Baltimore Orioles Mock Draft 1.0: Who do they take a No.1?

The 2022 MLB draft is just a few months away, and all eyes in Birdland are looking at what the Baltimore Orioles could do with the number one overall pick.

The Baltimore Orioles have had the No.1 overall pick twice in their franchise history. In 1989, they selected Ben McDonald as No.1 out of LSU, and then in 2019; they drafted Adley Rutschman from Oregon State. When July 17th hits, the Baltimore Orioles will have more than a few tough choices to pick from.

Last year, the Orioles selected Colton Cowser, an outfielder from Sam Houston State University, with the No.5 overall pick. Now up with Aberdeen, Cowser has been everything that the Baltimore Orioles had hoped he’d be. However, there is some grace in getting a No.5 pick wrong; selecting a No.1 overall pick incorrectly could be detrimental to the organization’s rebuild moving forward.

Baltimore Orioles Mock Draft 1.0: Who do they take a No.1?

Of course, this is all easier said than done, but with that in mind, who should the Baltimore Orioles select in this year’s draft? The national media (mlb.com and Jonathan Mayo) has put out their first mock draft with the Baltimore Orioles selecting a shortstop. More specifically:

Brooks Lee, SS, Cal Poly (No. 5) 

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

I can understand why the national media would think to select Lee here because the O’s last five selections have all been college players. Cadyn Grenier, 2018; Adley Rutschman, 2019; Heston Kjerstad, 2020; Jordan Westburg, 2020; and the Colton, as mentioned earlier by Cowser last year.

The Baltimore Orioles are stacked in the shortstop department, including two of their last five draft picks. Brooks Lee is a beast and has a great baseball name, but it just feels like there are so many other options out there that could better fill the need in Baltimore.