The Oklahoma Sooners have been playing as well as anyone over the last two months. Winners of five straight series to close the regular season, the Big 12 tournament title, and now one win away from the College World Series championship, Oklahoma has defied the odds and played like the best team in college baseball.
At the forefront of their incredible run is shortstop Peyton Graham. In the midst of a 16-game hitting streak dating back more than a month, Graham has been the centerpiece of the Sooners’ offense. Over that span, he’s hit seven home runs and collected 22 RBIs.
Heading into the College World Series, Graham was rated the No. 2 prospect by ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel (ESPN+). Joining Graham on the list were Jake Bennett at No. 7, Jimmy Crooks at No. 8, and Cade Horton at No. 14. Here’s what McDaniel had to say about Graham.
Graham is similar to Tim Anderson of the White Sox. Both are slim-framed shortstops with excellent tools who are limited a bit by swinging too often. Graham has a shot, buoyed by a better approach down the stretch, to sneak in the 20 to 30 range. Bennett is in the second or third round with some reliever questions but above average stuff from the left side. Crooks is also in that mix with a solid approach and sure hands behind the plate. Cade Horton is a round behind them with outstanding stuff, but still needs more refinement given a recent Tommy John surgery, two-way play and a football background. Second baseman Jackson Nicklaus (2024) is another potential early-round prospect. – McDaniel, ESPN
Graham has been on a tear over the last several months. His 20 home runs, 71 RBIs, and 34 stolen bases RBIs lead the Oklahoma Sooners. On Sunday night, in Oklahoma’s win over Notre Dame, he accomplished something that hadn’t been done since the 1980s.
Per @ESPNStatsInfo Peyton Graham (@OU_Baseball) is the first player with 4 hits and 2 stolen bases in a MCWS game since Barry Bonds for Arizona State in 1984.
— Anthony Robinson (@ARobinson_) June 20, 2022
Graham is a 20-20 threat at the Major League level. He’s put on display an ability to get on base and hit for average in the NCAA tournament and fighting off the perceived struggles with breaking pitches.
Oklahoma is on the verge of making its historic run into the College World Series championship and Peyton Graham has been a huge part of it. As Oklahoma gets deeper into the tournament, more and more baseball fans are going to become familiar with the Sooners standout before he moves onto what will be a promising Major League Baseball career.
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