The 2022 MLB Draft is about a month away as of this writing. Before the top prospects head to the MLB Draft Combine, there’s one more showcase for the college baseball players in the class: The NCAA College World Series. The annual June tradition gets underway in Omaha on Friday, June 17 between eight of the best college teams this year. Arkansas, Auburn, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Stanford, Texas, and Texas A&M made the field this year. While they might not have some of the elite MLB prospects like a Jacob Berry from LSU, Kevin Parada from Georgia Tech, or Jace Jung from Texas Tech, there are still quality prospects heading to Omaha. Plenty of these players will be at the top of fantasy baseball rankings and MLB projections in a couple of seasons once drafted. Who knows, this time next year you could be adding one of them off of the fantasy baseball waiver wire. At the very least, many of these top college baseball players will be headlining the MLB prospect rankings before too long. This week, let’s take a look at some of the top MLB prospects from the 2022 College World Series field as we get the last chance to see them before being drafted by your favorite MLB team in the 2022 MLB Draft.

 

 

Top MLB Prospects Playing in the College World Series

Brock Jones — OF, Stanford

The lefty-hitting former Safety for the Cardinal football team Brock Jones decided to switch to only baseball prior to his sophomore year. It paid off with a big year on the diamond, hitting 18 homers and swiping 14 bags while playing center field. He tried to push too hard in his 2022 season though and the numbers haven’t been as good. He still grades out with average power and plus speed from the left-handed batter’s box while having the skillset to read balls well to center. If he can control his swing-and-miss and get a bit more patient in the box, there are 17-22 homers and 25-plus steals in his profile.

 

Peyton Graham — SS, Oklahoma

The bat has been a work in progress for Peyton Graham ever since going to Norman. He has the skill set to have an intriguing blend of offensive ability in the pros. The trick with Graham, though, is that he just needs more patience at the dish and more pitch recognition skills. He makes barrels the ball up with on fastballs but struggles against anything else to make solid contact. The 6-foot-3 frame should allow for enough strength, and bat speed, for 55-60 grade power as he develops a bit more. However, the 45-grade hit tool might cap the power production simply because he won’t make enough consistent contact to tap into the power regularly. The most intriguing part of the package though, aside from the 60-grade speed, is the fact that he can play several defensive spots including second base, shortstop, third base, and outfield.

 

Cayden Wallace — 3B, Arkansas

Power. That’s the first thing that comes to mind with Cayden Wallace. He’s near the top for the rawest power in the class among college hitters. Infielders with pop from Arkansas aren’t uncommon among first-round picks given Zack Cox and Heston Kjerstad also came out of this program including hitting the same number of homers (14) as the freshman Wallace. He’s also got perhaps the strongest arm of any fielder in the class as well at a double-plus level. That means that Wallace has the versatility to play third or right field in the pro ranks. The hit tool is coming along but the power will be his calling card as he develops.
 

Peyton Pallette — RHP, Arkansas

Technically, we won’t see Peyton Pallette in Omaha given that he’s still rehabbing from Tommy John but he’s still on Arkansas and draft-eligible. Pallette showed his top-two round form in 2021 and boy was it impressive. The fastball sits in the mid-90s without much effort and touches 99. The curveball is of the 12-6 variety in the upper-to-low-80s. Pallette has a changeup as well, though it’s clearly his third pitch and still needs work in slowing down hitters. The spin rates are good though he needs more effective spin on the heater to improve it’s ability to miss barrels and bats. When he comes back from Tommy John surgery, he should fit the mold of a number-two starter for whoever drafts him with just a bit of polish to add to his already electric stuff.

 

 


 

Jake Bennett — LHP, Oklahoma

If Oklahoma starting pitchers sound familiar, think Cade Cavali. Bennett was teammates with Cavali in high school and then followed him to Oklahoma. That’s where the similarities stop though. Jake Bennett is a typical southpaw. More deception and movement than pure velocity. The fastball is in the low-90s with run, the changeup is in the low-to-mid-80s with drop at the plate while the slider is an average offering with decent break. If he’s not controlling the pitches and changing eye levels Bennett becomes far more hittable. The main issue is that his best pitch, the changeup, doesn’t get thrown against lefty hitters. He won’t go in the first round, and likely not in the second round either, however, he has a floor of a number-four starter and if the changeup starts working against lefties as well. We can add strikeouts to his upside.
 

Robert Moore — 2B, Arkansas

A whole is greater than the sum of the parts type guy, Robert Moore has skills that play up because of his Baseball IQ and hustle. Son of the Kansas City Royals’ President Dayton Moore, he’s been a full-time starter at second base since setting foot on campus at Arkansas. The power has dropped since his freshman year when he hit 16 but the clutch hits and approach haven’t changed. He draws a lot of walks, has a mature approach at the dish, and generates tremendous bat speed. Moore comes in as a 5-foot-9 switch-hitter who doesn’t have one outstanding trait but just a gaggle of average ones. He might make a better reality player than a fantasy asset but, if can develop a bit more pop he could sit closer to 20 homers rather than 15 with 10-12 steals a year.

 

Ivan Melendez — 1B, Texas

If Cayden Wallace doesn’t have the most power in the class, it’s Ivan Melendez. He’s hit 28 homers this year for Texas in 54 games. The power is all over the field which is the highlight of the profile. While the hit tool is average, that is the best tool outside of the double-plus power. The problem, though, is that he’s a right-handed hitting first base or DH-only player. Melendez also realizes most of his power from his 6-foot-3, 225-pound frame rather than top-flight bat speed. That could be an issue as he faces more consistently elite velocity in the pro ranks. This isn’t to say he can’t be a quality hitter in the majors who can hit .280 with 35 homers, it just means his upside and versatility isn’t all that high.

 

Pete Hansen — LHP, Texas

If Bennett is one form of the prototypical lefty, Pete Hansen is the extreme version of the other southpaw prototype. A junk baller first-type arm. What do I mean by that description? His two main pitches are his plus curveball and plus slider. They are immaculate examples of those pitches and both work way more on movement rather than being based on power. The fastball plays up because of the curve and slider but still only tops out at 90. The delivery is simple and repeatable which also helps the changeup that he uses as his fourth pitch play up as well. Hansen has number-four starter written all over the profile and has shades of Kyle Hendricks from the left side of the rubber.
 

Hayden Dunhurst — C, Ole Miss

Let’s get this clear right out of the gate, Hayden Dunhurst isn’t close to the best catching prospect in the draft — he’s likely the 10th-12th best. But, that shouldn’t minimize his profile by that much. He has Gold Glove-caliber defense and one of the best arms behind the dish in the class. So, he’s a defense-first backstop. That does mean that he’ll likely be on the field and in lineups enough to improve his bat skills in-game action. The power is mainly pull-side, from the lefty batter’s box, and usually comes from his strength rather than bat speed. Dunhurst’s hit tool is decent enough for a catcher but still not sexy. He’s in the mold of an Austin Barnes or less-offensive Shea Langeliers.

 

Jack Brannigan — RHP, Notre Dame

Jack Brannigan is perhaps the most interesting prospect in the College World Series. The righty possesses two double-plus to elite offerings in his 70-grade fastball and 65-grade slider and mixing in an average changeup as a reliever for Notre Dame. He’s only pitched 23.1 total innings in his three years for the Fighting Irish but has been dominant in the late innings. As he should be with his two pitch-mix. Where does the interesting part come in? He wants, and prefers, to play third base. What? Yes. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Brannigan wants to be a position player in the pro ranks. While he can play solid defense at third and has a plus arm, the hit tool isn’t there yet to have a clear picture of his profile. The hope is he has average power but the early showing in the Cape Cod League didn’t give a ton of promise that he can make adequate contact using a wood bat rather than a composite one. If he stays on the mound, he could be someone’s next closer in line with Edwin Diaz-type stuff.

 

 

 

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