2022 MLB Draft Profile: Chris Sparber
Shore Conference 2022 MLB Draft Prospect Profile
Chris Sparber, Louisberg College (NC)
High School (Graduation Year): Red Bank Catholic (2020 – Season canceled due to COVID)
University plans: Virginia Tech
2022 statistics: .433/.512/.851, 15 2B, 1 3B, 14 HR, 45 R, 57 RBI, 9 SB
HS Junior Year Stats: .282/.424/.359, 4 2B, 1 3B, 15 R, 17 RBI, 5 SB
high school resume
Sparber showed a lot of promise in his second season at Red Bank Catholic, when he took over as starting catcher mid-season and hit .348 while hitting three homers. His junior year was tougher, as he hit under .300 and didn’t go deep. Sparber looked set for a big senior year after putting in a lot of off-season work in the cage, but never got the change to show it due to the cancellation of the 2020 season.
Chris Sparber, senior Catholic from Red Bank. (Photo by Paula Lopez)
After high school
Sparber was able to hang on at Louisburg College in North Carolina and was finally able to put all that hard work in the cage to good use. The RBC graduate is coming off his second monster season in junior college, slashing .429/.516/.843 with 26 home runs and 104 RBIs in 266 plate appearances over the past two seasons. In addition to dominating production, Sparber walked more than he hit and improved his defense behind the plate between his freshman and sophomore seasons.
Why Teams Love It
Sparber showed he could indeed hit in his two Juco seasons and although he also showed enough behind the plate to give him a chance to get back there as a pro, the great hitting performance left him will also give a chance to play elsewhere on the diamond without putting him at a disadvantage. He hits the ball hard and in the air, which is what teams look for in hitters at the big league level. If he can effectively defend behind the plate, any team that shoots him could have a great prospect on their hands.
Why Teams May Hesitate
While the numbers are robust, they’ve arrived at Juco level, so should be taken with a healthy dose of skepticism. That’s not to say they should be ignored: increasingly, junior colleges produce strong Division I contributors who become strong contributors within Major League organizations. There’s just a screening process that scouting departments have to go through and Sparber is going through it now.
The good news for the old Casey is that Virginia Tech is sold to him. Sparber is set to join the Hokies this fall and will have a great chance to start at catcher for a team that won the regular-season conference title and reached the NCAA Tournament Super Regionals in 2022. It will be the likely path for Sparber, but if a Major League club is as convinced of his abilities as Virginia Tech, they’ll have to listen to his pitch.
Other 2022 MLB Draft hopes from the shore
Trey Dombroski, Monmouth (Wall)
Noah Dean, Old Dominion (Pinelands)
Liam Simon, Notre Dame (Freehold Township)
Zach Crotchfelt, Jackson Memorial
Andrew Fischer, Wall
Alex Iadisernia, Elon (Jackson Memorial)
Cam Leiter, Central Regional
David Glancy, St. John’s (Red Bank Catholic)