2024 MLB Draft Review: Detroit Tigers

Full list of draftees

As has become a trend for them, the Tigers went heavy on preps in 2024, drafting high schoolers with their first three picks and then taking a five in the later rounds. They didn't sign all of those later gambles, with the biggest "one that got away" being Kansas City righty Anson Seibert on his way to a Tennessee commitment, but did pick up a few. It's a pitching-heavy class beyond first rounder Bryce Rainer, though they paused briefly to grab a trio of college bats in the middle of day two with some really interesting data profiles.
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.
Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. "2-50" would indicate that a player was drafted in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.

1-11: SS Bryce Rainer, Harvard-Westlake HS [CA] {video}
Slot value: $5.71 million. Signing bonus: $5.8 million ($87,900 above slot value).
My rank: #9. MLB Pipeline: #10. Baseball America: #10.
The Tigers grabbed a top-two high school bat for the second straight season, following Max Clark in 2023 with Bryce Rainer in 2024. Rainer hails from the same Harvard-Westlake School in the LA Hills that famously produced Jack Flaherty, Lucas Giolito, Max Fried, and now Pete Crow-Armstrong, and he has a chance to be the best of all of them. He was a two-way player for the Wolverines who could have been a day one draft pick as a pitcher, running his fastball up to 96 with the makings of a solid breaking ball and changeup, but he'll hit for Detroit. Rainer entered the spring projected in the back of the first round, then embarked on an excellent senior season that saw him elevate virtually every aspect of his game. Previously forced to sell out for power, he showed up looking more physical in 2024 and was able to access that power much more freely and easily without sacrificing any thump. He's long and athletic in the box and generates a ton of torque with his left handed swing, with a shot at plus power at the next level. At the same time, Rainer came out this spring showing much better barrel accuracy and performed against top pitching around Southern California, quelling many swing and miss questions and looking like a much more complete hitter. This is a bat that could swat 25-30 home runs per season with solid on-base percentages, which would put him in the middle of any lineup. He's always had that plus arm, but his defense looked much more fluid this spring as well and he now looks like a bona fide shortstop. Rainer moves well on the dirt and shows more speed than you'd expect given his bigger 6'3" frame, and he didn't slow down at all despite packing on more muscle last winter. There's still more projection remaining and the LA kid has a chance to be one of the best players in this class. He had previously been committed to Texas.

2-49: RHP Owen Hall, Edmond North HS [OK] {video}
Slot value: $1.89 million. Signing bonus: $1.75 million ($143,700 below slot value).
My rank: #78. MLB Pipeline: #74. Baseball America: #86.
Three years ago, the Tigers grabbed Jackson Jobe with their first round pick and while he hasn't always stayed healthy, he's looked excellent on the mound. This year, the Tigers went back to the Oklahoma City high school ranks to take another prep righty, this time Owen Hall, and signed him slightly below slot value to pull him away from a Vanderbilt commitment. Hall has long been a famous name in this class, having pushed himself into the first round conversation at various points during his high school career. While others have since passed him and he finds himself selected in the second round, he's still an elite arm. Hall's fastball sits in the low to mid 90's and touches 98 with riding life from an over the top slot. He rips off an above average slider with nice sharp bite, then rounds out his arsenal with a decent strike-stealing curveball and an average changeup. The 6'3" righty has a clean, picturesque delivery that he repeats well and features very little wasted movement, helping him pound the strike zone with average command and above average control. Hall is very strong right now and still has projection remaining, looking like he'll be plenty durable as a starter in the long run. If there's a bone to pick with the profile, it's that his delivery might be almost too clean and lack deception, leading to his pitches playing a little true. However, between the size, strength, projection, deep arsenal, and control, Hall looks like as "safe" a starting pitching prospect as you'll find for second round money while retaining plenty of upside.

CBB-72: LHP Ethan Schiefelbein, Corona HS [CA] {video}
Slot value: $1.09 million. Signing bonus: $1.8 million ($703,900 above slot value).
My rank: #88. MLB Pipeline: #94. Baseball America: #91.
Ethan Schiefelbein makes it back to back prep pitchers and three straight preps overall to start the draft, this time signing for well above slot value (roughly the value of the #51 pick) to eschew a UCLA commitment. While Bryce Rainer is up to 96 and Owen Hall is up to 98, Schiefelbein is more of a finesse lefty who sits in the low 90's and touches 94 at best. His fastball, though, plays well above its modest velocity because because of sneaky life that gives it some "invisiball" qualities while he hides the pitch well in the delivery. He has feel for a pair of nice breaking balls in a slider and a changeup, which get nice depth and miss high school bats at a high rate. Lastly, his changeup is still fairly raw but his acumen on the mound should enable him to develop it effectively in pro ball. The 6'2" lefty repeats his athletic delivery well and throws all four of his pitches with conviction, helping him pound the strike zone with above average command. The Tigers see a ton of projection on the 18 year old and think he can add significant power to both his fastball and his secondary stuff, which when combined with his pitchability and handedness could make him a mid-rotation starter.

3-85: RHP Josh Randall, San Diego {video}
Slot value: $892,600. Signing bonus: $700,000 ($192,600 below slot value).
My rank: #163. MLB Pipeline: #143. Baseball America: #223.
The Tigers made Josh Randall their third pick from Southern California out of four, and he'll be their first college pick. Randall began his career at Arizona, where he struggled to an 8.66 ERA in limited action over two seasons, then transferred to San Diego and where he served as the Toreros' ace in 2024. Another power arm, he sits in the low to mid 90's and touches 98 with a ton of run and sink from a low three quarters slot. He has a hard, short slider that gives him another above average weapon, while his firm changeup flashes average or better potential but needs further refinement. Randall gives hitters a really tough look, with his low three quarters slot and low release point playing up further because he gets down the mound very well with nice extension. While he struggled mightily with command at Arizona, he dropped his walk rate from 20% in Tucson to 8% in San Diego, now looking at least average in that regard. Now there's the question of whether he can start. Some may point to his delivery, which features a bit of a crouch and that low three quarters release point, as well as his shallow arsenal, and see him as more of a reliever. The Tigers, however, will look to his size (6'4", 240 pounds), arm strength, athleticism, and newfound command to get him through the lineup multiple times every turn in the rotation. They'll work to bring the changeup along and hold the command together – otherwise, the Southern California native has most of what it takes to start in pro ball. If not, he'll be a funky fastball/slider reliever with power stuff. In two appearances for Low A Lakeland, he allowed two runs in four innings while striking out a pair and walking none, though he did hit two.

4-114: RHP Michael Massey, Wake Forest {video}
Slot value: $637,200. Signing bonus: $522,500 ($114,700 below slot value).
My rank: #104. MLB Pipeline: #109. Baseball America: #94.
Michael Massey, not to be confused with the Royals infielder of the same name, has had a bit of an up and down ride but brings plenty of arm talent to Detroit. He began his career at Tulane, then transferred to Wake Forest after one season and was nearly untouchable out of the bullpen as a sophomore in 2023. Massey's stock rose when Wake Forest announced he'd be a part of the rotation in 2024, with top fifty projections rolling in preseason and many thinking he could rise into the first round. However, his stuff and command took a step back in longer outings and he watched his strikeout (47.2% to 32.1%) and walk (9.9% to 15.1%) rates move heavily in the wrong directions. After reaching 98 in the bullpen, Massey's fastball sat more in the low 90's and topped out around 94-95 in longer outings, though it retained its elite riding life with a true north-south profile. His slider looks plus at its best, and while he threw it harder in short stints in 2023, it still showed nasty late bite in 2024 and missed a ton of bats. He added a truer downer curveball in 2024 as well which he struggled to command at times, but it missed plenty of bats as well when he executed it in the zone. Massey doesn't use his changeup much in games but has shown a decent one in bullpen sessions. The 6'5" righty hides the ball well with short arm action and uses his size to get elite extension down the mound, giving his stuff that much more hop out of his hand. While he repeated his delivery well in short stints, the command ticked back in 2024 and looked fringier. The Tigers could still try him out as a starter given his size and arm strength, though he'll need to continue to be methodically stretched out to get the most out of his high octane stuff. If he moves back to the bullpen, he could lean back on that fastball/slider combination that served him so well in 2023 and move quickly.

5-147: SS Jack Penney, Notre Dame {video}
Slot value: $462,300. Signing bonus: $397,500 ($64,800 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #500.
With their sixth pick, the Tigers finally went for a college bat, and they wound up with the metrically intriguing Jack Penney. Penney was a two year starter and three year contributor at Notre Dame, where he never posted eye popping stats but showed very well under the surface. A hit over power type, the Boston-area product takes some of the best at bats in the class with an extremely disciplined approach that led to ultra low chase rates and an impressive 16.0% walk rate in 2024. On top of that, he makes plenty of contact and struck out in just 13.9% of his plate appearances, making for a really well-rounded hit tool. That advanced bat played up on the Cape, where he hit .284/.376/.404 with five home runs and a 39/28 strikeout to walk ratio over 45 games. While he's content to drive the ball around the field for singles and doubles, he has a sneaky quick bat that produces fringe-average power and he can really turn on the ball for average pop to his pull side. Given his pitch selection and bat to ball aptitude, I could see a slightly more power-oriented approach working in pro ball and he has a shot for 10-15 home runs per season to go with high on-base percentages at peak. The bat looks even better considering his glove, as he'll likely stick on the infield. Shortstop may be a stretch with average defensive tools, but he could profile very well at second or third base. That's some nice upside for a fifth rounder signed a bit below slot value. He got a brief cup of coffee at Low A Lakeland after the draft, slashing .255/.367/.392 with and 18/9 strikeout to walk ratio over fourteen games.

6-176: SS Woody Hadeen, UC Irvine {video}
Slot value: $354,100. Signing bonus: $300,000 ($54,100 below slot value).
My rank: #153. MLB Pipeline: #130. Baseball America: #401.
This is one of the most extreme profiles in the entire draft, and it's certainly a fun one. Metrically speaking, it's also one of the best hit tools in the entire class. Out of 145 college hitters on the Baseball America 500, no hitter came even close to matching 8.4% chase rate, with the next best being Samford's Garrett Howe (now with the Guardians) at 12.1%. Meanwhile, his 89.4% contact rate was second only to Texas Tech's Kevin Bazzell (now with the Nationals), who was just ahead at 89.5%. This is a man who, frankly speaking, never ever chases and when he does swing, never ever whiffs. It's probably the most extreme contact-oriented approaches in the class, as Hadeen just slaps the ball around the field with no regard for lifting or turning on it and just searches for holes a la Luis Arraez. A switch hitter, he has an elite eye and elite hand eye coordination, showing some similarities to last year's Pirates second rounder (and Saginaw native/Michigan State alum) Mitch Jebb. Not only did he get on base at a .524 (!) clip for UC Irvine this spring, he actually hit .424 (14-33) in a tiny eight game sample in the Cape Cod League back in 2022. Of course there's a tradeoff, and Hadeen lasted until the sixth round because of his power. Not only did he have (by far) the lowest chase rate and the second highest contact rate out of 145 hitters, he also had the lowest 90th percentile exit velocity at 98.7 MPH. That's 30 grade power, and he hit just one home run in 155 career games in Irvine. Hadeen is almost exclusively a singles hitter whose entire offensive value will come from his on-base percentage. Listed at 6'2", he's big enough and whips the bat around well enough to probably tack on a little additional power in pro ball, but that's not his game. Meanwhile, he's an above average runner with strong instincts to deploy his speed well, which helps him on both sides of the ball. He can play anywhere on the field, with shortstop a real possibility even if his arm is a bit stretched there. The Southern California native most likely projects as a light hitting utility infielder. Luis Arraez comparisons, as I noted above, will be common and would represent his absolute ceiling if everything breaks right. In a short four game stint for Low A Lakeland, he picked up one hit in nine at bats while walking twice and striking out once.

9-266: RHP Zach Swanson, Toutle Lake HS [WA] {video}
Slot value: $195,100. Signing bonus: $722,500 ($527,400 above slot value).
My rank: #206. MLB Pipeline: #178. Baseball America: #160.
The Tigers made one more splash here in the ninth round, grabbing another expensive high school arm by going half a million over slot value (late third round money, roughly pick #101) to sign Zach Swanson away from an Oregon State commitment. Swanson starts things off with a low 90's fastball that gets up to 95, playing up with riding life. His high spin slider is his best pitch, coming in with late bite that dives under bats and looks above average. He has great feel for it and is willing to throw it in any count, a separator for a high school arm. His changeup, meanwhile, is a distant third pitch and will need significant refinement in pro ball. Swanson is a very good athlete but throws with considerable effort on the mound, showing heavy head whack that impacts his command and leads to bouts of inconsistency. The delivery will likely need to be overhauled as well in pro ball, and that could unlock much more upside than expected. If the Tigers can iron him out, he has mid rotation upside, with a fallback option as a fastball/slider reliever.

15-446: OF Zach MacDonald, Miami [OH] {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
If Zach MacDonald reaches the majors, I believe he would be the first Michigander since Eric Haase (Westland) to play for the Tigers. MacDonald grew up Portage, a suburb of Kalamazoo, where he attended Portage Central High School. He spent the last three seasons at Miami of Ohio, where he has long shown power but put it all together in 2024. A local favorite of Midwest area scouts, MacDonald provides nice upside for a college pick this late in the draft, with plenty of tools that could make him an impact player if he pulls everything together. He creates nice separation in his right handed swing with a leveraged stroke that gets long through the zone and lifts the ball with authority. He previously struggled with swing and miss and struck out at a 31.3% clip in 2023, an extremely high number especially for a hitter in a mid major conference, but cut that number down to 20.2% in 2024. That's still a bit of an elevated number, and while his barrel accuracy has improved dramatically, he can still get under the ball and may be susceptible to quality fastballs up in the zone. MacDonald is a solid runner as well and should be able to hold is own in all three outfield spots, which helps his projection as a dynamic fourth outfielder. He'll have to continue to clean up his swing and miss as he makes the jump from the MAC to pro pitching, with age working in his favor as he didn't turn 21 until after the draft. He didn't quite find his footing in a short eight game stint at Low A Lakeland, where he hit .161/.235/.290 with an 18/3 strikeout to walk ratio.

2024 MLB Draft Review: Boston Red Sox

Full list of draftees

I thought this was a really interesting draft for Boston. They started things off with the power hitting Braden Montgomery, who was projected as high as the top five picks at times this spring, then completely shifted their draft philosophy from there. After Montgomery, it was fourteen pitchers (including two way players) out of nineteen picks, often with a heavy emphasis on unique fastballs that they can get creative with developmentally. The few hitters they did target were not power hitters like Montgomery, rather contact-driven profiles where the Red Sox think they can bring out additional thump to go with high batting averages and on-base percentages. They also saved money on most picks so they could push all of their over-slot chips in on eighth rounder Conrad Cason, an electric two-way prep star.
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.
Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. "2-50" would indicate that a player was drafted in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.

1-12: OF Braden Montgomery, Texas A&M {video}
Slot value: $5.48 million. Signing bonus: $5 million ($484,600 below slot value).
My rank: #8. MLB Pipeline: #8. Baseball America: #7.
It was already a surprise that Braden Montgomery lasted until the Red Sox' pick at #12, and the fact that they got him for half a million under slot value makes this an absolute steal. In Montgomery, Boston may be getting a legitimate top five talent in the class. He was a highly regarded two-way prep prospect in the Jackson, Mississippi area in 2021, earning significant top 100 interest as both a hitter and a pitcher, but as a strong student as well was expected to be a difficult sign away from Stanford. In Palo Alto, Montgomery immediately blasted eighteen home runs as a true freshman and struck out 28 in 18.2 innings. He elevated his profile further with a huge sophomore season at the plate that put him squarely in the first round conversation, while his command took a step backwards. Upon transferring to Texas A&M for his junior year in 2024, he all but gave up pitching to focus on becoming one of the very best hitters in the nation. And boy did he, blasting 27 home runs and slashing .322/.454/.733 along the way before a fractured ankle in super regionals ended his season. Montgomery is a switch hitter with smooth, majestic swings from both sides of the plate. Built rock solid at 6'2", 220 pounds, his natural strength helps him produce massive raw power without selling out, leading to more than a few light tower moonshots this season that may pose a danger to any Goodyear blimps floating outside. He has always been power over hit, but he has really cleaned up his approach in school and increased his walk rate from 6.5% as a freshman to 16.5% as a sophomore to 18.0% as a junior. Previously over aggressive at the plate, he now has a more balanced approach and does a good job controlling the strike zone. If there was one knock against him in the context of the top of the first round, it was a contact rate that was a bit lower than his contemporaries vying for that top handful of picks. His improved approach makes that less of an issue, but he still does whiff more than you'd like in the zone. That majestic power, though, is hard to pass up. Montgomery isn't much of a runner and will be limited to a corner outfield spot, but he has a true 80 grade arm that you have to see to believe. That makes him a weapon in right field that can completely shut down the running game from 300+ feet away. At this point, Montgomery is not going back to pitching but he does have interesting stuff on the mound. His fastball reaches 98 in short stints with tremendous riding action out of a low slot, making it a bit of a unicorn pitch, but his command has simply never materialized. The Red Sox were at their best with David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez hitting in the middle of the lineup, and now they could use a new franchise bat to join Jarren Duran and Rafael Devers in this generation's iteration.

2-50: LHP Payton Tolle, Texas Christian {video}
Slot value: $1.85 million. Signing bonus: $2 million ($153,600 above slot value).
My rank: #66. MLB Pipeline: #87. Baseball America: #82.
This is a really interesting pick to me. Payton Tolle got drafted about a dozen or two picks before he was projected, then got a little extra on top for his signing bonus. Tolle began his career as a two-way player at Wichita State, where he hit .313/.359/.516 with sixteen home runs while also going 13-9 with a 4.56 ERA on the mound over two seasons. When he transferred to TCU for his junior season, the Horned Frogs expected him to anchor down the middle of their lineup while also contributing a little on the mound. Instead, they got the opposite as he hit just .182/.303/.327 with a pair of home runs but was meanwhile named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year while tying for eleventh in the nation striking out 125 hitters. Tolle is a very interesting pitching prospect. The fastball sits in the low 90's and touches 96, which is nice velocity but nothing overwhelming, but it plays way above its velocity because he gets elite extension down the mound. He's a huge guy at 6'6", 250 pounds and when he rumbles down that mound and gets out over his plant foot, he's releasing the ball right in front of the hitter's face. The fastball is the show stealer, and the Red Sox will want to bring his secondaries a long a little bit. His slider can vary in shape, looking softer and deeper at times and tighter and harder at others. He has nice feel for a changeup, though he doesn't use it a ton and will need to better incorporate it against pro hitters. Tolle's size, extension, and handedness give him an elite fastball that you just won't find anywhere else, and the rest you can figure out later. The Oklahoma City-area native doesn't have pinpoint command, but he uses his size effectively to repeat his delivery well and just kind of slings the ball in there, filling up the zone with plenty of strikes and letting the carry on his fastball eat its way through the zone. He's a fun prospect to follow.

3-86: RHP Brandon Neely, Florida {video}
Slot value: $878,800. Signing bonus: $700,000 ($178,800 below slot value).
My rank: #89. MLB Pipeline: #193. Baseball America: #212.
I feel vindicated on this one. Amid Brandon Neely's strong finish to the season, I shot him way up my draft board into the top one hundred, then was surprised to see most major outlets leave him deep into day two range. The Red Sox wound up taking him right near the start of day three, and I love the pick. Neely was a well-known prospect out of Spruce Creek High School in the Daytona Beach area, where he was teammates with Rockies 2020 first round pick Zac Veen, but made it to campus at Florida where Veen had also been committed. Contending with a deep Florida pitching staff, Neely showed well as a swingman as a freshman in 2022 and worked out of the bullpen in 2023, then hit a rough stretch in 2024 that put his season ERA up to 6.97 as late as mid-May. Florida really should not have made the NCAA Tournament after going just 28-27 prior to regionals, but they snuck in anyways and that committee decision probably doubled Neely's signing bonus. Perhaps no player on that team, I'd argue not even Jac Caglianone (who hit .444 with six home runs in eleven games), did as much to power Florida's improbable run to the College World Series as Brandon Neely. Appearing in seven of Florida's eleven games, he allowed just five runs over 24 innings (1.88 ERA) with an excellent 32/6 strikeout to walk ratio against the best competition college baseball had to offer. The stuff looked crisper than ever, and it was good enough to vault way up my draft board. The fastball can sit in the low to mid 90's and touch 97 in short stints, jumping on hitters with a ton of running life from an excellent release point. The 6'3" righty explodes down the mound extremely well with well above average extension and a low release point that makes the fastball's average riding life look all the more explosive, helping him regularly overwhelm hitters as it eats through the top of the zone. His sharp, power slider gets into the upper 80's and stands out more for its velocity than its movement, though it has the potential to be an above average pitch, while his curveball is more of a fringy strike stealer and his changeup looks average. Neely is an explosive athlete that pounds the strike zone with conviction, making all of his pitches play up despite average command as he's not afraid to go right after hitters. Though he has mostly pitched in relief for the Gators, he has a chance to start in pro ball with his lean, athletic frame, deep arsenal, and ability to throw strikes. If he has to move back to the bullpen, he thrives in high pressure situations and will be able to focus on his fastball/slider combination. This will be a fun follow.

4-115: OF Zach Ehrhard, Oklahoma State {video}
Slot value: $630,900. Signing bonus: $500,000 ($130,900 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #221. Baseball America: #399.
The Red Sox drafted Zach Ehrhard out of high school in 2021, failed to sign him, and now they're back to swoop in once more. He hit .332 as a freshman but otherwise did not show much impact over his first two years at Oklahoma State, collecting just seventeen extra base hits in 100 games, then exploded for forty in 61 games in 2024. Ehrhard is still a contact hitter first and foremost, and a dang good one. He's extremely patient at the plate and draws a ton of walks, helping him post an excellent .458 on-base percentage in 2024, but on top of that he makes a ton of contact both inside and, on the rare occasions he does chase, outside the zone, so it's really hard to get the ball by him. While he's not huge at 5'11" and his top end exit velocities point to below average raw power, he can get the ball out when he turns on it and his tight right handed swing has gotten better and better at helping him do just that. If he continues to maximize his raw power in games, he could profile for 10-15 home runs per season at best to go with high on-base percentages. The Tampa native is a plus runner with every shot to stick in center field, which would help his bat profile much better given its hit-over-power nature. Ultimately, Ehrhard probably profiles best as a fourth outfielder but the underlying metrics do point to more upside. The Red Sox aggressively pushed him to High A Greenville, where he struggled to hit for impact and slashed .156/.264/.195 with a 25/11 strikeout to walk ratio over 22 games.

5-148: LHP Brandon Clarke, State College of Florida {video}
Slot value: $457,900. Signing bonus: $400,000 ($157,900 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #177. Baseball America: #289.
Brandon Clarke represents yet another draftee who was a hot commodity in high school. He had Tommy John surgery as a junior and came out of the gates hot once he got healthy as a senior, but couldn't quite maintain that flash in the pan and began a multi-year slide. He didn't pitch as a freshman at Alabama with some nagging injuries, then barely pitched as a sophomore upon transferring to the State College of Florida in Bradenton. Having fallen out of the prospect radar for the most part, he bounced back for a strong season in 2024 and the Red Sox fully believe the real Brandon Clarke is back. He's a long, lanky lefty at 6'4" that has now grown into his body, sitting in the low to mid 90's and reaching the upper 90's with his fastball. His curveball and changeup are less consistent, so at this point, the fastball is the show stealer. Clarke has a ton of arm strength and a deliberate delivery that slows down just a bit right before he plants. He used to violently rip through the rest of delivery shortly after that slowdown, but has gotten more under control in 2024 which brought his walk rate back into reasonable territory. The Northern Virginia native is still very raw on the mound and the Red Sox will have to be patient with his development. He'll need to refine his feel for his secondaries while continuing to make strides with his command, which remains below average despite its improvement. There's heavy relief risk here but that kind of arm talent is especially hard to find from the left side and the Red Sox will take their chances that they can bring the rest of his game along.

7-207: OF Will Turner, South Alabama {video}
Slot value: $274,600. Signing bonus: $250,000 ($24,600 below slot value).
My rank: #180. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #177.
The Red Sox are buying low on Will Turner in hopes that 2024 was an aberration. He jumped straight into South Alabama's starting lineup as a true freshman in 2022 then broke out for a huge sophomore season, pushing himself squarely into the second round conversation with many designating him as a favorite sleeper. Unfortunately, his 2024 turned out to be everything he didn't need. After seeing him whack .349/.460/.591 a year ago, pitchers simply stopped throwing to Turner this year and he walked a whopping 20.9% of the time, but didn't do much damage when he did get pitches to hit. The approach is impeccable, with some of the lowest chase rates in this entire draft class that played both against Sun Belt pitching as well as against elite pitching in the Cape Cod League last summer. Meanwhile, he shows solid average bat to ball ability when he does swing, but he can get overly passive at times and get himself in trouble. His strong eye at the plate also helps him recognize pitches he can turn on, giving him moderate pop to the pull side, but the overall power is below average as he did not grow into the additional power scouts hoped for this spring. It's going to be a walk-driven profile that shows high on-base percentages at minimum, but he'll have to find a way to produce more impact at the plate if he'll want to play every day. Turner's glove will help him, as he's an above average runner and a strong overall defender in center field that has a chance to stick there in pro ball. The Alabama native most likely profiles as a high on-base fourth outfielder that can play all three outfield positions easily. He struggled mightily with an aggressive assignment to High A Greenville, where he hit a paltry .081/.250/.122 in 23 games but continued to show off his patience with fourteen walks.

8-237: SS/RHP Conrad Cason, Greater Atlanta Christian HS [GA] {batting, pitching}
Slot value: $219,900. Signing bonus: $1.25 million ($1.03 million above slot value).
My rank: #105. MLB Pipeline: #102. Baseball America: #124.
Aside from second rounder Peyton Tolle, the Red Sox saved a little bit on seven of their first eight picks so they could cash it all in right here on Conrad Cason, an electric two-way player from the Atlanta area. Initially committed to Mississippi State, the Red Sox handed him roughly the slot value for the #66 pick here in the eighth round to come north instead. Cason is not short of talent. For most of his prep career, he has been primarily known as a pitcher. The fastball sits low to mid 90's and touches 99 at peak, coming in with lightning quick arm speed that helps him generate that velocity naturally. He has a power slider that can get a bit firm at times, showing more power than true finish, while his changeup actually looks to be the more advanced secondary pitch with nice fading action at times. It all comes from an uptempo delivery that features some effort, which the Red Sox will look to smooth out in time. Cason is such a tremendous athlete that he should be able to continue to access his velocity regardless. Meanwhile, he has actually shown a strong desire to hit, and the Red Sox will allow him to continue to do that in pro ball. He's raw as a hitter and most scouts preferred him as a pitcher, but an impressive performance at the MLB Draft Combine in June likely sold Boston. His right handed swing is as explosive as they come, leading to big raw power, but he'll have to show he can make consistent contact against higher level pitching to tap it. His plus arm also helps him at shortstop, which combined with his athleticism means he has a shot to stick there long term if he focuses on that craft. Cason is extremely young for the class, having still been 17 on draft day, giving him and the Red Sox lots of time to figure out which direction to develop. He'll do both for now, but once he drops either hitting or pitching, he has a chance to explode as a prospect.

9-267: C Hudson White, Arkansas {video}
Slot value: $194,600. Signing bonus: $185,000 ($9,600 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #318.
Texas Tech was really excited to get Hudson White to campus for his 2022 freshman season, and he jumped right in as the Red Raiders' starting catcher. His bat took a step forward in 2023, then he transferred back east to Arkansas where he had a solid if unspectacular season. He is a very high contact type that has struck out in just 14.7% of his plate appearances over his three year career, having shown a disciplined approach and strong bat to ball ability from a very young age and for a very long time. Solidly built at 6'1", 200 pounds, he has more strength than bat speed and only produces modest exit velocities, with his fringy game power coming more from his ability to square the ball up and lift it. A 25 game run through the Cape Cod League last summer sheds some light on his offensive game as well, as he hit .161/.316/.258 but with a very respectable 16/13 strikeout to walk ratio. The Red Sox will look to deploy White's strong hitting acumen into more impact at the next level. Meanwhile, he's a solid defender behind the plate that should be able to stick there long term, with average ability all-around. That glove makes his bat look a lot better, and if he can continue getting on base while showing just enough thump to keep pitchers honest, he could be a very good backup catcher or potential platoon guy in the long run. His brief stint at High A Greenville was fairly similar to his Cape stint, hitting .167/.324/.167 with a 21/11 strikeout to walk ratio over eighteen games.

10-297: LHP Devin Futrell, Vanderbilt {video}
Slot value: $182,800. Signing bonus: $250,000 ($67,200 above slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #210.
Devin Futrell, like Hudson White, is a three year college performer that found success immediately as a true freshman. Futrell jumped straight into Vanderbilt's rotation in 2022 and has made 38 starts in three seasons for the Commodores, going 21-7 with a 3.92 ERA and a 180/43 strikeout to walk ratio over 195.1 innings, very nice numbers going up against strong SEC competition in an era of heightened offense. The stuff is largely ordinary. His fastball sits around 90, topping out at 94, and playing up a bit with some riding action. His slider works well when he locates it but ultimately shows fringy bite, while his average changeup plays well off his other pitches with solid fading action but it isn't a strikeout pitch in its own right. Futrell thrives, though, on pitchability. The towering 6'5" lefty shows plus command and can execute any of his pitches to all parts of the zone, helping each of them play to their full potential. He consistently works ahead in counts and creates weak contact by keeping hitters off balance, and has just a 5.3% walk rate for his career – an elite mark. Futrell's size and simple, repeatable delivery make him a very clear starting pitching candidate, but his command will have to hold together completely in order to rise through the minors in that role. Adding a bit of power to his stuff would help as well, with the ceiling of a #5 starter or long reliever.

12-357: RHP Brady Tygart, Arkansas {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $300,000 ($150,000 against bonus pool).
My rank: #189. MLB Pipeline: #181. Baseball America: #175.
With some money left over on day three, the Red Sox dipped in a little bit to grab Hudson White's teammate, Brady Tygart, for early seventh round money. Tygart has worked his way up through Arkansas' pitching ranks, beginning as a reliever in 2022 before working in a swingman role in 2023 and joining the rotation full time in 2024. He has a low 90's fastball that touches 95 as a starter and 97 in relief, though it plays pretty true and plays closer to average. He stands out most for his feel for spin, showing a plus curveball with nasty deep bite that misses a ton of bats. His slider flashes plus as well at its best, generating plenty of chases down below the zone, and he shows strong feel to execute them as well. There's a changeup as well, though its firm and looks like a fringy pitch. Tygart doesn't have the world's most athletic delivery, with a tall and fall motion and average extension despite a taller 6'2" frame. His command has been inconsistent in Fayetteville and he may fit better in the bullpen, where he can lean heavily on his breaking balls. We'll see if the Red Sox choose to stretch him out but I like him best in that latter role.

13-387: LHP Shea Sprague, North Carolina {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $155,000 ($5,000 against bonus pool).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
We've seen guys like Matt Barnes (Bethel, CT) and Rich Hill (Milton, MA) suit up for Boston, but ultimately the list of recent New Englanders to play for the Red Sox isn't an extensive one. Shea Sprague will look to be the next. He grew up in Hanover, Massachusetts, about twenty miles south of downtown Boston, and attended Boston College High School next door to UMass Boston on Columbia Point. From there, he headed down south and pitched two years at Elon, where he dominated the CAA and earned an opportunity to transfer down the road to UNC. After a strong season in the Tar Heel rotation, he's now coming back home. Sprague doesn't throw very hard, usually sitting on the south side of 90 with his sinking fastball, but the pitch plays way up because he gets elite extension from a low three quarters slot and slices across the plate. His deep sweeper plays well from that slot, while he effectively deploys his changeup to get something moving arm side and neutralize right handed hitters. He's strong and durable at 6'3" and fills up the strike zone with a ton of strikes, which gives him a chance to start. He'll have to bring his secondaries along and maintain his command to do so because the low velocity does not give him much room for error, or he could slot into the bullpen and hopefully tick that fastball up over 90 more consistently. Regardless, it's a pretty unique profile that the Red Sox can get creative with.

19-567: 3B D'Angelo Ortiz, Miami Dade JC [FL] {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
If the name sounds familiar, that's because it is. D'Angelo Ortiz is indeed the son of Hall of Famer David Ortiz, and now he's joining the same organization his father was so instrumental in. The younger Ortiz played high school ball at Westminster Christian High School in the Miami area, alma mater of Alex Rodriguez among many others, then spent one year at Miami Dade JC. Ortiz is a very different player than his father, coming in two inches shorter forty pounds lighter, and right handed, and he hit just one home run for the Sharks this year. Instead, he found success by spraying line drives around the park with a high contact approach that helped him hit .377 with just a 9.8% strikeout rate. He has a lot of moving parts in his load with a big leg kick and a bit of a barrel tilt, and also has additional projection remaining as he fills out that 6'1" frame. He was drafted as a third baseman and also has experience in the outfield.

2024 MLB Draft Review: San Francisco Giants

Full list of draftees

Oracle Park is one of the tougher places in MLB to put a ball over the fence, but that won't stop this class of Giants from trying. It's a class full of power hitters, many of whom have serious questions about their hit tools but if just a couple break through, San Francisco will have the middle of its future lineup. The Giants were working with limited draft capital as they sacrificed their second and third round picks after signing both Matt Chapman and Blake Snell. That shifted the strategy a bit and I think they did well, still grabbing one of the best bats in the country in James Tibbs in the first round before handing Dakota Jordan second round money in the fourth round. They had to save money from there and didn't give any other player more than $400,000, so the draft was really focused on those two. Still, the Giants draft well and there's plenty to be interested in later on, including a pair of Northern California products.
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.
Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. "2-50" would indicate that a player was drafted in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.

1-13: OF James Tibbs, Florida State {video}
Slot value: $5.27 million. Signing bonus: $4.75 million ($524,800 below slot value).
My rank: #12. MLB Pipeline: #12. Baseball America: #14.
Much was made about this draft's "top ten" names, and there was some truth to that being a separate talent tier from the rest of the class. James Tibbs, however, had a very good case for "best of the rest" with some teams believing he belonged in that top tier, and for good reason. He has hit over .300 with double digit home run totals in all three years at Florida State, finishing with an otherworldly 2024 in which he was named a first team All-American by numerous outlets, including D1Baseball and Baseball America. Tibbs is both a power and a contact hitter, with plus raw power that he taps consistently in games, including 28 home runs that finished tied for seventh in Division I last spring. It plays easily to all fields from a simple left handed swing and plenty of strength that makes the ball jump off his bat. He's come a long way since striking out in 31.7% of his plate appearances as a freshman in 2022, slashing that number to 20.1% in 2023 and all the way to 11.6% in 2024. The primary driver has been improvement against offspeed stuff, as he now makes plenty of contact against all pitch types and has become a much more disciplined hitter in the process. Together that projects for 20-30 home runs per season with high on-base percentages, which could hit right in the middle of San Francisco's lineup. He's certainly a bat-first prospect, as he's a below average runner with an average arm that could make him adequate in a corner outfield spot. It's nothing special defensively, but he won't be a liability and the Giants are buying that big bat which will profile at any position. The Atlanta-area native has a chance to be an impact hitter for a long time in San Francisco. Tibbs raked at Low A San Jose (.415/.429/.512 in nine games) but has since hit a bit of a wall since his promotion to High A Eugene, where he is slashing .134/.216/.239 in seventeen games.

4-116: OF Dakota Jordan, Mississippi State {video}
Slot value: $624,800. Signing bonus: $2 million ($1.38 million above slot value).
My rank: #40. MLB Pipeline: #34. Baseball America: #35.
Lacking a second or third round pick, the Giants went way over slot to give Dakota Jordan early second round money anyways (roughly the slot value for the #47 pick) here in the fourth round. Jordan is an absolutely tremendous talent with massive upside that he'll need to work hard to achieve. A well-known prospect out of the Jackson area, where he played high school ball alongside 2024 Pirates first rounder Konnor Griffin, he turned down day two offers to attend Mississippi State. Initially considered extremely raw, he hit the ground running in Starkville and turned in one of the best freshman seasons in the SEC in 2023 to elevate his stock. Teams were hoping for a full on breakout in 2024, and while he doubled his home run total and bumped up his batting average by nearly fifty points, his peripherals remained the same and he wound up closer to a second round prospect than a first rounder. The tools, though, are top of the scale. Jordan has ferocious hands that rip the bat through the zone at thunderous speed, creating plus-plus raw power that generates some of the highest peak exit velocities of any hitter in this draft class. The power comes effortlessly and the ball explodes off his bat to all fields, even if he doesn't square it up. That's important, because he's very raw as a hitter. While James Tibbs has dramatically cut his strikeout rate at school, Jordan has not, with a 25.0% rate as a freshman increasing to 29.0% as a sophomore. His quick hands give him no trouble against velocity, but he can be completely undone by good breaking balls which led to elevated chase rates and a ton of swing and miss. Pro pitchers are going to attack him with a plethora of offspeed stuff and it will be better located than what he saw in college (though he did face very strong pitching in the SEC), so it will be imperative for Jordan to clean up that part of his game and do it quickly because despite being a true sophomore, he did turn 21 back in May. If he can become even a fringy hitter against breaking balls, the sky is the limit for his bat. Jordan is also a plus runner with a powder keg 6' frame, showing one of the best strength/speed combinations in the draft. That said, his overall outfield defense is a bit raw and he may not be a center fielder long term, likely slotting into a corner outfield spot where he could be above average given his speed. So far, he's hitless in seven at bats with a pair of strikeouts for Low A San Jose.

5-149: OF Jakob Christian, San Diego {video}
Slot value: $453,300. Signing bonus: $397,500 ($55,800 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #216. Baseball America: #457.
Jakob Christian continues the power theme in a big way. He spent two years at Point Loma Nazarene, then transferred to San Diego for his junior season and finished with 26 home runs, two behind first rounder James Tibbs. It's plus power that he can access very consistently in games, and he has no issues pummeling fastballs. Similar to Dakota Jordan, he does struggle with breaking balls and will have to clean that up as he continues to face better and better pitching. While that didn't hurt him in school and he in fact won the West Coast Conference Player of the Year award this year, he did slash just .179/.347/.308 with a 30.6% strikeout rate in a smaller 19 game Cape Cod League sample. The San Diego native measures in at 6'5" and has long levers and a noisy load that can impact his barrel accuracy, so his overall offensive game may need more refinement than the typical college draftee. The power though brings big upside if he can access it just enough. Christian is also a below average runner who will have to work to stay in a corner outfield spot, and there's a decent chance he ends up at first base in the long run. That will place additional pressure on his bat, with the likely projection being a platoon bat that plays against lefties and provides some pop. The Giants see the size and power and think they can refine it into more as they simplify his mechanics and let his natural strength do the work. It looks to be going nicely so far, as he's slashing .267.378/.500 with one home run and an 8/5 strikeout to walk ratio through nine games at Low A San Jose.

6-178: 3B Robert Hipwell, Santa Clara {video}
Slot value: $348,200. Signing bonus: $345,700 ($2,500 below slot value).
My rank: #198. MLB Pipeline: #139. Baseball America: #157.
The Giants went to their own backyard for this one. Robert Hipwell hails from Santa Cruz and graduated from Scotts Valley High School just north into the mountains. He spent the past three seasons at Santa Clara, where he has had a bit of an up and down career. After not playing much as a freshman, Hipwell broke out for a big sophomore season to put his name squarely on draft radars. He missed the first half of the season with a suspension then returned for a solid second half. He has a bit of an interesting profile. The approach is excellent, with strong pitch recognition and an absolute refusal to chase anything out of the zone helping him find exactly the pitch he wants to hit with regularity. That's important because the pure bat to ball is below average and he can get in trouble in deep counts and against pitchers who can execute in the zone. Meanwhile, Hipwell's raw power is fringy but he does a very good job of elevating and turning on the ball to maximize that power, leading to more home runs than you'd expect given modest exit velocities. Between the swing path and pitch recognition, he should be able to continue to tap that power with wood bats. Hipwell has improved his body at Santa Clara and now has a shot to stick at third base with increased athleticism and good arm strength. He'll have to maintain his conditioning and continue to work on his glovework, otherwise he could be forced to move across to first base. That will put more pressure on his power production, which is already a question going forward. The Giants see a potential every day third baseman who will feel perfectly comfortable working major league at bats and who can cover up holes in his swing by getting ahead in counts and ensuring he'll never miss his pitch when he gets it. He could also unlock more power as he gets farther from his suspension and learns to better leverage his big 6'3" frame. He's continuing to elevate the ball with authority at Low A San Jose, where he's slashing .196/.360/.402 but has already homered five times with a 40/21 strikeout to walk ratio through 29 games.

7-208: LHP Greg Farone, Alabama {video}
Slot value: $272,200. Signing bonus: $204,150 ($68,050 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #236.
Greg Farone has been around the block. He began his career at Herkimer JC in Upstate New York, where he went 13-0 with a 1.83 ERA and a 213/42 strikeout to walk ratio over 103 innings in his two years. JuCo hitters were thrilled to be rid of him when he transferred to Louisville, where he served as a swingman for the Cardinals. Pushing further south, he transferred again to Alabama in 2024 and performed admirably, holding down a weekend rotation spot all year long. Farone is a classic pitchability lefty who won't wow you with big stuff. The fastball sits in the low 90's and touches 95 with some riding action from a higher slot, missing more bats than you'd expect with its average velocity. His slider gets nice depth and looks like an average pitch at best, while his changeup gives him a third option to neutralize righties. The 6'6" lefty comes from an extremely free and easy delivery that will serve him well as he's asked to take on bigger workloads in pro ball. He also fills the strike zone with above average command looks the part of a classic starting pitcher. The Giants will look to bring the secondary stuff along and perhaps add a tick or two to the fastball, which he's plenty strong enough to do, and work him up as a back-end starter. A senior sign, Farone is fairly young for a college senior and only turned 22 in May.

12-358: SS Zander Darby, UC Santa Barbara {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: #176. MLB Pipeline: #151. Baseball America: #248.
Make it two NorCal natives for the Giants. Zander Darby hails from Palo Alto and attended powerhouse Palo Alto High School, which has also produced current top prospects like Josh Kasevich (Blue Jays), Henry Bolte (A's), and Charlie Bates (Stanford) in addition to MLB outfielder Joc Pederson in recent years. He spent the past three seasons down south at UC Santa Barbara, and there were points early this spring where a hot start had him knocking on the door of day one draft discussions. Although he couldn't sustain that success and finished with a pedestrian .275/.347/.420 slash line in a year where offense was high, he's still a very interesting get here on day three. Darby has a big league body at 6'3" with some projection remaining, giving him the chance to grow into an impact hitter. Employing a simple operation from the left side, he uses the whole field with a pretty effortless swing that's more geared towards line drives than turning on the ball for power. He rarely chases, but pitchers attacked him in 2024 and found some holes in the zone with his swing, leading to a slightly elevated strikeout rate (up to 17.9% in 2024 from 15.6% in 2023) and a lower walk rate (down to 9.9% from 11.7%) despite that low chase rate. Darby also has fringy power, but given his size, he could grow into average or better pop if he started to focus on that more. He did show well on the Cape, where he slashed .271/.387/.395 and controlled the strike zone very effectively against high level pitching. It's a pretty average offensive profile across the board, but that means he doesn't have any glaring weaknesses either and a step forward in any aspect could make him a very interesting bat for the Giants. Drafted as a shortstop, he probably fits better at second or third base with average speed and a solid arm. He does move well for his size but may slow down in the long run. So far, he's hitting .234/.351/.489 with four home runs and a 17/9 strikeout to walk ratio through thirteen games for Low A San Jose.

14-418: 1B Jeremiah Jenkins, Maine {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #199. Baseball America: #288.
And here is even more power for the Giants. Jeremiah Jenkins has been unstoppable for Maine over the past two seasons, where he has slashed .353/.473/.759 with 43 home runs in just 102 games, and he now joins former Maine teammate Quinn McDaniel in the Giants' system. Jenkins, like many players in this Giants draft class, has tremendous raw power, with top end exit velocities that can compete with any hitter in college baseball. He stands 6'4" and has gotten considerably stronger in Orono, with a simple left handed swing that naturally lofts the ball to the pull side. He ran pretty decent contact and chase rates in 2024 and walked (15.6%) more than he struck out (15.1%), but he also faced a particularly weak schedule while at Maine and will be tested with the jump from the CAA to pro ball. The bat will have to play because he is a below average runner who will be confined to first base going forward, where he may have to compete with Jakob Christian and Robert Hipwell just from San Francisco's early picks this year. Jenkins hits the ball harder than either of those two, and harder than almost any player in the Giants' system except perhaps Dakota Jordan and Bryce Eldridge. He's still hitting the ball hard at Low A San Jose, where he's slashing .295/.367/.545 with two home runs and a 16/4 strikeout to walk ratio through eleven games.

2024 MLB Draft Review: Chicago Cubs

Full list of draftees

The Cubs followed one primary theme here, and that was chasing power. Their first three picks all have the potential for plus or better power, as do many of their later picks. That's a bit of a break from recent years, where they have focused heavily on pitching, but looking back to their World Series team nearly a decade ago, it was built on drafting hitters like Kris Bryant and Javier Baez, among others. Beyond that, they interestingly went on a Southern California mid-major binge, grabbing four in a six pick stretch from the University of San Diego, UC Santa Barbara (x2), and UC San Diego. 
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.
Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. "2-50" would indicate that a player was drafted in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.

1-14: 3B Cam Smith, Florida State {video}
Slot value: $5.07 million. Signing bonus: $5.07 million.
My rank: #13. MLB Pipeline: #14. Baseball America: #16.
The Cubs started things off with a bang, pulling in one of the top hitting prospects in all of amateur baseball in Cam Smith. Smith was a well-known prep in South Florida and had day two draft interest in 2022, but he made it to campus at Florida State and immediately jumped into the starting lineup as a freshman. While his freshman numbers were more good than great, he significantly elevated his profile by hitting .341/.396/.557 with six home runs in 49 games in the Cape Cod League that summer. Scouts were interested to see if he could apply that progress back to the ACC, and boy did he ever with a massive sophomore season that led to a first round draft selection. Smith has a true big league body at a listed 6'3", 225 pounds, and he looks every bit of it. He uses that natural strength to get extended and drive the ball to all parts of the park, notably applying an opposite field approach that helps him wear out the right center field gap. That approach almost conceals his power a bit, which is impressive considering he still hit sixteen home runs. Smith's raw exit velocities are among the best in the class, giving him plus-plus power when he turns on the ball. Unlike most power bats, he makes plenty of contact as well, and he was the only college hitter on the Baseball America 500 (out of 145) to run a 90th percentile exit velocity above 111 MPH while also running a contact rate above 81%. Smith can do damage against all pitch types, and he's really cleaned up his approach since looking overwhelmed as a freshman last year – his strikeout rate dropped from 28.7% to 14.9% while his walk rate jumped from 9.1% to 13.7%. It will be interesting to see if the Cubs let him continue to develop as a doubles machine smacking balls to the back side or if they look to get him to turn on the ball more often to unlock potential 30+ home run power. Smith also moves well at third base despite his size and fringy speed, with a plus arm and natural feel for the position making a potential average or better defender at the hot corner. That adds to the profile further and he has a shot to become one of the better third basemen in all of baseball. He's off to a hot start and has already been promoted, slashing .326/.418/.641 with seven home runs and a 21/14 strikeout to walk ratio through 26 games at Low A Myrtle Beach and High A South Bend.

2-54: 3B Cole Mathis, College of Charleston {video}
Slot value: $1.68 million. Signing bonus: $1.68 million.
My rank: #70. MLB Pipeline: #84. Baseball America: #61.
Cole Mathis is a really fun one with excellent metrics under the hood. He's actually a decorated pitcher who had some pro interest for his arm, which helped him put up a 3.60 ERA in 100 innings at the College of Charleston from 2022-2023. A big sophomore season at the plate but his bat on the map, then he tore through the Cape Cod League by slashing .326/.391/.660 with eleven home runs in 37 games (while running a 23/5 strikeout to walk ratio as a pitcher). Entering 2024 a late day two prospect, he started dreadfully slowly and was hitting just .184 with one home run through his first 21 games. Then a switch flipped and he hit .427/.541/.831 with thirteen home runs in his final 31 games the rest of the way, prompting the Cubs to hit the button perhaps a bit earlier than some expected. As you might expect, it's big raw power. Mathis is a built rock solid at a listed 6'1", 210 pounds, with plenty of strength to produce plus raw power that he had no problem tapping with wood bats against elite competition on the Cape. Meanwhile, the hit tool might be even better than the power, as the West Georgia native is exceptionally patient at the plate and rarely ever expands the zone. He makes plenty of contact within it, too, helping him keep strikeouts to a minimum and ensuring he's always on base – his career OBP at the College of Charleston stands at a gaudy .451. If there's one qualm about his offensive game, it's that he's more strong than athletic, so he could be tested once pro pitchers start to speed up his bat a bit more, but he did hit .326 on the Cape. If it clicks, Mathis has a chance for 25-30 home runs per year with high on-base percentages, which would put him right in the middle of the Cubs lineup long term. The Cubs drafted him as a third baseman, but he's most likely a first baseman long term with heavy feet and stiffer actions, though he does have a plus arm. That arm helped him run his fastball up to 96 as a reliever and he made ten starts for the Cougars in 2023, and he could fall back on pitching if hitting doesn't work out. The fastball can get a bit straight, while his hammer curveball gives him a quality offspeed offering and he pounds the strike zone with average command. Mathis is young for the class, having still been 20 on draft day.

3-90: SS Ronny Cruz, Miami Christian HS [FL] {video}
Slot value: $826,000. Signing bonus: $620,000 ($206,000 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #386.
Continuing the power theme, the Cubs picked up one of the better power bats remaining the prep class here in the third round and did so giving him fourth round money to sign away from a Miami commitment. Ronny Cruz is very projectable with a long, lean 6'2" frame, and this spring he has done a much better job of leveraging that frame to blast balls long distances. He gets the bat long through the zone with great extension, and he looked at his best during the MLB Draft Combine in June. Meanwhile, Cruz is raw as a hitter. He's susceptible to selling out for power, causing him to swing through hittable pitches, but that's getting better. The Cubs are buying into the power and believe the positive trajectory he's shown lately will help him hit enough to tap that power in pro ball. Meanwhile, he was drafted as a shortstop but may ultimately grow off the position. Second or third base could be his future, but so long as he makes reasonable strides in his glovework, he should be solid at either. Finding that kind of power that can stick on the dirt is not easy, and the Dominican-born Cruz is very young for the class having turned 18 more than a month after the draft. That gives him further time to fill out his frame and clean up his actions on both sides of the ball. It's a real sleeper for Chicago here.

4-120: SS Ty Southisene, Basic HS [NV] {video}
Slot value: $600,800. Signing bonus: $1 million ($399,200 above slot value).
My rank: #130. MLB Pipeline: #111. Baseball America: #191.
Ty Southisene breaks the power hitter pattern here, but he's a big time get that signed for roughly the slot value of the #78 pick rather than attend Tennessee. It's a really, really complete profile, with only one drawback – size. I've seen Southisene variously listed between 5'7" and 5'9", but no matter how you slice it, he's smaller than most of his competition. He uses a quick right handed swing to shoot line drives around the park with authority, and his quick hands and twitchy strength make the ball jump off his bat with more juice than you'd expect. There's a bit of a barrel tip in his load, but those quick hands help negate that as well. Additionally, he's an above average runner with excellent body control that gives him an outside shot to play shortstop, though his arm strength may push him to second base. Southisene's quickness and athleticism give him a chance to be at least above average if not plus at second. All together, we're talking about a potential high average type that can knock 10-15 home runs per season while playing strong defense on the dirt, really nice upside to find for third round money. If he were a few inches taller, we could be talking about a top fifty pick, and the Las Vegas native is out to prove that size does not matter.

5-153: C Ariel Armas, San Diego {video}
Slot value: $435,600. Signing bonus: $375,000 ($60,600 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
The Cubs have struggled to develop catching since Willson Contreras came up, with Miguel Amaya representing the only semi-success the organization has had behind the plate. They'll try again with Ariel Armas, though his ceiling is limited and he may project better as a backup catcher. Armas played three years at San Diego, alma mater of Kris Bryant, where he didn't hit much over his first two seasons but broke out for a nice offensive season in 2024. He still won't blow you away with his bat, but it now projects to be enough for a catcher. There's average pop in the bat even if he doesn't tap it so much in games, at least enough to keep pitchers honest. He's also a smart hitter in the box with a low chase rate that walked (11.2%) nearly as much as he struck out (13.7%). It's a fairly well-rounded offensive profile that won't be overwhelmed by pro pitching in any way. The carrying tool here, though, is his defense. He was the WCC Defensive Player of the Year in 2024, showing polished defense behind the plate that will help him not only remain at catcher long term but provide significant value there. That takes about as much pressure off his bat as you can hope for, so he'll only have to hit a little to ascend through the ranks. Just how much impact he can find in his right handed swing will determine his ultimate ceiling, but it's never a bad thing to have a glove like this in your system. Aggressively assigned to High A South Bend to start things out, he's hitting .204/.316/.286 with a 10/7 strikeout to walk ratio through thirteen games.

7-212: OF Ivan Brethowr, UC Santa Barbara {video}
Slot value: $263,300. Signing bonus: $245,000 ($18,300 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #194. Baseball America: #472.
After taking a couple rounds off, the Cubs went back to the power well in a big way. Ivan Brethowr began his career at Arizona State, but didn't play much as a freshman and transferred to UC Santa Barbara, where he has been one of the Gauchos' best hitters. Brethowr immediately stands out on the field at a listed 6'6", 250 pounds, making him the biggest player in a Cubs' draft class full of large humans. Unsurprisingly, he has plus power to the pull side and loves to turn on the ball for impressive home runs. He's plenty strong enough to put the ball out the other way, too, but at this point he doesn't have the barrel feel to consistently tap that opposite field power and most of his batted balls the opposite way are mishits. The pull-heavy approach combined with the longer levers that lead to lower barrel accuracy give him a below average hit tool, so the Cubs will have to revamp his approach a bit in pro ball to tap his power more consistently. The upside, though, is tremendous if they can get it right. On the defensive side of the ball, the Kansas City-area native has average speed and a strong arm to make right field a viable option, though he may slow down as he ages. He's earned comps to fellow California mid-major product Aaron Judge, and while that would of course that outcome would require a lot to go right (and he's less disciplined as a hitter at this stage), they do have similar profiles with their size, power, and handedness. It's been a steep transition to pro ball so far, where he is slashing .165/.267/.253 with two home runs and a 26/7 strikeout to walk ratio through 22 games at Low A Myrtle Beach.

11-332: OF Eli Lovich, Blue Valley West HS [KS] {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $650,000 ($500,000 against bonus pool).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #474.
With their first pick of day three, the Cubs spent an extra half million against their bonus pool to sign Eli Lovich away from an Arkansas commitment, good for fourth round money. Lovich is a pure projection play, one who the Cubs believe would have exploded at Arkansas and come out the other end a much higher pick. As such, they're investing much more money than you might expect given his rankings on various draft boards. He's long and lean at 6'4", 185 pounds, with room to add 40-50 pounds of strength. For now, he's mostly a line drive hitter who uses the whole field effectively with a level, loose swing that will be conducive to adding power. That power is fringy right now, but he's almost certain to get much, much stronger in Chicago and he could get to above average power easily. A decent runner, he likely fits as a right fielder long term but the Cubs would love it if he could make it work in center field. Lovich has a strong arm and was actually ranked on Baseball America's board as a pitcher, not a hitter, so giving up the mound could also help the Kansas City-area native bring it together. He has a long way to go, but the upside here is tremendous and he really resembles exactly the kind of hitter that goes to school and comes back a first or second rounder three years later. The Cubs see that and will see him through to that ceiling in their system.

12-362: RHP Daniel Avitia, Grand Canyon {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: #195. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #250.
I thought top-five round projections for Daniel Avitia were a little rich earlier this spring, but now that the Cubs managed to get their hands on him here in the twelfth round, he becomes a very interesting prospect for $150,000. Avitia was a central piece of the Grand Canyon rotation as a freshman and as a sophomore, but missed time with injuries in 2024 and didn't take the step forward scouts were looking for. The Cubs like power arms, but Avitia is more of a soft tosser. The fastball hovers around 90, topping out around 94 and coming in with running and sinking action. His slider and changeup are both solid average pitches, nothing special but they get the job done. Where Avitia shines is command and execution. He can spot all three pitches where he needs them, helping them play up and keeping him ahead in counts. The Phoenix native gets his whiffs by executing those pitches where he needs them rather than forcing them to chase bad pitches out of the zone, so it remains to be seen how well that will play against pro pitchers who can pick him up a little better. Avitia also comes from a low three quarters slot that creates an ultra low release point, which will allow the Cubs to get creative with his pitch usage as he keeps hitters off balance. Clocking in at 6'4", he has some projection remaining and if he can tack 2-3 MPH on his fastball while maintaining his plus command, he suddenly becomes a legitimate MLB starting pitching candidate. His older brother David is actually already in the Cubs' system, where he's a light hitting catcher currently in High A.

13-392: RHP Evan Aschenbeck, Texas A&M {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
Here the Cubs bring in one of the top relievers in the country, and in fact Evan Aschenbeck was named Stopper of the Year this past spring. He spent two years at Blinn JC in Texas, then spent the last two at Texas A&M where he put up that massive senior season in 2024. While he's a very different pitcher, the profile is fairly similar to Daniel Avitia on the surface. His fastball hovers around 90, topping out around 93 although his is a riding fastball from a moderately high slot while Avitia's is a running fastball from a very low slot. Also like Avitia, Aschenbeck has an average slider and changeup to round out his arsenal. He shows plus command and execution, again like Avitia, with the ability to mix pitches effectively and throw them all with conviction in any count to any spot. He's a very high baseball IQ type who thrived in high pressure situations in the SEC. Unlike Avitia, who is two years his junior, he lacks projection and is unlikely to throw much harder. That caps the 23 year old's ceiling a little bit, and he's unlikely to be much more than a middle reliever at best for the Cubs. That said, he could move through the minors very quickly with his command and durability.

20-602: RHP Brayden Risedorph, Indiana {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
It took until the final round, but the Cubs finally picked up a Midwesterner to come pitch in their system. Brayden Risedorph is from the small town of Kendallville, Indiana, which sits about 25 miles north of Fort Wayne near the northeastern corner of the Hoosier State. He spent two years at Indiana, where he served as a swingman but struggled to an 8.31 ERA in 2024. Unsurprisingly, the Cubs are targeting the stuff here, not the performance. His fastball sits in the low to mid 90's and can touch 99 in short stints, though it plays a bit straight out of his hand with some running action so it doesn't miss many bats. There's a solid sweeper with the chance to be above average, while his splitter is inconsistent but shows nasty, late drop at its best. Risedorph shows fringy command that may limit him to the bullpen long term, but the arm strength, physicality, and stuff all point to more ceiling than you'd expect. The Cubs will have to get creative with his pitch mix and perhaps tweak the fastball to keep hitters off it if he wants to come anywhere close to that ceiling, but as a draft-eligible sophomore he was still 20 on draft day and has a shot to put things together.

2024 MLB Draft Review: Seattle Mariners

Full list of draftees

The Mariners stayed true to their tendencies with this draft class. They started things off with an ultra athletic college pitcher, moved on to blowing most of their remaining bonus pool on a first round-caliber high school pitcher in the second round, then spent the rest of the draft targeting 23 and 24 year olds to save money while also finding spots here and there for some big power bats. By starting early, the Mariners found some of the best senior signs in the country, and overall I really like the class they pulled together.
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.
Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. "2-50" would indicate that a player was drafted in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.

1-15: BHP Jurrangelo Cijntje, Mississippi State {video}
Slot value: $4.88 million. Signing bonus: $4.88 million.
My rank: #18. MLB Pipeline: #25. Baseball America: #24.
The Mariners made a splash in the first round by picking up the famous switch pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje, and he's the perfect fit. Cijntje (pronounced saint-jeh) first rose to fame as a switch pitching, switch hitting, two-way high school senior at Champagnat Catholic in South Florida, where he earned serious day two interest on account of his pitching. Instead, he made it to campus at Mississippi State where he struggled to a tough-luck 8.10 ERA as a freshman in 2023. A draft-eligible sophomore in 2024 due to turning 21 in May, he slowly pushed his way back into the top five rounds, then the top three, top two, and eventually to the middle of the first round as he seemed to get stronger and stronger with every start. While he switch pitched for the Bulldogs, most see Cijntje as a right handed pitcher only going forward. From that side, he sits in the low to mid 90's and approaches triple digits at peak with his fastball, putting big riding action on the pitch despite a lower release point. As he's progressed in Starkville, it's turned into a true plus pitch. He also shows a tight, hard slider with late bite, giving him a second above average pitch. The changeup at this point is inconsistent and a bit too firm, but it's shown flashes and isn't completely rudimentary. Meanwhile, his stuff is a bit more muted from the left side, with a fastball sitting around 90 with more run and sink unlike his riding right handed fastball. The slider is a bit sweepier, showing less power but more depth. From the right side, it looks like a legitimate #3 starting pitcher profile, while from the left he's more of a two-pitch guy who would work better in the bullpen where the stuff could add a tick. Unsurprisingly, Cijntje is a superb athlete that has gotten more and more refined in repeating his delivery, working his way up to average command with the chance to continue improving in that regard in pro ball, especially if he gives up pitching left handed. This arm fits extremely well in the Mariners' system as the same type of low launch, high ride guy they've had success with in the past. You won't find this combination of polish, athleticism, and trajectory often. Next up will be refining his changeup and continuing to take incremental steps forward everywhere else.

2-55: RHP Ryan Sloan, York Community HS [IL] {video}
Slot value: $1.64 million. Signing bonus: $3 million ($1.36 million above slot value).
My rank: #27. MLB Pipeline: #19. Baseball America: #26.
After picking up Jurrangelo Cijntje, the Mariners sank a massive over slot bonus into Ryan Sloan, spending roughly the slot value of the #30 pick here at #55 to buy him out of a Wake Forest commitment. While Sloan was considered one of the top prep arms in the class, guys like William Schmidt (now at LSU) and Cam Caminiti (Braves) were able to jump out first this past spring as the seasons started in Louisiana and Arizona, respectively. However, once Chicago started to thaw, Sloan proved to be every bit as good as his warm weather counterparts and shot back into the first round conversation. While the Mariners typically target athletic pitchers, Sloan gives them more of a size and strength guy. His fastball ticked up this spring, sitting in the mid 90's and touching 99 with flat plane, a potential plus-plus pitch. His slider flashes plus with late sweep, while his changeup looks very promising with late tumble, both looking especially deadly when he can locate them. The 6'5" righty has a big league body already with a big, durable frame, and while he's not the most athletic pitcher in the class, he gets down the mound well for a big guy and comes with tremendous upside. He has average command, which is very impressive for a pitcher with his caliber of stuff. Sloan could be an ace.

3-91: RHP Hunter Cranton, Kansas {video}
Slot value: $812,900. Signing bonus: $50,000 ($762,900 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #213. Baseball America: unranked.
After giving Ryan Sloan that massive bonus in the second round, the Mariners had to start saving money quick and did so by giving Hunter Cranton the second smallest bonus of any player selected in the top four rounds. He's extremely well travelled, having played high school ball at JSerra Catholic High School in Orange County, California alongside names like Royce Lewis, Gage Jump, and Cody Schrier. Cranton began his career at Saddleback JC just down the street from his high school, then after two seasons transferred to San Diego State but barely pitched at the latter. He's spent the past two seasons at Kansas, where he has found his groove in the bullpen and figures to stay there going forward with Seattle. Cranton's fastball is borderline elite, sitting in the mid to upper 90's and touching triple digits with riding and running action from a low release point. It earned chases and whiffs over a third of the time, elite marks for a fastball, and projects as a plus-plus pitch in pro ball. He also rips off a hard, tight sweeper that flashes plus in its own right, giving him one of the nastier one-two punches out there. On top of it all, Cranton pounds the zone and, at least at the college level, was able to consistently stay ahead of hitters. The Mariners absolutely love these types of arms and have a great track record with them, so this pairing could not be more perfect. On the downside, the 6'3" righty turns 24 early in the offseason. He's also a pure reliever that throws with considerable effort, a demographic that does not have a strong track record coming from the college level. The Mariners will look to buck that trend and get his reasonably-commanded fastball/slider combination to the big leagues quickly. So far, he has allowed four runs (three earned) over 7.1 innings for Low A Modesto, striking out thirteen along the way.

4-121: C Josh Caron, Nebraska {video}
Slot value: $594,000. Signing bonus: $594,900 ($900 below slot value).
My rank: #131. MLB Pipeline: #172. Baseball America: #300.
If you liked Mike Zunino and Cal Raleigh, you're going to love Josh Caron, the next power hitting catcher in line for Seattle. He was more good than great for most of his career at Nebraska, but came on late hitting six home runs in the 2024 Big Ten Tournament to launch himself into day two draft conversations. The power here is the calling card. The ball really explodes off his bat like few in this class, with plus power in games and some elite exit velocities when he really gets a hold of one. Meanwhile, the hit tool is fringier as he can swing through quality stuff in the zone and has a tendency to chase offspeed pitches. If he's going to tap his power consistently against pro pitching, he'll need to shore up the approach a little bit. He's very physical with a sturdy 6' frame, with good feel for his body to stick behind the plate long term. The actions themselves are a bit raw, but he should be able to iron it out and become a power hitting, bat-first catcher. He also didn't turn 21 until after the draft, making him very young for a college junior and giving him extra time to refine his game on both sides of the ball. Doing so could earn him every day playing time in Seattle. Caron has taken just fine to pro pitching so far, slashing .300/.378/.400 with one home run and an 8/5 strikeout to walk ratio through eleven games at Low A Modesto.

5-154: RHP Charlie Beilenson, Duke {video}
Slot value: $431,400. Signing bonus: $25,000 ($406,400 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
Still needing to save money from the Ryan Sloan pick, the Mariners picked up another senior sign reliever in Charlie Beilenson. He spent four years at Brown, but threw just 40 innings over those four years after losing 2020 to COVID and 2021 to the Ivy League voluntarily cancelling the season. Transferring to Duke for the 2023 season, he finally had his big breakout in 2024 when he was one of the best relievers in the country. As you might expect, he's extremely advanced and has a chance to move quickly through the minors. His low 90's fastball touches 95, but he leans heavily on his splitter to generate a ton of swing and miss. He also shows a tight slider and can split the difference with his fastball by utilizing a cutter, giving him a full array of weapons to mix and match against hitters. Beilenson's above average command is a separator as a reliever, while he sequences his stuff well and isn't afraid to go right after hitters. This complete profile didn't materialize overnight, though, and he'll turn 25 in the offseason. That makes him the oldest player in the entire draft and the only one born before the turn of the millennium. So far he has allowed one run over 3.2 innings at Low A Modesto, striking out four but walking five in the process.

6-183: RHP/C Grant Knipp, Campbell {video}
Slot value: $334,200. Signing bonus: $275,000 ($59,200 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #412.
If Josh Caron doesn't become the next Mike Zunino, Grant Knipp could give it a shot. He spent his freshman year at Alabama but did not see the field, so he transferred to Campbell and got better and better each season, culminating in a massive 2024 where he hit .402/.547/1.029 (not a typo) with 18 home runs in 29 game despite missing a month with a hamstring injury. He clocks in at a burly 6'2", 230 pounds an produces massive raw power from a quick right handed swing, absolutely pummeling baseballs with the best of them – you don't slug over 1.000 by accident and the exit velocity data backs that up. Pitchers simply refused to throw to him in 2024 if they were smart, and he didn't help himself by chasing at a fairly high clip. He still walked a very impressive 19.4% of the time, but he also swung through far too many pitches both inside and outside the zone. It's only going to get tougher against pro pitching, so Knipp will really have to shore up his approach and find pitches he can ambush to continue tapping that huge power. Sticking behind the plate will help the profile, but he's bulky behind the plate and will have to work hard to catch long term. If he moves to first base, he'll really have to get to that power in games consistently. Meanwhile, the Louisville native is also an extremely talented pitcher who could absolutely pitch in pro ball. He runs his fastball up to 98 and shows a semblance of command despite barely pitching at Campbell. He'll have to bring along his slider and hold that command together, but the arm talent is certainly there to pitch in a major league bullpen.

10-303: OF Anthony Donofrio, North Carolina {video}
Slot value: $181,100. Signing bonus: $50,000 ($131,100 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #449.
This is sneakily one of the better value picks of the draft. Like many players in this Mariners class, he's been around a long time, having begun his college career with Division III SUNY Cortland way back in 2019, where he didn't play much in his two seasons. He transferred to Stony Brook as a student but failed to make the baseball team, so he transferred again to Quinnipiac in 2022 and caught fire, hitting .355/.415/.623 with 23 home runs in two seasons. That caught UNC's attention, which he made his fourth home and slotted directly into the everyday lineup for a big season. Donofrio grades out well metrically, with above average raw power that played more to the gaps in games as he looked to knock the ball around the field. The approach is controlled aggression, as he'll chase out of the zone but makes adjustments and works counts well regardless, leading to an even strikeout to walk ratio that becomes all the more impressive when you consider the jump in competition he faced. Adding to the profile is his glove, as he's a plus runner who will be able to handle center field at the next level. Given that the bat might have some tweener indicators, that could serve as a big factor for him earning playing time at the major league level. Donofrio, a sixth year senior, is very old having turned 24 before the draft, but he's plenty advanced and has fought hard to be where he is. In just a few short years, the Long Island native rocketed from riding the bench at a D-III school, then getting cut from Stony Brook, to playing professional baseball in the Mariners' organization. So far he is slashing .241/.362/.362 with a 13/11 strikeout to walk ratio though eighteen games at Low A Modesto.

11-333: RHP Christian Little, Louisiana State {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $200,000 ($50,000 against bonus pool).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #328.
At barely 21 on draft day, Christian Little has to be one of the youngest senior signs in the history of the draft. Despite having pitched four years in college and exhausted his eligibility, he's younger than Mariners first round pick and true sophomore Jurrangelo Cijntje. Little has taken a winding road to get where he is. Back in 2021 he was arguably the top high school pitching prospect in the entire country, but reclassified before his senior season to enroll at Vanderbilt early. Pitching as just a 17 year old freshman, he immediately became the Commodores' midweek starter and showed well for his age. He continued to show well as a sophomore in 2022, but amid a crowded Vanderbilt rotation picture he transferred to LSU for his junior season. However, he did not progress in his two years in Baton Rouge and now finds himself with the Mariners in the eleventh round. Despite his name, Little is a big guy with big stuff. The fastball can sit mid 90's and touch 98-99 at peak, and while it can get straight, he's added a cutter at LSU to give hitters a different look. He throws a hard slider that flashes above average at best, but it can blend into his fringier curveball, while his changeup grades out as fringy. The 6'4" righty has tacked on about ten pounds a year at school and now clocks in at 235 pounds, leading to a bit of stiffness in his delivery. While he was a solid strike thrower in high school, he has never found the zone consistently in college with a career 12.7% walk rate that never dipped into single digits in any season. The Mariners may look to completely overhaul his delivery and pitch mix to help him reach his former ceiling. The arm strength and talent is still tremendous, and given that he only turned 21 shortly before the draft, he's younger than most college draftees. The change of scenery from Nashville to Baton Rouge did not help, and while both are premier pitching development destinations in college baseball, the Mariners have one of the best pro pitching development systems out there as well. He profiles as a reliever on the surface due to his lack of command and the effort in his delivery, but his size, strength, and the depth of his arsenal could lead the Mariners to bank on his youth and see if they can't figure something out as a starter.

13-393: 3B Brandon Eike, Virginia Commonwealth {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
Brandon Eike gives the Mariners a big bat late in the draft. He spent two years at UNC, but barely saw the field with just eleven total at bats and transferred closer to home at VCU. There, the Rams have made much better use of his bat and he hit .363/.435/.637 with 25 home runs in 116 games over two seasons. He capped it off in a big way, absolutely losing his mind in the 2024 A-10 Tournament where he went 12-19 with five home runs in four games as VCU swept its way to a conference championship. Two games later, he had a five hit game against Evansville in the Greenville regional. He's not the tallest guy in the world, but he's very physical regardless with long arms and a leveraged 6' frame. That helps him consistently tap above average power in games without selling out. Eike hasn't faced the toughest pitching in the A-10 but showed well on the Cape last year, where he hit .309/.369/.455 with one home run and a nice 11/7 strikeout to walk ratio over fifteen games. He's a patient hitter that controls the zone well, both against ordinary A-10 pitching and against much better pitching on the Cape. That should ease his transition to pro ball and help him continue tapping his power as he moves up the rungs. Sticking at third base will be key, as he has seen time at first base and a move across the diamond would put make it more difficult to find at bats. The bat looks playable at third base but he'll need to find an extra gear to earn regular playing time at first base. Through eighteen games at Low A Modesto, he is slashing .261/.329/.406 with two home runs and a 12/5 strikeout to walk ratio.

2024 MLB Draft Review: Miami Marlins

Full list of draftees

Last year, the Marlins gave Oregon prep pitcher Noble Meyer about a million dollars below slot value with their first pick, then handed Massachusetts prep pitcher Thomas White over $1.5 million above slot value to sign with their second. Miami did something very similar this year with a pair of prep bats, handing PJ Morlando more than a million below slot value with their first pick and Carter Johnson more than a million above slot value with their second. If you go by bonuses versus slot value, they essentially traded their #16 and #56 picks for the #25 and #33 picks instead. Clearly, they saw less separation between the top prospects in both draft classes and wanted two shots at big names versus one at a premium name. This year, they targeted mostly bats overall, mostly looking at guys with either strong bat to ball or strong plate discipline. I'm personally pretty interested in the names they pulled together, and I think eighth rounder Jacob Jenkins-Cowart has a chance to be a real steal if they can get his development right.
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.
Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. "2-50" would indicate that a player was drafted in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.

1-16: OF PJ Morlando, Summerville HS [SC] {video}
Slot value: $4.7 million. Signing bonus: $3.4 million ($1.3 million below slot value).
My rank: #38. MLB Pipeline: #43. Baseball America: #52.
The Marlins started this draft off with a bit of a surprising pick, grabbing PJ Morlando for a massive under slot bonus that paid him just under the slot value for the #25 pick here at pick #16, signing him away from a South Carolina commitment in the process. Morlando has long been a famous name in this class, having earned first round buzz for his exploits on the summer showcase circuits for years now. He entered the spring jockeying with Konnor Griffin for the title of the best prep bat in the country, ranking as high as #10 on my pre-season boards. His spring turned out to be fairly unremarkable, though, and his stock dropped accordingly with some outlets letting him fall out of the top fifty. The Marlins still believe in Morlando's bat, and boy does he give them good reason. He has massive raw power and puts on arguably the most impressive batting practice of any high schooler in the country. It comes from a very strong, mature 6'3" frame that effortlessly generates great leverage. However, he hasn't always tapped that power consistently in games and may have improvements to make in terms of barrel accuracy. Meanwhile, he has an extremely disciplined approach at the plate that has helped him handle all kinds of high level pitching, especially premium velocity. Morlando uses the entire field effectively and should be one of the most pro-ready bats in the prep class. How much of his prodigious raw power the Marlins can unlock in games will determine how far he goes as a hitter. Meanwhile, the Charleston-area product has played all over the field, but his fringy speed likely limits him to a corner outfield spot or first base, which would put more pressure on the power to show up. He's extremely old for the class, having turned 19 in May, but he seems to have a great head on his shoulders and brings maturity beyond his years to the game. It may be tempting to compare this pick to Jacob Berry, whom the Marlins drafted sixth overall in 2022 and which has not looked good in hindsight, but I'd caution against that. Berry, like Morlando, was a below average athlete with a great combination of power, contact, and discipline. But Berry's power came from excellent feel for the barrel and the ability to loft the ball with authority, which masked his more ordinary raw exit velocities and caused his power to play down with wood. Morlando, meanwhile, shows much better raw exit velocities but has had issues making that optimal contact in games. You weren't going to get Berry hitting the ball harder, but you might be able to tweak Morlando's approach to access the power he already has. He grounded out in his first at bat at Low A Jupiter but shortly after with a lumbar stress reaction.

2-56: SS Carter Johnson, Oxford HS [AL] {video}
Slot value: $1.6 million. Signing bonus: $2.8 million ($1.2 million above slot value).
My rank: #43. MLB Pipeline: #40. Baseball America: #37.
After saving $1.3 million on PJ Morlando, the Marlins spent nearly all of their savings on pulling second rounder Carter Johnson away from an Alabama commitment, with his $2.8 million bonus representing just over the slot value for the #33 pick here at #56. While there isn't a true carrying tool here with Johnson, you'd be hard pressed to find any weaknesses in his profile either. He has a long track record of hitting against top showcase competition with a natural, whippy left handed swing that produces hard line drives to all fields. Meanwhile, scouts are split on his future power projection but the Marlins would appear to be bullish. Johnson is skinny at 6'2", with twitchy hands, nice leverage, and strong feel for the barrel to help him produce fringe-average power for now. I see him growing into average power, but the frame is fairly skinny and I think he'll always be hit over power. The Alabama native is also a smooth defender at shortstop that gets rid of the ball quickly and accurately, giving him a chance to stick there long term. He's more of an average runner, though, so there is a chance he gets pushed off to second or third by a springier, more explosive defender. Johnson's well-rounded profile could have him moving quickly through the minors, and once in the majors he could project for 15-20 home runs per season with high on-base percentages at peak. The Marlins assigned him aggressively to Low A Jupiter, where he is hitting .237/.283/.301 with one home run and a 34/5 strikeout to walk ratio through 23 games against much older competition.

CBB-70: RHP Aiden May, Oregon State {video}
Slot value: $1.14 million. Signing bonus: $900,000 ($239,100 below slot value).
My rank: #73. MLB Pipeline: #82. Baseball America: #116.
This pick may seem a bit inconspicuous after two highly touted preps, but Aiden May is a very interesting prospect in his own right. He began his career at Pima JC in Arizona, transferred to Arizona for his sophomore season, then jumped to Oregon State for his junior year and pitched extremely well. The fastball sits in the low to mid 90's, touching 97 at peak, with running action. The overall ordinary life makes the pitch play down, making it a fringe-average pitch for now. He can sink or cut it when needed, though those variations are just average as well. His slider, though, steals the show. He leaned heavily on it in 2024, throwing it more than his fastball, getting tremendous sweep on it to create some ugly swings and miss a ton of bats. That pitch alone could make him a major leaguer. He's working his changeup in more to good results, giving him a second solid offspeed offering. May is a good athlete with a loose delivery and a low three quarters slot that helps him create a low release point, adding some intrigue to the east-west profile here. He also repeats his delivery well and throws a lot of strikes, both with his fastball and with his slider, giving him at least average command going forward. The Marlins are buying into the show-stopping slider, but how far he goes as a starter will depend on finding more success with his fastball. The Marlins may toy with the shape and/or location to keep it off more barrels, looking to better neutralize left handed hitters. At minimum, the sweeper is so effective that he'll have a bullpen spot waiting for him in Miami should starting not work out.

3-92: 2B Gage Miller, Alabama {video}
Slot value: $800,800. Signing bonus: $800,800.
My rank: #93. MLB Pipeline: #68. Baseball America: #111.
Though he started his career as an unheralded recruit at Bishop State JC in Mobile, Gage Miller came out of nowhere upon transferring to Alabama in 2024 to put up one of the best seasons in the SEC, even finding his name on the Golden Spikes Midseason Watch List. For good reason, too – he finished with 21 home runs and a .382/.470/.721 line in 58 games for the Tide. I mentioned that the PJ Morlando pick was very different from the Jacob Berry pick, but this one is much more similar. Given that it's a third round pick and not a sixth overall pick, it's much more reasonable. Miller, like Berry, produces more game power than raw power. The raw power, in fact, is fringy at best, but he is so adept at finding the barrel and driving the ball in the air that it plays to above average power in games. It's a lightning quick right handed swing with zero wasted movement, helping him make plenty of contact both inside and outside the zone and walk (10.1%) more than he struck out (9.0%) in 2024. There's some chase in the profile, especially against changeups, but it's not a lot and the overall approach is pretty strong. Miller played third base at Alabama but the Marlins drafted him as a second baseman, where his fringy defensive tools might be better hidden. There's a good chance he gets pushed further down the defensive spectrum to first base or left field, where the pressure would really mount on his bat, but the upside is a bat-first second baseman who can hit close to 20 home runs per season with relatively high batting averages. He's moving quickly already, slashing .264/.337/.322 with a 19/7 strikeout to walk ratio over 22 games between Low A Jupiter and High A Beloit.

4-122: SS Fenwick Trimble, James Madison {video}
Slot value: $589,000. Signing bonus: $550,000 ($39,000 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #201.
The Marlins got an interesting data darling in Fenwick Trimble, who also has a tremendous baseball name. He's a three year starter and performer at JMU, including having hit .356/.452/.633 with 27 home runs in 117 games over the past two seasons combined. Perhaps his most impressive swing came in his very first at bat of the 2024 season when he knocked a three run home run off eventual White Sox fifth overall pick Hagen Smith, who would allow just one more run in his next five starts combined. Trimble indeed has a very heavy barrel that produces above average raw power, mostly translating into doubles (he has 43 of them over the past two seasons) because his approach is geared towards hard line drives to all fields. He also makes a ton of contact and walked (10.2%) more than he struck out (8.1%) in 2024, owing to a very accurate barrel. In fact, out of 145 college hitters on the Baseball America 500, only one was able to best both his 107.1 MPH 90th percentile exit velocity and his 85.5% contact rate – Lehigh's Rafe Perich, now a Ranger. Now Trimble does have a bit of a tendency to chase, which may hurt him as he makes the jump from Sun Belt to pro pitching. He hit just .231/.279/.347 in 46 games on the Cape last summer, salvaged a bit by a hot run through the playoffs. This may be a case where the Virginia Beach product will have to choose between a power-oriented or contact-oriented approach. Interestingly, the Marlins drafted Trimble as a shortstop despite the fact that he played exclusively outfield at JMU – first the corners, then center field in 2024. Trimble has some speed and has refined his glove out there, so even if he moves back to a corner, he'll be a solid defender and likely net-positive. To this point, he has also not appeared on the infield in the minors. It will be interesting to see how the Marlins develop him as a hitter, and so far he's slashing .255/.300/.340 with eight stolen bases and a 15/5 strikeout to walk ratio over 23 games at Low A Jupiter.

5-155: RHP Grant Shepardson, Mountain Vista HS [CO] {video}
Slot value: $427,000. Signing bonus: $897,500 ($470,500 above slot value).
My rank: #101. MLB Pipeline: #141. Baseball America: #193.
The Marlins doubled the slot value here in the fifth round to give Grant Shepardson third round money, just over the slot value for the #85 pick, to sign away from a San Francisco commitment. Personally, I'm a big fan of Shepardson. He already sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and can touch 98 with riding action, and more is likely coming. He flashes plus with his slider, though the pitch is inconsistent and he can get around it at times, causing it to flatten out, or overcorrect and get too vertical on the pitch. For now, those two pitches are the main show, as the changeup is more of a distant third right now. The 6'1" righty is very athletic on the mound with nice lower half extension and a quick arm, helping him project for additional velocity while also making his stuff jump on hitters. The command is improving, too, giving him a really well-rounded profile. If Shepardson can bring his changeup along and get a little more consistent with his slider, he has a chance to be a real impact starting pitcher in Miami. Between the velocity, ability to spin, athleticism, and trajectory, I'm personally bought in.

6-184: SS Payton Green, Georgia Tech {video}
Slot value: $331,300. Signing bonus: $328,800 ($2,500 below slot value).
My rank: #170. MLB Pipeline: #169. Baseball America: #196.
Payton Green has been on scouts' radars for a while now. A top prep prospect out of Pro5 Academy in the Raleigh-Durham area, he stayed home to attend NC State and held down a starting role for two years. In 2024, he hopped over to Georgia Tech and took a small step forward, hitting .308/.407/.577 with twelve home runs in 55 games. Green, like second rounder Carter Johnson, does a lot well on the diamond and lacks a standout tool, though unlike Johnson he's probably a tad more power over hit. Standing 6'3", he shows average power in games with a smooth right handed swing. He'll chase power at times, getting aggressive and trying to turn on the ball and unraveling his at bats in the process, but he's at his best when he lets that power come naturally. Green is an aggressive hitter who can chase out of the zone but makes pretty solid contact overall, so if the Marlins can refine his approach a little bit, there's sneaky offensive upside here. There's projection remaining on his frame as well, which could help him grow into above average power in time. He has played all over the infield and while he probably doesn't profile as a shortstop in pro ball, he can be adequate there if needed and should make a solid third baseman in the long run. Green hasn't found his footing at the plate yet, slashing .150/.314/.150 with a 13/9 strikeout to walk ratio through 15 games at Low A Jupiter.

7-214: RHP Nick Brink, Portland {video}
Slot value: $259,600. Signing bonus: $195,000 ($64,600 below slot value).
My rank: #211. MLB Pipeline: #166. Baseball America: #204.
It was a down year for high-end senior signs, but the Marlins picked up one of the better ones in Nick Brink. He spent four years at the University of Portland, missing the 2022 season with Tommy John surgery but turning into a true ace for the Pilots over the past two seasons. The fastball sits in the low 90's and touches 96 with sink, making for an average pitch, and he brings a full arsenal of secondaries. His changeup is his best pitch, tumbling out of his hand to confound hitters. He throws both a curveball and a slider, showing more depth than power as they project more as strike stealers than true bat missers in pro ball. Everything plays up because Brink has plus command and shows great feel to sequence and execute all four pitches, continually keeping hitters off balance and putting each pitch in competitive locations to help them play at their best. That polish will come in handy given his age, as he's set to turn 23 before the end of the pro season, and he'll look to move quickly through the system. He has the upside of a back-end starter with a fallback as a long reliever whose stuff could tick up in shorter stints. He's also a strong student who had interest from Ivy League schools out of high school but turned them down to stay home in Portland, a decision that has certainly paid off in numerous ways.

8-244: 1B Jacob Jenkins-Cowart, East Carolina {video}
Slot value: $211,600. Signing bonus: $211,600.
My rank: #113. MLB Pipeline: #228. Baseball America: #113.
To me, this is one of the single best value picks of the draft. I had Jacob Jenkins-Cowart ranked in the fourth round range, and they got him here in the eighth without going above slot value. Sure, the profile is far from perfect, but there is enough in there for me to be very interested. Jenkins-Cowart hit the ground running at ECU in 2022, where he was named a Freshman All-American by D1Baseball after hitting .330/.367/.549 with 13 home runs and starting nearly every game. He failed to build on that in 2023, then his power took some time to show up in 2024 until the ran into a bit of a home run binge late in the season. The Greensboro native is a a lanky 6'6" and stands out for that long, projectable frame. Those long arms give him above average power for now, though tweaks to his approach could help him tap that power more in games as he learns to select better pitches he can turn on and elevate. Jenkins-Cowart is an aggressive hitter who has never walked more than 7.5% of the time in any season, leading to more weak contact than you'd like. However, I'm intrigued by his strong bat to ball ability, running roughly an 80% contact rate despite the propensity to chase bad pitches, and it's even more impressive given his long levers that cause many lanky hitters to swing through hittable pitches. That body control could help him really pull things together with more refinement to his approach, though unfortunately the Marlins are not known for strong hitting development. Meanwhile, JJC is a fringy runner who played corner outfield at ECU, and while the Marlins drafted him as a first baseman, he's stuck in right field so far as a pro. I see him continuing as a corner outfielder long term but if he slows down further as he fills out and ages, he could be forced to first base. Either way, the bat is the draw here with the potential for 15-20 home runs per season, perhaps more if they get the development right, alongside average on-base percentages. So far, he's slashing .221/.284/.326 with one home run and a 28/7 strikeout to walk ratio over 23 games for Low A Jupiter.

13-394: SS Cody Schrier, UCLA {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: #217. MLB Pipeline: #138. Baseball America: #130.
Cody Schrier is a bit of a post-hype prospect whom the Marlins are hoping to buy into at the right time. He was among the best prep prospects in California in 2021, ranking #55 on my overall draft board that year but reaching campus at UCLA instead. There he made an immediate impact, earning first team freshman all-American honors at numerous publications and was one of 55 players nationally selected to the pre-season Golden Spikes watchlist before his sophomore year. Unfortunately, Schrier plateaued from there and has seen his batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage all drop in each year in Westwood, beginning at .298/.383/.492 as a freshman and ending at .242/.320/.354 as a junior. Schrier, like a few other infielders in this Marlins draft class, is a jack of all trades, master of none. He has a quick right handed swing and nice strength in his 6'1" frame, giving him average power to the pull side when he does look to turn on the ball. That power plays down a bit in games though and he had just ten extra base hits in 2024, a career-low. Schrier shows controlled aggression at the plate, chasing at a very high rate but still recognizing pitches well and showing the ability to handle premium offspeed stuff. Still, he does swing and miss more than you'd like and projects as a fringe-average hitter. The Marlins hope they can use his pitch recognition ability to tweak his approach and get him hunting better pitches to hit. Meanwhile, the Southern California native does show very strong feel for the infield can handle shortstop in a pinch, though his average speed and arm will likely push him to second base or third base, where he could be above average. Schrier is a heady, accomplished ballplayer with a high baseball IQ who projects as a utility infielder at best.