We weren’t lying in February when we said the incoming freshman class was stacked. How stacked? So stacked that Jacob Gonzalez, the Ole Miss SS who slashed .355/.443/.561 while playing outstanding defense this season, wasn’t on either Preseason Freshman All-America team.
As we explained almost five months ago, the shortening of the 2020 MLB draft to just five rounds due to COVID-19 drove many talented high school seniors to campus and the immediate result was a true freshman class that made an immediate and significant contribution. The longer-term result should be 2022 and 2023 drafts that, from a college perspective at least, could be historically good.
Like the All-America Prospect Teams we put out earlier in the week, selection to both squads is more contingent on a player’s long-term potential and how he projects as a pro prospect than on merely statistical performance. Thus, some of the players on these teams—particularly pitchers—may not have the eye-popping stats one would expect from standard All-Americans, but rest assured their talent level is commensurate.
1st Team
Catcher
Kevin Parada (2022 draft eligible), RHH, Georgia Tech—Parada would have easily been a 2nd round pick last June but instead ended up in Atlanta, where he looks to add to the rich tradition set by former Yellow Jacket backstops Jason Varitek, Matt Wieters, and Joey Bart. He flirted with .400 for most of this season and will likely be a top-10 pick next year as a draft-eligible sophomore.
First Base
Caden Grice, LHH, Clemson—The 6-06/235 Grice has by far the most usable power in this class, though his 33 percent K-rate will have to improve.
Second Base
Colby Halter (2022 draft eligible), LHH, Florida—Halter’s smooth left-handed swing and ability to work counts will make him a fixture in the top third of the Gators’ 2022 lineup.
Shortstop
Jacob Gonzalez, LHH, Ole Miss—Gonzalez won the Rebels’ starting SS job in Fall Ball and never looked back. The California native is the complete package—his 1.004 OPS is indicative of his excellent plate discipline and power to all fields, while he’s a silky smooth fielder who’ll have no problem staying at the six.
Third Base
Brock Wilken, RHH, Wake Forest—Wilken is a physical third baseman in the Troy Glaus mold. He offers light tower power, an excellent eye, and a cannon for an arm.
Outfield
Cayden Wallace (2022 draft eligible), RHH, Arkansas—As a true freshman, Wallace was one of the primary power sources for the Arkansas juggernaut and hit .331 in SEC play. He also did an admirable job in RF, yet should move back to his natural 3B next year.
Enrique Bradfield Jr., LHH, Vanderbilt—46 for 52 in steals. A .467 OBP. Highlight after highlight in CF. Let the Kenny Lofton comps begin.
Dylan Crews, RHH, LSU—Crews went off this season to the tune of a .362/.453/.663 slashline and established himself as the most potent bat in the class.
Designated Hitter
Jacob Berry (2022 draft eligible), SH, Arizona—Yet another stud who will be permitted to enter next year’s draft, Berry’s profile will skyrocket next season if he demonstrates the ability play 3B full time. This spring, he anchored the Wildcats’ lineup with some .352/.439/.676 music.
Starting Pitching
Blade Tidwell (2022 draft eligible), RHP, Tennessee—Tidwell was a weekend starter as a freshman with an ERA comfortably below 4.00 on an Omaha-bound SEC team. Enough said.
Tanner Witt, RHP, Texas—If there’s one pitcher from this list who’ll be a top-5 pick in 2023, our money is on Witt. Not only does he have a vast, metric-friendly repertoire, but his size, projectability, and command all point to a hurler well equipped for big league success.
Christian Little, RHP, Vanderbilt—Little forewent his senior year of high school and instead matriculated at Vandy, where, at just 17, he eventually earned a mid-week assignment then started an elimination game in Omaha. Though his numbers this season were pedestrian, the sky’s the limit for this kid.
Victor Mederos (2022 draft eligible), RHP, Miami (FL)—Yet another freshman whose stats this year are not an accurate depiction of his talent. Mederos held his own in the gauntlet that’s the ACC and is still on track to be a first round selection next year.
Ryan Hagenow, RHP, Kentucky—In limited action, Hagenow exhibited great feel for both his lethal slider and filthy changeup. At 6-05/200 he also has plenty of projection left.
2nd Team
Catcher
Daniel Susac (2022 draft eligible), SH, Arizona—Susac’s power bat and howitzer arm will make an excellent consolation prize for the team that does not land Parada…..unless, of course, Susac passes up the Georgia Tech backstop over the next 12 months.
First Base
Jack Moss, LHH, Arizona State—A towering lefty power hitter, Moss also has strong plate discipline and plays a solid 1B.
Second Base
Alex Freeland, SH, Central Florida—The writing was on the wall when Freeland almost hit .400 last summer with a 18/10 BB/K ratio in the Florida Collegiate Summer League. Freeland can hit for average and power from both sides of the plate; however, a full-time move from SS to 2B will likely occur after he enters the pro ranks.
Shortstop
Yohandy Morales, RHH, Miami (FL)—Morales’ size (6-04/195) will likely eventually push him to the hot corner full time, but his bat will allow him to play anywhere.
Third Base
Drew Bowser, RHH, Stanford—Bowser made a seamless transition from SS to 3B after his arrival in Palo Alto and emerged as a middle-of-the-order force for the Cardinal.
Outfield
Jace Bohrofen, LHH, Oklahoma—Bohrofen was steadily climbing on draft boards as a HS senior when the pandemic hit, and he ended up at Oklahoma as a result. By midseason, his powerful bat and strong RF defense earned him a place in the Sooners’ lineup, and he should be a fixture in Norman for the next two years.
Jack Hurley, LHH, Virginia Tech—Hurley served as the table-setter for one of the ACC’s best offenses until it faded towards the end of the spring. He works counts, peppers all fields with line drives, and offers plenty of range in CF.
Kyle Teel, LHH, Virginia—By the end of the season, Teel was the go-to guy and best hitter for the CWS-bound Cavaliers. While he played a decent RF in 2021, he’s expected to log more time behind the plate in 2022-23.
Designated Hitter
Ethan Long (2022 draft eligible), RHH, Arizona State—Long, a powerfully built right-handed slugger, did one heck of a Spencer Torkelson imitation, leading the Sun Devils in homers, total bases, and SLG as a true freshman.
Starting Pitching
Will Sanders, RHP, South Carolina—A long, lanky right-hander with a high three-quarters motion, Sanders has evoked comparisons with 188-game winner John Lackey.
Carson Montgomery, RHP, Florida State—Despite not living up to the hype he created for himself in Fall Ball, Montgomery still exhibited a stacked arsenal and gave Seminole fans plenty of reason to be excited about the next couple of seasons.
Jaxon Wiggins, RHP, Arkansas—Wiggins provided Coach Van Horn with some high-leverage innings out of the pen then received valuable starting experience later in the season. Wiggins’ explosive heater and fading changeup were a main reason why the youngster was able to strike out 10 batters in his first 4.2 innings this spring.
Ty Floyd, RHP, LSU—With Landon Marceaux and Jaden Hill headed to the pros, Floyd and his 14.4 K/9 are all but assured a weekend starting role next spring.
Alejandro Rosario, RHP, Miami (FL)—Though Rosario took his lumps this season, his stuff remained electric and he kept the ball in the park. He’ll once again be a weekend starter for Miami in 2022.
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