MLB Draft makes history, with four Black players taken in top-5

On July 17, history was made within the first five picks of the 2022 MLB Draft.

Taken from picks No. 2 to No. 5 respectively, Druw Jones (Arizona), Kumar Rocker (Texas), Termarr Johnson (Pittsburgh) and Elijah Green (Washington) represent the first time in draft history that four of the top five selections were Black players.

Baseball Diversity: Four of the the top five draft picks in the Major League Baseball are Black for what is believed to be the first time in the draft’s history, and all played in their Dream Series.

All four players also participated in the MLB’s DREAM Series, a showcase event that focuses on “the dynamics of pitching and catching for a diverse group of high school elite athletes, predominantly African-American.”

Let’s take a look at their roads to the show.

Druw Jones

Jones, a center fielder out of Wesleyan High School in Georgia, is the son of former MLBer and Hall of Fame candidate Andruw Jones. He was in the running for the top selection entering the spring and is considered by experts to have All-Star potential.

Jones’ selection meant more history was made as he joined Jackson Holliday, the No. 1 pick and son of former Major Leaguer Matt Holliday, as the second son of a former player in the league in this draft class.

For the first time ever, sons of former Major Leaguers were selected with the first two picks of the 2022 #MLBDraft (Jackson Holliday #1 & Druw Jones #2). Additionally, Holliday joins Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. as the only sons of former Major Leaguers selected #1 overall

 Kumar Rocker

Rocker, the right-handed pitcher who last played for the Tri-City Valleycats of the Frontier League, has faced tough adversity to this point. He was once one of Vanderbilt’s aces, tearing up