The 2024 MLB Draft is rapidly approaching. It begins on Sunday, July 14 and runs through Tuesday, July 16. The draft will see the next wave of stars be selected, and there’s quite a few to choose from. In the most recent mock draft from MLB Pipeline, there is more movement with the latest intel from the recent scouting combine.
Of the 30 mocked first round selections, just seven are from the high school ranks. The other 23 picks come from the college ranks, continuing to show the dominance of the college class in this year’s prospect pool.
18 players mocked in the first round are college hitters. This class is full of impressive talent at the plate, but it isn’t just limited to there. Three picks inside the top ten are college pitchers, and the top three of Chase Burns, Hagen Smith and Trey Yesavage is extremely impressive.
It’s safe to say a lot of MLB teams will be very happy pretty much no matter how the board falls. MLB Pipeline’s mock shows the latest rumblings on what could happen in this year’s draft, but plenty could change over the next couple of weeks.
1. Cleveland Guardians: Oregon State 2B Travis Bazzana
Travis Bazzana steadily improved each year at Oregon State, starting as a .306 hitter with six home runs as a freshman in 2022 and ending as a .416 hitter with 28 home runs in 2024. He had an OPS of 1.512 this season and is one of the most sure bets you’ll find in this draft class.
If Bazzana is taken with the top pick as he is in this mock, he’ll become the first Australian to ever be selected first overall in the MLB Draft. It’s starting to feel more and more likely that it could happen.
2. Cincinnati Reds: Georgia OF/3B Charlie Condon
There isn’t a better power hitter in this class than Georgia’s Charlie Condon. After hitting .386 with 25 home runs in 2023, he took a big step in 2024 by hitting .440 with 36 home runs and 77 RBI. He slugged 1.022 with an OPS of 1.584.
What Condon did this season is truly remarkable. His 36 home runs set the BBCOR-era record, and he was rewarded by winning the 2024 Golden Spikes Award.
3. Colorado Rockies: Wake Forest RHP Chase Burns
Chase Burns is a flamethrower, and he also brings a ton of energy to the mound each and every time he pitches. After spending the first two years of his career at Tennessee, Burns transferred to Wake Forest before the 2024 season.
The transfer proved to be the right decision for Burns, who had the best season of h is career. In 100 innings across 16 starts, he was 10-1 with a 2.70 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP. He struck out 191 batters with just 30 walks. He’s the favorite to be the first pitcher taken and this MLB mock draft reflects that.
4. Oakland Athletics: Florida 1B/LHP Jac Caglianone
Jac Caglianone manged to put together one of the best two season stretches we’ve ever seen in college baseball. He did it all, hitting, fielding and pitching. On the mound, he threw 72.2 innings in 2024, was 5-2, and finished with a 4.71 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP while striking out 82.
Caglianone’s true value comes at the plate. In 2023, he hit .323 with 33 home runs and 90 RBI. This season, he practically willed Florida to Omaha by hitting .411 with 31 home runs and 63 RBI. He’s likely to make his money at the level with his bat, though he could get a chance to pitch as well.
5. Chicago White Sox: West Virginia SS/2B J.J. Wetherholt
2023 was a breakout season for West Virginia’s J.J. Wetherholt, as he hit .449 with 16 home runs and 60 RBI. Viewed as a candidate for the first overall pick entering the season, he might still be in that discussion. Some MLB mock drafts have had him as high as first overall.
Wetherholt missed some time due to injury in 2024, but finished with a productive season. He hit .345 with eight home runs and 30 RBI.
6. Kansas City Royals: Arkansas LHP Hagen Smith
Hagen Smith put together a very impressive regular season as Arkansas’ ace, and he could certainly be the first pitcher selected in this summer’s draft, though he’s the second in this mock. Even if he’s not, he won’t fall much past this range.
On the year, Smith was 9-2 in 16 starts, pitching to a 2.04 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP in 84 innings. He struck out 161 hitters compared to 34 walks.
7. St. Louis Cardinals: Texas A&M OF Braden Montgomery
Though Braden Montgomery has been out since Super Regionals due to injury, his stock isn’t falling in the draft cycle. After hitting 35 home runs across two seasons at Stanford, Montgomery transferred to Texas A&M ahead of the 2024 campaign.
On the year, Montgomery was again one of college baseball’s best hitters. He hit .322 with 27 home runs and 85 RBI, also putting together a 1.187 OPS.
8. Los Angeles Angels: East Carolina RHP Trey Yesavage
While Chase Burns and Hagen Smith might be more well-known, Trey Yesavage is in the same tier. He’s the third pitcher taken in MLB Pipeline’s mock draft, but he could end up going even higher than here.
Yesavage started his career at ECU as an inconsistent reliever, but he turned into a star once he got in the weekend rotation. In 2024, he was 11-1 in 15 starts, pitching to a 2.03 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP across 93.1 innings. He struck out 145 hitters with 32 walks.
9. Pittsburgh Pirates: Wake Forest 1B Nick Kurtz
Nick Kurtz has been one of the best hitters in the country since starting his career in 2022 at Wake Forest. 2023 was his best season, hitting .353 with 24 home runs and 69 RBI.
In 2024, Kurtz hit .306 with 22 home runs and 57 RBI. Though he didn’t have as dominant of a year as some expected him to, he still established himself as a sure top ten pick in July.
10. Washington Nationals: Jackson Prep HS SS Konnor Griffin (LSU commit)
The Nationals could go in a lot of ways with the No. 10 overall pick, and it might just turn into best available. Here, that is Jackson Prep high school shortstop Konnor Griffin.
Griffin, an LSU commit, has consistenly been mocked inside the top ten in this draft process. He rounds out the top ten in this mock.
2024 MLB Mock Draft: 11-30
11. Detroit Tigers: Harvard-Westlake HS SS Bryce Rainer (Texas commit)
12. Boston Red Sox: Tennessee 2B Christian Moore
13. San Francisco Giants: Saguaro HS LHP Cam Caminiti (LSU commit)
14. Chicago Cubs: Florida State OF James Tibbs III
15. Seattle Mariners: Florida State 3B Cam Smith
16. Miami Marlins: Wake Forest 3B/OF Seaver King
17. Milwaukee Brewers: Oklahoma State OF Carson Benge
18. Tampa Bay Rays: Kentucky OF Ryan Waldschmidt
19. New York Mets: North Carolina OF Vance Honeycutt
20. Toronto Blue Jays: LSU 3B Tommy White
21. Minnesota Twins: Tennessee 3B Billy Amick
22. Baltimore Orioles: Iowa RHP Brody Brecht
23. Los Angeles Dodgers: Catholic HS RHP William Schmidt (LSU commit)
24. Atlanta Braves: Mississippi State RHP/LHP Jurrangelo Cijntje
25. San Diego Padres: Elk City HS LHP Kash Mayfield (Oklahoma State commit)
26. New York Yankees: Kansas State SS Kaelen Culpepper
27. Philadelphia Phillies: Valley View HS OF Slade Caldwell (Ole Miss commit)
28. Houston Astros: Westlake HS SS/2B Theo Gillen (Texas commit)
29. Arizona Diamondbacks: Stanford C Malcolm Moore
30. Texas Rangers: Sam Houston C Walker Janek
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