Each year we see the best of the best from college to high school prep prospects making their dreams a reality. Translating college and high school stats to professional production is difficult or impossible to predict but getting an idea of what these prospects are capable of gives dynasty managers something to dream about and look forward to.

In this article, you will see my top 200 prospect rankings for players from the 2022 MLB FYPD with my top 10 broken down. Every year we see great values pop up from the later rounds of first year player drafts. Finding these before they become untouchable is the trick for any dynasty manager and that is what I enjoy most of all doing prospect deep dives. For now, we will dive into the top 10 and find the diamonds in the rough as they start their journey to the show.

The season is not here yet, but why not get a head start and jump in a Fantrax Classic Draft contest? Get a jump on the season with a Best Ball league or maybe a Draft and Hold. Or put some green on the line with a new season-long league to try and conquer. There’s no better time than now to get your baseball on!

Top 10 Prospects from the 2022 FYPD

Jackson Holliday, BAL

Son of former All-Star Matt Holliday, Jackson stands out to many as the best well-rounded prospect of the 2022 draft. With some of the best bat-to-ball skills in last year’s draft Jackson, impressed in his senior year, slashing .685/.749/1.392 in 41 games. Jackson profiles as a true dynasty manager’s dream, showing plus grades in contact, power, speed, and fielding.

Barreling the ball is no issue for Holliday though he will get loopy with his swing from time to time. Regardless, the power will come naturally for the 6’ left-handed bat as he matures and fills out. Holliday’s first taste of professional ball was solid, as he slashed .297/.489/.422 with 5 doubles, 1 home run, 4 stolen bases, and 25 walks in 20 games played. The profile mirrors that of Bobby Witt Jr. coming out of the high school ranks in 2019. As for Jackson, we can only hope his rise through the minor leagues will be as fast as Witt Jr., ushering an exciting wave of young talent. Holliday should start the season in A- Delmarva before getting bumped to A+ Aberdeen.

Druw Jones, ARI

Fitting the trend for this year’s draft, Druw Jones is the son of former All-Star Andruw Jones. Similar to his father in many ways, Druw has shown big power potential to go along with the best speed and defense in the 2022 draft. The 6’4” Vanderbilt commit is exciting to watch on film as the raw power is undeniable. Jones’ swing can get long at times and we’ll need to see how he adjusts moving up the Diamondbacks’ minor league levels. Shortly after signing with Arizona, Jones tore his labrum taking batting practice and required surgery that ended his season. Jones should start the year in complex ball before getting the bump to A- Visalia.

Elijah Green, WAS

Coming out of IMG Academy, Green impressed scouts with his massive power output and speed on the basepaths. Green had major holes in his swing in 2021, resulting in a ton of swing and miss in the profile. Scouts and evaluators have seen significant improvement with pitch recognition and holding back on balls out of the zone in 2022. The improvements to the hit tool make Green an interesting 5-tool prospect. Taken by the Nationals 5th overall, Green slashed .302/.404/.535 with 4 doubles, 2 home runs, and one stolen base. Green should get the bump to A- Fredericksburg to start the 2023 campaign.

Termarr Johnson, PIT

Profiling as the best pure hitter in the 2022 draft Johnson profiles as a second-base prospect coming out of the Georgia high school ranks. Standing at 5’7”, Johnson controls the batter’s box with elite hand-eye coordination and strong pitch recognition. The 18-year-old Johnson barrels up the ball with plus power to all fields. Speed is not a major part of Johnson’s game and plays into the average fielding range that will likely shift the former shortstop to second base in the long term. Termarr played 23 games split between rookie ball and A- Bradenton, slashing .222/.366/.365 combined. Although in A- Bradenton, Johnson had a .275/.396/.450 slash line with 4 doubles, 1 home run, and 4 stolen bases in 14 games played, holding an 18.9% walk rate in 40 at-bats. Johnson should start the season back in A- Bradenton before coming up to A+ Greensboro where I will be able to get live looks at the Pirates’ first-round pick.

Cam Collier, CIN

Coming out of baseball powerhouse Chipola Junior College, Collier is a plus hitter and another of the MLB offspring in this year’s first round. Son of former big league shortstop Lou, the younger Collier profiles as a high-contact, above-average power third baseman. He has impressed scouts with strong bat-to-ball skills similar to Termarr Johnson.

Quick bat speed through the zone and high barrel rates have scouts talking about the above-average to plus power potential for Collier. In his first taste of professional ball, Collier slashed .370/.514/.630 with two home runs and 7 walks in 9 games at the Reds rookie complex. Collier looks advanced at the plate and to me resembles Jordan Walker coming out of the 2020 draft class. Collier could start the year at A- Daytona before pushing for a late-season call-up to A+ Dayton if things go well.

Brooks Lee, MIN

Coming out of Cal Poly, Brooks Lee has the best contact skills coming out of the college ranks. The switch-hitting Lee has hit wherever he has gone from the Cape Cod league to team USA. In the Cape Cod league, Lee slashed an astounding .405/.432/.667 with 6 home runs, 16 runs scored and 13 RBIs in 21 games played in 2021. He put the finishing touches on a fantastic collegiate career, slashing .357/.462/.664 with 15 HRs and 55 RBIs in 58 games played at Cal Poly in 2022.

The Twins took Lee 8th overall and sent the 22-year-old to rookie complex to make his pro debut. Lee finished the year rising three levels finishing in Double-A Wichita. Combined, Lee slashed .303/.388/.451 with 6 doubles, 4 home runs, and 15 RBIs in 31 games. Lee should start the season in Double-A Wichita before getting pushed to Triple-A St Paul, though with Lee’s track record of hitting, I would not be surprised to see him make his major league debut in 2023.

Zach Neto, LAA

Taken with the 13th overall pick by the Angels, Neto was a polished collegiate hitter with plus bat-to-ball skills and solid speed on the base paths that could rise quickly. In 53 games, Neto slashed .407/.514/.769 with 23 doubles, 15 home runs, and swiped 19 bases in 20 attempts at Campbell University in 2022. In all, Neto slashed .403/.500/.751 with 27 home runs and 31 stolen bases in 100 collegiate games at Campbell.

Neto didn’t stop hitting after getting into the Angels organization bypassing rookie ball altogether and going to A+Tri-City and finishing in Double-A Rocket City. Combined Neto slashed .299/.377/.476 with 9 doubles, 5 home runs, 27 RBI and 5 stolen bases in 37 games played. Neto is a quick riser in the Angels organization and after playing 30 of his 37 games at AA would not surprise me if he starts the season for the AAA Salt Lake Bees.

Gavin Cross, KCR

Several Hokies went in the 2022 draft but none higher than Gavin Cross going to the Kansas City Royals at 9th overall. Cross shows quick hands through the zone and barrels up the ball. He cut down on the swing and miss in his final year at Virginia Tech. In 57 games, Cross slashed .328/.411/.660 with 14 doubles, 8 triples, 17 home runs, and 70 runs scored, making the All-ACC first team in 2022. Once in the Royals farm system Cross continued to hit, slashing .312/.437/.633 with 7 doubles, 2 triples, 8 home runs, 25 RBI, and 4 stolen bases in 29 combined with rookie ball and A- Columbia. Gavin Cross could start the season in A+ Quad Cities and should be a quick riser if he continues to hit.

Dylan Lesko, SDP

Regarded as one of the best high school pitching prospects, Lesko was the first pitcher taken in the 2022 draft by the Padres at 15th overall. The 19-year-old right-hander features a fastball that tops out at 97 mph and can play up in the zone or have sinking movement down. His change-up might be the best in the draft and has good fade and tumble, grading out at a double plus pitch for Lesko.

The curveball has high RPMs making it a potential plus pitch with some refinement. Lesko went down with an elbow injury in early April which resulted in Tommy John surgery. Regardless the spot taken in the draft indicates that the Padres were undeterred. The question for Lesko will be if he will have above-average control of his pitches after TJ as some pitchers struggle with command post-procedure. Despite the injury, Lesko has a big upside as a 6’2” flame thrower with similarities to former Padre Mackenzie Gore.

Brock Porter, TEX

Standing at 6’4”, Brock Porter has a starter’s build and the stats and awards on the mantle to prove it. Brock knows how to pitch in the big games, winning the state title all three years at St. Mary’s Prep, Division II crowns in ‘19 & ‘21 and capping it off as Division I undefeated champion in 2022 among other individual awards. During the 2022 season, Brock Porter went 9-0 with three no-hitters, a 0.41 ERA, and 115 strikeouts in 58 innings pitched which earned him the Gatorade National Player of the Year award.

Porter went un-drafted in the first round and many saw him heading to Clemson for the 2023 season but the Rangers nabbed Porter in the fourth round with the 109th pick and were able to offer enough of a bonus to sign him away from his commitment to Clemson. The Rangers kept Porter off the mound after the draft to preserve the arm for the 2023 season, relegating him to bullpen sessions. Porter will more than likely get his debut in rookie ball or A- Down East, but as we have seen with Andrew Painter last season, a big year could come from an equally talented high school arm.

Deep League Targets

Justin Campbell RHP CLE #33

Coming out of Oklahoma State, Justin Campbell put together a solid junior year for the cowboys. The 6’7” Campbell is an intimidating bulldog on the mound, striking out 141 batters in 101.1 innings while posting a 3.82 ERA in 16 starts in 2022. The Guardians liked what they saw from Campbell and selected him 37th overall. Campbell features a four-seam fastball with high spin rates peaking at 97 mph, a plus curveball, and a change-up that, like the fastball, features high RPMs that induce weak contact and a ton of swing and miss out of the zone. During his final year at Oklahoma State, Campbell showed off his command and control, walking only 25 batters in 101.1 innings. Command/control pitchers with high spin rates and big strikeout upside are something the Guardians are known for. Campbell should be a target for dynasty managers with minor-league spots to spare.

Max Wagner 3B BAL #99

Winning the 2022 ACC player of the year was a great way to cap off a fantastic season for Max Wagner with Clemson. The power-hitting third baseman slashed .370/.496/.852 with 15 doubles, 27 home runs, and 76 RBIs for Clemson in 58 games. Wagner finished 4th in Division I for home runs, only five behind fellow draftee Ivan Melendez (Arizona Diamondbacks). The Orioles selected Wagner in the second round 42nd overall and pushed him through to A+ Aberdeen to finish the 2022 season. Wagner slashed .243/.353/.386 with 1 home run, 11 RBIs, and 2 stolen bases in 19 games combined between rookie ball, A- Delmarva, and A+ Aberdeen.  As an advanced collegiate power bat, Wagner should rise up the system quickly and I’m expecting him to start the season back in A+ Aberdeen before moving up to Double-A Bowie.

Brandon Birdsell RHP CHC #134

If you are looking for an arm with some upside late in your drafts check out Brandon Birdsell. Birdsell played for three different colleges from 2019-2022 with the final two years at Texas Tech. During his final season with the Red Raiders, Birdsell struck out 106 batters in 85 innings holding a 2.75 ERA in 15 starts. The 22-year-old right-hander features a plus fastball topping out at 99 mph and a plus slider that has sharp cutting action in the high 80s. His change-up is an average offering that Birdsell mixes in lightly in starts. As a college arm, Birdsell could move up the Cubs system quickly and if he wants to remain a starter the change-up will need to improve to become a backend starter.

Dominic Keegan 1B TBR #154

Vanderbilt has been known as a baseball factory with plenty of names gracing the major leagues. Dominic Keegan might not be a big name in this draft but the bat-to-ball skills are intriguing for the 4-year senior selected by the Rays in the 4th round. Keegan was an everyday player for Vanderbilt in 2021 and 2022 with his best season coming last year. Dominic slashed .371/.458/.646 with 14 home runs and 67 RBIs in 62 games played for the Commodores. With plus bat-to-ball skills and potential plus power for the former catcher and first basemen Keegan represents a polished bat for the Rays. His pro debut went well slashing .325/.413/.575 with 4 doubles, 2 home runs, and 11 RBIs in 12 games split between rookie ball and A- Charleston. Keegan should start the year in Charleston and should move up the ladder quickly.

Dynasty Rankings for Players from the 202 FYPD

For more great analysis check out the 2023 FantraxHQ Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit!