Top 10 Class of 2022 baseball players in Iowa
BOONE, Iowa (BVM) – The Iowa high school baseball season is set to begin in mid-May and in honor of that, a list of the 10 best seniors has been put together. However, the consensus No. 1 player in the Class of 2022 from Iowa, Tommy Specht, was not on the list as he announced in early March that he would not be playing in his final high school season. With that being said, here are the 10 best high school baseball players in the state of Iowa for the Class of 2022.
1. Justin Hackett, RHP/INF – Winterset High School
With Tommy Specht off the list, it only makes sense to have the next highest MLB Draft prospect from Iowa as No. 1. Justin Hackett is currently considered the No. 310 prospect in the 2022 MLB Draft according to prospectslive.com. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound senior led Winterset to a 22-12 record and an appearance in the Class 3A state tournament. On offense, Hackett led the Huskies in batting average (.466), home runs (5), RBIs (32), on base percentage (.550) and slugging percentage (.718). The TCU commit also pitched 52 innings with 87 strikeouts and a 2.02 ERA.
#TCU commit Justin Hackett (‘22) wins a heavyweight battle against #BBN commit Tommy Specht (‘22) with this CH
Hackett sitting 90-92 with the FB early, mixing in the breaker with feel to land at 72-74, best pitch so far is the fading CH with depth at 82. @IowaSticks pic.twitter.com/cTPyAmUucG
— Nate Schweers (@NateSchweers) April 3, 2022
2. Dylan Davis, OF – John F. Kennedy High School
Davis was one of only two juniors to receive Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association 2021 Class 4A first team all-state honors. Davis was an offensive juggernaut for the Cougars last year, going .466/.559/.966. His 53 RBIs and 13 home runs were the most of any junior in Class 4A and he also had 16 doubles which was second most. Once on base, the 6-foot-5, 210-pound Davis was still a threat as he had 26 stolen bases on 28 attempts.
After going big fly off the scoreboard in his last at bat, OF/1B Dylan Davis (‘22, Cedar Rapids, IA) hits his SECOND HOMERUN OF THE INNING here❗️❗️❗️ This one was a towering shot that hung up in the air for a long time @PG_Uncommitted #SpringLeague pic.twitter.com/pKvoq6mGih
— Perfect Game Iowa (@IowaPG) April 24, 2021
3. Aaron Savary, RHP – Dubuque Wahlert Catholic High School
Savary was an ace for the Class 3A state runners-up. The Iowa commit went 9-1 last year for the Golden Eagles including a thrilling state quarterfinal win over Winterset. Savary pitched all seven innings for Wahlert, giving up just one run and striking out 13 Huskies. In all, Savary pitched 66 innings with a 1.27 ERA, 96 strikeouts and a 0.76 WHIP. Savary also was second on the team in RBIs with 32 and had a .319 batting average.
#Hawkeyes commit Aaron Savary (‘22, Dubuque, IA) ran his FB up to 88 today en route to a 6 inning shutout performance. Struck out 5 and gave up just 2 hits. Live arm with good SL/CB mix that keeps hitters off balance @PGIASelect #MWSelect pic.twitter.com/xLOR1M5Dhg
— Perfect Game Iowa (@IowaPG) September 26, 2021
4. Gable Mitchell, SS – Iowa City High School
The three-sport athlete helped Iowa City to a 29-14 record and an appearance in the Class 4A Substate 6 Championship. The Little Hawks lost a close one but Mitchell still had an impressive season. Mitchell stole 30 bases while having a .352 batting average with one homerun, two triples and six doubles. The Iowa Hawkeye commit is also a great defender and will be looking to make one final run with the Little Hawks before heading to campus.
Gable Mitchell (2022-SS-Iowa City, IA) Athletic actions defensively with plus range to each side. #PGShowcase pic.twitter.com/KrALKmoVAc
— PG Showcases (@PGShowcases) August 17, 2019
5. Reese Moore, C – Van Meter High School
Last year for Forest City, Moore posted an impressive .303/.600/.773 with 31 RBIs, five home runs, four triples and eight doubles. The Iowa commit also scored 46 runs and showed off his discipline at the plate by getting walked 45 times. The No. 1-ranked catching prospect in Iowa has transferred to the Class 2A state champions Van Meter for his senior season and will be a key contributor for a Bulldogs team that is trying to defend its state title.
'22 Reese Moore @rmoore_03, C, Forest City – Physical frame, laces a hard single to LCF for #TeamIAMNNE #PBRFutureGames pic.twitter.com/N2bTwrT8QS
— Prep Baseball Iowa (@PrepBaseballIA) August 3, 2020
6. Kellen Strohmeyer, UTL – Dubuque Hempstead High School
Strohmeyer was one of the best shortstops and infielders in the state last year. The Iowa commit led Dubuque Hempstead in hits with 61 and was second on the team in RBIs with 32. He posted .427/.500/.636 with three home runs, three triples and 15 doubles. Strohmeyer played a key role in the Mustangs’ Mississippi Valley Conference title and Class 4A Substate 5 Championship. He and Dubuque Hempstead will try to get back to the state tournament after losing in the quarterfinals to eventual state runners-up Johnston.
#Hawkeyes commit Kellen Strohmeyer (‘22, Dubuque, IA) started the day with laser 2B to the oppo gap, and he ends it with this seed into RF. Swing has looked good to start the #PGSpringLeague, has shown pop to both gaps pic.twitter.com/Je2bRR4FlT
— Perfect Game Iowa (@IowaPG) April 9, 2022
7. Anthony Watts, RHP – Waukee Northwest High School
Watts went 4-2 on the mound last season for Waukee and helped the Warriors reach the state tournament in its last year before splitting into two high schools. Watts pitched 42.1 innings for the Warriors with a 1.98 ERA with 53 strikeouts and a 0.99 WHIP. Watts is committed to pitch at Creighton but first he will be Waukee Northwest’s ace in its inaugural season.
#Creighton commit Anthony Watts (‘22) showing a great combo between the heavy FB and firm SL
Sitting 89-90(91) and pairing that SL (84-85) well off the riding action of the Fb, plenty of length and room to fill the frame pic.twitter.com/5AvVbWwAei
— Iowa Sticks Baseball (@IowaSticks) February 24, 2022
8. Boede Rahe, RHP – Marion High School
The ace for the reigning Class 3A state champions will be a part of the defense of that state title before he begins his collegiate career at Kirkwood Community College. Rahe was 11-0 last season for Wolves. In his 65.2 innings pitched, Rahe had 90 strikeouts with a 1.07 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. He led all of Class 3A in wins last season. If Marion wants to win back-to-back titles, Rahe will have to have another strong season.
Kirkwood CC commit Boede Rahe (‘22, Marion, IA) struck out 9 out of 10 batters faced today. FB sat 84-86/T87 while his sharp 12/6 CB came in at 76 #PGSpringLeague pic.twitter.com/RlXDmxztTu
— Perfect Game Iowa (@IowaPG) April 3, 2022
9. Dillon Kuehl, OF – Urbandale High School
Kuehl was behind Davis amongst juniors in almost every offensive category and he was also the only other junior that earned Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association 2021 Class 4A first team all-state honors. Kuehl led Urbandale in home runs (10) and RBIs (49) while going .395/.524/.746 with eight doubles and six stolen bases. Kuehl will play an important role in Urbandale getting back to the state tournament.
'22 OF Dillon Kuehl, @dillonkuehl1 from @UrbandaleJHawks. Hard fly ball contact. Uphill swing plane w/ pull side power #TeamSelect pic.twitter.com/BmuHCo94Kp
— Prep Baseball Iowa (@PrepBaseballIA) August 3, 2020
10. Jett Neuberger, LHP – Clear Lake High School
Neurberger was dominant on the mound last season for Clear Lake. The Lions’ ace posted a 1.92 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 51 innings pitched. His 103 strikeouts were the second most of any junior in the state. Neuberger also led Clear Lake in RBIs with 24 and will look to continue his dominance on the mound this season.
