Thatcher Hurd MLB Draft: Top 5 landing spots for LSU star ft. Los Angeles Angels
Thatcher Hurd is one of the more intriguing players eligible to be selected in the 2024 MLB draft. The junior right-hander pitcher has shown to be a decent arm after spending his freshman season with the UCLA Bruins and the last two years with the LSU Tigers.
He has pitched in 50 games so far (26 starts) and is 13-7 with a 4.84 ERA and a 74:188 walk-to-strikeout ratio over the course of 141.1 innings. Which teams should be interested in landing him in the 2024 MLB draft?
Here's a closer look at which MLB teams should take a chance on him.
Thatcher Hurd 2024 MLB draft potential landing spots
#1. Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels have consistently needed more pitching on their team and have been unable to figure out how to get some. Hurd has shown the ability to give length while pitching at a decent enough level that he can get outs without many runs being given up.
He should have the ability to shoot up the draft board and right now is a fringe third-round selection so the team will not have to give up some premium players to take him.
#2. Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics have one business model: Get players that are cheap and then trade them away before they make money. With a pitching staff that is pretty young and has some controllable arms, the A's could use him as a middle-of-the-rotation arm and replace some pitchers when they become arbitration-eligible.
#3. St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals have a veteran pitching rotation in 2024 as they have starting pitchers like Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson and Sonny Gray currently getting the ball every fifth day.
The Cards need some pitching depth in the minor leagues and they have a lot of their top 30 prospects on the bump but a team can never have too much pitching. This would help St. Louis get another electric arm that has solid control as well.
#4. Pittsburgh Pirates
Getting a teammate of Paul Skenes on the mound should not be too much of an issue as they were part of the LSU Tigers together in the 2023 season. This Pittsburgh team has a lot of young talent and getting another starting pitcher or a bullpen piece that can throw multiple innings is never going to be something to shy away from.
With the ability to have a potential rotation including Skenes and Mitch Keller to add Thatcher Hurd, this would be a great plus for a Pittsburgh Pirates team looking to compete in the near future.
#5. Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins have been struggling of late, but one thing this Miami team does well is develop pitching. With Sandy Alcantara, Eury Perez and a bunch of younger talent on their roster, this is a fun fit to continue establishing an advantage on the mound.
This team needs a lot of hitting as that has been something the team has not been able to secure in the majors, but passing on Thatcher Hurd feels like something the Marlins should not let happen.