4 predictions for St. Louis Cardinals in 2022 MLB Draft

Chase DeLauter, Outfielder, James Madison

Predicted by Joel Reuter (BleacherReport) and Mike Axisa (CBS Sports)

Before a broken foot ended his season, Chase DeLauter smashed the ball for James Madison. This was his slash line at the time of the injury:

.437/.576/.828!

DeLauter was considered an option for the top overall pick in the draft before the injury. This was buoyed by an outstanding performance in last summer’s Cape Cod league, which erased some doubts whether DeLauter’s numbers were a product of his competition.

"DeLauter played extensively in the summer, appearing in 34 games in the Cape Cod League. He batted .298 with seven doubles, nine home runs and 21 RBIs in 124 at-bats in the wooden-bat league."

DeLauter is ranked #18 overall in MLB’s prospect rankings thanks to his 60 grade power. On the subject of raw power from Joel Reuter:

"The Cardinals have seemingly struck gold with Nolan Gorman and Jordan Walker, so why not continue the trend of targeting big raw power in the first round?"

The Cardinals love to take the best overall player in the draft, especially when top prospects fall in the draft.  If DeLauter falls to 22, the team just might draft him.

Cooper Hjerpe, Left-Handed Pitcher, Oregon State

Predicted by Ryan Miller and Aram Leighton (JustBaseball)

Hjerpe was one of the most dominant starting pitchers in college baseball last season. While pitching for powerhouse Oregon State, Hjerpe went 11-2 with 161 strikeouts and a 2.53 ERA. He also tied an OSU game-record with seventeen strikeouts against a Stanford team that would reach the College World Series.

Here are some of the other awards he’s earned:

• First Team All American (Baseball America)
• Pac-12 All-Conference Team
• National Pitcher of the Year (College Baseball Foundation)
• Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy finalist

Hjerpe uses a funky, almost-slingshot delivery to hide the ball and get the hitter off balance. This adds to his impressive repertoire of a fastball, slow curve, change up, and a wipeout slider.

Last year, the Cardinals took a college pitcher in Michael McGreevy. Don’t be surprised if they go this route again in back-to-back years.