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2024 MLB mock draft roundup: Top prospects in College World Series
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Eight of the top 10 prospects in the 2024 MLB Draft class will play in the 2024 College World Series.
Monday’s College World Series selection show unveiled the full, 64-team field for this year’s tournament that included 30 automatic bids from conference tournament champions and 34 at-large bids. Fortunately for some MLB front offices, they now have more chances to see some of the top college prospects in the class in action.
Georgia third baseman Charlie Condon, Oregon State second baseman Travis Bazzana, West Virginia shortstop JJ Wetherholt, Wake Forest RHP Chase Burns, Wake Forest first baseman Nick Kurtz, Florida two-way player Jac Caglianone, Texas A&M outfielder Braden Montgomery and Arkansas LHP Hagen Smith are all headed to regionals.
With every regional Game 1 of the College World Series on Friday, here are the latest draft projections for the top college prospects playing in this year’s tournament.
COLLEGE WORLD SERIES: Full schedule and bracket for the 2024 men’s tournament
2024 MLB Draft projections: College World Series players
Charlie Condon, 3B, Georgia
The Athletic: Cincinnati Reds, No. 2 overall
Keith Law writes: “I believe the Reds are just sitting here with open arms, waiting to see if it’s Condon or Bazzana, although they have scouted all of the top 10 pretty heavily this spring.”
ESPN: Cleveland Guardians, No. 1 overall
Kiley McDaniel writes: “This is the typical silly season for rumors on No. 1 overall picks in years without a slam-dunk top player — and this is especially so when a progressive, value-oriented club like Cleveland is picking first and is interested in the best player given the price. … Given what I know right now, I’ll go with the consensus best player.”
Baseball Prospect Journal: Cincinnati Reds, No. 2 overall
Dan Zielinski III writes: “Condon started as a walk-on and is now the best player in college baseball and the top prospect in the 2024 MLB draft. He’s destroying the baseball this season, showing an ability to hit for average and power. Scouts rave about his plate discipline, contact skills, and ability to hit for power.”
Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State
The Athletic: Cleveland Guardians, No. 1 overall
Law writes: “Cleveland tends to be very guarded with their intentions, but teams behind them expect them to choose between Bazzana and Charlie Condon, with a slight chance they do a well under-slot deal with prep shortstop/outfielder Konnor Griffin.”
ESPN: Colorado Rockies, No. 3 overall
McDaniel writes: “If Bazzana doesn’t go first, he’s perceived to have landing spots at picks three and four.”
Baseball Prospect Journal: Cleveland Guardians, No. 1 overall
Zielinski writes: “Bazzana is a left-handed hitter who’s quick to the ball and consistently squares it up to drive it into the gaps. He also shows an ability to hit for quality power. Bazzana is a really good hitter who has been an on-base machine this season.”
JJ Wetherholt, SS, West Virginia
The Athletic: St. Louis Cardinals, No. 7 overall
Law writes: “The Cardinals may just take whichever of the top college guys slides to them — other than Caglianone — which in this scenario would be Wetherholt. If healthy, Wetherholt wouldn’t even be a possibility this far down.”
ESPN: St. Louis Cardinals, No. 7 overall
McDaniel writes: “If you grade out Wetherholt vs. Bazzana, the tools aren’t that different. Bazzana has had a spring for the ages, and Wetherholt missed much of West Virginia’s season with a hamstring issue, but there are teams that think Wetherholt is the better option when you factor in the likely bonus price.”
Baseball Prospect Journal: Kansas City Royals, No. 6 overall
Zielinski writes: “After missing some time with a hamstring injury this spring, Wetherholt has come back and hit the cover off the baseball. He also has displayed the ability to play shortstop, which has provided some intrigue to his future defensive home. Wetherholt is an extremely productive player and arguably the best prospect in this year’s class. He has a well-rounded skill set, tremendous feel at the plate and potential.”
Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest
The Athletic: Kansas City Royals, No. 6 overall
Law writes: “New scouting director Brian Bridges strongly favors pitching with early picks, and they’re probably taking Smith or Burns, although there’s been a little Griffin smoke here too.”
ESPN: Cincinnati Reds, No. 2 overall
McDaniel writes: “Burns is in the mix at basically all of these top picks, but there are also scenarios where he falls out of the top five, so he may come at a slight discount if selected at picks two or three. It may not be the consensus view, but there are scouting directors who think Burns is better than Paul Skenes was as a draft prospect; you can’t deny their pitch grades and arsenals are pretty similar.”
Baseball Prospect Journal: Colorado Rockies, No. 3 overall
Zielinski writes: “Burns is an elite arm talent with ace potential. His fastball and slider combination is elite. His fastball sits in the high 90s and consistently hits triple digits. After transferring from Tennessee in the offseason, he has excelled in Wake Forest’s development system.”
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Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest
The Athletic: Oakland Athletics, No. 4 overall
Law writes: “Kurtz has a .539 OBP with 66 walks on the year, and, well, Oakland likes those guys, as you may have heard.”
ESPN: Los Angeles Angels, No. 8 overall
McDaniel writes: “The Angels like to take college players and get them to the big leagues quickly, so Kurtz makes sense with his Anthony Rizzo vibes.”
Baseball Prospect Journal: Pittsburgh Pirates, No. 9 overall
Zielinski writes: “Kurtz is arguably the best power hitter in college baseball, possessing well above-average raw power. His offensive toolset is a scout’s dream due to his ability to hit for average and power.”
Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida
The Athletic: Chicago White Sox, No. 5 overall
Law writes: “I’ve heard them heavily with Caglianone and Griffin; I don’t know if they’d let Cags continue to pitch, but I doubt it given the risk he’ll tear his UCL again and the fact that he’s almost a dead-certain reliever as a pitcher.”
ESPN: Oakland Athletics, No. 4 overall
McDaniel writes: “Most scouting directors have the same group of names going in the first four picks, but the order may be shuffled a bit, with the names also similar across the industry for picks five to 10.”
Baseball Prospect Journal: Oakland Athletics, No. 4 overall
Zielinski writes: “Caglianone is one of the most exciting players in college baseball and the 2024 MLB draft class. He is a legitimate prospect on the mound and as a first baseman. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound left-handed hitter has elite power. On the mound, the lefty has a 99 mph and quality slider.”
Braden Montgomery, OF, Texas A&M
The Athletic: Pittsburgh Pirates, No. 9 overall
Law writes: “I know individual scouts who see Montgomery as a top-five talent in the draft, so I wouldn’t be shocked to see him go higher than this, although the strong returns of Kurtz and Wetherholt off of their injuries probably push him into the 6-10 range.”
ESPN: Kansas City Royals, No. 6 overall
McDaniel writes: “K.C. has been tied to almost every player in the top ten. I think they’d also take any of the first four projected picks if they get to this spot.”
Baseball Prospect Journal: Chicago White Sox, No. 5 overall
Zielinski writes: “Montgomery is a 6-foot-2, 217-pound switch-hitting outfielder known for his five-tool potential. He consistently barrels up pitches and displays above-average power from both sides of the plate. Montgomery is also extremely athletic. Due to his elite arm strength, quality throwing accuracy, and ability to cover plenty of ground, he profiles as a right fielder in pro ball.”
Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas
The Athletic: Colorado Rockies, No. 3 overall
Law writes: “Assuming the top two are gone, this selection seems likely to be one of the two top college pitchers (Smith or Wake Forest’s Chase Burns) or possibly Florida two-way player Jac Caglianone.”
ESPN: Chicago White Sox, No. 5 overall
McDaniel writes: “Given the success the White Sox have found with lower-slot lefties Garrett Crochet and Noah Schultz, Smith sure seems to fit their type, and the industry buzz matches that. I think Chicago would take any of the first four players in this projection if they happen to fall here. Otherwise, they’re tied to Smith as their top choice of the next handful of players.”
Baseball Prospect Journal: St. Louis Cardinals, No. 7 overall
Zielinski writes: “Smith is right there with Burns as the top pitcher in the 2024 MLB draft class. He has an exceptional fastball and slider combination and has displayed a cleaner delivery this spring. His fastball touches the high 90s, and his slider is a true strikeout pitch.”
When is the 2024 MLB Draft?
- Where: Cowtown Coliseum, Fort Worth, Texas
- When: July 14-16, 2024
- Cable TV: ESPN (first round); MLB Network
- Streaming: ESPN+; fuboTV
HOW TO WATCH: Catch the 2024 MLB Draft with a fuboTV subscription
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