Golden Spikes Watch List led by MLB's top 13 Draft prospects

USA Baseball announced its 2024 Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List on Friday, featuring 55 players across high school and college baseball considered to be among the top candidates for the postseason award. The list includes each of the top 13 players on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Draft Prospects list.

The Golden Spikes Award Advisory Board will maintain the award’s watchlist on a rolling basis, allowing athletes to play themselves into consideration for the award based on their performances throughout the season.

In addition to the Advisory Board, amateur baseball fans will also have the chance to vote for their favorite players on GoldenSpikesAward.com, beginning on May 20 with the naming of the Golden Spikes Award semifinalists. USA Baseball will announce the finalists for the award on June 5 and fan voting will open again at GoldenSpikesAward.com through June 21.

Headlining this year's preseason list is 2023 semifinalist JJ Wetherholt, an infielder from West Virginia who ranks as the No. 1 prospect for the upcoming Draft, according to MLB Pipeline. A trio of other top Draft prospects that were also among semifinalists last year include: Wake Forest first baseman Nick Kurtz (No. 2), Georgia outfielder/first baseman Charlie Condon (No. 4) and Florida two-way star Jac Caglianone (No. 5).

In total, 36 of the 55 players named to the list rank among Pipeline's Top 100 Draft prospects, including each of the top 13 and 17 of the top 20.

LSU outfielder Dylan Crews won the award last year after helping lead the Tigers to a College World Series title. He was selected by the Washington Nationals with the second overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. Nine former winners -- including the likes of Bryce Harper (2010) and Adley Rutschman (2019) -- played in the Major Leagues last season.

Here is the complete list of all 55 players on the 2024 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award preseason watch list and where they fall on MLB Pipeline's Draft prospect rankings:

Matt Ager, RH, UC Santa Barbara (No. 52 Draft prospect)
Wehiwa Aloy, INF, Arkansas
Billy Amick, INF, Tennessee (No. 50 Draft prospect)
Ethan Anderson, C/UTIL, Virginia (No. 44 Draft prospect)
Travis Bazzana, INF, Oregon State (No. 3 Draft prospect)

Kevin Bazzell, C/INF, Texas Tech (No. 47 Draft prospect)
Drew Beam, RHP, Tennessee (No. 22 Draft prospect)
Derek Bender, C/INF, Coastal Carolina (No. 93 Draft prospect)
Carson Benge, OF/RHP, Oklahoma State (No. 26 Draft prospect)
Brody Brecht, RHP, Iowa (No. 17 Draft prospect)
Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest (No. 16 Draft prospect)
Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida (No. 5 Draft prospect)

Cam Caminiti, LHP/OF, Saguaro HS (AZ) (No. 19 Draft prospect)
Cam Cannarella, OF, Clemson
Charlie Condon, 1B/OF, Georgia (No. 4 Draft prospect)

Jacob Cozart, C, NC State (No. 80 Draft prospect)
Kaelen Culpepper, INF, Kansas State (No. 28 Draft prospect)
Randy Flores, INF, Alabama State
Rodney Green Jr., OF, California (No. 96 Draft prospect)
Konnor Griffin, OF/RHP, Jackson Prep (MS) (No. 8 Draft prospect)
Lawson Harrill, OF, Campbell
Josh Hartle, LHP, Wake Forest (No. 13 Draft prospect)
Jake Hjelle, OF, Minnesota-Crookston
Luke Holman, RHP, LSU (No. 35 Draft prospect)
Carter Holton, LHP, Vanderbilt (No. 49 Draft prospect)
Vance Honeycutt, OF, UNC (No. 6 Draft prospect)
Jeremiah Jenkins, INF, Maine
Ryan Johnson, RHP, Dallas Baptist (No. 68 Draft prospect)
Lebarron Johnson Jr., RHP, Texas
Dakota Jordan, OF, Mississippi State (No. 27 Draft prospect)
Gavin Kash, INF, Texas Tech
Seaver King, INF, Wake Forest (No. 9 Draft prospect)
Sam Kulasingam, INF, Air Force
Nick Kurtz, OF/INF, Wake Forest (No. 2 Draft prospect)

Jace LaViolette, OF, Texas A&M
Shane Lewis, OF, Troy
Caleb Lomavita, C, California (No. 21 Draft prospect)
Cole Messina, C, South Carolina
Braden Montgomery, OF/RHP, Texas A&M (No. 10 Draft prospect)
Christian Moore, INF, Tennessee (No. 67 Draft prospect)
Malcolm Moore, C, Stanford (No. 12 Draft prospect)
Tyson Neighbors, RHP, Kansas State (No. 69 Draft prospect)
Griff O'Ferrall, INF, Virginia (No. 32 Draft prospect)
Ethan Petry, OF/INF, South Carolina
Tanner Reaves, INF, Blinn CC
Brett Sanchez, RHP, Belhaven
Nolan Schubart, OF, Oklahoma State
Mike Sirota, OF, Northeastern (No. 11 Draft prospect)
Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas (No. 15 Draft prospect)
Devin Taylor, OF, Indiana
Payton Tolle, LHP/INF, TCU
JJ Wetherholt, INF, West Virginia (No. 1 Draft prospect)
Tommy White, 3B, LSU (No. 7 Draft prospect)
Trey Yesavage, RHP, East Carolina (No. 36 Draft prospect)
Gage Ziehl, RHP, Miami