Baseball America released their updated draft prospect rankings yesterday. This morning they posted their third mock draft, as we are now about 2 1/2 months from the 2022 draft. There is a shakeup at the top of the latest mock draft, as well as some doubt about their selection for the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have the fourth overall pick.
The top pick has been Druw Jones for quite some time now, but BA is predicting that Cal Poly shortstop Brooks Lee will go first overall to the Baltimore Orioles. I like what they did with this new mock draft, giving a range where each pick could go. Lee actually falls in the 1-5 range, while Jones is in the 1-2 range, so if he doesn’t go to the Orioles, then they are certain (right now) that he won’t go lower than the Arizona Diamondbacks with the #2 pick.
In the #3 spot, BA has Elijah Green, who was our Draft Prospect Watch subject on Sunday. The Texas Rangers have the third pick. Green is listed as being in the 3-5 range. We then have the Pirates pick and it comes with an asterisk, because the mock draft was clearly done before the news broke yesterday that Georgia prep pitcher Dylan Lesko had Tommy John surgery, which will keep him out until at least the middle of next year. BA noted it in his description and then extended him from the 3-15 range for his pick.
Based on the range for picks, the only other option for the Pirates is Termarr Johnson, another player from Georgia (this is a huge year for the state). He’s going seventh in this mock draft, but his range is 2-7. The fifth overall pick is Jace Jung, a second baseman from Texas Tech, followed by Georgia Tech catcher Kevin Parada in the sixth spot. The injury to Lesko really changes things up now.
