Youngest prospect in 2022 MLB Draft has bright future ahead
PACE, Fla. (BVM) – The No. 22 overall prospect for the Class of 2022 per the Prep Baseball Report, 17-year-old Walter Ford, will be the youngest player to enter this year’s MLB Draft. Previously one of the most highly-ranked right-handers in the Class of 2023, Ford made the decision to reclassify early last fall and fast-track his future in baseball.
“At the end of last summer, I decided to age up,” Ford said. “We were in Alabama at the time, and you can’t skip a grade there. So we ended up moving back to Florida and it was a no-brainer. We have a ton of friends and family here, I have so many baseball connections here. Even though I’ve moved around a bit, Pace has always felt like home for me – it’s where my roots are.”
Ford began his prep career at Pace HS and transferred to Hoover High in Alabama after his freshman season. As a sophomore, he led the Buccaneers to the 2021 AHSAA Class 7A state title game while he maintained a 1.85 ERA through 29.2 innings that season. He also owned a .326 batting average and recorded seven home runs in 2021. This monster season was the catalyst for the best summer of baseball of Ford’s career.
The righty shined at the Perfect Game National Showcase in June where he tossed one scoreless inning and hit a top speed of 97 mph. In August, Ford was one of few underclassmen at the East Coast Pro showcase in Hoover, proving once again that age is just a number. He went on to pitch for USA Baseball’s 16U/17U National Development Program in North Carolina, where he pitched three shutout innings with four strikeouts, no walks and one hit. It was this performance that garnered Ford a spot at the USA Baseball’s 18U national team trials in Sarasota, Florida.
Not surprisingly, Ford impressed at the trials, striking out some of the nation’s top hitters. Once he made the final roster, Ford was again one of few underclassmen on the team and continued to toss shutout innings. This dominance against older and more experienced players sealed Ford’s decision to reclassify and expedite his baseball career.
“Throughout the entire summer, I played up with older guys and it was incredible,” Ford said. “I fell in love with the speed of the game – it was a lot quicker – and the competitiveness. It was just a different level of competition and I not only loved it, but I held my own. That, coupled with my ability to be responsible for myself all summer showed that I was ready for the next level.”
With the draft approaching, Ford’s potential collegiate career at Alabama is an incredible second option. The righty’s commitment to the Tide came at the age of 14 after a fast and furious recruitment process. It was at 13 years old that Ford began his career on the mound and as he became more comfortable with his pitches and saw his velocity rise, his notoriety picked up right along with it.
“I had always wanted to be on the mound, but I wasn’t that good in the beginning,” Ford said. “The first time I ever pitched, my dad told me that I would never be a pitcher. It was that bad. Of course, jokes on him now.”
Once Ford began to receive college offers, his commitment to Alabama came quickly.
“I hadn’t even stepped foot on a high school field and I started to hear from different colleges,” Ford said. “Once the first college talked to me, it got the ball rolling and all of the sudden, a ton of schools were contacting me all at once. Alabama was the first school that reached out and they were the last school to offer me. I was holding out for them – Alabama was definitely my top choice.”
With his future unknown, Ford is focused on his final prep season at Pace. The Patriots are already sitting on a winning record and are undefeated in district play. Ford will look to hone in on fundamentals and have fun with his teammates as they make a push for a state title.
“I don’t know what’s next,” Ford said. “I have a lot of high school baseball left in front of me, so that’s my main focus. So for now I am just working my tail off and having fun with my team. We have a solid team this year – a really good group of arms and our bats are lights out. We have a good shot at making a run this year in the playoffs and I think a state championship is doable.”
Whether Ford’s dream of being selected in the first round of the draft comes true, or his dream of suiting up for the Tide becomes a reality, his future holds promise. And with the goal of becoming an MLB All-Star, there is no question this athlete has multiple paths to get there.
“I’ve been the youngest in everything I have done,” Ford said. “Being the youngest player in the draft this year is crazy but maybe it’s my good luck charm. I’d love to go in the first round – that has been a dream of mine since I can remember. But I’ve been looking forward to the chance to play for Alabama ever since I was 14 years old, so I really can’t go wrong here. All I know is that baseball is in my future and I’m going to do everything in my power to make it. I have a ‘Shoot for the moon, fall on the stars’ mentality and I truly believe it will get me where I want to be.”
