Padres select RHP Henry Williams to lead off Day 2
Shaun O'Neill
@oapostrophesdSAN DIEGO -- The biggest name of the Padres’ 2022 Draft just might be a guy who hasn’t played in 33 years:
Tommy John.
The Padres started Day 2 of the MLB Draft on Monday the same way they started Day 1 -- by selecting a pitcher in the midst of rehabilitating from Tommy John surgery.
It was high school right-hander Dylan Lesko in the first round. On Monday, the Padres picked Duke University righty Henry Williams, who had the elbow reconstruction surgery in December and did not pitch during the 2022 college season. Another pick, 10th-rounder Jackson Smeltz of Purdue University, had Tommy John surgery in high school.
Here’s a look at the Padres’ selections on Day 2:
Henry Williams, RHP, Duke University
Third round (91st overall)
Notable skill: Williams pounds the strike zone. He had 45 strikeouts against only 10 walks in 37 innings in 2021 before being sidelined by the arm issues. He’s 6-foot-5, and the 20-year-old figures to add velocity to his low- to mid-90s fastball after completing his surgery rehab and filling out his frame.
Fun fact: Fitting for someone who wound up at Duke, Williams was the captain of the boys basketball team at Darien High School in Darien, Conn.
Quotable: “I had a lot of comfort in the fact that [Tommy John surgery] is such a common surgery, and that there’s a plan in place that’s tried and true.” -- Williams, to the New York Post
Lamar King Jr., C, Calvert Hall College HS (Towson, Md.)
Fourth round (120th overall)
Notable skill: The Baltimore-area product has raw power (14 home runs his senior season) that would be a huge asset from a catcher, but he will still provide value if he moves to another position. He’s 6-foot-3 but still rates well for his defensive skills, and he was the rare high school backstop who called pitches himself instead of getting the signals from a coach.
Fun fact: King’s dad, Lamar King Sr., played five seasons as a defensive end with the Seattle Seahawks.
Quotable: “It’s like my happy place -- hitting, the gym and baseball in general. So it’s fun for me, and I don’t feel like it’s work. It’s things I love to do.” -- King, to the Baltimore Sun
Nathan Martorella, 1B, University of California
Fifth round (150th overall)
Notable skill: A left-handed slugger who pounds fastballs, Martorella has an advanced understanding of the strike zone. He had more walks (34) than strikeouts (29) as a junior in 2022.
Fun fact: Martorella, out of Cal and Salinas High School, attended the same schools as former Padres outfielder Xavier Nady.
Quotable: “He could have played Division I football easily. I told him that. He said, ‘Coach, I love baseball.’” -- Salinas HS football coach Steve Zenk, to the Monterey Herald
Jakob Marsee, OF, Central Michigan University
Sixth round (180th overall)
Notable skill: Marsee’s bat-to-ball ability is what catches the eye. He raised his batting average and power numbers each year in college, topping out at .345/.467/.550 with seven home runs as a junior.
Fun fact: Marsee hit a grand slam in each game of a doubleheader against Western Michigan in May.
Quotable: “He doesn't over-swing, and just runs at the ball and hits it hard.” -- Central Michigan coach Jordan Bischel
Nick Vogt, OF, UC Santa Barbara
Seventh round (210st overall)
Notable skill: Vogt is a late-blooming hitter who brings plus speed to the outfield. He batted below .200 in his first two college seasons, but he broke through in summer ball in 2021 and built on that to hit .317 with a .946 OPS as a junior.
Fun fact: Vogt excelled in the postseason, earning a spot on the Stanford Regional all-regional team.
Griffin Doersching, 1B, Oklahoma State University
Eighth round (240th overall)
Notable skill: Power, power, power. Doersching hits the ball far -- as evidenced by his 513-foot drive earlier this year. He hit 62 home runs in five college seasons, finishing as a graduate transfer for Oklahoma State after four years at Northern Kentucky University.
Fun fact: Doersching won the College Home Run Derby in 2019.
Quotable: “It's been a dream of mine since I was about 10 to win the [Major League] Home Run Derby."-- Doersching, to WKRC
Dylan Nedved, RHP, University of Iowa
Ninth round (270th overall)
Notable skill: Nedved relies on command and pitching savvy while bringing a rubber arm to the mound. He was Iowa’s Friday starter and also pitched out of the bullpen. He was a two-way player until this year, so athleticism is an asset.
Fun fact: Nedved was a college teammate of Adam Mazur, the Padres’ second-round pick.
Quotable: “I really just want the ball in my hands. I’ll take it whenever I can get it.” -- Nedved
Jackson Smeltz, LHP, Purdue University
10th round (300th overall)
Notable skill: Is perseverance a skill? Smeltz has it in droves. He was diagnosed with a non-cancerous brain tumor in junior high school, and had to take a year away from classes. Then his high school career was cut short by Tommy John surgery. He had hip surgery during college and saw his senior year shortened by a muscle strain.
Fun fact: His favorite athlete, according to his Purdue bio, is former QB Drew Brees, who starred for the Boilermakers before his NFL career with the Chargers and Saints.
Quotable: “I wouldn’t be here without the trials I’ve been through.” -- Smeltz, to the Lafayette Journal & Courier
The final day of the Draft, featuring Rounds 11-20, begins at 11 a.m. PT on Tuesday on MLB.com.