2024 MLB Draft Review: Oakland A's

Full list of draftees

Oakland's final draft before it becomes Sacramento was an interesting one. They saved almost $1.4 million on their first pick, then spread the savings around with sizable over slot bonuses in the second, competitive balance, fourth, sixth, seventh, and twelfth rounds. Teams draft players at the same position all the time, but doing so at first base is a bit trickier. That's what the A's did with their first two picks in Nick Kurtz and Tommy White, so one is going to have to DH and then the bottom of the defensive spectrum will be used up for the foreseeable future should both picks work out. After those two big power bats, though, it's a very diverse class with a whole bunch of different profiles, from extreme contact hitters to toolsy types to glove-first future utility infielders. 
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.

1-4: 1B Nick Kurtz, Wake Forest {video}
Slot value: $8.37 million. Signing bonus: $7 million ($1.37 million below slot value).
My rank: #7. MLB Pipeline: #7. Baseball America: #8.
It wasn't the smoothest ride, but Nick Kurtz fell out of contention for, then worked his way back into, a top five selection then provided the A's with some savings by signing between the slot values of the #6 and #7 picks. Kurtz put up two massive seasons at Wake Forest in 2022 and 2023, then entered 2024 as a frontrunner in the conversation for the first overall pick. However, he started slow and was hitting just .217 in late March, having also missed time with a shoulder injury. That slump was short lived, though, and from March 31st to April 16th he hit .526/.647/1.737 with 14 home runs and just four strikeouts in a ten game stretch to thrust himself back to where he should be. Kurtz is a massive human being standing at a listed 6'5", 240 pounds, and he looks every bit of it. He effortlessly generates light tower power that has helped him blast 61 home runs and slug .725 in three years in Winston-Salem, knocking the ball out to all fields with a loose, easy swing that lets his strength do the work. He's also an extremely patient hitter that doesn't get much to hit anyways, walking in 30% of his plate appearances and leading all of Division I by walking 78 times in 54 games despite missing time with the shoulder injury. His loose hands help him make pretty good contact too, so when you combine a plus approach with average pure bat to ball and plus-plus power, you get a potential 40 homer, .400 on-base hitter at the big league level. While he is limited to first base, he's a much better athlete than you'd expect given his size and frame and was an accomplished high school basketball player. That helps him glide around the base at first, saving his infielders from errors and scooping up hot shots that appeared destined for the right field corner. While this may have been a bit of a surprising pick with names like JJ Wetherholt, Jac Caglianone, and Hagen Smith still on the board, he has a chance to be the best hitter in this class. Indeed, he had zero trouble with the transition to pro pitching and hit .368/.520/.763 with four home runs and a 10/12 strikeout to walk ratio over a dozen game sample between Low A Stockton and AA Midland. He could be in the majors next season, much like 2023 first rounder Jacob Wilson.

2-40: 3B Tommy White, Louisiana State {video}
Slot value: $2.33 million. Signing bonus: $3 million ($667,900 above slot value).
My rank: #31. MLB Pipeline: #20. Baseball America: #30.
If you follow college baseball at all, you know all about Tommy Tanks. If you don't, then I can spell out one of the most famous players in college baseball. A highly regarded draft prospect at IMG Academy in Florida, he turned down top three round interest to head to NC State. He hit the ground running in Raleigh with a home run barrage for the ages, eventually finishing his freshman season with 27 home runs and a .362/.425/.757 line. White leveraged that success into an opportunity to transfer to LSU, where he continued the success over the last two seasons and won a National Championship in 2023. In three years in college, he finished a .359/.426/.706 hitter with 64 home runs. White is a star, and he carries that star swagger with him everywhere he goes. He has ridiculous hands that whip the bat through the zone at lightning speed, getting the barrel to balls all over and outside the zone with remarkable consistency. His ultra strong wrists help him produce plus raw power that he taps every bit of in games due to the sheer quantity of barrels he finds, with the chance to hit thirty home runs annually. With his adjustable hands and strong bat to ball ability, he makes a ton of contact and keeps his strikeouts down, a rarity for a power hitter of his caliber. However, White is also extremely aggressive and chases almost a third of the time, leading to ultra low walk rates. That makes him a polarizing prospect, especially as a right handed hitter, with major questions as to whether he'll be able to continue making contact at such a high rate against better and better pitching. While there's no question that his ability in the box is nothing short of special, he will likely have to tone down that approach as he works towards the majors. Long a first baseman, he moved over to third base in 2024 and handled himself admirably, but he didn't do quite enough to change his long term projections of moving back to first base in pro ball. White has the bat to play anywhere, though it does set up an interesting conundrum with first rounder Nick Kurtz. If he gets a little more selective at the plate, he could star in the middle of Oakland's (Sacramento's? Las Vegas'?) lineup the same way he did in Baton Rouge. White hit .224/.309/.299 with two home runs and a 21/9 strikeout to walk ratio over 25 games for Low A Stockton, so he'll need to make the adjustment next year.

CBB-73: LHP Gage Jump, Louisiana State {video}
Slot value: $1.08 million. Signing bonus: $2 million ($923,100 above slot value).
My rank: #65. MLB Pipeline: #62. Baseball America: #65.
Gage Jump will join his LSU teammate in heading west, and like Tommy White, he'll sign for well above slot value with a bonus fit for roughly the #47 pick. Jump, like White, was an extremely highly regarded prep prospect and actually had a chance to go in the first round, but made it to campus at UCLA instead. Tommy John surgery struck him down halfway through his freshman year, then he missed his entire sophomore season recovering. Transferring to LSU, he earned high praise from White for his fall performance before embarking on a strong 2024 season. Jump is a very interesting lefty. His fastball sits low to mid 90's and tops out around 96-97, but plays above its velocity with big riding and running life from a low release point. He has long leaned on his above average curveball that tunnels nicely off his fastball, but he moved more towards his slider in 2024 and found better results with that pitch. Jump has a changeup as well, though he doesn't use it as much and it will need more refinement in pro ball. The Orange County native uses a closed off delivery and gets deep into his glutes to ride down the mound and deliver the ball from an over the top slot while still maintaining that low release point. That creates some deception and gives his pitches some extra hop, and he did a great job pounding the strike zone in 2024 with just a 6.5% walk rate. The 6' lefty has a compact frame and lacks projection, though the now stuff is plenty and if he can maintain the command strides he's shown, he's a legitimate mid-rotation starting pitching prospect. Jump is highly competitive and has thrived in big game situations alongside White.

3-75: SS Josh Kuroda-Grauer, Rutgers {video}
Slot value: $1.04 million. Signing bonus: $1.04 million.
My rank: #82. MLB Pipeline: #90. Baseball America: #117.
Last year's first round selection of Jacob Wilson is looking good so far, so the A's doubled up in 2024 and grabbed a similar profile in the third round. Josh Kuroda-Grauer, who will join former Rutgers teammate and 2023 second rounder Ryan Lasko in the A's system, had two solid seasons in New Brunswick before breaking out with a massive 2024 in which his .428 batting average finished second in all of Division I behind only Rockies third overall pick and Golden Spikes Award winner Charlie Condon. Like Wilson, he is an elite contact hitter who ran absurd contact rates nearing 90%, helping him limit his strikeout rate to a minuscule 7.0% in 2024. Perhaps more impressively, he did so while running a relatively high chase rate, making contact with virtually every pitch in or out of the zone. It's a line drive approach in which he guides the ball around the field with precision, leading to high averages which will be sustainable in pro ball. The power is certainly below average, but his twitchy frame and whippy right handed swing help him produce enough impact to keep pitchers honest, giving him a shot for 5-10 home runs per season in pro ball. On the defensive side, Kuroda-Grauer is a sure handed shortstop with good feel for the infield, with plus speed as well that augments his range. His average arm limits him a little bit at the premium position, though he could become an above average to plus defender at second base should he slide across the bag. The North Jersey native seems most likely destined for a utility infielder role given his lack of power, but his high averages could help him play every day given his ability to stick up the middle on the defensive side. He's already moving quickly, having slashed .324/.421/.343 with a 9/12 strikeout to walk ratio over 28 games between Low A Stockton, High A Lansing, and AAA Las Vegas.

4-104: OF Rodney Green, California {video}
Slot value: $703,400. Signing bonus: $1 million ($296,600 above slot value).
My rank: #137. MLB Pipeline: #132. Baseball America: #96.
This could have been a really cool story about an East Bay kid staying home to play for his hometown team. Unfortunately, the Oakland A's have played their final game and are moving east to Sacramento, then on to Las Vegas so Rodney Green will never get to suit up in Oakland. Green grew up in Richmond, California, just fifteen miles north of the Coliseum, and attended El Cerrito High School just to the south of Richmond. He stayed home to attend Cal, where he has spent three years tantalizing with his raw tools but also causing worry with the rawness in his game. Green combines present physicality and additional projection on his 6'3" frame, effortlessly flicking the barrel through the zone for above average raw power that should get to plus in time, especially to the pull side. It's a bit of a unique left handed stroke in which he just drops his hands to the ball and then swats it away, but he's so strong that the ball jumps off his bat anyways. He's also a very patient hitter that makes sure to always get good pitches to hit, helping his power play in games with 28 home runs over the past two seasons. Green's major wart, though, is contact. He whiffs at an astounding rate even though he typically stays within the strike zone and doesn't sell out for power, really struggling to time up quality stuff over the plate. He struggled to just a .161/.316/.290 slash line in the Cape Cod League and struck out almost 40% of the time, and the jump to pro ball may be a steep one. Green will need to make massive strides in his timing and pitch recognition – if he can, he has the approach to make the most of even incremental improvements. Meanwhile, he's a plus runner that has stolen 44 bases over the past two seasons and projects to play center field in the long run, which takes some pressure off his hit tool. If Green does make enough contact, he has a chance to play every day while hitting 20-25 home runs per season with low batting averages but solid on-base percentages, though the swing and miss may limit him to a platoon/fourth outfielder role. He's off to a good start moving towards the higher projection, slashing .289/.368/.464 with three home runs, nine stolen bases, and a 30/13 strikeout to walk ratio over 24 games at Low A Stockton.

5-137: RHP Sam Stuhr, Portland {video}
Slot value: $510,000. Signing bonus: $510,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #184. Baseball America: #207.
Sam Stuhr (pronounced with a long U) gives the A's another West Coast prospect. Having grown up in Portland, he began his college career at Lower Columbia JC in southern Washington before transferring to Oregon State, where he watched the Beavers play from the bench for two seasons. Given his lack of playing time, he transferred once more to the University of Portland back in his hometown to great success. Stuhr sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and touches 97-98, though the pitch is fairly straight and he'll opt for an upper 80's cutter at times. He throws both a slider and a curveball, with the latter showing late bite to carve up hitters while the former gives him another solid option. He throws a changeup as well, but it's a bit behind. The 6'1" righty is very physical and can overwhelm hitters with his peak stuff, but his command is below average as he throws with some effort trying to blow past hitters. If Stuhr wants to remain a starter, he'll have to ease off the gas pedal just a little bit to stay ahead in counts. A bit on the older side having turned 22 shortly after the draft, there's a good chance he winds up in the bullpen where he can sit near the higher end of his velocity and pitch more off his fastball/slider combination.

6-166: RHP Josiah Romeo, Mayfield HS [ON] {video}
Slot value: $385,500. Signing bonus: $550,000 ($164,500 above slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #237. Baseball America: unranked.
The A's are playing the long game with Josiah Romeo, who lacks a carrying tool but looks like the kind of arm that could progress steadily and turn into a mid-rotation starting pitcher. He showed extremely well in the MLB Draft League (2.51 ERA, 16/1 K/BB in 14.1 IP) and appears to be on that path already. The fastball presently sits in the low 90's, peaking at 94 in the lead up to the draft, with sinking action to keep it off barrels. He shows an average slider with some tilt, then will occasionally mix in a changeup in showcase settings. Nothing in the arsenal will strike big league hitters out just yet, but he's trending in the right direction and carries plenty of projection on his 6'3" frame. Romeo has a simple, repeatable delivery that helps him fill up the strike zone with above average command for his age, so his low 90's fastball comes naturally. As he fills out and gets more explosive on the mound, the velocity should tick up and he has a good chance to be in the mid 90's more often than not down the road. The Toronto-area native had previously been committed to Florida State.

7-196: C Dylan Fien, Great Oak HS [CA] {video}
Slot value: $300,200. Signing bonus: $550,000 ($149,800 above slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
The A's spent their first round picks in 2020 and 2022 on Tyler Soderstom (Turlock) and Daniel Susac (Roseville), respectively, and they'll grab a third Californian catcher here with Dylan Fien. A Temecula native out of Southern California, Fien had been committed to UCLA but like Josiah Romero, his $550,000 signing bonus fits in the late fourth round. He is a big, physical, switch hitting catcher listed at 6'3", 210 pounds with room to keep filling out. He produces above average power for now and should grow into plus power as he continues to get stronger and more explosive at the plate, with long arms and legs that create additional leverage. The left handed swing is a bit smoother than the right, though like any power hitting prep catcher you'll find in this range of the draft, he does have questions about swing and miss. High school catchers have a steep learning curve in pro ball and switch hitters have it even tougher, so the A's will have to be patient with Fien as he learns the ropes against pro pitching. They're hoping that patience pays off with a potential 25 home run backstop on their hands in the long run. While he's certainly big, Fien moves well behind the plate and has a solid chance to stick there if he keeps up his conditioning and maintains his quickness. If he's forced out, he's not a burner but he may be able to give third base or a corner outfield spot a chance rather than going straight to first base with some solid athleticism.

8-226: SS Davis Diaz, Vanderbilt {video}
Slot value: $237,400. Signing bonus: $250,000 ($12,600 above slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #309.
Davis Diaz makes it two A's draftees from Contra Costa County who will be heading inland with the team. Diaz grew up in Pittsburg, about 25 miles northeast of Oakland and about 44 miles southwest of the team's temporary new home in Sacramento, but attended Acalanes High School across the county in Lafayette, just over the ridge from Oakland. A famous high school prospect who had interest in the top three rounds in 2021, he headed east to Vanderbilt instead and spent three years as a starter in Nashville. Despite playing in 182 of Vanderbilt's 185 games over the past three seasons (and all 123 over the past two), he never quite performed like the Commodores hoped and finished his career just a .243/.360/.369 hitter in an era where offense was up across college baseball. Ironically, he actually hit better with wood bats on the Cape last summer (.296/.427/.417) and beyond that, the underlying data points to better performance ahead. He's a disciplined hitter that runs high contact rates that helped him get on base at that .427 clip on the Cape last summer, with a compact 5'11" frame that helps him keep his swing short and direct. While he slugged just .369 over three years and never reached double digit home runs in a season, there's some sneaky pop in the profile when he turns on the ball and he could reach double digit home runs at the major league level at peak. All of the power does go to the pull side. It's not the world's most exciting offensive profile, but it's one with few holes and which could be enough to get him to the bigs in a utility role. Diaz played mostly third base at Vanderbilt but did see some time at shortstop earlier in his career there and played all over the infield on the Cape, and he should have enough glove to man shortstop in a reserve role. It's a quintessential utility infielder profile that can get on base and hold his own at the bottom of the lineup. He got on base but otherwise didn't hit for much impact in his brief pro debut, slashing .226/.397/.283 with a 9/8 strikeout to walk ratio over 14 games at Low A Stockton.

9-256: 3B Jared Sprague-Lott, Arkansas {video}
Slot value: $201,300. Signing bonus: $50,000 ($151,300 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
Jared Sprague-Lott has long enticed scouts first in the Mid-Atlantic and later in the SEC, earning considerable draft interest a year ago, but the A's managed to get a bargain here by bringing him in for just $50,000. Sprague-Lott spent three years at Richmond, where he leveraged a decorated career into the opportunity to play at Arkansas for his senior season. He held down the starting third base role for most of the season and put up a solid .290/.425/.491 line despite the jump in competition. Sprague-Lott is an on-base machine with a patient approach that he maintained against strong competition in the SEC, and he posted an OBP above .400 all four years of college with a career .431 mark. There's real juice in the bat, too, as he shows plus raw power when he turns on the ball with sneaky high top-end exit velocities. More of a contact type by nature, he prefers to use the whole field and hit for average instead, but that pop is certainly nice to have in your back pocket. The Philadelphia native is a strong defender too, showing very well at the hot corner in Fayetteville after playing all around the infield for Richmond. This is one of the savvier senior signs in the class and Sprague-Lott has a chance to be a real value add as a utility infielder, with the ceiling to do more and play every day if he can tap his power more in games while continuing to get on base. 

11-316: RHP Kyle Robinson, Texas Tech {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: #208. MLB Pipeline: #182. Baseball America: #101.
Kyle Robinson earned some early day two interest at times and some publications such as Baseball America held him in that range for their final list, but the A's did well to pick him up to begin day three. A Northern Virginia native who went to high school just down the street from where I live now, he has taken on a larger and larger role at Texas Tech and spent 2024 in the weekend rotation. The fastball sits in the low 90's and peaks at 96, albeit with average life. It's a deep arsenal led by an above average slider with power and late bite, while his curveball is more of a show-me pitch. Robinson also adds an above average changeup with great fade, so he has numerous ways to get hitters out. A mountain of a man at 6'6", 210 pounds, he's very physical right now and could throw harder as he gets into a pro conditioning program. It's a low effort, tall and fall type of delivery that keeps things simple and leads to average command of all of his pitches, as well as plenty of durability. He probably lacks upside because he's not the most explosive arm out there, but he projects well as a #4 or #5 starter if he can miss enough bats with his secondaries and hold his command together. Robinson is also young for the class and was still 20 on draft day, which does add a tick of upside. The A's gave him three appearances at Low A Stockton, where he allowed seven runs (six earned) over seven innings, striking out nine and walking three.

12-346: SS Ali Camarillo, Texas A&M {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $250,000 ($100,000 against bonus pool).
My rank: #201. MLB Pipeline: #236. Baseball America: #180.
Ali Camarillo is another nice find on day three, signing for a seventh round signing bonus in the process. A Chula Vista native, Camarillo spent two years at Cal State Northridge, where he hit .371 as a sophomore and transferred to Texas A&M for his junior season. Starting every game for the Aggies at shortstop, he was a defensive star with his slick glove, smooth actions, and overall strong feel for the dirt. The arm is closer to average than plus, but with the way he moves over there, it will be plenty to stick at shortstop. At the plate, his skinny 6'1" frame lends itself more to contact than power, and he's indeed a pretty strong contact hitter that gets on base at a solid clip. The power is below average and he'll likely never reach double digit home runs in a season unless he changes his approach, so ultimately it's unlikely that he hits enough to play every day. However, his glove will carry him well up the ladder, so as long as he hits a little bit, he has a very good chance to become a big league utility man.

The Top 12 High School Pitching Prospects Headed to Campus

Earlier, we looked at the top position players reaching campus, so now we'll pivot to the pitchers. The pitchers on last year's list haven't quite made the immediate impact of last year's position players, but sometimes it takes them longer to get acclimated to the higher level. After picking up two of the top nine position player prospects in Cody Schrier and Malakhi Knight, UCLA is back with two of the top three pitching prospects to really hammer home a fantastic recruiting class. Because #10 James Peyton Smith switched up and will go the JuCo route, this list is a bit unusual in that there are no Florida Gators or LSU Tigers and only one Vanderbilt Commodore, the latter not showing up until the last spot on the list (though Florida did pick up three in the "just missed" group and LSU got one). 

1. LHP Gage Jump, UCLA (JSerra Catholic HS, CA). 2021 rank: #20.
Gage Jump is the top overall prospect to reach campus, edging out #25 Peyton Stovall (Arkansas) on the position player side. Jump is a really, really interesting pitcher that has made himself a lot of fans on the West Coast and across the country despite being undersized. The 5'11" lefty has a low 90's fastball that has reached as high as 96, while bringing a deep curveball, a distinct slider, and a changeup. Everything plays up because despite his shorter stature, he gets exceptional extension for his size and puts big spin rates on his stuff, creating a ton of movement in the best way. That fastball sneaks up on hitters and regularly evades barrels up in the zone, while his curveball plays off it really well. He does a good job of pounding the strike zone and a little more refinement when it comes to repeating his delivery could give him above average command. Jump has been noted for his knowledge of the game and feel for pitching on top of everything else, which should help him jump into that UCLA rotation right away after it lost Nick Nastrini (Dodgers, fourth round), Jesse Bergin (Marlins, eleventh round), Sean Mullen (Rays, eleventh round), and Zach Pettway (Indians, sixteenth round) to the draft. Some have compared the Orange County product to a left handed Jack Leiter, as a shorter pitcher who uses his body extremely well and understands his craft. Look for Jump to try to work his way into the first round in 2024.

2. LHP Josh Hartle, Wake Forest (Reagan HS, NC). 2021 rank: N/A (removed from rankings).
Josh Hartle was among the first players to announce his intention to go to school rather than pro ball, while Wake Forest is getting exactly the kind of profile that could reemerge as an early first round pick in 2024. He's earned comps to Kyle Harrison, who signed above slot with the Giants in the third round last year, but he's seven months younger (relative to his class) and throws a bit harder at the same stage of his career. For that reason, had he been on my final rankings, he would have been just outside the first round range. Hartle sits in the low 90's and gets up to around 94, which isn't overwhelming velocity but plenty for now especially given his projection. He adds a sweepy slider with great depth that could become a plus pitch in time, though for now it lacks power and plays closer to average. He also has great feel for his changeup that rounds out his arsenal really nicely, and in turn gives him a chance for three plus pitches if all goes well at Wake Forest. The 6'5" lefty fills the strike zone consistently and repeats his low three quarters delivery well, but perhaps his best attribute is projection. With an ideal frame and an easy delivery, scouts are certain there is more velocity in the tank and he could legitimately add three to five miles per hour to his fastball in Winston-Salem as he gets stronger. Combine that with his stuff and strike throwing ability from the left side, and you have all of the ingredients for a future top ten pick, and in turn a future big league ace. Of course, he has to stay healthy, make those strength gains, and hold his command as they come in order to reach that ceiling, but I see no reason why he won't. The Winston-Salem native will be a priority follow for Carolina area scouts over the next few seasons and the Demon Deacons have likely found their heir to Ryan Cusick at the front of their rotation, if not in 2022 then likely by 2023.

3. RHP Thatcher Hurd, UCLA (Mira Costa HS, CA). 2021 rank: N/A (removed from rankings).
Like Josh Hartle, Thatcher Hurd removed himself from the draft well before the event got started and therefore was not in my final rankings, but he would have ranked in the second round range. Hurd shares a lot of similarities to both Hartle and fellow UCLA commit and #1 recruit Gage Jump, with exactly the kind of profile that goes to school and reemerges as an early first round pick. Relatively new to pitching, he sits around 90 right now and gets up to around 93-94 consistently, but like Hartle, there is a ton more in the tank. His slider and curveball are two unique breaking balls that are still works in progress, but the slider regularly looks like an above average pitch already while the curveball looks like it should become at least an average offering. The changeup is a bit behind, but he does show feel for it. Everything plays up because the Oakland-area native (who transferred to the Los Angeles area for his senior year) mirrors Jump a bit in that he gets high spin rates on everything that put ride on his fastball and more movement on his breaking balls. He pounds the strike zone very well for someone who is new to pitching, and while he can be a little bit rushed in his delivery at times, it's clean overall and he repeats it well. Hurd stands out for his feel for pitching and work ethic as well, constantly looking for ways to improve his game and stand out in the crowded field of young pitchers looking for a shot. Add that onto the projection in his 6'4" frame, the freshness of his arm, and the development he'll get at UCLA, and you have a potential ace in the making. He's a bit behind Jump and slightly behind Hartle in present velocity, but he could catch up in no time. Look for Gage Jump and Thatcher Hurd to lead a new era of UCLA arms and try to replicate the Trevor Bauer/Gerrit Cole era.

4. RHP Caedmon Parker, Texas Christian (The Woodlands Christian HS, TX). 2021 rank: #69.
As with Josh Hartle and Thatcher Hurd, Caedmon Parker withdrew from the draft before it started, but by then he was already on my final rankings and remained at #69. Parker, like Hartle and Hurd, is a big time projection play who has a chance to become an absolute monster under pitching guru and new TCU head coach Kirk Saarloos. His fastball is currently inconsistent in its velocity, at times chilling in the upper 80's but at others reaching back for as much as 94-95. He adds an improving curveball in addition to a sweepy slider with great depth, and he shows good feel for a changeup as well. The 6'4" righty has an ideal frame to add velocity and shows a ton of athleticism on the mound, with a springy, low effort delivery that could use a little cleanup that Saarloos and co. are certainly up to the task on. While that delivery can be a little inconsistent at times, when he is repeating it well, he shows above average command that is especially nice to see given that he's split his focus with football up to this point. The Houston-area native is also relatively young for the class and didn't turn 18 until a month before the draft, which combined with his frame, athleticism, spin rates, and natural movements on the mound should enable him to continue trending up. Parker was one of my favorite arms in this class and I had him ranked well ahead of Prospects Live (#100), MLB Pipeline (#110), and Baseball America (#222), and I look forward to following his development in Fort Worth.

5. RHP Jackson Baumeister, Florida State (Bolles HS, FL). 2021 rank: #75.
Jackson Baumeister was trending up quickly this spring, but ultimately not quickly enough to be diverted away from a strong commitment to Florida State. Last year, the Seminoles picked up the top incoming freshman pitching prospect in the country in Carson Montgomery, who was more solid than spectacular in his debut this spring (4.50 ERA, 39/23 K/BB in 28 IP). While Montgomery stood out in part for his extreme youth, Baumeister is old for his class and is actually a couple weeks older than Montgomery despite being a grade behind. That means that he and Montgomery will both be eligible together for the 2023 draft, so he'll want to hit the ground running in Tallahassee. The good news is that Baumeister is absolutely up to the task, bringing a combination of "now" stuff and projection comparable to anybody in the class. His fastball is consistently in the low 90's now and is getting up to around 95, while his curveball shows both sharpness and depth and looks like a true plus pitch when he rips through it right. He mainly works off of those two pitches and will need to gain more feel for his changeup and perhaps get a bit more consistent with that curveball, which can be slurvy at times, but it's a really exciting package nonetheless. The 6'3" righty is a great athlete and gets down the mound extremely well, releasing the ball out in front and making his pitches jump on hitters. While the command is relatively inconsistent at this point, it has been trending in the right direction and some refinement under the Florida State coaching staff should help him get to average in that regard. If he can make incremental adjustments here and there, we've got another potential first rounder on our hands who could be truly electric when all is said and done. The Jacksonville native had a ton of fans in the 2021 draft who saw him as a clear-cut top two rounds arm already, and now he has two years to build on that.

6. RHP Chase Burns, Tennessee (Beech HS, TN). 2021 rank: #84.
Chase Burns was one of the more polarizing prospects in the 2021 class, with many believing he belonged firmly in the top two rounds (both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America ranked him in the top fifty) and others seeing a boom or bust profile that fit better in the third or fourth round. I fell into the latter bucket, but regardless the Volunteers are getting one of the single most electric arms in the entire class. Burns has an elite fastball that sits consistently in the mid 90's has reached 101, playing up even further with spin rates and riding action that make it near impossible to square up. At his best, his curveball has vicious bite while his shorter slider darts away from bats late, but both are inconsistent and can flatten out regularly. He's shown the makings of a decent changeup but hasn't shown his best version of that pitch consistently yet. The 6'4" righty has done a very good job of improving his delivery and can fill up the strike zone when he's on, though his actions remain a little bit rigid for my taste and he does throw with effort, losing his arm slot at times. Hard throwing preps have had a poor track record as of late, and because he gets to his velocity more through brute force than natural extension and kinetic chain, I see considerable reliever risk here. My guess is he'll likely spend his freshman season as a reliever in Knoxville, but the Nashville-area product has a chance to prove his proponents right and his doubters wrong by sticking in the weekend rotation over a full season if not in 2022 then in 2023 and 2024. If not, the power stuff should be absolutely wicked out of a big league bullpen.

7. LHP Hagen Smith, Arkansas (Bullard HS, TX). 2021 rank: #100.
Arkansas brought in the top incoming position player prospect in the country in Peyton Stovall, and between him and Hagen Smith, the Razorbacks now have the two most dominant performers in recent memory from the Piney Woods/Ark-La-Tex region. While Stovall went on a home run barrage that seemingly lasted all season against northern Louisiana pitching, Smith threw no-hitter after no-hitter against his East Texas competition and now they'll be teaming up in Fayetteville. Smith is a really interesting arm with a fastball around 90 that can get up to around 95, showing nice arm side run from a lower arm slot. He complements that well with an above average slider that flashes plus, and also gets some drop on a decent changeup. There is some Brusdar Graterol in the profile, with most of his power coming from heavy torso rotation rather than a traditional drop and drive motion. The Arkansas coaching staff will want to smooth him out a little bit and make sure he really is getting everything he can out of his 6'3" frame, with more velocity very likely on the way as he fills out and crisps up that delivery. The Bullard, Texas native is extremely young for the class, more than a year younger than Jackson Baumeister, and didn't turn 18 until more than a month after the draft, so he has additional time to develop. Combine that with the fact that he's coming from off the prospect map in small town East Texas, and you have a recipe for rapid improvements in Fayetteville.

8. RHP/WR Brody Brecht, Iowa (Ankeny HS, IA). 2021 rank: #111.
Brody Brecht is probably the most athletic person on this list, and it's not particularly close. He's a star football player that will be playing wide receiver at Iowa, then he ran track over the winter and into the spring and got a late start to baseball because of it. Then, at least so it seems, he just stepped on the mound and started hitting the upper 90's like it's nothing, so we're talking premium natural talent. Brecht was always going to be a tough sign because he loves football and has no plans to give it up any time soon, so we'll just have to see how it goes at Iowa. Currently, he sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and has touched as high as 98, and it's really, really easy to envision more if he ever gives baseball his full attention. His slider looks like an absolute weapon at its best and he also shows good feel to spin a curveball, though for now the changeup is virtually non-existent. The 6'4" righty repeats his delivery well and stays around the zone with his stuff, so additional focus on pitching should help him get to above average command. We are talking about a huge ceiling for Brecht, with the potential to become the Big Ten's best arm since Max Meyer. For now though, we have a long way to go and we still don't have his full attention. That level of natural talent is just unbelievable.

9. OF/RHP Braden Montgomery, Stanford (Madison Central HS, MS). 2021 rank: #71.
Braden Montgomery's #71 ranking is actually as a position player, where he's a switch hitter with strong feel for the barrel and some power projection. Most don't think he has quite as much impact potential as a pitcher, but he has a chance to prove them wrong with additional development at Stanford. The Jackson-area native will head a long way from Mississippi to Silicon Valley for school, where he'll simultaneously look to break into the outfield and the weekend rotation. On the mound, Montgomery shows a low 90's fastball that can get up to about 95, adding a very solid curveball and changeup that give him a great three pitch starting point. He's very poised on the mound and fills up the strike zone consistently, with an athletic, low effort delivery that could use some minor smoothing out on the arm path but which is otherwise pretty clean. He's been noted as a hard worker who really cares about his craft, so if anybody can manage the workload of developing as a pro prospect as both a hitter and a pitcher, it's him. A few years ago, we saw another BM, Brendan McKay, develop into a monster on both sides of the ball at Louisville. Montgomery probably won't match both his 2.23 career ERA and .966 career OPS, but he could be the best two-way star since McKay.

10. RHP James Peyton Smith, Northwest Florida State JC (East Robertson HS, TN). 2021 rank: #122.
James Peyton Smith was originally committed to Vanderbilt, but switched his commitment to Northwest Florida State in July so he could be eligible for the 2022 draft. Smith has seen his game grow and change over the past few years, and while Vanderbilt would have been a great place to hone his craft and put it all together, he may not have gotten as many innings as he might have liked and of course would have to wait until 2024 to get drafted. At Northwest Florida State, he'll have a much easier time finding innings and if he can put it together this spring, he could be the first JuCo pitcher drafted. The Middle Tennessee native has recently seen his fastball tick up into the mid 90's, reaching as high as 98 at his best from a low three quarters arm slot. His slider is an above average pitch at its best, while his curveball is a step behind. Smith shows great feel for his changeup, which will hold down the fort while he works on the consistency of his breaking balls. The 6'4" righty hasn't quite shown consistent feel to spot his newfound, loud stuff, though he has been a good strikethrower in the past and may just need more time to get used to the mid 90's bullets coming from his right arm. It does take some effort for him to tap that big stuff, leading to reliever risk, and he'll look to the coaching staff in Niceville to help smooth that out a bit. Regardless, I expect him to carve up Florda JuCo hitters next spring and rank among the national leaders in strikeouts at that level. If he doesn't quite get things where he wants by the 2022 draft, he can always go back for another year or transfer to another Division I program. With a June birthday, he's also relatively young for his class.

11. RHP Eric Hammond, Southern California (Keller HS, TX). 2021 rank: #130.
UCLA is bringing in the best recruiting class in the country, but their cross town rivals did land Eric Hammond, who has a chance to be a first rounder in 2024. Hammond, a Texan with strong familial ties to California, already sits in the low 90's and can get up to 95-96 with plenty more projection in the tank. He also throws a slider, curve, and changeup, all of which are trending upwards and flash above average and should give him a complete arsenal to use in Los Angeles. He's generally around the zone, though command is going to be a focus point in his development over the next few years. The Dallas-Fort Worth product has a very slow, deliberate start to his delivery, but rushes through his arm stroke and finish which can affect his ability to repeat his release point. Cleaning that up is likely all that stands between Hammond and starting in pro ball. The 6'4" righty offers a ton of projection and should continue to add power to his stuff, and he has a chance to be one of the best pitchers on the West Coast over the next few seasons if he develops like he's expected to. USC missed out on Marcelo Mayer, who in my opinion was the best high schooler in the entire draft class by a fair margin, but should still be happy that they landed their future Friday night starter.

12. LHP Carter Holton, Vanderbilt (Benedictine Military HS, GA). 2021 rank: #135.
Ask any hitter on the showcase circuit last year, and they'll tell you Carter Holton was one of the toughest at bats they had. He'll head to Vanderbilt with one less arm to compete with now that James Peyton Smith is going the JuCo route, but no matter what the situation is in Nashville, it's always tough to find innings on that staff. Holton should be up for the task rather quickly as he shows strong feel for pitching and shouldn't have too steep of a transition to facing SEC lineups, though he still should get better and better during his time there. For now, he sits in the low 90's but can get up to 96 with his fastball, adding a sweepy curve and slider that can blend into each other and a very solid changeup that plays well off the rest of his arsenal. He comes in with some crossfire action that puts tough angle on the ball and adds perceived sweep to his breaking balls, but still fills up the strike zone more often than not. 5'11" lefty lacks projection and probably won't add a ton more velocity, but as Tim Corbin and co. help him get a bit more consistent in repeating his delivery and perhaps tighten up his breaking balls a bit, we could have a Friday night man by 2024, which is no small task at Vanderbilt. He mixes his pitches extremely well and improving his command from average to above average, which I see as highly likely, will make him exactly the kind of pitcher that carves up SEC lineups as if he's still in high school. The Savannah native's size probably makes it less likely he emerges as a first round pick, but he has a very good shot at working his way into the second round range.

Others:
#141 RHP Brandon Neely, Florida (Spruce Creek HS, FL)
#157 RHP Cale Lansville, Louisiana State (Thunder Ridge HS, CO)
#164 LHP Jac Caglianone, Florida (Plant HS, FL)
#171 RHP Will Koger, Louisville (Bardstown HS, KY)
#178 RHP Max Debiec, Washington (O'Dea Catholic HS, WA)
#182 RHP Luke Holman, Alabama (Wilson HS, PA)
#187 LHP Pierce Coppola, Florida (Verona HS, NJ)
#190 RHP Roman Kimball, Notre Dame (P27 Academy, SC)

2021 MLB Draft Review: San Diego Padres

Full list of draftees

The Padres stayed on brand with this draft, picking up two high school position players (both Maryland natives) with their first two picks. Some around the industry are a bit surprised by this draft, with first rounder Jackson Merrill being a bit of an unknown and second rounder James Wood (who earned $800K more) coming off a rough spring. Indeed, it will probably be boom or bust between these two kids, who could make AJ Preller look either really smart or foolhardy in a few years. After spending $4.4 million on those two kids, the Padres moved to the college ranks to save some money, picking up three consecutive pitchers who are already 22 or older, and really leaning on college players the rest of the way out. Kevin Kopps is of course the most interesting pick as the 24 year old Golden Spikes winner, while my favorite could end up being Ryan Bergert if he comes back healthy from Tommy John surgery.
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.

1-27: SS Jackson Merrill, Severna Park HS [MD]. My rank: #72.
This pick surprised many outside the industry, as Jackson Merrill was ranked #79 on MLB Pipeline and #102 on Baseball America. He was ranked #72 on my board and this will be a money saving pick, but don't think this was a reach. Merrill was a true pop-up prospect this spring, coming out for his senior season with a changed body and the results followed and then some. In addition to hitting for significantly more power than he has in the past, the Annapolis-area product also hit everything in sight, getting really nice leverage and loft from his now-6'2" frame and getting to that power consistently. He projects to stay on the right side of the infield with a strong arm, and given that the Padres are drafting him here in the first round, they probably think he'll be at least an average defender at shortstop. That remains to be seen, as does his ability to hit against higher-level pitching, as his bat is pretty untested against advanced competition. Merrill is committed to Kentucky but signed for $1.8 million, which was about $770,000 below the slot value of $2.57 million and about the value of the 41st pick.

2-62: OF James Wood, IMG Academy [FL]. My rank: #36.
I don't think I realized how tough of a spring James Wood had until after the draft, hence the high ranking. Wood, like Merrill, is from Maryland, but he transferred down to the IMG Academy in Florida to build his draft stock, which ultimately did not happen this spring. At his best over the summer, the 6'6" slugger showed massive raw power from the left side of the plate to go along with a patient approach that earned him comparisons to Zac Veen from last year's class. In fact, heading into the spring, many thought he had a chance to be drafted in the same range (Veen went ninth overall to the Rockies). The power was still there this spring, but Wood swung and missed significantly more often than scouts wanted to see, raising questions as to whether he could tap his power against pro pitching. He's a big guy with long legs and long arms and he starts with his hands low, something which wasn't an issue over the summer but could have contributed to making things difficult in 2021. Wood tweaked his setup at times as well, but to no avail. The Padres are buying into his massive upside here in the second round, and his presently above average speed also gives him an additional way to impact the game. He signed for $2.6 million, which was more than double the slot value of $1.1 million and in fact more than what Merrill signed for. $2.6 million would be roughly slot value for the 27th pick.

CBB-71: LHP Robert Gasser, Houston. My rank: #81.
Robert Gasser has had a meteoric rise to stardom after a winding road to get there. A Sacramento-area native, he began his career at New Mexico, moved on to Delta College back in California, then to the University of Houston, where he got knocked around in brief action in 2020. Things were different right from the start in 2021, however, after he followed strong starts against Texas Southern and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to match Tigers comp pick and Longhorn ace Ty Madden pitch for pitch in his third start. By the end of the season, Gasser had a 2.63 ERA and a strong 105/25 strikeout to walk ratio over 85.2 innings, including double digit strikeout performances against Texas State, Oklahoma, Memphis, and Tulane. He's a 6'1" lefty with a fastball that has ticked into the low 90's, touching 96, working in an above average slider that dives across the plate and a fading changeup. Gasser doesn't have pinpoint command but he locates his pitches well to both sides of the plate, and his low arm slot and crossfire action put some deception on his pitches. It's not the world's highest ceiling, but he has a chance to work his way up as a back-end starter, with a fallback option as a left handed reliever that can combine power stuff with a little bit of funk. Despite already having turned 22, he signed for full slot value at $884,200.

3-99: RHP Kevin Kopps, Arkansas. My rank: #188.
If you follow college baseball, you know all about Kevin Kopps. If you don't then you have a lot to catch up on. Kopps, like Gasser, has taken a long road to stardom, redshirting his freshman year in 2016 before serving as a solid if unspectacular reliever for Arkansas during his middle seasons (3.24 ERA, 86/30 K/BB in 86 IP). Those numbers were sandwiched around Tommy John surgery that wiped out his 2018 season, then Kopps struggled to an 8.18 ERA in the shortened 2020 season. Returning in 2021 for his redshirt-redshirt senior season, the switch flipped on. The Houston-area native went 12-1 with a 0.90 ERA and a 131/18 strikeout to walk ratio over 89.2 innings, running a strikeout rate near 40% against some of the best competition in college baseball. Despite often throwing three or four innings per relief appearance, he didn't allow more than one run in any single game until his last one of the season, in which he made his very first start of the season against a red hot NC State team on short rest and allowed three over eight innings in what ended up being Arkansas' final game. The 2021 Golden Spikes winner harkens back to Mariano Rivera a bit with his tendency to work off one pitch – a cutter/slider hybrid that can move along the spectrum. Kopps has legitimate 80 grade feel for the pitch, showing the ability to tighten it up, allow it to break with more depth at other times, and locating it with precision to all four quadrants of the zone. Flip on any one of his appearances this season and you would see very disciplined SEC hitters flailing at it, rarely putting good swings on the pitch. The 6' righty also shows a low 90's fastball that functions as average and a below average curve and changeup, but the cutter/slider is his bread and butter. Despite throwing seventeen innings in just two weeks during the NCAA Tournament (and allowing just three runs while striking out nineteen), Kopps almost certainly profiles as a reliever in pro ball due to his lack of a second above average pitch, but he says he prefers the "chaos" of relief work anyways as opposed to getting into a routine as a starter. Already 24 years old, he was the second oldest player taken in the entire draft behind White Sox seventh rounder Theo Denlinger (25), but he likely won't pitch in the majors this year due to his heavy workload in Fayetteville. Once the Padres get him rested up and on their throwing program, though, he could be up pretty quickly in 2022. Slot value is $587,400, but I doubt his bonus will come close to that.

4-129: LHP Jackson Wolf, West Virginia. Unranked.
Another pick, another senior sign. Jackson Wolf, unlike Gasser or Kopps, was a well-known name for the 2020 class after posting a 1.05 ERA and a 27/5 strikeout to walk ratio over 25.2 innings in the shortened season, but he went undrafted and returned to Morgantown. This year, he did everything that was expected of him, posting a 3.03 ERA and a 104/37 strikeout to walk ratio over 89 innings, but it wasn't quite an Andrew Abbott-esque or Matt Mikulski-esque performance to increase his stock significantly. He's a 6'7" lefty, which will immediately grab your attention, and he fills up the strike zone with three pitches. Wolf's fastball sits around 90, a slight tick above where it was last year, and can scrape the mid 90's at its best, but it plays up due to his excellent extension that really does make a difference. His slider is slurvy and his changeup is average at best, but the three pitches work well off each other and he's proven durable so far. He throws strikes, but it's not pinpoint command – just enough to make it all work. If the Columbus-area native is to remain a starter, he'll need to tighten up his offspeed pitches, but he more likely profiles as a reliever who can run that fastball up another tick or two and hopefully sharpen that slider. Slot value is $438,700, but I don't think he gets close to that.

5-160: 2B Max Ferguson, Tennessee. My rank: #179.
It was a tough season for Max Ferguson. A high school classmate of Alabama and now Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (a year older), in addition to Florida star and likely high 2022 pick Hunter Barco (a year younger), he had an unremarkable freshman season but slashed .333/.462/.524 in the shortened 2020 season, leading to some optimism that he could be a high pick in 2021. Instead, the Jacksonville native ended up at .253/.378/.461 with twelve home runs and a 71/47 strikeout to walk ratio over 67 games with a hitter-friendly home park, albeit against a tough SEC schedule. So what happened? Ferguson is a skinny kid at a listed 6'1", 180 pounds, and in that strong 2020 season he was noted as a strong contact hitter who might not hit for much impact in pro ball. So in 2021, he tried to show that impact by yanking home runs to the pull side and lifting the ball, and it worked to a degree with a strong .208 ISO (SLG - AVG), but it also came with an elevated 22.8% strikeout rate (up from 15% over his first two seasons). For a hitter who didn't quite sell the power, that's a tough look, and he'll likely need to go back to being hit over power in pro ball if he wants to succeed. The good news is Ferguson is a great athlete who shows strong bat to ball skills and barrel control when he's not trying to do too much, and with proper development he should be able to work his way back towards being a high on-base guy who can steal you a few bags (he has 28 in 114 career games at Tennessee). He fits at second base due to a below average arm, but could have the speed to handle center field. To me, it's a utility profile. He signed for full slot value at $324,100.

6-190: RHP Ryan Bergert, West Virginia. Unranked.
Four players were drafted out of West Virginia this year, and all four were pitchers going to NL West rivals – I didn't mention them in the Dodgers writeup, but Madison Jeffrey and Adam Tulloch went in the 15th and 17th rounds, respectively, to Los Angeles, while San Diego grabbed Jackson Wolf in the fourth and Ryan Bergert here in the sixth. I tabbed Bergert as a sleeper heading into the season, but unfortunately, he blew out his elbow and didn't pitch at all. Over his first two years in Morgantown, though, he was phenomenal – 2.30 ERA, 68/19 K/BB in 58.2 innings. His fastball sits in the low 90's, getting up to 94-95 at best, and playing up due to high spin rates. He also shows an inconsistent curveball that doesn't always have the finish he would like, but which should be an above average pitch with a bit more development, as well as an average slider. The 6'1" righty doesn't have much of a changeup this point, which will be a point of development in pro ball, and his command is average. He'll have to work his way back first, but once healthy, some tweaks here and there could make him a very solid rotation option. It's always hard to peg injured pitchers' signing bonus demands, and slot value sits at $251,100 here.

18-550: LHP Gage Jump, JSerra Catholic HS [CA]. My rank: #20.
With James Wood signing for $1.5 million above slot value, it's hard to see Gage Jump signing here, especially when he seemed dead set on heading to UCLA anyways. Jump, in my opinion, was the second best high school pitcher in the class behind only Jackson Jobe, who went third overall to the Tigers. He's an undersized lefty at 5'11", sitting in the low 90's with his fastball and getting up to 94-95. That fastball plays way up because he gets great extension, a low release, and high spin rates from that smaller frame, putting exceptional ride on the ball and missing plenty of bats. His top to bottom curveball plays extremely well off his fastball, and he adds an above average slider as well. Jump is a competitor that fills up the strike zone consistently, earning comps to a left handed Jack Leiter, and he could find himself in a similar position after three years in Westwood. He attended high school not far from San Diego, just an hour or so north of PETCO in San Juan Capistrano.

20-610: RHP Chase Burns, Beech HS [TN]. My rank: #84.
This is another one that almost certainly won't sign. Chase Burns is one of the hardest throwers in the prep class, touching triple digits with his fastball and usually sitting in the mid 90's, and it gets exceptional spin and ride (like Jump, but faster) that make it a plus-plus pitch when it's located. Burns also adds an inconsistent curve that flashes plus 12-6 movement at its best, and his slider is a bit shorter but flashes plus as well with late bite. His changeup is inconsistent as well, but has its moments. The problem here is that his delivery is somewhat rigid, which combined with the poor history of hard throwing high schoolers, makes it a very scary profile. I would like to see the Nashville-area native head to Tennessee, which it looks like is going to happen, to prove his durability as a starting pitcher before jumping on board. If he does hold up over three years in Knoxville, we're looking at a huge ceiling for the 6'4" righty.