MLB Draft Grades: See Who Aced The 2024 First Round
MLB Draft Grades: See Who Aced The 2024 First Round
We won't know how well these teams did on Day 1 of the 2024 MLB Draft for another 5 years, but here's some early grades. See Who Got An A+.
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The first round of the 2024 MLB Draft concluded on July 14 along with the adjoining compensation and prospect incentive picks and the second round. It was a unique first day of the draft as few knew who the Cleveland Guardians were taking.
Nearly every mock draft was wrong on the top pick until the day of the draft when some started to shift to Oregon State star, and Australian, Travis Bazzana. And that was indeed the pick.
Bazzana became the first ever player drafted No. 1 by the Cleveland Guardians and the middle infielder led the way for what was a three-pick day for the Guardians, who entered the 2024 All-Star Break leading the American League Central.
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Bazzana likely won't factor in Cleveland's plans this year and his 2025 availability will likely be based on how fast he can move, if he even starts moving this summer, this year in the minors.
It's hard to argue with Cleveland's top pick.
With the first pick in the 2024 @MLB Draft, the Cleveland Guardians selected 2B Travis Bazzana from @BeaverBaseball !
— FloBaseball (@FloBaseball) July 14, 2024
Check out his highlights from when the Beavers played at @GlobeLifeField this past February 🏟️ #MLBDraft #MLB #TravisBazzana #Guardians pic.twitter.com/yz3drScpYS
The rest of the first round had some surprises.
When it comes to draft grades, it can be dangerously embarrassing to assign grades following a baseball draft. A high school player, like one of the three the Pittsburgh Pirates took, could become the next Greg Maddux or Mookie Betts or name any Baseball Hall of Fame player.
No one knows for sure. After five years, though, yeah grading seems fine. But we're not waiting five years. So now it's time for the possible dangerously embarrassing draft grades following the first two rounds. I'm a believer in value at the pick in real time based on scouting and projections. So if a player drops to a team, I'm going to love the pick. If a class I grade poorly goes on to be great, good for them. But it can still be a bad pick in real-time.
This article will be updated after each day of the draft.
Arizona Diamondbacks 2024 MLB Draft Grade: A+
Three picks in the top 35 of the draft for the defending National League Champions yielded one of the top prep outfielders, one of the top college outfielders and one of the most under-the-radar prep prospects in the draft. Slade Caldwell was a player I had at one time going to the Dodgers in the first round and Ryan Waldschmidt was the best player for a Kentucky team that won the SEC and reached Omaha. Waldschmidt should move quickly through the system. JD Dix was a popular prep player among some scouts. The Diamondbacks took three prep prospects with their four picks in the top 74, but also got a player who could be an impact player by 2026.
Arizona's Picks:
- 29. Arizona Diamondbacks: Slade Caldwell, OF, Valley View, Ark.
- 31. Arizona Diamondbacks: Ryan Waldschmidt, OF, Kentucky Baseball
- 35. Arizona Diamondbacks: JD Dix, SS, Whitefish Bay, Wisc.
- 64. Arizona Diamondbacks: Ivan Luciano, C, El Shaddai Christian Academy (PR)
Colorado Rockies 2024 MLB Draft Grade: A+
When their college pitcher they wanted went No. 2, the Rockies knew exactly what to do: Take Charlie Condon, the 2024 Golden Spikes Award winner. He led college baseball in home runs with 37 and batted .443 for the season. The Rockies are in a long rebuild and things look bleak. But they just landed the player who owned more No.1 prospect grades entering the draft than anyone at No. 3. But why Colorado may have had the best draft night is Brody Brecht dropping nearly 20 spots and being available at 38. No one saw the Iowa RHP falling that far and many thought he'd go as high as No. 14 to the Cubs. The Rockies then added another college outfielder in Jared Thomas at No. 42.
Colorado's Picks:
- 3. Colorado Rockies: Charlie Condon, OF/IF, Georgia Baseball
- 38. Colorado Rockies: Brody Brecht, RHP, Iowa Baseball
- 42. Colorado Rockies: Jared Thomas, OF, Texas Baseball
Minnesota Twins 2024 MLB Draft Grade: A+
This is the type of Day 1 draft I thought the Tigers and Pirates should have had.
The Twins had four picks and took three college-age players that should be on the the call-up radar by next September. The also took a highly-thought-of prospect in LHP Dasan Hill, arguably the second-best LHP in the high school class at No. 69. The Twins are trying to make the playoffs over the next couple seasons and they added three productive college infielders in Kaelan Culpepper, Kyle DeBarge and one of the biggest steals of the draft at No. 60 in Billy Amick, who we had in the first round.
Minnesota's Picks:
- 21. Minnesota Twins: Kaelen Culpepper, SS, Kansas State Baseball
- 33. Minnesota Twins: Kyle DeBarge, SS, Louisiana-Lafayette Baseball
- 60. Minnesota Twins: Billy Amick, 3B, Tennessee Baseball
- 69. Minnesota Twins: Dasan Hill, LHP, Grapevine, Texas
Cleveland Guardians 2024 MLB Draft Grade: A+
Deciding to draft one of the two top prospects in the draft instead of going under slot value like so many assumed is what gives them high marks. The Guardians didn't mess around with this pick. They are in the middle of a contending window and they should be in the position for at least the next three seasons. Taking a player who can debut, possibly, some time in 2025 and likely in 2026 and be an impact player was the move.
Cleveland's Picks:
- 1. Cleveland Guardians: Travis Bazzana, IF, Oregon State Baseball
- 36. Cleveland Guardians: Braylon Doughty, RHP, Chaparral, Calif.
- 48. Cleveland Guardians: Jacob Cozart, C, North Carolina State Baseball
Toronto Blue Jays 2024 MLB Draft Grade: A
Trey Yesavage was the third-best pitcher in the draft and the Blue Jays got him at No. 20. Maybe it's the medical concerns. I don't know. But I know he was one of the most MLB-ready pitchers in the draft. Toronto took two college pitchers in Yesavage and Khal Stephen at No. 59. If Yesavage is healthy, he should be pitching in 2025. I don't know if the Blue Jays will deal Bo Bichette or Vlad Guerrero Jr. but they did add players who can help them win sooner rather than later.
Toronto's Picks:
- 20. Toronto Blue Jays: Trey Yesavage, RHP, East Carolina Baseball
- 59. Toronto Blue Jays: Khal Stephen, RHP, Mississippi State
Cincinnati Reds 2024 MLB Draft Grade: A
The Reds passed on Charlie Condon at No. 2 and that was a surprise. But it's hard to give the team anything lower than an A when they didn't own the No. 1 pick and yet still drafted the consensus No. 1 pitcher in the draft class. Chase Burns, A RHP from Wake Forest, has the best slider in the class and throws a 100 mph fastball. Even if some of the fears of him becoming a bullpen pitcher come true, Burns' personality on the mound likely means he could be a closer. That said, he threw 30 more strikeouts than the next closest player in college baseball this past season.
The Reds also landed another interesting college pitcher in the Competitive Balance Round B in Luke Holman, who had a 2.75 ERA and was second in strikeouts in the SEC. Oddly enough, the Reds took a Wake Forest and LSU pitcher in first and second rounds in 2023 (Rhett Lowder and Ty Floyd).
Cincinnati's Picks
- 2. Cincinnati Reds: Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest Baseball
- 51. Cincinnati Reds: Tyson Lewis, SS, Millard West HS, Neb.
- 71. Cincinnati Reds: Luke Holman, RHP, LSU Baseball
Boston Red Sox 2024 MLB Draft Grade: A
Braden Montgomery's ankle injury in the Super Regionals dropped him out of the top 10, and to some the top 5, of the draft and the Red Sox didn't waste time in taking him. He was the best player on a Texas A&M team that nearly won the national championship and perhaps they do that if he was able to play in Omaha.
The Red Sox's next pick was just the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year in Payton Tolle of TCU at No. 50
Boston's Picks:
- 12 Braden Montgomery, OF, Texas A&M Baseball
- 50. Boston Red Sox: Payton Tolle, LHP, TCU Baseball
Texas Rangers 2024 MLB Draft Grades: A
The Rangers took Malcolm Moore in the first round and Moore had a bad season in 2024 but the 2023 campaign was really good. Can he stick at catcher is the big question here, but perhaps they drafted him with a plan of moving him to first and having him concentrate on hitting. But what makes this a great Day 1 for the Rangers is taking the CWS MVP in Dylan Dreiling at No. 65. Dreiling has power and could help the defending World Series Champions by next year.
Texas' Picks:
- 30. Texas Rangers: Malcolm Moore, C, Stanford Baseball
- 65. Texas Rangers: Dylan Dreiling, OF, Tennessee Baseball
Baltimore Orioles 2024 MLB Draft Grade: A-
They have been the best drafting team in baseball the last several years and although they might have reached at No. 32 with Griff O'Ferrall, this is a team that took three players on Day 1 that should be debuting before the end of 2026 and could be real contributors for a club trying to win the World Series over the next four or five years. Vance Honeycutt was a pretty volatile prospect in this class. He may be the next Mookie Betts or the next Billy Hamilton with more power, but the value at No. 22 made this an easy pick.
Baltimore's Picks:
- 22. Baltimore Orioles: Vance Honeycutt, OF, UNC Baseball
- 32. Baltimore Orioles: Griff O’ Ferrall, Virginia Baseball, SS
- 61. Baltimore Orioles: Ethan Anderson, C/1B, Virginia Baseball
Chicago Cubs 2024 MLB Draft Grade: B+
Cam Smith hit .402 with 16 home runs for Florida State this spring and helped get them to Omaha. He's superb athlete and he reduced his strikeouts this season.
Also, we know a lot about Cole Mathis at FloBaseball, being the streaming home to the CAA, and Mathis is the best player drafted from College of Charleston since Brett Gardner. Mathis hit .335 with 14 home runs this season.
Chicago Cubs' Picks:
- 14. Chicago Cubs: Cam Smith, 3B, Florida State Baseball
- 54. Chicago Cubs: Cole Mathis, 3B, College of Charleston Baseball
Los Angeles Angels 2024 MLB Draft Grade: B+
Christian Moore at No. 8 seemed a little high but not that much. The CWS hero for the national champion Tennessee Volunteers was an easy sell. Moore can hit and the Angels need good players.
But it's the next two picks that I love. Ryan Johnson of Dallas Baptist is robbery at No. 74 and Chris Cortez was really good at Texas A&M this season out of the bullpen with a 2.78 ERA. Johnson had a 2.21 ERA in 16 starts with 151 strike outs.
Los Angeles Angels' Picks:
- 8. Los Angeles Angels: Christian Moore, IF, Tennessee Baseball
- 45. Los Angeles Angels: Chris Cortez, RHP, Texas A&M Baseball
- 74. Los Angeles Angels: Ryan Johnson, RHP, Dallas Baptist Baseball
Seattle Mariners 2024 MLB Draft Grade: B+
There's never been a prospect like Jurrangelo Cijntje. He's a both handed pitcher with a 3.67 ERA who caught the attention of every scout this year and surged up the prospect lists. But this pick is downgraded a bit if Cijntje drops one of the arms for the other.
The real star was the prep player Ryan Sloan dropping to the Mariners at No. 55. This is a player many had in the first round and someone who could develop into a front-line starter.
Seattle's Picks:
- 15. Seattle Mariners: Jurrangelo Cijntje, BHP, Mississippi State Baseball
- 55. Seattle Mariners: Ryan Sloan, RHP, York Community HS, Illi.
New York Mets 2024 MLB Draft Grade: B+
I don't know if the Mets are in a long rebuild, short rebuild or if they are just being the Mets. But I know that they have one of the wealthiest owners in baseball and play in New York so they could still spend big in the offseason.
Can the Mets build a farm system on the level of the Dodgers? They haven't really done that since the 1980s and their two picks on the first day don't really do that, but they are are great value picks for a team that plans to compete in 2026 and 2027. The Brewers made the No. 19 pick easy when they passed on Carson Benge. The Mets scooped him up. The Pirates anD Royals made the No. 46 pick easy when they took a pair of high school LHP before Jonathan Santucci, probably the second best LHP college pitcher in the draft.
New York Mets' Picks:
- 19. New York Mets: Carson Benge, OF/RHP, Oklahoma State Baseball
- 46. New York Mets: Jonathan Santucci, LHP, Duke Baseball
Atlanta Braves 2024 MLB Draft Grade: B+
Cam Caminiti was the best prep pitcher in the draft and the second best LHP in the draft. He fell 13 spots from where I had him and most people had him. Sure the Braves could have taken a player who could move through the system quicker, but this was an easy pick. Carter Holton at No. 62 was a solid pick as well.
Atlanta's Picks:
- 24. Atlanta Braves: Cam Caminiti, LHP, Saguaro, AZ
- 62. Atlanta Braves: Carter Holton, LHP, Vanderbilt Baseball
Houston Astros 2024 MLB Draft Grade: B+
They only had one pick in the top 74, but with that one pick they drafted the best defensive catcher in Walker Janek who also raked in Conference USA. Against better pitching, not so much. But the idea that the Astros take a player who could become a Gold Glove catcher in the later part of the first round was pretty good.
Houston's Picks:
- 28. Houston Astros: Walker Janek, C, Sam Houston State
Chicago White Sox 2024 MLB Draft Grade: B
The White Sox surprised many with Hagen Smith at No. 5, but like the Reds' pick of Burns, it's hard to lower their grade too much because they took the best LHP pitcher in the draft, possibly the best pitcher overall, and took him two spots before people thought he would go. Hagen Smith was terrific in 2024 and we saw it first hand when he struck out 17 Oregon State Beavers at the College Baseball Showdown, including the future No. 1 pick in the draft, Bazzana.
It's hard to grade the remaining picks because they are both prep players, but we had Caleb Bonemer at No. 36 and the White Sox drafted him at No. 43. Blake Larson wasn't in our top 100, but he is elsewhere.
Chicago White Sox's Picks
- 5. Chicago White Sox: Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas Baseball
- 43. Chicago White Sox: Caleb Bonemer, SS, Okemos, Mich.
- 68. Chicago White Sox: Blake Larson, LHP, IMG Academy (FL)
Kansas City Royals 2024 MLB Draft Grade: B
They took my favorit pick of the draft in Jac Caglianone at No. 6. Cags shouldn't have been there (See Oakland's grade) and they made a point to say they were drafting him as a two-way player. He does hit dingers and throw 100 mph. The Royals could one day be pairing the most exciting player in the 2024 draft with one of the most exciting players in the league, Bobby Witt Jr.
The Royals added a highly thought of prep pitcher in David Shields at No. 41. Because of the Hunter Harvey trade on July 13 involving No. 39, the Royals didn't have another picks on Night 1.
Kansas City's Picks:
- 6. Kansas City Royals: Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida Baseball
- 41. Kansas City Royals: David Shields, LHP, Mt. Lebanon, Pa. (Miami)
Washington Nationals 2024 MLB Draft Grade: B
Seaver King was someone I had out of the first 30 picks at one point in my mock drafts but he had went No. 10. King started slow and finished strong for Wake Forest and has plus speed. The pick that really intrigues me is Caleb Lomavita, the Cal Baseball catcher who is one of the most athletic catchers we'll see in a draft.
Washington's Picks:
- 10. Washington Nationals: Seaver King, IF/OF, Wake Forest Baseball
- 39. Washington Nationals: Caleb Lomavita, C, California Baseball
- 44. Washington Nationals: Luke Dickerson, SS, Morris Knolls HS, NJ
Tampa Bay Rays 2024 MLB Draft Grade: B
Tampa benefits from the Brewers not taking Theo Gillen at No. 17 and take the Austin, Texas prospect who may be the best prep hitter at No. 18. Gillen shot up the prospect rankings and entered the top 30 late in the process and has the tools to become a great hitter. The second pick they took on Day 1 was one of Kentucky's best players this past season in Émilien Pitre. All three picks are potential shortstops, but Gillen's future could be in the outfield. The Rays are probably selling at the deadline and adding pieces to the system was a goal, especially for the value.
Tampa Bay's Picks:
- 18. Tampa Bay Rays: Theo Gillen, IF, Austin Westlake HS
- 58. Tampa Bay Rays: Émilien Pitre, SS, Kentucky Baseball
- 66. Tampa Bay Rays: Tyler Bell, SS, Lincoln Way East HS (IL)
St. Louis Cardinals 2024 MLB Draft Grade: B
They only had one pick in the draft and took the best available player at No. 7, JJ Wetherholt. A few hours earlier, Wetherholt was almost a lock it seemed at No. 1, but instead he doesn't go until No. 7. He might be the best hitter in the draft and somehow he fell into St. Louis's lap. This is probably because the A's and White Sox zagging in the middle of the top 10.
St. Louis' Picks:
- 7. St. Louis Cardinals: JJ Wetherholt, IF, West Virginia Baseball
San Diego Padres 2024 MLB Draft Grade: B
Eight straight years of taking a high school player in the first round shows that the Padres at least have a known strategy in the draft. And it works. I'd downgrade them for not taking a player who could help sooner, but then again this strategy had helped the Padres on the trade market over the years. Kash Mayfield and Boston Bateman, a 6-foot-8, 240 pound prospect nicknamed "Sasquatch," are solid LHP prep prospects.
San Diego's Picks:
- 25. San Diego Padres: Kash Mayfield, LHP, Elk City, Okla.
- 52. San Diego Padres: Boston Bateman, LHP, Camarillo, Calif.
San Francisco Giants 2024 MLB Draft Grade: B
James Tibbs III is really good. He hit .363 in his career and he had 28 home runs this spring while helping Florida State reach Omaha. He's a good player. There's nothing wrong with the pick and he went around when we thought. He was also the only pick the Giants had in the top 74.
San Francisco's Picks:
- 13. San Francisco Giants: James Tibbs, OF/IF, Florida State Baseball
Miami Marlins 2024 MLB Draft Grade: C+
The Marlins are entering a rebuild all of a sudden. They made the playoffs last year and it looked like the team was about to be in a competitive window led by a talented pitching staff and Jazz Chisholm.
Now Chisolm is on the trade block, Sandy Alcantara is recovering from Tommy John and a new front office is in place. The Marlins then took two prep players with their first two picks. One of whom was pretty lauded heading into the season but struggled this spring in first round pick P.J. Morlando from South Carolina. That said, they landed two prep players that many had in the first round at the start of the season in Morlando and Carter Johnson. With the Marlins entering a possible long rebuild, the high school picks make sense. Though it was surprising they went with Morlando over IF/OF Theo Gillin or LHP Cam Caminiti in the first round.
Miami's Picks:
- 16. Miami Marlins: PJ Morlando, OF, Summerville, S.C.
- 56. Miami Marlins: Carter Johnson, SS, Oxford, Al.
- 70. Miami Marlins: Aiden May, RHP, Oregon State Baseball
Milwaukee Brewers 2024 MLB Draft Grade: C
The Brewers were supposed to be entering a rebuild this season and instead are cruising to another National League Central title with a young team. They seemed to focus on drafting a below slot value player at No. 17 when they surprised almost everyone when they took outfielder Braylon Payne despite the player they were most linked with, Carson Benge, there for the taking. They took Blake Burke in the pick they got from Baltimore in the Corbin Burnes trade that could wind up being very good, especially since first base has long been a black hole for the Brewers.
Three high school players in the top 70 of the draft is a lot, but I understand it. I'm not sure if the Brewers are going to be competitive beyond this year. Freddy Peralta is likely to be in hot stove trade rumors this offseason and I doubt Willy Adames is on the team next season. The youth is there but 2024 seems like the Brewers are taking advantage of a division with a lot of young inconsistent teams. I don't mind the strategy here as the Brewers try to rebuild and win at the same time, but Payne at No. 17 seemed liked a reach and at least they got a player who contribute at some point next season in Burke.
Milwaukee's Picks:
- 17. Milwaukee Brewers: Braylon Payne, OF, Elkins, Texas
- 34. Milwaukee Brewers: Blake Burke, 1B/LHP, Tennessee
- 57. Milwaukee Brewers: Bryce Meccage, RHP, Pennington School, NJ
- 67. Milwaukee Brewers: Chris Levonas, RHP, Christian Brothers, NJ
Los Angeles Dodgers 2024 MLB Draft Grade: C
The Dodgers only had one pick and took a talented shortstop in Kellon Lindsey. Not taking Cam Caminiti is why they are graded here. This grade could change once they make more picks, but one thing about the Dodgers is they use the draft and their minor league system better than any other team. They have the best development system and they are successful at trading prospects for great players and developing young players into great homegrown players.
Los Angeles Dodgers' Picks:
- 23. Los Angeles Dodgers: Kellon Lindsey, SS, Hardee, Fla.
Oakland Athletics 2024 MLB Draft Grade: C
Here's the thing: I love Oakland's second round pick and its Competitive Balance Round B pick. Love them. Tommy White at No. 40 is a steal. His LSU teammate Gage Jump, big fan. Tommy White has huge power and Jump had a 3.47 ERA and 101 strikeouts.
The first round pick is what kills their grade. Yes, yes, slot value and signing pool. That's probably what they were thinking by taking Nick Kurtz before Jac Caglianone. And Kurtz is certainly a terrific prospect in a vacuum. I originally thought the Cleveland Guardians would take him back in January. And he did bounce back from a slow start and some injuries to hit 22 home runs and bat above .300.
But Cags was right there for the taking. A player who had a monster year and took Florida to back-to-back College World Series. Even JJ Wetherholt, who was the No. 3 prospect on our composite rankings was available. Kurtz was mocked to go as low as No. 13 to the Giants in some mock drafts. This grade will go up if the A's continue to make great picks between rounds 3-6, but it's really tough seeing them take the No. 2 player at his position before No. 1.
Oakland's Picks:
- 4. Oakland Athletics: Nick Kurtz, 1B/LHP, Wake Forest Baseball
- 40. Oakland Athletics: Tommy White, 3B, LSU Baseball
- 73. Oakland Athletics: Gage Jump, LHP, LSU Baseball
Philadelphia Phillies 2024 MLB Draft Grades: C-
Dante Nori was probably drafted a little too high for my liking. Which is why I have them graded here. Nori was No. 83 on my top 100 prospect list and went No. 27. The Phillies can load up on high school prospects they can develop because they can help the current team over the next few years via free agency.
Philadelphia's Picks:
- 27. Philadelphia Phillies: Dante Nori, OF, Northville, Mich.
- 63. Philadelphia Phillies: Griffin Burkholder, OF, Freedom, Va.
Pittsburgh Pirates 2024 MLB Draft Grade: D
This has little to do with the players they drafted. Heck, the Pirates drafted the best high school player in the draft at No. 9 in Konnor Griffin. All three of these picks could come back in five years and be great.
But the Pirates had three picks in the top 50 of this draft and I don't know if they drafted a single player who can help the club by 2028 let alone by 2026, which is a year the Pirates should be targeting as a championship contending season.
They have a great farm system, but for a team that started the year with reports saying they have a poor player development system, not taking a college-age player who could help the team by possibly 2026 was surprising. The Pirates treated this draft as though they are in the middle of a rebuild. Paul Skenes is starting in the All-Star Game this week and for the first time in half a decade the club is in a playoff chase in July with a young team. It just seems like a missed opportunity to add a more developed player who could move through the system fast.
Pittsburgh Picks:
- 9. Pittsburgh Pirates: Konnor Griffin, IF/OF, Jackson Prep, MS
- 37. Pittsburgh Pirates: Levi Sterling, RHP, Notre Dame, Calif.
- 47. Pittsburgh Pirates: Wyatt Sanford, SS, Independence, Texas
Detroit Tigers 2024 MLB Draft Grade: D
The Tigers, like the Pirates, seemed to have missed an opportunity to add a more developed player with their three picks on Day 1. Bryce Rainer dropping out of the of the top 10 was a no-brainer decision for the Tigers and like the Pirates, it's easy to like the pick. But Detroit has the youngest team in baseball this season and didn't take a player who is likely to impact their current young corp anytime soon.
Detroit's Picks:
- 11. Detroit Tigers: Bryce Rainer, SS, Harvard-Westlake, CA
- 49. Detroit Tigers: Owen Hall, RHP, Edmond North, Okla.
- 72. Detroit Tigers: Ethan Schiefelbein, LHP, Corona HS, Calif.
New York Yankees 2024 MLB Draft Grade: D-
This is the difference between the Yankees and the Dodgers. Both teams can spend gobs of money every offseason. But one team uses the draft and the system better and it's not the Yankees. And it's why the Dodgers are always a more-than-viable World Series contender and the Yankees are sometimes always on the fringe of that.
The Yankees drafted a pair of college arms that didn't pitch well in 2024 and need development. They have "stuff." They have potential. But they have also been developing in college for several seasons and had unimpressive results. Ben Hess was a player I liked about 30 spots lower than what he was actually drafted. He had an ERA over 5 for Alabama. He was pretty good in 2023, so maybe that's what the Yankees were looking at. Cunningham was liked by some scouts on draft night and is 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, but also had a 4.36 ERA with Vanderbilt.
My question is: if you're taking players who need to develop, why not just take a chance on one of the many prep pitchers in this class? The Dodgers would have.
New York Yankees' Picks:
- 26. New York Yankees: Ben Hess, RHP, Alabama Baseball
- 53. New York Yankees: Bryce Cunningham, RHP, Vanderbilt Baseball
When Is The 2024 MLB Draft?
The MLB Draft is July 14-16 in Fort Worth, Texas. Coverage on MLB TV will begin at 7 p.m. EST on July 14 and noon on July 15 and 16th.
What Channel Is The MLB Draft On?
The MLB Draft will be on MLB Network. The first round will be on both MLB Network and ESPN.
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