Blue Jays: An overview of the early 2022 first-round mock drafts

After finishing with a 91-71 record last year, the Toronto Blue Jays will be selecting 23rd overall at the 2022 MLB Draft, currently scheduled to start on Sunday, July 17th. With Robbie Ray and Marcus Semien both rejecting qualifying offers this past offseason, the Jays have four picks before round three rolls around (#23, #60, #77, #78).

This gives the club a good chance to restock the prospect cupboard, especially with the graduation of Alek Manoah and Alejandro Kirk from the prospect list last year and with top prospects, Simeon Woods-Richardson, Austin Martin, Gunnar Hoglund, Kevin Smith, and Riley Adams traded away over the past two seasons.

That being said, with high school and college programs underway, numerous sites and individuals from across the league are starting to create their mock drafts for the first round. Let’s take a look at who some predict the Blue Jays will take with their #23 overall pick. For this article, I will use the writer’s most recent mock draft at the time of this writing.

Chase DeLauter – OF

Predicted via Keith Law at The Athletic 

Currently ranked at #12 in regards to top prospects for the upcoming 2022 MLB Draft, Keith Law at The Athletic is predicting Chase DeLauter will be on the board for the Blue Jays and the club will use pick #23 to add the James Madison University outfield product.

In his third year with the Dukes, DeLauter finished the season with a .437/.576/.828 slash line through 24 games. The lefty-batter owned a 1.404 OPS and was on track to take home some personal hardware until a broken foot in early April ended his season early. While his season was cut short, DeLauter also impressed in the Cape Cod League last summer, earning a .986 OPS through 124 at-bats while adding nine home runs and 21 RBI for the Orleans Firebirds. Overall, he finishes his time at JMU with a .402 batting average and 15 home runs through 66 career games.

A power bat who can hit to any area of the field, many see DeLauter transitioning to a corner outfield position due to his size but does boast a 55-run score, so it will be interesting to see if the Blue Jays decide to keep him in center field moving forward if they pick him at #23. He did spend some time in right with Orleans but primarily played centre for the Dukes with a few left-field outings mixed in.

He also took the mound ten times through his three years at James Madison, earning a 5.64 ERA through 22.1 innings. I would imagine he will be drafted as a position player but having a player who can do both isn’t bad to have in the back pocket if needed.

Jett Williams – SS

Predicted via Jonathan Mayo at MLB.com

A product of Rockwall-Heath High School, Jett Williams is currently ranked #25 on MLB.com prospect rankings heading into the 2022 MLB Draft. Jonathan Mayo over at MLB.com believes the Blue Jays will use their #23 pick on Williams if he is available, with the Jays potentially selecting a high-school player with their first pick since taking Jordan Groshans in the first round back in 2018.

On the smaller side at 5’8″, Williams has very quick bat speed which adds some pop to the ball and uses his plus speed to get on base and steal on occasion (6.47 seconds on the 60-yard dash). He apparently did not get overpowered during summer league pitching and used his bat speed to hit the ball across the field with no swing or miss to his game. Regarded as a shortstop, Williams does have experience in the outfield but scouts do predict he may be able to stick it out at shortstop with his speed and athleticism. In 2021, he slashed .347/.514/.723 with nine triples, five home runs, and 37 RBI.

Williams is currently committed to Mississippi State, something any team who plans on drafting the Texas product and righty batter will have to consider, especially since the Jays have four picks within the first two rounds (and will need some spending money).

Justin Crawford – OF

Predicted via Jim Callis via MLB.com

Outfielder Justin Crawford is currently ranked at #37 on the top prospects draft board and many think he could find himself off the board before the Blue Jays step up to the podium. Jim Callis at MLB.com does currently predict that he will be available when the Jays are on the clock at #23 and they will take the opportunity to add the Bishop Gorman product (the same school as Joey Gallo).

Son of former big-leaguer Carl Crawford, Justin is quick on his feet as well, sporting a 6.11 time through the 60-yard dash. The lefty-batter hits the ball across the diamond and does have some pop in the bat, evident by his five home runs as a senior.

Through 42 games, he finished with a .503 batting average and added 17 doubles and eight triples while also stealing 20 bases. He led numerous offensive categories on the Gaels squad, such as slugging (.816) and RBI (52), and impressed many scouts on the summer circuit that saw him shoot up the draft board this season.

Crawford currently plays centre field and many believe his size and speed will allow him to keep the position moving forward without moving to one of the corners. He currently has a commitment to Louisiana State University, so any interested team will have to pry him away from heading to post-secondary.

Gabriel Hughes – RHP

Predicted by Joe Doyle at ProspectsLive.com

Currently pitching at Gonzaga, right-hander Gabriel Hughes sits at #19 on the MLB.com prospect rankings for the 2022 MLB Draft and Joe Doyle at ProspectsLive.com believes the Blue Jays will add the collegiate pitcher with their first-round selection.

Gonzaga recently clinched the West Coast Conference regular-season title and Hughes had a big hand in that, as the Sophmore compiled a 2.62 ERA through 13 starts while leading the team in innings pitched (86.0), strikeouts (124), and WHIP (1.07) as well as amassing an impressive 13.0 K/9.

Standing at 6’4″, Hughes possesses a fastball in the mid-90s while also mixing in a slider, curveball, and a changeup for some swing and miss to his game. His delivery is clean and repeatable towards home and he is not afraid to attack hitters across the plate, using each pitch effectively and earning a 55 overall with the Bulldogs.

He could be off the board before the Blue Jays step up to make their selection but if the front office is looking to restock the pitching depth, a college-level arm with some experience like Hughes is a great place to start if available.