The 2024 MLB Draft is in the books as teams have been adding new talent to their organizations. Evaluating draft classes this early is always a subjective task. One factor to consider when reading this article is that we are assuming that every player will be signed by their team. This is an important thing to note because Day 3 is when you typically see teams draft players who can’t sign due to bonus pools, which may not reflect the players who actually join each organization. With that said, let’s get down to business!
American League East
Baltimore Orioles
After a solid first day that saw the Orioles take high-potential but risky players like Vance Honeycutt and Griff O’Ferrall, they were able to add two very good catcher prospects in Ethan Anderson and Ryan Stafford while also getting their hands on the super-athletic Austin Overn. This draft will hinge on the production and development of the first two picks, because if they can do that, it will be even more successful than it already is.
Category B
Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox were able to get a good deal when Braden Montgomery was still available at No. 12. They were then able to add intriguing players with solid potential like Conrad Cason, Payton Toll, Brady Tygart, Devin Futrell, Brandon Neely, and Brandon Clarke. Overall, the Red Sox were able to add a lot of depth, but Montgomery is arguably the player with the most potential among their picks.
Grade: B+
New York Yankees
The Yankees have a lot of arms, having used eight of their first nine picks on pitchers. Ben Hess seems a bit overpriced in the first round, but he probably wouldn’t have been there when they picked again in the second round. Bryce Cunningham, Thatcher Hurd and Gage Ziehl make up another trio of promising arms. I would have liked to see a bit more on the positional side, but a really solid draft, especially when you focus on pitchers.
Grade: B+
The Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays added a ton of talent starting their draft with elite athlete Theo Gillen. Emilien Pitres and Tyler Bell are another pair of very good hitters they were able to grab with their second competitive balance pick. That’s a lot to like and it’s only three picks in the draft. Tampa Bay will add five more in the top 250, including a massive arm in Oklahoma State right-hander Janzen Keisel.
Note: A
Toronto Blue Jays
Getting Trey Yesavage with the 20th pick must have made the Blue Jays’ management happy, as he was considered one of the best pitchers in the draft. Khal Stephen and Johnny King were interesting picks, but there seemed to be a bit more talent available with those picks. Sean Keys has a lot of upside, and while the talent he faced in college wasn’t exactly the best, if he can hit at the same level as he did in college, he’ll be a very good third baseman. If the Blue Jays can sign Dmarion Terrell, which isn’t likely, the grade jumps to a B+, but if not, this will still be a good draft for the Blue Jays.
Category B
American League Central
The Chicago White Sox
It was certainly interesting to select Hagen Smith over JJ Wetherholt who was one of the best players in the draft. But the White Sox made up for it with some very interesting, high-upside picks like Caleb Bonemar, Blake Larson, Nick McLain and Case Saucke. The Day 3 additions of Pierce George and TJ McCants also contribute to the overall evaluation of their draft class.
Grade: A-
Cleveland Goalies
Expectations were high for a Cleveland team that is one of the best teams in the league while also having the first overall pick in the draft. The trio of Travis Bazzana, Braylon Doughty and Joey Oakie gives you three picks with potential first-round value. Add in slugger Jacob Cozart, small-armed Aidan Major and a gamble on Chase Mobley and you have a huge amount of talent in one draft without even getting into the rest of the picks.
Note: A
Detroit Tigers
The Tigers took a shot at high potential with their selections of Bryce Rainer and Owen Hall. In the competitive balance round, they added intriguing Ethan Schiefelb who has great projection in his frame and already has good command for his age. Later, they added right-hander Michael Massey who provides them with another top-tier pitching prospect. As noted, this article assumes the entire class signs, so with the addition of Anson Seibert in the 16th round, this is a very high-potential draft for the Tigers.
Grade: A-
Kansas City Royals
Jac Caglianone is probably the most intriguing player in the draft with huge potential but significant risk given the number of swings he misses. If he hits, he alone could propel this draft class, or any draft class, to an A. Aside from him, the Royals bet big on pitching by taking five pitchers in the top 250. Dennis Colleran is also a real wild card because he has a huge arm but struggles with his fastball and slider. There are a lot of upsides with Colleran, but also a lot of risk.
Grade: B+
Minnesota Twins
Rounding out the American League Central are the Twins, who have made a strong showing with the additions of Kaelen Culpepper, Billy Amick, Dasan Hill and Kyle DeBarge. There is risk with all of these players, but that’s the nature of the early draft. You’re banking on up-and-coming players who could make significant contributions down the road. Then you add a guy like Khadim Diaw who hits well, and if he can stick around at catcher, he could be a player to watch. The first two days alone make this a fantastic draft for the Twins.
Note: A
American League West
Houston Astros
The Astros had to fight hard for only one pick in the top 100 of the draft, but they were able to get very good value with catcher Walker Janek at No. 28 and right-hander Ryan Forcucci at No. 3. Cole Hertzler at No. 5 could be a good option, but there’s also risk with him as a reliever.
Category B-
Los Angeles Angels
If they can get everyone signed, this will be a good draft for the Angels and one they desperately needed. Christian Moore was a bit of a surplus at No. 8 but he still has good upside. Chris Cortez and Ryan Johnson are both potential relievers but there is a ton of arm talent there. Trey Gregory-Alford and Connor Gatwood are also high-upside pitching prospects but overall, there are good reasons to like this Angels draft class.
Note: A
Oakland Athletics
The Athletics must have thought JJ Wetherholt would have eliminated them from their draft strategy, because selecting Nick Kurtz at No. 4 was pretty odd. Getting Tommy White and Gage Jump with their next two picks really helped ease those questions. They also accumulated some very good college players like Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, Rodney Green, Kyle Robinson, and Sam Stuhr. There’s virtually no chance they sign Dylan Volantis, but for the sake of this article, let’s say they do, which helps mitigate the criticism they get for selecting Kurtz over Wetherholt.
Grade: B+
Seattle Mariners
There’s no denying Jurrangelo Cijntje’s arm talent, but taking him at 15th and then giving him his full value is a bit interesting. Ryan Sloan in the second round is fantastic because he was projected as a first-round talent. The only problem is that if they don’t develop, it’ll be a bit weaker, even though Josh Caron and Hunter Cranton are good picks in their own right. If Cijntje and Sloan both get close to their ceiling, the Mariners will have two top-tier pitchers with the first two picks, but there’s a fair amount of risk with this draft.
Grade: C+
Texas Rangers
Malcolm Moore’s first round pick was definitely a solid pick, and then adding Dylan Dreiling, who should hit but doesn’t really have a position to play, made for a good first day for the Rangers. Casey Cook should hit, though he doesn’t project as a star, but rather a solid player with a good approach. Days two and three were decent, with an interesting selection of Devin Fitz-Gerland in the fifth looking like an option, but they were able to grab Cade Obermueller, which certainly helps.