In January, FloBaseball began to break down the top 10 picks of the 2024 MLB Draft. We examined what the rosters and farm systems for those 10 teams looked like to try and get the best feel for who those teams would take. 

For Cleveland, a team with a young, talented pitching staff, but who has been seeking another consistent power hitter to pair with Jose Ramirez for years, the choice seemed a little easy: Wake Forest Baseball slugger Nick Kurtz. 

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Even though Kurtz has now been moved to the consensus No. 2 prospect in the draft (he started as Baseball America’s No.1), second to West Virginia’s JJ Wetherholt, he felt like a better fit for Cleveland. The Guardians have Josh Naylor at first, but Naylor was more of the designated hitter when first baseman Josh Bell was with them last season. And Cleveland's middle infield seems to be the deepest in the organization. 

Kurtz has played well enough in the first three weekends to remain a choice at the top of the draft and an injury to Wetherholt is concerning, but shouldn’t tank his draft stock. Their 2023 seasons should not be dismissed. 

But it’s hard to ignore the performances during the first month of the season from some players who were already high on prospect lists. 

Here’s the first swing at FloBaseball’s MLB Mock Draft 2024. 

No.1 Cleveland Guardians: Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida Baseball

Jac Caglianone is the most intriguing prospect in the draft and always has been. He led NCAA baseball with 33 home runs in 2023 and he was in the weekend rotation for one of the best teams in the nation. 

Any team that passes on Caglianone in the top 5 of this draft or even the top 10 is doing so because they don’t see him being a two-way player. They see him as a first baseman only or a pitcher only. He needs to walk more as hitter and swing less at pitches out of the zone. He has command issues when pitching. 

But it’s hard to ignore his exit velocity and his raw power. It’s hard to ignore a fastball that could hit triple digits at some point. 

He’s kind of a perfect swing for Cleveland. A smart organization who for the better part of 30 years has been tremendous at developing players. Why can’t a major league team develop a two-way player like the Nippon Professional League did with Shohei Ohtani? It seems like Cleveland could try it.  

If the pitching doesn’t pan out, Cleveland has their best first baseman prospect since Travis Hafner, Carlos Santana or Jim Thome. 

No. 2 Cincinnati Reds: Charlie Condon, OF/3B/1B, Georgia Baseball

If the college baseball season was only a month long, Charlie Condon might be the Golden Spikes Award winner. The Georgia slugger is hitting .531 with an OPS of 1.855 and he’s slugging 1.224. He has nine home runs in the first 13 games. 

The Reds have such a young core already. They want to be set with their infield for the next decade with Christian Encarnacion Strand at first, Matt McLain at second, Elly De La Cruz at shortstop and Noelvi Marte at third base. So far Condon, who is right-handed, has played left field, third base, first base and right field. 

Outfield is where the Reds need the most prospect help. 

If pitcher Hagen Smith of Arkansas continues to pitch like he is, the Reds will assuredly take another pitcher in the first round like they did in 2023 and 2019. 

No. 3 Colorado Rockies: Travis Bazzana, IF, Oregon State Baseball

This is where things get interesting. 

With JJ Wetherholt and Nick Kurtz dropping, the original prediction of Colorado taking Travis Bazzana should change, but it doesn’t. 

Bazzana is still my pick. I didn’t think there was a ton of difference between him and Wetherholt only that Wetherholt could actually play shortstop at the MLB level and Bazzana, although athletic enough to play elsewhere, is at second base. It's a question of arm strength.  

Still, he’s been one of the best hitters in college baseball so far and his team has played a tough schedule. He’s batting .438 with an OPS of 1.564 and slugging .979. He’s also walked 16 times in 13 games. 

Bazzana’s speed in Coors Field should make him a triples and doubles threat on every single he hits. His power will also play in that stadium as it does for just about everyone. 

No. 4 Oakland A’s: JJ Wetherholt, IF, West Virginia Baseball

JJ Wetherholt is the No. 1 prospect in the draft at Baseball America and MLB Pipeline. The Athletic’s Keith Law put him at No. 4. He also has Condon at No. 1 and Caglianone at No. 2 and Bazzana at No. 3. 

The hamstring injury is worrying as it was an injury he was previously dealing with but he’s arguably the best hitter in the draft. He slashed .449/.517/.782 and hit 16 home runs, 23 doubles and stole 35 bases. 

When he’s healthy, the Mountaineers may even play him at shortstop this year. 

Oakland has a young talented second baseman in Zack Gelof, but the top prospect falling to them rarely happens. You take Wetherholt and let everything play out. 

The goal for the A’s, unfortunately, isn’t to be a winner now. It’s to be a winner when they move to Las Vegas in 2028.

No. 5 Chicago White Sox: Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas Baseball

I predicted that White Sox would be the first team to take a pitcher in this draft. And if the Reds opt to not take one, that’ll happen. 

I had Chase Burns of Wake Forest Baseball originally but now it’s clear that Hagan Smith is the guy. 

Smith’s game against Oregon State could be the best pitched game of the season. And given that Travis Bazzana is hitting .438 and that’s third on his own team, that shows how good Oregon State’s lineup is in 2024. 

The 6-foot-3 left-hander struggled in his first start in cold weather, a game played in the teens. But since then he’s struckout 29 batters in 12 innings. And allowed just four hits. 

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No. 6 Kansas City Royals: Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest Baseball

Nick Kurtz dropped to No. 6 and the Royals should pounce. 

He’s one of the best power hitters in college baseball and it seems that he's being relegated to first base in his projections, though some feel he can move to the outfield. Regardless, the Royals shouldn’t overthink this. 

So far this season, he's off to a slow start with a .262 average against some weaker teams, but that shouldn't overshadow this 2022 and 2023 seasons. He he hit .338 and .349 and hit a combined 37 home runs. 

No. 7 St. Louis Cardinals: Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest Baseball

The St. Louis Cardinals need pitching in the system more than anything and Chase Burns is the guy with perhaps the best raw talent in the draft. 

An upper-90s fastball and devastating slider, he makes sense for the Cardinals who will have one of the oldest rotations in baseball in 2024 and could use a young option by at least 2026. 

So far this season through two starts, Burns has a 2.60 ERA with a 1.15 WHIP and 29 strikeouts in 17.1 innings. 

No. 8 Los Angeles Angels: Tommy White, 3B, LSU Tigers Baseball

We had Charlie Condon here in the original review for the Angels, but that seems to be a fleeting thought at this point. 

The good news is that behind Caglianone and Condon, Tommy White may be the most fun prospect in the draft. "Tommy Tanks" has a ton of power and has been superb since he arrived in college baseball with 51 home runs in two years. 

The Angels are in a weird transition, but like most of the college hitters, it doesn’t seem as though White will need a prolonged minor league stint and should be eying late 2025 as a call-up. If the Angels are indeed in "win-now" mode still, that should matter. 

No. 9: Pittsburgh Pirates: Braden Montgomery, OF/RHP, Texas A&M Baseball

With "Tommy Tanks" off the board, the Pirates go with the position they really needed to target anyway: Outfield. 

The team has a young core of infielders and lots of intriguing young prospects at pitching, but outfield prospects are lacking. Braden Montgomery, who's trying to make his third straight College World Series appearance, seems to fit that bill. 

The Stanford transfer can also pitch, but his future seems to be at the plate. He's off to strong start this season with a .408 average amd seven home runs in 14 games.

No. 10. Washington Nationals: Seaver King, OF/IF, Wake Forest Baseball

Seaver King was our choice in the review of the Nationals options and he’s still available. 

The Wake Forest shortstop and outfielder is the No. 7-ranked prospect at Baseball America and has shades of Trea Turner skillset in his game. He hit .411/.457/.699 with 11 home runs and stole 13 bases in 2023 at Division II Wingate. His Cape Cod season was even more impressive with .429/.479/.542. 

His athletic ability allows him to play just about everywhere, including centerfield. 

Although he batted .255 through 12 games with Wake Forest so far in 2024, he has hit four home runs. 

No. 11 Detroit Tigers: Josh Hartle, LHP, Wake Forest Baseball

With Smith and Burns off the board, the Tigers can pick between Hartle and Brody Brecht when it comes to the best pitchers left. Perhaps Drew Beam in in the conversation, and that conversation is definitely around pitching. 

The Tigers have Jackson Jobe and Ty Madden in the system, Madden could debut this season as he’ll likely start in Double-A. The system has lots of everyday talent and Tigers have a young core in the outfield with Riley Greene, Parker Meadows and Kerry Carpenter. 

They could always opt for third base or shortstop, but one more pitching piece seems ideal. 

Hartle is part of the best pitching staff in the country for the No. 1 team. He has a 2.04 ERA in three starts and 17.2 innings and 17 strikeouts with a WHIP of .91

No. 12 Boston Red Sox Mike Sirota, OF, Northeastern Baseball

There is a wide spectrum of how people grade Sirota. Our initial write up of the Kansas City Royals had Sirota teaming with Bobby Witt Jr. Baseball America mocked him going No. 5 in their last mock draft. MLB has him at No. 11 to the Tigers and Keith Law of the Athletic has him pegged as the No. 29-ranked prospect calling his swing “ugly.”

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But what’s not ugly is his skill set, athleticism and the fact that he hit 18 home runs and had 19 steals for Northeastern and then dominated the Cape Cod League. 

The Red Sox are in a strange position. Are they rebuilding? Are they trying to win? Are they accepting mediocrity? Who knows. But the fan base is angry. 

So why not draft the best prospect from nearby Northeastern probably ever?

No. 13 San Francisco Giants Konnor Griffin, OF, Jackson Prep, Flowood, Miss.

The chances that no high school player will be drafted in the top-10 seems unlikely. At least someone in that range is going to take a chance on a high-upside, longer development prospect. 

Maybe the A’s at No. 4? 

But if no one from the prep level goes in the top 10, the Giants may be the team to do it. It would be the second straight year they used their first round pick on a high school player, taking pitcher Bryce Eldridge No. 16 in 2023. They hadn’t taken a high school prospect since 2017 before that. 

Konnor Griffin is Baseball America and MLB Pipeline’s top high school prospect. Law is a little lower on him and has Caleb Bonemer, Slade Caldwell and P.J. Morlando ahead of Griffin. But even Law admits that Griffin has the most upside of any high school prospect. 

He is 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds and he reclassified to the 2024 class. He’s committed to LSU, but if he’s taken No. 13, it seems likely he’ll go to San Francisco. 

The Giants want to compete for the playoffs. They spent money this offseason so when it comes to prospects, and their willingness to spend in free agency, perhaps they are OK taking on high school prospects with a payoff in three year. Or to have a potential trade chip at the deadline for a team, let’s say Washington, in a position to sell. 

No. 14 Chicago Cubs: Malcolm Moore, C, Stanford Baseball

The Cubs have a strong farm system. Baseball America ranks it No. 4 in baseball. Two of the players that put them there are graduating this year in Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch. Cade Horton will start the season in Double-A and could be debuting this season.

Malcolm Moore is the best catching prospect in the draft and the Cubs are seeking a longterm option at catcher since Willson Contreras left for St. Louis. However, they do have Moises Ballesteros, the No. 8 prospect in the system, who plays catcher and first base. 

The Cubs could always take Brody Brecht here as well, it’s what Baseball America and MLB Pipeline have them doing, but college catchers are usually a popular pick in the first round. 

Moore is just a sophomore but he’s eligible for the draft, so he’ll likely need more time in the minors than the other college players, but he’s an offensive-first catcher who hit 311/.386/.564 with 15 home runs and 20 doubles last year. 

No. 15 Seattle Mariners: Vance Honeycutt, OF, North Carolina Baseball

Vance Honeycutt at No. 15 would be very fortunate for the Mariners. He’s the No. 6 prospect in the two major rankings and in our composite rankings. Baseball America has him mocked at No. 6 to the Royals as does MLB. Keith Law has him as the No. 16 prospect. 

He hit 25 home runs as freshman but about half that, 12, as a junior. Comparisons to Drew Stubbs exist and that’s why we have Griffin, Sirota and King going ahead of him. Honeycutt is the best fielder out of them. 

For the Mariners, who arguably have the best outfielder in the game with Julio Rodriguez, could use a top prospect at outfield who could pair with him some day. 

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No. 16 Miami Marlins: Brody Brecht, RHP, Iowa Baseball

Brody Brecht is the most difficult prospect for me to mock. 

He may be the hardest thrower in the draft, even harder than Caglianone. MLB Pipeline compares his fastball and slider to 2023 No. 1 pick  Paul Skenes. His fastball averages 96-99 and he’s hit 101. He led the nation by holding opponents to a .143 average. And he’s an incredible athlete who played football at Iowa as well before concentrating on baseball this year. 

The two other main mock drafts both have him going to the Cubs. 

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But he walked 19% of his batters and needs to throw more strikes. Keith Law has him as the No. 9 prospect. Baseball America at No. 25 and MLB Pipeline at No. 17. The feeling is he’s the risky first round pitcher because of his control, but his arm talent is on the level and perhaps even better than Chase Burns. 

Brecht seems like a good fit for the Marlins who’s top three prospects are also pitchers, including Noble Meyer, the No. 57-ranked prospect at MLB. While a hitter could be good here, I think Marlins take a swing knowing they can take time and develop him with the pitching depth.

But if Brecht is gone by this spot, I’d look for a shortstop option or a catcher. 

No. 17 Milwaukee Brewers Thatcher Hurd, RHP, LSU Baseball

The Brewers have been the best team in the National League Central for almost a decade and although it looks like they are trying to rebuild and compete at the same time, looks can be deceiving.

The National League Central has gotten dumped on a bit this offseason, but I expect it to be one of the best leagues in baseball over the next few years. 

The Reds have shades of what Atlanta was before they turned into one of the best clubs in the sport. The Cubs are spending money and have a great farm system. No one really thinks the Cardinals are going to rebuild and even the Pirates have the makings of a core ready to win if not this year but certainly in 2025 and 2026. 

The Brewers traded the best player in the division this offseason, Corbin Burnes, and have one of the five best farm systems in the game (No. 2 according to Baseball America). After the club likely trades Devin Williams and Willy Adames and maybe even Freddy Peralta and Rhys Hoskins, the system should be No. 1 in baseball. 

The thing is, if they don't do those trades, they could win the division again. But the rotation won’t be as good which could make the dominant bullpen less effective as the year goes on. 

Thus the pick. They need to replace Burnes. They also need to replace Brandon Woodruff who will miss most of this season and be a trade chip next offseason as he enters the final year of his new deal he signed. Peralta seems to be the next pitcher to leave Milwaukee as well.

Thatcher Hurd is the ace for LSU Baseball and he had a terrific second half of 2023 for the Tigers last year with 84 strikeouts in 63.1 innings. He has a filthy slider with a eye-popping spin rate. 

Hurd is not off to the best start this year with a 6.75 ERA in 12 innings. And perhaps his teammate, Luke Holman (no runs in 18 innings and 30 strikeouts), is the better option. 

But it will be a pitcher here. 

No. 18 Tampa Bay Rays PJ Morlando, OF, Summerville High School, Summerville, S.C. 

Since 2020, Tampa Bay has taken five high school players in the first round. TCU Shortstop Brayden Taylor was on of their two first round picks last season, but the point is the Rays have no problem taking high school players. 

This team trades for advanced prospects a lot and every MLB player is seemingly on the trading block for them. This is why they take the second high school prospect in P.J. Morlando. 

He’s the No. 14 prospect in our composite rankings and No. 12 at Baseball America, who calls him the most dangerous offensive threat in the draft. He’s committed to South Carolina Baseball. 

No. 19 New York Mets Luke Holman, RHP, LSU Baseball

We originally had East Carolina Baseball standout Trey Yesavage here but Holman’s start to the season is hard to ignore and he seems to be the player most likely to climb into the top 15 if not the top 10 of prospect rankings by July. 

Holman hasn’t given up a run yet in 18 inning and three starts. He has 30 strikeouts and just two walks. 

He had a strong season in 2023 after transferring from Alabama. He had a 3.67 RA in 81 innings and 15 starts for the national champions. His fastball has touched 96 and he throws four pitches: fastball, slider, change-up and curveball. 

The Mets need more pitching. The offensive holes they could always fill with their free agent pursuits. But with David Stearns running baseball operations, the former Brewers leader will likely look for pitching in the system. 

No. 20 Toronto Blue Jays: Jonathan Santucci, LHP, Duke Baseball

Jonathan Santucci in three starts has 31 strikeouts in 17 innings. The 10 hits in 17 innings is why we like Holman more to the Mets, but he still hasn’t allowed a run this season. He’s a lefty which is why I also have him over Trey Yesavage of East Carolina, who has 30 strikeouts in 18 innings with a 1.00 ERA. 

The Blue Jays have Ricky Tiedemann in the system. He’s the No. 29-ranked prospect. There’s argument that the Blue Jays need to think about a future where Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. and Bo Bichette are elsewhere. 

But the club is led by four pitchers in their 30s right now, Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios (30 in May), Chris Bassitt and Yusei Kikuchi. By the time this pick reaches the majors in late 2025 or 2026, the Blue Jays will have already made the decisions on Guerrero and Bichette and will still need pitching. 

No. 21 Minnesota Twins Trey Yesavage, RHP, East Carolina Baseball

Picks No. 19-21 seem to be interchangeable to me. I could see these clubs picking any of these players. Only Baseball America agrees with me, kind of, as they also have the Blue Jays taking Santucci. 

My first impression of this pick was the Twins taking Cam Caminiti, a high school prospect from Scottsdale, Ariz. But I feel the Twins will want a pitcher who could move through the system quicker and with Trey Yesavage available, he seems like the pick. 

The Twins could also scrap pitching plans here if Chris Paddack regains his pre-Tommy John form and Simeon Woods-Richardson, the big get in the Jose Berrios trade a few years ago, blossoms into a good player. Ace Pablo Lopez and solid starter Joe Ryan and 2023 breakout Bailey Ober makes for a current great rotation.

The reason the Twins go with pitching here is because the draft is the best way for teams in smaller markets to land elite pitching. 

No. 22 Baltimore Orioles: Cam Caminiti, LHP, Saguaro High School, Scottsdale, Ariz. 

The best farm system in baseball is still producing great players. Jackson Holliday, the No. 1 pick in 2022 will likely debut this season after shockingly reaching Triple-A last season as a 19-year-old. But even if he graduates, the system is still in great shape and that’s after trading for Corbin Burnes. 

They traded for Burnes because their best prospects aren’t pitchers. Grayson Rodriguez is the best young pitcher they have. The Orioles are in a championship window, so I expect them to make more movies like the Burnes trade over the next few years to improve the rotation. 

Ideally, they probably hope the teams in front of them opt for hitters or the high school prospects. But the Orioles probably aren’t afraid to draft and develop a high school arm here. 

The lefty prospect from Arizona is the cousin of Ken Caminiti. He reclassified, like Konnor Griffin did, and is committed to LSU, like Griffin. 

Cam Caminiti is already hitting upper 90s and throws a slider and curveball. The other option here is Tennessee starter Drew Beam, who would likely be ready to pitch in the big leagues in 2025 and maybe even start his professional career in Double-A and be a sneaky September call-up this season. 

But whatever they do, it’s almost certainly pitching here. 

No. 23 Los Angeles Dodgers: Slade Caldwell, OF, Valley View High School, Jonesboro, Ark.

The Dodgers don’t need prospects to shoot through the system. It’s one of the reasons why the have built such a great farm system over the years. The last two first round picks have been prep players in Kendall George and Maddux Bruns. They certainly do take college players, though. Bobby Miller, Michael Busch, Will Smith and Walker Buehler are former first round picks. 

Because of the amount of money they spend, having a first round pick in the future isn’t even a given do to the competitive balance tax rules. And they spent more than a billion dollars this offseason and there’s nothing to suggest they’ll stop spending money. 

Keith Law has Caldwell at No. 12 overall. Our composite rankings have him at No. 20 as does MLB Pipeline while Baseball America has him at No. 39. 

The Dodgers have a pair of outfield prospects in their top 5, but who knows if Andy Pages and Josue De Paula are with this club after the trade deadline. Adding another high-upside prospect like Caldwell, one of the youngest players in the draft, seems to fit here, even if Caldwell is just 5-foot-9, 182 pounds. 

He’s committed to Ole Miss. 

No. 24 Atlanta Braves: Kaelen Culpepper, SS/3B, Kansas State Baseball

The Braves are my World Series pick in 2024. 

The lineup is stacked like it was last year and the rotation is better if Chris Sale is healthy. This team is built to win championships for the next few years and they did just that in 2021 and were the best team in baseball in 2023. The weakest spot on the roster is shortstop. 

Given the money being paid to the stars like Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies, Michael Harris II and MVP Ronald Acuna, it sure seems like the Braves will want to find a future franchise shortstop, and one who won’t get under Bryce Harper’s skin, in the draft. 

Taking Kaelen Culpepper here seems like the right fit. The class is lacking a standout shortstop this year and Culpepper may be the best pure shortstop in the draft. He slashed .325/.423/.576 in 2023, all three stats were better than his freshman season. He seems like a player who could debut in 2025 before the All-Star break. 

So far this season, he’s hitting .275 with four home runs. 

No. 25 San Diego Padres: Drew Beam, RHP, Tennessee Baseball

The Padres’ have invested in the lineup quite a bit the last few years but the pitching will need help. Of all the pitching options, it seems like Beam could have the quickest pathway to the majors, even more so than Hagen Smith. 

Beam has a 2.16 ERA in 16.2 innings and three starts with 15 strikeouts so far. Concerning are his 18 hits he's allowed but he's also walked just one batter. 

He’s been one of the most reliable pitchers in college baseball the last two seasons and has a five-pitch mix and he has a nice frame at 6-foot-4. 

His “stuff” isn’t as good as Brecht or Smith or Burns, but he’s probably the safest college starter in the draft. He could remind folks of former first round pick and Cincinnati Reds pitcher Mike Leake. 

No. 26 New York Yankees: Caleb Bonemer, SS/3B, Okemos, Mich. 

Caleb Bonemer is the No. 13-ranked prospect in the draft at Baseball America and No. 24 at MLB Pipeline. That’s where the composite rankings have him. Keith Law has him at No. 11. So there’s some variance on him. 

The Yankees have had some success drafting prospects from Michigan. In 1992 they took Kalamazoo, Mich. prospect Derek Jeter No. 6. 

Bonemer is not Derek Jeter, but showcases all the tools that could make him a future MLB shortstop. 

No. 27 Philadelphia Phillies: Noah Franco, OF/ LHP, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. 

The Phillies are in a competitive window and they seem to be a team that is OK taking high school prospects and not relying on them to help the team win. That's because like the Dodgers they have no problem spending money. 

Noah Franco reclassified to the 2024 class and has tremendous upside on the mound with a low-90s fastball, but he seems to be more of a future outfielder. 

He’s committed to play at TCU and may be the biggest threat to actually go to college even if he’s drafted given TCU’s history of developing pitchers.  

No. 28 Houston Astros: Cam Smith, 3B, Florida State Baseball

The Astros have not signed Alex Bregman to an extension as of March 8, 2024. He’s going to be a free agent after this season and at 30 and already making $30.5 million, it seems like the Astros may not be interested in bringing him back. 

They didn’t with George Springer. They didn’t with Carlos Correa. They didn’t with Dallas Keuchel. 

Will Bregman be next? It looks that way. 

This is why Cam Smith looks intriguing here. The No. 25-ranked prospect in our composite rankings, Smith raked in the Cape Cod League. 

What’s he doing so far this season? How about a .500 average, .720 slugging and 1.289 OPS with three home runs. 

He may be more on a 2026 timeline, but he’ll be the best available corner infielder at this spot.  

No. 29 Arizona Diamondbacks: Caleb Lomavita, C, California 

The No. 21-ranked prospect by Baseball America and MLB Pipeline– and thus No. 21 on the composite list, Caleb Lomavita is one of the best college catchers out there. And again, teams love taking college catchers who can hit because ideally they can move through the system quicker.

The Diamondbacks made the World Series behind Rookie of the Year star Corbin Carroll and they look poised to win for the next few years in a tough NL West. They added Joc Pederson and Eugenio Suarez to help with the offense and they called up former No. 6 pick Jordan Lawlar, who could be the future star shortstop. 

If he’s not, they drafted shortstop Tommy Troy No. 12 last year. And No. 2 overall pick in 2022 Druw Jones is still in the system as an outfielder. 

Adding a catcher here seems like the smart choice. 

No. 30 Texas Rangers Michael Massey, RHP, Wake Forest Baseball

The Rangers won the World Series last year and seem to be getting slept on again this year. 

It’s probably because the state of the pitching staff with Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and free agent addition Tyler Mahle unlikely to be ready until at least midseason. Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray, Andrew Heaney and Dane Dunning will be in the rotation and many feel like World Series hero Jordan Montgomery could be signed at some point. 

Perhaps the crazy thing about mocking the Rangers with another pitcher, which is something that Baseball America also did, is the fact this team took pitchers in the first round in 2021 and 2022 and neither have debuted despite being advanced college pitchers. 

Jack Leiter went No. 2 overall in 2021 and felt like the next can’t miss pitcher. The next year, they took Kumar Rocker No. 3 after the Mets failed to sign him the previous year when he was drafted 10th. Rocker is recovering from Tommy John surgery and likely won’t pitch much this season but Leiter, still just 23, has struggled a bit in the minors. He had a 5.07 ERA before being promoted to Triple-A last season where he allowed three runs in 3.1 innings. 

Maybe Leiter breaks out this year. But even if he does, the Rangers can never have enough pitching and that’s where Massey comes in. 

The No. 34-ranked prospect at Baseball America, Massey was the dominant reliever for Wake Forest in 2023 and he’ll likely be taken much higher than No. 30 in the draft if he continues to pitch this well in the rotation:

Three Starts, .71 ERA, .55 WHIP, 12.2 innings, 22 Strikeouts, 3 walks, four hits allowed and a .098 opponent batting average. 

His fastball averages 94 but has been clocked as high as 97. He also has a plus slider. 

Even if the Rangers have enough pitching, Massey could also be a future dominant reliever at the next level. 

MLB Draft Supplemental First Round Picks

No. 31 Arizona Diamondbacks: Ben Hess, RHP, Alabama Baseball

No. 32 Baltimore Orioles: Carson Benge, OF, Oklahoma State Baseball

No. 33 Minnesota Twins: Jacob Cozart, C, N.C. State Baseball

No. 34 Baltimore Orioles: Bryce Rainer, SS/LHP, Harvard-Westlake High School, Studio City, Calif. 

No. 35 Arizona Diamondbacks: Billy Amick, 3B/1B, Tennessee Baseball

No. 36 Cleveland Guardians: Cade Arrambide, C, Tomball High School, Tomball, Texas

No. 37 Pittsburgh Pirates: Derek Curiel, OF, Lutheran High School, Orange, Calif. 

No. 38 Colorado Rockies: Carter Johnson, SS, Oxford High School, Oxford, Alabama

No. 39 Kansas City Royals: Griff O'Ferrall, SS, Virginia Baseball

More MLB Draft 2024 Coverage 

• MLB Draft 2024 Analysis: Here Are The Top 2024 MLB Draft Prospects At The College Baseball Showdown
• MLB Draft 2024 Analysis: Who Do The Cleveland Guardians Take At No. 1?
• MLB Draft 2024 Analysis: Who Do The Cincinnati Reds Take At No. 2?
• MLB Draft 2024 Analysis: Who Do The Colorado Rockies Take At No. 3?
• MLB Draft 2024 Analysis: Who Do The Oakland Athletics Take At No. 4?
• MLB Draft 2024 Analysis:Who Do The Chicago White Sox Take At No. 5?
• MLB Draft 2024 Analysis: Who Do The Kansas City Royals Take At No. 6?
• MLB Draft 2024 Analysis: Who Do The St. Louis Cardinals Take At No. 7?
• MLB Draft 2024 Analysis: Who Do The Los Angeles Angels Take At No. 8?

When Is The 2024 MLB Draft?

The 2024 MLB Draft is part of MLB All-Star week and will be in Arlington, Texas, where the World Series champion Texas Rangers are hosting the All-Star Game. 

The All-Star Game is July 16. The official date of the draft has yet to be announced, but the 2023 MLB Draft began the Sunday before the All-Star Game, which was played on Tuesday.  

MLB Draft 2024 Order

The New York Mets, New York Yankees and San Diego Padres’ first picks dropped 10 spots because the clubs exceeded the second surcharge threshold of the competitive balance tax by more than $40 million. 

Here’s the order: 

1. Cleveland Guardians
2. Cincinnati Reds
3. Colorado Rockies
4. Oakland A’s
5. Chicago White Sox
6. Kansas City Royals
7. St. Louis Cardinals 
8. Los Angeles Angels 
9. Pittsburgh Pirates
10. Washington Nationals 
11. Detroit Tigers
12. Boston Red Sox
13. San Francisco Giants
14. Chicago Cubs
15. Seattle Mariners
16. Miami Marlins 
17. Milwaukee Brewers
18. Tampa Bay Rays
19. New York Mets
20. Toronto Blue Jays
21. Minnesota Twins
22. Baltimore Orioles 
23. Los Angeles Dodgers 
24. Atlanta Braves 
25. San Diego Padres 
26. New York Yankees
27. Philadelphia Phillies 
28. Houston Astros 
29. Arizona Diamondbacks 
30. Texas Rangers
31. Arizona Diamondbacks
32. Baltimore Orioles 
33. Minnesota Twins
34. Baltimore Orioles
35. Arizona Diamondbacks
36. Cleveland Guardians
37. Pittsburgh Pirates
38. Colorado Rockies
39. Kansas City Royals

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