This year’s amateur draft is officially underway, and we’ll be updating this post throughout the night with every first-round selection. More details and scouting reports on all these young players are available in pre-draft rankings from Baseball America, Fangraphs, MLB Pipeline, The Athletic’s Keith Law, and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel. As well, Pipeline has the breakdown of the slot values assigned to each pick in the first 10 rounds, as well as the bonus pool money available to all 30 teams.
The first-round picks…
- Cleveland Guardians: Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State
- Cincinnati Reds: Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest
- Colorado Rockies: Charlie Condon, OF/3B, Georgia
- Oakland Athletics: Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest
- Chicago White Sox: Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas
- Kansas City Royals: Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida
- St. Louis Cardinals: JJ Wetherholt, 2B/SS, West Virginia
- Los Angeles Angels: Christian Moore, 2B, Tennessee
- Pittsburgh Pirates: Konnor Griffin, SS/OF, Jackson Prep High School (MS)
- Washington Nationals: Seaver King, SS/3B/OF, Wake Forest
- Detroit Tigers: Bryce Rainer, SS, Harvard-Westlake High School (CA)
- Boston Red Sox: Braden Montgomery, OF, Texas A&M
- San Francisco Giants: James Tibbs III, OF, Florida State
- Chicago Cubs: Cam Smith, 3B, Florida State
- Seattle Mariners: Jurrangelo Cijntje, LHP/RHP, Mississippi State
- Miami Marlins: PJ Morlando, OF, Summerville High School (SC)
- Milwaukee Brewers: Braylon Payne, OF, Elkins High School (TX)
- Tampa Bay Rays: Theo Gillen, OF/MI, Westlake High School (TX)
- New York Mets: Carson Benge, OF, Oklahoma State
- Toronto Blue Jays: Trey Yesavage, RHP, East Carolina
- Minnesota Twins: Kaelen Culpepper, SS, Kansas State
- Baltimore Orioles: Vance Honeycutt, OF, North Carolina
- Los Angeles Dodgers: Kellon Lindsey, SS, Hardee High School (FL)
- Atlanta Braves: Cam Caminiti, LHP, Saguero High School (AZ)
- San Diego Padres: Kash Mayfield, LHP, Elk City High School (OK)
- New York Yankees: Ben Hess, RHP, Alabama
- Philadelphia Phillies: Dante Nori, OF, Northville High School (MI)
- Houston Astros: Walker Janek, C, Sam Houston
- Arizona Diamondbacks: Slade Caldwell, OF, Valley View High School (AR)
- Texas Rangers: Malcolm Moore, C, Stanford
All 30 teams will have picks in the first round this year, though the Mets, Padres, and Yankees all had their first-round selections dropped back by 10 slots. These three teams surpassed the third luxury tax tier ($273MM) in 2023, and thus their punishment included a 10-space drop in their opening draft choice.
The 2024 draft will take place over three days, consisting of 20 rounds of selections. Rounds 3-10 will take place on Monday, rounds 11-20 will take place on Tuesday, and the draft’s first 74 picks will come off the board tonight. Those 74 picks consist of the first two proper rounds, the two Competitive Balance Rounds, two sets of compensatory rounds (giving picks to teams who lost qualifying offer-rejecting free agents), and two Prospect Promotion Incentive picks.
The two PPI selections will go to the Diamondbacks at 31st overall and the Orioles at 32nd overall, awarded since Corbin Carroll and Gunnar Henderson fit all of the criteria for their teams to receive the bonus picks. Carroll and Henderson won Rookie of the Year honors, both young stars were included on their respective teams’ Opening Day rosters, and were rated as top-100 prospects in at least two of three sets of preseason prospect rankings from Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, and ESPN.
You just knew the Reds would blow the obvious 2nd pick.
I think this will fill a big need for them in a few years. Smart pick imo
There was half a dozen players they could consider and he was one of them. Fewer pitchers than bats and he is best arm in draft. Could have played it safe and went bat but I don’t mind the upside play.
A little late but the Red Sox finally got Montgomery (assuming they can sign this one…).
It’s about time
Reds clearly willl unerslot him…but by how much? $1M-$1.5M would make it a great pick IMO
@guard agreed. Great pick by the reds at 2
Reds needed a bat more than they needed another arm and they screwed the pooch. Being a Reds fan isn’t for the faint of heart.
Never draft for need.
100% you can’t guarantee what your needs will be down the line and you definitely can’t guarantee who you draft would fill them…
It all goes back to being cheap. Bet they sign this guy under slot.
under slot is normally not the team being cheap anymore- it is expecting good talent to fall to their later picks due to the demand. Gunnar and Westburg were both classic picks by the Os when they did this, and the Stros used the savings of taking Correa over Buxton to nab McCullers.
“It all goes back back to being cheap”…”Being cheap” commentary doesn’t take a lot of baseball knowledge. It takes even less knowledge or creativity than the standard “manipulating service time” commentary which has gotten very stale and old.
Maybe not with every franchise, but in the Reds case, being cheap is what it is all about.
Check history before assuming broad generalizations. It works both ways.
Red Sox too a few years ago when they drafted Yorke. It allowed them to then take Blaze Jordan.
Right on cue, Reds blew it and they’re cheap, got it!
It’s not being cheap if they spend their entire bonus pool. Taking Burns enables them to go over slot in later rounds.
You are right…the pirates have Bern doing just that in recent years. And it has worked.
I checked the history. As best I can find from their recent drafts, the Reds have not left bonus pool money unspent.
Bet they sign this guy under slot.
========================
Even if they did, that is a legit baseball move. A lot of teams, big and small, will sign someone under-slot while looking to draft a later player over-slot.
They have not been cheap in drafting since Jeremy Sowers debacle when Linder was the owner.
I would prefer Condon but he wanted to beat Skeenes bonus signing record.
A lot of teams do the under slot thing. Ergo there are a lot more cheap teams then the Reds?
Teams aren’t being cheap. They’re assigned a maximum dollar amount they can spend overall on their draftees based on their specific draft slots, and the teams are all trying to optimize it. They draft some players with the intention to sign them under slot, so they can more aggressively draft other players who they want to sign over slot.
Last year weren’t several Pirates. And I don’t know how many. But enough. Not too happy with Skeenes over Crews? Now Burns is not Skeenes.
But Skeenes was not thought of as what he is now.
Or maybe I’m not remembering it all too well.
The Reds always spend their entire bonus pool.
“This one” doesn’t know Richard about the draft.
And the Reds needed pitching, frontline pitching, much more than hitting. They have a half dozen hitters coming back from injury by next year
They need to draft a new GM/ownership, position players can’t fix what’s wrong there.
you can never have too many pitchers. Position players can be signed as free agents
Can be, but are not outside of an infielder they didn’t need.
I suspect “this one” would say the Reds blew it no matter who they picked. Biggest crybaby on this board.
I only came in to see how many fans would criticize a prospect that they know NOTHING about.
Oakland/lv/wherever take Caglianone?
El Segundo should take him.
Rockies got a gift.
Condon first to bigs out of this class
Exactly. The Reds biggest need, a corner outfielder, and of course they blew it.
This one belongs to the Reds, I’m in reds country… Need a hug? I hear about reds front office blunders all day… I do like this pick tho for reds.
I like this pick, but surprised they didn’t get condon
Not with the Rockies. They are always slow about bringing up their top prospects barring injury.
1. Draft best player – not needs.
2. How many draft picks get traded before playing for their original team?
3. Current need may not even be the need before a 2024 draftee is ready for mlb.
This isn’t NfL – which still draft best player available, but you expect a high draft pick to be on the field day 1 and they don’t hardly ever get traded.
You can’t equate the Baseball draft to any other. The Bonus Pool aspect of it changes the dynamic. Cubs drafted a 6’5″ 3rd baseman who won’t stay there probably. With the Cubs I assume they want to go low price in the first round to make a splash in later rounds. We’ll see by who they take in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. The Cubs are probably looking at trading some of their OF prospects for other stuff. So this guy is just replenishing the system I’m guessing. Now the White Sox are just Flagging cheap. They’ll keep going cheap I presume. Their only strategy is trading expensive for cheap. Royals are sending Reinsdorf a cake for passing on Caglione. So even the Royals are bigger spenders than the White Sox. And he wants another new stadium? Really?
Uncle –
You can’t equate it but you can compare and/or contrast it to other drafts. My contrast of mlb to NFL was to make the point that an MLB draft pick isn’t worth getting all worked up about (meaning good or bad). There is just no sense of being aware of what he might actually do for your team as it exists tonight.
Mike, the Cubs took the guy rated #14 by MLB Pipeline at #14. I don’t think they are going underslot here. If anything, they probably have concerns about Shaw’s ability/arm at 3B and want a backup plan since Smith’s arm is considered plus.
Now could Smith move to RF? Maybe, but he’d have to hit better to pull that off than to stay at 3B.
Obviously you forgot what happened to the last tall 3B we had. How long did he play there again? They started playing him the OF almost immediately. If Rizzo hadn’t been here he would of ended up there. I suppose it’s a dream to hope Malcom Moore makes it the 2nd round pick. Yeah sorry, No way.
So you’d rather they have reached on Moore, a catcher who all prognosticators predict will never catch in the big leagues?
Not in the first round no. I wanted Yeasavage. But now the Cubs site says Smith is 6’3″ so I saw 6’5″ so maybe he can stay there. He’s already 21 so he might move up fast. The one part about the Cubs FO I trust completely is the Scouting Dept. and Kastrovintz. At least I know they have a plan. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them take Jaxson Wiggins brother either. He’s ranked 2nd or 3rd round. Oh well Texas took him anyway.You can teach him how to Catch. You can’t teach him how to hit and he’s LH.
Immediately? Bryant was our 3rd baseman from 2015-18, still some in 2019.
He didn’t play ONLY 3B ever with the Cubs. They moved him around because of his back. And now he can’t even DH without landing on IL with back problems.
Another Sour puss Sox fan, Can’t ever has enough goid pitching. Hagan Smith is a stud, Take a moment & examine this guy,
Yea I agree even in hockey only the top 2-5 guys play there first year and most 1st rounders are 2-3 years away
He played other positions because of his versatility at the time and how Maddon liked to mix it up with players. But, 3rd base was his primary position early on. Bottom line, your connection to Bryant and and his height and injury issues have nothing to do with how Cam will fair. We just have to see.
This isn’t NfL
====================
Even in the NFL, except for QB, I think it is usually best to draft the best player available. You can generally move most of your players around a little.
As a Raiders fan, I’m happy that they drafted Bowers, even if a trade might’ve been better.
Brick House Coffee Tables Inc
Mike, the Cubs took the guy rated #14 by MLB Pipeline at #14.
=========================
FWIW, I’d have been perfectly happy with my RS drafting Smith instead of Montgomery. I like the pick for the Cubs.
Well like I said, I completely trust Kantrovintz and the Cubs scouts to acquire talent. They have the #2 and some say #1 Farm System in baseball. As you say if they took #14 at #14 then why did they pass on #11 at 14 then? Obviously they like the kid they took over my guy Yeseavage. Obviously there was something about him they didn’t like. There is no denying the System kind of lacks a high end 3B talent and now they have 2. They’ve been trying the old tradition of drafting SS’s and moving them around but haven’t had much success. They even doubled down in round 2. I expect a lot of pitching today. Let it begin!
Now is probably as good a time as any to remind everyone that players taken in this draft can NOT be traded, as PTBNL’s or otherwise, at this summer’s trade deadline. It’s not “frowned upon.” It’s not “We have to pay a fine or give up a future draft pick if we do it.” It’s just not allowed.
I have been watching the coverage of this draft so far and it is the biggest piece of garbage on television right now. Mascots are dancing around a room that is not even half full. MLB has a long way to go if they want their draft on the level of the NFL and even the NBA. Heck the NHL draft has better coverage
MLB will never equal to NFL or NBA. I don’t know why they think the can create same atmosphere.MLB players take time develop, minor leauges. Other leagues players can have immediate impact.
It’ll never be close to the NFL, but they can improve it. They should allow trading draft picks. It’ll create at least a little buzz if one of the contenders can trade a high pick for current year help. I assume that Cleveland’s #1/1 can land Crochet, for example.
I’m just throwing out proposals without much thought, but imagine a draft where the WS trade Crochet & Fedde for the #1/1 and the #1/7, and had the #1/5/7?
Or if Miami or the Nats sold off and had multiple 1st round picks next year.
I think more people would definitely watch it.
How would you deal with the draft pool money? That is why the don’t allow trades now.
I believe that every pick has a recommended slot. If not, you could use the previous year as a guide, or just negotiate a number.
Just for example, the 1-1 pick has an assigned slot value of $10,570,600. If CL traded its pick for Crochet, then the WS would get that much cap space.
I’d like to see trades too but like the other guy said it would be an accounting nightmare. I think they should be allowed to trade them AFTER the draft which they don’t allow either.
You are right in that every pick has a slot value. A team also has a slot budget. That’s all they can spend on first ten rounds. By allowing trades you could have a team control whole draft by gaining other teams slot money.
MzlB is trying to create a opportunity for all teams, but teams still have to spend only what they have.
Nothing MLB can do. No one knows who these player are. People watch college football. People watch March Madness. Their production is incredibly lame though.
You sure not in SEC country then. Sec rules
No one is comparing it to those drafts… Legit, no one is really watching the draft either except the people that comment on here regularly…
One thing that is consistent, the boos for the commissioner.
I think the problem is that there are so many rounds and so many players taken. And most of the players who are selected won’t have any impact for several years. NFL draft has guys who can make a huge difference on Day 1. Even the NBA draft doesn’t have the luster of the NFL draft. Usually after the first 5-10 picks, it’s not exciting. Having the 2nd round on a separate day was a joke.
I agree… MLB could turn round 1 into something worth watching, but with the slot manipulation, you do not really know what a team was 100% thinking until round 3-4.
@ RCT
Exactly. NFL and NBA drafts are kids who will make immediate impact and you’ll see their name on the team the following season. NHL is kinda a mixed bag of NHL-ready players in the juniors and younger players entering college. MLB drafted players are all usually 2-4 years away from actually playing in the bigs, and before that time it’s very likely they fizzle out or are traded away. And unlike the other leagues, where trading a draft pick instead of a player is more common, MLB is the opposite. That’s why it’s hard for me to get too attached or excited about players in an MLB draft compared to other leagues.
rct, The number of rounds, which has been reduced, isn’t the problem. Baseball is different in that the reason we won’t see any of these guys for a few years, is not lack of physical ability, but that it takes years to learn how to play the game at the big league level.
So many guys, whether they’re top draft picks or top 100 prospects will fail, that baseball needs the quantity of a lot of rounds to stock all the levels of the minor league systems. The 56th round doesn’t exist anymore, but when a guy taken in that round is voted into the HoF, it should tell you something about the development arc that’s unique to baseball.
Sad to tell you this but it is bigger now than it used to be.
Back in the day, carrier pigeons told you where you were drafted two days later.
Unlike other sports, a large majority of these draft picks aren’t making it to the big leagues so fans will never be very invested. I would rather watch live feeds of teams going through the draft and learning about their selection process. That would be way more interesting to me.
Unlike other sports, a large majority of these draft picks aren’t making it to the big leagues
==========================
You obviously weren’t watching my Raiders draft the past few years. Not even their 1st rounders were guaranteed roster slots.
Drafts lost their dignity decades ago.
letitbelowenstein… How so?
While I enjoy the NFL draft and the NFL attempt to dominate the world. Those shows can sometime border or go full in on more cringy cheesiness then the Star Wars Christmas Special from 1977 or the Brady Bunch Variety Hour.
Surprised Oakland took Kurtz. Seems like 1b was one of the only positions they didn’t need help at.
Probably took who they thought was the best bat. The best bats don’t play premium positions in this draft. Someone can dh. Rest days. Pinch hit.
I’ve seen a number of mock drafts that had him from 12-22 of late. 6 months ago, he was widely seen as 1/1.
I like Kurtz a lot just surprised Oakland was the team to pick him.
As a Pirates fan I wanted the Bucs to get Kurtz since he checks a lot of boxes they need filled as a lefty power hitter, solid defense at 1b and a polished college bat that can help sooner than later. That said I think he fits the A’s well too especially since they’re moving to Vegas. Kurtz can hit a lot of bombs in that dry heat about 2000 feet above sea level.
First base has been a problem for the Bucs ever since they traded Josh Bell to the Nationals. They sign the bottom of the barrel free agents that don’t produce like the average power hitting first basemen of other teams
They need to convert Cruz to first base to save his legs and erratic throwing arm
Why did Oakland take Kurtz? He gets on base.
You don’t know if the As have an agreement with Kurtz for below slot money. I think everything about the draft now is saving money to spend later, or conversely, drafting a player that fell on signability issues, and trying to figure out how to save later.
Well.. There goes what looks like the top 2 best collegiate pitchers in the draft with the Chisox taking Smith at #5. Luckily.. Oakland took a wildcard at 4, allowing Smith to drop a notch, but still..
2 pitchers going is good for teams picking 6 to 9. Left some good bats available. Draft your pitchers next year with hopefully a better highschool class.
It would be nice if the site had a live chat for us all during draft
Your in it.
His what is in it?
if u like places where public discourse is far worse than it can get here at times.. There are a few other places doing live chats on the draft.. However u were warned in advance.. 2 in particular have trolls far worse than any Tim allows to patrol here.
Caglianone drafted as 2-way player. We’ll see how long that lasts
It never lasts. I had high hopes for Brendan McKay and even though the Rays focused on the pitching side more, being a two-way player just doesn’t translate well in the big leagues. Often hurt and never approached his pre-draft valuation. Really sad.
Ohtani has entered the chat
Well considering Ohtani is the first player in decades to be able to both hit and pitch above a replacement level at the same time, yet he’s still suffered multiple injuries and has now essentially missed 3 seasons as a pitcher since arriving in MLB, his point still stands.
The giants drafted both Reggie Crawford, and Bryce eldridge as two way players. Neither is currently a two way player. It’s too hard hard to be a unicorn
Drafted as one doesn’t mean he’ll be one. If anything, he can pitch in a bind when the bullpen has been exhausted and they need an extra arm to eat innings. The fact he can pitch is an added bonus for that rare moment.
I always thought Dalbec would revert to being an RP.
Lemme guess angels are gonna take trey yessavage now..
Sox take Konnor Griffin at 12 then I can see Yorke and plus traded at the deadline
Nope, We’re getting Montgomery
He wasn’t getting past the Pirates.
Montgomery was good value. I am not his biggest fan but many thought he was well into top 10 best. Solid get for sox.
what draft are you watching?
Konnor Griffin was taken by the Pirates
I think that his post was made during the draft before they got to them.
Condon dropping to 3rd & jac 6th is a bit of a surprise, as is burns at #2
Unfortunately, I was not surprised at all. Know these guys too well.
what r your thoughts on lowder? had a good stretch in A+, collapsed in AA
I wouldn’t say he “collapsed.” Look at the peripherals. He’s getting Ks so the stuff is still there. Not really walking anybody. He’s running a really high BABIP. A couple tweaks and he’ll be right back on track.
k/9 is getting worse
and 6.52 era, 1.57 whip… he’s gonna need more than a couple tweaks lol
Getting worse? I’m not sure it’s fair to criticize him for coming down off a double digit K rate in A ball lol. He’s running a 9.31 K/9 and over 22% K rate in AA. Both are very good for that level, especially in combination with an elite K:BB rate and a strong 48% GB rate. Those numbers suggest future success, as do his 3.80 FIP and 3.12 xFIP.
.393 BABIP and 62% strand rate are killing him. It’s pretty much impossible for that combo to continue, which means it’s a mix of bad luck and likely inconistency hitting spots. Regardless, check his game log and see what he’s done since his first 3 AA starts. Something like a 4.50something ERA with a FIP under 3 over his last 8. Still having bad luck but at least the results are palatable.
I can’t believe you have me defending a prospect I don’t even like lol
Some guys take longer to adjust to AA. He may have to be there the whole year, even into the next one. It has happened before with high picks. I remember Tyler Stephenson taking a longer trip through the minors than they expected.
He is in his first year of pro ball and has risen to AA so he is doing something right. He is surrendering a .500 SLG so the BABip is not all bad luck.
Yup, it’s probably a mix of bad luck and not dotting his spots. The control is clearly there but the command might not be. That said, his HR/FB % will probably regress closer to the mean given that he lives low in the zone and has a propensity to induce groundballs.
Look at the end of the day you can bring up any alternative measures of success your heart desires and narrow the game down as scientifically as you like and create excuses and reasons & try to rationalize all day long
The #s speak for themselves
Until they change
Until lowder improves
Until lowder shows he can make it in the pros
He’s just another high draft pick that has yet to prove himself. I hope he does. Hasnt come close yet. I know skenes is a unicorn but he’s truly a force to be reckoned with & lowder isnt even close to being on that level
Trey yesavage then I’ll take it
Who I wanted, but didn’t get
Five teams are gonna feel dumb for allowing Cags to get to Kansas City in a few years. Him and Whitt is gonna be fun.
Caglianone’s college chase rate would rank top 10 in the bigs this year. That is very, very concerning. No chance he’ll run as low of a K rate as he did at Florida if he keeps that up. It’s going to take a major adjustment to his approach to be a plus MLB bat.
But low k’s. Batted over .400. Seems like he can hit those bad pitches. Like one of the panelist said, he likely is tired of being pitched around and will swing at something close.
And like I said, that won’t translate to the MLB. His K rate given that chase rate is untenable as he progresses levels no matter what kind of pitches he’s swinging at out of the zone. He has to change his approach or his K rate will increase significantly.
Those guys (rightfully) never pick apart prospects on draft broadcasts. They’re going to focus a lot more on the good than the bad–as they should–for various reasons.
He did change his approach and reduced the percentage hire a bit. Pitchers didn’t want to pitch to him. He’ll learn to leave the bat on his shoulder as he develops. He’s already shown the ability.
Just 42% of pitches to Caglianone were strikes this season. He was being pitched around every at bat and still hit .419. He chased pitches early in the count, not late in the count. That is why his SO rate is so low. Especially for a player with such insane power. You don’t see players with 70 power that strike out less than 10% of the time. That is why it’s not concerning.
He cut his K rate, which is great, but he didn’t really cut his chase rate from 2023 to 2024. Major league pitchers, even minor league pitchers, are way better than the pitchers he faced in the SEC. They won’t give in the same way. That’s why it’s concerning. It’s not like he had a 30% chase rate or something. That would be palatable. He had a 40% chase rate.
Top 10 picks fizzle out all the time in baseball. Nobody should be surprised if he does. Torkelson was thought of as a sure thing and was considered to have a way better approach than Caglianone and look at how it’s gone since he went 1-1. This is not a great class. Caglianone wouldn’t have even gone top 10 last year.
No doubt he won’t hit over .400 in the majors and he won’t walk through the door being an MVP, but watching the guy the last two years he is special. His K rate was absurdly low, so it definitely won’t be that low in the majors but he will keep developing. No prospect is a sure thing, not Bazzana, not Condon, etc, but there wasn’t a better player than Cags in this draft. From last year to this year he improved a ton and he was probably better than Wyatt Langford last year already. He is a dude, and he was a leader and a warrior on one of the worst Florida teams we have had under Sully and basically carried us on his back into the tournament and to being one of the final three teams playing. I understand the risks you bring up and it’s valid, I just think he will keep improving and end up being a star in the MLB and the other teams will feel silly that they passed on him. I could be wrong.
He’s been very good in college and I’m not trying to say I think he’ll be a bust, I just don’t think he’s a sure thing at all. I get the apprehension from teams on him. To me, just watching him and going off what I see, I don’t think he would have been a top 10 player if he were in last year’s class. That was an incredible top 40. This year there is no incredible anywhere. It’s Condon then everyone else. But I also could be very wrong.
I agree, no prospect is a sure thing, but being a Gator fan and watching him I just think he is a different dude. Condon had an amazing year, Cags has done it two years in a row, while improving and pitching well at the same time. He’s also a better glove than Condon. I would also say that if he was not a top ten player last year then even more teams would regret that. He has every tool, and not only that, he shows up in big moments(Condon couldn’t carry his team like Cags did in the post season), is a fiery team leader who his teammates loved, and left everything on the field during his time in Gainesville. No one else in college baseball was feared like he was this year and he still put up insane numbers. All the tools, all the measurable, all the intangibles, I’ll just be shocked if he isn’t a great player. But I’ve also been wrong before, and I understand your point about why teams may have hesitation. I root for every Gator to kill it in the majors, I just think he is the best I’ve seen heading into the pros.
A+ Pirates. Tremendous value. In a draft top heavy in 1b 2b corner outfielders. They nab a ss cf. Don’t know if the Pirates development is up to the challenge to unlock his bat but as I pick I love it and would have done the same.
They haven’t broke Termarr, yet. Their reputation isn’t great with HS hitters I don’t think. Maybe Meadows was their last successful hitter they drafted out of HS? He was really low sample size before shipped out.
Termarr was the best prep hitter scouts have seen in a decade. Some best ever. This kid isn’t that and needs improvement to be a great bat. If they can do it he is a all star. Gold glove center fielder. Plus SS. Sky is the limit. Obvious had to take him pick. There was no other choice.
Another middle infielder and you call this A+. Ok.
Not a middle infielder. A no doubt SS. But if you don’t want a plus defender ss with a cannon for a arm he could win gold gloves in center field.
But if you are a old dinosaur that wants a 1b you can waste his elite speed and even more elite arm and make him a 1b. I mean he should be a 30 hr guy and is 6 4. Personally I would go with franchise ss.
@tiredolddude- Labeling him a “middle infielder” is a way to simply downplay his talent so you can be grumpy about the pick. He’s a SS with a 70 grade arm so he could stick there or easily move to 3B, and given his 55/60 defense at SS, he would have a good chance at being a gold glove 2B. And, oh, that’s right, he also played a bunch of CF on the circuit, and with his 70 grade speed (88 out of 89 SB) is seen as a potential gold glove CF by scouts. He could easily play all 3 OF positions given his speed and arm. On top of that, he’s 6’4″ so he could move to 1B if they wanted to ruin his value for whatever reason. So that’s 7 positions (plus DH) that he can actually play. Guess if you wanted him to pitch or play catcher you’re out of luck.
It’s baffling how some of you comment on these prospects without bothering to even look into them.
Lot of former first round bats for the Bucs were hit tool over power types like Newman, Tucker, Swaggerty, even Craig. But most of those guys never developed power and the hit tool is by far the hardest to both project and to develop. So taking a guy that’s 210 pounds with loads of raw power, great up the middle defense and just stole 85 bases and only got caught once is a breath of fresh air. Besides, hitting .230 is MLB today is the equivalent to hitting .270 back in the 90’s. Not particularly great but definitely good enough.
Cheringtons first round picks have been automatic picks. He loves college bats and when they showcase elsewhere aka the cape he can’t pass them up. Gonzales automatic pick. Davis automatic pick with the bonus of getting Bubba as well. TJ automatic as it gets, had to take him. Skenes automatic pick had to take him. Griffin automatic pick. Simply best player available.
Levi classic Cherington pick. Classic Huntington pick. Athletic, projectible, upside hs arm. Pirates been grabbing them up for over a decade. As they should.
Dream- Maybe so,but many of NH’s picks never came close to panning out so development cannot be blamed for them.
Cheringtons first round picks have been automatic picks.
========================
Davis was not only not automatic, he was rated below Mayer for sure. I get that they saved some money for other picks, and maybe that works out, but Davis was far from automatic.
Rated by who? Some website? Lol. Davis was a very easy choice for the Pirates. Mayer wasn’t too interested in being a Pirate. No Bubba with Mayer even if you could sign him. Was he bluffing? Would he really turn down 7 8 9 million? Would you want a player who you had to massively overpay to get to sign with you? They took the guy who wanted to play here. Wanted to be the #1 pick. Willing to sign for low enough $ to allow them to sign an additional 1st round player Bubba. There waa no clear cut #1 alone but whoever allowed them to get Bubba as well was easily their choice. Davis was as automatic as it gets.
Bleacher Report had Mayer predicted as #1.
MLB had Mayer #1 and Davis #5,
FG had Mayer #1 and Davis #2.
I don’t remember anyone ranking Davis #1.
Where they rank Kahlil Watson? A lot of smart teams passed him up. Almost like people in baseball know more about baseball. And bleacher report? Really?
Most or all these sites had Crews over Skenes. After months of scouts saying he is the best pitching prospect they ever seen or since Strasburg some finally put him #1. Some still didn’t. I think mlb finally came around but fangraphs athletic bleacher report had crews #1 I think most of those had Langford #2. So are the Pirates supposed to pass on maybe the best pitching prospect ever because fangraphs bleacher report have Crews #1? Come on now.
There isn’t a good source. They are so bad I had to start doing my own scouting. Create my own formulas. You should too. It’s not hard to outperform these sources. In fact I do it all the time.
Dream-Assuming that they do not screw him up and develop him,when is your best guess that he will become a ML SS.
2027. Holliday was taken 2022 and ready for mlb look in 2024. He’s no Holliday. He’s no TJ either and TJ isn’t ready. 2027 is a fair timeline assuming development goes well. Injuries or struggles could push him to 2028.
Pirates fans generally don’t realize how great this draft pick is. If his hit tool was just 1 grade higher with a more favorable swing I would have taken him #1. The upside is a all star ss or cf. 4 tool player who with some development can be 5 tool. Premium positions. 30 hr. 30 sb. Available at #9. Literally had to draft him. Anyone else would have been a F grade from me. Excluding the Angels anyone else taken ahead would have been fine and even preferred. A few though I think I am still going Griffin. 1 3 4 you wouldn’t. The 2 arms are tempting as well.
Kurtz wasn’t making it to them. And maybe dor the best. This kid could be the best player in the draft. And let’s be real. For Pittsburgh to achieve the ultimate goal of sustainable winning and a championship, they need to be able to develop this kid.
I like the pick a lot.
Dream- Thank you for your typical fine response to me.
I am asking for a friend who plays middle infield for the Pirates.
Interesting though that it could take only three years for this guy whereas it will take at least 4 for TJ.Sometimes these ballyhooed prospects I think believe it too much when they are very young and hopefully realize that they will competing against the best of baseball professional sports stars in the world.
Could take 4. It’s the Pirates so it could take 5. They aren’t known for their world class development. Griffin is raw upside. He best profiles in outfield. But his reads are bad so needs a lot of improvement. Can play SS and did this season. 6 4 210 1 year so you can imagine how much footwork and hand speed he would need to improve on. Probably takes 4 years if they go SS with him. Don’t think they drafted him to pitch. Tools are too loud to go pitching.
TJ can make it in less than 4 years. I think he needs a promotion to AA before season ends. Cherington doesn’t care about AAA.
I like Wetherholt for the Cardinals. Take the best player available regardless of need in my opinion.
Yeah, best steal of the draft, so far!
A+ IMO. I would have taken 1 of the hs kids but Cards went the safe route and that’s fine. Leave the upside gambling for years your are picking later.
I think he will fit in just fine in a couple years. Gorman can either move to 1b or 3b. I believe there were 7 guys worth taking at number 7 and Wetherholt was in that top 7 so no complaints here.
I felt good about Gorman at second until this year. He’s regressed defensively. He may be a DH in the future. I’m betting Burley becomes the first baseman but Gorman might work there.
Yeah he makes some really nice plays but he’s just not consistent there. And yeah Burleson could be the 1b of the future.
Rainer still available is good value.
Fire Minasian before he ruins the team more.
Now I was hoping Burns would fall to the Angels, like some had predicted. Unlike NFL and NBA, you can’t trade back. Angels need everything, not just pitching. So what is your biggest problem with the draft pick?
Pitching, pitching, pitching.
You could have
Ryan
Kershaw
Martinez
Gibson
Clemons
as your starting staff, but it won’t matter if you can’t hit. So you would rather take a pitcher ranked in the 20’s on draft board, over a guy who could help the Angels score? After they trade Rengifo
2B is the easiest position to fill in. Even if you score 20 runs if you give up 21 runs you lose.
Do you even pay attention to the Angels entire team? Or do you just listen to what those idiots at ESPN say? Dana the Angels top pitching prospect, who has an ERA around 3, this season. Has a losing record, why because he can’t get any run support. Tri City Angels have one batter that has an OPS, over 700. The Angels need an influx of talent. Because once guys like Ward and Rengifo are gone, who are going to replace them?
Drury has entered the chat.
AngelsBroncosFan, the problem is the Angels don’t have anything remotely close to the pitcher’s you’ve listed and haven’t for years. I don’t disagree with Aragon but as you pointed out, we need bats too and he was probably the best option at 8. The team needs a whole lot of everything actually and it isn’t going to get addressed in one draft. It would be nice if we get lucky with a few of these guys though. All are unproven until proven, even if you’re picked in round 1.
Fire Arte I would agree with. Minasian has done well with the resources he has been given. This year’s 1st round pick was outstanding and may be the opening day starter in 2025. Whenever Moore makes it to Anaheim, he should be a 20-25 HR guy playing solid D at 2B.
The 2nd round pick was a college pitcher that hits triple digits.
Perry has been pretty bad as Angels GM. Yes, Arte handcuffed him (for the most part) this past offseason. But prior to that, he’s had free reign with the vast majority of team moves.
LMFAO. Free reign. Minasian was given a hard cap he could not pass. When he was allowed to sign players he STILL was not allowed to offer long term contracts to pitchers which meant he couldn’t sign ANY top pitchers. He was forced to dump players, literally WAIVE THEM, when the team didn’t contend. WTF are you even trying to say?
Rainer, Cam Caminiti or cost saving for Theo Gillen to spread it around later.
Rainer it is.
All three day 1 picks are HS.
One of the analysts at mlb.com was saying round 3 might be the same, grabbing HS players who you need to sink more money into to draw them away from attending college. After that though should be mostly college. There are still some nice college bats left who I was reading about in an article.
A+ Detroit.
Pirates Tigers pretty much had to take these players. I thought they were the clear best available players. Angels Nats maybe should have taken them.
When a kid gets compared to Corey Seager that says a lot. I did not think Rainer would still be there at #11.
1st rule of thumb when listening to ANY analysis from Harold Reynolds.. Take with a train load of salt.. Wait 24 hours, then think some more, because it’s usually nonsense.
I read up on him before the draft. I don’t let good old Harold get in my ear!
I didn’t either talent wise but I don’t put anything past some of these gms. Griffin Rainer could be the best 2 players in the draft. Pirates Tigers nailed it and should be thrilled.
Some great bats went before them. But not premium positions. Griffin is a no doubt cf and about a sure ss as a hs kid can be. Rainer could and even should stick at ss and at worst should be elite 3b.
Great value at 9 and 11. Pittsburgh felt good but I can’t imagine Detroit believed Rainer would be there.
Makes two of us..glad Harris decided on Rainer instead of picking Camineti or Yesavage. We need hitting and having him along w Clark and McGongile gives us Tiger fans hope to finally get out of this rebuild in the late 20’s
No way I thought Rainer would be there at 11.
Shortstop was definitely a need for the Tigers gotta like that pick.
I do like the pick, but being a high schooler probably means Javy gets to stay for the full contract.
Maybe they will sign Kim or someone for 3 or 4 years until Rainer makes his way through the system. Baez needs to go.
Javy is here to stay. He gets paid too much to cut bait.
If they get a young SS close to MLB for Flaherty I think Javy goes to the bench at least. His production is so terrible again this year he can’t continue to soak up at bats.
Craig Breslow just hit his first career home run
Time will tell. I like the pick. Not going to be a star but he could be a starter. well see.
They need pitching. They have a surplus of LH position players.
I think the new fo is very confident in its ability to develope/improve pitching thus no need to reach for it…plus prospects = trade capitol..can never have too much of anything
@Joemo Pitching was weak for what was already going to be a pretty weak draft.
More upside in this pick than any of the arms they mightve taken instead of him.
If he develops its a cheap starter letting you buy a FA arm that would be equivalent to what the averages say you’d be reaching down to grab. Or maybe you trade someone off the mlb roster towards an arm in a couple years.
He wasn’t my top hope to grab, but when he fell down the board it was the smart move. Besides, ignore LH and focus on SWITCH HITTER.
There wasn’t much pitching at the 12-slot, or anywhere else in the draft. I liked Burns and Smith a lot, but they were long gone.
This year is such a crappy draft class. Hard to know who the diamonds in the rough are going to be. There are maybe 10-15 players I really like. After that it’s a crapshoot.
Good draft class if you had a top 10 pick or were the Tigers at 11 and were gifted Rainer. Weak the rest of the way. One of the worst hs classes ever. Always hidden talent though.
Pandemic costing the kids in their HS development playing time will do that. Doesn’t mean there’s less talent, just that you couldn’t *see* it as easily.
The fun outcome (to put a positive spin on that all) is I’d expect for HS picks in the mid rounds you may see an uptick in guys with mlb-talent that were taken deeper in than many classes.
Cam Smith has questions like many of the guys in this draft. But overall, considering what was left, I like the Cubs pick. I don’t know what position he’s going to play.
tibbs at 13 is a steal
so is Yesavage at 20
Love Yesavage at 20. Tibbs has a hitch in his swing I don’t know about him.
apparently the hitch didnt stop tibbs from batting 363 + with nearly 30 hr in college
Never stat scout MLB prospects. Look no further than Christian Colon who slashed .358/.450/.631 his junior year despite having a swing issue then went on to go 4th overall and… not even play a single season of games in his career (161 games).
@account
fair enough
how do you evaluate college players without factoring in their #s?
I have watched some of these guys. Tibbs scares me. I could be wrong.
It’s really, really hard for even the most committed fan, in my opinion. Another mark against MLB and their fan access to the draft.
I have to watch a lot of college baseball, the combine, crappy YouTube video in which I can only really see mechanics, and research to believe I even have an idea on a guy. For example, I didn’t watch Konnor Griffin play a single game since he’s a high school guy, but I love his physical makeup, swing mechanics, and video in which he showcased his speed and arm talent; however, I don’t feel like my research even scratches the surface of what the scouts know about him from actually watching him, filming him, then dissecting that film. I wish the MLB draft process was more fan-friendly.
Edit: I do think there is some value to the numbers (like of course a .200 hitter isn’t going R1, but .350 also has proven it doesn’t guarantee success), I just wouldn’t use it to come to a conclusion. Intriguing numbers are a reason to dig deeper, I think.
@account
torkelson batted .337 in college, taken 1st overall, and has hit .218 in the majors so i agree great college #s + high draft choices dont always translate to major league success, but then kjerstad who was literally taken 2nd, right after tork, hit .343 in college and is now enjoying some success in the majors & looks very promising. in the end, you just never know with anybody. elly delacruz was not on anybody’s radar and some how is 1 of the most elite young players in the game today. you take a chance and you hope you choose the next bobby witt and not the next christian colon.
Spot on. Those international amateur free agents are impossible! Like you said, Elly wasn’t on anyone’s radar. He signed for what, $50k? No one expected he would become a physical specimen. There really is no way to forecast how a 15 year old kid will grow and mature physically and mentally. It’s tough enough to project the 20 year old kids in the draft. It’s funny you mention Kjerstad, too. Remember how everyone said he was a major reach for Baltimore at 2 and that he should be drafted around 8-11? Maybe that was incorrect haha
@myaccount2 Spot on. Good numbers are a reason to dig deeper, but when looking at college/high school guys, they are dozens of miles away from the be-all-end-all. Teams are looking for skills, traits, and abilities that will translate and develop well in pro-ball, not simpily how well they’re doing. Another thing to consider is that a lot of these guys are facing pitchers who’s baseball career is already at it’s end. A lot of college guys are going to get jobs that aren’t in baseball or sports, and a lot throw stuff that would barely play in the Frontier League. I work a scouting job that requires me to watch college baseball games, and you see a lot of guys with bad command who throw 83-86 MPH with a mediocer breaking/off-speed pitch or throw with mechanics that would never play well in any form of pro-ball.
1 last mention is tommy white taken 40th. Could be a star some day
Wonder why will schmidt wasnt drafted i know he committed to college but did he commit bec he wasnt drafted or did he make that decision before the draft
@Johnny – reports are he let teams know in the afternoon yesterday he intended to honor a firm commitment to play college ball.
I understand *why* so many forego school to jump into pro ball, but, really wish more of them focused on getting a degree to set themselves up for life when they’ve got a shot at doing it for free.
@GA
i agree about education
but an athlete’s career spans from about 18 to 30 if they’re lucky. if they go to college thats 3-4 years of their athletic peak they’re giving up. some athletes go to school after their sports careers are done. most other athletes become coaches or broadcasters. i think most HS athletes choose college bec their families/agents tell them they need to do more to prove themselves to teams. but schmidt was legit 1st rd pick so its a surprise he chose college. good luck to the young man. he’ll be back in 2027 for sure
can someone explain the praise for Wetherholt? why is he such a high pick? 2023 was fantastic, but only played half a season in ’24 and speed disappeared
also, Jurrangelo top 15? i just dont get it
and seaver king at #10
what am i missing here
Braylon Payne to the Brewers? Who?
Others above have mentioned it and standard draft practice, especially last few years. Draft up high a decent, but not the best guy available who will sign for less than slot, then (usually) draft a high impact HS kid in lower rounds, who wants a bunch of cash.
NONE of these tactics happened 2011 and earlier. blame the lousy hard slotting system, which was supposed to control out of control spending on kids, which wasn’t going on anyway.
If the MLBPA would stand up for the rights of pre eligible players, instead of it’s own self interests, they could collapse this worthless price fix mlb has forced on the game and amateur players would once again make more money.. But don’t expect the mlbpa to lift 1 finger to help anyone but their self entitled selves.
@john
you’re right it has to do w the slot $
so its less abt drafting the best, and all abt drafting the best you can for the $ you’re allowed to spend
lol mlb is a f’in disaster on every level right now
His 2024 season was limited by hamstring injuries. Yet he still managed to hit .331 with a 1.068 OPS while playing hurt. Also, scouts like the fact that he crushed the ball in the Cap Cod league using a wood bat. He had a .978 OPS in that league. Compare that to Condon, who had a .648 OPS in the same league.
I think thye Cubs should have taken Yesavage. Anybody notice how Reinsdorf did the predictable thing and passed on the best player in the draft( Caglione) To take a cheaper one? Shocking I know.
WSox like LH starters early……Sale, Rodon, Crochet, Schultz and now this kid from Arkansas.
Bannister the respected pitching expert must really like him, so JR can be spared arrows on this one for a change.
You obviously didn’t notice that Caglione is Left Handed so you put absolutely no thought into that post did you? And if Caglione flames out as a P you still have shot with him as a hitter so Reinsdorf is a cheap Putz who wants us to buy him another new stadium while putting no effort into it all.
Not as good a pitcher in college…and maybe they believe in the arm they drafted more than the bat of Caglione. Let’s not pretend the FL slugger is a can’t miss + perhaps they are hoping to slot more $ to 2nd rounder.
Point is they have smarter guys like Barfield who did well w/farm in AZ and Bannister as “outside” voices from the insular WSox mess in drafting its targets.
Smith looks legit. Arm action is a bit scary but so was Chris Sales, another White Sox pick.
Chris Getz seems to be less insular than RH/KW which isn’t a bad thing.
Caglianone is not a pitcher in the pros. Hagen Smith is so much better as a pitching prospect and it’s not even close really. Hell, Caglianone wasn’t even a good pitcher at the college level. He’s a 1B only who chases too much currently.
Was hoping the Cubs snagged the local kid, Ryan Sloan, in the second round —and he went right after. Saw him throw a couple of times this year and he’s legit.
Two third baseman so far? Hmmm. Surely doesn’t mean that they are going to end up there, but a little side stab that Matt Shaw may just be Nico’s replacement when that contract comes due as opposed to that anchor at third.
I know, I know—too much to read in at a baseball draft—but kind of interesting selections.
A good place to insert that the mlb draft is mainly a crapshoot. HOF players always find themselves drafted behind guys that never make AAA.
Never forget Mike Piazza was drafted in the 62nd round and if I’m not mistaken, some teams passed on even drafting players back then in this late rounds so some teams wanted no one instead of Mike. If I recall, he was connected to Lasorda via a god child or friend and it was a favor.
Look at Mike Trout and many many others.
Injuries, being 18 -20 years old, a lot can happen both good and bad.
Just don’t get too worked up over your teams draft pick is all I’m saying.
Pujols was a 13th round pick.
That said, Harper was a number one pick that has worked out very well.
Piazza was 62nd round
Wayne – he was my example.
Jim Edmonds was picked 169th overall in the 7th round.
As drafting 1b in the first round doesn’t signal over slot in later rounds like most teams. It’s just signals how stupid the team is front top to bottom.
Like Cards pick. Stock piling 2B now. Sageese Prieto Fermin all knocking on door in Memphis. Possible trades coming?
Surprised Caminiti fell so far down.
Yeah, I think ATL really thought they lucked out. 17 years old. Right before HOU’s pick, too.
Kid has a lot of upside and his arm is already throwing serious gas. One of the few Hugh school pitchers that you can see him developing into a top of the rotation starter.
Very pleased with this pick.
If you look at the Reds in a couple years, they will have a hell of a rotation. If everything goes to plan, they will have Greene, Lodolo, Abbott, Lowder and Burns in no certain order. Throw in Aguiar who is being missed by ‘the experts,’ they could be dominant. Yes, they need offense, but they have a pretty good lineup once the guys get back next year from being injured. Plus, they have some exciting guys who are making it this year and next (Hinds, Stewart, maybe Dunn as a 4th/5th OF). Hell, if they save money now with the Burns pick, maybe some of that savings goes towards trade investments or free agents. Everything is synergistic.
On average 80% of all mlb prospects never make it .. with regard to first rounders that % lifts to 66% who do but still very few amount to much so if the reds get 2 or 3 of those guys to stick long term thats impressive. ..all 5. Odds are against it
Love the pick by the Braves, great selection. 98mph at 17, and there is only upside for Cam Caminiti, he can also hit and play outfield, so I don’t know what the Braves are going to do regarding his two way ability. Interesting to say the least.
They love athletes b/c it gives them a safety net. Most teams were looking at Harris II as a pitcher. Any idea about Vandy’s Carter Holton from Slow-vannah?
Only this, Run. youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=A37urUh5VUg
Seems like a bit of a Shuster type, and he’s 5’11. I have a bias to 6’0 and over for pitchers.
Not thrilled with the Phillies top two picks. One guy seems like a fourth outfielder type and the second pick is “toolsy.” I sure hope the Phils pick smart down draft to make these under-slot picks worth it…
1st pick is a no doubt cf. Doesn’t look great for being a power guy but that’s still valuable.
Awful highschool class so underslot isn’t going to help them and even if there was players to take they wouldn’t be underslot enough picking 27 and a hs man who can just go play SEC ball if not paid enough.
Angels took a good pick at #8. Moore could be in the lineup to start 2025.
They brought up Schanuel last season. Wouldn’t shock me to see Moore called up in September.
I don’t know if MLBTR will allow this, but this is a magnificent article on Travis Bazzana, a great read.
foxsports.com.au/baseball/mlb-draft-2024-who-is-tr…
Thoughts on the Pirates pick?
Konnor Griffin the first HS kid off the board.
Was he really the top HS talent or is this a reach?
Bryce Rainer & Seaver King both have better names..
Good to see the White Sox drafted the only type of player they have had success with; hard throwing lefty with a devastating slider and weird delivery. Literally the only player they consistently are able to develop well.
With Condon, just skip the minors. I’d like to see what he’ll do in Coors Field.
I agree. I wonder if he was picked with the mindset of moving Ryan McMahon for prospects and rebuilding this team.
Even if Condon goes full-frontal Joey Gallo, he’ll learn. And what better place for a slugger to learn than a hitter’s park with a lousy team?
nice job Cashman… NOT
I think the nicest surprise was seeing the Red Sox nab Braden Montgomery. I thought he would have been selected in the top ten.
Good pick in a weak class. Not crazy about him, but do like the value at #12.
Is chase burns the only Italian born player to be drafted?
I’m linking the Mariners pick. Jurrangelo Cijntje can throw with both arms so he has to UCLs. Big advantage. Guy can still pitch while he rehabs the other arm.
Red Sox got a Top 4 player at 12 spot….. Out field is going to be scary good with Anthony, Mongomery and Rafaela in 2 years.
Plus Duran.
Duran will be 28 this season. Sox should retain control over him by my estimates for 2025-2028. At that point he will be entering his age-33 year in 2029 as a FA, and, will likely have been allowed to walk. Anthony/Montgomery still have a way to go before they would displace anyone, but, it wouldn’t be shocking to see a 30 or 31 YO Duran flipped if everyone pans out.
Hell of a start to the draft for the Rockies. Condon drops to them at 3 and then they steal Brecht. With some actual coaching Brecht could really flourish but he had a terrible pitching coach at Iowa who tried to change his mechanics.
Not a position the pirates need but looks like a great talent up the middle. round the time our current middle infield contracts are up Griffin and Johnson will be on the door step if they stick at those positions
Still need a future first baseman sooner than later, but doesn’t seem like much that one would consider round one quality.
Good Pick
Some say the Sweeper is not a new pitch.
Then why is MLB calling it a sweeper?
Did Andrew Miller throw a Sweeper?