2024 MLB Draft Day 1 complete coverage

The 2024 MLB Draft is here. Day 1 includes the first 74 selections, covering Rounds 1 and 2, Competitive Balance Rounds A and B, two Prospect Promotion Incentive picks, plus two compensation picks. The Guardians got things going with the No. 1 overall pick.

Day 1 of the Draft is airing live right now on MLB Network and MLB.com. Days 2 (Rounds 3-10) and 3 (Rounds 11-20) begin at 2 p.m. ET on Monday and Tuesday and will stream live exclusively on MLB.com.

Follow along here all night for a rundown of every pick with analysis by MLB Pipeline and MLB Network experts.

1) Guardians: Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State
The Guardians kept things very close to the vest until the very last minute, looking at a number of college players, especially the top hitters. Bazzana was always high on that list, and for good reason. The left-handed-hitting Australian infielder was a Golden Spikes Award finalist after he hit .407/.568/.911 with 28 homers and 16 steals in his junior year with the Beavers. His penchant for contact fits the Guardians’ hitting philosophy and he has plenty of thump that should get to Cleveland quickly.

2) Reds: Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest
The Reds were looking at many options and it may have come down to Charlie Condon vs. Chase Burns. In the end, they went for one of the best arms in the entire class, giving them their second straight Wake Forest pitcher taken in the first round (Rhett Lowder in 2023). Burns transferred to Wake Forest and its pitching lab and it had a tremendous effect as he took a step forward with all of his stuff. He has a fastball that touches 100 mph, but it’s his easily plus slider that misses a ridiculous amount of bats.

3) Rockies: Charlie Condon, OF, Georgia
Many thought Condon was the best player in the Draft and he certainly put up the numbers to back up that claim. The Golden Spikes Award winner led all Division I hitters with his .433 average and 37 homers (not to mention his 1.009 SLG). It’s hard not to get excited about how his 70-grade power will play at Coors Field, even if it takes a little to figure out what position he might settle into (I guess an outfield corner).

4) A’s: Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest
A slow start because of a shoulder injury may have hurt his stock ever so slightly, but he was far too talented to slip too far. He got hot as the season wore on, finishing with 22 homers and leading Division I hitters with 78 walks. He has well above-average pop to all fields and is a complete hitter, and while he’s limited to first base, he’s a plus defender there.

5) White Sox: Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas
We at MLB Pipeline had him as the top-ranked pitcher in the class. Smith was a Golden Spikes Award finalist, leading all Division I pitchers in batting average against (.144) and setting a record for K/9 (17.3) rate. The southpaw sits at 93-97 mph and touches 100 with his fastball and has a filthy slider that is virtually unhittable. Add in a splitter and some deception in his delivery and he has frontline starter potential.

6) Royals: Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida
A tremendous player who has a 70-grade fastball from the left side on the bump and tremendous power at the plate, Caglianone was announced as a two-way player when his name was called, and the Royals plan to give him a shot to do both. If I had to guess, his future will be punishing pitches, not delivering them (if he doesn’t stick as a two-way player). His lack of swing-and-miss given his power is impressive.

7) Cardinals: JJ Wetherholt, SS, West Virginia
The West Virginia standout missed a chunk of the season because of a hamstring injury, but an argument can be made that he’s one of the top pure hitters in the class. The left-handed hitter can drive the ball to all fields and is a plus runner with a very advanced approach at the plate. Some scouts felt there wasn’t much separating him from Travis Bazzana, with less power and more speed than his counterpart.

8) Angels: Christian Moore, 2B, Tennessee
Moore’s stock kept climbing the longer Tennessee’s championship season went on. The second baseman finished as the Volunteers’ all-time (61) and single-season (34) home run leader. His improved contact led to a lot more power, which should translate well and gives the Angels their third straight college hitter who could get to Los Angeles quickly after Zach Neto (2022 Draft) and Nolan Schanuel (2023).

9) Pirates: Konnor Griffin, SS, Jackson Prep (Miss.)
There was a lot of talk about the Pirates going after a higher floor college bat, but instead they went all in with Griffin’s upside. He probably has the highest ceiling in the Draft, with four tools that rate at least plus. He has the chance to play shortstop with an easily plus arm, though he could look just as good in center field.

10) Nationals: Seaver King, SS, Wake Forest
This gives Wake Forest its third player in the top 10. King showed his tools could translate from Division II to the ACC this year after transferring from Wingate, using his compact right-handed swing to make a ton of contact, and he might be more hit over power. He can really run and play multiple positions, with a chance to stay in the infield, but the outfield perhaps is a better fit.

11) Tigers: Bryce Rainer, SS, Harvard-Westlake HS (Calif.)
Take one look at the 6-foot-3 left-handed-hitting shortstop and it’s impossible not to make the Corey Seager comps. A two-way guy in high school who is up into the mid-90s off the mound, Rainer took a huge step forward in his athleticism and power to cement him as a real shortstop, giving Harvard-Westlake another first-rounder in the Draft, joining big leaguers Pete Crow-Armstrong, Lucas Giolito, Max Fried and Jack Flaherty.

12) Red Sox: Braden Montgomery, OF, Texas A&M
After his name was floating all over the top 10, this is a pretty soft landing spot for Montgomery, whose tremendous season at Texas A&M ended prematurely because of a broken ankle suffered in the Super Regionals. The transfer from Stanford served him well, and he’s a switch-hitter with plenty of power, doing more damage from the left side.

13) Giants: James Tibbs III, OF, Florida State
Tibbs was a solid college performer over his first two seasons but catapulted himself into conversations in the middle of the first round — and a bit higher — with the year he had for the Seminoles, posting a 1.264 OPS. His improved approach helped him get to more power (28 homers) and should fit the profile for a corner outfielder.

14) Cubs: Cam Smith, 3B, Florida State
It’s a run on Seminoles! Smith shook off a rough freshman season to rake in the Cape Cod League and kept it going in his sophomore-eligible year. He cut down his swing and miss and chase considerably this spring, giving him the chance to hit for average and power at the next level, while having the chance to be a solid third baseman.

15) Mariners: Jurrangelo Cijntje, SHP, Mississippi State
The switch-pitching might sound like a novelty act, but Cijntje has legitimate ability from both sides. His stuff is more electric as a right-hander, and there’s a chance he might focus on that full-time as a Marcus Stroman type. This snaps a streak of three straight high school hitters taken in the first round by the Mariners.

16) Marlins: PJ Morlando, OF, Summerville HS (S.C.)
While this might seem like the first big reach in the first round, Morlando was ranked as a mid-first round talent last offseason. He struggled through a senior season where he rarely saw a strike to hit and hasn’t always gotten to his power in games, though the plus raw pop is evident in batting practice. Miami will love his 1,000-watt personality, too.

17) Brewers: Braylon Payne, OF, Lawrence E. Elkins HS (Texas)
That’s two slightly surprising high school bats in a row. Payne is one of the fastest players in the Draft and isn’t afraid to use it on the basepaths or while playing a very good center field. He’s not a one-tool guy, either, with the potential to have some extra-base thump. It’s the fifth straight year the Brewers have taken a hitter with their first pick, but the first of that group to come out of high school.

18) Rays: Theo Gillen, OF, Westlake HS (Texas)
There was some late buzz that Gillen might go as high as 11 to the Tigers, but that didn’t materialize. He’s one of the better pure high school hitters in the class and he has the chance to hit for solid power in due time. An infielder in high school, it’s interesting the Rays announced him as an outfielder, and his athleticism could play very well in center.

19) Mets: Carson Benge, OF, Oklahoma State
Benge was a legitimate two-way guy who largely pitched in relief with a fastball up to 96 mph at Oklahoma State. But his contact skills and exit velocities made it clear he was heading toward a career in the outfield. He could get a shot at playing center, but might settle in as an athletic right fielder with above-average hit and power tools.

20) Blue Jays: Trey Yesavage, RHP, East Carolina
After Chase Burns and Hagen Smith, who were both taken in the top 10, Yesavage was the consensus next best college arm and it might surprise some he lasted to 20. He has the chance to have three plus pitches in his fastball, slider and splitter, and he has a solid spike curve to boot. There’s some effort in his delivery, but he throws strikes. It’s the third pitcher Toronto has taken with its first pick in the last four years.

21) Twins: Kaelen Culpepper, SS, Kansas State
Culpepper moved from third to shortstop at Kansas State this year and handled that move well. He’s more hit over power right now, but there could be more pop to come, and he already uses all fields well with excellent bat speed. He could be given every opportunity to stick at short and has the potential to be a Gold Glover at third.

22) Orioles: Vance Honeycutt, OF, North Carolina
The Orioles aren’t afraid of guys who have some swing and miss in their game (Jud Fabian, a 2022 Draft pick), and they got one of the toolsiest performers as a result. He had two 20-20 seasons at North Carolina and is a potential Gold Glove center fielder, but he will have to work on a strikeout rate that crept up to 27.5 percent in 2024.

23) Dodgers: Kellon Lindsey, SS, Hardee HS (Fla.)
Because of an injury over the summer, the former two-sport standout — he was his high school’s QB — wasn’t seen on the showcase circuit, but he jumped up boards with his performance this spring in Florida. He has plus-plus speed and took big steps forward in his swing decisions along with his ability to play shortstop. It’s the second straight year the Dodgers have taken a premium prep athlete after taking Kendall George last year.

24) Braves: Cam Caminiti, LHP, Saguaro HS (Ariz.)
The Braves likely didn’t expect Caminiti, the best left-hander in the class, to be available here. Because he reclassified, he’s one of the youngest players in the class at 17 years old and offers a ton of upside. Caminiti has the chance to have a legit four-pitch mix and was spinning the ball more consistently last spring. The Braves have taken a pitcher with their first pick in five straight Drafts (two high schoolers).

25) Padres: Kash Mayfield, LHP, Elk City HS (Okla.)

26) Yankees: Ben Hess, RHP, Alabama

27) Phillies: Dante Nori, OF, Northville HS (Mich.)

28) Astros: Walker Janek, C, Sam Houston

29) D-backs: Slade Caldwell, OF, Valley View HS (Ark.)

30) Rangers: Malcolm Moore, C, Stanford