While the 2022 MLB Draft is still a long way away, teams are still making plans for those picks. Scouts and regional checkers will be crisscrossing the country, eyeing those players that the teams feel could realistically fall to their selection. The Oakland A’s are certainly not any different, especially as their success has so often depended on their farm system.
Once Sunday’s games came to an end, the A’s learned where they will be drafting. They have the 19th overall selection in the first round, their pick moved back one spot as the Mets received the 11th pick for their inability to sign Kumar Rocker.
Oakland A’s land 19th overall selection in first round
Nominally, the expectation is that the top draft prospects will be off the board by this time. At least, that will be the case based on the pre-draft rankings. Players may fall due to injury concerns or signability issues, but for the most part, those top players will be long gone.
That does not mean that the A’s will be unable to land a top prospect. Tyler Soderstrom was the 26th overall selection in the 2020 MLB Draft, but has emerged as one of the top catching prospects in the game. How often do players selected in the latter rounds emerge as All Stars?
In the end, it is a matter of trusting those scouts and finding the right fits. The A’s have done that for years, building a strong core from within and using their farm system to add those needed pieces. Chances are, they will be able to do so again with the 19th overall selection, regardless of what the rankings may say.
The Oakland A’s will have the 19th selection in the 2022 MLB Draft. Chances are, they will find another excellent piece for their future.