2022 College Preseason All-Americans

Baseball America presents its 2022 Preseason All-America team, as voted on by the scouting departments of major league organizations.

This year’s team includes eight players who were selected to the 2021 All-America team, two of whom—Mississippi State’s Landon Sims and Air Force’s Paul Skenes—were first-teamers.

Baseball America annually polls major league teams to vote for its Preseason All-America team, asking that they make their selections based on performance, talent and professional potential. In the past, the Baseball America Preseason All-America team has been a predictor both of the first round of the draft and of team success.

Nine of the 14 college players drafted in the first round in 2021 were voted as Preseason All-Americans. In all, 20 of the 42 2021 Preseason All-Americans were drafted in the top 100 picks.

Louisiana State’s Jacob Berry is the lone unanimous first-team selection. He is one of four Tigers to be voted a Preseason All-American, leading all teams.

Arkansas’ Robert Moore is the only player to repeat as a Preseason All-American. Like this year, he was voted the second-team second baseman in 2021.

Baseball America received votes from 14 major league organizations.

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FIRST TEAM

Pos.	Name, School	AVG	OBP	SLG	AB	HR	RBI
C	Daniel Susac, Arizona	.335	.392	.591	242	12	65
1B	Jacob Berry, Louisiana State	.352	.439	.676	247	17	70
2B	Jace Jung, Texas Tech	.337	.462	.697	208	21	67
SS	Brooks Lee, Cal Poly	.342	.384	.626	222	10	57
3B	Peyton Graham, Oklahoma	.288	.400	.502	215	11	28
OF	Dylan Crews, Louisiana State	.362	.453	.663	246	18	42
OF	Gavin Cross, Virginia Tech	.345	.415	.621	203	11	35
OF	Chase DeLauter, James Madison	.386	.508	.723	101	6	21
UT	Zach Neto, Campbell	.405	.488	.746	173	12	58
Pos.	Name, School	W	L	ERA	IP	SO	SV
SP	Hunter Barco, Florida	10	3	4.01	83	94	0
SP	Landon Sims, Mississippi State	5	0	1.44	56.1	100	13
SP	Blade Tidwell, Tennessee	10	3	3.74	98.2	90	0
SP	Carson Whisenhunt, East Carolina	6	2	3.77	62	79	0
RP	Carson Palmquist, Miami	1	1	2.22	44.2	75	14
UT	Zach Neto, Campbell	4	0	3.43	21	16	0

Daniel Susac, C, Arizona

Susac was a freshman All-American after producing a gaudy 2021 season in which he hit .335/.392/.591 with 12 home runs and 24 doubles. That’s a good season for any hitter, let alone a catcher who also has plus arm strength behind the plate. The Pacific-12 Conference freshman of the year is the younger brother of former MLB catcher Andrew Susac, who starred at Oregon State a decade ago.

Jacob Berry, 1B, Louisiana State

Berry is one of the most fearsome hitters in the nation, which is to be expected for a first-team All-American at first base. While his defensive profile is limited, he can mash. During his freshman season in 2021, Berry homered 17 times and tacked on 19 doubles. He pairs a simple swing from both sides of the plate with excellent bat-to-ball skill and plenty of strength in a 6-foot, 212-pound frame.

Jace Jung, 2B, Texas Tech

The younger brother of Rangers 2019 first-rounder Josh Jung, Jace is coming off a monster Big 12 player of the year season. He hit 21 home runs while slashing .337/.462/.697. His range is limited at second base and he could eventually move to a corner, but that sort of power production from a college middle infielder is rare. The fact that he’s a lefthanded hitter won’t hurt either.

Brooks Lee, SS, Cal Poly

Lee was a highly regarded high school prospect out of California, lauded for his pure hitting ability and feel for the game as the son of Cal Poly head coach Larry Lee. Now at his father’s program, Lee has a chance to be the No. 1 pick in 2022. He’s been limited by hamstring injuries but has hit a blistering .344/.385/.629 with 10 home runs and 28 doubles. He ranked No. 1 for Team USA and on the Cape last summer.

Peyton Graham, 3B, Oklahoma

Graham has been a key starter in Oklahoma’s lineup since he stepped foot on campus, with a strong blend of on-base ability and developing power. He’s a career .305/.414/.528 hitter who homered 11 times last spring. His frame is extremely projectable and he is praised for his athleticism and plus throwing arm. He could have the tools and speed to offer defensive versatility after playing outfield and shortstop on the Cape.

Dylan Crews, OF, Louisiana State

Crews ranked as the No. 54 player in the 2020 draft class out of high school but withdrew from the draft just before it happened. That proved to be a smart decision. Crews was exceptional with the Tigers as a freshman, hitting .362/.453/.663 with 18 home runs, 16 doubles, 12 stolen bases and fantastic underlying hitting skills and exit velocities. He’s an early favorite to be the top overall prospect for the 2023 draft class.

Gavin Cross, OF, Virginia Tech

Cross had a breakout season with Virginia Tech in 2021, hitting .345/.415/.621 with 11 home runs and 13 doubles. The lefthanded hitter followed that up with a terrific stint over the summer and was the most reliable hitter with USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team. He profiles as a corner outfielder at the next level but has the plus power to profile there. His plus arm strength could fit nicely in right field.

Chase DeLauter, OF, James Madison

DeLauter was the helium prospect of the summer after a star turn in the Cape Cod League, where he hit .298/.397/.589 with nine home runs. DeLauter has a loud college tool set reminiscent of Garrett Mitchell or Kameron Misner, but with a better pure hit tool that should lead to more offensive production. Despite DeLauter’s large 6-foot-4, 235-pound frame, some scouts think he can play center field.

Hunter Barco , SP, Florida

A borderline first-round talent out of high school, Barco quickly stepped into a regular starting role with Florida and has posted a 3.52 ERA and 1.17 WHIP over 102.1 career college innings. He has deception from the left side with a low arm slot and a fastball that gets into the mid 90s at best. His sweeping slider is a standout pitch that he commands to both sides of the plate, and his changeup earns plus grades.

Landon Sims, SP, Mississippi State

The most explosive stuff in the 2022 draft class could belong to Sims, who has an overpowering fastball that has regularly sat in the mid 90s with impressive vertical movement and a flat approach angle. He also throws a mid-80s slider that earns plus grades. His stuff played well in relief in 2021—1.82 ERA, 16.0 strikeouts per nine innings out of the bullpen—but how it plays as a starter in 2022 is to be determined.

Blade Tidwell, SP, Tennessee

Tidwell has perhaps the best combination of physicality, present stuff and starting track record in the 2022 class. He was a projectable righthander out of high school who has come into an electric arsenal. He has touched 98 mph and has a swing-and-miss slider in the low-to-mid 80s, as well as an effective low-80s changeup and an infrequently used slower curveball.

Carson Whisenhunt, SP, East Carolina

In any given year there’s a “pitchability lefty” in the college class projected to go in the first round, and this year that’s Whisenhunt. He has solid stuff across the board with a fastball in the low 90s, a solid curveball and a high-usage changeup that is arguably the top offspeed pitch in the college class. He excels at pitch sequencing. Whisenhunt could also add weight to a 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame.

Carson Palmquist, RP, Miami

Palmquist has been a lights-out reliever for Miami during his first two seasons with the team, posting a 2.22 ERA over 44.2 innings with 75 strikeouts and just eight walks. His low-90s fastball and sweeping breaking ball both play up from a sidearm slot that offers deception and creates particularly uncomfortable at-bats for lefthanded hitters. He is projected to slide into a starting role for the Hurricanes during 2022.

Zach Neto, UT, Campbell

The 2021 Big South Player of the Year, Neto hit .405/.488/.746 with 12 home runs and also posted a 3.43 ERA on the mound in 21 innings—mostly out of the bullpen. His pro upside is higher as a hitter, and he backed that up by slashing .304/.439/.587 in the Cape Cod League last summer with a good blend of power and contact. Neto has solid defensive ability and arm strength in the middle infield.

SECOND TEAM

C–Kevin Parada, Georgia Tech
1B–Tre Morgan, Louisiana State
2B–Robert Moore, Arkansas
3B–Cade Doughty, Louisiana State
SS–Jordan Sprinkle, UC Santa Barbara
OF–Dylan Beavers, California
OF–Enrique Bradfield Jr., Vanderbilt
OF–Brock Jones, Stanford

SP–Cooper Hjerpe, Oregon State
SP–Bryce Hubbart, Florida State
SP–Victor Mederos, Oklahoma State
SP–Parker Messick, Florida State
RP–Nick Maldonado, Vanderbilt
UT–Caden Grice, Clemson

THIRD TEAM

C–Logan Tanner, Mississippi State
1B–Peyton Stovall, Arkansas
2B–Sean McLain, Arizona State
3B–Brock Wilken, Wake Forest
SS–Jacob Gonzalez, Mississippi
OF–Jordan Beck, Tennessee
OF–Jud Fabian, Florida
OF–Sterlin Thompson, Florida

SP–Jonathan Cannon, Georgia
SP–Max Rajcic, UCLA
SP–Drew Thorpe, Cal Poly
SP–Jaxon Wiggins, Arkansas
RP–Eric Adler, Wake Forest
UT–Paul Skenes, Air Force