Top 3 college baseball pitchers to watch out for in the 2024 MLB draft ft. Trey Yesavage
Pitchers dictate the tempo of a baseball game as they try to outwit batters in every at-bat with pitches that will keep the opposing hitter guessing or off-balanced. Most pitchers throw high-velocity fastballs that can whiff a batter in a wink of an eye or a witty off-speed pitch that can confuse the hitter who likes to smash a fastball.
Last season, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected LSU right-hander Paul Skenes as their No. 1 overall pick and got promoted to the majors in May. Skenes has been sensational as the top-of-the-rotation guy for the Pirates, delivering occasional 100-mile-per-hour heaters in each outing.
The Fullerton native is 6-0 with a 1.90 ERA this season and this was good enough to become the first top draft pick to be selected in the MLB All-Star Game as a rookie.
This year's draft class features a bumper crop of pitching prospects that teams would try to acquire in this year's draft. However, three of those strong-armed standouts have the makings of becoming sure-fire superstars.
Top 3 college baseball pitchers to watch out for in the 2024 MLB draft
#3. Trey Yesavage, RHP, East Carolina
Trey Yesavage led the East Carolina Pirates to their fourth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance, recording 11-1 and 2.03 ERA in 15 starts this past season. Yesavage, who pitched a total of 93 1/3 innings, terrorized on the mound, striking out 145 batters and allowing opponents to hit .154 in those games.
The MLB Pipeline's mock draft expects Yesavage to be picked by the Chicago Cubs, who could develop him further in the minors before getting a call-up in the majors. Once called, he may be part of a great pitching crew that has Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Javier Assad, and Jameson Taillon taking turns as starters.
#2. Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas
Hagen Smith had career-highs in strikeouts (161), innings played (84), games started (16), and wins (nine) this past season for Arkansas, which became the SEC Western Division champions. Smith had an ERA of 2.04 and went 9-2 for the Razorbacks, who qualified for the NCAA Tournament but were eliminated in the regionals.
Smith is considered a Top 10 baseball prospect and is projected to be picked No. 5 or No. 6 in the 2024 MLB Draft, as per MLB Pipeline. The Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals own the fifth and sixth picks, respectively, and are more likely to get Smith to bolster their starting rotation.
#1. Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest
Chase Burns led the nation in strikeouts with 191 while going 10-1 in 16 starts for Wake Forest. The transfer out of Tennessee had a 2.70 ERA and played 100 innings this season. He worked like a horse this season, averaging almost seven innings per outing. His strikeout per nine innings improved to 17.2 from 14.3 in 2023 and his strikeout/walk rate was 6.37.
Burns is considered a Top 3 overall pick by the MLB Pipeline and the Colorado Rockies might be the favorites to select the flame-throwing pitcher, who is capable of throwing a 100-mile-per-hour fastball like Skenes.