Reseeding the CWS Field

Major League draft prospects used to evaluate which teams have the most talent in Omaha

OMAHA, Neb. – With so many national seeds gone in college baseball's NCAA tournament there is a need to give the audience a glimpse into how the talent stacks up between teams as they navigate the treacherous waters of the College World Series.

There are a lot of ways come up with new seeds, but perhaps the most clean and informative is to simply reseed based on talent, and in this case the most scientific, unbiased way to do so is to use the current 2022 Major League draft prospects list compiled by the Sporting News.

Each team will receive a score and receive a new seed based on that score. Here's how each team's total was generated.

251+ – 1

201-250 – 2

151-200 – 3

101-150 – 4

51-100 – 5

1-50 – 6

It will also add perspective to see where these teams began the season in the polls and in the initial CWS seedings.

D1 Baseball Preseason Poll

1. Texas

2. Arkansas

5. Ole Miss

6. Stanford

13. Notre Dame

Unranked - Auburn, Oklahoma, Texas A&M

CWS Seedings

1. Stanford

5. Texas A&M

9. Texas

14. Auburn

Unseeded - Arkansas, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ole Miss 

No. 8 – Texas A&M

Score – 0

MLB Prospects – None

Aggies head coach Jim Schlossnagle admitted that without a last minute scramble to fill out the roster with the transfer portal, it would have been difficult for his incoming staff to field a team for the 2022 season. 

As a result, Texas A&M has no players ranked in the 2022 Top 300 MLB draft prospects. At one point it was thought that pitcher Micah Dallas might reach the postseason as a ranked prospect, but a difficult year on the mound dropped him from the rankings.

First baseman Jack Moss might reach the draft as a ranked player, he is currently a Top 50 prospect, but he still has a year to go before he can be drafted. Therefore, he doesn't count toward the A&M total, although it still wouldn't be enough to get the Aggies out of the 8th seed.

No. 7 – Auburn

Score – 5

MLB Prospects: 

Sonny DiChiara - 1B - No. 151 

Trace Bright - RHP - No. 223

Auburn doesn't have many prospects, but if a team is going to have a short list, including Sonny DiChiara on that list is a huge boost. Known by fans as Sonny D, a play on the brand of orange juice alternative beloved in the south for its low cost and close to the real thing taste, the 263 lbs monster has become a fan favorite since transferring from Samford this past season.

DiChiara has 12 hits, including four home runs, this postseason and has gone yard in six of his last eight games. Mix in Bright, who has won seven of his last eight appearances, and it's easy to see how Auburn has gotten the support it needed to crack the CWS.

No. 6 – Notre Dame

Score – 7

MLB Prospects:

Jack Brannigan - 3B/RHP - No. 148

Liam Simon - RHP - No. 220

Alex Rao - RHP - No. 261

Notre Dame's score isn't terribly high, which means the Irish theoretically shouldn't have knocked off No. 1 Tennessee in the super regional and then No. 9 Texas in its College World Series opener. 

However, there are numbers within the numbers, and in this case that number is three. The key to success at this point in the season is solid pitching and all three of the Fighting Irish's prospects are pitchers. 

Throw in these three with graduate student John Bertrand who went into the sixth against Texas before giving way to Rao, and it's easy to see how Notre Dame keeps rolling with the upsets. The one caveat is a trend of high ERAs for all three prospects that make it possible for teams to make late-game runs.

No. 5 – Ole Miss

Score – 8

MLB Prospects:

Hayden Dunhurst - C - No. 139

Derek Diamond - RHP - No. 202

TJ McCants - OF - No. 229

Perhaps the most shocking thing about this list is that legendary Rebel Tim Elko isn't included. 

A born leader with power and a career .300 batting average across four seasons in college baseball's toughest league and another three seasons of summer leagues seems like it would have been enough to slide him in, but alas the heart of Ole Miss complete with magnificent 'stache didn't make the cut.

McCants has the most statistical potential to impact of the Rebels of those listed. At 6-3, 190, the 2021 Freshman All-American has a powerful frame with plenty of room to fill out that intrigues scouts. 

Unfortunately, despite a hot start to the season, things haven't gone well the past three months. He was batting .357 heading into late March, but as he hit a stretch that included Arkansas, LSU and Vanderbilt, his average plummeted to .239 and he has only recorded a single hit in the postseason.

Dunhurst is a Gold Glove winner who has been instrumental in guiding Ole Miss pitchers through a 13-3 stretch over the past month and a half. His ability to settle down pitchers in tight spots makes him invaluable.

Diamond is a multi-time All-American from his high school days, but has only found the mound twice in the past month, last appearing in a winning effort against Arizona in the regional.

No. 4 – Stanford

Score – 11

MLB Prospects:

Brock Jones - OF - No. 29

Kody Huff - SS/C - No. 177

Quinn Matthews - LHP - No. 218

Stanford doesn't have many prospects, but Brock Jones tops the entire list. Oklahoma's Peyton Graham and Arkansas's Cayden Wallace come close in various ratings, but Jones consistently tops both on numerous reputable lists.

There's not an awards list that Jones is eligible for that doesn't include his name. At 6-3, 200 lbs, he's a kinetic machine waiting to explode. 

During last Saturday's super regional against UConn, Jones almost single-handedly brought the Cardinal back from a 9-0 deficit by blasting three home runs in a 13-12 loss.

Huff can be dangerous also. He is a stocky catcher who has a season .325 average. 

He is currently on a six-game hitting streak during which he has recorded 11 hits, including going 3-for-5 in his last outing. 

No. 3 – Oklahoma

Score – 16

MLB Prospects:

Peyton Graham - 3B/SS - No. 42

Jake Bennett - LHP - No. 61

David Sandlin - RHP - No. 231

Jimmy Crooks - C - No. 246

Chaz Martinez - LHP/OF - No. 260

Gram, Bennett and Crooks have already proven their value in the opener against A&M. 

The only question mark on this list is Sandlin who struggled with the moment when Oklahoma baseball coach Skip Johnson chose to bring him in relief instead of holding him as the Game 2 starter. Sandlin struggled with control and was quickly pulled.

No. 2 – Texas

Score – 17

MLB Prospects:

Ivan Melendez - 1B - No. 86

Silas Ardoin - C - No. 119

Trey Faltine - SS - No. 140

Pete Hanson - RHP - No. 160

Douglas Hodo - OF - No. 293

In story after story about who analysts want to watch in this series, Melendez's name has come up every time. At 6-3, 225, he is a mountain of a man.

At one point he had a 10-game hitting streak during a stretch that included Tennessee, Texas St. and LSU. He also leads the nation with 34 home runs, and, barring elimination by Texas A&M on Sunday, will most likely surpass 100 hits and 100 RBI.

Considering Texas has three Top 150 prospects while also boasting four prospects who can affect the game on a daily basis, it's easy to see why the Longhorns topped many preseason polls.

No. 1 – Arkansas*

Score – 21

MLB Prospects:

Peyton Pallette - RHP - No. 38

Cayden Wallace - OF - No. 77

Robert Moore - 2B - No. 100

Jalen Battles - SS - No. 151

Brady Slavens - OF/1B - No. 205

This ranking comes with an asterisk. The Razorbacks' top prospect hasn't pitched in over a year after needing Tommy John surgery, so he can't impact games on the field at the College World Series. 

However, if Pallette were removed, a wider look at the ratings would have Arkansas in a tie with Texas. Wallace is a Top 50 player who pushes Stanford's Jones as the highest rated player in Omaha on nearly every other list, including the MLB Pipeline Top 200 that has him a full 40 spots higher at No. 37. 

Battles, who had a tough May, has been on fire in June and may be the nation's best defensive shortstop. The combination of Battles and Moore up the middle makes it difficult to get hits in the middle third of the field. 

If Battles is on fire in June, then Slavens is about 100 yards from the sun. In the last five games against Oklahoma State and North Carolina, he went 6-for-14 with eight RBI and three walks.

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With this much talent, it's easy to see why Arkansas and Texas, two teams coming off 50-win seasons, were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 to begin the year. 

If things play out to where both teams end up in the championship series, it will be a battle of future MLB talent and one crazy atmosphere in Omaha.

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HOGS FEED:

CWS LIVE BLOG: ARKANSAS VS. STANFORD 

FRESHMEN REPORT TO CAMP AHEAD OF SCHEDULE DEVELOPMENTALLY

LOOKING AHEAD TO ARKANSAS-STANFORD CWS OPENER

SOONERS SEND AGGIES TO LOSERS' BRACKET

CWS OPENS FRIDAY WITH 2010 BIG12 FEEL

WHO WILL RAZORBACKS HIT THE ROAD TO FACE IN BIG 12-SEC CHALLENGE?

BOTH TEAMS DIFFERENT WHEN ARKANSAS, STANFORD FACE EACH OTHER THIS TIME

HOGS PILE UP NATIONAL PRESEASON FOOTBALL AWARDS

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