By Jim Buckley
UPDATED LATE TUESDAY: Foresters had 16 players drafted in the 2022 Draft; full list at bottom).
The Santa Barbara Foresters’ long tradition of watching its players achieve their pro baseball dreams added another chapter Sunday when five Foresters were chosen in the first two rounds of the 2022 MLB Draft, including two first-rounders. More new names joined them as the MLB Draft continued on Monday.
The 2020 national championship team was the main source for the amazing run, which started at No. 13 to the Detroit Tigers with infielder Jace Jung (Texas Tech; pictured following a 2020 grand slam), who followed his brother Josh, also a former Foresters infielder, as a first-round pick. Spencer Jones pitched and hit for the Foresters in 2019 and 2020, but he’ll be an outfielder in the New York Yankees system after being picked No. 25 from Vanderbilt.
In the supplemental round after Round 1, righthanded pitcher Justin Campbell (Oklahoma State) made it three stars from the 2020 ’Sters; he’ll join the Cleveland Guardians.
In the second round, a pair of Peytons added to the draft pick haul. Oklahoma shortstop Peyton Graham will join Jung in Detroit after the Tigers chose him with the No. 51 overall pick. Pitcher Peyton Pallette from Arkansas went No. 62 to the Chicago White Sox, wrapping up perhaps the best draft opening day ever for the Foresters.
Santa Barbara has now had more than 300 players chosen in the MLB Draft all-time, including 65 in the past five years alone. Day Two of the MLB Draft began Monday with the addition in the fourth round of Cal’s Steven Zobac, who went to the Kansas City Royals, and Arisona State’s Sean McLain, who is now part of the Dodgers organization. Stay tuned for more as the day goes on!
FORESTERS IN 2022 MLB DRAFT
Round 1
13 Jace Jung, Texas Tech (20) Detroit Tigers
25 Spencer Jones, Vanderbilt (19/20) New York Yankees
Round CB-A
37 Justin Campbell, P, Oklahoma State (20) Cleveland Guardians
Round 2
51 Peyton Graham, IF, Oklahoma (20) Detroit Tigers
62 Peyton Palette, P, Arkansas (20) Chicago White Sox
Round 4
115 Steven Zobac, P/OF, California (20/21) Kansas City Royals
Round 5
165 Sean McLain, SS, ASU (20/21) Los Angeles Dodger
Round 7
207 Seth Stephenson, SS, Tennessee (21) Detroit Tigers
Round 10
308 Ian Churchill, P, San Diego (20/21/22) Toronto Blue Jays
309 Isaac Coffey, P, Oral Roberts (20/21) Boston Red Sox
Round 13
386 Blake Adams, P, Kansas State (20) Colorado Rockies
Round 15
441 Kyle Luckham, P, ASU (20) Washington Nationals
466 Tanner O’Tremba, OF, Arizona (20/21) San Francisco Giants
Round 16
496 Andrew Kachel, IF, Fresno State (21) San Francisco Giants
Round 20
604 Derek True, P, Cal Poly (20) Oakland Athletics
613 Ryan Wrobleski, C, Dallas Baptist (21) Houston Astros
