Arizona Diamondbacks: Recapping 2022’s first-day draft picks

Unlike the drafts that occur in other major sports, the MLB draft takes years to flesh out and see how a team’s picks (like the Arizona Diamondbacks) actually stack up. That fact doesn’t keep us from putting our own grade on an organization’s overall draft selections.

According to MLB.com, the Arizona Diamondbacks came into the 2022 season with the 4th best overall farm system in the league which is up from 9th place, where they were the past year and a half.

There are no guarantees that draft picks will pan out, but the first three players that the Arizona Diamondbacks were able to add to their talent pool are quite impressive and should push their farm system grade even higher.

Druw Jones – Wesleyan HS (GA) – OF – R/R – 6-foot-4, 180 pounds

Ranked by many analysts as the best overall player in the entire draft, Arizona was able to nab Jones with the No. 2 selection. The high ceiling, high floor outfielder is the son of Andruw Jones who had 10 Gold Gloves and five All-Star selections during his career that spanned 17 seasons. Selecting high schoolers and projecting where they will end up can be a difficult endeavor, but when the athlete comes with such a decorated pedigree it can make the task much simpler. Jones is a true five tool player and as he continues to fill into his 6-foot-4 frame, he will be able to expand upon his already evident raw power.

Landon Sims – Mississippi State – P – R/R – 6-foot-2, 227 pounds

Sims helped lead his Mississippi State Bulldogs to the national championship in 2021. That year he was a force out of the back of the pen, many times going multiple innings. During that 2021 campaign, Sims pitched 56.1 innings, struck out 100, walked only 15, and had an impressive 1.44 ERA. This year Sims was moved to a starter role where he was dominating early, before a season ending elbow injury forced the hurler to undergo Tommy John surgery. Obviously, his recovery and health are the huge question mark with this selection. One thing is for sure though, if Sims is able to fully recover and come back healthy, the Diamondbacks have a real Bulldog of a pitcher that will either end up starting or end up locking down games for the big-league club in the not-so-distant future.

Ivan Melendez – Texas – 1B – R/R – 6-foot-3, 225 pounds

It’s not very often that a team gets to select the Golden Spikes Award winner (top amateur player of the year) with the No. 43 selection, but that is exactly what Arizona was able to do this year. Melendez, known as the Hispanic Titanic, won just about every major college baseball award that he could this year. After a solid season at designated hitter for a strong Texas Longhorn team in 2021, Melendez was drafted in the 16th round by the Miami Marlins. Then Longhorn assistant coach Troy Tulowitzki encouraged Melendez to return to Austin for the 2022 season. That decision paid off huge for the big first baseman. Not only was he able to showcase his defensive skills in 2022, but he put up some unworldly offensive numbers. In 67 games, Melendez had a record 32 HR, 94 RBI, and a batting average of .387. For a big power hitter, he has outstanding plate discipline and can hit to all fields, which should allow him to move through the minors at a quick pace.

For a team that is entering the All-Star break at 40-52 and 21 games back in the division, the first day of the 2022 MLB Draft was an exciting time to be an Arizona Diamondback fan. Time will only tell if these three selections will have a great impact on the organization, but looking at their picks right now, it appears that they truly won the day. It is not outlandish to dream of a time in the near future, where all three of these players are a part of something big in the Arizona desert.