2022 MLB Draft: 11 Indiana-Grown Players Chosen in this Year's Draft

Jack Perkins heard his name called by the Oakland Athletics on the second day of the 2022 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

Perkins, a 22-year-old right-handed pitcher and 2018 Kokomo High School graduate, was chosen in the fifth round and 154th overall by the Oakland Athletics out of Indiana University.

The 6-foot-1, 220-pounder hurled for the University of Louisville in 2019 and 2021 and Indiana in 2022. This past spring he made 16 mound appearances (15 starts) and went 3-4 with 5.10 earned run average, 91 strikeouts and 47 walks in 83 innings. According to MLB.com, his pick value is $360,800.

Perkins, who was drafted in the 39th round by the Atlanta Braves in 2018 but opted to go to college, is one of 11 players — nine pitchers and two shortstops — that went to Indiana high schools to be taken in the 2022 draft, which was held Sunday through Tuesday, July 17-19 in Los Angeles. Round 1 was Sunday, rounds 2-10 Monday and 11-20 Tuesday.

There were again 20 rounds in the draft and 616 players were selected.

Tyler Schweitzer, a 21-year-old left-hander and Hamilton Southeastern High School alum, was chosen in the fifth round by the Chicago White Sox (161st overall) out of Ball State University, where the 6-foot, 185-pounder pitched from 2020 through 2022.

This past season with the Cardinals, the southpaw tossed in 17 games (16 starts) and was 11-2 with a 2.65 ERA, 112 strikeouts and 30 walks in 91 2/3 innings. His pick value is $337,400.

Jared Poland, a 22-year-old right-hander and 2018 Indianapolis Cathedral High School graduate, was taken in the sixth round (172 overall) by the Miami Marlins out of Louisville. The 6-foot-, 215-pounder pitched at Louisville 2019 to 2022. In the spring, he was in eight games (seven starts) and went 5-5 with a 3.46 ERA, 103 strikeouts and 32 walks in 83 1/3 innings.

Poland did not sign after being drafted in the 34th round by the Boston Red Sox in 2018. His pick value is $306.200.

Austin Peterson, a 22-year-old right-hander and 2018 Chesterton High School graduate, was chosen in the ninth round (271st overall) by the Cleveland Guardians out of the University of Connecticut.

The 6-foot-6, 234-pounder pitched at Purdue University in 2019, Wabash Valley College in 2020 and UConn in 2021 and 2022. In the spring, he made 18 appearances (17 starts) and went 11-3 with a 3.83 ERA, 147 strikeouts and 25 walks in 110 1/3 innings.

Jackson Smeltz, a 23-year-old left-hander and 2018 McCutcheon High School graduate, was selected in the 10th round (300th overall) by the San Diego Padres.

After battling injuries, he pitched at Purdue 2020 through 2022. This spring for the Boilermakers, the 6-foot-3, 210-pounder went 6-1 with a 2.83 ERA, 79 strikeouts and 22 walks in 57 1/3 innings. He started in all of his 10 appearances. His pick value is $152,100.

Bradley Brehmer, a 22-year-old right-hander and 2018 Decatur Central High School graduate, was chosen in the 12th round (347th overall) by the Baltimore Orioles out of Indiana. He was drafted in the 23rd round by Baltimore in 2018, but chose to attend college.

He pitched at Wright State University 2019 through 2021 and at Indiana in 2022. In 17 games for the Hoosiers (14 starts), the 6-foot-6, 205-pounder was 5-4 with a 5.30 ERA, 77 strikeouts and 33 walks in 74 2/3 innings.

Matt Peters, a 21-year-old right-hander and 2019 Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger graduate, went in the 12th round (353rd overall) to the Chicago Cubs out of Ivy Tech Northeast Community College in Fort Wayne.

In 2022, the 6-foot-4, 215-pounder made six starts for the Titans and went 2-2 with a 3.56 ERA, 54 strikeouts and 25 walks in 30 1/3 innings. He had stops at Oakton Community College and Hillsborough Community College before Ivy Tech and was slated to transfer to Southeastern University.

Tim Borden II, a 22-year-old shortstop and 2018 graduate of Providence High School, was drafted in the 16th round (493rd overall) by the Houston Astros out of Georgia Tech. Borden, who was drafted by Cleveland in the 37th round in 2018, played at Louisville in 2020 and 2021 and Georgia Tech in 2022.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound righty swinger hit .316 (60-of-190) with 18 home runs, 53 runs batted in and 60 runs scored in 55 games with the 2022 Yellow Jackets.

Cameron Decker, an 18-year-old switch-hitting shortstop and 2022 Evansville North High School graduate, was picked in the 18th round (555th overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Huskies’ 6-foot-1, 205-pounder hit .447 with 12 home runs, 36 runs batted in and a 1.684 OPS (.617 on-base percentage plus 1.067 slugging average) in 2022.

Gage Stanifer, an 18-year-old right-hander and 2022 Westfield High School graduate, was taken in the 19th round (578th overall) by the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Shamrocks’ 6-foot-3, 201-pounder toed the rubber in 10 contests (eight starts) and went 5-2 with an 0.74 ERA, 83 strikeouts and 32 walks in 38 innings in 2022.

Reese Sharp, a 21-year-old right-hander and 2019 University High School graduate, was selected in the 20th round (587th overall) by Baltimore out of Indiana.

He pitched at Indiana in 2021 and 2022. This spring for the Hoosiers, the 6-foot-3, 220-pounder was in 23 games (22 in relief) and went 3-6 with four saves, a 6.42 ERA, 76 strikeouts and 28 walks in 54 2/3 innings. He was drafted in the 28th round by the San Francisco Giants in 2019.

Here is a list of the selections:

Rd. 5 (154) RHP Jack Perkins, Kokomo HS, Indiana U., Athletics

Rd. 5 (161) LHP Tyler Schweitzer, Hamilton Southeastern HS, Ball State U., White Sox

Rd. 6 (172) RHP Jared Poland, Indianapolis Cathedral HS, U. of Louisville, Marlins

Rd. 9 (271) RHP Austin Peterson, Chesterton HS, U. of Connecticut, Guardians

Rd. 10 (300) LHP Jackson Smeltz, McCutcheon HS, Purdue U., Padres

Rd. 12 (347) RHP Bradley Brehmer, Decatur Central HS, Indiana U., Orioles

Rd. 12 (353) RHP Matt Peters, Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger HS, Ivy Tech Northeast CC, Cubs

Rd. 16 (493) SS Tim Borden II, Providence HS, Georgia Tech, Astros

Rd. 18 (555) SS Cameron Decker, Evansville North HS, Dodgers

Rd. 19 (578) RHP Gage Stanifer, Westfield HS, Blue Jays

Rd. 20 (587) RHP Reese Sharp, University HS, Indiana U., Orioles