2024 MLB Draft Thread

[Laika]

Sean Keys had the highest OPS in the 2023 cape cod league. Better than Bazzana, and everyone else.

 

He only played 10 games vs 30+ for all the elite prospects but still, 4 homers in 10 games there.

[John_Havok]

Nah they think this guy has some juice. Horwitz was a 24th rounder who was like an .830 to .860 OPS guy in college

 

I dunno how the conferences compare but Sean Keys has video game numbers

 

That's what I said, Horwitz approach except with real power. That's got all kinds of potential

 

I can find few faults in the first 4 picks. I'm guessing the punts for savings are coming to shortly

[Laika]

And then 136... the comp pick for Matt Chapman...

 

Nick Mitchell, College OF

 

After playing his first two college seasons at Western Illinois, Mitchell transferred to Indiana and batted .335/.458/.512 despite missing the first six games of the season with a broken hand. He'll flash plus-plus speed but isn't a prolific basestealer and has spent more time in college in right field than center. He's a smaller-framed guy with a quick left-handed swing and an understanding that his primarily role is to get on base. He has performed well with wood bats, earning all-star honors in the summer Northwoods and Cape Cod leagues.

[John_Havok]

And then 136... the comp pick for Matt Chapman...

 

Nick Mitchell, College OF

 

After playing his first two college seasons at Western Illinois, Mitchell transferred to Indiana and batted .335/.458/.512 despite missing the first six games of the season with a broken hand. He'll flash plus-plus speed but isn't a prolific basestealer and has spent more time in college in right field than center. He's a smaller-framed guy with a quick left-handed swing and an understanding that his primarily role is to get on base. He has performed well with wood bats, earning all-star honors in the summer Northwoods and Cape Cod leagues.

 

Punt#1 confirmed

[Krylian]

Punt#1 confirmed

 

[Laika]

Mitchell spent two seasons dominating at Western Illinois before transferring to Indiana for his junior year. Mitchell’s best tool is easily is his tool which is a plus. He has short swing with not much of a load that allows him to have elite contact rates (he had a 92% in-zone contact rate last season). He doesn’t chase much and he has a great approach walking as much as he struck out at WIU and on the Cape last season. He’s a good defender in the outfield but due to a below average arm he is probably just a left fielder. Mitchell has below average power hitting only 5 home runs last year and that is something that will need to improve for him to go higher in the draft.

[John_Havok]

Round 5 Jackson Wentworth

 

Bats: R

Class: 4YR JR

Height: 6' 1"

Pick Value: $414.60k

Throws: R

DOB: 08/08/02

Weight: 210

Birthplace: USA

Part of a 2021 bumper crop of Iowa high school pitchers that also included likely 2024 first-rounder Brody Brecht, Wentworth went undrafted and headed to college as Kansas State's top recruit. He missed his first college season following Tommy John surgery and struggled to an 8.72 ERA when he returned last spring. He has pitched his way into the top five rounds after opening the season in the bullpen and joining the rotation in late April. Wentworth's fastball is fairly ordinary, sitting at 92-94 mph and peaking at 96 without much life, but his slider and changeup have posted swing-and-miss rates better than 50 percent this year. His low-spin slider parks in the mid-80s and features tremendous depth, while opponents have batted just .074 against his fading mid-80s changeup. His upper-80s cutter gets a lot of chases and shows signs of becoming a solid offering. Wentworth has some shoulder tilt in his delivery and throws with some effort, but he repeats his mechanics well and creates some deception while providing regular strikes. He has a sturdy 6-foot-1 frame and a chance to make it as a starter in pro ball if he can add some velocity or movement to his fastball. He may be better suited as a reliever who can work heavily off his slider and changeup.

 

 

Not a punt.

[John_Havok]

Punt #2

Round 6

 

Aaron Parker C

 

Class: 4YR JR

Height: 5' 9"

Pick Value: $323.40k

Throws: R

DOB: 01/17/03

Weight: 200

Birthplace: USA

[The_DH]

Punt#1 confirmed

 

Why do you think it's a punt?

[John_Havok]

Why do you think it's a punt?

 

Unranked player in round 4 = punt

 

Most likely

[The_DH]

Unranked player in round 4 = punt

 

Most likely

 

Reasonable thought process, just wondering.

[Laika]

not sure Mitchell is a punt but who knows

 

sounds like

 

60 hit, 60 speed, 60 defense, 40 arm, 30 power

 

it's like the ol' brett gardner package without elite defense

 

of course he won't get out of A+ because this is Toronto

[Daniel Labude]

I think they drafted Yesavage over Caminiti because they are going to push him quickly

[John_Havok]

not sure Mitchell is a punt but who knows

 

sounds like

 

60 hit, 60 speed, 60 defense, 40 arm, 30 power

 

it's like the ol' brett gardner package without elite defense

 

of course he won't get out of A+ because this is Toronto

 

I suppose, but that profile is available way later in the draft, no real need to pop him in round 4 is there?

[Rusty_Savage]

I think they drafted Yesavage over Caminiti because they are going to push him quickly

Id say Camminiti fell because he had a deal with the Braves and told other teams he wasn't signing

 

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk

[John_Havok]

Round 7

Austin Cates P

 

Bats: L

Class: 4YR JR

Height: 6' 1"

Pick Value: $253.30k

Throws: R

DOB: 05/20/03

Weight: 200

Birthplace: USA

A two-way standout for two years at the College of Southern Nevada, Cates moved on to Nevada-Las Vegas and focused on pitching only, settling in as UNLV’s Friday night starter and earning an All-Mountain West First Team nod. Cates is an extreme strike-thrower, walking just 1.5 per nine in 2024, with largely average stuff across the board. He has a fastball that typically sits 90-93 mph, a short 81-84 mph slider and a splitter in the low 80s that he uses to finish off hitters.

[Daniel Labude]

Id say Camminiti fell because he had a deal with the Braves and told other teams he wasn't signing

 

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk

 

Thats just bogus draft speak lol

[Pendleton]

Mitchell might be an underslot signing, but doesn't sound like a punt pick.

[Pendleton]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/article/every-canadian-taken-in-the-2024-mlb-draft/

 

Quick recap of the five Canadian prospects selected in the early rounds

[metafour]

Id say Camminiti fell because he had a deal with the Braves and told other teams he wasn't signing

 

The "best HS pitcher" has fallen in almost every draft in recent years. This is not a popular 1st round demographic anymore. Too much risk, and more often than not there ends up being one or more HS pitchers signed in the 2nd/3rd+ round who ends up being better.

[metafour]

I think they drafted Yesavage over Caminiti because they are going to push him quickly

 

Crazy thought: perhaps they just like Yesavage more. He is in fact ranked higher on almost every ranking.

[John_Havok]

Round 8

 

Eddie Micheletti Jr C

 

Bats: L

Class: 4YR SR

Height: 6' 1"

Pick Value: $208.70k

Throws: R

DOB: 12/29/01

Weight: 220

Birthplace: USA

[Daniel Labude]

Crazy thought: perhaps they just like Yesavage more. He is in fact ranked higher on almost every ranking.

 

Of course...I'm thinking cause they wanted more SP closer to the MLB though

[Daniel Labude]

I'm betting on multiple SP being traded soon

[Krylian]

I'm betting on multiple SP being traded soon

 

Kikuchi. I don't think anyone else goes.

[Pendleton]

— RHP Colby Holcombe — Mississippi State

 

Holcombe is a massive body at 6-foot-6 250 pounds with an upper-90s fastball that misses bats. An impressive power slider pairs with the fastball, Holcombe has serious reliever potential.

 

Holcombe could extend a bit better and must command better after being one of the top JUCO arms in 2022.

[metafour]

Colby Holcombe in the 9th round is interesting - he is massive and has hit ~99 in the past. He was a higher ranked prospect out of JUCO and was terribad for Miss State after transferring there. Could be a guy who figures it out as an MLB reliever.

[Pendleton]

Carter Cunningham teammate of Trey Yesavage at East Carolina, taken by the Jays in round ten. The draft lists him as an OF but seems like he's played more 1B in college.

 

"Carter Cunningham, East Carolina- Even with a loud .396/.490/.696, 14 HR season, Cunningham is a bit under the national draft radar as a senior in the American Athletic Conference. The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder is a very good defender at first base and he’s also athletic enough to play a corner outfield spot which is a likely early career transition at the pro level."

[John_Havok]

Cleveland had an interesting first 2 days at the draft. 11 picks, took 9 pitchers after taking the near consensus best hitter and a top 5 ranked catcher. Only 3 very obvious punts for savings. I guess when you have 20 million to spend in the draft it helps.

[Pendleton]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/article/one-sentence-on-every-blue-jays-pick-in-the-2024-mlb-draft/

 

Quick blurb on each of our picks in the top 10 rounds