Alabama Starting Pitcher, And Potential 2022 Top Pick, Needs Tommy Johns

Alabama pitcher Connor Prielipp was expected to be in the running for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, but a case of rotten luck has changed that.

Per D1 Baseball, Prielipp is undergoing Tommy John surgery on Thursday and will miss the remainder of the 2021 season. Given the normal timeframe of Tommy John surgery, Prielipp stands a good chance of missing all of 2022, too.

"Prielipp made just three appearances this year, most recently on May 16 against Louisiana State University," noted CBS Sports. "In that outing, he allowed two runs on three hits, including a home run. For his collegiate career, he now possesses a 0.96 ERA and a 6.71 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 28 innings. Prielipp has punched out 47 of the 103 batters he's faced since arriving on campus."

Prielipp, 21, is left-handed, and Prospects Live ranked him atop its list of the top 100 prospects entering the season.

"After dazzling in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Prielipp enters 2021 as a must-watch arm for the 2022 class," Prospects Live wrote. "He's added 25 pounds of muscle during quarantine, which has led to FB velocity at 93-96 MPH and has topped out at 97 this fall with command. His slider is firm and sat 88-90 MPH with late break, and there's a developing change-up in the mid-80's that has promise. He's likely to be the first arm off the board in 2022."

Meanwhile, Lines.com had Prielipp getting selected third overall by the Texas Rangers in its 2022 mock draft. Sadly though, Prielipp is likely to drop to at least the second round and perhaps beyond.

Written by
Sam Amico spent 15 years covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated, FOX Sports and NBA.com, along with a few other spots, and currently runs his own basketball website on the side, FortyEightMinutes.com.