The Chicago Cubs will have the seventh overall pick when the 2022 MLB Draft gets underway on Sunday. This year, the Cubs have their best draft position since 2014, when they drafted Kyle Schwarber fourth overall.
Chicago has tried to rebuild its farm system over the last several seasons, and the Cubs could possibly have 6-8 Top 100 prospects by the end of this year. There is an excellent group of prospects at the beginning of the 2022 MLB draft, and the Cubs could be in a position to add another Top 100 prospect if they make a good selection. Here is a look at a few of their options with the seventh overall pick.
Termarr Johnson, 2B
Druw Jones, Jackson Holliday, Kevin Parada, and possibly Elijah Green will likely be drafted before the seventh overall pick. Johnson, often included in the discussion for the first overall pick, could be the one most likely to still be an option for the Cubs with the seventh overall pick.
Johnson has the best hit tool in the draft, and potentially one of the best in recent memory. He has been an excellent hitter at the high school level, and his swing and contact quality are the reasons he could be one of the first picks in the 2022 MLB Draft.
There are questions about where Johnson will play defense long-term, but it is likely he will end up at second base. There has been a greater emphasis placed on offense at the position in the last few years, and Johnson will provide that, but he is unlikely to ever be an elite defensive player.
Johnson is one of the most exciting hitters in the draft, and the possibility that the Cubs could select him is exciting. However, every team ahead of the Cubs considers Johnson as an option, and he may be drafted before the seventh overall pick and potentially even first overall.
Cam Collier, 3B
Collier was considered the Cubs’ most likely choice for several months and most mock drafts projected him as the team’s selection. However, the Pirates have shown interest in selecting Collier fourth overall, and the Cubs were and are still considering other players.
Collier chose to attend Chipola College last year so he could enter the 2022 MLB Draft. He had a .333/.419/.537 slash line last season with eight home runs and 12 doubles despite only being 17 years old.
He is playing in the Cape Cod League this summer before the draft, and in nine games he is batting .217 with no extra-base hits. However, his performance during the college season has probably guaranteed that he will be a Top 10 pick.
In the future, Collier will likely play third base, but he could also play first base or in the outfield. In 10 years, Collier could end up being the best player in this draft.
Brooks Lee, SS
A switch-hitter, Lee was excellent last season at Cal Poly. Lee is unlikely to remain a shortstop professionally, and as he gets older he may move to third base.
Lee is an excellent hitter, with reliable contact and a good swing already. He already has a solid foundation to work with, and his skillset should transfer over to the professional level and allow him to have early success.
The main question with Lee may be his upside. If he does move to third base, or elsewhere in the infield, he may need to add more power to his game. While there are still areas to work on for Lee, he will almost certainly be a Top 10 pick due to the improvements and performance he has shown already.
Other Potential Selections
Jones, Green, Holliday, Parada, and Green will all likely be selected before the seventh pick. However, if any of them are available for the Cubs they will be an option for the team.
LSU outfielder Jacob Berry could also be a potential option for the Cubs, and his offense has been excellent over his last several seasons in college. There are concerns about where he will play defense long-term, and he might end up being a designated hitter, but his offensive skills are so good that he will likely be a good MLB player.
Jace Jung, whose older brother Josh was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the first round in 2018, is another player the Cubs could select. Jung had a 1.093 OPS for Texas Tech last season with 14 home runs and 18 doubles in 61 games.
Gavin Cross, Daniel Susac, and Zach Neto are other players the Cubs could select with the seventh pick. No matter who the Cubs select on Sunday, they are extremely well positioned in this year’s draft, with the opportunity to add another excellent prospect to an already improving farm system.
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