After all the gossip, rumors, and claims of crazy pre-draft player deals and shocking picks, the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft was mostly made up of the players we thought would be selected in the first round. MLB teams selected 74 players on the first day, and 66 of them were in my top 100.
Of the first 30 picks – the true first round – 25 of those players were ranked in my top 31. There were no big surprises, no players outside the top 100 selected in the first round, no wild picks, and for the most part, the best players were selected at the top of the draft.
Here are some general observations followed by my thoughts on the picks made for the entire first round. I’ll be doing a team-by-team recap for all 30 clubs later this week, so if I haven’t mentioned your team here, you’ll have to be patient.
Cleveland Goalies: They had the first pick and took one of only two viable options in my opinion, Oregon State second baseman Travis Bazzana. The Guardians then turned around and took high school pitcher Braylon Doughty with their Competitive Balance Round A (CBA) pick at No. 36, which I suspect will eat up a lot of the savings from what will likely be a sub-slot deal for Bazzana. They followed that up with NC State catcher Jacob Cozart, who quietly had a great year at the plate for the Wolfpack, with their second-round pick (No. 48). I feel like they got two everyday players at middle positions and then got a jump start on a very good high school arm.
Colorado Rockies: The Rockies took the No. 1 player on my board, Golden Spikes winner Charlie Condon, and picked up another first-round talent, Iowa right-hander Brody Brecht, with their CBA pick at No. 38. Brecht is a project, a high school arm on a college pitcher’s body, so to speak, but if anyone is going to take a risk on a high-upside pitcher, it’s the Rockies.
Arizona Diamondbacks: The Dbacks drafted two players from my top 15, high school outfielder Slade Caldwell (No. 29) and Kentucky outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt (No. 31). Caldwell is a small outfielder from Arkansas who probably goes much higher if he’s 6’1″, but he can really hit and defend. Waldschmidt was one of the best hitters in the college pool, but he apparently slipped because some teams were concerned about the ACL injury that ended his 2023 season. They took some upside with JD Dix, a Wisconsin high school infielder who committed to Oregon State, at the 35th pick, and then made a big push for their final pick of the day, Puerto Rican catcher Ivan Luciano (No. 64), who will likely go below the slot.
Jac Caglianone has been announced as a two-way player. (Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images)
Kansas City Royals: Look, I don’t think Jac Caglianone is a two-way player, and I’m not sure the Royals think so either, even though they’ve billed him as one. He has the kind of power the Royals have been looking for throughout franchise history, and it makes perfect sense to take him at No. 6, when he was one of the best players available anyway. I also like the left-handed David Shields pick at No. 41. He’s earned very high marks for his delivery and feel for the pitch, and I’m all for taking high schoolers who have those qualities and whose high velocity could come in a few years.
New York Mets and New York Yankees: If you don’t like New York, skip this one. I love both of the Mets’ picks, with Carson Benge (No. 19), a real upside player as a hitter who makes very hard contact and needs some minor adjustments to reach power; and Jonathan Santucci (No. 46), the lefty from Duke with first-round stuff and some injury concerns after his 2023 spring ended with a fractured elbow. Santucci was their second-round pick, and taking a risk on a first-round arm like that with your second pick is a great bet. Meanwhile, the Yankees took one of my personal favorites in this draft, Alabama right-hander Ben Hess, with their first pick (No. 26), and followed him with Vanderbilt right-hander Bryce Cunningham (No. 53). Both appear to be the type of pitchers who would thrive in the Yankees’ player development system.
Seattle Mariners: I heard the Mariners wanted pitchers, and they got two of my top-30 pitchers in ambidextrous pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje (No. 15) and prep right-hander Ryan Sloan (No. 55). (Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Cijntje as an “ambidextrous pitcher.” What? You don’t say “ambidextrous hitter.” He’s an ambidextrous hitter and he should be an ambidextrous pitcher.) Sloan is a very fast guy, up to 100 mph with a plus changeup, and if he can show he’ll throw enough strikes, the Mariners should be aggressive with him. Their system is very hitter-oriented, and the draft just so happens to have presented them with a pair of first-round arms.
Washington Nationals: The Nats did well with their three picks, including one just acquired Saturday from the Royals for Hunter Harvey, getting Wake Forest shortstop/center fielder Seaver King with their first pick (No. 10) and a very promising high school infielder in Luke Dickerson with their third pick (No. 44). They used the new pick (No. 39) on Cal catcher Caleb Lomavita, a reasonable value at that pick, though I can’t get used to a guy who is as eager as he is at the plate.
Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies make surprise picks: The biggest surprises in the first round in terms of seeding were Braylon Payne (Milwaukee) and Dante Nori (Philadelphia). Payne went 17th overall; I had him 78th, despite his 80-plus speed, because he needs to get a lot stronger to hit enough for speed to matter. I’m not saying he can’t do it, but it takes time, and there’s a risk he won’t reach the strength he’ll need. Nori went 27th overall, and I had him 65th, especially because he’s 19 and a high school product—he turns 20 in October. He’s got tools, and I think there could be another level of power if someone loosens up his lower half. I’m not saying either guy is a bad pick, far from it, but I didn’t see either guy going in the first round.
Vance Honeycutt joined the Orioles with the 22nd overall pick. (Ben McKeown/Associated Press)
Where the big names landed: Most of the big-name players who went into the draft were drafted lower than their fame would have you believe. Caglianone was perhaps the most famous player in the class, and he went sixth, not too bad but not the 1-1 that the hype would have you believe. Vance Honeycutt worked his way into the first round at No. 22 to Baltimore. Tommy White, aka Tommy Tanks, who was the top freshman in the country in 2022, ended up going to the A’s with the No. 40 pick. The industry is pretty good at ignoring the hype and evaluating the player.
Best players available for day 2
- Peyton Stovall, 2B, Arkansas (ranked No. 34)
- Kevin Bazzell, C/3B, Texas Tech (No. 35)
- Dakota Jordan, OF, Mississippi State (No. 49)
- D’Marion Terrell, OF, Thompson HS, AL (No. 52)
- Gage Miller, 3B, Alabama (No. 54)
- Carson Wiggins, right-handed pitcher, Roland HS, OK (#55)
- Jared Jones, 1B, LSU (No. 57)
- Connor Gatwood, right-handed pitcher, Baker High School, Alabama (No. 61)
- Dax Whitney, right-handed pitcher, Blackfoot HS, ID (#63)
- Mike Sirota, OF, Northeast (No. 65)
The list of top players still available is different this year — usually it’s mostly high-priced high schoolers, but this year the top three are college players, and only four of the top ten players remaining are high schoolers. D’Marion Terrell and Connor Gatwood are both committed to Auburn, Dax Whitney is committed to Oregon State, and Carson Wiggins is committed to Arkansas. I imagine the six college players here will disappear quickly unless there’s a medical issue or some other non-baseball factor I haven’t heard about.
(Top photo: LM Otero/Associated Press)