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2022 MLB draft: Tampa Bay Rays select college OF Ryan Cermak from Illinois State with No. 71 pick

This draft pick was acquired alongside INF Isaac Paredes in the Austin Meadows trade.

By Daniel Russell
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Ryan Cermak, from Illinois State, is a top athlete in the 2022 MLB Draft was seen by many as a center fielder, and even as a pitcher by others - which is a rarity for anything other MLB’s best draft prospects at the collegiate level.

Ranked No. 85 overall by MLB Pipeline as an outfielder:

Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 65 | Arm: 60 | Field: 60 | Overall: 50

Cermak’s right-handed stroke features effort and an uphill path, but he’s doing more consistent damage now that he has cut down on his chases [...]

Cermak has some of the best all-around tools in the 2022 college class. He can get down the first-base line in less than 4.1 seconds with his well-above-average speed, and his strong arm has been clocked up to 95 mph during a brief stint on the mound. A quality center fielder [...]

Update: The pick was initially announced with Cermak as a short stop - this was an error in the MLB draft process.

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