Blue Jays: Updated review of the 2022 MLB mock drafts

Roughly one month ago, I took a look at some of the early 2022 MLB mock drafts from across the league and the different players that were tied to the Blue Jays. A quick review:

• Keith Law (The Athletic): OF Chase DeLauter
• Jonathan Mayo (MLB.com): SS Jett Williams
• Jim Callis (MLB.com): OF Justin Crawford
• Ryan Miller (JustBaseball.com): RHP Andrew Dutkanych
• Joe Doyle (ProspectsLive.com): RHP Gabriel Hughes

Since that article came out on May 24th, journalists and analysts like Jonathan Mayo, Jim Callis, and Joe Doyle have updated their mock drafts while a few more journalists are joining the fray with the MLB Draft scheduled to start on July 17th.

The Blue Jays hold the 23rd pick in the upcoming draft with an assigned slot value of $3,075,300, with three more picks before the third round due to losing Marcus Semien and Robbie Ray after they rejected their qualifying offers.

Let’s take a look at the latest mock drafts and add in a few different takes from across the league.

Jett Williams – SS

Predicted by Jonathan Mayo at MLB.com

One of the only players on this list still connected to the Jays after the first article, Jonathan Mayo believes that shortstop Jett Williams and the Blue Jays are a lock at #23 once again this time around.

Currently ranked as the #26 prospect by MLB Pipeline, the righty-batter from Rockwall-Heath High School in Heath, Texas is one of the smaller prospects at 5’8″ but is gaining a lot of attention for his ability to put the barrel to the ball. Even with his size, Williams has a quick bat and generates some solid power with scouts believing he has the ability to hit double-digit home runs on a consistent basis.

His 60 speed and athleticism could keep him at shortstop for the long haul but it wouldn’t be surprising if any club that drafts him tries the arm out at various positions both on the infield and potentially in the outfield corners.

He does have a commitment to Mississippi State, so any team that drafts him will need to persuade him from heading to post-secondary. Ross Atkins and co. have drafted a high-school shortstop with their first pick before with Jordan Groshans back in 2018. With so many middle infielders in the system, do the Blue Jays head back to the middle infielder well if Williams is available?