2022 OU MLB Draft Central

Oklahoma Baseball continued its pipeline to the pros in 2022, as several more Sooners heard their name called in the 2022 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft. Cade Horton, Jake Bennett and Peyton Graham were all selected on the first day of the draft.

The Sooners have now produced 11 first round picks in the regular June draft (21 total first-rounders, including secondary drafts and supplemental round picks). This is the first time OU has had three players selected in the first two rounds of the MLB Draft. A total of 30 players have been drafted in five years of the Skip Johnson era (since 2018), including three first rounders and 12 in the top five rounds.

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Draft Tracker

The Sooners

Player	Pos	Team	Round	Pick
Cade Horton	RHP	Cubs	1	7
Jake Bennett	LHP	Nationals	2	45
Peyton Graham	SS	Tigers	2	51
Jimmy Crooks	C	Cardinals	4	127
Blake Robertson	1B	Rays	7	224
Tanner Tredaway	OF	Pirates	10	290
Trevin Michael	RHP	Tigers	10	297
David Sandlin	RHP	Royals	11	325
Chazz Martinez	LHP	Royals	17	505
Javier Ramos	RHP	Rockies	18	536
Jaret Godman	RHP	Red Sox	19	579

OU Draft History

A total of 295 Sooners have been selected in the MLB Draft, including 21 first rounders. At least one player has been drafted every year since 1970, and OU has had at least one player picked in the top 10 rounds every year since 2011.

With Horton's selection Sunday night, Oklahoma has now produced three first rounders in the last five drafts (also Cade Cavalli by the Washington Nationals at No. 22 in 2020 and Kyler Murray by the Oakland Athletics at No. 9 in 2018), all under head coach Skip Johnson.

Cade Horton is OU's highest MLB Draft selection since Jon Gray went third overall in 2013, and it the third-highest Sooner ever taken in the regular June amateur draft (also Bobby Witt at third overall in 1985). Jake Bennett is OU's highest left-handed pitcher drafted since David Purcey went 16th in 2004, and the fourth-highest Sooner lefty ever drafted (also Ray Hayward at 10th overall in 1983 and Mark Redman at 13th in 1995). Peyton Graham is the highest Oklahoma shortstop ever selected in the regular June amateur draft.

Oklahoma had a program-record seven players selected in the first 10 rounds of the 2022 MLB Draft, including five picks in the top seven rounds. OU's four selections in the top five rounds in 2022 ties the program benchmark set in the 2020 draft. Prior to 2022, the most top-10 round picks was six in 2009.

OU's 11 selections in the 2022 draft were the most nationally and tied a program record, matching the 2011 and 2015 drafts.

Sooners in the MLB Draft | OU Baseball History & Tradition

Social Feed

Draft Capsules

Cade Horton | RHP | 6-1 | 211

At Oklahoma: A Norman, Okla., product, Horton went 5-2 with a 4.86 ERA in 14 pitching appearances and 11 starts on the mound. He registered 64 strikeouts and only 15 walks over 53.2 innings. He made 25 starts at third base, four at shortstop and 11 as designated hitter, batting .234 with six doubles, two triples, a home run, 17 RBIs and 28 runs scored in 145 at bats. He was also 8 for 9 in stolen bases. Horton made his collegiate pitching debut on March 29 against Oklahoma State, throwing one relief inning and earning the victory in OU's 7-6 win at ONEOK Field in Tulsa. His first start came on April 14 against Pacific when he struck out two batters and allowed one hit and two walks over 4.0 scoreless innings. In five postseason starts, beginning with the Big 12 Championship game win over Texas, Horton went 3-0 with a 2.61 ERA and notched 49 strikeouts against six walks in 31.0 innings, never allowing more than two runs or two walks in an outing. The right-hander was at his best in the College World Series. In starts against Notre Dame and Ole Miss, Horton pitched 13.1 innings, striking out 24 batters and allowing four runs on nine hits and one walk. His best performance was in the MCWS Finals where he registered career highs of 13 strikeouts and 7.1 innings. In the NCAA Tournament (which also included starts at Florida and Virginia Tech), Horton allowed a .186 batting average and struck out 40 batters over 25.2 innings, posting a 2.81 ERA. Full Bio & Stats

Skip Johnson: "I'm super excited for Cade. He put the work in coming off Tommy John. Our trainer (Luke Spitz) and strength coach (Tim Overman) did a great job of getting him back. His work ethic speaks for itself. How many people come back like he did in 15 months, and do what he did? It's pretty amazing. I'm super excited for him. I think it's a testament to our development program at the University of Oklahoma. (The Cubs are getting) a front-end starter. He's going to be a number one, number two or three starter in the big leagues. I think he's capable of doing that. His mental capacity, his delivery, his swing and miss is incredible. He pitches with his head and his heart, and his athletic ability. I think that's what sets him apart. His mindset in what he does. He goes out every day and proves that. He works, he's really humble. He doesn't have a lot of swagger, he just goes out and takes a workman's mentality to what he does."

Jake Bennett | LHP | 6-6 | 234

At Oklahoma: A Bixby, Okla., product, he received second-team All-America recognition from Baseball America and D1Baseball and third-team honors from Perfect Game. He also earned first-team All-Big 12 honors. Served as the Sooners' Friday night starter all season, posting a 10-4 record and 3.69 ERA in 19 starts, and struck out 133 batters and walked only 22 in 117.0 innings. He went at least 6.0 innings in 13 starts and allowed three or fewer runs in 11 starts. He was victorious in six straight starts from May 13 through June 17 and earned his first career save in OU's regional final win over Florida. He struck out 10 batters over 6.1 innings in the College World Series finals vs. Ole Miss and went 7.0 innings, striking out eight and allowing one earned run in the Super Regional opener at Virginia Tech. He registered 12 strikeouts and allowed only one run on two hits and two walks in 7.2 innings at Texas Tech (5/26), posting career highs in both strikeouts and innings pitched during the outing. He notched 11 strikeouts over 7.0 two-hit shutout innings vs. Kansas State. Full Bio & Stats

Skip Johnson: "They're going to get a professional type of kid that understands what routines are, understands what pitchability is, understands the work that it takes to put in. He's like the poster child of our program. Came in as a freshman – body changed, delivery changed, makeup changed, command – everything you can think of from a pitcher, he did well in it. He's going to be an innings eater in pro ball. He posted up every time, every outing all year long. I think there were maybe one or two guys all year that did that throughout the year. Every week he posted up and pitched once a week. That right there tells you he's going to eat innings. He's very routine-oriented, a lot like – I'm not saying he's ever going to be Clayton Kershaw at all – but there are some similarities between what Clayton does and what Jake does. He's stuck in his routines and he's going to make sure he does those things diligently. Making sure he does his arm exercises the right way, making sure he does his running, making sure he does his lifting. He's going to be really on top of all of those little things as a professional."

Peyton Graham | SS | 6-4 | 171

At Oklahoma: A Waxahachie, Texas, product, he was named a first-team All-American by Baseball America, D1Baseball and the NCBWA, a second-team All-American by the ABCA and a third-team All-American by Collegiate Baseball. Also the NCBWA District 6 Co-Player of the Year, he was a finalist for the Brooks Wallace Award for nation's top shortstop and a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award as well as a first-team All-Big 12 selection. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2022 Big 12 Championship and selected to the Gainesville Regional and College World Series All-Tournament teams. He led Oklahoma with 20 home runs, four triples, 71 RBIs, 75 runs scored and 34 stolen bases, and batted .333. He also registered 17 doubles, 29 multiple hit games and a team-best 21 multiple RBI contests. He became the first player in OU history to register at least 20 home runs and at least 30 stolen bases in a season. He hit three grand slams during the 2022 season: a walk-off game winner against Baylor on March 26, in the Big 12 Championship opener against West Virginia on May 25 and in the NCAA Gainesville Regional opener against Liberty on June 3. He finished the season with six games with four-plus RBIs and eight games with three or four hits. Full Bio & Stats

Skip Johnson: "He's got dynamic athleticism. There's nothing that he can't do on a baseball field. He can run, he can throw, he can hit. He's got power, he's got instincts to play the game, instincts to run the bases. He's got every tool that you can imagine. For him, the ceiling is incredible. (The Tigers are getting) an all-star. A superstar that's going to play a long time. He loves to compete. He wins every competitive thing we do on the field, whether it's outfield, pop ups, bunting – he's going to win all of them because he's so competitive."

Jimmy Crooks | C | 6-0 | 218

At Oklahoma: A Euless, Texas, product, Crooks batted .305 with 21 doubles, nine home runs, 51 RBIs, 10 steals and 49 runs scored this season. The redshirt sophomore also tallied 43 walks and a .430 OBP and caught 20 of 65 runners stealing. He notched 19 multiple hit games and 12 multiple RBI contests (six games with three or more RBIs). After the end of the regular season, Crooks registered five home runs, six doubles and a team-high 20 RBIs while batting .323 in 16 games. A transfer from McLennan College, Crooks has hit .297 with 19 home runs, 39 doubles, 90 RBIs and 102 runs scored in two seasons at OU. Full Bio & Stats

Blake Robertson | 1B | 6-5 | 200

At Oklahoma: Robertson, an Edmond, Okla., product was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in his first season at Oklahoma. He set a program record with 69 walks this season and batted .300 with a team-high 24 doubles, five home runs, 62 runs scored and 52 RBIs while posting a .453 OBP with 12 stolen bases. He notched 17 multiple hit games and 11 multiple RBI contests. The redshirt sophomore registered five hits in a game twice – within six games of each other – and tallied at least three hits six times. His five-hit games were against Texas Tech on April 12 and at Kansas on April 22. Robertson did not play in his first collegiate season at Oklahoma State and transferred to OU from Cowley College. Full Bio & Stats

Tanner Tredaway | OF | 6-0 | 188

At Oklahoma: A Justin, Texas, product, Tredaway notched 105 hits this season, the second-most in a single season in school history, and finished with 217 career hits, which ranks among the top 25 in school history. He became the 44th Sooner to record at least 100 hits (217), 100 RBIs (119) and 100 runs scored (130) in his career. He finished his career with a .332 batting average in 173 games and 164 starts. During the 2022 season Tredaway led the Sooners with a .370 batting average and tallied 66 RBIs, 18 doubles, nine home runs, 63 runs scored and 24 steals. The redshirt senior who spent four years at OU after transferring from Seminole State College, led the squad with 32 multiple hit games and had 18 multiple RBI contests. After the regular season ended, Tredaway batted .448 (30 for 67) with three homers, five doubles, 15 RBIs and 15 runs in 16 games. Full Bio & Stats

Trevin Michael | RHP | 6-2 | 200

At Oklahoma: Michael, a Piedmont, Okla., product, led the Sooners with a 2.89 ERA and 10 saves. He notched 95 strikeouts and allowed just 20 walks and a .211 opponent batting average in 71.2 innings across 32 appearances and two starts this season. The graduate transfer from Lamar University appeared in 10 games after the end of the regular season and earned two saves while registering 24 strikeouts over 24.0 innings. Michael made his second start of the season and pitched 6.0 innings in the winner-take-all regional final at Florida, then closed both of OU's Super Regional victories and pitched at least 2.0 frames in the first three MCWS contests. Full Bio & Stats

David Sandlin | RHP | 6-4 | 215

At Oklahoma: An Owasso, Okla., product, Sandlin went 9-4 with a 5.59 ERA and struck out 102 batters against just 31 walks over 95.0 innings across 19 appearances and 18 starts this season. Combined with Jake Bennett's 133 strikeouts, the duo is OU's first since Bobby Witt (118) and Steve Peters (106) in 1985 to notch more than 100 strikeouts in a season. Sandlin was selected to the NCAA Gainesville Regional All-Tournament Team after striking out six over 6.0 frames against Florida in the winner's bracket game. He struck out 10 and allowed one earned run on five hits and a walk over 7.0 innings in the Sooners' Big 12 Championship semifinal win over Kansas State. Sandlin broke out nationally in the College World Series, pitching Oklahoma into the MCWS Finals with a career performance against Texas A&M. In OU's 5-1 MCWS semifinal win over the Aggies, he went 7.0 frames, striking out a career-high 12 batters and allowing one run on five hits and one walk. Sandlin transferred to Oklahoma after two years at Eastern Oklahoma State College. Full Bio & Stats

Chazz Martinez | LHP | 6-3 | 210

At Oklahoma: a San Pedro, Calif., product, went 4-3 with a 5.32 ERA and notched 67 strikeouts in 64.1 innings this season. the redshirt sophomore left-hander made 22 appearances and started each of the first eight weeks of the season before moving to the bullpen. He was named Big 12 Pitcher and NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week after striking out 14 batters over 7.0 innings against Northwestern State on Feb. 27. He notched seven strikeouts in 5.1 innings against Texas on April 3, then struck out five over 2.2 relief frames against the Longhorns in the Big 12 Championship game on May 29. All 15 of his relief outings came in the second half of the season, and he totaled 11 strikeouts over 9.2 innings in six postseason appearances. Martinez came to Oklahoma after one year at Orange Coast College following a year at UC Santa Barbara. Full Bio & Stats

Javier Ramos | RHP | 6-6 | 206

At Oklahoma: A Vian, Okla., product, Ramos appeared in 15 games and made one start this season. He went 1-1 with a 5.16 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 22.2 innings. The redshirt sophomore right-hander pitched 3.0 shutout innings in his start against Air Force on March 16. He struck out four and allowed one run over 2.2 innings against Oklahoma State on March 29 and punched out three in 1.2 frames in the NCAA Super Regional at Virginia Tech on June 11. In two years at OU, Ramos appeared in 30 games and made six starts, totaling 43 strikeouts over 40.1 innings. He transferred to Oklahoma from Seminole State College. Full Bio & Stats

Jaret Godman | RHP | 6-4 | 215

At Oklahoma: Godman, a Las Vegas, Nev., product spent all four of his collegiate years at Oklahoma, appeared in 65 career games and made three starts on the mound. He posted a 5-2 record and a 5.26 ERA with three saves and 92 strikeouts in 106.0 career innings. In 2022, the redshirt junior right-hander made 20 appearances and struck out 17 batters over 19.1 innings, earning a relief victory against Wichita State on April 19. He picked up the save with a two-strikeout inning in OU's season-opening win over Auburn, and earned saves against Dallas Baptist on March 8 (two strikeouts in 1.1 frames) and Air Force on March 16. Full Bio & Stats

The Sooners

OU Draft History

Social Feed