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Less than a week remains until the 2024 MLB Draft, which takes place from July 14–16 in Forth Worth, Texas. All 30 major league franchises will be there during the All-Star weekend to hunt for their next potential superstars, with the Cleveland Guardians getting the first selection after winning the MLB Draft Lottery last year.
Here, we take a look at the top five prospects of this year's class, as ranked by MLB.com.
Top five prospects of the 2024 MLB Draft
#1 Travis Bazzana, 2B, (Oregon State University)
Travis Bazzana, born in Sydney, Australia, is a left-handed hitting infielder who joined Oregon State University in 2022 and produced a .374/.500/.622 slashline in his sophomore year. He then joined the Fallmouth Commodores in the Cape Cod League, where he won the batting title and MVP.
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The 21-year-old has a short swing but still possesses the ability to generate power due to his high bat-speed, while he can also hit well against left-handed pitching. Moreover, he has good speed on the basepaths, so he should be quite adept at stealing bases.
He offers good range at second base due to his athleticism and has enough throwing power to turn double plays.
#2 Charlie Condon, OF, (University of Georgia)
Charlie Cordon played for the Georgia Bulldogs in 2023 and was named the Baseball America Freshman of the Year and the Freshman Hitter of the Year.
This year, he won the Golden Spikes Award and the SEC Player of the Year after finishing atop the NCAA Division I in batting (.433), slugging (1.009), OPS (1.565), homers (37), extra-base hits (58) and total bases (233).
Standing six-foot-six, the 21-year-old right-hander can produce elite-level power towards all parts of the field, thanks to his physical strength, bat speed and leverage generated by his swing.
Condon doesn't have much speed but can still provide solid cover in the corner-outfield positions due to his above-average arm speed.
#3 Jac Caglianone, SP/1B (University of Florida)
The top two prospects are believed to be a cut above the rest, so Jac Caglianone is the best of the chasing pack.
Caglianone, 21, is a left-handed pitcher and left-handed batter. He's widely tipped to win the John Olerud Award this year, which is given to the best two-way player. He has impressive ability on the mound, although teams might focus on developing him into a full-time hitter.
Playing for the Florida Gators, the six-foot-five Caglianone led the NCAA Division I by hitting 33 home runs in 2023. This year, he hit home runs in nine straight games, which tied the record at the NCAA level.
Although he tends to chase pitches off the plate, he often makes hard contact and doesn't strike out much. Meanwhile, he can touch triple digits on his fastball, which he mixes with a 90 mph cutter.
#4 JJ Wetherholt, IF (West Virginia Mountaineers)
J.J. Wetherholt is considered to be the best pure hitter in the 2024 MLB Draft, with elite bat-to-ball skills that allow him to drive the ball to all parts of the field.
The 21-year-old won the NCAA Division I batting title in 2023 after hitting 449/.517/.787 during the season. He also hit 16 home runs and recorded 36 stolen bases for the West Virginia Mountaineers to win the Big 12 Conference Player of the Year.
However, Wetherholt hasn't had much playing this year due to a hamstring injury that has regularly put him on the sidelines. When healthy, he has above-average speed and provides a genuine threat at stealing bases.
There are a few questions regarding his defensive ability, although he's expected to get better with time. Nevertheless, his ability at the plate should be enough to make him a top-five pick.
#5 Hagen Smith, SP (University of Arkansas)
Hagen Smith is a left-handed starting pitcher for the Arkansas Razorbacks who's regarded as having the stuff among all the pitchers in the 2024 MLB Draft.
The 20-year-old from Texas underwent Tommy John surgery during his sophomore year of high school before recording seven no-hitters in 2021. He was called up to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team after his first season at Arkansas.
This year, Smith was named the SEC Pitcher of the Year as well as the National Pitcher of the Year, besides setting the NCAA record for strikeout rate (17.9). His fastball can reach triple digits, although his best is considered to be the slider, which sits at about 83–87 mph.
He can deliver a cutter at 90 mph and also uses a splitter that can drop quite sharply if he gets it right.
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