DII Report: What to know about the DII baseball players selected in the 2022 MLB Draft
Seventeen players were selected. Is the next J.D. Martinez or Josiah Gray among them?
(Image credit: Yahoo Sports)
Welcome back to the DII Report. Yes, there was quite the hiatus, but with the 2022 MLB Draft in the books and the DII football season just about to begin, what better time to rev things back up?
This was a tough draft for DII baseball players. I spoke with several coaches prior to the draft and all agreed that the 20-round draft is a killer for these athletes. Pair that with the “COVID Seniors” being old for draft day, and there were a mere 17 former DII players selected.
We could bump it up to 18, as Texas Tech’s opening day starter Andrew Morris was also drafted by the Twins. Of course, Morris made his climb at Colorado Mesa and was one of three former Mavericks selected in the three-day draft. The Mavs were the only school to have multiple draft picks.
Of the players selected:
12 were pitchers
Eight were right-handed pitchers, four were southpaws
Five position players were drafted
Four were listed as a catcher or first baseman while one was a shortstop
Both the Chicago Cubs and Minnesota Twins drafted two DII players each.
Hopefully, we shall see a few players sign in the coming days, but for now…
The 17 DII players taken in the 2022 MLB Draft
Round 5, Minnesota Twins: Ben Ross, Notre Dame (OH), SS — Ross was the first DII player off the board in 2022. The Falcons shortstop is super toolsy, able to hit for average and power, has speed on the bases, and plays a solid shortstop. He hit .392 with a 1.99 OPS in 2022, adding 20 doubles, 14 home runs and 15 stolen bases.
Round 5, Milwaukee Brewers: Will Rudy, Cal Poly Pomona, RHP — How good was Rudy? He earned CCAA most valuable pitcher honors along with being a consensus first team all-West Region. He went 8-1 with a 3.10 ERA, striking out 96 in 87 innings last season in his first as a full-time member of the rotation.
Round 9, San Francisco Giants: Jack Choate, Assumption, LHP — Choate is big, listed at 6-foot-6 and 249 pounds. He uses that to blow hitters away, leading DII with a 16.25 strikeout-per-nine rate. In fact, that’s who Choate was, finishing his career striking out more than 15 per nine.
Round 10, Chicago Cubs: Brody McCullough, Wingate, RHP — McCullough is a national champion, winning the 2021 title as a member of the bullpen and rotation for the Bulldogs. He stepped into the role of ace this season going 9-1 with a 2.40 ERA and 110 strikeouts to just 24 walks in 63.2 innings pitched. He has constantly improved everything, from his 90s velocity to his four-pitch arsenal, throughout his career.
Round 10, St. Louis Cardinals: Tanner Jacobson, Queens (NC), RHP — The Cards have a DII alum anchoring their rotation in two-time All Star Miles Mikolas, so we know they know their way around DII. I had multiple coaches in the Southeast Region tell me how impressed they were with Queens’ pitching in its short existence as a program, and Jacobson was a big reason why. Jacobson was the first-ever Queens player to be drafted, striking out 79 in 61.2 innings pitched last year.
Round 13, Baltimore Orioles: Jared Beck, Saint Leo, LHP — Beck was featured in the DII Report fall reports as a transfer to watch from Illinois State. Well, you couldn’t miss him: He stands at 7-feet tall. His low 90s fastball does the trick but his curve is tricky as well. He struck out 105 in 68.1 innings in 2022.
Round 13, Seattle Mariners: Darren Bowen, UNC Pembroke, RHP — Bowen came out of the bullpen for the Braves, notching nine saves. The 6-foot-3 righty was a bit homer prone, but he still strikes out people in bunches, sitting down 84 in 54.2 innings of work.
Round 15, Chicago Cubs: Haydn McGeary, Colorado Mesa, C/DH — No surprise here. McGeary did commit to Kentucky, but after working out for the Cubs, they obviously liked what they saw. He was a two-time DII player of the year in multiple outlets and finished his four-year career hitting .448/.552/.930 with 75 home runs, 65 doubles and 243 RBI.
Round 16, Detroit Tigers: Quinn Gudaitis, Illinois Springfield, RHP — If you subscribe to the DII Report, you certainly know the name. Gudaitis was one of the pitchers to watch in my DII baseball fall report series as well as an impact transfer for 2022. The Prairie Stars made their first trip to Cary, N.C. — how’s that for an impact? He is a big strikeout guy, punching out 100 in 66.1 innings.
Round 16, Philadelphia Phillies: Josh Bortka, Central Missouri, RHP — Bortka has a nice frame, listed at 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds. Another Mule out of head coach Kyle Crookes stable, and is the sixth Mule to be drafted since he took over. Bortka was solid out of the bullpen, going 4-0 while holding opponents to a .188 average. He also is strong in the mustache game.
Round 17, New York Yankees: Hayden Merda, Azusa Pacific, RHP — The Yankees have drafted plenty of DII pitching in recent years and they went to the well once again. A draft eligible sophomore, the 6-foot-6 righty worked primarily in relief, piling up six saves and 70 strikeouts in 43.1 innings pitched.
Round 17, Chicago White Sox: Nick Altermatt, Minnesota State, RHP — Altermatt was a phenomenal two-way player for the Mavericks, leading one of the best pitching staffs in DII while holding his own at the plate. He led the team in hitting (.378) with a team-high 21 doubles and 11 home runs, all while going 10-1 with a 2.93 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. It sounds like he will be hitting the mound as a pro, but his athleticism should help him go far.
Round 17, Houston Astros: Garrett McGowan, Pittsburg State, 1B — McGowan swung a big bat, but also played gold-glove caliber defense at first for the Gorillas. He had a sensational 2022, hitting .399 with 18 home runs, striking out roughly 16% of the time while walking just about 10% of the time.
Round 18, Miami Marlins: Spencer Bramwell, Colorado Mesa, C — Under Chris Hanks, the Mavs have had their fair share of big bats and that made Bramwell a little bit under-the-radar. That is, until 2022. He left no doubt in his senior campaign, hitting .371 with 23 home runs and is a very good catcher defensively.
Round 18, Minnesota Twins: Zachary Veen, Point Loma, LHP — Veen is what you call a command artist. He struck out 52 hitters in his first 49 games of 2022… and didn’t walk one. He finished the season as a key bullpen piece for the national runners up, posting a 1.29 ERA, 0.51 WHIP and 59 strikeouts to just three walks in 49 innings.
Round 19, Oakland A’s: Tommy Stevenson, Missouri Southern, C — Stevenson earned plenty of hardware playing for the Lions. He began his career earning MIAA freshman of the year honors and was a two-time all-MIAA catcher. He is a complete athlete able to play corner infield and outfield spots as well. He finished the season hitting .385 with 11 doubles and 16 home runs.
Round 20, Boston Red Sox: Connor Butler, Biola, LHP — Like Veen, Butler is 6-foot and 180 pounds, so he’ll have to bulk up a bit at the next level. Butler pitched out of the bullpen, but the Sox must love his arsenal as he struck out 47 in 22 innings. He certainly had some command issues, but if he can harness his pitches it is an interesting pick.
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