You know you’re beginning to get old when the stars you watched growing up have sons set to make a splash at the professional level. This year’s MLB Draft class has quite a few familiar names, and you should get to know them as they could wind up being better than their fathers. Druw Jones, OF Wesleyan (Ga.) HS
This connection is easy to guess as Druw Jones is the son of five-time All-Star and ten-time Gold Glove winner Andruw Jones. Druw possesses all the tools his father did and is the consensus No.1 player in this year’s draft. He is a true five-tool talent whose high school coach called his mental makeup his sixth tool, given his ability to play under all the pressure around him this past season.
The numbers don’t lie. Jones hit .570 with 13 homers and 1.702 OPS. His raw power from the right side of the plate has proven against elite high school pitching. On top of his skills at the plate, Jones is also regarded as one of the best defensive centerfielders in the draft class. He should be the first name called on Sunday.
Jackson Holliday, SS Stillwater (Okla.) HSAmidst chants of ?overrated?, CF Druw Jones gets a hold of 92 up and goes out to the deepest part of the park. pic.twitter.com/tREKGVWxGX
— Will Hoefer (@whoeferbaseball) March 2, 2022
Like Druw Jones, this name should be familiar as Jackson is the son of seven-time All-Star, 2011 World Series Champion, and four-time silver slugger winner Matt Holliday. Jackson made significant strides in his senior season. He got bigger and stronger over the offseason, and it showed in every facet of his game.
He displayed much more power, ran faster, and threw harder across the diamond than ever. Holliday was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Oklahoma, breaking J.T. Realmuto’s record for hits in a season with 89 in 41 games. That incredible rate led to him hitting .685 with a 1.392 OPS. Jackson is the consensus No.2 overall player in this draft and should not get past the Diamondbacks at two on Sunday.
Justin Crawford, OF Bishop Gorman (NV) HSPrep shortstop Jackson Holliday moved up 22 spots in our latest top 200 prospects update for the 2022 MLB Draft ?https://t.co/pebBmfi1Rr pic.twitter.com/6wCHTlNQRl
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) March 24, 2022
The son of four-time All-Star and legendary speedster Carl Crawford is also a top prospect in this year’s draft. Justin proves that the MLB pedigree is indeed genetic. He has elite speed like his father, which allows him to steal bags and cover a ton of ground in the outfield. The outfielder also profiles like his father at the plate, using his lanky frame to be a slap hitter from the left side and then letting his speed do the work.
However, if he fills out his 6’3″ frame, his upside could be massive. Scouts believe he will be a plus defender, but it will be up to him to determine what kind of hitter he develops into. Jackson is ranked as the 13th best prospect in this draft, but Jim Callis of MLB.com believes he could find a home in the top ten.
