2022 MLB Draft: Who stands out and whats next for the Orioles picks

The Orioles’ 2022 amateur draft — which could be the final time they pick No. 1 for a while — is in the books.

It started with the selection of Oklahoma high school shortstop Jackson Holliday on Sunday and ended with the drafting of their second pitcher from Indiana University on Tuesday, right-hander Reese Sharp, with the No. 587 pick.

Our day three picks are in ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/hxwCCSeRIM

— Orioles Player Development (@OsPlayerDev) July 19, 2022

All told, the Orioles drafted 22 players in 20 rounds. They selected 12 pitchers, four infielders, four outfielders and two catchers. They went heavy on four-year college players, selecting 19, but also drafted high schoolers Holliday and Florida prep pitcher Zack Showalter (11th round) and Texas junior college pitcher Wyatt Cheney (10th round).

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Now that the draft is over, the real work begins. Negotiations, signings, news conferences, placements and, eventually, baseball.

Here’s an overview of the Orioles’ 2022 draft and what’s next for the organization and its draftees.

What’s the biggest takeaway?

That general manager Mike Elias and director of draft operations Brad Ciolek don’t hate pitchers after all. You know the stat by now. In Elias’ first three drafts with the Orioles, he selected just four pitchers in the first 10 rounds. This year, the Orioles selected five pitchers in the first 10 rounds, including third-rounder Nolan McLean of Oklahoma State University, the highest-drafted pitcher in Elias’ Orioles regime. The primary complaint about the Orioles’ emerging farm system is that it doesn’t have many high-ceiling pitching prospects behind former first-rounders Grayson Rodriguez and D.L. Hall. The options likely have increased after this draft.

Will the Orioles sign everyone they selected?

That’s never easy to predict, but Elias’ track record says they’ll get close. In Elias’ previous three drafts, the Orioles have signed every player selected in the 20th round or higher, including all of their draftees in 2021. This year that might be a little more difficult because the Orioles selected two highly regarded players who dropped toward the end of the draft in Vanderbilt shortstop Carter Young (17th round) and Miami right-hander Andrew Walters (18th round). Ciolek said, if pressed, he probably wouldn’t predict all 22 being signed, but he said the hope was they would all join the organization, and that remains the goal.

When must draftees be signed before teams lose their rights?

In most cases, Aug. 1. Don’t be surprised, however, if signings start trickling in soon. The slotting for each pick helps to complete the process more quickly, and teams and players have an idea of what range they’ll be signing for when their names are called.

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Will Jackson Holliday be a difficult sign?

He has committed to play college baseball for his uncle at Oklahoma State University and is represented by resolute negotiator Scott Boras. So, the Orioles aren’t getting a major discount here. But there’s nowhere to go but down after being the No. 1 pick, and the Orioles surely did their homework on Holliday’s signability before drafting him. Expect Holliday to sign somewhere in the neighborhood of the $8.84 million slot and to be at Camden Yards in the next couple of weeks for a news conference.

What will be the plan for Holliday?

Once he signs and passes the Orioles’ physical, he’ll likely be introduced to the media and fans at a home game. Then he’ll head to the minor-league organization’s facility in Sarasota, Fla., where he’ll start preparing for Florida Complex League games, which run until Aug. 23. Given his age, he likely won’t debut at Low-A Delmarva until 2023.

Will anyone end up playing in Maryland this season?

Because there is no Short-A league anymore and because the draft is pushed back until mid-July, there probably won’t be many 2022 draftees making their way to Single-A Delmarva this season. The best guess is a few of the top-drafted college hitters, such as Dylan Beavers (Competitive Balance A), Clemson third baseman Max Wagner (second) and Jud Fabian (Competitive Balance B), might get a few weeks with the Shorebirds in August. That’s what happened last year with Colton Cowser, Connor Norby and a few others.

Will the Orioles go over slot or under slot on any of their players taken in the first 10 rounds?

Probably. The slots are firm suggestions, not set figures. And the Orioles chose a couple of draft-eligible sophomores in Wagner (second round) and McLean (third), so there could be some solid haggling going on there. The Orioles have roughly $17 million to spend on the top 10 rounds without overage taxes, and they’ll likely get close to spending it all, as they’ve typically done.

Any picks from Day 3 that stand out?

Yes. Literally and figuratively. In the 13th round, the Orioles selected their only left-handed pitcher of the draft, Jared Beck from Division II Saint Leo University in Florida. But what stands out isn’t his handedness. It’s that Beck is 7-foot, 225 pounds. Ciolek said he is an interesting project whose high-80s fastball has ticked up to 95 mph and that he has a developing breaking ball and changeup. If Beck were to make the majors, he would be the tallest player in big-league history.

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Any double-duty action?

The Orioles selected two players who could be used as hitters or pitchers: McLean in the third round and the University of Richmond’s Alden Mathes in the 19th round. McLean will be developed primarily as a pitcher, but he will also get a chance at DH, Ciolek said. Mathes will be developed as a center fielder for now and won’t be used as a left-handed pitcher.

Any former Orioles connections?

Here’s a cool one. Trace Bright, the fifth-round pitcher out of Auburn, spent several years playing travel ball with CHAOS Baseball, based out of Denham Springs, La. The founder and field manager of that group is Ben McDonald, the former Orioles pitcher and current MASN broadcaster who was the organization’s first No. 1 pick in 1989. Ben’s son, Jase, played on the team with Bright, who pitched, caught, played corner infield and batted in the middle of the lineup. … Fourth-round pick Silas Ardoin, a catcher out of the University of Texas, is the son of MLB catcher Danny Ardoin, who played five games for the Orioles in 2006. … I’m sorry to report that Florida high school pitcher and 11th-round pick Zack Showalter is not related to Florida native and former Orioles manager Buck Showalter.

(Photo of Trace Bright and Ben McDonald with CHAOS Baseball courtesy of Ben McDonald)

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