Major League Baseball’s 2024 Draft wrapped up on Tuesday, just hours before the All-Star Game and after three days of selections. The event got underway on Sunday night when the Cleveland Guardians chose Oregon State second baseman Travis Bazzana with the first No. 1 pick in franchise history. When all was said and done, teams made more than 600 additional picks over 20 rounds.
MLB’s draft is unlike other sports, particularly the NFL and NBA, where these players are expected to step to the game’s highest level immediately. Even most of the first-round picks will spend considerable time in the minor leagues before debuting. Still, why should other sports get to have all the fun of rendering instant judgment on draft classes?
Below, I’ve taken a swing at grading all 30 teams’ drafts. Anyone worth their salt will tell you this is a foolish endeavor for various reasons. I agree, which is why I’ve made the grade the least important part of the piece.
Think of this more as a dressed-up reason to highlight interesting trends and draftees for each team rather than anything else and you’ll have the right idea. As for the actual grades, I went off two main criteria: 1) did these picks conform with expectations — mind you, not always a worthwhile rubric — and 2) can I see a pathway for this pick to pay dividends? I also tried to stay flexible and mindful of the greater context — e.g., some teams could only do so much given their limited picks and bonus pools.
Teams (mostly) know what they’re doing these days, so it should come as no surprise that there are a ton of A’s, B’s, and C’s, and only a couple of grades lower than that. With all the fine print out of the way, let’s get to it.
The Diamondbacks had five of the first 102 picks, but they did not make their initial selection until No. 29. Slade Caldwell is a toolsy, undersized outfielder. We don’t think Arizona’s front office minds — they’ve benefitted from taking chances on Corbin Carroll, Alek Thomas, and, dating back to their days in Boston, Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi. Getting Ryan Waldschmidt, an accomplished SEC outfielder with sparkling analytics who grew on scouts as the season progressed, at No. 31 seems like a potential steal. Throw in shortstop JD Dix, catcher Ivan Luciano, and righty Daniel Eagen, and I think the D-backs did well despite a late start. Grade: A.
There was a lot of buzz earlier in the summer that lefty Cam Caminiti would go in the top 15 picks. The Braves had to feel lucky that he slipped to them at 24. He’s a physical southpaw with velocity and bloodlines (his cousin was the late NL MVP Ken Caminiti). If the Braves’ player development staff — somehow underrated nationally despite the team’s homegrown core — can help him refine his breaking balls, he could be the latest in a line of impressive Atlanta pitching prospects. Atlanta returned to the college pitching well for second- and third-rounders Carter Holton and Luke Sinnard. Each has mid-rotation potential, though both have experienced some arm troubles already. Getting a player with Caminiti’s upside at 24 makes this a successful draft alone, in my opinion. Grade: A.
The Orioles took a college-heavy approach, not drafting a prepster until round six. (As is often the case, Baltimore didn’t take a pitcher until the fourth.) Vance Honeycutt is reminiscent of Baltimore’s past selections Jud Fabian and Dylan Beavers, in that he’s a better hit tool away from being a potential All-Star-caliber player. The Orioles doubled up on Virginia players from there, popping shortstop Griff O’Ferrall and catcher/first baseman Ethan Anderson. Don’t sleep on third-round outfielder Austin Overn, either: he’s one of the fastest players in the class, even if he’ll need to prove he can survive pro-level pitching — in that respect, he reminds me of last year’s first-round pick Enrique Bradfield Jr. There’s plenty of upside here; it’s up to Baltimore’s player development staff to extract it. Grade: B.
I was a little lower than others on outfielder Braden Montgomery — and that was even before he injured his ankle during the postseason. There are some enticing right-tail possibilities here because he’s a switch-hitter with thump; still, there’s enough swing-and-miss for me (and some other teams I talked to) to have had him right around where the Red Sox picked him at No. 12. The Red Sox notably stayed on campus until the eighth round. A few of those picks we’ll highlight: giant lefty Peyton Tolle, who really gets downhill and earns credit for his deep release point and deceptiveness; Brandon Neely mostly relieved in college, but found himself picked No. 86 despite that fact and a 5.13 ERA this season; and outfielder Zach Ehrhard, who comes full circle after originally being chosen by Boston out of high school. Eighth-rounder Conrad Cason won’t turn 18 until August and has the making of a good three-pitch mix. Keep an eye on him. Grade: B.
Maybe it shouldn’t have been a surprise that the Cubs popped Florida State third baseman Cam Smith. He followed a similar arc as their first-round pick from last summer, Matt Shaw, by leveling up near the end of the Cape Cod League. Smith is an interesting prospect: he struck out less often this season following a swing change, and has plenty of strength in his arm and his bat. There is a chance he’ll need to move off the hot corner, however, putting more emphasis on his offensive game porting. Second-round pick Cole Mathis was an analytics darling who had a two-way career at the College of Charleston. Fourth-rounder Ty Southisene is a quality, undersized athlete with a feel for hitting and a chance to stick at the six. Grade: B.
It’s a little too on the nose that the White Sox drafted Hagen Smith with their first pick, but what’s one more low-slot lefty for the organization best known for them? I was a little lower on Smith than the consensus because of a bloated walk rate (he issued free passes more than 10% of the time), yet there’s no denying his swing-and-miss ability. Second-round pick Caleb Bonemer had a chance to launch himself into first-round consideration this spring; he didn’t do that, but he has a fast bat and a chance to stick on the left side of the infield, even if it’s not necessarily shortstop. It’ll be interesting to see if the White Sox try to get lefty Blake Larson to chuck his slider any harder than he does. Whatever the case, he’s an interesting arm and — yes, also a lower-slot lefty to boot. Grade: B.
I don’t know that any team secured more “name” players than the Reds did; that doesn’t necessarily mean much on its own, but I think they amassed a good collection of prospects along the way. Chase Burns was the best pitcher in the class in my book: he has a high-end fastball-slider combo and a four-pitch arsenal overall, and he should move quickly through the system. Tyson Lewis is an athletic shortstop with some power and speed. Luke Holman was a first-round candidate back in the spring and has a chance to become a mid-rotation starter. Outfielder Mike Sirota was also a first-round candidate in the spring: a small-school product with a big swing. He had a rough start to the year that caused his stock to slip. Then there’s second baseman Peyton Stovall, a low-frills SEC-vetted bat who will need to hit to reach The Show. Grade: A.
Cleveland Guardians
If you pick first overall, you better walk away with a good grade. The Guardians do. Travis Bazzana has a great feel for the barrel and makes top-notch swing decisions; some evaluators nitpicked him by pointing out that he’s physically maxed out, but the Guardians weren’t scared off by that proposition. Prep righties Braylon Doughty and Joey Oakie are both intriguing in different ways (Doughty would seem to have more floor; Oakie more ceiling), and Miami lefty Rafe Schlesinger’s low arm slot and fastball-slider pairing make him an interesting fourth-round get. I’d be remiss to overlook second-round catcher Jacob Cozart: he’s on the larger side for a backstop (6-foot-3), but he had a big offensive showing this season and was worth the plunge. Grade: A.
I’m a simple man. You get the best player on my list (Charlie Condon) at pick No. 3; you get an A no matter what else happens. (Though I must admit Condon potentially suiting up alongside Kris Bryant someday soon is a little on the nose.) The Rockies also took the most intriguing pitcher, Iowa righty Brody Brecht, in the class. It’s fair to scoff at the idea that Colorado can help unlock his immense upside — he’s struggled with his command throughout his collegiate career — but I will give them credit for doing well with Chase Dollander, their first-round pick last summer. Grade: A.
The Tigers were aggressive with high-school talent. They tapped lefty shortstop Bryce Rainer — the top prepster in the class, in my opinion — at No. 11, or several spots later than I expected him to go. He fits the modern archetype established by Corey Seager and, more recently, Gunnar Henderson. The Tigers then took high-school hurlers Owen Hall and Ethan Schiefelbein with their next two picks. Hall is already capable of missing bats up with his riseball, while Schiefelbein is a lefty who rocks spec recs and relies on his low-90s sinker and bulldoggedness. I liked fourth-rounder Michael Massey entering the spring, even if I’m resigned to him being a live-armed reliever at the next level. Grade: A.
The Astros had only one top-100 pick this draft, and that came near the end of the first round. They nabbed catcher Walker Janek, a surefire backstop with pull-side power. Houston’s next pick was San Diego right-hander Ryan Forcucci, whose durability woes are such that he finished his collegiate career with 132 innings over three seasons. Forcucci could prove to be a good get if he’s able to stay healthier heading forward. Dana Brown has proven time and again to be a deft drafter. I just can’t go higher than this grade based on the lack of earlier picks. Grade: C.
Opinions have and will continue to vary on Jac Caglianone. There’s no denying his strength or bat-to-ball skills, but he’s also a collegiate with a chase rate near 40%. Will that really work at the next level? I think the Royals were justified in finding out, even if other teams were much lower on Caglianone than No. 6. Kansas City loaded up on pitchers from there. Lefty David Shields checks all the boxes, and righty Drew Beam is an SEC-vetted contact manager. Fourth-round pick L.P. Langevin has some insane fastball metrics — to the extent that it’s easy to overlook the rest of his game, and the odds that he’s just a reliever at the next level. There’s a ton of variance here, but if the Royals play their cards right developmentally, they could end up sitting pretty in a few years. Grade: B.
I tackled the Angels’ draft in more detail elsewhere. I have no issue reaching a tad for second baseman Christian Moore, an SEC-vetted hitter who could move quickly. I’m less on board with taking two pitchers who might be fast-tracked as relievers, Chris Cortez and Ryan Johnson, with two other top-75 selections. When you have a poor big-league roster and farm system, I’m not sure you can justify that kind of approach. Whatever the case, the Angels did well to nab polished Texas A&M lefty Ryan Prager in the third. It’s a weird class overall, and while I recognize Cortez and Johnson’s talents, I just haven’t been able to talk myself into the strategy if both are relievers from the jump. (Do note that this grade softens considerably if the Angels are able to sign some of the prepsters they took in the second half of the draft, like Trey Gregory-Alford and Connor Gatwood.) Grade: D.
The Dodgers had only two top 100 picks on account of their offseason activity, and their second checked in at No. 98. They did about as well as they could have, in my estimation. Prep shortstop Kellon Lindsey is a burner with question marks about how his bat will play against professional pitching. Third baseman Chase Harlan has athleticism and real juice, and he only turned 18 a week ago. Fourth-round pick Jakob Wright has a nasty left-handed sweeper that should allow him to fit right in. The Dodgers might be the best player-development machine in the game, so keep an eye on these players. Grade: B.
The Marlins reached for first-rounder PJ Morlando, in my estimation; to his credit, he has performed well in showcase events, but it’s hard to feel great banking on a South Carolina prep first baseman/left fielder in the middle of the first round, especially with some of the other names that were on the board. Anyway, they made up ground later on by picking up Carter Johnson (who enjoyed some ill-advised Gunnar Henderson comparisons earlier in the year), Aidan May (possessor of a devastating sweeper), and Gage Miller with their subsequent four picks. We’ll dock a little because of Morlando, but this seems like a decent enough first group for the Marlins’ new regime. Grade: C.
I covered the Brewers draft in more detail elsewhere. The long and short of it is: they clearly trust their evaluations, as well as their development staff to get the most from Braylon Payne, Blake Burke, Bryce Meccage, Chris Levonas. They strayed far enough from convention that I feel obligated to dock their grade a bit. They may end up getting the last laugh; such is the burdensome risk of instant draft analysis. Grade: C.
Each of Minnesota’s first four picks has some serious questions to answer over the coming years. Can shortstop Kaelen Culpepper improve his breaking ball recognition? Will fellow shortstop Kyle DeBarge’s extreme contact skills be able to overcome his lack of pop? Might Billy Amick stick at third base, or will he fall into the ever-dreaded right-right first baseman category? And how about prep lefty Dasan Hill — can he avoid the attrition monster? All fair questions, and I’m not optimistic across the board. Even so, I think the Twins did well in landing all four, and I’ll give them the highest mark as a result. Grade: A.
Outfielder Carson Benge was a good way to start the draft for the Mets. He was an accomplished two-way player at Oklahoma State, but his future is only in the batter’s box. He’s shown he can make a lot of quality contact, and it’s possible that focusing only on hitting could help him make a leap. Second-round lefty Jonathan Santucci has good stuff, but evaluators had concerns about his durability and command after he walked nearly six batters per nine innings this season at Duke. Third-rounder Nate Dohm, a righty from Mississippi State, also has physical concerns. Should he put those behind him, he could prove to be a heck of a value get at pick No. 82. I can’t go higher than this because of the injury risk with Santucci and Dohm, but this class could look strong if they’re able to stay healthier than anticipated. Grade: B.
The Yankees picked a college pitcher with each of their first seven selections, along the way making it clear they were drafting for traits that can lend themselves to future success, and not simply selecting based on past success. That process began with Alabama righty Ben Hess, who had a rough season despite entering the year ranked in my top 30. Second-rounder Bryce Cunningham had an electric stint at the Cape Cod League last summer. Third-rounder and fifth-rounder Thatcher Hurd and Greyson Carter have far more talent than their numbers indicate, and so on. Going off performance, you’d think the Yankees had a so-so class; the potential is here for much more, and we happen to think they’ll hit on at least a few of these arms. If they do, no one is going to remember feeling confused checking out their stat lines on draft night. Grade: B.
I had Nick Kurtz ranked at No. 4 based on intel that linked him to the A’s. Sure enough, they stayed true. Kurtz should be a safe prospect: he was highly productive at Wake Forest and pairs a good eye with strength and some athleticism. The recent history of first-round collegiate first basemen is wretched, though, and I would have dropped him on my list if I didn’t feel confident about the A’s interest. Second-round pick Tommy White had a prolific collegiate career as well. His lack of a sure defensive home and some approach questions (he walked a startlingly low percentage of the time, given his power output) dropped him on my list. Comp pick Gage Jump is a well-known lefty who projects as a reliever at the next level. I’ll acknowledge that I’m just lower on the profiles here than the consensus. Feel free to bump this up a grade if you aren’t of the same mind. Grade: C.
Philadelphia kicked off its draft with a pair of prep outfielders. I was lower on first-rounder Dante Nori based on his age (he’ll turn 20 in October) and lack of physical projection — something teams tend to desire in their top picks. His boosters see a polished center fielder with some offensive promise, however, and it’s possible the Phillies end up being more than I am on him. Second-rounder Griffin Burkholder has raw juice and can really run, making him an intriguing upside play. I also want to highlight fourth-rounder Carson DeMartini, who showed good strength at Virginia Tech but did strike out a concerning amount. I’m docking this grade just a touch because of the Nori pick, but if you’re a bigger believer in his game, it’s fair to bump it up to a B. Grade: C.
The Pirates took some major cuts this week, beginning with prepster Konnor Griffin at No. 9. He has every tool but one (the hit), and he could mature into a star if he can improve his bat-to-ball skills. Comp-rounder Levi Sterling is a promising right-hander who won’t turn 18 until September (an attribute that no doubt made him more appealing to model-based organizations). Shortstop Wyatt Sanford, meanwhile, can really play the position and has some interesting potential offensive outcomes. The Pirates also nabbed a pair of interesting collegiates: lefty Josh Hartle, who had a miserable season but was previously well-regarded, and outfielder Will Taylor, himself once a top prepster who decided instead to play baseball and football at Clemson. Grade: A.
San Diego’s front office boasted five picks in the top 150, and they did well to make the most of them. First-round Kash Mayfield is a prep lefty who benefited from late-summer helium thanks to improved velocity. Boston Bateman is a massive lefty with velocity and spin. Cobb Hightower is a UNC commit and infielder with some pop from the right side. The Padres also nabbed outfielder Kavares Tears from a loaded Volunteers squad a round later than he was expected to go entering the draft, and later on snatched prepster Kale Fountain, who boasts some impressive strength and athleticism, later on. There’s a fair amount of variance here, as you would anticipate from a group that includes two prep arms and two non-consensus prep bats, but the Padres have a chance to look back on this class with glee. Grade: B.
The Giants had just one pick in the top 100 on account of their offseason activity. They used the 13th selection on Florida State outfielder James Tibbs III. He projects as a solid corner outfielder who improved each year at FSU. The Giants took a bigger upside swing in the fourth, with Mississippi State outfielder Dakota Jordan. Few can match Jordan’s speed and strength profile, but his usability is lagging, and precedent isn’t on his side, given that he struck out in more than 30% of his conference plate appearances. I can’t go too much higher because of the lack of picks, but if the Giants can help Jordan achieve self-actualization, they’ll end up with arguably the steal of the draft. Grade: B.
Seattle’s interest in switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje wasn’t a well-kept secret heading into the draft. I think he has the chance to be a middle-of-the-rotation starter or better, thanks to a very good right-handed fastball, a swing-and-miss breaker, and good athleticism. The Mariners weren’t done adding promising arms, either. Second-rounder Ryan Sloan is a physical right-hander whose arsenal features steak and sizzle. All the casual caveats about prep righties apply, of course, but you can understand why Seattle would take the risk at No. 55. Grade: A.
The Cardinals landed arguably the best value in the draft when West Virginia infielder JJ Wetherholt fell to seventh. He was the No. 1 player on my board entering the season, and his stock was diminished only by a hamstring injury that sidelined him for half the season. There’s a risk with smaller-stature players and soft-tissue injuries, but Wetherholt’s fall is reminiscent of Brooks Lee’s drop a few years back. I think the Twins are quite all right with how that worked out, and I suspect the Cardinals will be as well in short order. Grade: A.
First-round pick Theo Gillen was a personal fav: a pure hitter with good wheels and a chance to play somewhere up the middle. The Rays announced him as an outfielder, suggesting they’re going to plop him down in center field without bothering with his subpar arm at either short or second base. Tampa Bay went back up the middle with Émilien Pitre and Tyler Bell. Pitre is another pure hitter who showed improved slugging capacity this season and ought to stick at second; Bell is an athletic, smooth-fielding shortstop and a promising switch-hitter, albeit an overaged one from Illinois — the Rays are a model-based team, so they must really like him and his chances of turning into a legitimate two-way contributor to overlook those perceived blemishes. Grade: A.
The Rangers, the defending champions, did not make their first selection until No. 30. They used it on catcher Malcolm Moore. He remains promising (foremost at the plate) despite some so-so topline numbers that I’ve blamed on his extreme fly-ball tendencies. Their other top picks were a little less inspiring to me. Outfielder Dylan Dreiling will have to keep hitting to atone for projecting as a left fielder without great defensive or baserunning value, and fellow outfielder Casey Cook had such a rough experience in the Cape Cod League (.175/.313/.225 over 31 games) that it’s hard for me to buy in fully. That doesn’t mean Dreiling or Cook are doomed; both may go on to have good big-league careers — and Lord knows the Rangers have made some picks that worked out brilliantly after I critiqued them on draft night. Based on the information available to me today, I have to ding this class. Grade: D.
Getting Trey Yesavage, who many evaluators considered the third best collegiate arm in the class, at No. 20 counts as a win. The Blue Jays stuck with pitching for their other top-100 picks, netting righty Khal Stephens at No. 59 and lefty prepster Johnny King at No. 95. King is of particular note: he won’t celebrate his 18th birthday until later in the month, and he throws from a low slot, as is the modern preference. (He does have some bad command indicators, including a creeping elbow and recoil on his follow-through, but there’s time to smooth that stuff out.) Provided there’s not some deeper issue with Yesavage, I think that pick alone gets them into B territory. Grade: B.
The Nationals plucked a pair of interesting collegiate hitters with their first two picks: Wake Forest infielder/center fielder Seaver King and Cal catcher Caleb Lomavita. Both have approach questions, but there’s no doubting their bat-to-ball skills and they each seem like reasonable bets to stay up the middle. New Jersey prep shortstop Luke Dickerson was an interesting pick-up in the second round because of his athleticism, and Texas Tech catcher Kevin Bazzell was a good value at No. 79. There’s some risk throughout, but I think the Nationals did a fine job adding interesting players to their system. Grade: B.