2024 MLB Mock Draft: Exploring the top 10 prospects ft. Travis Bazzana, Jac Caglianone and more
The 2024 MLB Draft will commence this Sunday in Arlington, Texas. We explore the top 10 prospects as per the MLB Mock Draft conducted by Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline.
Top 10 Prospects of the 2024 MLB Mock Draft
#1 Cleveland Guardians: Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State
Travis Bazzana is set to become the first Australian to be selected in the first round of the MLB Draft, and the Guardians could make him the No. 1 overall pick.
The 21-year-old is a left-handed hitting infielder who can produce serious power at the plate, thanks to his fast bat speed. Thus, he's the top pick in this MLB Mock Draft
He hit 11 home runs with a 1.222 OPS apart from his 36 stolen bases for the Oregon State Beavers during his sophomore year. In 2024, Bazzana played for the Fallmouth Commodores in the Cape Cod League, where he hit .375/.456/.581 to win the batting title and was also named the MVP.
#2 Cincinnati Reds: Charlie Condon, OF/3B, Georgia
Charlie Condon has a very high ceiling for his offense due to his ability to hit the ball towards all parts of the field with elite-level power. That's the reason why he's among the top two players in the MLB Mock Draft.
He slashed .386/.484/.800 with 25 HRs to set the SEC freshman record in 2023. This year, he led the NCAA Division I in batting average (.433), slugging (1.009), OPS (1.565), homers (37), extra-base hits (58) and total bases (233). He also won the Golden Spikes Award and was named SEC Player of the Year.
#3 Colorado Rockies: Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest
Chase Burns, a right-handed pitcher, can operate in the high 90s, although his fastball can reportedly reach 102 mph. However, his best pitch is considered to be an upper 80's slider, and he also has a decent curveball. He's the top ranked pitcher in this MLB Mock Draft.
Burns featured for the Tennesse Volunteers during his freshman year and was named the Freshman Pitcher of the Year. He moved to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in 2024, led the NCAA Division I in strikeouts (191) and was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year.
#4 Oakland Athletics: Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest
Nick Kurtz, a left-handed hitter, can produce devastating bat speed and power at the plate to drive the ball out of the park. He's considered to be a solid contact-hitter with good control of the strikezone.
Playing for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, Kurtz hit 344/.498/.695 and 39 homers over his first two college seasons. He suffered a shoulder injury in 2024 but came back to smash 14 home runs in just nine games. He also led the NCAA Division I in walks.
#5 Chicago White Sox: Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida
Jac Caglianone is regarded as the best two-way talent in the 2024 MLB Mock Draft. The 21-year-old left-handed hitter can deliver tremendous power with his bat. He also pitches left-handed and can touch triple digits with his fastball.
Caglianone hit 33 home runs during his sophomore season for the Florida Gators to lead the NCAA Division I in 2023. Aside from his pitching, the 21-year-old can also be a solid defender at first base.
He's expected to win the John Olerud Award this year, which is given to the best two-way player at the college level.
#6 Royals: Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas
Hagen Smith is a left-handed pitcher who can throw a 100-mph fastball, which produces a riding action due to his unusual delivery motion. His strongest pitch, though, is his slider, which can be effective against both lefties and righties.
During his sophomore year with the Arkansas Razorbacks in 2023, Smith finished with an 8-2 record in 18 starts and was named to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.
This year, he was named SEC Pitcher of the Year after leading the NCAA Division I in average against (.144) and strikeout rate (17.3/9IP).
#7 St. Louis Cardinals: JJ Wetherholt, SS/2B, West Virginia
JJ Wetherholt is widely believed to be the best pure-hitter in the 2024 MLB Mock Draft. The left-handed batting infielder can place the ball on both sides of the field, as he has elite bat-to-ball skills and is excellent at recognizing pitches.
He hit .449/.517/.787 in his sophomore year for the West Virginia Mountaineers with 16 homers and 36 steals to win the NCAA Division I batting title and the Big 12 Conference Player of the Year award.
He played for the Chatham Anglers in the Cape Cod League but was often out injured due to a recurring hamstring issue.
#8 Los Angeles Angels: Braden Montgomery, OF, Texas A&M
Braden Montgomery is a switch-hitter with high bat speed and above-average power. While he can hit the ball hard from both sides of the plate, he does more damage against right-handed pitching.
The 21-year-old emerged as a two-way prospect for Stanford and was named the Pac-12 Conference Freshman of the Year after batting .294 with 18 home runs and 57 RBIs.
He transferred to Texas A&M in 2024 while transitioning into a full-time hitter and had 27 home runs during the season.
#9 Pittsburg Pirates: James Tibbs, OF, Florida State
At 18, James Tibbs is the youngest pick in the top-10 of the MLB Mock Draft. The left-handed hitting outfielder is noted for his place discipline but also has above-average power with the ability to place the ball in all parts of the field.
He had 1.066 OPS in his two years with the Florida State Seminoles, while hitting 17 home runs with a .682 slugging percentage as a sophomore. In 2024, he joined the Brewster Whitecaps in the Cape Cod League and hit .303/.390/.472 during the season, which included six home runs.
#10 Nationals: Bryce Rainer, SS, Harvard-Westlake HS, Studio City, Calif.
Bryce Rainer is the other teenager in the top-10 of this MLB Mock Draft, as the 19-year-old southpaw hitter has multiple tools in his game. He has good power with the bat to go along with his excellent discipline at the plate. He's also a solid defender at shortstop and is reputed to have a strong throwing arm.
Rainer could be the other teenager in the top-10 picks of the 2024 MLB Draft, as the 19-year-old southpaw hitter has multiple tools in his game. He has good power with the bat to go along with his excellent discipline at the plate.
He's also a solid defender at shortstop and is reputed to have a strong throwing arm.