Here is today’s roundup of top-39 (first round, supplemental round, Competitive Balance Round A) draft picks and some other notable selections who have signed their first pro contracts. For further reference, here is the full list of recommended slot prices, and you can click the links for full pre-draft rankings and scouting reports from Baseball America, Fangraphs, MLB Pipeline, The Athletic’s Keith Law, and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.
- The Guardians announced that all 21 members of their 2022 draft class have signed, including first-rounder Chase DeLauter. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported last week that DeLauter had agreed to sign, and MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis reports that DeLauter received $3.75MM, slightly below the $3,937,600 slot value of the 16th overall pick. McDaniel (31st) and Law (35th) were lower on DeLauter than the other pundits, who all had the James Madison outfielder in the 18-21 range. DeLauter has a lot of hitting potential and likely profiles as a right field down the road, but he missed most of the spring due to a broken foot.
- Oklahoma State right-hander Justin Campbell received a $1.7MM bonus from Cleveland, Callis reports, below the $2,101,800 slot price for the 37th overall pick. On the pundits’ boards, Campbell ranged from 27th (Baseball America) to 42nd (Fangraphs), with BA being particularly impressed by “one of the best changeups in this year’s draft,” as well as Campbell’s plus curveball.
- The Guardians also made a notable above-slot deal with their 10th-round selection, as right-hander Jacob Zibin received a $1.2MM bonus that Callis reports is the highest given to any tenth-rounder. The $1.2MM figure dwarfs the $152K slot price for the 301st overall pick, and it may have been necessary to pull Zibin away from his commitment to the University of Kentucky. The 17-year-old Zibin is a product of Florida’s TNXL Academy, and would have also been draft-eligible next year due to his age.
