2022 MLB draft: Tampa Bay Rays select college OF Brock Jones with the No. 65 pick

The Rays prioritized power once again in the 2022 draft with collegiate outfielder Brock Jones, who was a 2021 baseball breakout after starting his college career as a safety at Stanford University.

At the start of this season there was top-5 consideration in the industry for Jones, who eventually slipped down the boards — although not all.

The Athletic ranked Jones No. 13 overall on their list, courtesy of Keith Law. Elsewhere, Jones ranked No. 31 overall at Baseball America, No. 33 at MLB Pipeline and unranked at CBS Sports.

Baseball America warns of a “below-average arm” on defense, and an inconsistent swing, but appreciates his power to all fields:

Tools: Hit: 45. Power: 55. Run: 60. Field: 55. Arm: 40.

[...] his swing is stiff and he lacks natural rhythm and timing in the batter’s box, leading to too many swings and misses. He struggles against pitches on the outer half in particular and is often late on fastballs down the middle

Despite concerns, like his fellow Day 1 selection Xavier Isaac, the power is not in question. The Athletic recently provided an in depth profile of Jones that depicted him as a hard-nosed gamer, which helps illustrate how he’s seen as a leader on the field.