2024 MLB Draft Picks and Player Profiles Updated Live

• July 14, 2024

The 2024 MLB Draft begins Sunday at 7 pm Eastern and Sport Relay will be there with live updates and player profiles for the top draft picks. The “Wrigley Field of Rodeo” is the venue, at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas. Seventy-four amateur players will be selected on the draft’s first day. The Cleveland Guardians are choosing first overall for the first time in franchise history. The 2023 World Series Champion Texas Rangers have the 30th pick of the 2024 MLB Draft.

The top ten picks of the 2024 MLB Draft are presented with profiles complete with statistics below.

2024 MLB First Round Draft Order

1. Cleveland Guardians
2. Cincinnati Reds
3. Colorado Rockies
4. Oakland Athletics
5. Chicago White Sox
6. Kansas City Royals
7. St. Louis Cardinals
8. Los Angeles Angels
9. Pittsburgh Pirates
10. Washington Nationals
11. Detroit Tigers
12. Boston Red Sox
13. San Francisco Giants
14. Chicago Cubs
15. Seattle Mariners
16. Miami Marlins
17. Milwaukee Brewers
18. Tampa Bay Rays
19. New York Mets
20. Toronto Blue Jays
21. Minnesota Twins
22. Baltimore Orioles
23. Los Angeles Dodgers
24. Atlanta Braves
25. San Diego Padres
26. New York Yankees
27. Philadelphia Phillies
28. Houston Astros
29. Arizona Diamondbacks
30. Texas Rangers

2024 MLB Draft Picks

2024 MLB Draft Picks and Profiles

1. Travis Bazzana – Cleveland Guardians

Hailing from Sydney, Australia is the first overall 2024 MLB Draft pick, second baseman Travis Bazzana. The junior from Oregon State University crushed the competition in 2024 on his way to multiple awards. Bazzana was a first-team all-American for seven organizations, including Baseball America and Perfect Game. The Pac-12 Conference Player of the Year was a Golden Spikes Award Finalist.

Bazzana set single-season records for OSU in 2024 for runs (84), home runs (28), and slugging percentage (.911). Additionally, he tied the OSU single-season record for walks (74). In 27 of OSU’s 60 games, Bazzana posted multiple hits. But his most impressive statistic may be reaching base in all 60 games in 2024. The second baseman now has the opportunity to sign with the Cleveland Guardians.

2. Chase Burns – Cincinnati Reds

The three Wake Forest players selected in the top ten are the talk of the 2024 MLB Draft. Chase Burns is the first of those players. Burns struck out an incredible 191 batters in 100 innings, which equates to 17.19 strikeouts per nine innings. Combining his massive strikeout numbers with only 30 walks in 2024 amounts to over a 6:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. His 191 strikeouts set the single-season record for Wake Forest.

Burns was selected 20th overall by the San Diego Padres in the 2021 draft but instead attended Tennessee University. After a freshman season posting a 6.10 ERA, he opted to transfer to Wake Forest where he bloomed. His fastball is straight but reaches up to 102 MPH. The average velocity on the heater is about 97-99 MPH. 100 MPH is not new to Burns as he touched that mark with his fastball in high school. The Cincinnati Reds now have the chance to sign the 21-year-old flamethrower.

3. Charlie Condon – Colorado Rockies

Charlie Condon led the NCAA in batting average (.433), home runs (37), slugging percentage (1.009), home runs per game (.62), and OPS (1.565). Without a scholarship offer out of high school, Cordon opted to walk on to the University of Georgia. After redshirting his first year at UGA, Cordon earned the National Freshman of the Year Award in 2023. Cordon continued the momentum from his freshman season to his sophomore season.

Condon won several national awards in 2024. The third player to lead the nation in both batting average and home runs in the same season, Condon became the University of Georgia’s first Golden Spikes Award recipient in 2024. He also won both the Dick Howser Trophy and became UGA’s first recipient of the Bobby Bragan National Collegiate Slugger Award in 2024. But the most impressive award he won was 2024 Player of the Year– and he won that award from Baseball America, D1Baseball, and Perfect Game.

4. Nick Kurtz – Oakland Athletics

The second Wake Forest player selected in the 2024 MLB Draft, Nick Kurtz, holds both the single-season (78) and career (189) Wake Forest records for walks. His walk numbers boosted his on-base percentage considerably, finishing 2024 at .531. Kurtz posted 25 more walks than hits and 36 more walks than strikeouts in 2024. Mastering the strike zone is something many batters aren’t able to accomplish until reaching triple-A, yet Kurtz shows he already has some mastery of the zone. It’ll be interesting to see how that mastery translates to the professional level.

A Golden Spikes and Dick Howser Trophy semifinalist in 2024, Kurtz served as a captain for the Demon Deacons. The Oakland Athletics, no strangers to on-base percentage, will now attempt to sign the young first baseman. Kurtz began 2024 rated as a Preseason First Team All-American by multiple organizations but finished 2024 as a Second Team All-American. This may potentially have dropped his draft position.

5. Hagen Smith – Chicago White Sox

Hagen Smith already dealt with adversity in his career, having Tommy John surgery during his sophomore season in high school. He bounced back in a big way by recording seven no-hitters in his senior season in 2021, a Texas preparatory school record. Opting to forego the MLB Draft and instead attend the University of Arkansas, he became a Razorbacks legend.

Smith’s 17.25 strikeouts per nine innings in 2024 not only led the NCAA but is the highest in NCAA history. Additionally, Smith led the nation in hits allowed per nine innings (4.39) and batting average against (.144). His 0.893 WHIP was seventh in the country. He was second in the nation in strikeouts (161) and fourth in ERA (2.04) in 2024. You can read more about Smith’s Razorbacks accomplishments here.

6. Jac Caglianone – Kansas City Royals

The Kansas City Royals are said to have selected Jac Caglianone as a two-way player. His 6’5″, 250-pound frame can not only seem imposing to opposing players but generates massive power on the offensive side of the diamond. According to his scouting report, Caglianone’s 35 homers may be the tip of the iceberg relative to his power. Add to that his ridiculous .419 batting average and 1.419 OPS in 2024 and the Royals

Caglianone’s pitching numbers leave something to be desired, but it’s his second season back since having Tommy John surgery. Having said that, he gave up too many walks (50), hits (62), and hit nine batters in 2024. He can reach 100 MPH with his heater and added a 90 MPH cutter for the 2024 season. Caglianone will need to harness his control and be more consistent to make it as a pitcher at the professional level, but he has great talent. Combine that with his massive potential as a hitter and the Royals could have a future superstar, provided they can sign him.

7. JJ Wetherholt – St. Louis Cardinals

The smallest player taken in the top ten in the 2024 MLB Draft, 5’10” second baseman JJ Wetherholt now has the opportunity to sign with the St. Louis Cardinals. Wetherholt won the Division I batting title (.449 AVG) as a sophomore, then saw his 2024 season hindered by a hamstring injury. He missed 24 games while playing in only 36. He performed well in 2024, but it was not nearly the .449/.517/.787 slash line from 2023.

According to his scouting report, some scouts praise Wetherholt as one of the best, if not the best offensive player they’ve seen. That is tremendous regard for the 21-year-old infielder and is reminiscent of what people said about Termarr Johnson, who was selected fourth overall in 2022 by the Pittsburgh Pirates and is currently in high-A. Time will tell whether or not Wetherholt can return to his sophomore form and do it at the professional level provided he signs with the Cards. But at 21 and only one year off from his success, he should be able to clear the injury hurdle and set up to compete in the minors.

8. Christian Moore – Los Angeles Angels

Christian Moore worked his way up the draft boards from the number 13 prospect to the eighth overall draft pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. Moore produced in each of his seasons at the University of Tennessee. He set the school’s single-season and career home run records with 34 homers in 2024 and 61 in his career. Additionally, Moore was instrumental in helping Tennessee win its first national championship.

Moore has been an OPS machine for the Volunteers, posting a 1.062 OPS as a freshman, 1.046 OPS as a sophomore, and 1.248 OPS as a junior. He is said to be a free swinger at the plate, but he’s also able to take walks with 38 in 72 games. Moore scored 11 more runs, recorded 39 more hits, and knocked in two more RBI than games played in 2024.

9. Konnor Griffin – Pittsburgh Pirates

The first high schooler and youngest player taken in the top ten of the 2024 MLB Draft, Konnor Griffin (shown on far right) made a statement in a big way his senior year by swiping 85 bags in 85 attempts, though some report that he actually stole 87 bags in 88 attempts. What players with speed need to do in the majors is get on base. Griffin’s on-base percentage was .690. He struck out 10 times in all of 2024 while walking 47 times. And he posted those numbers with a batting average of .559. The Pirates decided that his 2024 high school statistics were so impressive that they are giving him the option of skipping college and diving right into the pros.

Already 6’4″ and 215 lbs at 18 years old, Griffin may be able to add weight to his frame in the future, though with his speed, he may want to be careful. Adding some more pop may help in the pros, though some scouts already see him having 30-30 potential. At any rate, the Gatorade National High School Player of the Year has a lot of time to mature and could mature into a superstar. Some thought he may be the first overall pick, but Griffin’s landed at number nine and the Pirates hope to sign him.

10. Seaver King – Washington Nationals

Wake Forest made waves in the 2024 MLB Draft with three players selected in the top ten. Seaver King was the third Demon Deacon taken with the number 10 overall draft pick, selected by the Washington Nationals. After becoming a legend in Division II ball with a 47-game hitting streak as a sophomore, King transferred to Wake Forest. His junior season was also great, but he did not display the numbers he flashed in Division II.

What King does bring to the table, however, is the ability to play multiple positions. He reportedly played four different positions in 2024. Additionally, he has success with a wooden bat, which is something that made Bryce Harper particularly attractive in 2010. King probably doesn’t have the bat that Harper has, but King did win the Valley Baseball League South MVP Award. The Valley Baseball League is a wooden bat league that is sanctioned by the NCAA and MLB.

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