2022 Bowman Baseball highlights some of the best young talent the sport has to offer.
As we await the release of Bowman Baseball scheduled to release on May 4th, we did the research for you on the top prospects to be looking out for!
Written by: Titus Bishop and Emil Cienek
Top MLB Prospects in 2022 Bowman Baseball
(Players below are listed in no particular order)
Matt McLain (SS – Reds)
After being drafted as a first-rounder out of high school in the 2018 Draft, McLain opted to play at UCLA and boosted his draft stock, now being taken by the Reds at 17th Overall. McLain is an extremely strong two-way player that is going to move through the minors quickly. His plate discipline and ability to hit for both average and power have Reds fans extremely excited.
Oscar Colas (OF – White Sox)
Originally dubbed the “Cuban Ohtani”, Colas has stopped pitching (despite being clocked as high as 95 MPH off the mound.) Instead, he’s honing his monster bat which the White Sox believe has 30+ HR upside in the bigs. Colas signed for $2.7MM as the fifth ranked international prospect this past year and lands in a perfect spot alongside fellow Cuban friends such as Luis Robert, Yoelqui Cespedes, and more.
Bryan Acuña (SS – Twins)
We’ve got a new baby Acuña! Bryan is the 16-year-old younger brother of Ronald Acuña Jr. and Luisangel. He profiles as an offensive-minded middle infielder with a beautiful swing and has some legitimate upside. Elijah Tatis (Fernando’s younger brother) is also in this product, so the little brother competition is on!
James Triantos (3B – Cubs)
Cubs fans will be very excited to see Triantos included as an auto-only chase in 2022 Bowman. A second round pick in 2021 out of high school, James impressed in a limited 2021 pro debut of 25 games in complex ball. He showcased a polished bat to go along with a huge arm that will keep him on the left side of the infield.
George Valera (OF – Guardians)
There’s nobody in this Bowman class that #TeamEmil is more excited about than his Guardians’ own George Valera. Their number 1 prospect is a smooth-swinging lefty that projects to have some serious power and end the Guardians’ outfield woes. Valera will start the 2022 season in AA and look to put together a full, healthy season as he continues his climb up the ranks.
Colson Montgomery (SS – White Sox)
A three-sport superstar in high school, the White Sox could not have been happier to land Montgomery towards the end of the first round. He showed flashes of greatness in his pro debut, leading him to the #1 spot in the White Sox top prospect list. Look for the 19-year old Montgomery to use his smooth lefty swing, pure athleticism and work ethic to develop quickly in the minors.
James Wood (OF – Padres)
James Wood struggled in his last high school season at IMG Academy; however the Padres saw the immense potential in him and signed him for double slot value of a normal second-round draft pick. Wood thanked the Padres by lighting it up in the Arizona Complex League, slashing .372/.465/.535 over 26 games. He continued that into the 2022 season, crushing two bombs in his Single A debut. Wood is fast, strong, and potentially has the highest ceiling out of any current Padres prospect.
Kahlil Watson (SS – Marlins)
The general consensus is Kahlil Watson was by far the biggest steal of the 2021 Draft. After being projected to be a top 5 pick in a sea of extremely talented HS Shortstops, he somehow fell to the Marlins at #16. They locked him up with a signing bonus of over $4.5MM – the largest they’ve ever paid for a high school position player. Watson has elite bat speed and is dangerous at the plate, with some minor tweaks, the Marlins believe he can be a true five-tool superstar.
Aeverson Arteaga (SS – Giants)
Luciano might still have all the hype in San Francisco as the shortstop of the future, but after an impressive 2021 season, it’s hard not to have Arteaga in the conversation. His defensive skills in the infield are almost a no-doubter, and if he can continue to have success hitting the ball like last year (.294/.367/.503 in rookie ball), he’ll continue to climb the ranks. Arteaga stated this season up a level in Single-A.
Jose Ramos (OF – Dodgers)
Jose Ramos literally came out of nowhere in Rookie Ball last year after signing in 2018 for only $30,000 – Two homers in his first game and a promotion to Single-A after only three weeks instantly put him on the map as one of the Dodgers top prospects. His defensive ability in the outfield is a huge plus, and if he can put together a similar season of success at the plate, he will shoot up the MLB Top Prospect list quickly.
Max Muncy (SS – Athletics)
In one of the weirdest stories of the Draft, nine years after drafting Max Muncy in the fifth round of the 2012 draft, the Athletics drafted Max Muncy 25th overall in the 2021 Draft. Don’t worry, you can easily tell them apart by looking at their birthdays: (8/25/1990 and 8/25/2002). The Athletics’ new Muncy carries a solid bat and is believed to have some serious upside on the defensive side.
Roberto Campos (OF – Tigers)
Detroit uncharacteristically went big in the 2019 International signing period, inking a then 16-year old Campos with a $2.85MM bonus. His big frame and raw power show immense upside – which he put to use by hitting a bomb in his first MLB Spring Training at-bat this year. Campos started out the season in Single-A as the Tigers look to develop and fine-tune him at the plate.
Trey Sweeney (SS – Yankees)
As if the Yankees needed any more potential star infielders, they stretched the projected Draft board a bit to grab Trey Sweeney, a Shortstop out of Eastern Illinois University. He showed instant promise in his pro debut last year after hitting 7 home runs with an OPS of .875 over 29 games. Look for Sweeney to eventually move to one of the corners, most likely third base where he can show off his athleticism and strong arm. He’s sure to put pressure on guys like Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe in the near future.
Elly De La Cruz (2B – Reds)
Elly raised his stock big time this spring by hitting a monster grand slam for the Reds in a televised Spring Training game. Signed in 2018 as in International Free Agent, he showed solid power and speed in his first full season stateside last year with 35 XBH and 10 SB in just 61 games. Standing at 6’4″, he has a ton of upside as a five-tool prospect and is expected to move through the Reds system quickly.
Curtis Mead (3B – Rays)
Mead was one of Rays Organization’s best hitters in 2021 progressing all the way from Single-A to Triple-A. He has showcased power and speed at every step of the way while still hitting for average. He capped off the stellar season with a very successful Arizona Fall League campaign. If he continues to hit in 2022, the Rays will need to find a way to get his bat in the lineup whether he stays in the infield or shifts to a corner outfield position.
Joshua Baez (OF – Cardinals)
A second round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, Baez was touted as a free-swinging prep hitter with tons of pop. While he struggled in a limited debut post draft, the upside for the 6’4″ outfielder is immense. Capable of nearly triple digit velocity on the mound, his arm is an absolute weapon in the outfield.
Estiven Machado (SS – Blue Jays)
The 19-year-old Machado is a little bit of a mystery heading into 2022, as he literally is batting 1.000 for his career (1-1). He singled in his rookie ball debut before a hamstring injury ended his season. Don’t expect to see a lot of power in his game, but the hit tool looks like it will play. Already an advanced defender, Estiven will be one to keep an eye on throughout the season as he gets his first full season of reps.
Dustin Harris (OF – Rangers)
An 11th round pick in 2019, Harris broke out tremendously in 2021 batting .327 with 20 bombs and 25 stolen bases. With those numbers, he joined an exclusive list of just sixteen players in all of the minors to put up a 20-20 stat line. He will start this year in AA and attempt to build on the incredible season where he looked like an elite hitter.
Formats include Hobby boxes with one autograph and Jumbo HTA boxes with three autographs.
Estimated Release Date: May 4, 2022
Hobby Configuration: 10 cards per pack, 24 packs per box, 12 boxes per case
Jumbo Configuration: 32 cards per pack, 12 packs per box, 8 boxes per case
2022 Bowman Baseball Hobby Box Break
- 1 Autograph
2022 Bowman Baseball HTA Jumbo Hobby Box Break
- 3 Autographs
2022 Bowman Baseball is scheduled to release on May 4th.
Stop back here soon to get your box of 22′ Bowman Baseball!