The summer tradition that is the College Baseball World Series has its first pitch this weekend. With 16 regionals around the country, there is plenty of College Baseball action to go around. However, it’s not just the schools we’re rooting for; it’s the top MLB Draft picks that we’re paying attention to. 

Across the 64 teams at those 16 regional sites, there are 77 of the top-200 MLB Draft prospects playing. That includes all of the top-8 and more than half of the top 20 and top 50 in draft rankings!

 

 

 

Top 10 MLB Draft Prospects: 2024 College World Series

This week, as a sort of prospect primer for the College World Series, we’re going to take a look at some of the more notable MLB prospects across some of the regionals. Hopefully, we can all start scouting who our favorite real-life and fantasy baseball teams should add to their lineups or rotations in July.

Travis Bazzana — 2B Oregon State Beavers

Bazzana is a strong contender to go number one overall, an oddity for a second baseman. However, the plus tools nearly across the board is too hard to miss from a polished and successful college bat from a premier program. 

The lefty-hitting keystone profiles as a bat with a .280 AVG and 25-30 HR upside while playing average defense at second base. Let’s not forget he has a plus Speed trait too, giving him 30-steal upside along with pop as he’s hitting top-four in an MLB lineup in a little over a year from now.

Charlie Condon — OF/3B Georgia Bulldogs

The late bloomer physically has been shooting up draft boards since arriving at Georgia. He’s been arguably the best player in the country this year, winning the SEC player of the year, and now is a serious threat to go first overall. There is some discussion where he fits defensively, but the bat is too premium to let that affect his draft stock in July.

The leading trait is his nearly-off-the-chart power that led to 35 homers in his college season (of 44 games) this year while his Hit and Arm tools are also plus. Condon likely won’t be a huge steals threat in MLB, but a handful to go with 40-plus homers is more than enough. Think of an Aaron Judge type and you have Condon.

 

 

 

Jac Cagliaone — 1B/LHP Florida Gators

The tools are oozing out of Cagliaone as perhaps the most impressive two-way player to come out of the college baseball ranks in a very long time. The batter skillset is very similar to that of Condon above him as the Hit and Power tools are nearly identical with perhaps a better overall fielding skillset. However, it’s when we look at Caglianoe on the mound that things get interesting for the lefty thrower. 

The fastball comes in touching triple-digits regularly and is a double-plus offering. His newly introduced cutter sits in the low-90s with nice movement as an above-average pitch. Rounding out the arsenal is the above-average changeup and average slider which are both out pitches. Overall, he profiles as a middle-of-the-order bat and a number two starter, or low-end ace, on the mound, with only his walk rates being the concern on the bump.

Nick Kurtz — 1B Wake Forest Demon Deacons

The top of the draft is loaded with big power hitting prospects, but Kurtz stands out for his Gold Glove caliber defense at first and his understanding of the strike zone. He led NCAA baseball in walks while also bashing homers with regularity and showing off his plus-Hit tool. 

We saw Brock Wilken go early in the first round out of Wake Forest last year and Kurtz is a better prospect than Wilken. In fact, many scouts see Kurtz as a better-fielding Jim Thome when all is said and done. Clearly there is a long way to go before he’s a Hall of Fame player, but the comp is nice to see.

Chase Burns — RHP Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Burns could very well be the first true pitcher off the board in the July draft. The stuff he packs into his right arm has been the stuff of Pitching Ninja’s dreams with his 102-mph fastball leading the way. However, the true prize is the double-plus wipeout slider that sits in the upper-80s with plenty of swing-and-miss ability. 

The curveball is also a plus graded pitch while the changeup should have plus upside if he simply throws it more. The upside is huge with Burns as a true ace caliber arm; however, the fastball is true straight at times and command can be an issue. There is a tad more reliever risk here than we’d like to see from a top-of-the-first-round arm.

 

 

 

Hagen Smith — LHP Arkansas Razorbacks

We don’t come across southpaws like Smith very often. He has two double-plus pitches and a third that’s at least above-average all coming from a crossfire delivery. The velocity is also there in spades for Smith which is also uncommon for lefty starters. The upper-90s, occasionally triple-digit, fastball has late riding life in the zone.

The slider is a can’t-hit pitch to lefties and misses a lot of righty bats as well. The slider also turns into a cutter from time to time for an intriguing low-90s fourth pitch. The splitter he uses like a changeup, and could get better the more he throws it in the pros. Think of Smith as a better-built Chris Sale, with Smith also needing to harness control like Sale did earlier in his career.

JJ Wetherholt — SS/2B West Virginia Mountaineers

If Wetherholt had a tad more power, he’d be in the running for the top overall pick thanks to his elite Hit tool and plus-Speed. It’s not like he doesn’t have power, it’s simply average or a tick below as of now for the lefty-hitting middle infielder. The standout skill comes with his bat-to-ball skill and his understanding of the strike zone leading to very small K-rates at West Virginia and impressive batting averages. 

The elite Hit tool plays up as well due to his all-fields approach. That Hit tool allows for his plus Speed to play a big factor in his total package as well, as he posted 36 steals in 2023. So overall, the lefty infielder profiles as a .290-.300 hitter, if not higher, with 30-steal upside while adding 15-20 homers a year and acting as a leadoff or second leadoff hitter for whichever team drafts him early in the first round in July.

Braden Montgomery — OF Texas A&M Aggies

The 6’2” switch-hitting outfielder, in his first year at Texas A&M in 2024, is a big-time power bat. He’s got a chance to lead NCAA D-I in home runs when taking into account the College World Series performances. Montgomery comes in with a plus-grade in Power while showing average Hit and Speed tools offensively that profiles as more of a power-over-hit bat. 

However, the true standout skill is his double-plus Arm that produces 96 mph fastballs on the mound. That combo of skills should set Montgomery up as a right fielder in the pros and one that can cut down would-be baserunners frequently while producing runs of his own right with regularity in the middle of an MLB lineup.