Aberdeen. He's continued to rake (i.e., .452 OBP) since then even though he's 3.3 years younger on average than the competition.
Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs.
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