Check out the famous names in this year's Draft class

July 12th, 2022

Baseball fans of a certain age might experience overwhelming nostalgia while watching the 2022 MLB Draft, which begins July 17.

Three stars of yesteryear -- Andruw Jones, Matt Holliday and Carl Crawford -- have a son who will likely hear his name called early in this year's Draft. Among all available players, Druw Jones and Jackson Holliday are ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, by MLB Pipeline. Justin Crawford is No. 13.

But that trio is only a small percentage of the prospective pros who have famous relatives. Here's a look at the 2022 Draft-eligible players with legacies in baseball or elsewhere.

TOP 250 DRAFT PROSPECTS

Player: Druw Jones, OF, Wesleyan (Ga.) HS (No. 1 prospect)
Relative:  (father, 17 MLB seasons)
His father was a 10-time Gold Glove Award winner in center field and hit 434 home runs over a stellar 17-year Major League career. And Druw has the talent to potentially give his dad a run for his money when it’s all said and done, with tremendous power from the right side of the plate and great defensive instincts in center field.

Player: Jackson Holliday, SS, Stillwater (Olka.) HS (No. 2 prospect)
Relative:  (father, 15 MLB seasons)
Jackson’s dad, Matt, was a seven-time All-Star, the 2007 NL batting champion, the MVP of the ’07 NL Championship Series for the Rockies, and won a World Series ring with the Cardinals in ’11. He belted 316 homers over a 15-year MLB career and has not just one son, but two -- Jackson’s younger brother, Ethan, is one of the elite high school prospects in the nation -- rising toward the professional baseball ranks.

Player: Elijah Green, OF, IMG Academy (No. 3 prospect)
Relative: Eric Green (father, NFL player)
This year’s Draft is filled with the sons of former MLB All-Stars, but Elijah’s father Eric was a legend in another sport. The elder Green played a decade in the NFL as a tight end. He made two Pro Bowls as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1993 and ‘94 and he was named to the 1990 All-Rookie team.

Player: Brooks Lee, SS, Cal Poly (No. 5 prospect)
Relatives: Larry Lee (father, Cal Poly head coach); Terry and Mike Lee (uncles); Tom Lee (grandfather, Cal Poly HoF coach)
Baseball is a generational love for the Lee family. Brooks played for his father, Larry, who has been Cal Poly baseball’s head coach since 2003. Uncle Terry was a first-round Draft pick of the Giants in 1974 and also played in the Brewers’ system. Uncle Mike was a Giants Minor Leaguer from 1974-75.

Player: Jacob Berry, 3B/OF, LSU (No. 7 prospect)
Relative: Perry Berry (father, 4 MiLB seasons)
Perry, an infielder out of Louisiana at Lafayette, was taken in the fourth round of the 1990 Draft by the Astros and spent four seasons in their system.

Player: Cam Collier, 3B, Chipola (Fla.) College (No. 8 prospect)
Relative: (father, 8 MLB seasons / Royals pro scout)
While Lou never got much playing time -- he appeared in 315 games over his eight seasons – he’s found more success in retirement, currently working as a Royals scout.

Player: Jace Jung, 2B, Texas Tech (No. 9 prospect)
Relative: (brother, Rangers prospect)
Josh Jung also attended Texas Tech and was selected by the Rangers with the No. 8 pick in the 2019 MLB Draft. Left shoulder surgery this past February delayed his arrival to the Majors, but Josh is MLB’s No. 31 prospect.

Player: Gavin Cross, OF, Virginia Tech (No. 10 prospect)
Relative: Adam Cross (father, 3 MiLB seasons)
Adam Cross spent his brief career as an infielder with the Braves and Padres, though he never rose past A-ball.

Player: Daniel Susac, C, Arizona (No. 12 prospect)
Relative:  (brother, 6 MLB seasons)
Andrew Susac was drafted by the Giants in the second round of the 2011 MLB Draft. Also a catcher, Andrew served as Buster Posey’s backup during the Giants’ 2014 World Series run.

Player: Justin Crawford, OF, Bishop Gorman (Nev.) HS (No. 13 prospect)
Relative: Carl Crawford (father, 15 MLB seasons)
Justin’s dad, Carl, made four All-Star teams -- winning the 2009 All-Star Game MVP Award -- and led the AL in steals four times during nine seasons with Tampa Bay. Like his dad, Justin is an athletic outfielder and left-handed hitter with plus-plus speed.

Player: Gabe Hughes, RHP, Gonzaga (No. 26 prospect)
Relative: Donald Hughes (grandfather, 3 MiLB seasons)
Donald played in the Cubs and Tigers systems from 1960-62, before Major League Baseball had even instituted the Amateur Draft.

Player: Tucker Toman, 3B, Hammond (S.C.) HS (No. 35 prospect)
Relative: Jim Toman (father, Middle Tennessee head coach)
Jim Toman has served as the head coach for Middle Tennessee baseball since 2019, and previously spent nine seasons (2008-16) coaching at Liberty University.

Player: Kumar Rocker, RHP, No School (No. 38 prospect)
Relative: Tracy Rocker (father, NFL player)
Kumar gets his athleticism from dad Tracy, who is in the College Football Hall of Fame and played two NFL seasons before settling into a coaching career. He currently serves as the Philadelphia Eagles' defensive line coach.

Player: Gavin Kilen, SS, Milton (Wis.) HS (No. 100 prospect)
Relative: Chris Kilen (father, Twins draft pick)
Chris was a 58th-round pick by the Twins in 1993, although he never appeared in a game.

Player: Gavin Turley, OF, Hamilton (Ariz.) HS (No. 107 prospect)
Relative: Jason Turley (father, 2 MiLB seasons)
Jason, a right-handed reliever, was a 21st-round pick in 1993 by the Astros who pitched in Rookie and Single-A ball.

Player: Robert Moore, 2B, Arkansas (No. 108 prospect)
Relative: Dayton Moore (father, Royals president of baseball operations)
Dayton Moore has been at the helm in Kansas City since 2006, when his son was just 4 years old. Sixteen years, two American League pennants and a World Series championship later, Robert is preparing to build his own legacy in professional baseball.

Player: Austin Charles, SS/RHP, Stockdale (Calif.) HS (No. 109 prospect)
Relative: Art Charles (brother, 7 MiLB seasons)
12 years ago, Austin’s older brother was drafted by the Blue Jays. Art, a first baseman, spent parts of seven seasons in the Blue Jays, Phillies and Brewers systems. He has since played in the independent Canadian-American Association and several leagues in Mexico.

Player: Jayden Hylton, OF, Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.) HS (No. 114 prospect)
Relative: Devon White (cousin, 17 MLB seasons)
White, one of just five Jamaican-born players in MLB history, was a three-time All-Star center fielder who took home seven Gold Gloves and won three World Series with the Blue Jays (1992-93) and Marlins (1997).

Player: Caden Dana, RHP, Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) (No. 119 prospect)
Relatives: Cullen and Casey Dana (brothers, 2 MiLB seasons; draft prospect)
Cullen Dana, the oldest in the family, was drafted in 2018 by the Padres and released in March 2022 due to injuries. Casey, meanwhile, a grad student at UConn, could be drafted this year as well.

Player: Ike Irish, C, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (Mich.) (No. 121 prospect)
Relative: Jake Boss (uncle, Michigan State head coach)
Boss has been the head baseball coach at Michigan State since 2009, in which time the Spartans have been to six Big Ten Tournaments. Irish, however, is committed to Auburn.

Player: Cade Hunter, C, Virginia Tech (No. 145 prospect)
Relative: Scott Hunter (father, Mariners scouting director)
As Seattle’s scouting director, Scott Hunter knows a strong prospect when he sees one -- so it’s only fitting that his son, Cade, is a highly-touted catcher.

Player: Silas Ardoin, C, Texas (No. 146 prospect)
Relative:  (father, 5 MLB seasons)
Danny, also a catcher, spent his Major League career with the Rockies, Twins, Dodgers, Rangers and Orioles.

Player: Sean McLain, SS, Arizona State (No. 161 prospect)
Relatives: Matt and Nick McLain (brothers, Reds’ No. 3 prospect; plays baseball at UCLA)
Older brother Matt, who is primarily a shortstop, was the Reds’ first-round pick in 2021. That same year, younger brother Nick was a ranked high school prospect before deciding to attend UCLA.

Player: Eli Jerzembeck, RHP, Providence (N.C.) HS (No. 184 prospect)
Relative: Mike Jerzembeck (father, 8 pro seasons)
Mike spent eight years pitching in the Yankees and Twins’ systems. He made three Major League appearances with New York in 1998.

Player: Douglas Hodo, OF, Texas (No. 223 prospect)
Relative: Doug Hodo (father, member of Texas’ 1983 CWS team)
Like his son, Doug Hodo played baseball at Texas in his younger days, where he was a member of the Longhorns’ 1983 championship team. One of Doug’s teammates that season was Roger Clemens, who himself has had three sons drafted by Major League clubs.

OTHER FAMOUS BASEBALL NAMES

Player: Marquis Grissom Jr., RHP, Georgia Tech
Relative: (father, 17 MLB seasons)
The elder Grissom, who spent time with the Expos, Braves, Indians, Brewers, Dodgers and Giants, was selected to two NL All-Star teams and twice led baseball in stolen bases.

Player: Edinson Renteria, 1B, ASA College Miami
Relative:  (uncle, 16 MLB seasons)
In addition to his five All-Star appearances, Edgar was also a two-time World Series champion and was named the Giants’ World Series MVP in 2010.

Player: Luke Eldred, RHP, Dallas Baptist
Relative:  (father, 14 MLB seasons)
A first-round pick by the Brewers in 1989, Cal spent the majority of his career pitching in Milwaukee and now serves as the Royals’ pitching coach.

Player: Jared Karros, RHP, UCLA
Relative:  (father, 14 MLB seasons)
Though he’s currently best known for his work as a broadcaster, Eric also manned first base for the Dodgers for 12 seasons and was the 1992 NL Rookie of the Year.

Player: Casey Dykstra, OF/RHP, Azusa Pacific
Relative:  (uncle, 12 MLB seasons)
Several members of the family have played professional baseball -- including two of Casey's cousins -- but uncle Lenny, a three-time All-Star and member of the World Series champion 1986 Mets, is undoubtedly the best known.

Player: Mason Greer, INF, Missouri State
Relative:  (father, 9 MLB seasons)
Rusty was a near-constant presence in the Rangers outfield in the late '90s, ending his career with a .305/.387/.478 line.

Player: Erubiel Candelario, RHP, Marist
Relative: (cousin, Tigers infielder)
Jeimer, an infielder, was originally signed by the Cubs at age 16 and has since appeared in parts of seven seasons with Chicago and Detroit.

Player: Garrett Bevacqua, INF, Orange Coast College
Relative: Kurt Bevacqua (father, 15 MLB seasons)
Kurt was drafted three times (Mets, 32nd round; Braves, sixth round; Reds, 12th round) before embarking on a 15-year MLB career from 1971-85. He split his time between the Padres, Pirates, Royals, Rangers, Brewers and Cleveland. He also signed with the Mariners in 1976 but never played in a game for them.

Player: Jack Washburn, RHP, Mississippi
Relative: (father, 12 MLB seasons)
A key piece of the Angels’ 2002 World Series run, Jarrod came in fourth in AL Cy Young Award voting that year. Unlike Jack, Jarrod was a southpaw.

Player: Kyle Nevin, OF, Baylor
Relative: Phil Nevin (father, Angels manager/12 MLB seasons); Tyler Nevin (brother, Orioles third baseman)
Kyle’s dad, a longtime coach recently promoted to interim manager in Anaheim, was previously most famous for being the player drafted five spots above Derek Jeter in 1992. Big brother Tyler was a 2015 first-rounder who debuted in 2021.

Player: Cole Roberts, INF, Loyola Marymount
Relative: Dave Roberts (father, Dodgers manager/10 MLB seasons)
Dave has transitioned from a pivotal base-stealer to one of the most successful managers in today’s game. The Dodgers have won more than 60 percent of their games under his watch.

Player: Teddy Cashman, 2B, St. Luke’s
Relative: Brian Cashman (father, Yankees general manager/senior vice president)
Dad Brian took over as general manager in New York in 1998, well before Teddy was born, and has since won four World Series with the club.

Player: Elijah Jackson, SS, Chico State
Relative: Damian Jackson (father, 11 MLB seasons)
Regardless of what Elijah's future in baseball holds, with the recent changes to the draft format, there's one thing on Damian's career resume his son won't be able to top: Making it to the bigs as a 44th-round pick.

Player: Cooper Blauser, SS, Wesleyan (Ga.) HS
Relative: Jeff Blauser (father, 13-year MLB career)
Jeff Blauser, also an infielder, was a two-time first-round pick and spent most of his career with the Braves, where he made two All-Star Games and won the 1995 World Series.

Player: Luke Moeller, C, Desert Mountain (Ariz.) HS
Relatives: Chad Moeller (father, 11 MLB seasons); C.J. Cron (cousin, Rockies first baseman)
Baseball may literally be in the DNA here. Luke's dad was the poster child for journeymen catchers, spending parts of 11 seasons with seven franchises. Cousin C.J., meanwhile, has found a home in Colorado. We haven’t forgotten the rest of the family – C.J.’s dad, Chris, and brother, Kevin, both appeared briefly in the Majors as well.

Player: Mark Vierling, INF, St. Louis
Relative: Matt Vierling (brother, Phillies outfielder)
The older Vierling brother only made his Major League debut in 2021, but he already ranks among the fastest players in baseball.

Player: Jack Harnisch, INF, Fordham
Relative: Pete Harnisch (father, 14 MLB seasons)
Jack’s dad accomplished plenty over his long career, logging nearly 2,000 and earning a selection to the 1991 NL All-Star team.

Player: Kenan Elarton, RHP/1B, Valor Christian (Col.) HS
Relative: Scott Elarton (father, 10 MLB seasons)
Scott, also a right-handed pitcher, was a 1994 first-round pick by the Astros and went on to throw 1,065 1/3 innings between four different clubs.

Player: Jarrod Hocking, OF, Servite (Calif.) HS
Relative: Denny Hocking (father, 13 MLB seasons)
Denny had a 13-year career in MLB despite being taken in the 52nd round of the 1989 Draft, spending time with the Twins, Rockies and Royals.

Player: Jason Andujar, 1B, Monroe College
Relative: Joaquin Andujar (father, 13 MLB seasons)
Joaquín, who passed away in 2015, has a home among the finest Dominican-born pitchers in MLB history -- he made four All-Star appearances and won a World Series in 1982.

Player: Caden Marcum, RHP, Paola (Kan.) HS
Relative: Shaun Marcum (uncle, 9 MLB seasons)
Shaun had his best years on the mound in Toronto and Milwaukee, and in his heyday from 2008-’12, pitched to a 3.57 ERA and 1.18 WHIP over 671 1/3 innings.

Player: Jackson Jaha, INF/RHP, Clackamas (Ore.) HS
Relative: John Jaha (father, 10 MLB seasons)
John had two 30-HR, 100-RBI seasons to his name, and even participated in the 1999 Home Run Derby, although he hit just one home run.

Player: Turner Spoljaric, RHP, Nottawasaga (Ont.) SS
Relative: Paul Spoljaric (father, 6 MLB seasons)
Paul logged 277 1/3 innings with four teams in his brief career, all before Turner was born in 2003.

Player: Dylan LaRue, C/INF, Blanco (Tex.) HS
Player: Tyler LaRue, C, Houston Baptist
Relative: Jason LaRue (father, 12 MLB seasons)
Both Dylan and Tyler got their affinity for catching from dad Jason, who was known for his defense – his career-high 61% caught stealing percentage in 2001 has only been topped twice since.

Player: Grant Jay, C, Mobile Christian (Ala.) HS
Relative: Joey Jay (grandfather, 13 MLB seasons)
Jay’s grandfather made his Major League debut at just 17 years old and went on to log over 1,500 innings, even finishing fifth in MVP voting in 1961.

Player: Jacob Watters, RHP, West Virginia
Relative: Jason Michaels (cousin, 11 MLB seasons)
Michaels, an outfielder, was a fourth-round pick in 1998 and spent time with the Phillies, Indians, Pirates and Astros.

Player: Cade Obermueller, LHP, City (Iowa) HS
Relative: Wes Obermueller (father, 5 MLB seasons)
Wes, a right-handed pitcher, had a brief Major League career, although he was taken in the second round of the 1999 Draft by the Royals, just six picks behind the aforementioned Carl Crawford.

Player: Carson Wells, OF, USC
Relative: Austin Wells (brother, Yankees prospect)
Catcher Austin was drafted in the 1st round of the 2020 Draft and now ranks as New York’s No. 4 prospect.

Player: Gavin Casas, 1B, Vanderbilt
Relative: Triston Casas (brother, Red Sox prospect)
Older brother Triston was a first-round pick by the Red Sox in 2018 and is now ranked their No. 2 prospect, in addition to being the No. 14 prospect in all of baseball, per MLB Pipeline.

OTHERS OF NOTE

Player: Kevin Madden, 3B, South Carolina
Relative: Joe Flacco (cousin, NFL player)
Flacco has played in parts of 11 seasons as a quarterback for the Ravens, Broncos and Jets. Known for his January heroics, Flacco led the Ravens to a Super Bowl championship in 2012.

Player: Derrick Mayes, OF, Maryland Eastern Shore
Relative: Russell Wilson (cousin, NFL player)
Not only is Wilson a Super Bowl champion and nine-time Pro Bowler, but he was also a fourth-round Draft pick by the Rockies back in 2010. Funny enough, the quarterback finds himself in Denver once again after being traded to the Broncos in March.

Player: Jason Swan, 1B/LF, Georgia Southern
Relative: Devin Hester and Jethro Pugh (cousins, NFL players); Andrew Walker (uncle, NBA player)
Talk about an athletic family. Hester was a three-time All-Pro and is considered one of the best kick returners of all time, Pugh won two Super Bowls with the Cowboys in the 1970s, and Walker played 40 games for the Jazz in 1976-77.

Player: Kaden Martin, OF, Buford (Ga.) HS
Relative: Tee Martin (father, NFL player)
Tee was Peyton Manning’s successor at quarterback at Tennessee, leading the Volunteers to their first NCAA title in over 50 years in 1998.