Here are our favorite '24 Draft picks -- one for each team
The 2024 MLB Draft wrapped up on Tuesday with 615 players selected over this year¡¯s 20-round process.
Now that we know where players are going (see you next time, mock drafts!), we can dive into which clubs might have gotten steals, which added potential superstars and which took some fun sleepers.
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These are 30 of our favorite Draft picks from 2024, including one for every organization:
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AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
Blue Jays: Trey Yesavage, RHP (first round)
Ranked 11th overall in the class by MLB Pipeline, Yesavage dropped to the Blue Jays with the 20th pick, and Toronto -- a club whose top prospect Ricky Tiedemann has struggled to stay healthy in 2024 ¨C should be doing cartwheels at the opportunity to add another potential frontline starter. The East Carolina product has an extremely high release and shows three plus pitches in his fastball, slider and splitter that could get him to Toronto in a hurry.
Orioles: Vance Honeycutt, OF (first round)
Yes, there¡¯s swing-and-miss, a lot of it (27.5 K rate in 2024), but the tools are undeniable. He set North Carolina records for homers in a season (28) and career (65) and has two 20/20 seasons on his college resume, going 28/28 this year. He also brings Gold Glove-caliber defense in center field into the organization.
Rays: Tyler Bell, SS (Round CB-B)
Coming out of Illinois, Bell was one of the best high-school shortstops in this class, primarily because he¡¯s a solid bet to stick at the position with his impressive actions, range and arm strength. His bat as a switch-hitter is a bigger question mark following some scuffles on the showcase circuit, but the knock on his passivity at the plate could be fixable in the Tampa Bay system. If the Rays could get Bell to be just an average hitter, this could be a steal given what he¡¯s already shown with the glove.
Red Sox: Braden Montgomery, OF (first round)
The Red Sox were hoping that one of the Draft's consensus top talents would get to No. 12, particularly a college bat, and it happened. He fits the classic right-field profile with huge raw power and arm strength, and he batted .328/.457/.730 with 27 homers for Texas A&M before breaking his right ankle on an awkward slide during the NCAA Super Regionals.
Yankees: Bryce Cunningham, RHP (second round)
Analysts are taken with the shape, carry and extension on Cunningham's fastball and the spin and action on his upper-80s changeup. He posted a 4.36 ERA with 96 strikeouts in 84 2/3 innings at Vanderbilt this spring. The Yankees excel at developing pitchers, and if they can soup up his slider, watch out.
AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL
Guardians: Joey Oakie, RHP (third round)
Oakie could have factored into the supplemental first round, but the Guardians used the spending power of their record $19,250,700 bonus pool to float him down to the third round. Gatorade's Iowa high school player of the year features one of the better sliders in the prep class, a mid-80s weapon with two-plane depth and horizontal action, and he achieves plenty of run and sink on a 92-94 mph two-seamer that touches 97.
Royals: Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP (first round)
Where the Florida star would land and how he¡¯d be announced were two of the biggest Day 1 storylines. The Royals were the lucky club to get Caglianone for great value at sixth overall, and for now, they¡¯re saying they¡¯ll keep him as a two-way player. Even in the likely event Caglianone moves to hitting full time, the concept of pairing his plus-plus power with Bobby Witt Jr. & Co. in Kansas City is mouth-watering for the Royals¡¯ current contention window.
Tigers: Bryce Rainer, SS (first round)
Detroit added a pair of Top 100 prospects in Max Clark and Kevin McGonigle at the top of last year¡¯s Draft, and Rainer could join them in time as the second-highest prep pick of this class. The 6-foot-3 shortstop makes consistent loud contact and shows a good approach that could make him a plus hitter with above-average power. His above-average speed and plus arm strength give him more ways to contribute and push his way through the Tigers system.
Twins: Billy Amick, 3B (second round)
After two years at Clemson, Amick transferred to Tennessee so he could play third base. That worked out as he helped the Volunteers win the College World Series and posted a 1.026 OPS in the process. We thought he had a chance to go in the first round -- even the Twins had interest -- so they must be thrilled he was still there to consider in Round 2.
White Sox: Hagen Smith, LHP (first round)
The White Sox seemed to be chasing hitters with the No. 5 overall pick but instead grabbed Smith, MLB Pipeline's top-rated pitching prospect. Armed with a deceptive 94-97 mph fastball that reaches 100 and a mid-80s slider with sweep and depth, the Arkansas ace broke Ryan Wagner's 21-year-old NCAA Division-I record by averaging 17.3 strikeouts per nine innings and also led the nation in average-against (.144).
AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST
Angels: Trey Gregory-Alford, RHP (11th round)
While the Angels have a reputation of taking advanced college guys who will get to the big leagues fast in the early rounds, they¡¯re also not afraid to go big at the start of Day 3. They gave current Top 100 prospect Caden Dana $1.5 million in Round 11 in 2022 and since-traded Mason Albright $1.25 million to sign as a 12th-rounder in 2021. Look for Gregory-Alford and his power stuff to get seven figures as well.
Astros: Walker Janek, C (first round)
MLB Pipeline's top-ranked catcher, Janek won the Buster Posey Award as college baseball's best backstop after batting .368/.480/.714 with 17 homers and erasing 52 percent of basestealers for Sam Houston. His strong arm is his most obvious tool, but he's also a capable hitter and receiver with 20-homer pop.
A¡¯s: Tommy White, 3B (second round)
The A¡¯s are bringing some serious power into the organization. They got Nick Kurtz and his .725 career SLG at Wake Forest in the first, then were able to add Tommy Tanks and his 75 career home runs (between NC State and LSU), who many people thought would go by the end of the first round, at the start of the second.
Mariners: Ryan Sloan, RHP (second round)
There was talk of the Mariners (and other teams in the first) having interest in Sloan, who was the highest-ranked available right-handed high school pitching prospect in the class. They opted to go the college hurler route in the first (Jurrangelo Cijntje) and then went big to land Sloan in the second in what is sure to be an above-slot deal.
Rangers: Dylan Dreiling, OF (second round)
Dreiling won Most Outstanding Player honors at the College World Series, helping Tennessee win its first national title by homering in all three games of the championship series. He finished his sophomore season with a .341/.459/.715 line and 23 homers, and he pairs plus raw power with solid speed.
NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
Braves: Cam Caminiti, LHP (first round)
Caminiti was typically projected to go in the teens, as high as No. 11 overall, so the Braves likely were pleasantly surprised he was there for them at No. 24. The top available high school pitcher in the Draft, Caminiti is young (he¡¯s only 17), has a plus fastball and showed more consistent ability to spin a breaking ball and throw his changeup this spring.
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Marlins: Carter Johnson, SS (second round)
As an Alabama high school shortstop with a physical build, Johnson naturally elicits comparisons to Gunnar Henderson. While that's a bit much given that Henderson is more athletic and is in the midst of an MVP-caliber season, Johnson is an advanced hitter with 20-homer potential who probably will end up at second or third base.
Mets: Jonathan Santucci, LHP (second round)
New York employed a strategy of taking pitchers with terrific stuff but questionable histories of health, and the Duke southpaw is the poster child for that. His 92-96 mph fastball and low-80s, two-plane slider both earn plus grades, and his changeup could be an above-average pitch with higher usage. He¡¯s been limited by elbow surgery last year and a rib injury this spring, but if it comes together, there is midrotation upside in a Mets system that has helped Christian Scott and Brandon Sproat break out in recent years.
Nationals: Kevin Bazzell, C (third round)
This is a good reminder that teams often aim for the top player on their boards and figure out the rest later. The Nats already took college catcher Caleb Lomavita with the 39th overall pick but weren¡¯t afraid to go back to that well at No. 79 to take Bazzell, who was ranked as MLB Pipeline¡¯s No. 55 prospect. The Texas Tech backstop rarely swings and misses or chases out of the zone as a righty slugger and has experience at third base, should Washington want to move him.
Phillies: Griffin Burkholder, OF (second round)
The Phillies also get a hat tip for taking Dante Nori in the first round, a player many teams would not consider that early because he¡¯s old for a high schooler, but then coming back with Burkholder gives them a pair of intriguing and toolsy outfielders. He¡¯s strong and athletic with the chance to hit and show off 70-grade speed.
NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL
Brewers: Chris Levonas, RHP (Round CB-B)
A 6-foot-2 righty, Levonas is 5 inches shorter than the Brewers' top pitching prospect, Jacob Misiorowski, but he¡¯s just as wiry, measuring in at 170 pounds. He already throws 91-96 mph, and Milwaukee believes more is in the tank once its pitching group adds strength to Levonas¡¯ frame. His low-80s slider and upper-70s curve are high-spin breakers too, giving the New Jersey native even more on which the Crew can dream.
Cardinals: JJ Wetherholt, SS/2B (first round)
Wetherholt had real potential to go first overall as one of the best pure overall hitters in the class. Instead, he went seventh to the Cardinals. Hamstring issues that bogged the West Virginia star may have been a cause for the drop, but he looked healthy during the Mountaineers¡¯ postseason run. Even if Wetherholt moves to second base on the pro side, his arrival gives rise to thoughts of a middle-infield pairing with Masyn Winn for a long time in The Show.
Cubs: Cam Smith, 3B (first round)
Just like they did with Maryland's Matt Shaw at No. 13 a year ago, the Cubs spent a mid-first-rounder (No. 14) on a projected third baseman who starred in the Cape Cod League before a monster final college season. Smith slashed .387/.488/.654 with 16 homers as a Florida State sophomore, projects as a solid hitter and defender and could tap into even more power if he can drive the ball in the air more regularly.
Pirates: Konnor Griffin, SS (first round)
There must have been a spirited debate, and there most certainly was pressure, to take a ¡°safer¡± college bat at No. 9 overall, to select a guy who would get to Pittsburgh faster. Instead, the Pirates took the player with the best all-around tools (albeit a bit more raw) in the entire class. Yes, there are some issues to iron out with his swing/hit tool, but he has four at least plus tools with 30-30 potential.
Reds: Mike Sirota, OF (third round)
After a huge sophomore season and strong performances two summers in a row in the Cape Cod League, Sirota looked like a mid-first-round player heading into the spring. But then he scuffled for much of his junior season at Northeastern, hurting his stock considerably. If the Reds can get him back to where he was previously, they may have gotten a 20-20 potential center fielder in the third round.
NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
D-backs: Ryan Waldschmidt, OF (PPI)
Arizona picked up the 31st overall pick as a reward for Corbin Carroll winning last year¡¯s NL Rookie of the Year Award, and it used the selection on another outfielder in Waldschmidt. A torn left ACL last summer dampened the Kentucky outfielder¡¯s stock, but he showed a solid approach with above-average power on his way back to full-time status this spring. He¡¯s an above-average runner too when healthy and could be another center-field option for Arizona.
Dodgers: Kellon Lindsey, SS (first round)
The fastest player on MLB Pipeline's Draft Top 250, Lindsey is a former quarterback who played his way into the No. 23 overall selection by getting better on both sides of the ball this spring. The Florida high school product earned some Trea Turner comparisons after improving his hitting ability and his defense at shortstop.
Giants: Dakota Jordan, OF (fourth round)
Because they didn't have selections in the second or third rounds, the Giants needed some value in the fourth round to make their Draft. They found it in Jordan, who batted .354/.459/.671 with 20 homers at Mississippi State and had the talent fit in the supplemental first round. He might have the quickest bat in the Draft and some evaluators give double-plus grades to his raw power and speed, though he comes with swing-and-miss concerns and his quickness has yet to translate into steals or center-field ability.
Padres: Kavares Tears, OF (Round 4C)
After not getting much playing time his first two years in Knoxville, Tears was a key contributor to Tennessee¡¯s national-title team with a .324/.427/.643 line and 20 homers in 71 games. His power, speed and defensive tools all earn at least above-average grades, while a flat bat path keeps his hit mark closer to average. Still, a player with that skillset and level of success on a big stage should be hard to find at pick 134, yet that¡¯s exactly what the Padres scooped up.
Rockies: Brody Brecht, RHP (CB-A)
The Rockies may have been surprised to get their first two picks, picking up Charlie Condon at No. 3 and then having Brecht fall to them in the Competitive Balance Round. Brecht had among the best pure stuff in the Draft, dampened only by command issues, though he did find the zone much more consistently during an impressive stretch at the end of his season in Iowa.