St. Louis Cardinals complete 2022 MLB Draft

ST. LOUIS, Mo., July 19, 2022 – The St. Louis Cardinals concluded their 2022 Major League Baseball Draft, selecting 20 players over the three-day event. The Cardinals selected 19 collegians and one high school prep player. The players represented nine different states including eight hailing from California. The Cardinals selections by position included 13 pitchers, a catcher, two infielders, and four outfielders. Of the 13 pitchers, eight are right-handed and four are left-handers.

This year’s draft marks the first time St. Louis selected college players with its initial 19 picks since the 2004 draft when the first 26 selections were college players.

OF Nathan Church - 11th Round (337th overall) - University of California-Irvine

• Bats: Left Throws: Left
• 5-foot-11 180 lb.
• Lifetime .341/.405/.515 (174-511) with 12 home runs, 10 triples, 33 doubles, 104 RBI, and .920 OPS in 102 games over three seasons at UC Irvine.
• Hit .309 (67-217) with five home runs, nine doubles, and 38 RBI in 52 games this Spring.
• Played for State College Spikes in the 2021 Collegiate Summer MLB Draft League, hitting .343/.410/.600 (24-70) with four home runs, 17 RBI, and a 1.010 OPS in 19 games.
• 2021 Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Third Team All-American and Freshman All-American and All-Big West First Team.
• In 2021, led the NCAA in triples (8), also ranked nationally in hits (100, 3rd), doubles (24, 5th), and total bases (158, 7th). Set the program single-season record for hits.
• 2018 High School graduate of El Toro High School in Lake Forest, Calif., same school as Nolan Arenado and Austin Romine.

SS Michael Curialle - 12th Round (367th overall) - University of California-Los Angeles

• Bats: Right Throws: Right
• 6-foot-2 199 lb.
• Three-year starter at UCLA, primarily in right field. Played every position but pitcher, catcher, and first base during his Bruin career.
• Career .306/.380/.455 (142-464) with 47 extra-base hits and 41 RBI in 123 games at UCLA.
• Led the Bruins in batting (.319) and runs scored (49) in 2022.
• Played for Trenton Thunder in the 2022 Collegiate Summer MLB Draft League, hitting .353/.532/.471 (12-34) with a 1.003 OPS in 14 games.
• Originally selected by the Rockies in the 31st round of the 2019 MLB Draft from JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., but did not sign to attend UCLA.
• Replaced Royce Lewis as the starting shortstop at JSerra High School.

RHP Chandler Arnold - 13th Round (397th overall) - Dallas Baptist University

• Bats: Right Throws: Right
• 6-foot-2 189 lb.
• Career 6-5 with a 4.78 ERA (96.0 IP), nine saves, and 109 strikeouts in 39 games (12 starts) in three seasons with Dallas Baptist.
• Was 2-4 with a 5.29 ERA (47.2 IP), eight saves, and 57 strikeouts in 2022. Average 10.8 SO/9 IP.
• Pitched freshman season at Odessa (Tex.) Junior College, where he earned First Team All-Conference honors after going 6-3 with 3.26 ERA (69.0 IP) and team-leading 79 strikeouts in 14 appearances (12 starts).

RHP DJ Carpenter - 14th Round (427th overall)- Oregon State University

• Bats: Right Throws: Right
• 6-foot-8 242 lb.
• Pitched his junior season at Oregon State University, where he was teammates with Cardinals first round selection Cooper Hjerpe.
• Appeared in 22 games for the Beavers in 2022, going 2-3 with a 7.77 ERA (24.1 IP), and 31 strikeouts (11.5 SO/9).
• Logged a 1.93 ERA (9.1 IP) and 16 strikeouts as a sophomore at Central Arizona Community College, and helped them to a NJCAA national title as a freshman.
• Originally selected by the Phillies in the 15th round of the 2018 MLB Draft from Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, Calif., but did not sign.

RHP Matthew Hickey - 15th Round (457th overall) - Tarleton State University (Tex.)

• Bats: Left Throws: Right
• 6-foot-1 165 lb.
• Pitched 2022 season at Tarleton State in the Western Athletic Conference, going 2-2 with a 6.75 ERA (32.0 IP) in 21 games (one start). Struck out 40 against seven walks for a 5.71 strikeout/walk ratio and 11.3 SO/9.
• Pitched four seasons (2018-21) at Weatherford Community College (Tex.), going 8-4 with a 3.39 ERA, and 10 saves in 43 career appearance. Struck out 91 against 42 walks with a 10.75 SO/9 ratio.
• His brother, Nathan, was also pitcher at Tarleton, picking up conference pitcher of the year honors and holding school records.
• Is the 8th player all-time to be drafted from Tarleton State and 2nd by the Cardinals (1B Mike Cantu, 4th round in 1991).

RHP Hunter Hayes - 16th Round (487th overall) - University of the Pacific (Calif.)

• Bats: Right Throws: Right
• 6-foot-1 185 lb.
• Lifetime 2-14 with a 7.01 ERA (105.1 IP) and 99 strikeouts in 27 games (24 starts) over two seasons with Pacific.
• In 2022, led the Tigers in starts (14), innings pitched (64.2) and strikeouts (55).
• Pitched his freshman season at Folsom Lake Community College (Calif.).

SS Brody Moore - 17th Round (517th overall) - Auburn University

• Bats: Right Throws: Right
• 5-foot-11 183 lb.
• As a senior in 2022, hit .291/.351/.406 (74-254) while registering career highs in runs (46), hits (74), doubles (12), homers (five) and RBI (38).
• Started in 64 of 65 games at shortstop in 2022 and turned in a .982 fielding percentage, committing just four errors in 217 chances.
• Went 5-for-5 with a career-best four runs and season-best five RBI on June 4 vs. Florida State, finishing a homer shy of the cycle. Became the first Auburn Tiger since 2016 to record five hits in a game and the first player in program history to reach base seven times. His five hits and four runs matched an Auburn regional record.
• His father, Brandon, was an All-SEC player at Auburn (1991-94) and a member of the 1994 College World Series team. Like Brody, also was a 17th round draft selection in the MLB Draft in 1994 by the Chicago White Sox.
• Brody graduated from Oneonta (Ala.) High School, where his father is the head baseball coach.

LHP Jack (John) Lynch - 18th Round (547th overall) - Xavier University

• Bats: Left Throws: Left
• 5-foot-11 190 lb.
• Named to 2022 All-Big East First Team and ABCA/Rawlings All-East Region Second Team. Went 9-0 with a 2.66 ERA (64.1 IP) and 77 strikeouts in 28 games.
• Lifetime 10-3 with a 3.50 ERA in 45 relief appearances over three seasons for Xavier, striking out 101 over 90.0 innings for a 10.1 SO/9 ratio.
• Is the first player drafted by the Cardinals out of Xavier University.

OF Chris Rotondo Jr. - 19th Round (577th overall) - Villanova University

• Bats: Right Throws: Right
• 6-foot-0 200 lb.
• Played five overall seasons at Villanova (2018-22), hitting .292/.409/.498 with 20 home runs, 15 triples, 42 doubles, and 31 stolen bases in 177 games.
• Honored as 2022 All-Big East First Team and ABCA/Rawlings All-East Region Second Team. Hit .359/.475/.656 (69-192) with 12 home runs, 15 doubles, 37 RBI, and 14 stolen bases in 49 games.
• Former Villanova teammate of Cardinals minor league pitcher Gordon Graceffo, who was selected by St. Louis in the 5th round of the 2021 MLB Draft.

RHP Gavin Van Kempen - 20th Round (607th overall) - Maple Hill High School (NY)

• Bats: Right Throws: Right
• 6-foot-6 215 lb.
• Is committed to play at West Virginia University next season.
• During his senior season, posted a 6-1 record with a 0.59 ERA. He threw two no-hitters and struck out 94 in 35.2 innings of work. He walked eight and allowed just seven hits.
• Named to Rawlings-Perfect Game Preseason All-Northeast Region First Team.
• Attended the MLB Draft Combine at PETCO Park in San Diego in June.

2022 FIRST-YEAR PLAYER DRAFT – FINAL RECAP

Rd., Player (overall pick) | Pos. | B-T | Ht | Wt. | School | Hometown

DAY 1 -------------------

1. Cooper Hjerpe (22) | LHP | L-L | 6-3 | 200 | Oregon State University | Capay, Calif.

2. Brycen Mautz (59) | LHP | L-L | 6-3 | 190 | University of San Diego | San Diego, Calif.

DAY 2 -------------------

3. Pete Hansen (97) | LHP | R-L | 6-2 | 205 | University of Texas | El Dorado Hills, Calif.

4. Jimmy Crooks III (127) | C | L-R | 6-1 | 210 | University of Oklahoma | Euless, Tex.

5. Victor Scott II (157) | OF | L-L 5-11 | 190 | University of West Virginia | Powder Springs, Ga.

6. Max Rajcic (187) | RHP | R-R | 6-0 | 210 | University of California-Los Angeles | Fullerton, Calif.

7. Alex Iadisernia (217) | OF | L-L | 5-11 | 180 | Elon University (N.C.) | Jackson, N.J.

8. Cade Winquest (247) | RHP | R-R 6-2 | 205 | University of Texas at Arlington | Haslet, Tex.

9. Joseph King (277) | RHP | R-R | 6-1 | 194 | University of California-Berkeley | Redwood City, Calif.

10. Tanner Jacobson (307) | RHP | R-R 6-1 | 190 | Queens University of Charlotte (N.C.) | Pittsburgh, Pa.

DAY 3 -------------------

11. Nathan Church (337) | OF | L/L 5-11 | 180 | University of California-Irvine | Coto de Caza, Calif.

12. Michael Curialle (367) | SS | R/R 6-2 | 199 | Univ. of California-Los Angeles | Capistrano Valley, Calif.

13. Chandler Arnold (397) | RHP | R/R 6-2 | 189 | Dallas Baptist University | | | Mesquite, Tex.

14. DJ Carpenter (427) | RHP | R/R 6-8 | 242 | Oregon State University | Moreno Valley, Calif.

15. Matthew Hickey (457) | RHP L/R 6-1 | 165 | Tarleton State University (Tex.) | Glanbury, Tex.

16. Hunter Hayes (487) | RHP | R/R 6-1 | 185 | University of the Pacific | Citrus Heights, Calif.

17. Brody Moore (517) | SS | R/R 5-11 | 183 | Auburn University | Oneonta, Ala.

18. Jack Lynch (547) | LHP | L/L | 5-11 | 190 | Xavier University | Dallas, Tex.

19. Chris Rotondo (577) | OF | R/R | 6-0 | 200 | Villanova University | Redding, Conn.

20. Gavin Van Kempen (607) | RHP | R/R 6-6 | 215 | Maple Hill High School (N.Y.) | Castleton, N.Y.