JJ Wetherholt, SS/2B, West Virginia — No. 4

Wetherholt started the season as the top-ranked player in the 2024 draft class, but after the first four games of the season he missed almost two months with a hamstring injury. He returned to West Virginia’s lineup last weekend in a three-game series against Kansas, where he served as a leadoff hitter and DH. 

He tallied hits in each game including a three-hit effort on Friday, and in total went 5-for-13 (.385) with a double, four walks and two strikeouts. His timing looked on the money despite his long absence from game at-bats with a number of well-hit balls up the middle, though he is not back to 100% as a runner yet—which explains his DH status and lack of full-effort runs in each game.

Below are breakdowns of all 17 of Wetherholt’s plate appearances during the weekend.

Game 1

1 — 1B. Wetherholt took a pair of 92 mph fastballs out of the zone to get into a 2-0 count. Kansas righthander Reese Dutton tried to get back in the count and put another 92-mph fastball in the zone on the outer third, and Wetherholt turned it around for a sharp ground ball single up the middle. It seemed like he was tracking the ball well out of the hand from the start.

Good to have you back, JJ!#HailWV pic.twitter.com/BoJrSny8Ds

— WVU Baseball (@WVUBaseball) April 5, 2024

2 — 1B. His second plate appearance against Dutton started with a first-pitch slider at 83 mph that Wetherholt swung at and fouled off about halfway into the left field grass out of play. The next pitch was an 88-mph changeup (tagged a fastball, though I am pretty sure it was a changeup) a tick below middle-middle that Wetherholt again turned around for a single right back up the middle.

3 — BB. Wetherholt has a confident take on a first-pitch fastball that just misses down and in before seeing three consecutive pitches far off the plate that he didn’t need to think much about. It resulted in an easy four-pitch walk, and to this point his swing decisions have been excellent.

4 — F8. This is Wetherholt’s fourth appearance against Dutton, this time in a two-out situation with runners on first and second. Wetherholt comes up swinging against the first pitch—a middle-middle 82-mph slider—but is once again a bit too steep and under the breaking ball. It’s a reasonably well-hit fly ball despite not getting it all and is about 10-15 feet in front of the warning track in center field.

5 — F9 sac fly. His first plate appearance against a non-Dutton arm came in the seventh with one out and runners on first and third. He watches a fastball low and away to get ahead 1-0 but then takes a middle-middle 93-mph fastball for a strike to get back to 1-1. Next, he gets fooled on an 82-mph changeup below the zone but manages to check his swing. 2-1. He then fouls off a fastball up and away at 94 and takes a changeup out of the zone away to work into a full count. The next pitch is another 94 mph fastball in the same zone as previously, but he’s on time and on the barrel for this swing and drives a fly ball to right field just in front of the warning track—easily deep enough for the runner on third to score.

6 — 2B. Another clutch situation for Wetherholt in his sixth PA of the game. It’s the top of the ninth with a runner on first, two outs and the game tied at 10 in a matchup against Kansas righthander Hunter Cranton—who has the best stuff Wetherholt will see all weekend. He holds back on a first-pitch slider on the outer rail that is called a strike but could have easily gone the other way. Down 0-1, Cranton comes back with a filthy 98-mph fastball in the same location that Wetherholt decides too late to swing at and misses to get into an 0-2 count (his first of the game). He takes a ball in the dirt on the next pitch and then flicks his hands at a 98-mph fastball off the outside part of the plate and one-hops the left field wall for an RBI stand-up double. This was his most impressive hit of the weekend working from a pitcher’s count and showing his pure feel for hitting against premium velocity.

Back in front!#HailWV | @jj_wetherholt pic.twitter.com/88mVVTa5zq

— WVU Baseball (@WVUBaseball) April 6, 2024

Game 2

1 — BB. Wetherholt got into an 0-2 count after watching a fastball for a strike and fouling off an 83-mph slider, but worked his way back with another foul ball and then four straight takes to earn a come-from-behind walk. Most of the balls in this PA were easy takes on pitches well off the zone, though ball four was a stone cold take just off the plate down and in.

2 — K. This is the first plate appearance of the weekend where Wetherholt looked uncomfortable. Kansas RHP Dominic Voegele threw a first-pitch slider on the outer rail to get ahead, then drew a check swing on a nicely spotted 80-mph changeup at the bottom of the zone and buried a slider below the zone in an 0-2 count that Wetherholt attempted to check but was unable to. 

3 — 1B. Wetherholt took a breaking ball above the zone to get into a 1-0 hitter’s count and then did a nice job keeping his hands back and driving a 92-mph fastball middle-out back up the middle on a line and slightly to the shortstop side of the second base bag in center field. His balance in the lower half stood out on this swing to me.

Top 4 | Mountaineers 3, Jayhawks 0

JJ extends the lead with a rope back up the middle!#HailWV | @jj_wetherholt pic.twitter.com/A9LLkLmOB8

— WVU Baseball (@WVUBaseball) April 6, 2024

4 — 4-3. A pair of fastballs started this AB, the first for a ball and the second for a strike. In a 1-1 count, Wetherholt was out in front and swung and missed against an 83-mph slider middle-away. Then he took a fastball down and in to get to an even 2-2 count and a similar pitch to get to 3-2. Kansas RHP Ethan Lanthier then went up and away with a 96-mph fastball, which Wetherholt rolled over on and grounded a weakly hit ball to second base. There was a brief attempt to run out of the box, but he let up about halfway down the line and jogged slowly through the bag here. It’s probably a routine ground out regardless of health, but Wetherholt is clearly not forcing the issue with his legs yet. 

5 — 6-3. This is one of the quickest ABs of the weekend for Wetherholt. He jumped on a first-pitch fastball at 93 mph on the outer rail and hit a ground ball up the middle. It was better contact than his previous groundout but still a routine ground ball that was converted. 

Game 3

1 — K. Game three featured a left-on-left matchup for Wetherholt, as Kansas had LHP Evan Shaw on the bump in the Sunday finale. Wetherholt got a 91-mph fastball slightly down and in on the first pitch and got under the pitch, but still hit it home-run distance the opposite way foul down the left field line. I didn’t expect that ball to travel nearly as far as it did off the bat. Down 0-1, Wetherholt had a half-hearted swing on a slider he fouled off, then had a more intentional swing on another breaking ball inside that was also pulled foul. After taking a ball low and away, Wetherholt chased a fastball off the outer rail for strike three.

2 — 4-3. Now facing another righthander, Wetherholt got behind in the count after taking a borderline changeup on the outer rail followed by a fastball in a similar spot that was also borderline and probably off the plate. Instead of being up 2-0, Wetherholt was down 0-2 and was forced to swing at a low and away 83-mph changeup that he grounded out to second base. It was not the best at-bat in the world, but I think his eye was better than the ump’s here, and he showed a willingness to expand in a two-strike count.

3 — IBB. Nothing to report here. With a runner on second and two outs in the third, Kansas just put Wetherholt on first to take the bat out of his hands and create more force-out opportunities.

4 — FC. Wetherholt again gets behind 0-1 on a borderline pitch, this time a 91-mph fastball up and in that could have gone either way. He gets a middle-middle 91-mph fastball on the next pitch that he probably wants back after fouling off to the right field side. He probably should have punished this one, especially with a runner on second and one out. Now in protect mode, Wetherholt fouls off a 92-mph heater above the zone to stay alive, takes a ball inside and then in a 1-2 count, hits a weak chopper against a 92-mph fastball right back at the pitcher. A routine groundout turns into a fielder’s choice and no outs after the pitcher makes a bad throw to third in an attempt to get the advancing runner.

5 — 1B. Another left-on-left matchup here, this time against sidearming LHP Ethan Bradford. Wetherholt gets behind 0-1 after taking a fastball for a strike, evens up the count with a ball up high and then fouls off a 92-mph fastball to the pull side. Down 1-2, Wetherholt gets a 92-mph fastball up and away that he slashes hard on the ground through the 5-6 hole for a base knock and RBI.

Top 6 | Mountaineers 10, Jayhawks 8

JJ singles home Jamison to get WVU into double-digits!#HailWV | @jj_wetherholt pic.twitter.com/CinAnyrixB

— WVU Baseball (@WVUBaseball) April 7, 2024

6 — BB. Four straight balls in this plate appearance that weren’t particularly close to the plate—including one pitch that sailed behind him. The easiest walk of the weekend for Wetherholt here.

7 — P6. Wetherholt is started out with an 89-mph fastball down and away that he checks at, but manages to hold back on for ball one. Pitch two is another fastball that misses up and away and puts Wetherholt in the driver’s seat up 2-0. He’s hacking when he sees another fastball out of the hand, but is leaking out and a bit in front of an 89-mph heater down in the zone that he gets under and pops out to shallow left field.

In Summary

I thought Wetherholt looked extremely sharp at the plate in his first weekend back. The swing itself looks no different than usual, and he does a nice job getting on plane and making high-quality swing decisions in general. He swung at only four pitches that were clearly out of the zone and each of those swings came in counts where the pitcher was ahead. Wetherholt swung and missed just four times over the weekend (a 15% miss rate) and had no trouble at all with velocity. He did get under a few sliders—and perhaps the lone swing where he looked fooled entirely was a slider down in the dirt—but I expect him to iron that out sooner rather than later with more game reps.

With only seven games under his belt this season, Wetherholt is now hitting .346/.471/.423 with two doubles, an 11.8% strikeout rate and a 20.6% walk rate. 

Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest — No. 8

I was less dialed into Kurtz over the weekend, since he has played many more games and I’ve already put eyes on him in person early this season. Even when Kurtz was not putting up numbers, I was impressed with the quality of his at-bats. 

Now the numbers are coming in a big way.

He was one of the hottest hitters in college baseball last week after going 8-for-14 (.571) with six home runs and a double. In his first 12 games of the season, Kurtz was hitting just .262 with a pair of home runs, but since ACC play started on March 8, Kurtz is hitting .333/.525/.1.024 with nine home runs in 13 games.

Entering Tuesday night, he had pushed his season line to .298/.500/.738, which is much more in line with his career numbers at Wake, and if you just isolate conference games, Kurtz was hitting .314/.478/.971—good for a better OPS against conference competition than in each of his first two seasons. 

He then went and homered two more times against Coastal Carolina on Tuesday, continuing his torrid pace.

We suggest an intentional walk #MTFY | #GoDeacs https://t.co/iOTdZCueH1 pic.twitter.com/soK9MRmiLj

— Wake Forest Baseball (@WakeBaseball) April 9, 2024

Kurtz hit three home runs in Sunday’s series finale with Virginia Tech and is riding a six-game home run streak that goes back to a March 31 two-homer game against North Carolina. He didn’t cheat himself on any of those home runs over the weekend either:

Nick Kurtz’s exit metrics from all 5 home runs this weekend:
109 MPH, 432 ft
108 MPH, 401 ft
110 MPH, 376 ft
108 MPH, 395 ft
104 MPH, 395 ft
pic.twitter.com/vmvmEJT738

— Wake Forest Baseball Analytics (@Wake_Analytics) April 8, 2024

Kurtz has been homering against velocity and off-speed stuff alike, using the entire field and showing the sort of tremendous raw power that allows him to access the opposite field even when he’s not fully balanced with his lower half or mishitting a ball slightly. It’s easy plus juice paired with an advanced hitting approach that made him a legitimate 1-1 candidate to start the season. 

He slipped down draft boards after the first few weeks given a lack of performance, his shoulder injury that caused him to miss a few games and the fact that players like Charlie Condon, Travis Bazzana, Jac Caglianone and Braden Montgomery have been so good out of the gate. Kurtz could still be fighting an uphill battle against that field as the only first baseman of the group, but he certainly has the hit and power combination to stack up with anyone in this class, and that’s starting to make itself obvious once again. 

Pk	Rd	Team	Writer	Player	Pos	School	Rank
1	1	Guardians	Peter	Travis Bazzana	2B	Oregon State	2
2	1	Reds	Geoff	Hagen Smith	LHP	Arkansas	6
3	1	Rockies	JJ	Charlie Condon	OF	Georgia	1
4	1	Athletics	Ben	JJ Wetherholt	2B	West Virginia	4
5	1	White Sox	Carlos	Braden Montgomery	OF/RHP	Texas A&M	7
6	1	Royals	Peter	Chase Burns	RHP	Wake Forest	5
7	1	Cardinals	Geoff	Jac Caglianone	1B/LHP	Florida	3
8	1	Angels	JJ	Jonathan Santucci	LHP	Duke	13
9	1	Pirates	Ben	Nick Kurtz	1B	Wake Forest	8
10	1	Nationals	Carlos	Konnor Griffin	OF/SS	Jackson Prep, Flowood, Miss.	9
11	1	Tigers	Peter	Caleb Lomavita	C	California	14
12	1	Red Sox	Geoff	Cam Smith	3B	Florida State	18
13	1	Giants	JJ	Vance Honeycutt	OF	North Carolina	11
14	1	Cubs	Ben	Trey Yesavage	RHP	ECU	27
15	1	Mariners	Carlos	Bryce Rainer	SS/RHP	Harvard-Westlake HS, Studio City, Calif.	20
16	1	Marlins	Peter	William Schmidt	RHP	Catholic HS, Baton Rouge, La.	19
17	1	Brewers	Geoff	Brody Brecht	RHP	Iowa	12
18	1	Rays	JJ	Kaelen Culpepper	SS	Kansas State	15
19	1	Mets	Ben	PJ Morlando	1B/OF	Summerville (S.C.) HS	25
20	1	Blue Jays	Carlos	Jacob Cozart	C	NC State	17
21	1	Twins	Peter	Seaver King	OF	Wake Forest	10
22	1	Orioles	Geoff	Theodore Gillen	SS	Westlake HS, Austin, Tex.	62
23	1	Dodgers	JJ	Luke Holman	RHP	LSU	28
24	1	Braves	Ben	Cam Caminiti	LHP	Saguaro HS, Scottsdale, Ariz.	23
25	1	Padres	Carlos	Billy Amick	3B	Tennessee	29
26	1	Yankees	Peter	Carson Benge	OF/RHP	Oklahoma State	36
27	1	Phillies	Geoff	Slade Caldwell	OF	Valley View HS, Jonesboro, Ark.	34
28	1	Astros	JJ	Tommy White	3B	LSU	30
29	1	D-backs	Ben	Mike Sirota	OF	Northeastern	16
30	1	Rangers	Carlos	Kellon Lindsey	SS/OF	Hardee HS, Wauchula, Fla.	31
31	PPI	D-backs	Peter	Ben Hess	RHP	Alabama	26
32	PPI	Orioles	Geoff	Dakota Jordan	OF	Mississippi State	42
33	1C	Twins	JJ	Caleb Bonemer	SS	Okemos (Mich.) HS	32
34	1S	Brewers	Ben	Bryce Cunningham	RHP	Vanderbilt	104
35	1S	D-backs	Carlos	Christian Moore	2B	Tennessee	52
36	1S	Guardians	Peter	James Tibbs III	1B/OF	Florida State	47
37	1S	Pirates	Geoff	Walker Janek	C	Sam Houston State	67
38	1S	Rockies	JJ	Charlie Bates	SS	Palo Alto (Calif.) HS	40
39	1S	Royals	Ben	Owen Paino	SS	Ketcham HS, Wappingers Falls, N.Y.	76

1. Guardians — Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State

Writer: Peter

Rationale: I wrestled a little bit with the idea of taking Charlie Condon here, but I ultimately settled on Bazzana. He is an elite-level athlete with an explosive operation in the box and is in the midst of a career year. I think he has All-Star upside in the big leagues.

2. Reds — Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas

Writer: Geoff

Rationale: There’s a group of college players that were all strong considerations at this pick, particularly Charlie Condon. I ultimately went with Smith. A lefthander with plus stuff and SEC success is tough to pass up. 

3. Rockies — Charlie Condon, OF, Georgia

Writer: JJ

Rationale: The idea of Condon hitting at altitude puts a smile on my face. Condon is having on of the best offensive years ever, and I’m thrilled he was still on the board at pick 3.

4. Athletics — JJ Wetherholt, 2B, West Virginia

Writer: Ben

Rationale: Wetherholt has been out until just recently because of a hamstring injury, but he’s one of the premier hitters in the nation and will show why he’s a legitimate 1-1 candidate now that he’s back. Charlie Condon and Travis Bazanna have leaped ahead of him in our rankings, deservedly so with the bonkers numbers both are posting. But Wetherholt has a beautiful, efficient and powerful lefthanded swing, good pitch recognition and plate coverage and a stellar offensive track record, all from a player who projects to stick in the middle infield.

5. White Sox — Braden Montgomery, OF/RHP, Texas A&M

Writer: Carlos

Rationale: I didn’t expect Chase Burns to be available to me here so I was really debating between him, Montgomery and Florida two-way sensation Jac Caglianone. Each player feels like a potential top-five pick, but I really like Montgomery’s lefthanded swing (he is a switch hitter), all-fields power and developing approach at the plate. He has consistently cut down on his strikeouts throughout his college career and has been one of the best overall hitters in college baseball this spring. Additionally I think he can be an impactful defender in right field where he should have one of the better throwing arms in the game. 

6. Royals — Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest

Writer: Peter

Rationale: I was bummed that Carlos snagged Braden Montgomery because that’s who I was going to pick here, but I “settled” instead for Chase Burns. He has two 70-grade offerings in his thunderous fastball and hellacious slider to go along with advanced strike-throwing ability. I’m a lot less worried that he will end up in the bullpen and he has front-of-the-rotation upside.

7. Cardinals — Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida

Writer: Geoff

Rationale: This feels like the last of a clear top of the board. Caglianone, despite tremendous success as both a hitter and pitcher at the collegiate level, is a bit of an anomaly. Do you want the bat? The lefthander? Or both? It’s a fun question a team will have to answer shortly. I prefer him as a bat because the power is outlier, but would like to see him pitch in relief in addition to hitting. 

8. Angels — Jonathan Santucci, LHP, Duke

Writer: JJ

Rationale: This draft feels like it thins out pretty quickly. I’d have been happy to pick Montgomery, Burns or Caglianone, but with all of them off the board, here’s a pitcher who could move quickly for a team that loves to move prospects at a rocket pace.

9. Pirates — Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest

Writer: Ben

Rationale: You’re not drafting for need here—especially for a first baseman—but Kurtz is an excellent fit for the Pirates, who currently employ Rowdy Tellez at first base and lack impact corner bats in their farm system. It’s been a slow start accompanied by a shoulder injury for Kurtz, but we’re talking about a .330/.493/.677 career hitter at Wake Forest who is still drawing more walks (28) than strikeouts (16) this year. The power numbers have been quieter than expected in 2024, but is there anyone who seriously doubts his power? I can’t wait to pair him and Termarr Johnson in the middle of a lineup.

10. Nationals — Konnor Griffin, OF/SS, Jackson Prep, Flowood, Miss.

Writer: Carlos

Rationale: I was praying Nick Kurtz would somehow fall to me at No. 10 for the Nationals but Ben has been picking up the pure hitters of this class who have slipped a bit thanks to injuries and moderate performance. Good for him. Instead I’ll snap the streak of college players and take the only high school prospect who feels like he fits near this range in Konnor Griffin—who is the ultimate athlete and toolshed who comes with a fallback option as a talented righthanded pitcher in his own right. There’s some hit tool risk but there’s a chance for plus power, double-plus speed, double plus arm strength and a solid or better defender at a few premium defensive positions. I am happy with that risk/reward combo here where it feels like there’s a tier break in the class.

11. Tigers — Caleb Lomavita, C, California

Writer: Peter

Rationale: The best catcher in this year’s draft class, Lomavita has a tantalizing set of tools. He has plus power to the pull side, his hit tool has taken a step forward and he is an ultra-athletic catcher who defends well with an above-average arm.  

12. Red Sox — Cam Smith, 3B, Florida State

Writer: Geoff

Rationale: Cam Smith had a solid freshman season with Florida State in 2023 and followed it up with an All-Star turn in the Cape Cod League. He looks like he’s really turned a corner as a hitter cutting his strikeout rate to well under 20% this spring. Smith is a big physical third baseman with plus raw and blossoming feel to hit. 

13. Giants — Vance Honeycutt, OF, North Carolina

Writer: JJ

Rationale: Honeycutt continues to face concerns about his contact ability, and I’d love to see him hitting for more average, but his athleticism, defense and power remain incredibly intriguing.

14. Cubs — Trey Yesavage, RHP, ECU

Writer: Ben

Rationale: Yesavage has some of the best stuff in the draft. It’s a lively, riding fastball up to 98 mph from his high slot, complemented by secondary pitches that produce high swing-and-miss rates. He’s a strike-thrower whose results have been stellar again for the second consecutive year, making him an appealing pitcher with starter traits to be able to land in the middle of the first round.

15. Mariners — Bryce Rainer, SS/RHP, Harvard-Westlake HS, Studio City, Calif.

Writer: Carlos

Rationale: The board is already pretty wide open for me at this point. I might prefer Rainer as a pitcher, but I would happily take him as a high school hitter given the toolset he provides with a chance to stick at shortstop. There aren’t many legitimate shortstops in this class. Even if Rainer has to slide over to third base he should fit there with a huge arm and lots of raw power. I also debated Kaelen Culpepper and Seaver King with this pick.

16. Marlins — William Schmidt, RHP, Catholic HS, Baton Rouge, La.

Writer: Peter

Rationale: For my money’s worth, Schmidt is the clear-cut best prep arm in the class and I think he’ll end up being popped before the 16th pick when all is said and done. He has a great body with projection remaining and moves well on the mound with plenty of arm speed. Schmidt’s breaking ball—a high-spin hammer that he has an advanced feel for—is his money-maker and a comfortably plus pitch, but he has also been up to 98 this spring with his fastball. His ceiling is incredibly high, and I think he is a potential front-line starter.

17. Brewers — Brody Brecht, RHP, Iowa

Writer: Geoff

Rationale: Brody Brecht’s filthy raw stuff under the tutelage of the Brewers pitching development is a fun idea to dream on. While Brecht has been inconsistent this spring he has the type of raw stuff you can dream on. 

18. Rays — Kaelen Culpepper, SS, Kansas State

Writer: JJ

Rationale: Culpepper feels like a solid and safe pick around this range. He’s a solid defender at shortstop who hits for average and can handle velocity.

19. Mets — PJ Morlando, 1B/OF, Summerville (S.C.) HS

Writer: Ben

Rationale: It’s the first draft for the Mets under David Stearns and vice president of amateur scouting Kris Gross. Based on how the Brewers drafted under Stearns and the Astros did with Gross, I expect a college player here and likely a college hitter. But looking at who’s available here among the college ranks, there sure are a lot of flaws. If the Mets go high school hitter here, Morlando does make sense. He has a lengthy track record of strong offensive performance, with good pitch recognition skills, consistent quality at-bats and huge lefthanded power. He’s older for the class and he’s further down the defensive spectrum compared to some other hitters on the board, but the mix of OBP/power upside is as good as any player remaining.

20. Blue Jays — Jacob Cozart, C, NC State

Writer: Carlos

Rationale: Cozart offers solid tools at catcher and there are some scouts who view him as the best catching prospect in the class. He’s been off to a strong start this season with a solid blend of patience and power, and his plus arm is a nice cherry on top of the profile. It was hard to pass up on Seaver King here but I have just enough questions about his approach and where he fits defensively to go with a college catcher instead.

21. Twins — Seaver King, OF, Wake Forest

Writer: Peter

Rationale: Grabbing King here was a no-brainer. I have my concerns about his approach, but he is an explosive athlete with thunderous bat speed. King has spent some time on the dirt this spring, but I think he fits best in centerfield long term where his double-plus speed and athleticism will shine.

22. Orioles — Theodore Gillen, SS, Westlake HS, Austin, Tex.

Writer: Geoff

Rationale: Gillen has size and tools to dream on. He would be a perfect fit for an Orioles farm system that will look for some upside to help backfill their development machine. 

23. Dodgers — Luke Holman, RHP, LSU

Writer: JJ

Rationale: Purely on performance, Holman’s pitched like an ace this year, but scouts are concerned his stuff is a little light. If a team can figure out how to add a little more velocity and tighten up his breaking ball, there’s a lot to build around here.

24. Braves — Cam Caminiti, LHP, Saguaro HS, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Writer: Ben

Rationale: The Braves have picked in the back third of the first round the last four years and every time have drafted pitching, drawing from both the college and high school ranks. This time they’re getting the top high school lefthander in the class in Caminiti, who will still be 17 on draft day. It’s an athletic, easy operation to regularly dial his fastball into the mid-90s with potential for more in the tank.

25. Padres — Billy Amick, 3B, Tennessee

Writer: Carlos

Rationale: I didn’t expect Amick to still be available on the board here and will happily take the big righthanded power and bat speed he provides. Amick has been a big up-arrow prospect and has looked better than expected at third base. It feels like the hitters fall off pretty quickly and there are still arms I like clustered in one tier together so I am going with a bat.

26. Yankees — Carson Benge, OF/RHP, Oklahoma State

Writer: Peter

Rationale: Benge is a bit of a cheese ball for me in this year’s class. I know the back of the baseball card might not be as loud as some of the other players taken in this range, but there is a lot to like. Benge has a noisy operation in the box with a noticeable barrel tip and leg kick—he eliminates the leg kick with two strikes—but he has thunderous hand speed and his barrel explodes through the hitting zone. He has plus power to the pull side along with an advanced feel to hit. He is a great athlete who runs well and boasts a high baseball IQ. I would be curious to see what he looks like in centerfield, as I think his plus arm and instincts would translate.

27. Phillies — Slade Caldwell, OF, Valley View HS, Jonesboro, Ark.

Writer: Geoff

Rationale: In a weaker class for high school position players Caldwell stands out for his track record of performance and high level skills. He’s a strong contact hitter with a discerning eye at the plate. A speedy undersized outfielder with good plate skills is a good gamble at the backend of the first. 

28. Astros — Tommy White, 3B, LSU

Writer: JJ

Rationale: White is one of the best hitters in recent college baseball history, but his lack of a clear defensive home in pro ball means he’s still on the board near the back of the first round. At this point, getting a player who can hit as well as White can at pick 28 seems like a good value.

29. D-backs — Mike Sirota, OF, Northeastern

Writer: Ben

Rationale: Sirota has not had a good start to the 2024 season, with only one home run through 24 games after slugging 18 in 55 games last year. If he keeps hitting this way deeper into the season, he won’t end up going this high, but I’m betting on a second half more in line with what we saw from him in 2023, giving the D-backs a well-rounded outfielder at the back of the first round.

30. Rangers — Kellon Lindsey, SS/OF, Hardee HS, Wauchula, Fla.

Writer: Carlos

Rationale: I’ll continue the run of bats here by going for another demographic that is rare in this year’s class: shortstop. There’s plenty of risk here given Lindsey’s lack of track record, but it’s hard to shake how excited scouts have talked about him and I’m happy to bet on an athlete with 80-grade speed, above-average defensive ability and strong bat-to-ball skills.

31. D-backs — Ben Hess, RHP, Alabama

Writer: Peter

Rationale: Hess has not looked like himself at times this season, but the physical righthander still boasts a loud arsenal with which he generates plenty of swing-and-miss. His fastball has been up to 98 with run and ride through the zone, and he supplements it with two distinct breaking balls and a changeup. I have little concern that Hess will start at the next level, which is something you can’t say about a lot of arms in the class.

32. Orioles — Dakota Jordan, OF, Mississippi State

Writer: Geoff

Rationale: Jordan is an impressive athlete and is among the best power hitters in the draft. There’s swing and miss concerns but Jordan has shown solid on-base skills and power. He fits the Orioles mold of athletic hitters with power, on-base skills and some swing and miss.

33. Twins — Caleb Bonemer, SS, Okemos (Mich.) HS

Writer: JJ

Rationale: Bonemer may not have as much track record as you’d like, but his frame, swing and athleticism make him an excellent addition as a second pick for a team in the supplemental first.

34. Brewers — Bryce Cunningham, RHP, Vanderbilt

Writer: Ben

Rationale: Last year the Brewers drafted Wake Forest third baseman Brock Wilken with their first-round pick, then went with high school righthander Josh Knoth at No. 33 overall. I could see the Brewers taking a similar approach this year, and if they want a high school pitcher with excellent feel for spin and good projection indicators, there are plenty to choose from with Tegan Kuhns, Chris Levonas, Owen Hall, Joey Oakie and several others. But we’re going with more present stuff in Cunningham, whose stock has been rising this year in a strong start at Vanderbilt. His fastball is sitting in the mid-90s, his changeup is getting a ton of whiffs and his mid-80s slider is another strong weapon.

35. D-backs — Christian Moore, 2B, Tennessee

Writer: Carlos

Rationale: I liked Geoff’s Dakota Jordan pick for the Orioles at 32. He would have been one of the players I debated on here. In the end I was torn between FSU’s James Tibbs III and Moore. Both have had strong seasons so far but there’s something about Moore’s swing that I just love so I’ll take a shot on the righthanded hitting second base profile here in the supplemental round. I have a high degree of confidence that Tibbs will come off the board quickly after passing on him here.

36. Guardians — James Tibbs III, 1B/OF, Florida State

Writer: Peter

Rationale: Another personal favorite of mine, I was actually close to picking Tibbs up at 26. He is off to a torrid start this year for the Seminoles and there is a lot to like—especially from an offensive standpoint. Tibbs has plus power to all fields and consistently drives the baseball with authority from gap-to-gap. I would also say that his hit tool grades out as plus. Tibbs is perpetually on the barrel and his bat-to-ball skills are plus. Tibbs has a professional approach with advanced swing decisions and will seldom expand the strike zone. His above-average arm will allow him to stick in right field professionally.

37. Pirates — Walker Janek, C, Sam Houston State

Writer: Geoff

Rationale: A well-rounded college catcher with skills behind the plate to handle the position long term, Janek has also hit for three seasons with Sam Houston State and performed on the Cape Cod League. 

38. Rockies — Charlie Bates, SS, Palo Alto (Calif.) HS

Writer: JJ

Rationale: It may not be a great draft for high school hitters, but Bates is one of the best prep bats available. There’s solid feel to hit with developing power all from an infielder who may be able to stick at shortstop.

39. Royals — Owen Paino, SS, Ketcham HS, Wappingers Falls, N.Y.

Writer: Ben

Rationale: The position player talent in the Royals farm system is light. Chase Burns adds an electric arm to the organization at No. 6 overall, and with the options here for college hitters not the most appealing, we’re going with a player in Paino who offers upside both at the plate and on defense. He’s a physical shortstop with a compact lefthanded swing, a mature approach for his age and a terrific baseball IQ. If he has a big spring season, I think he can fit into this range.

Draft Hauls For Each Writer

Peter Flaherty

• Pick No. 1: Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State
• Pick No. 6: Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest
• Pick No. 11: Caleb Lomavita, C, California
• Pick No. 16: William Schmidt, RHP, Catholic HS, Baton Rouge, La.
• Pick No. 21: Seaver King, OF, Wake Forest
• Pick No. 26: Carson Benge, OF/RHP, Oklahoma State
• Pick No. 31: Ben Hess, RHP, Alabama
• Pick No. 36: James Tibbs III, 1B/OF, Florida State

Geoff Pontes

• Pick No. 2: Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas
• Pick No. 7: Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida
• Pick No. 12: Cam Smith, 3B, Florida State
• Pick No. 17: Brody Brecht, RHP, Iowa
• Pick No. 22: Theodore Gillen, SS, Westlake HS, Austin, Tex.
• Pick No. 27: Slade Caldwell, OF, Valley View HS, Jonesboro, Ark.
• Pick No. 32: Dakota Jordan, OF, Mississippi State
• Pick No. 37: Walker Janek, C, Sam Houston State

JJ Cooper

• Pick No. 3: Charlie Condon, OF, Georgia
• Pick No. 8: Jonathan Santucci, LHP, Duke
• Pick No. 13: Vance Honeycutt, OF, North Carolina
• Pick No. 18: Kaelen Culpepper, SS, Kansas State
• Pick No. 23: Luke Holman, RHP, LSU
• Pick No. 28: Tommy White, 3B, LSU
• Pick No. 33: Caleb Bonemer, SS, Okemos (Mich.) HS
• Pick No. 38: Charlie Bates, SS, Palo Alto (Calif.) HS

Ben Badler

• Pick No. 4: JJ Wetherholt, 2B, West Virginia
• Pick No. 9: Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest
• Pick No. 14: Trey Yesavage, RHP, ECU
• Pick No. 19: PJ Morlando, 1B/OF, Summerville (S.C.) HS
• Pick No. 24: Cam Caminiti, LHP, Saguaro HS, Scottsdale, Ariz.
• Pick No. 29: Mike Sirota, OF, Northeastern
• Pick No. 34: Bryce Cunningham, RHP, Vanderbilt
• Pick No. 39: Owen Paino, SS, Ketcham HS, Wappingers Falls, N.Y.

Carlos Collazo

• Pick No. 5: Braden Montgomery, OF/RHP, Texas A&M
• Pick No. 10: Konnor Griffin, OF/SS, Jackson Prep, Flowood, Miss.
• Pick No. 15: Bryce Rainer, SS/RHP, Harvard-Westlake HS, Studio City, Calif.
• Pick No. 20: Jacob Cozart, C, NC State
• Pick No. 25: Billy Amick, 3B, Tennessee
• Pick No. 30: Kellon Lindsey, SS/OF, Hardee HS, Wauchula, Fla.
• Pick No. 35: Christian Moore, 2B, Tennessee

2. Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State

Hitting line: .449/.595/.1.063, 15 HR, 3 3B, 6 2B, 8.7 K%, 22.2 BB%

Bazzana is third in average, third in homers and third in OPS among Division I hitters and has maintained the sort of elite contact rates he’s become known for (15% miss, 10% in-zone miss) while adding more in-game power. He’s already set a single-season high with 15 homers in just 25 games—less than half of the 61 games he needed to hit 11 homers in 2023—and his isolated slugging has leaped from .248 to .594 while he has also managed to lower his strikeout rate and improve his walk rate. There’s simply not much opposing pitchers can do to slow Bazzana down right now. 

3. Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida

Hitting line: .389/.473/.752, 13 HR, 0 3B, 2 2B, 9.9 K%, 12.2 BB%

Pitching line: 2.18 ERA, 6 GS, 33 IP, 32.8 K%, 16.4 BB%, .138 AVG

Caglianone has made significant improvements with his plate discipline early in the season despite more modest improvements in his under-the-hood chase and miss rates. His walk rate is up from 5.3% in 2023 to 12.2% this season, while he has cut his strikeout rate basically in half: from 18.2% in 2023 to 9.9% in 2024. In nine conference games in the SEC he has walked five times and struck out five times, and he’s been significantly better in two-strike counts than his first two seasons. He’s hitting .308/.386/.564 with an 18% miss rate and 41% chase rate in two-strike counts in 2024. That’s compared to a .172/.234/.331 line with a 29% miss rate and 61% chase rate in two-strike counts in 2022/2023.

4. JJ Wetherholt, 2B, West Virginia

Hitting line: .308/.438/.385, 0 HR, 0 3B, 1 2B, 12.5 K%, 18.8 BB%

Wetherholt hasn’t been able to add or subtract much from his profile this spring after hitting the shelf with a hamstring injury that has kept him out of games since February 19. He’s expected to return to the field this weekend as West Virginia takes on Kansas in a three-game series.

5. Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest

Pitching line: 2.89 ERA, 7 GS, 43.2 IP, 49.4 K%, 7.2 BB%, .183 AVG

Burns has been dominant this spring and leads the country or is near the top of the leaderboard in the most meaningful pitching categories. He’s tops among D-I arms with 82 strikeouts and is second behind Hagen Smith with a 49.4 K% and 42.2 K-BB%. Burns has started each week and gone at least 5.1 innings in each outing, and his stuff looks different as well. His average fastball velocity is up nearly two full ticks, from 96.2 mph in 2023 to 98.1 mph in 2024, and he has decreased his slider usage from 41% to 35% in an effort to use his curveball and changeup more frequently. Burns has a 39% miss rate or better with each of his four pitches and is neck-and-neck with Smith for SP1 of the class and a legitimate top-of-the-draft candidate. His most recent outing was his lone true hurdle, as he allowed nine hits and six earned runs—including four homers—against UNC. If he doesn’t let that snowball he should be fine. 

6. Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas

Pitching line: 1.54 ERA, 7 GS, 35 IP, 54.5 K%, 7.6 BB%, .136 AVG

Smith has been lights out this spring and looks like he has improved his body and his delivery in significant ways. He’s fourth in the country with 73 strikeouts but leads all D-I arms with a 54.5 K% and a 47 K-BB%. Smith has not pitched beyond the sixth inning in any of his starts and he’s also not thrown more than 100 pitches in any outing so far this season. Smith’s average fastball velocity is up two and a half ticks from 93 mph to 95.6 and he is throwing all of his pitches in the zone a bit more frequently which has helped lead to a lower walk rate—7.6% in 2024 compared to a career rate in the 13.2-13.5% range. 

7. Braden Montgomery, OF/RHP, Texas A&M

Hitting line: .381/.515/.933, 16 HR, 1 3B, 8 2B, 13.4 K%, 19.4 BB%

The transition from the Pac-12 to the SEC has been a complete non-issue for Montgomery, who continues to make progress as a hitter and recently jumped to No. 2 on the home run leaderboard. He has cut his strikeout rate significantly year-over-year and inversely improved his walk rate and now has more walks (19.4 BB%) than strikeouts (13.4 K%) for the first time in his career. He’s two homers shy of matching his single-season best of 18 in 49% of the plate appearances. He’s still chasing changeups and curveballs a bit too often but has significantly improved his contact against fastballs and sliders. Against 92+ mph velocity he is hitting .400/.571/1.267 with an 87% contact rate.

8. Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest

Hitting line: .243/.460/.500, 5 HR, 0 3B, 2 2B, 16 K%, 28 BB%

Kurtz has been hampered by a shoulder injury and he’s also just not performed at the expected clip through his first 21 games of the season. His saving grace is potentially a 28% walk rate that’s No. 1 among qualified D-I hitters and the fact that he seemed to be waking up a bit during last weekend’s series against UNC. He went 4-for-10 in the final two games with a two-homer game on Sunday. Kurtz is still taking quality at-bats and his contact and chase rates are in line with his 2022/23 numbers but as a first base and bat-first profile he’ll need to start getting more results and showing more power.

9. Konnor Griffin, OF/SS, Jackson Prep, Flowood, Miss.

Hitting line: .574/.724/.983, 5 HR, 1 3B, 8 2B, 5.1 K%, 32.6 BB%

Pitching line: 0.42 ERA, 33 IP, 50.8 K%, 8.2 BB%, 

Griffin is the sole prep player in this draft class who gets significant buzz in the top-10 range. He’s done nothing to add any questions to a profile that was already exciting and among the most toolsy in the class, though some scouts have liked him enough on the mound that they might even prefer him as a pitcher. The majority of teams are likely more enamored with his huge upside as a hitter where he has plus raw power and double-plus speed. High school stats are far from meaningful, but Griffin has performed and he’s also stolen 57 bags in 25 games—among the most in the country per Maxpreps. 

10. Seaver King, OF, Wake Forest

Hitting line: .292/.338/.508, 6 HR, 1 3B, 6 2B, 11.5 K%, 4.6 BB%

King’s 2024 performance is perhaps the most meaningful of any first-round college players’ considering his D-II background and he’s been solid but unspectacular through his first 27 games with Wake Forest. The tools are obvious—including 70-grade speed, above-average power and great bat speed and bat-to-ball skills—but it’s clear King has an aggressive approach that might create hit tool concerns when projecting him to the majors. His contact rate this season (81%) is solid but he chases too much overall (34%) and in particular against sliders and changeups. The fact that King should play a premium defensive position helps spread out the risk of his profile, and he remains a fascinating prospect and first-round talent—even if he feels like less of a top-10 lock than he did coming into the season.

11. Vance Honeycutt, OF, North Carolina

Hitting line: .288/.420/.577, 8 HR, 1 3B, 6 2B, 27.5 K%, 15.2 BB%

Honeycutt’s strikeout rate has swung like a pendulum in his first three seasons at UNC and after cutting down from 29.7% to 20.4% in 2023 that mark is back to 27.5% so far in 2024. He might simply be the sort of hitter who needs to let it fly and try and maximize his raw power—so far he’s on pace to top his disappointing 12-homer mark from 2023 and he could once again be a 20-20 player with 16 bags already this season. Honeycutt is probably hitting the ball on the ground too often (40.8 GB%) and he is also as aggressive a hitter as he’s ever been with a 31% chase rate and 34% miss rate—both marks are higher than his 2022/23 numbers. Struggles against 92+ mph velocity (.473 OPS, 34% miss rate) will only add to his pure hit tool questions. Like King, Honeycutt’s athletic profile and secondary toolset should buoy his profile on draft day. 

12. Brody Brecht, RHP, Iowa

Pitching line: 4.02 ERA, 7 GS, 31.1 IP, 37.4 K%, 16.8 BB%, .207 AVG

Dreams of Brecht taking a significant step forward as a pitcher following a full offseason dedicated to baseball have gone largely unanswered so far, and he’s also coming off the worst outing of his season—a three-inning, five-hit, seven-run game against Minnesota. Brecht’s average fastball velocity is down a tick from 97.6 mph in 2023 to 96.3 mph so far in 2024 and he continues to throw far too many balls out of the zone. His 16.8% walk rate is a career-low and his slider has also been less effective overall. Batters have managed a 1.136 OPS and 20% miss rate against the pitch in-zone in 2024 compared to a .529 OPS and 27% miss rate in-zone in 2023. Brecht did work on multiple slider shapes this offseason so it could be a non apples-to-apples comparison that is getting noisy with imperfect data, but in general Brecht’s off-speed has been less dominant so far this year compared to 2023.

13. Jonathan Santucci, LHP, Duke

Pitching line: 2.83 ERA, 7 GS, 35 IP, 38.5 K%, 16.2 BB%, .163 AVG

Santucci is just a start or two away from topping his previous single-season innings high (41) in college. He’s been difficult to square up as evidenced by his .163 average against and .527 OPS allowed but he has also created plenty of work for himself with below-average control and a 16.2% walk rate. Santucci’s velocity is up a tick across the board with his fastball (94.2 mph), slider (83.5) and changeup (88.5) and his slider usage is up significantly, from 35% in 2023 to 48% in 2024—his most used pitch. 

14. Caleb Lomavita, C, California

Hitting line: .364/.410/.710, 11 HR, 0 3B, 4 2B, 18.8 K%, 3.4 BB%

Lomavita has put up a strong line with an extremely aggressive hitting approach this season. His triple slash would represent career-bests in each category and his 3.4% walk rate is lower than both his 2022 (8.4 BB%) and 2023 (5.3 BB%) marks. After swinging about 49% of the time in his first two seasons, Lomavita is swinging at 54% of the pitches he’s seen so far in 2024, including a 39% swing rate in 0-0 counts compared to a 32% swing rate previously. Lomavita has done a much better job with pitches on the inner third so far this season, which was a question mark entering the year.

15. Kaelen Culpepper, SS, Kansas State

Hitting line: .321/.421/.580, 6 HR, 2 3B, 7 2B, 15.8 K%, 12.8 BB%

Culpepper has been a consistent offensive performer so far this season and his line looks similar to what he produced in 2023. His contact and chase rates haven’t changed significantly year over year, he continues to show some pull-side power and he’s maintained a similar strikeout rate while slightly boosting his walk rate—8.8 BB% in 2023 compared to 12.8 BB% in 2024.

16. Mike Sirota, OF, Northeastern

Hitting line: .281/.425/.427, 1 HR, 1 3B, 9 2B, 20.8 K%, 17.5 BB%

The big development for Sirota in the 2023 season was going from four home runs to 18. That was a notable power jump for a player who doesn’t hit the ball especially hard and who also struggled to hit for power with a wood bat in the Cape Cod League in parts of two seasons. He’s off to a slow start in 2024 with a .281 average and .852 OPS which would both represent career lows and just one homer in 24 games. He’s struggled against breaking balls in this stretch with a .160/.323/.240 slash line against that pitch type.

17. Jacob Cozart, C, NC State

Hitting line: .333/.478/.575, 6 HR, 0 2B, 3 2B, 15.9 K%, 21.2 BB%

Cozart is having a career year thanks to a more selective approach that’s led to a 21.2% walk rate—doubling what he did in 2022 and 2023. Cozart has been more patient when ahead in the count compared to previous years and has slightly improved his chase rate—at 21% currently compared to a 24% chase rate in 2022 and 2023. There’s still a bit too much miss against breaking balls (32%) but he has improved against top-end velocities and is hitting .438/.545/.500 with an 83% contact rate against pitches 92 mph or harder.

18. Cam Smith, 3B, Florida State

Hitting line: .438/.500/.714, 8 HR, 0 3B, 7 2B, 16.7 K%, 7.1 BB%

Smith looks like an entirely different hitter this season compared to his 2023 freshman year with FSU. There was plenty made about an improved approach he showed in the Cape Cod League last summer and he has carried that over to the spring. He has cut his strikeout rate significantly from the 28.7 K% he had as a freshman, and that has come with much better swing decisions (26% chase rate in 2024 and 37% chase rate in 2023) and more contact (18% miss rate in 2024 and 29% miss rate in 2023) while also just swinging less frequently (41% swing rate in 2024 and 48% swing rate in 2023). Smith’s approach is entirely different and he is also employing a different posture at the plate with a more crouched stance and lower handset. He’s hitting the ball on the ground more often but his slugging percentage and isolated slugging are still up year-over-year and he’s already at eight homers through 26 games after homering 12 times in 51 games in 2023.  

19. William Schmidt, RHP, Catholic HS, Baton Rouge, La.

Pitching line: 0.49 ERA, 28.2 IP, 38.5 K%, 10.1 BB%, 

Schmidt has been one of the more consistent up-arrow high school prospects in the class. He has shown a bit more power on his fastball while backing it with one of the better breaking balls in the class. That’s led scouts to thinking he’ll be the first pitcher off the board and potentially a middle-of-the-first round selection. He can keep trending up if he tightens his control and command down the stretch.

20. Bryce Rainer, SS/RHP, Harvard-Westlake HS, Studio City, Calif.

Hitting line: – 

Pitching line: – 

Rainer has had plenty of positive feedback this spring. He has loud tools with power, arm strength and physical projection remaining on his 6-foot-3 frame and a real chance to stick on the left side of the infield. Some scouts think his foot speed will move him to third base while others believe he will pick it well enough to stick at shortstop. While his preference seems to be hitting full time, the fact that he has a tremendously easy arm action and a pair of plus pitches on the mound creates a nice fallback option.

21. Malcolm Moore, C, Stanford

Hitting line: .207/.375/.471, 7 HR, 0 3B, 2 2B, 11.6 K%, 18.8 BB%

Moore got off to a slow start but didn’t face much down-arrow pressure from the industry in on our first round of in-season scouting feedback because of the conviction in his offensive profile. He had an average under .200 through his first 20 games of the season but could be starting to wake up a bit after a 3-for-13 series against Utah with a home run and a 3-for-5 effort on Monday against Texas Tech with his eighth homer of the season. Moore’s strikeout rate is down (16.8 K% to 11.6 K%) and his walk rate is up (7 BB% to 18.8 BB%) and he’s also running an 87% overall contact rate compared to a 74% contact rate in 2023.

22. Josh Hartle, LHP, Wake Forest

Pitching line: 6.68 ERA, 7 GS, 33.2 IP, 21 K%, 6.4 BB%, .308 AVG

Hartle has been hit around this season and was moved from the Friday night starter spot to Saturday in Wake’s recent series against UNC. His walk rate is right in line with his career average at 6.4% but his command has been worse than 2023 and his stuff has simply not fooled hitters. Batters are hitting .308/.365/.510 against him and his overall miss rate has fallen from 35% in 2023 to just 24% in 2024. Both his breaking balls have been less effective as swing-and-miss offerings this spring and a 66% ground ball rate hasn’t helped him get out of damage with a shaky defense behind him. In conference play Hartle has allowed 31 hits in 16 innings with 16 strikeouts and seven walks.

23. Cam Caminiti, LHP, Saguaro HS, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Pitching line: 0.49 ERA, 28.2 IP, 62.4 K%, 10.1 BB%

Caminiti’s profile has sounded largely the same this spring as it was throughout the summer: he’s an exceptional athlete who moves well on the mound and owns what should be an overpowering fastball at the next level. He’s been up to 98 mph with the pitch and it projects as easily plus with velocity and great life. That heater, delivery, athleticism and his extreme youth and handedness will make him appealing but a club might need to help him get to a more consistent breaking ball at the next level. 

24. Drew Beam, RHP, Tennessee

Pitching line: 4.06 ERA, 7 GS, 37.2 IP, 20 K%, 3.8 BB%, .288 AVG

Beam is posting a microscopic 3.8% walk rate this spring and has only walked a pair of batters in two of his seven starts this season, but he’s also missing fewer bats with a 20% strikeout rate that’s four ticks down from the 24 K% he managed in 2023. That seems primarily due to less swings and misses on his fastball and curveball. He generated a 20% miss rate on the fastball in 2023 compared to a 12% miss rate so far in 2024 and he generated a 37% miss rate on the curveball in 2023 compared to just a 13% miss rate with the curve in 2024. The curveball effectiveness could be command-driven, as it seems like Beam has more frequently missed with the pitch middle and up in the zone compared to 2023 when he put it at the bottom and below the strike zone more often. 

25. PJ Morlando, 1B/OF, Summerville (S.C.) HS

Hitting line: .529/.667/.823, 1 HR, 0 3B, 2 2B, 25 BB%, 4.2 BB%

Morlando has earned down arrow feedback early this spring and it seems like that’s because he has such a bat-driven profile and has not wowed offensively as much as the industry would like. Teams who aren’t fully in on the pure hit tool might be more skeptical since it’s difficult to project more raw power coming, though Morlando already has plenty of that at his disposal. The fact that he’ll be 19 on draft day will add to the pressure on his profile and make him more of a polarizing prospect. He’s gotten more back of the first round and later feedback than the top half of the first round range he entered the year with.   

26. Ben Hess, RHP, Alabama

Pitching line: 5.59 ERA, 7 GS, 29 IP, 38.1 K%, 12.7 BB%, .210 AVG

Hess was pitching towards a first round trajectory early in the season but has scuffled a bit of late and allowed four or more runs in each of his first three starts in the SEC—against Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina respectively. Scouts love the stuff that comes out of his hand—headlined by a mid-80s fastball and mid-80s slider—but he will need to improve his strikes (12.7 BB% in 2024 compared to a 5.5 BB% in 2023) and stack more productive outings throughout conference play. Hess has never started more than eight games in a season or thrown more than 36.1 innings with Alabama, so a full spring as a starter will be key for him to retain and build on his current draft stock. 

27. Trey Yesavage, RHP, ECU

Pitching line: 2.18 ERA, 7 GS, 41.1 IP, 38.7 K%, 7.4 BB%, .174 AVG

Yesavage is sixth in the country with 63 strikeouts and has been one of the most consistent starters so far this spring. Aside from a four-run speed bump against Texas-San Antonio two weeks ago, Yesavage has not allowed more than two earned runs in a start. He’s maintained the 7.4% walk rate he posted in 2023 while upping the strikeout rate from 33.9% to 38.7% while averaging 94.3 mph with his fastball and showcasing a trio of legitimate secondary options. Yesavage has boosted the usage of his low-80s split-change—from 9% to 19%—and it’s now his most-frequently used secondary pitch though he has generated a 50% or better whiff rate on all of his secondaries. He looks like a bonafide first round arm. 

28. Luke Holman, RHP, LSU

Pitching line: 1.38 ERA, 7 GS, 39 IP, 39.1 K%, 8.3 BB%, .173 AVG

Holman’s 1.38 ERA is good for sixth-best in the country and the second lowest mark behind only Texas A&M’s Evan Aschenbeck in the SEC. He quickly took over LSU’s Friday night starter role in his first year with the program and didn’t allow a single run in his first four starts of the season. While he has not thrown shutout after shutout in the first three weeks of SEC play, Holman still has a solid 3.60 ERA in conference. His fastball velocity is a tick down from the 2023 season and is averaging just 92 mph and because of that some scouts wonder if he’s a first rounder or a pitcher to grab shortly after that. His slider and curveball have both been effective breaking pitches with the low-80s slider being his clear preference. Holman’s 8.3% walk rate is solid though he has been more scattered recently. He will need to continue posting throughout conference play to ensure a first round selection in July.

29. Billy Amick, 3B, Tennessee

Hitting line: .367/.453/.789, 10 HR, 1 3B, 6 2B, 17.9 K%, 11.3 B%

Amick’s bat speed, exit velocities and better than expected defensive play at third base this season with Tennessee has plenty of scouts chirping about a first round selection. He’s following up a ridiculous 2023 campaign with Clemson with a strong start in his first year with Tennessee and homered 10 times in his first 25 games. That home run pace has cooled over his last 11 games or so and he has just one conference homer to this point, but no one doubts his raw power and strength in the righthanded batter’s box. Amick’s approach is aggressive and he’s probably going to be a power-over-hit offensive profile so continuing to show in-game power and a chance to stick on the left side of the infield are keys for him down the stretch.

30. Tommy White, 3B, LSU

Hitting line: .319/.406/.580, 9 HR, 0 3B, 4 2B, 8.7 K%, 10.1 BB%

White started as the No. 10 player on our draft board, but his slow start to the season and a limited supplemental toolset has him sliding a bit. Some scouts might not view him as a first rounder, though he has. He homered just twice in his first 18 games of the season, but the power resurfaced as soon as the schedule flipped to SEC competition and he homered in seven of his next 11 games. Overall White has seemingly sacrificed some power for more contact and fewer strikeouts compared to his first two full seasons, but that could be in the process of flipping as we speak. White’s rare combination of bat-to-ball skills and raw power should make him an appealing bat in a draft class that drops off with pure hitters quickly—though he’ll need to finish the season strong like he has in 2022 and 2023.

Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida

Caglianone is a singular talent in the 2024 draft class thanks to his tremendous raw tools and two-way ability. After leading D-I hitters with 33 home runs in 2023 as a sophomore, Caglianone is hitting .394/.474/.737 with 11 home runs in 23 games. So far he’s cut his strikeout rate significantly, down from 18.2% to 8.8% and doubled his walk rate from 5.3% to 11.4%. On the mound, Caglianone is still erratic in his strike throwing (16.4% walk rate), but he has posted a 1.65 ERA through five starts and 27.1 innings with a 10% jump in his strikeout rate—from 25.4% to 35.5%.

Over the weekend, Caglianone went 3-for-12 (.250) with two home runs, two walks and a strikeout, and he started Sunday’s game and allowed one earned run in seven innings with five strikeouts and five walks. 

Physicality is what stands out immediately with Caglianone when you see him on the baseball field. He’s an imposing 6-foot-5, 250 pounds and looks the part of a big leaguer in uniform now with tremendous raw-power displays in batting practice. Caglianone employs a wide setup and open stance with a high handset and consistently turns on the ball and pulls towering homers over the right field fence. It’s a pull-heavy approach in BP and in games, and there’s clear intent to lift the ball to right field.

Caglianone takes massive swings in the box, which led to a pair of homers this weekend—both in left-on-left matchups. His first was against a 92-mph fastball that he lined out of the park in a hurry to right-center. The ball left his bat at 16 mph and traveled an estimated 416 feet on a 16-degree angle, and the second was a 91-mph fastball that he was a bit late on and under but still had the strength to muscle it out and into LSU’s left field scoreboard.

The 70-grade raw power allows Caglianone to change games with one swing and miss-hit balls out of the park, though his approach still looked iffy at times this weekend, despite his improved plate discipline numbers. He pulls out heavily with his lower half on most swings, which leaves him exposed at times against breaking stuff. Sliders in particular were an effective pitch to attack Caglianone with, and his most awkward swings were against this breaking ball specifically. This season, he has managed a 1.300 OPS against fastballs compared to a .764 OPS vs. sliders.

On the mound, Caglianone works from the third base side of the rubber and throws with a low three-quarters slot and crossfire delivery that adds deception. He has a fastball/changeup/slider combination, and routinely sits in the 94-95 mph range with the heater and has touched 99. In this game, he topped out at 97 but was reaching back for 96-97 mph deep into his start. 

Caglianone’s best offering was his changeup: an upper-70s tumbler with significant velocity separation from his heater—at times a 20-mph difference—that generated seven whiffs on 14 swings (a 50% miss rate). The movement, velocity and feel for the changeup should make it at least an above-average pitch though Caglianone could sell it better as his arm speed slows noticeably at times and more advanced hitters will pick up on that quickly. 

His slider is a low-80s short sweeping pitch that occasionally has a cutter look and varies in power and horizontal movement. He didn’t have the best feel for the breaking ball in this look, and it was solidly behind the fastball/changeup duo. 

Caglianone’s control is solidly below-average and he had a tendency to miss with his fastball to the arm side as he fought the crossfiring action in his lower half and tried to get the ball over the plate. It’s easy to imagine Caglianone taking steps forward with his hitting approach and mechanics as a hitter if he drops pitching and delivery and control if he drops hitting—how teams handle him in pro ball will be fascinating to see, but there’s no doubt he has game-changing tools on both sides of the ball. 

Tommy White, 3B, LSU

White entered the 2024 season as perhaps the most notorious home run hitter in college baseball. “Tommy Tanks” hit 27 homers as a freshman with NC State then added 24 more as a sophomore in his first season with LSU. He’s not quite been on that pace in 2024, as the focal point of a Tigers lineup that now lacks second overall pick Dylan Crews, and after a 1-for-12 (.083) weekend against Florida is slashing .317/.412/.535 with four homers.

White played through a shoulder injury in 2023 and had offseason surgery to fix that and focused on getting leaner and more athletic for his junior draft season. He looks thinner and is listed at 228 pounds compared to 242 pounds at NC State in 2022. 

He has a wide stance in the box with a significant bat tip in his hand load as well as a toe tap and leg kick combination to get his lower half started in the box. White’s bat path is surprisingly level for the home run hitter he is, though his strength and bat speed allow him to naturally backspin the ball out of the park without the need to try and lift everything with a steep bat path. That perhaps also helps explain why White makes so much contact.

He loves to swing the bat and does so often, though White saw more pitches and showed off a more patient approach than I was used to seeing from him previously. He didn’t expand the zone much, and his walk rate is a bit up early this season (10.9%) compared to 2023 (7.4%), while his strikeout rate (8.4%) is down (13.2%). 

There has been some talk about White’s improved defensive ability after he’s gotten leaner and moved past his shoulder injury, and that was on display at times this weekend. In particular, he looked solid coming in on the ball and converting slow rollers with strong and accurate throws on the run. His most dynamic defensive play was when he backhanded a tough short hop right behind the third base bag and got rid of the ball quickly to make a strong throw across the diamond that hit his first baseman directly in the chest to beat a 4.37 runner. 

On the other hand, he had an opportunity to make a forehand play on a fairly routine ground ball to his left that simply went under his glove—showcasing some range limitations and perhaps some issues playing close to the ground. The ball was ruled a double but a pro third baseman probably needs to convert that play and most scouts still believe White will move across the diamond to first where more pressure will fall on his right-right hit/power combo. 

White is a 30-grade runner now who could slow down further depending on how he maintains his body at the next level, so he’s going to have to both hit and hit for power to add value.

Luke Holman, RHP, LSU

LSU fielders are getting a bit used to easy Friday nights this season with Luke Holman on the mound. The same was true in the team’s SEC home opener against Florida last Friday when the 6-foot-4, 200-pound righthander struck out a career-high 13 batters in six innings. Holman struck out the side in his first three innings and surrendered just one hit and worked around three walks while flashing a strong fastball/slider combination. 

He pitched in the 91-94 mph range throughout the game and continued to touch 3s and 4s in his final innings when he wanted to rear back for a bit more. After the game Holman mentioned that he focused on his lower half usage during the week to help him maintain better maintain his velocity. It seemed to work. He averaged 92.8 mph in the first three innings and averaged 92.0 in his final three frames. 

While the fastball velocity was steady, an 81-84 mph slider was his best swing-and-miss pitch in this game—and that’s been the case for him throughout the season as well. He finished five of his strikeouts with the slider and ultimately used the pitch to generate 12 whiffs. It was a weapon against both lefties and righties but was consistently impressive as a chase pitch in right-on-right matchups when he landed the breaking ball down and away to his glove side. Outside of one wild pitch that he let slip out of his hand, Holman generally showed solid feel to land the pitch and its shape was consistent as well.

Holman’s fastball/slider was the bread-and-butter, but he also mixed in a slower curveball in the 77-80 mph range with a distinct shape from the slider. The curve has more of a top-down look with more depth and less sweep than the slider, and as such he used it more often against lefties. 

Holman’s control came and went at times in this outing—his three walks were the most he’s allowed in a game this season—but in general he did a nice job establishing the fastball at the top of the zone and keeping his breaking balls low. The pitches complemented each other nicely and kept Florida hitters uncomfortable all night. He’s now sitting with a 0.78 ERA on the season in six starts and 34.2 innings, with a 42.1% strikeout rate and a 6% strikeout rate. 

Griffin Herring, LHP, LSU

Herring pitched three shutout innings of relief work behind Holman on Friday night and flashed a solid fastball/slider combination while doing so. The three innings were the longest in an appearance for the draft-eligible sophomore this spring and he struck out three batters while allowing three hits. 

Herring is a 6-foot-2, 196-pound lefthander who works from the third base side of the rubber and features an extra-long arm action in the back before firing from an extended three-quarters slot with a bit of a crossfire landing in his finish. He opened up with a 92-94 mph fastball in the first two innings before dipping down to 91-94 in his final frame, but mostly pitched off a sweepy, high-spin slider at 82-86 mph. 

Herring showed a preference for the slider in both righty and lefty matchups and it’s not too surprising why given the movement + velocity combination. The slider looked like a potentially plus pitch thanks to its depth and sweep and Herring’s feel for the slider was better than his fastball—which was scattered throughout the outing. All three of his strikeouts were finished with the slider and on the season he has managed a 35% whiff rate with the pitch. 

It’s a reliever look with a bit of effort in the delivery and just two pitches, but Herring’s got a bit of physical projection remaining and could be an interesting lefty reliever draft target.

Gage Jump, LHP, LSU

LSU’s Saturday starter this weekend, Jump is a filled out lefty with a close to maxed frame listed at 6-feet, 197 pounds. He works from the middle of the rubber with a slight crossfire delivery, three-quarters slot and a deliberate tempo in his windup. There’s a bit of drop-and-drive action that potentially helps his riding fastball play up further.

Jump showed a four-pitch mix but primarily relied on a fastball/slider/curveball combination and mixed in a below-average 83-85 mph changeup just a handful of times. His fastball touched 96 mph several times in the early innings of this outing, but he mostly sat in the 91-93 mph range. Jump has been known for his high-carry fastball since his days as a prep pitcher and his fastball seems to have a bit of sneaky riding life that consistently gets the pitch above barrels at the top of the zone. Jump’s fastball command wasn’t consistent in this outing. He was scattered and wild in the first inning before settling in a bit, but continued to work through deep counts.

His 80-83 mph slider was his most consistent secondary and a pitch he seemed to put in the zone more consistently than either his fastball or curveball. It’s a solid-average pitch that flashed above-average a few times and seems to pair well with his heater when he locates it at the bottom of the zone. His 77-79 mph curveball has more depth and top-down action and seems like a decent weapon for him to use against righties given the infrequent changeup usage.

Jump threw 5.2 innings and allowed two hits and two earned runs while striking out eight batters and walking four. His fastball quality is good enough for him to be more aggressive attacking hitters with it in the zone though for much of the game he seemed to prefer using his slider as an out pitch. In the fifth inning he went to the fastball in those counts and worked a quick 1-2-3 inning where he got two swinging strikeouts—both on the heater.

Thatcher Hurd, RHP, LSU

Hurd entered the year with big expectations thanks to a strong finish to the 2023 season and perhaps the best pure arm talent on LSU’s roster with Paul Skenes and Ty Floyd leaving in the draft. Hurd started the season as the team’s Friday night starter but was moved to Sundays after the first two weeks of the season. He was off to a solid start this weekend against Florida and kept the Gators off the board until the fifth inning when he surrendered four hits—including a homer and a double—and five earned runs.

At 6-foot-4, 230-pounds Hurd has a great pitcher’s frame and has pitched from the stretch this season while throwing with a compact arm action and three-quarters slot. He worked off three pitches in this outing: a 93-95 mph fastball, a low-to-mid-80s slider and a 76-79 curveball with 11-to-5 shape and solid drop.

There’s plenty to like with all of Hurd’s ingredients, particularly when you factor in the extremely high spin rates he gets on both his breaking balls—in the upper 2,000 rpm range with both—but he has not shown the sort of pitchability/command/deception combination to make the most of his impressive arm talent. 

Hurd needs to improve his fastball command and too frequently misses his spots with the pitch, which can either lead to hard contact or getting behind in counts—or both. In this look he missed to his glove side consistently with the heater and this was especially the case in his rocky fifth inning. He likewise didn’t show great feel for his slider and hit one batter with the pitch, leaving his slower curveball as his most consistent pitch in this outing.

It’ll be hard for a team to not get excited about putting Hurd’s arm talent in their pitching development pipeline, but after six starts and 26.2 innings he has posted a 7.09 ERA with a 26.4% strikeout rate, 9.3% walk rate and could be on the verge of getting bounced from LSU’s weekend rotation.

Jared Jones, 1B, LSU

Jones is a 6-foot-4, 253-pound righthanded hitter with tremendous raw power. He hit a pair of no-doubt homers during the weekend and has easy all-fields power and has been something of a three-true-outcomes bat for LSU this spring. He leads the team with 10 home runs and has walked at a 20% clip and struck out at a 20% clip through 25 games—meaning about 50% of his plate appearances end in either a homer, walk or strikeout.

A former catcher, Jones is mostly a first baseman only at this point and is a well below-average runner who doesn’t move particularly well at the position. The bat and 60+ raw power is the calling card here but he’s put together a solid offensive track record through his first 79 games with LSU: a .299/.432/680 line and 24 home runs. 

Michael Braswell III, SS, LSU

Braswell was a standout two-way player in high school who ranked as the No. 111 prospect in the 2021 draft class but made it to campus at South Carolina where he boasted solid defensive ability but had offensive question marks. Now with LSU, Braswell looks the part at shortstop and put together competitive at-bats throughout the weekend against Florida: he went 2-for-8 (.250) with four walks and one strikeout and has enough barrel skill and pitch recognition to be a pest for opposing hitters. 

Braswell has a line drive swing and below-average raw power, so he’s more of a bottom of the lineup offensive profile who will create value only by staying at a premium defensive profile. He has the tools and defensive actions for shortstop with snappy hands and an above-average exchange that helps his solid-average arm strength play up. He made all of the routine plays this weekend and looked good throwing on the run, though he did box a hard hit Jac Caglianone ground ball backhand attempt when he was shifted in the middle of the diamond.

Through 24 games Braswell is hitting .271/.418/.443 with a 16.1% walk rate and a 14% strikeout rate. If he can maintain that sort of plate discipline and continue playing steady shortstop through conference play he could play himself into a day two draft selection. 

Colby Shelton, SS, Florida

Shelton had a tremendous 2023 season with Alabama and led the team with 25 home runs before transferring to Florida for the 2024 season. He’s continued to look the part of a bat-first lefthanded hitting infielder and is hitting .308/.439/.747 with 12 home runs through 23 games with the Gators while sliding from third base to shortstop.

Shelton went hitless in the first two games of the LSU series before a big Sunday where he went 3-for-5 with a pair of homers. He has an aggressive approach at the plate with some swing-and-miss tendencies but does have strong hands and impressive pop. His best swing of the weekend was in a 2-2 count on Sunday against Thatcher Hurd when he got a 94-mph fastball down and in and turned on the pitch to deposit a two-run homer just over the right-center fence.

The 6-foot, 200-pound lefty hitter looks like a power-over-hit offensive profile who’s power could be appealing if he sticks somewhere in the infield. His actions didn’t scream pro shortstop to me this weekend, though he looked fine at the position. He has solid arm strength that should play on the left side of the infield, though his footwork and exchange seemed just a bit light for middle infield and there were a few plays that were closer than they should have been because Shelton takes a bit longer than you’d want to get rid of the ball.

Even if he’s not a long term shortstop his lefthanded power and chance to stick at third base or second base should be appealing for teams on draft day. 

Luke Heyman, C/1B, Florida

Heyman serves as a designated hitter, catcher and first baseman when Jac Caglianone is on the mound and provides huge raw power from a 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame. He employs a steep swing and sends towering fly balls all over the park in batting practice with easy plus raw power though there are real hit tool questions given his swing path and pitch recognition. 

Heyman is hitting .261/.400/.522 through 23 games and over the weekend he went 1-for-12 (.03) with a double, two walks and eight strikeouts. There were plenty of whiffs against fastballs and breaking stuff this weekend and he also expands the zone too frequently to feel confident about even a fringe-average hit tool. 

When Heyman does make contact he can send the ball a long way and he mis-hit several balls that traveled higher and further than you would have expected given the contact quality. Sticking behind the plate at catcher will be significant for his profile though he will have plenty of work to do there given his frame and actions. The power alone makes Heyman an interesting prospect, though I expect plenty of divergent opinions on him from the industry depending on how he’s viewed defensively.

Other Players To Note

Florida LHP Cade Fisher (2025) was a projection lefthander out of high school who ranked as the No. 221 prospect in the 2022 draft class. At the time he stood out for his deception, feel for pitching and physical frame. He put together a solid season for Florida in a reliever role in 2023, but has pitched as Florida’s Friday night starter in 2024 where he has struggled to a 7.94 ERA through his first six starts and 27.2 innings.

He gave up five runs on five hits in five innings against LSU while showing a three-pitch mix. His fastball ranged from 87-92 mph but was mostly in the upper 80s as soon as the second inning and pitched heavily off a sweepy slider in the 76-81 mph range. He also mixed in an 83-84 mph changeup. None of the pitches looked like above-average offerings in this look, and Fisher’s control was inconsistent and scattered as well though that’s typically been an area of strength for him. He has a strong pitcher’s frame at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds and throws from the third base side of the rubber with a sidearm slot and crossfire delivery that adds deception and angle to his stuff. 

Florida RHP Liam Peterson (2026) ranked as a top-100 prospect out of high school in the 2023 draft class and pitched over the weekend as the team’s Saturday starter. He’s a high-waisted righthander with a 6-foot-5, 205-pound frame and a four-pitch mix. He pitched in the 92-97 mph range and touched 98 in the first, but his fastball lacked deception and was barreled up frequently by LSU hitters.

He mixed two distinct breaking balls: the first a 79-82 mph slider with short 10-4 action and the second a mid-70s curveball with 11-5 shape and solid spin (in the 2,400 rpm range) that flashed average but was inconsistent and popped out of his hand too often. The most interesting pitch in his arsenal was actually an 83-85 mph changeup that was a consistent swing-and-miss pitch to lefties which was also effective later in the game against righties when he started pitching off it more. It looked like an above-average offering while both the breaking balls looked fringy or average. He was a below-average strike thrower in this game and pitched 4.1 innings with eight hits, four earned runs, three walks and four strikeouts. 

Florida RHP Ryan Slater leads Florida with 13 appearances so far this season and has been a go-to option in the bullpen. A 6-foot-3, 205-pound righthander, Slater throws a 90-92 mph fastball with low spin rates, a mid-80s slider that’s his most used pitch and a mid-80s changeup with solid tumbling action. He works from the first base side of the rubber, has a short arm action and throws from a three-quarter slot with an up-tempo delivery. He’s a bit scattered but has upped his strikeout rate slightly compared to his first two seasons with the Gators—going from 23% after sitting in the 18-19% range in 2022-2023. 

LSU RHP Gavin Guidry has lost some of the prospect pedigree he boasted coming out of Louisiana powerhouse Barbe High a few years ago as a two-way prospect. Now a draft-eligible sophomore, Guidry has pitched exclusively out of the bullpen for LSU where he pitches off a plus 81-85 mph slider with heavy sweeping action and spin rates in the 2,700-2,800 range. He will also throw a fastball but he’s not added much velocity compared to his prep days and sits in the 89-92 mph range.

Florida RHP Luke McNeillie (2026) looks the part on the mound with a solid pitcher’s frame at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds with a clean delivery and loose arm action, but he’s posted a 10.29 ERA in 14 innings this spring as a true freshman. McNeillie ranked as the No. 189 prospect in the 2023 draft class thanks to his operation and feel for spin and he’s already added a bit of oomph to his fastball. He now sits in the low 90s and has touched 97 this spring for Florida and has a chance for an above-average slider in the mid 80s that is a consistent swing-and-miss pitch to righties when it’s landed to the glove side. 

LSU OF Paxton Kling was a top-five round talent out of high school but he withdrew from the 2022 draft class and enrolled on campus at Baton Rouge. He’s a player scouts want to like because of his raw tools and athleticism, but he’s yet to put things together and show a consistent offensive approach. Kling has the raw power to hit the ball out with relative ease to the right-center gap in batting practice and he’s also shown above-average speed and arm strength but he too often puts together non-competitive at-bats. There’s length to his swing and he has had issues with secondary pitches dating back to high school. He went 0-for-7 with four strikeouts and one walk during the weekend and on the season is hitting just .197/.409/.288 with a 23.4% strikeout rate.