2024 MLB Mock Draft: Power & Pitching Dominate The First Round

On to another 2024 MLB Mock Draft!

With every game played in college baseball, a select group of players are witnessing a considerable rise in their value for the upcoming Major League Baseball draft. Throughout the baseball world, numerous mock drafts are being circulated, accompanied by detailed analyses that meticulously predict the selections of MLB teams. These mock drafts serve as a spotlight, illuminating the abundance of exceptionally talented young athletes on the verge of making a significant impact on the sport. However, it’s important to acknowledge that while these projections heavily rely on the ever-changing rankings and evaluations of “best tools” provided by MLB Pipeline, the draft landscape can experience dramatic transformations.

Consider these mock drafts as a window into the future, a chance to delve into in-depth discussions and expert opinions surrounding the most captivating young talents who dream of becoming baseball’s next generation of superstars. Get ready, because we’re about to embark on an exciting exploration of the 2024 MLB Mock Draft, where we will celebrate the remarkable achievements of these budding baseball prodigies.

2024 MLB Draft Lottery

With 17 of 18 non-playoff teams in the running, the 2024 MLB Draft lottery promised drama. This weighted lottery determined the first six picks, with teams’ odds mirroring their losing percentages. This intriguing format injected extra excitement into the draft order announcement. The pre-lottery odds for each team were as follows:

18.3% — Oakland Athletics (.309)

18.3% — Kansas City Royals (.346)

18.3% — Colorado Rockies (.364)

14.7% — Chicago White Sox (.377)

8.3% — St. Louis Cardinals (.438)

6.1% — Los Angeles Angels (.451)

4.3% — New York Mets (.463)

3.0% — Pittsburgh Pirates (.469)

2.0% — Cleveland Guardians (.469)

1.6% — Detroit Tigers (.481)

1.2% — Boston Red Sox (.481)

1.0% — San Francisco Giants (.488)

0.9% — Cincinnati Reds (.506)

0.7% — San Diego Padres (.506)

0.6% — New York Yankees (.506)

0.4% — Chicago Cubs (.512)

0.2% — Seattle Mariners (.543)

0.0% — Washington Nationals (.438 — ineligible for lottery pick)

The initial six selections of the draft were determined through a weighted lottery, with subsequent picks for non-playoff teams allocated in reverse order of their regular season performance. Postseason teams followed a predetermined sequence based on their round of elimination, progressing from the Wild Card Game through the Division Series and League Championship Series, and wrapping up with the World Series runner-up.

The 2024 MLB Draft lottery wasn’t a simple surprise; it was a shift that sent shockwaves through the baseball world. It left everyone, from casual fans to grizzled analysts, speechless and buzzing with a thrilling uncertainty that defines the very essence of the lottery system. In a truly unbelievable turn of events, the Cleveland Guardians, with odds as slim as 2%, defied the odds and pulled off a magical heist, snatching the top pick like a rabbit appearing from an empty hat. The plot twist thickened further when the Cincinnati Reds, boasting an equally improbable chance of 0.9%, somehow managed to snag the coveted second selection

Meanwhile, the pre-draft favorites found themselves the target of a devastating curveball, one that sent their meticulously crafted draft strategies spiraling into disarray. Both the Oakland Athletics and the Kansas City Royals, who each held a seemingly comfortable 18.3% chance of landing the number one pick, were relegated to the consolation spots of fourth and sixth, respectively. This unforeseen turn of events throws a thick cloak of intrigue over the upcoming draft.

Will the Guardians and Reds, empowered by their unexpected bounty of high draft picks, be able to leverage this windfall and make decisions that could alter the course of their franchises? How will the disheartened frontrunners, who saw their painstakingly constructed plans seemingly vanish overnight, adapt to this new reality?

One thing remains undeniably clear: the 2024 MLB Draft promises to be a heart-pounding spectacle. Unforeseen developments are bound to unfold, and the potential for the emergence of electrifying young stars who will undoubtedly reshape the landscape of Major League Baseball for years to come is tantalizingly high.

2024 MLB Mock Draft

1. Cleveland Guardians: Charlie Condon – OF/1B – Georgia
2. Cincinnati Reds: Jac Caglianone – 1B/LHP – Florida
3. Colorado Rockies: Nick Kurtz – 1B – Wake Forest
4. Oakland Athletics: Travis Bazzana – 2B – Oregon State
5. Chicago White Sox: Hagen Smith – LHP – Arkansas
6. Kansas City Royals: Braden Montgomery – OF/RHP – Texas A&M
7. St. Louis Cardinals: Konnor Griffin – OF – Jackson Prep (Mississippi)
8. Los Angeles Angels: JJ Wetherholt – SS/2B – West Virginia
9. Pittsburgh Pirates: Chase Burns – RHP – Wake Forest
10. Washington Nationals: Bryce Rainer – SS – Harvard-Westlake High School (California)
11. Detroit Tigers: Trey Yesavage – RHP – East Carolina
12. Boston Red Sox: James Tibbs III – 1B/OF – Florida State
13. San Francisco Giants: Tommy White – 3B – LSU
14. Chicago Cubs: Slade Caldwell – OF – Valley View High School (Arkansas)
15. Seattle Mariners: Brody Brecht – RHP – Iowa
16. Miami Marlins: Seaver King – OF/SS – Wake Forest
17. Milwaukee Brewers: P.J. Morlando – OF – Summerville High School (South Carolina)
18. Tampa Bay Rays: Caleb Lomavita – C – California
19. New York Mets: Cam Caminiti – LHP – Saguaro High School (Arizona)
20. Toronto Blue Jays: Josh Hartle – LHP – Wake Forest
21. Minnesota Twins: Cam Smith – 3B – Florida State
22. Baltimore Orioles: Drew Beam – RHP – Tennessee
23. Los Angeles Dodgers: Kaelen Culpepper – SS – Kansas State
24. Atlanta Braves: Vance Honeycutt – OF – North Carolina
25. San Diego Padres: Carson Benge – OF/RHP – Oklahoma State
26. New York Yankees: Jonathan Santucci – LHP – Duke
27. Philadelphia Phillies: Thatcher Hurd – RHP – LSU
28. Houston Astros: William Schmidt – RHP – Catholic High School (Louisiana)
29. Arizona Diamondbacks: Dakota Jordan – OF – Mississippi State
30. Texas Rangers: Luke Holman – RHP – LSU

The 2024 MLB Draft will take place over MLB All-Star Weekend this July in Arlington, Texas.