Which future Arkansas baseball players could be selected in 2022 MLB Draft?
The 2022 MLB Draft is almost here, and while Arkansas baseball will have plenty of current players selected, the Razorbacks will also see incoming talent drafted when the event begins Sunday.
Arkansas has 17 high school players in its 2022 recruiting class, plus another 15 coming from junior college and the NCAA transfer portal. A handful of those newcomers could be selected in the MLB draft and sign professional deals rather than come to campus.
Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said last week that the timing of this year's MLB draft is hard on college programs. Teams won't know who will be on campus until early August, just before the semester begins.
"(MLB owners) think it’s cool to have the draft during the All-Star Game," Van Horn said. "Have the draft (earlier), let us get to work, get our rosters right, treat the kids right, give the ones that are not going to be able to come in more time to find a place to play."
Van Horn and his staff will have to wait and see which incoming Razorbacks are selected in the draft. Here's who might end up in the minor leagues instead of Baum-Walker Stadium.
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Jayson Jones
Third baseman
Jones is the top-ranked recruit in Arkansas' 2022 class, coming it at No. 35 in Perfect Game's rankings. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound infielder out of Savannah, Texas, is known for power hitting. He won the home run derby at the Baseball Factory All-America Game in September and impressed at the MLB Draft Combine with four 400-plus-foot bombs. MLB.com ranks him the No. 152 prospect in the draft.
Mason Neville
Outfielder
The 6-3, 190-pound lefty out of Las Vegas is one of Arkansas' top high school commitments. MLB.com ranks Neville the No. 102 prospect in the draft, and analysts compare him to a young version of Dodgers star Cody Bellinger. He's been a pitcher, too, with a fastball in the upper 80s to low 90s.
Cole Phillips
Right-handed pitcher
As MLB.com's 62nd-ranked prospect in the draft, Phillips could be selected in one of the first two rounds. He had Tommy John surgery in April, but scouts have been impressed enough that his stock hasn't fallen much. The 6-3, 200-pound prospect from Boerne, Texas, reached triple-digit velocity on his fastball this season.
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Jordan Sprinkle
Shortstop
Sprinkle committed to transfer from California-Santa Barbara to Arkansas in July. At 5-11 and 180 pounds, Sprinkle is slightly undersized. But a breakout season in 2021 in which he was named Co-Big West Freshman of the Year, a third-team All-American and a USA Baseball Collegiate National Team selection. His offense slowed some in 2022, when he slashed .285/.381/.416. Sprinkle is the No. 140 prospect in this year’s draft per MLB.com.
Christina Long covers the Arkansas Razorbacks. You can email her at clong@swtimes.com or follow her on Twitter @christinalong00.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Which future Arkansas baseball players could be picked in MLB Draft?
