MLB Draft 2024: Selection Order and Predictions for 1st-Round Baseball Prospects
The future stars of Major League Baseball will find out where they will continue their careers Sunday from Forth Worth Texas as the league presents the 2024 MLB Draft.
The first-place Cleveland Guardians possess the first pick in this year's event, with the opportunity to either select one of the top two prospects in the field or potentially trade the pick for other assets.
For other teams, such as the Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics, and Chicago White Sox, the draft represents an opportunity to select a player who will continue the organization's rebuild or journey back to relevancy.
Who may hear their name called first and where might fans expect two of the draft's best players end up?
Find out with this preview of the annual extravaganza.
Viewing Info
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Date: Sunday, July 14
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas
TV: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN+
Selection Order
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The Cleveland Guardians possess the first overall pick in this year's draft. The complete selection order is as follows:
- Cleveland Guardians
- Cincinnati Reds
- Colorado Rockies
- Oakland Athletics
- Chicago White Sox
- Kansas City Royals
- St. Louis Cardinals
- Los Angeles Angels
- Pittsburgh Pirates
- Washington Nationals
- Detroit Tigers
- Boston Red Sox
- San Francisco Giants
- Chicago Cubs
- Seattle Mariners
- Miami Marlins
- Milwaukee Brewers
- Tampa Bay Rays
- New York Mets
- Toronto Blue Jays
- Minnesota Twins
- Baltimore Orioles
- Los Angeles Dodgers
- Atlanta Braves
- San Diego Padres
- New York Yankees
- Philadelphia Phillies
- Houston Astros
- Arizona Diamondbacks
- Texas Rangers
Where Will Jac Caglianone Go?
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Jac Caglianone is not only one of the best players in this year's crop of prospects but he is a rare two-way player.
The first baseman and left-handed pitcher is an aggressive batter at the plate but does not strike out with any real frequency. The 21-year-old blasted 35 home runs in 2024, drove in 72, walked 58 times, and had a slash line of .544/.875/1.419.
In 73.2 innings pitched this past season, Caglianone went 5-2, had an ERA of 4.76, gave up 62 hits and 10 home runs, and accumulated 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings.
The lefty can reach 100-plus on his fastball and while he toyed with his mechanics to find more consistent control, he still struggles to find the strike zone from time to time. MLB's scouting report suggested that while Caglianone is an easy first-round pick as a hitter, he would probably fall to the second if he was focused solely on pitching.
Luckily, that is not the case for the Florida Gator, who should hear his name called early on Sunday evening.
With Travis Bazzana and Charlie Condon likely to go one-two, but not necessarily in that order, it leaves the door open for Caglianone to land in that third, fourth, or fifth position.
The Colorado Rockies are a team that has some solid bats but not necessarily a player who can spark excitement and create a buzz around the franchise. They also do not have much in the way of quality pitching.
While he would have to continue to develop if he is to perform on the mound in the big leagues, Caglianone could provide both to a team that whose fans have suffered long enough.
Oakland feels like the floor for a young athlete who, in any other draft, may have been the top overall pick.
Prediction: Caglianone heads to Colorado, where he will blast many a dinger out of the hitter-friendly Coors Field.
Who Is the Best Player in the Draft?
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There is a very good likelihood that the Australian-born second-baseman out of Oregon State, Travis Bazzana, hears his name called first overall Sunday as the top pick by the Cleveland Guardians.
If so, it will be the first time in the history of the event that a second baseman is the No. 1 selection.
While that historic feat would be interesting, it does not necessarily make Bazzana the best player in the draft. It simply means that his compact hitting style is something the Guardians and enamored with or intrigued by and want to see if they can mold him into an effective and efficient big leaguer, if not more.
The best player in this year's draft may very well be the young man who hears his name called second Sunday, Charlie Condon.
Condon walked on at Georgia with no guarantees except his willingness to work hard to make the Bulldogs baseball team. He did just that and along the way, won awards and accolades as one of the best players in the sport.
In two seasons at Georgia, Condon tallied 181 hits, 62 home runs, 145 RBI, and a slash line of .410/.523/.909.
He walked 57 times in 2024, showing developed patience at the plate that big league teams will value in a game where it is as important to have runners on base as it is to crank home runs.
At six-foot-six, he has a big frame and, according to MLB's scouting report, "keeps his right-handed swing relatively compact and controls the strike zone while repeatedly making loud contact against all types of pitching."
His ability to hit multiple pitches will only enhance his stock in the eyes of team officials and make him that much more coveted at one of the top spots in the draft.
He may not end up playing third base or centerfield in the bigs as he does not have the raw speed one would want from those two key positions, but he could be a career starter as a right or left-fielder.
Prediction: If Bazzana goes No. 1, there is no way Condon makes it past Cincinnati at No. 2.
