Cleveland Guardians Take Oklahoma State Pitcher Justin Campbell with 37th Pick in MLB Draft

Oklahoma State’s ace didn’t have to wait long in the MLB Draft to hear his name called.

The Cleveland Guardians took Justin Campbell with the 37th pick in the 2022 draft, the selection was with a competitive balance pick following the first round. Campbell was an All-American for the Cowboys this past season after throwing 101.1 innings where he had a 3.82 ERA and 141 strikeouts. That strikeout total was in the Top 10 nationally.

Because of COVID, Campbell was listed as a sophomore on the Cowboys’ 2022 roster, but it was his third season in Stillwater. He entered Oklahoma State as a two-way player, throwing from the mound while also taking hacks at the plate.

In a shortened 2020 season, Campbell was a Freshman All-American after boasting a 4.43 ERA with 22 strikeouts on the mound and hitting .414 with a home run and seven RBIs at the dish.

He followed that up with a stellar 2021 campaign that earned him All-America honors. On the mound, Campbell had a 2.57 ERA with a team-best 102 strikeouts in 84 innings pitched. He hit .269 in 67 at-bats, recording 10 RBIs and one home run.

The technical term for when Campbell was selected was the Competitive Balance Round A, which comes after the traditional first round. Here is how the MLB explains it:

The 10 lowest-revenue clubs and the clubs from the 10 smallest markets are eligible to receive a Competitive Balance pick (fewer than 20 clubs are in the mix each year, as some clubs qualify under both criteria). All eligible teams are assigned a pick, either in Competitive Balance Round A or Round B. Round A falls between the first and second rounds of the Rule 4 draft, while Round B comes between the second and third.

Clubs drafting in the Competitive Balance Rounds also receive more international bonus pool money than the minimum of $4.75 million. Those drafting in Competitive Balance Round A will receive $5.25 million, while those in Competitive Balance Round B will get $5.75 million.

Unlike other Draft picks, Competitive Balance Draft picks can be traded. However, they cannot be dealt simply in exchange for cash, and can be traded only by the club to which it was awarded. In other words, the picks may be traded no more than once.

Campbell was the second player with Cowboy ties taken Sunday after OSU signee Jackson Holliday, son of Matt Holliday, was selected with the No. 1 overall pick by the Baltimore Orioles.