On Monday, Stanford junior short stop Adam Crampton went #257 overall to the Baltimore Orioles in the 9th round of the 2022 MLB Draft. Crampton was the first selection of the 9th round. This past season, Crampton hit one home run for 40 RBIs to go along with a .316 batting average, a .395 on-base percentage, and a .392 slugging percentage.
While his offensive numbers don’t scream major league, Crampton’s calling card is on defense. He was named the 2022 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and was really critical to Stanford’s defense on the infield totaling 71 put outs, 174 assists, and only 5 errors for a .980 fielding percentage. He is simply sensational at short stop.
Crampton’s biggest strength on offense is definitely his base running. He was number two on the team in stolen bases (11) while also not getting caught stealing once. He successfully converted all 11 of his stolen base attempts, which was the highest percentage of anyone on the team who attempted at least three steals.
While it’s obviously tough for any 9th rounder to make it to the major league level, Crampton’s defensive prowess and base running will give him a chance. The real key for him will be to improve his hitting enough that he isn’t a liability on offense. As good as his defense is, he will need to be able to prove that he can get hits and be worthy of being inserting into a lineup.
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