These 2024 Draft picks could become their team's No. 1 prospect
Day 1 of the 2024 MLB Draft was held Sunday at the Cowtown Coliseum in the Fort Worth Stockyards. A lot was up in the air headed into the first round, including who would go No. 1 overall to the Guardians (spoiler: it was Oregon State second baseman Travis Bazzana), but there seemed to be even more surprises in store than is typical for the average Draft.
Cincinnati went with Wake Forest right-hander Chase Burns instead of Georgia slugger and Golden Spikes Award winner Charlie Condon at No. 2. Florida two-way star Jac Caglianone fell to the Royals at No. 6, and West Virginia middle infielder JJ Wetherholt (a No. 1 overall candidate) slid to the Cardinals at No. 7.
Top 15 Draft picks:
1. Bazzana | 2. Burns | 3. Condon | 4. Kurtz | 5. Smith | 6. Caglianone | 7. Wetherholt | 8. Moore | 9. Griffin | 10. King | 11. Rainer | 12. Montgomery | 13. Tibbs | 14. Smith | 15. Cijntje
As some of those shocks have begun to wear off through the later rounds of the Draft, we can pivot to what these players will bring to their new organizations. MLB Pipeline won’t officially add 2024 picks to the Top 100 overall and Top 30 team lists until we revamp all the lists after the signing deadline in August, but we can give a little preview on what could happen (with the caveat that these guys still have to sign).
Here are prospects who are likely to be their club’s new top prospect once they officially go pro:
Travis Bazzana, 2B, Guardians (No. 1 overall pick)
Bazzana’s combination of pure hitting ability, power and speed as a left-handed-hitting middle infielder pushed him to the No. 1 spot on the MLB Pipeline Top 250 Draft list ahead of Sunday and earned him the top pick in the class as well. He hit .407/.568/.911 with 28 homers, 76 walks and only 37 strikeouts in 60 games for the Beavers this spring. Cleveland’s current top prospect is outfielder Chase DeLauter, the 16th overall pick in 2022 who has shown five-tool potential and impressive results in reaching Double-A. He’s also been limited to 74 games due to multiple foot injuries. Bazzana vs. DeLauter would be a fun debate if health weren’t an issue -- Bazzana is the better hitter, DeLauter may provide more defensive value and has a pro resume -- but it is, and that gives the new guy the advantage.
Chase Burns, RHP, Reds (No. 2 overall)
Cincinnati selected a Wake Forest pitcher with the seventh overall pick last year in Rhett Lowder and went back to the Demon Deacons' rotation to snag Burns second this time around. This might depend on your flavor of pitching prospect. Lowder has three quality pitches in his fastball, slider and changeup but stands out most for his special control (17 walks in 73 2/3 innings this season). Burns has the louder arsenal with a fastball he can run up to 102 and a killer plus-plus slider that generates a ton of whiffs. His up-tempo, high-arm-slot delivery leads to some command questions, but the pure stuff can be mouth-watering. It’s why he led Division I with 191 strikeouts in 100 innings, and it’s why he’d nudge past Lowder on the Cincy list.
Charlie Condon, OF/3B, Rockies (third overall)
The casual fan and the most intense Draft sicko can agree on this -- the concept of Condon playing at Coors Field is incredibly fun. The Georgia superstar led Division I with a .433 average, 1.009 slugging percentage, 1.565 OPS, 37 homers, 58 extra-base hits and 233 total bases. Evaluators believe he could have plus-plus power in the end, regardless of altitude, and his plus hit tool from the right side only ups his offensive potential. Last year’s first-rounder Chase Dollander is off to a strong start in his first full season (and should be in Double-A by now), but Condon has superstar upside. He might just be Colorado’s most powerful prospect since Nolan Arenado graduated.
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Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Royals (sixth overall)
Caglianone’s hitting abilities seemed enough to get him in the top five picks. He crushed 68 homers over his final two seasons at Florida and drastically cut his strikeout total from 58 to 26 between his sophomore and junior years, despite running high chase rates. But the Royals seem willing to let him continue pitching as well to see if his upper-90s fastball, 90 mph cutter and above-average changeup can make him even more valuable on the pro side. Last year’s top pick Blake Mitchell is on his way to beating the odds as a first-round prep catcher, but even he, with his good pop and strong throwing arm, lacks Caglianone’s ceiling. Getting the Gator’s bat into the lineup alongside Bobby Witt Jr. -- which could happen quickly if he eventually focuses on hitting alone -- could be huge for Kansas City’s contention window.
JJ Wetherholt, SS/2B, Cardinals (seventh overall)
The West Virginia star went from No. 1 overall potential to the back half of the Top 10, perhaps in part due to concerns about a hamstring issue that limited him to 36 games this spring. He’s still arguably the best pure hitter in the class with great pitch recognition and contact rates, and he showed he can make plays at the premium position of shortstop this spring, including during the Mountaineers’ postseason run. Current top St. Louis prospect Tink Hence has impressive stuff but faces his own durability questions, having still yet to throw more than 96 innings in a season. Wetherholt’s chances of being an everyday player give him the leg up, and the thought of him playing up the middle alongside Masyn Winn is an enticing one in St. Louis.
Two more players who could be close calls:
Christian Moore, 2B, Angels (eighth overall)
The Halos went with a player with championship pedigree in Moore, a riser up the Draft class ranks as he led Tennessee to a College World Series title. The 21-year-old second baseman can be aggressive on pitches he can drive, allowing his power to play, but he’ll lay off enough pitches to work his walks, too. His running and defensive tools play closer to average, however, and he’d be competing with right-hander Caden Dana -- a 20-year-old with 90 1/3 impressive innings of Double-A experience already -- for the top spot in the Angels' system. It might take some similar pro success for Moore to seize that particular throne.
James Tibbs III, OF, Giants (13th overall)
Ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 12 Draft prospect, the ACC Player of the Year went right around where expected. His approach is excellent (37 strikeouts, 58 walks at Florida State in 2024), and his power could be at least above-average. He isn’t a burner, however, and might have to head to first base in the pros. The Giants have a solid first-base prospect already in 19-year-old big bopper Bryce Eldridge, and left-hander Carson Whisenhunt and shortstop Marco Luciano have already seen the upper levels, so there’s an interesting debate here.