The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Georgia prep outfielder Druw Jones with the second pick in Major League Baseball's 2022 amateur draft on Sunday night. The Baltimore Orioles had previously selected prep shortstop Jackson Holliday, the son of former big-league outfielder Matt Holliday, with the No. 1 slot.
Jones, the son of longtime big-league outfielder Andruw Jones, was ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the class by CBS Sports in June. Here's what we wrote at the time:
Jones, whose father Andruw is a borderline Hall of Famer, was in the running for the top spot entering the spring. He's since emerged as the industry's preferred choice. It's not hard to understand why. He's a good to great defender at a premium position who could finish his development arc with five plus or better tools, including both components of his bat. Indeed, he has the kind of projectable frame and handspeed that should allow him to add muscle and power as he matures. Jones might end up losing a little speed as a result, but he's believed to have the instincts and innate feel for the position that should enable his game to remain lush with secondary value. There's legitimate All-Star potential here, and he's worthy of the No. 1 pick, even if he ends up going No. 2 or No. 3 instead because of the Orioles' financial strategy.
Jones' high school, Wesleyan School, has previously produced one other big-league player: former Los Angeles Angels and Baltimore Orioles infielder Jahmai Jones.
This marks the second consecutive draft the Diamondbacks have chosen a highly-touted prep hitter with their first pick. Last summer, Arizona picked shortstop Jordan Lawlar with the No. 6 selection. That's a departure from 2020, when the Diamondbacks chose a college right-hander in Duke's Bryce Jarvis.
