MLB Draft 2022: Meet 15 high school baseball stars projected as first-round picks

Druw Jones is widely expected to be the top pick Sunday, but another Georgia prospect — second baseman Termarr Johnson — is generating some buzz.

Termarr Johnson photo by Willie Prince

The MLB Draft will be upon us in two days, and rumors continue to swirl about who will be the No. 1 overall pick.

Druw Jones (Wesleyan High School, Georgia) remains the favorite to go first, but fellow Atlanta-area prospect Termarr Johnson (Mays High School) is perceived as a less expensive signing option for the Baltimore Orioles.

A recent mock by Jonathan Mayo at mlb.com has Jones going first and 15 high school stars overall being picked in the first round (including nine supplemental picks).

Here are the 15 high school baseball players Mayo has slated to go in the first round, plus a description of their accomplishments in their prep careers.

Druw Jones photo by Jamie Spaar

1. Baltimore Orioles: Druw Jones, OF, Wesleyan (Georgia)

Jones put up some eye-popping stats to lift Wesleyan to a state championship, hitting .570 with a .675 on-base percentage. Among his 65 hits were 13 homers, seven doubles and three triples. He scored 72 runs, drove in 39 and struck out just nine times while drawing 33 walks, and he stole 32 bases. The son of Andruw Jones is widely projected to be the top pick in the draft, but some project that Jones' potential price tag could scare the Orioles away.

2. Texas Rangers: Jackson Holliday, SS, Stillwater (Oklahoma)

The son of seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday, Jackson is expected to be the first or second pick in the draft. He registered 89 hits, setting a national record, and batted .685 with a 1.392 slugging percentage as a senior. Holliday hit 17 home runs and 29 doubles, drove in 79 runs and stole 30 bases.

4. Arizona Diamondbacks: Termarr Johnson, 2B, Mays (Georgia)

Johnson is viewed by many as the most pure hitter in the draft — college or high school. He's a solidly built 5-foot-8 second baseman who hits left, throws right and models his swing after Robinson Cano. Some are speculating that the Orioles will select Johnson first and persuade him to sign below slot value.

5. Washington Nationals: Elijah Green, OF, IMG Academy (Florida)

Green hit .462 with a .592 on-base percentage, slugging nine home runs and driving in 32 runs for IMG Academy (23-2). For a while Green was the favorite to be the top pick in the draft, but most mock drafts now have him going anywhere from No. 3 to 9. The 6-foot-3 speedster with power is the son of former NFL Pro Bowl tight end Eric Green.

9. Kansas City Royals: Justin Crawford, OF, Bishop Gorman (Nevada)

Yet another top 10 pick with professional bloodlines, Crawford is the son of longtime major leaguer Carl Crawford. He hit .503 as a senior with five home runs, eight triples and 17 doubles. Justin is an inch taller than his dad at 6-foot-3 and has the same front-line speed. And just like his dad when entering MLB, power is his biggest question mark.

12. Detroit Tigers: Brock Porter, RHP, St. Mary's Prep (Michigan)

Porter hit .459 as a senior, but his pitching is what made him the National Gatorade Player of the Year. He went 9-0 for the undefeated top-ranked team in the nation, giving up only three earned runs in 58 2/3 innings, striking out 115 batters. He'll have a decision to make between MLB and Clemson whenever he's picked.

13. L.A. Angels: Brandon Barriera, LHP, American Heritage (Florida)

Barriera went 5-0 with a 2.27 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 37 innings before ending his season early to focus on the draft. He pitched only 16 innings as a junior, giving up no runs and striking out 26.

Dylan Lesko (27) photo by Jamie Spaar

16. Cleveland Guardians: Dylan Lesko, RHP, Buford (Georgia)

Lesko was in the conversation for being the top overall pick until Tommy John surgery ended his season. He suffered the season-ending elbow injury while pitching at the National High School Invitational during spring break. Before the injury, Lesko was living in the mid-90s on the radar gun and showing increasing spin rate on his curveball.

24. Boston Red Sox: Jett Williams, SS, Rockwall-Heath (Texas)

Williams is another 5-foot-8 middle infielder with elite contact skills, but unlike Termarr Johnson he hits from the right side. He hit .347 as a senior and .346 as a junior, and his speed and power both made big strides. He had nine triples and 15 stolen bases as a senior.

25. N.Y. Yankees: Cole Young, SS, North Allegheny (Pennsylvania)

And now back to another middle infielder who throws right and bats left, and just like Johnson and Williams, contact is Young's top tool at the plate. The elite fielder hit .433 as a senior and .437 as a junior, striking out just nine times combined in those two years in 48 games.

26. Chicago White Sox: Tucker Toman, 3B, Hammond (South Carolina)

Toman hit .502 with eight home runs and 25 RBIs as a junior, following that up by hitting .487 with seven home runs and 27 RBIs as a senior. The son of Middle Tennessee State head baseball coach Jim Toman is committed to LSU if he doesn't reach a deal with an MLB team.

Jackson Ferris photo courtesy of IMG Academy

27. Milwaukee Brewers: Jackson Ferris, LHP, IMG Academy (Florida)

Ferris had a 1.08 ERA as a senior, striking out 103 batters in 54.1 innings. He went 8-0 in his junior and senior years for IMG Academy, and the lanky 6-foot-4 hurler enters the draft as one of the top left-handers available. He's committed to play for Mississippi if he chooses the college route.

30. San Francisco Giants: Robby Snelling, P, McQueen (Nevada)

Snelling went 8-0 with a 0.56 ERA en route to setting a Nevada single-season record with 146 strikeouts in 62.1 innings in a state loaded with baseball talent. He signed to play for LSU next season but is projected as a late-first or early-second-round pick in the draft.

Jacob Miller photo by Gabe Haferman

36. Pittsburgh Pirates (supplemental): Jacob Miller, P, Liberty Union (Ohio)

The first- or second-round prospect finished the season 9-1 with an ERA of 0.63 and struck out 133 hitters in 57.1 innings pitched. Miller made 27 starts in his high school career and struck out 382 hitters in 171.1 innings. He's committed to Louisville if he elects not to go straight to the pros.

39. San Diego Padres (supplemental): Henry Bolte, OF, Palo Alto (California)

Bolte was one of the most improved players in high school baseball in 2022, going from .304 with three home runs as a junior to .441 and 13 homers as a senior. The 6-foot-3 solid defender also has plus speed and is viewed as a potential center fielder.