The 2022 MLB draft kicked off Sunday night and 80 of the finest prep and college players in the country heard their names called.
Day 2 kicked off on Monday, July 18, at 2 p.m. with coverage of Rounds 3-10, and then Day 3 begins Tuesday at the same time for the final 10 rounds. Gators Wire will be tracking every Florida player drafted, including those who have only signed a letter of intent and have yet to play a game at Condron Family Ballpark.
Four Gators heard their names called on Sunday: incoming first baseman Xavier Isaac, outfielder Sterlin Thompson, left-handed pitcher Hunter Barco and outfielder Jud Fabian. All are expected to sign deals with the clubs that drafted them, but that might not be the case for those selected on Day 2 or 3.
Entering Day 2, Kevin O’Sullivan has produced 97 draft picks under his tutelage in Gainesville. He should hit 100 by the end of the draft.
Check back here throughout the draft to stay up to date with all of the moves that concern the orange and blue.
Round 1, Pick 29: 1B Xavier Isaac, East Forsyth High School
Surprisingly, the first player to come off the board that affected Florida was someone who has never played for them. The Tampa Bay Rays took Xavier Isaac with the 29th overall pick of the draft, and now Sully will be without what he thought was a hidden gem of a first baseman. Tampa likes Isaac’s upside as a power hitter but believes he can become a contact guy who spreads the ball all over the field in the majors.
As a senior at East Forsyth High School in Kernersville, North Carolina, Isaac hit .445/.579/1.296 with 12 home runs.
It would be a miracle to see Isaac land on campus but don’t expect the Rays to botch the deal.
Round 1, Pick 31: OF/IF Sterlin Thompson
AP Photo/Gary McCullough
Sterlin Thompson managed to sneak into the first round of the draft Sunday night as the 31st overall pick to the Colorado Rockies. His lefty bat has power and should play at the pro level, especially in Colorado where the air is thin even with a humidor in place. If all goes right, he should be hitting big flies over the right field wall at Coors Field in a few years.
Defensively, Thompson will likely end up in right field too. He split time between second base and right field with the Gators, but he really didn’t have a home in the field.
Expected to be the first Gator off the board, Thompson has no reason not to take this deal even though he’s…
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