2022 early look top prospects

[Sports Guy]

35 minutes ago, joelala said:

LOL imagine the ire here if we take Berry. 

And for good reason.

[btdart20]

I don't buy the rumors/industry officials either.  And agree that the finger means nothing for his draft ranking at this point in the college season. 

Talk about an under/over-slot test case!  Berry really solidified his draft floor this year by improving his K%.  I'm not on board with Berry at 1.1, but is among the best college bats.  IIRC, most mocks are putting him in the 5-10 range.

[RZNJ]

We took Kjerstad when Austin Martin was the consensus pick.

We took Cowser when Jordan Lawlar was the consensus higher pick.

Druw Jones is the consensus pick this year.    Would Elias buck consensus again?    I think the answer is yes.   The question is why.    Cheap?  No, because they spend their draft allotment either way.    I also believe I remember an interview where Elias said your first pick is the most important pick of the draft, which said to me that you should take the top guy on your board with the pick and not play games with it.

[Sports Guy]

Cheap isn’t the right word unless you believe that the team just isn’t willing to spend 8.5-9M on one HS player.  That I definitely think is possible.

[RZNJ]

4 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

Cheap isn’t the right word unless you believe that the team just isn’t willing to spend 8.5-9M on one HS player.  That I definitely think is possible.

Do you think Elias believes in BPA with the #1 pick in the draft?     

[Frobby]

I’m not interested in speculation from “industry officials.”   We’ll find out what Elias does on draft day.   

[joelala]

6 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

And for good reason.

Oh I agree. I’d be irate. Berry is at best an average defensive 3b and more likely ends up on the Mancini defensive spectrum. It would be very difficult for me to be on board with that pick at 1:1

[joelala]

7 hours ago, RZNJ said:

There will be ire we take anyone but Druw Jones.   Maybe not an uproar if it's Elijah Green.   Mild uproar if it's Jackson Holliday or Termarr Johnson.  Big uproar if it's Brooks Lee.   HUGE uproar if it's Berry because I think at least Lee is seen as having some defensive value.

Hard to believe Elias has put his cards on the table or shown the deck to anyone.    I see any leaked rumors or rumors in general as being negotiating tactics.   If Andruw Jones and his agent believe the Orioles are seriously considering someone else at #1, that only give the Orioles a little leverage in saving a few bucks IF Jones's camp believes it.    Then again, they have gone college player in all three drafts and Berry is said, by some, to be the best college bat.

Agree, I think you have the temperature of the board correct lol. 

[Sports Guy]

2 hours ago, RZNJ said:

Do you think Elias believes in BPA with the #1 pick in the draft?     

No

[Sports Guy]

I will say with us being an extra month away and the addition of the combine this year, any talk now is meaningless unless Elias has already decided he’s going underslot.

And again, I think Jones would sign for 8-8.5M.  He’s not going to turn that down and go to college.  Zippy chance of that.

[oldfan]

How bad would this board be freaking out if Austin Martin was hitting .239, 1 hr, 9 rbi and fielding .774 at shortstop for Bowie. He has one advantage over Kjerstad, he is playing.

[sportsfan8703]

I really hope we take Druw Jones #1, but then we probably have to go NCAA upperclassmen bats the next two picks. 
 

Kjerstad was the right pick. You can’t predict that a once in a lifetime plague was going to give a guy a heart condition. That dude was a monster when we took him. He even killed in his Team USA time. 
 

I say just keep buying the bats. Let another franchise develop the pitchers and we can just buy them in trades and FA. 

[Frobby]

One analyst’s opinion on Berry:

1:26

How high would GM Eric Longenhagen draft Jacob Berry? Dude can clearly rake but is also unplayable on defense

Eric A Longenhagen

I'd probably be on the lower end closer to 10-12 than 5

https://www.jotcast.com/chat/eric-longenhagen-chat-13125.html

 

[Paul in Virginia]

2022 MLB Draft - Top 500 Prospects — Prospects Live

Still ranked #1 (Termarr at 6???):

Jones has some of the most explosive athletic ability in the 2022 class and the namesake to draw in fans. The bat-to-ball skills here are impressive. Jones has substantial raw power too, comfortably plus, maybe more. At 6-foot-3, it’s a prototype frame that will undoubtedly stick in CF thanks to top-of-the-scale speed and on-field instincts. He may end up an elite defender like his dad thanks to terrific speed and a plus arm to go along with it. Some scouts have envisioned a potential shortstop here too, though most feel he’s destined for centerfield. He produces big barrel velocities with violent hands and an aggressive, whippy swing plane. He gets fantastic extension at the plate as well. The entire package is incredibly advanced. The last frontier for evaluators is seeing Jones sync up his upper and lower half with more consistency in-game, something he’s shown remarkable improvement on since last summer. He’s reasonably comfortably the best prospect in this class right now.

Edited May 18, 2022 by Paul in Virginia

[RZNJ]

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/a-conversation-with-orioles-general-manager-mike-elias/#:~:text=Elias%3A “I think we concentrate,can change quite a bit.

Prospects Live very high on Jones and has Berry way down at 20.  This Fangraphs interview with Elias is interesting because he really talks up taking HS kids with a higher chance of getting a "prodigious" talent there.