The first day of the 2024 MLB Draft has come to a close, and while it’s not considered the strongest draft class from top to bottom, there were plenty of talented players from the college and prep side who have a chance for fantasy success in the coming seasons.
Let’s take a look at the top fantasy prospects who heard their name called Sunday night.
1. Charlie Condon, OF/3B, Colorado Rockies -- This one is easy. It was going to be my top player regardless of where he landed, but after the Guardians and Reds passed on him, he found arguably the best possible landing spot with the Rockies. Not only is he joining an organization that lacks the talent to block him, but he’s going to take his double-plus power to one of the most friendly hitting confines in the sport. Tough to beat that. Condon has a real chance to be a fast-track bat who can hit for average, power, drive in runs and potentially score a few of his own.
Potential category help: AVG, HR, RBI
2. Travis Bazzana, 2B, Cleveland Guardians -- Bazzana was the first-overall pick of this year’s draft, and for good reason. The former Oregon State star and product of Australia has inarguably the best hit tool in the class with the ability to spray line drives all over the park, and while his power isn’t quite at that elite level, it’s very easy to predict 25 homer seasons and a similar number of steals with his quality speed. It’s not quite the same fantasy upside as Condon, but it’s not far behind, and you could argue there’s a higher floor.
Potential category help: AVG, R, HR, SB
3. Connor Griffin, SS, Pittsburgh Pirates -- If I could go 3A and 3B with Griffin and Rinear I would, but I have a contract that says I’m not allowed to do that. I’m ranking Griffin slightly higher because he seems a little more likely to swipe bags and a better power grade by a smidgen. He also doesn’t have nearly as good of a hit tool and is more likely to move to a different position, but the power/speed combination makes Griffin a must-roster in fantasy leagues.
Potential category help: HR, RBI, SB
4. Bryce Rainer, SS, Detroit Tigers -- Again, this is really close. Rainer doesn’t have the same speed as Griffin and again the pop isn’t quite at his level, but he’s a left-handed hitter who should have no issues sticking at shortstop who gets rave reviews for his feel for the barrel, and there’s the potential for 25-homer, 20-stolen base seasons -- potentially better -- if everything works out. Rainer has a significant ceiling, but he’s that rare high school bat that appears to have a high floor that comes with it.
Potential category help: AVG, HR, SB
5. JJ Wetherholt, SS, St. Louis Cardinals -- If the draft were held before the 2024 season, Wetherholt would have been number one on this list. Unfortunately he dealt with a hamstring injury and he was good but not great when on the field for West Virginia, so the stock slipped. Still, he’s an infielder with a swing that suggests he can hit for a high average, and there’s above-average power and similarly graded speed at his disposal, as well. Wetherholt doesn’t match the upside of the bats listed above and a couple below, but his skill set makes him one of the better bets from the 2024 class.
Potential category help: AVG, R, HR
6. Joc Caglianone, TWP, Kansas City Royals -- If you don’t know what TWP stands for, it’s two-way player. While Caglianone has quality stuff and I could see being a quality bullpen arm, the reason he ranks this high has very little to do with the pitching. It has (almost) everything to do with his power, which only is bested by Condon in terms of potential production. He has a quality approach at the plate and the ball jumps off his bat, and the only reason he ranks behind some of these players is he’s likely going to play first base and not provide many steals. If he reaches his slugging potential, that will not matter.
Potential category help: HR, RBI, SO
7. Hagen Smith, LHP, Chicago White Sox -- Anyone who saw Smith strikeout 17 batters and throw only 78 pitches to do so against a quality Oregon State lineup understands why he’s in this spot. The left-hander has two plus-plus pitches in his fastball and slider, and he also throws a usable splitter for a competent third pitch. There’s some effort to his delivery and his command is still a work-in-progress, but he’s one of two pitchers drafted Sunday who have a chance to be frontline starters. We’ll talk about the other in a second.
Potential category help: W, SO, ERA
8. Kellon Lindsey, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers -- Speed. Lindsey offers top-of-the-scales speed; the type of speed you see in hitters who lead the league in stolen bases. You can’t steal first base, but Lindsey has a chance to reach because of a plus hit tool with the ability to make hard contact to all parts of the field. There’s some power questions, but he’s strong enough to suggest average power. Combine that with the…what’s the word? Ah yes, speed, and you get a really good fantasy prospect who enters maybe the best player-development system in the sport.
Potential category help: AVG, R, SB
9. Nick Kurtz, 1B, Oakland Athletics -- I was surprised to see Kurtz go ahead of some of the players on this list with the fourth selection, but that’s not to say it was a horrible pick. On the contrary. If you’re a fantasy player who is in a points league or one that values on-base percentage more than average, Kurtz should be quite a few spots higher than this. He’s one of the most patient hitters in the class and there’s plus power in his left-handed bat. He’s also limited to first base and won’t provide any value on the bases, but his advanced offensive skill set makes him a strong fantasy option in the coming years. He could be one of -- if not the -- first bats from the class to enter the MLB ranks, too.
Potential category help: HR, RBI, OBP
10. Chase Burns, RHP, Cincinnati Reds -- I was stunned when the Reds went with Burns over Condon and a couple other bats, but that’s not an insult to Burns. He was one of the best bat-missers in the country with 191 strikeouts in 100 innings, and he has four pitches that can miss bats including a fastball that routinely gets above 100 mph. So why does he rank below some of these other names including a fellow pitcher in Smith? Well, for one thing, the guys above him are pretty darn good, and two, there is some concern about Burns’ fastball shape and he’s going to spend his home games in a park that isn’t kind to those who can give up the long ball. It should be noted that some said the same thing about Paul Skenes. It won’t shock me if Burns is the best player in this draft, but because of those concerns, there’s a few fantasy prospects I’d rather have from this class. Not many -- just nine in fact -- but a few.
Potential category help: IP, W, SO, ERA
Also considered: Braden Montgomery, OF Boston Red Sox; Christian Moore, 2B, Los Angeles Angels; Theo Gillen, OF/INF, Tampa Bay Rays; Seaver King, SS, Tampa Bay Rays; Trey Yesavage, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays