Three Wolverines selected in 2022 MLB Draft

After tremendous campaigns in the 2022 season, three Michigan Wolverines players heard their name called during the 2022 MLB Draft.

First off the board from Michigan was outfielder Clark “The Spark” Elliott. He was drafted 69th overall to the Oakland Athletics in the Competitive Balance Round B after the second round. This marks the fourth straight year the Athletics have drafted a Wolverine.

Elliott had a fantastic 2022 campaign for the Wolverines, which propelled him to the top of draft boards around the league. In 61 games, the junior hit had a slash line of .337/.460/.630. His 82 hits, 36 of which were for extra bases, showed scouts he was an elite prospect who could easily translate to the professional level.

The Athletics have a fairly old outfield corps at the major league level, consisting of veterans such as Stephen Piscotty, Ramón Laureano, Chad Pinder and Seth Brown. The A’s had just the 22nd-best preseason farm system according to mlb.com — this could mean a spot is open for the taking shortly in Elliott’s career.

With the 227th overall pick, the Baltimore Orioles selected pitcher Cameron Weston. A reliable arm for the Wolverines, Weston was ranked the preseason No. 4 MLB Draft prospect in the Big Ten by d1baseball.com.

Though Weston didn’t necessarily have the year he had in 2021, he showed his adaptability and versatility in 2022. Weston played a role in both the starting rotation and in the bullpen last season, and his strikeout numbers increased by 25% from the year prior.

The Orioles are an up and coming club with plenty of young talent. Weston joins a Baltimore draft class that hopes to make a difference for the program moving forward.

Shortly after Weston was selected, the Los Angeles Angels selected outfielder Joe Stewart with the 268th pick. In his only season in the maize and blue, Stewart’s presence was felt each and every day. Stewart had 94 hits for the Wolverines with a slash line of .349/.409/.572. After never hitting above .300 in his time in East Lansing, Stewart showed immense improvement in his one season in Ann Arbor. This season, in turn, secured him a spot in the ninth round.