The only certainty is the Orioles will not be taking a pitcher with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft.
Other than that, Orioles general manager Mike Elias was completely coy about the club’s plans while talking to the local media on July 9.
“We don’t have a crystal ball, but at the time of the draft, using all of the info that we can, it’s picking the player that we want to take from a talent standpoint regardless of position,” Elias said. “And there’s no pitcher in consideration for the No. 1 pick. The whole industry sees it that way. But at the 33rd pick, could very well be a pitcher, I just don’t know.”
The Orioles are going to be able to grab a future impact player with that No. 1 pick. They could go in various directions as far as selecting a college player or someone who just finished their final high school season.
They’ve had the good fortune in previous drafts with both strategies.
However, the top pick will likely come down to just a few players, including …
Druw Jones: The 6-foot-4, 180-pound center fielder from Wesleyan School in Georgia is reminiscent of his father, five-time All-Star Andruw Jones. In his senior season, Druw Jones hit .570 with 13 home runs, 39 RBIs, 72 runs scored, 33 walks, 32 stolen bases and a 1.702 OPS. He was named the Gatorade Georgia Baseball Player of the Year.
Elijah Green: He is a high school outfielder who plays for IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., and might have the biggest upside in the draft. Green has solid size — 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds — and is known for his big-time power and ability to run. He is committed to Miami and is the son of former Ravens tight end Eric Green.
Termarr Johnson: The 5-foot-10, 175-pound left-handed-hitting infielder played ball at Mays High School in Georgia and doesn’t have the potential impact glove of Jones or Green. Johnson projects to play second base, but his potential with the bat has kept him in the conversation for the No. 1 overall selection.
Jackson Holliday: He is a 6-foot-1, 175-pound shortstop out of Stillwater High School in Oklahoma whose father is seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday. Holliday was named his state’s Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year. Holliday posted 89 hits, 29 doubles, six triples and 17 home runs for Stillwater this spring. Holliday drove in 79 runs and walked 33 times with just seven strikeouts.
“I’m being very frank about it that the short list that we have, that’s five players long, I feel like we’re going carry that for the next week, up until the draft day, because I don’t expect there’s going to be a broad consensus in every corner of the organization of who to take,” Elias said. “And also, there is always late information the week of the draft, so you just have to be prepared for alternatives in case there’s something that moves the needle. So, I don’t think we’re going to really get much closer to narrowing things until the day of the draft.”
Elias likes to keep his draft plans ultra-secretive for competitive reasons. The Orioles have also traditionally bucked against trends and made surprise picks with their first-round selections, such as taking Heston Kjerstad and Colton Cowser with their top selections.
So far, those moves have proved to be wise.
“I’ve happened to be a part of a lot of top-five picks because of being in the Orioles’ rebuild and the Astros’ rebuild, and this has also coincided with the 2012 CBA where they created the draft pool system,” he said. “We’ve done well, but we haven’t always hit the picks perfectly. But one thing that we have done is not give much of an indication of what we’re going to do, and with the way the system is set up, that’s beneficial.”
There is also a matter of money and the temptation to go under-slot and spread money out later in the draft. However, Elias said money is not an issue and the team will take the best player who satisfies their needs. The Orioles’ draft pool is just shy of $17 million.
“We do have a gigantic draft pool,” Elias said. “I believe it’s the No. 2 draft pool in major league history. … The No. 1 one was the 2015 Astros draft that we were a part of where we took [Alex] Bregman and Kyle Tucker. So, this is an enormous opportunity, it’s a big financial commitment. We’re going to have a lot of possibilities because of the picks that we have and the finances and the way the system works with the overage tax.
“I just don’t know that, but we’re going to try to extract the maximum possible value from this entire draft.”
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