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2024 Amateur Draft

Orioles Sign First-Rounder Vance Honeycutt

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The Orioles announced Thursday morning that they’ve signed first-round pick Vance Honeycutt. The UNC outfielder, selected with the No. 22 overall pick, was the last remaining unsigned first-round pick after ECU righty Trey Yesavage — the No. 20 overall selection — agreed to terms with the Blue Jays less than an hour ago. Honeycutt will take home a $4MM bonus, reports Jim Callis of MLB.com, which sits a bit north of his $3.802MM slot value.

Honeycutt, 21, played three seasons for the Tar Heels and batted a combined .293/.412/.638 during his NCAA career — including a massive .318/.410/.714 batting line and 28 home runs during his junior season. Those 28 round-trippers tied him with No. 1 overall pick Travis Bazzana for seventh in all of Division-I baseball.

The 6’3″, 205-pound Honeycutt has clear raw power, and in spite of his gaudy batting line it’s his defensive acumen for which he draws the most praise. He’s a two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year who scouts believe can stick in center field while showing plus range and a plus arm. Eye-catching as his 28 homers and hefty slash stats were throughout his career, Honeycutt has regularly punched out at a high rate, including during his junior season when he went down on strikes in 27.5% of his plate appearances. He still drew walks at a strong 11.9% clip, but the frequent punchouts have created a relatively wide range of opinions.

Baseball America, for instance, ranked him as the draft’s No. 13 prospect. Other outlets weren’t all so bullish. MLB.com listed him 22nd. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel ranked him 25th. Keith Law of The Athletic tabbed him as the No. 41 prospect, and FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen ranked him 42nd. That still makes him one of the consensus top position players in the draft and a clear Day 1 talent, but Honeycutt’s shaky contact skills create a broad range of offensive outcomes, even as his power, speed and defensive aptitude give him a reasonable floor. Callis and colleague Jonathan Mayo perhaps put it best in their scouting writeup for MLB.com: “How much Honeycutt hits will determine if he becomes Drew Stubbs or better than that.”

Blue Jays, First-Rounder Trey Yesavage Agree To Deal

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The Blue Jays are in agreement with first-round pick Trey Yesavage on a $4.1775MM bonus, reports Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. The East Carolina righty was one of just two unsigned first-rounders left on the board with the deadline to sign 2024 draftees looming at 5pm ET today. His bonus checks in slightly north of the No. 20 selection’s $4.07MM slot value.

Yesavage, who turned 21 earlier this week, went from a reliever with 4.50 ERA and pronounced command troubles as a freshman at ECU to obliterating opposing lineups in his sophomore and junior seasons. He pitched 93 innings this past season, logging a minuscule 2.03 ERA with a 40.4% strikeout rate against an 8.9% walk rate. Listed at 6’4″ and 225 pounds, he sports a prototypical starter’s frame and was considered one of the top pitching prospects in this year’s draft class.

Each of MLB.com (No. 11), Baseball America (No. 11), The Athletic (No. 13), ESPN (No. 14) and FanGraphs (No. 19) ranked Yesavage among the top 20 talents in this summer’s draft. He draws praise for a fastball that sits comfortably in the 93-95mph range and tops out at 98mph when he needs it. Yesavage’s secondary offerings are headlined by a splitter and a slider, the former giving him a clear weapon against lefties and the latter giving him a second breaking pitch to show righties.

Yesavage underwent a frightening medical scare late in the season when he was hospitalized with a partially collapsed lung. (ECU coach Cliff Godwin posted a video detailing the situation at the time.) The Athletic’s Melissa Lockard spoke with Yesavage after the draft and wrote that the lung issue was “most likely caused by an accident during a dry needling session.” right-hander remarkably was cleared to return to the mound just a couple weeks later and made his final start of the season opposite eventual No. 2 overall pick Chase Burns and Wake Forest.

Notable Draft Signings: 7/31/24

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Konnor Griffin and Braden Montgomery inked significant draft deals in recent days, both of which were covered this morning at MLBTR. Pre-draft rankings and scouting reports are provided by Keith Law of the Athletic, Baseball America, FanGraphs and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel. A few other $2MM+ signings from this week:

  • The Twins signed Kaelen Culpepper at $3.9344MM, reports Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline (X link). The Kansas State infielder gets full slot value for the 21st pick. Culpepper generally ranked a bit below where he was selected on pre-draft prognostications. Evaluators credit him with a well-rounded offensive skillset and the tools to potentially stick at shortstop, though there’s some trepidation about his propensity to chase pitches outside the strike zone. The right-handed hitter put up a .328/.419/.574 slash with 11 homers and 17 stolen bases in his final season with the Wildcats. Trey Yesavage (Blue Jays) and Vance Honeycutt (Orioles) are the remaining unsigned first-round picks headed into tomorrow evening’s deadline.
  • The Pirates went above slot to ink second-rounder Wyatt Sanford away from a commitment to Texas A&M. Callis reports (on X) that the high school agreed to a $2.5MM bonus that’s above the approximate $1.98MM value for the 47th pick. FanGraphs writes that Sanford could be the best defensive player in the high school class, while Law calls him a potential plus gloveman at shortstop. He’ll need to fill out a 6’1″ frame to provide much punch offensively, but his glove had him as fringe first-round talent in the eyes of most evaluators.

Pirates Agree To Terms With First-Round Pick Konnor Griffin

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The Pirates have agreed on a contract with first-round draft selection Konnor Griffin, as first reported by Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The team chose Griffin with the ninth overall pick, which came with a slot value slightly under $6.22MM. He signed for a bonus of just over $6.53MM, retracting his prior commitment to LSU.

After celebrating his 18th birthday in April, Griffin was the youngest player (and the only high schooler) taken with one of this year’s top 10 picks. Baseball America and MLB Pipeline ranked him as the No. 9 prospect entering the draft, while Keith Law of The Athletic had him at No. 10 and FanGraphs had him at No. 12.

Griffin excelled as both a hitter and a pitcher at Jackson Preparatory School, but he will begin his professional career as a position player. However, the evaluators at Baseball America suggest he has “a real fallback option as a pitcher.” That should tell you just how strong his tools are as a hitter and defender. Nearly every source agrees he has plus power, terrific speed, a strong arm, and the skills to be a valuable defender at shortstop or in center field. With so many tools at his disposal, it’s easy to see plenty of All-Star appearances in his future. That said, most evaluators have Griffin in the high (or even extreme) risk category given his youth and questions about how his hit tool will hold up against tougher competition.

Baseball America has Griffin immediately slotting in as the top position player and the second-best prospect in the Pirates’ system.

Red Sox Agree To Terms With First-Round Pick Braden Montgomery

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The Red Sox have signed 2024 12th overall pick Braden Montgomery, as first reported by Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. The 21-year-old outfielder will receive a $5MM signing bonus, slightly less than the $5.48MM slot value of the 12th overall pick.

After two years at Stanford University, Montgomery transferred to Texas A&M for his junior year. Across 61 games (295 PA), the powerful switch-hitter batted .322 with 27 home runs, good for a 1.187 OPS. While he also pitched in 25 games over his two years with the Stanford Cardinal, he only pitched twice with the Aggies, giving up four earned runs in two innings of work. While he can touch the mid-90s with his fastball, he will presumably focus on hitting and playing the outfield as a professional.

Montgomery suffered an ankle injury in June, and he was seen riding around the draft on a scooter with his right foot in a walking boot. However, Speier notes it is “not considered a major issue” for the young outfielder.

Many experts (including those at Baseball America and FanGraphs) expected Montgomery to be a top-10 pick in this year’s draft, so the Red Sox should be quite pleased they landed him with the No. 12 selection. As Keith Law of The Athletic put it, “The Red Sox may have just gotten the steal of the draft so far.” Law had Montgomery as the No. 4 draft prospect on his pre-draft rankings. He describes the youngster as a “true switch-hitter,” though he notes that Montgomery’s hit tool and plate discipline are stronger from the left side. Law also had high praise for his throwing arm, suggesting he has a future as a plus defender in right field. Montgomery slots in as Boston’s No. 4 prospect, according to Baseball America. Due to his ankle injury, he will not debut in the Red Sox system until 2025.

Notable Draft Signings: 7/27/24

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A trio of draft prospects agreed to signing bonuses of more than $2MM today, each of which was first reported by MLB.com’s Jim Callis. (Links from X). Pre-draft rankings and scouting reports are provided by Keith Law of the Athletic, Baseball America, FanGraphs and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.

  • The Diamondbacks signed first-rounder Slade Caldwell to a $3,087,000 deal. The agreement comes in just over the $3,045,500 slot value of the 29th overall pick. Caldwell, a high school outfielder from Arkansas, was a consensus top-50 talent in the draft class with some evaluators (including Law and BA) having him among the 20 best players in the draft. Formerly committed to Ole Miss, Caldwell is universally regarded as a plus to double-plus runner who will have little trouble sticking in center field and also features a plus hit tool. With that being said, Caldwell’s small frame (listed at 5’9”, 182 lbs) raises questions about his power potential as some reports indicated that his body is already largely maxed out.
  • The Guardians signed two draftees to significant bonuses today. Supplemental first-rounder Braylon Doughty signed for the full slot value of the 36th overall pick ($2,569,200) while second-rounder Jacob Cozart signed for $2,050,000, which comes in a fair bit above the $1,938,900 slot value of the 48th overall pick. A right-handed hurler who was committed to Oklahoma State, Doughty was a consensus top-60 talent in this year’s draft with some services placing him as high as the top 30. Doughty receives universal praise for his breaking ball that he pairs it with a low-to-mid 90s fastball and is generally looked at as a possible future back-end starter. As for Cozart, the NC State product is generally considered to be a glove-first catcher who is expected to remain behind the plate long-term. With the bat, he offers solid raw power but there are questions regarding his hit tool, with Law noting that he has particular trouble with breaking pitches out of the zone.

Notable Draft Signings: 7/26/24

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The Rays signed their first-rounder to a significant bonus on Friday evening. We’ll round up a few other $2MM+ signings from the day. Pre-draft rankings and scouting reports are provided by Keith Law of the Athletic, Baseball America, FanGraphs and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.

  • The Astros have a $3.13MM deal with first-round pick Walker Janek, reports Chandler Rome of the Athletic (X link). That’s slot value for the 28th pick. A Sam Houston State product, Janek was the first catcher selected. Evaluators praise his arm strength and athleticism behind the dish. There’s not much question that he’ll be able to stick at the position. Janek feasted on mid-major pitching with a .364/.476/.709 slash as a junior, but his defense should drive the profile.
  • Reds second-round pick Tyson Lewis received a well overslot $3.0475MM bonus, reports Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline (on X). That was necessary to keep the Nebraska high schooler from attending the University of Arkansas. Evaluators credit the 6’2″ shortstop with plus bat speed and athleticism. Lewis is a longer-term development play who didn’t face great competition in high school. There’s a fair amount of volatility with his hit tool but an intriguing toolset.
  • The Brewers also went above slot on their second-rounder. Milwaukee has a $2.5MM agreement with 57th pick Bryce Meccage, according to Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (X link). A right-handed prep pitcher from New Jersey, he’s a Virginia commit. Meccage is a 6’4″ hurler who works in the low-mid 90s and shows a pair of promising breaking pitches. Law’s report notes that the young pitcher has subpar command at the moment but enough athleticism to develop in that regard. Meccage is regarded as a potential back-end starter.

Rays Agree To Terms With First-Round Pick Theo Gillen

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The Rays agreed with first-round pick Theo Gillen on a $4.3729MM bonus, reports Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline (X link). That’s full slot value associated with the 18th overall selection.

A 6’3″ infielder from a Texas high school, Gillen ranked as a middle of the first round talent by most pre-draft evaluations. FanGraphs slotted him as a top 10 player in the class and graded him as the top prep player on the board. FanGraphs lauds Gillen’s hit/power combination and gives him a chance to stick at second base or in center field. While evaluators broadly praise the left-handed hitter’s overall ability, some teams were alarmed by a right shoulder injury that necessitated labrum surgery in 2022.

Gillen ranked 19th on Kiley McDaniel’s board at ESPN, 23rd at Baseball America and 21st on Keith Law’s list at The Athletic. He’d been committed to Texas but instead joins a Rays’ system that should also continue to add talent via trade over the next few days.

Notable Draft Signings: 7/25/24

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Pre-draft rankings and scouting reports are provided by Keith Law of the Athletic, Baseball America, FanGraphs and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel. A round-up of today’s draft signings for upwards of $2MM:

  • The Mets agreed to terms with 19th overall pick Carson Benge on a $3.9975MM bonus, reports Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline (X link). That’s narrowly below the approximate $4.22MM slot value. Benge was generally regarded as a mid-late first round talent and ultimately landed there in the draft. He was a two-way player at Oklahoma State but is viewed as an outfield prospect in pro ball. A left-handed hitter, Benge draws praise from evaluators for his contact skills and power projection. He’s generally viewed as a right field prospect. McDaniel likens his profile to that of Orioles rookie outfielder Colton Cowser. Benge hit .335/.444/.665 with 18 homers and 24 doubles over 61 games as a draft-eligible sophomore.
  • Nationals second-round pick Luke Dickerson agreed to a $3.8MM deal, Callis reports (on X). That’s well above the $2.12MM value for the 44th overall pick. Callis notes that it’s the largest deal for a player selected after the supplemental round in the bonus pool era. The bonus aligns with what would be expected for a player drafted in the early 20s. That’s a bit of a surprise, as Dickerson rated as a late second-round talent on most pre-draft lists. The Nats are evidently higher on the righty-swinging middle infielder and were motivated to keep him from attending the University of Virginia. A New Jersey high schooler, he’s viewed as a hit-first infielder who probably projects to second base.
  • The Pirates announced the signing of competitive balance draftee Levi Sterling. Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline reports (X link) that the high school righty landed a $2.5114MM bonus to match the 37th pick’s slot value. A Texas commit, Sterling is a 6’5″ righty with advanced control. Law writes that his changeup is the headlining pitch in his arsenal. Sterling doesn’t throw especially hard right now but could add velocity given his frame. He’s regarded as a potential back-end starter.

Notable Draft Signings: 7/24/24

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A handful of draft prospects have agreed to $2MM+ bonuses over the past two days. Unless otherwise noted, bonuses were first reported by Jim Callis of MLB.com. Pre-draft rankings and scouting reports are provided by Keith Law of the Athletic, Baseball America, FanGraphs and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.

  • Padres first-round pick Kash Mayfield agreed to terms at $3.4421MM. That’s full slot value for the 25th pick to keep him from attending Oklahoma State. Mayfield was the second high school pitcher off the board. The 6’4″ southpaw has a three-pitch mix, advanced control, and can touch 97 MPH. He’s a potential mid-rotation arm. San Diego went with another high school pitcher, Boston Bateman, in the second round. Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo reports (on X) that he lands an above-slot $2.5MM bonus. Bateman is a massive left-hander with mid-90s velocity and a good slider, but his 6’8″ frame leads to questionable command projection. He’d been committed to LSU.
  • The Brewers agreed to a $3.44MM bonus with first-round pick Braylon Payne. Milwaukee selected the Texas high school outfielder with the 17th selection. Payne was not generally expected to go in the first round. McDaniel was highest on him, ranking 38th in his pre-draft list. Milwaukee cut an underslot deal but still paid Payne like a late first-round talent to sign him out of a commitment to the University of Houston. Evaluators credit Payne with at least 70-grade speed and the ability to stick in center field, though there’s some skepticism about his offensive upside. Second-round pick Blake Burke landed a $2.1MM bonus, Collazo reports (X link). A first baseman from the University of Tennessee, he hit .379/.449/.702 this season.
  • The Dodgers signed #23 pick Kellon Lindsey for $3.3MM, as first reported by J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group. That’s a bit below the approximate $3.68MM slot value. Lindsey is a high school infielder who’d been committed to Florida. He’s a top-of-the-scale runner who could eventually fit in center field, though he has played shortstop in high school. All four outlets note that Lindsey has similarities to Trea Turner at the same age, though that’d clearly be at the very high end of his range of outcomes. He’s listed at 6’0″ and 175 pounds and might have limited power but could offer a traditional leadoff profile.
  • Rangers first-round pick Malcolm Moore signed for $3MM. That’s just above slot for the 30th selection. A Stanford product, Moore is a left-handed hitting catcher. He’s regarded as a bat-first player with questions about his ability to stick behind the dish, but his hit/power combination made him a first round talent. Moore turned in a .255/.414/.553 slash with more walks than strikeouts this season. He was a draft-eligible sophomore who turns 21 next week.
  • The A’s went above slot to sign second-round pick Tommy White for $3MM, reports Robert Murray of FanSided (X link). The 40th pick comes with a value around $2.33MM. White’s bonus more closely aligned with the very end of the first round. An LSU product, the righty-hitting White had an OPS above 1.000 in all three college seasons. He hit .330/.401/.638 with 24 homers in his draft year. He has good contact skills and massive raw power, though there’s some concern about his aggressive approach. White played third base in college but isn’t a good athlete and could move to first base in pro ball. Oakland also went above slot with a $2MM bonus for third-rounder Gage Jump, Callis reports (X link). A teammate of White’s at LSU, Jump has a mid-90s fastball and a pair of breaking pitches. Most evaluators project him to the bullpen because of inconsistent control and his smaller stature.
  • The Diamondbacks have agreements with supplemental picks Ryan Waldschmidt and J.D. Dix. Waldschmdit, a righty-hitting outfielder from the University of Kentucky, gets the $2.904MM value associated with the 31st pick. Law ranked him as the #11 player in the class, while FanGraphs and ESPN had him at the back of the top 20. Waldschmidt had a massive junior season, hitting .333/.469/.610. He’s limited to left field but draws praise for his plate discipline and exit velocities. Dix is a switch-hitting high school shortstop from Wisconsin. A Wake Forest commit, he has a well-rounded profile but underwent surgery on his throwing shoulder last fall and spent a chunk of this spring as a designated hitter.
  • Yankees first-round pick Ben Hess agreed to terms at $2.7475MM, reports Bryan Hoch of MLB.com (on X). He was taken 26th overall, which comes with a slot value around $3.33MM. Hess is a 6’5 right-hander from the University of Alabama. He works in the mid-90s fastball and has a promising slider. Law ranked him 24th in the class and wrote that he has mid-rotation potential. Hess had a mixed track record in college and struggled to throw strikes in his draft year, though. He posted a 5.80 earned run average across 15 appearances this season. The Yanks went above slot in the second round for righty Bryce Cunningham, who signed for $2.2975MM. He had a 4.36 ERA over 16 starts this season for Vanderbilt. The 6’5″ hurler has a three-pitch mix and a chance to stick as a starter.
  • The Phillies have a $2.5MM deal with first-rounder Dante Nori. He was selected with the 27th pick, which comes with a value around $3.23MM. Nori is a left-handed hitting outfielder from Michigan who’d been committed to Mississippi State. Evaluators praise his speed and nascent power potential. He’s significantly older than the typical high schooler, turning 20 not long after the draft.
  • The Twins agreed to a $2.4MM bonus with 33rd pick Kyle DeBarge, Collazo reports (on X). Callis reports that Minnesota also went above slot to sign 69th pick Dasan Hill for $2MM. DeBarge is a 5’9″ shortstop from the University of Louisiana who hit .356/.418/.699 this season. He’s a hit over power player who could project to a utility role. Hill is a lanky left-hander from a Texas high school who had been committed to Dallas Baptist. FanGraphs had him as the #24 player in the class and projected him as a potential mid-rotation starter.
  • 39th overall pick Caleb Lomavita signed with the Nationals. Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com reports (on X) that he landed a $2.325MM bonus that is just below slot value. Lomavita is a righty-hitting catcher out of Cal who has advanced contact skills and a good chance to stick behind the plate. His very aggressive offensive approach leads to some risk about his on-base floor. Lomavita hit .322/.395/.586 during his draft season but only walked 12 times in 55 games. The Nationals acquired the 39th pick from the Royals in the Hunter Harvey trade.
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