After several recent futility-filled seasons, the Baltimore Orioles’ future is looking a bit brighter.
Losing 110 games a year ago earned them the right to pick first overall in the 2022 MLB draft, a selection they used Sunday on prep shortstop Jackson Holliday of Stillwater, Oklahoma.
The son of seven-time MLB All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday was named Oklahoma prep player of the year in 2022, breaking J.T. Realmuto’s national high school record for most hits in a season with 89 in just 41 games, while batting .685/.749/1.392 with 17 home runs.
With at least 100 losses in each of the past three full MLB seasons, the Orioles are familiar with picking high in the first round. But with 2019’s No. 1 overall pick Adley Rutschman making his MLB debut this season, the O’s seem to have turned a corner – recently putting together a 10-game winning streak that elevated them above .500 for the first time this late in the season since 2017.
MORE:Futures Game showcases baseball’s young talent. Why doesn’t MLB want anyone to see it?
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2022 MLB draft: First round
1. Baltimore Orioles: SS Jackson Holliday, Stillwater (Okla.) H.S.
2. Arizona Diamondbacks: OF Druw Jones, Wesleyan School (Norcross, Ga.)
3. Texas Rangers: P Kumar Rocker, Vanderbilt (sat out last season)
4. Pittsburgh Pirates: SS Termarr Johnson, Mays (Ga.) H.S.
5. Washington Nationals: OF Elijah Green, IMG Academy (Fla.)
6. Miami Marlins: 3B Jacob Berry, LSU
7. Chicago Cubs: P Cade Horton, Oklahoma
8. Minnesota Twins: SS Brooks Lee, Cal Poly
9. Kansas City Royals: OF Gavin Cross, Virginia Tech
10. Colorado Rockies: P Gabriel Hughes, Gonzaga
11. New York Mets (for unsigned 2021 pick Kumar Rocker): C Kevin Parada, Georgia Tech
12. Detroit Tigers: 2B Jace Jung, Texas Tech
13. Los Angeles Angels: SS Zach Neto, Campbell
14. New York Mets: SS Jett Williams, Rockwall-Heath (Texas) H.S.
15. San Diego Padres: P Dylan Lesko, Buford (Ga.) H.S.
16. Cleveland Guardians: OF Chase DeLauter, James Madison
17. Philadelphia Phillies: OF Justin Crawford, Bishop Gorman (Nevada) H.S.
18. Cincinnati Reds: 3B Cam Collier, Chipola College (Fla.)
19. Oakland A’s: C Daniel Susac, Arizona
20. Atlanta Braves:
21. Seattle Mariners:
22. St. Louis Cardinals:
23. Toronto Blue Jays:
24. Boston Red Sox:
25. New York Yankees:
26. Chicago White Sox:
27. Milwaukee Brewers:
28. Houston Astros:
29. Tampa Bay Rays:
30. San Francisco Giants:
31. Colorado Rockies (for losing free agent Trevor Story):
32. Cincinnati Reds (for losing free agent Nick Castellanos):
33. Baltimore Orioles:
34. Arizona Diamondbacks:
35. Atlanta Braves (acquired from Kansas City for Drew Waters):
36. Pittsburgh Pirates:
37. Cleveland Guardians:
38. Colorado Rockies:
39. San Diego Padres:
40. Los Angeles Dodgers (down from 30 due to exceeding luxury tax):
