The second round of the 2022 JLB Green Draft is complete with only one high schooler going. Four pitchers went, including one real amazing one at 16 overall.
11. Stantonians - Nick Yorke, 2B/SS, BOS
Well, after going homer in the first round, they go the exact opposite with a Red Sox in the second round. This tells us what kind of fan they are. They hate the Sox, but they aren't willing to let that get in the way of winning. Hear that Gina? Yorke played at the lower levels of the Red Sox system with great success, batting .325 in 97 games. He homered 14 times and drove in 62. He has speed with five triples and 13 stolen bases, but he was caught 9 times, so he either thinks he's faster than he is or he sucks at reading pitchers' moves to home. Yorke walked 52 times and posted a .412 OBP, which is nice to see that kind of patience in the lower levels.
12. Lebowski - Dylan Lesko, SP, Buford (GA)
Lesko is the top-ranked pitcher on MLB Pipelines Top 100 Draft list. He's ranked No. 9 overall on the list, and the 6-foot-2 righty is committed to Vanderbilt — who isn't? If he continues his success in the spring season, he'll likely be the top pitcher selected in the 2022 MLB Draft. He's got a good mix of pitches, with his fastball topping out at 97. His change-up is described as potentially the best in the draft and he's got a curveball with high spin rates that should play in the bigs.
13. Philly Cheese - Matt Brash, SP/RP, SEA
Brash was one of those Single-A aces that continued to strike out batters at Double-A, so I guess Choo wouldn't like him. JV does and it's easy to see why. Brash struck out 142 in 97.1 innings last season, going 6-4 with a 2.31 ERA. He logged 55 innings in Double-A last year, so one would think he'd be ready for Triple-A this year and potentially a call-up to the Mariners in mid-summer.
14. Breakfast - Eury Perez, RP, MIA
The Marlins have plenty of top pitching prospects and Perez is ranked sixth in their system and fourth among pitchers. He's 6-foot-8 and 200 pounds, so he's a lanky righty who went 3-5 with a 1.96 ERA and 108 strikeouts to just 26 walks last season. He pitched only in Single-A so he'll still need a bit of time before getting the call to the Marlins.
15. Quad - Juan Yepez, 1B/3B, STL
Yepez has been playing the Cardinals system since 2015, but the 23-year-old had a strong showing last year in Triple-A, batting .289 with 22 homers and 63 RBIs. He'll likely be back there to start the year or join the Cards in a utility role because of the road blocks named Goldschmidt and Arenado.
16. Slammers - Landon Knack, SP, LAD
What an amazing pick. By far the best one of the draft. This is a Cy Young in waiting. Hell, he may even win it this year along with the Rookie of the Year. ... Knack is among many starters in the Dodgers system that LA is excited about, and last season he went 7-1 with a 3.18 ERA in 62.1 innings. He struck out 82 and walked just 8 for a WHIP of 0.93. He also was a standout in the Arizona Fall League so he'll likely return to Double-A and potentially be an option to call up in the summer.
17. Crox - M.J. Melendez, C, KC
Call him Kansas Croxy. Another Royal for Mr. Sox. Melendez is ranked fourth in the stacked Royals system, and as a catcher, he'll likely not see any chance at starting time with Salvador Perez running out there 161 times last season. But, Perez is older and Melendez could be a call away from making a fantasy impact. He batted .288 across Double-A and Triple-A last season with 41 homers and 103 RBIs. He also walked 75 times, a total Perez doesn't have unless you add his last five seasons up.
Comments