5 college baseball standouts who were not picked on Day 1 of 2024 MLB draft ft. Ryan Prager
Day One of the 2024 MLB draft concluded on Sunday at the Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, with 74 high school and college baseball prospects picked by the 30 major league ballclubs.
However, several prospects in MLB Pipeline's Top 250 went undrafted on the first day but still have a chance to be selected on Day 2 of the draft on Monday. Here are the five college baseball standouts who weren't picked on Day 1 of the MLB draft.
Five college baseball standouts who were not picked on Day 1 of 2024 MLB draft
#1 Dakota Jordan, OF, Mississippi State
Dakota Jordan was the highest-ranked college baseball prospect who went undrafted on Day 1 of the 2024 MLB draft.
The six-foot Mississippi State outfielder was ranked No. 34 in the MLB Prospect rankings but wasn't included among the 74 names in the first two rounds of the annual event.
Jordan excelled in his second season, hitting .354 with 20 home runs and 72 RBIs. His on-base percentage was .459, while his slugging rate was .671. He recorded 84 strikeouts and 44 walks this past season. The outfielder was perfect in defense with a 1.000 fielding percentage on 103 putouts and three assists.
He has a good chance of getting picked in the third round on Monday, as several teams need a good outfielder with a power bat.
#2 Mike Sirota, OF, Northeastern
Mike Sirota ranked No. 50 in the MLB Top Prospects list, as he excelled in his three-season stint with Northeastern.
The six-foot-three outfielder played 143 games for the Huskies, smacking 29 homers and 111 RBIs. Sirota had a .324/.473/.513 slash line in three seasons with Northeastern, scoring 158 runs and stealing 48 bases. He recorded 120 walks and 125 strikeouts during his stint with the Huskies.
In defense, Sirota had a fielding percentage of .986, as he only committed five errors against 335 putouts and seven assists. He's also an excellent third-round choice for teams who aim to build a solid outfield line in the future.
#3 Kevin Bazzell, C, Texas Tech
Kevin Bazzell was a 55th-ranked prospect out of Texas Tech, and his draft stock was primarily affected by his performance in the 2024 season. After taking the first season with the Red Raiders by storm, Bazzell had a so-so sophomore season, scoring 37 runs with six home runs and 32 RBIs.
The six-foot-one catcher had a .306/.401/.473 slash line that was also affected by the team's lackluster record in the Big 12 Conference. The Red Raiders were 10th in the Big 12 with a 12-17 conference mark and 33-26 overall.
The previous season saw Bazzell playing 63 games, hitting 10 home runs and 62 RBIs and had a slash line of .348/.452/.572. He had a bigger role on defense in the 2024 season, recording 301 putouts and 54 assists on just four errors for a fielding rate of .988.
#4 Ryan Prager, LHP, Texas A&M
Ryan Prager was one of the key players in Texas A&M's run to this year's College World Series final.
The left-hander bounced back from injury as he pitched like an ace this past season. Prager went 9-1 with a 2.95 ERA in 19 starts. He played 97 2/3 innings and recorded 124 strikeouts and allowed a batting average of .226.
The six-foot-three hurler was one of Jim Schlossnagle's aces in the Aggies pitching crew and was ranked No. 61 in the Top Prospects list. The Dallas native may be lucky on the second day, as teams are looking for a left-handed hurler with a winning pedigree like Prager.
#5 Drew Beam, RHP, Tennessee
Drew Beam was ranked No. 64 in the MLB Top Prospects list, as he helped the Volunteers win its first national title this year.
The six-foot-four right-hander played for 102 1/3 innings and was 9-2 in 19 starts with a 4.22 ERA. Beam struck out 99 batters and allowed 27 walks and a .259 batting average against this past season.
In three seasons with the Volunteers, the Murfreesboro native started in 51 games and played 262 2/3 innings. He had a 26-8 record with a 3.60 ERA. He finished with 249 strikeouts and 71 walks.
Beam had a .898 fielding percentage and committed five errors against 15 putouts and 29 assists. He would be a great third-round acquisition for MLB teams, thanks to his championship experience.