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This year's MLB Draft features a mix of talented college and high school superstars who could be the future of baseball in the coming years.
Much attention is given to the top three prospects in the draft – Travis Bazzana, Charlie Condon and Jac Caglianone – but other players could be this year's steal of the draft.
Here are the top 10 players who are likely to become top-caliber MLB stars despite their low selection order in this season's draft.
Top 10 college baseball underdogs who could go big in 2024 MLB Draft
#10 Thatcher Hurd, RHP, LSU
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Thatcher Hurd is capable of starting and relieving fellow pitchers in the late innings. This past season, Hurd was 3-4 with a 6.55 ERA and had 56 strikeouts.
Hurd has four pitches that could baffle hitters during at-bats with the LSU veteran. His fastball ranges from 93-98 mph and he has an 84-91 mph slider that has vertical and horizontal action. He also mixes his throws with a curveball and changeup that keeps left-handed hitters off-balanced.
#9 Connor Foley, RHP, Indiana
Connor Foley transformed from a reliever in the 2023 season to an effective starter this past season. Foley went 4-2 in 14 starts with a 4.71 ERA for Indiana and allowed rivals to hit a lowly .165.
Foley struck out 82 batters and allowed 49 walks this past season. The right-hander hurls a 93-95 mph fastball. The six-foot-five pitcher has a low-80 mph changeup that could make the batter lose his form.
#8 Cole Messina, C, South Carolina
Cole Messina is No. 100 on the MLB prospect list and is likely to be picked in the third and fourth rounds of the annual draft due to his talent on the offensive side of the plate. Messina tallied a batting average of .326 and smacked 21 homers and 71 RBIs.
Messina's exploits as a catcher rewarded him with the Johnny Bench Award, All-SEC second team, SEC All-Tournament Team and a second team All-American member by most award-giving bodies in college baseball, including Perfect Game, NCBWA and ABCA.
#7 Carson DeMartini, 3B, Virginia Tech
Carson DeMartini had a career season at Virginia Tech where he smacked a career-high 21 home runs. DeMartini tied his RBI mark of 57 this past season. However, the third baseman had a lower batting average of .269 as compared to .323 in 2023.
In his three-season-stint with the Hokies, DeMartini hit .311 with 46 homers and 164 RBIs in 165 games. Scouting reports say that the six-foot DeMartini is a compact and strong left-handed hitter. He had surgery on his shoulder and has time to strengthen it for next season.
#6 Peyton Stovall, 2B, Arkansas
Peyton Stovall had a hitting spree in the 2024 season as he hit .340 with nine home runs and 38 RBIs. He had 107 total bases this past season, which was the highest he produced in three years with the Razorbacks.
Stovall's intelligence is elite in college baseball and he uses it to compensate for his lack of power. He has improved on his speed to help his defense move up several notches. The 5-foot-11 infielder manages the strike zone efficiently as he has become more patient at the plate.
#5 Carter Holton, LHP, Vanderbilt
Carter Holton was one of the top stars during his three-season stint with Vanderbilt. The pitching ace went 18-10 with a 4.09 ERA in 41 games for the Commodores.
This past season, Holton went 6-5 in 69.1 innings and had an ERA of 5.09. The left-hander finished the season with 98 strikeouts and allowed rivals to bat only .205 per game. Scouts see a future in his fastball as it topped 98 miles per hour. Holton has a nasty slider ranging in the low 80 mph range.
#4 Gage Miller, Alabama, SS
Gage Miller had a freshman year to remember for Alabama as he hit .381 with 19 home runs and 58 RBIs in 56 games this past season.
Experts see the six-foot shortstop as a smart hitter who controls the strike zone. His efforts saw MLB experts admire his potential and noted that Miller can become a 20 home run-hitting guy in the future.
#3 Blake Burke, Tennessee, 1B
Blake Burke was one of the key players in Tennessee's championship-winning drive this past season. The six-foot-three De La Salle High School product slugged his way to a batting average of .379 with 20 homers and 61 RBIs. Burke scored 74 runs and 11 stolen bases, which were also a career-high.
Burke is capable of smashing balls at high exit velocities due to his bat speed and strength. He has also improved on his contact hitting to avoid recording more strikeouts.
#2 Jared Thomas, Texas 1B/OF
Jared Thomas has improved on his batting, hitting .349 with 16 home runs and 47 RBIs as compared to a .321 batting average, four homers and 29 RBIs. He also improved on base stealing with 18 stolen bases last season, compared to 10 the previous year.
Thomas had an on-base percentage of .434 this past season and a slugging rate of .635. The 6-foot-2 left-hander lets his elegant swing work do the talking as he has a good feel for the barrel and is almost effortless in hitting the ball.
The noticeable change was in Thomas' power batting as he seemed to have traded his contact-hitting skills for hitting 16 HRs a season.
#1 Mike Sirota, Northeastern, OF
Mike Sirota is one of the most well-rounded players on the roster of applicants in the 2024 MLB Draft. The Northeastern outfielder is a career .324 hitter with 29 home runs and 111 RBIs.
The six-foot-three junior has the potential to produce 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases if he plays the whole 162 games in the MLB. Sirota also uses his fast speed well to steal bags and chase balls from the center field position.
He could become a steal in the draft as there isn't any buzz surrounding the player with only a few days remaining before the annual event begins.
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