Having the first pick in the MLB Draft is a rarity that only one team can lay claim to each season. The franchise that owns it is usually the worst team in the league the previous season, but Major League Baseball introduced a draft lottery in 2022, much to the delight of the Cleveland Guardians.
The Guardians won the lottery last year despite having the ninth-highest odds to earn the No. 1 pick. Cleveland finished in third place in the AL Central in 2023 and won 76 games yet came away at the top of the draft. It's the first time the Guardians have the first overall pick.
It also might be the first time the team with the first pick is amid a pennant race the same year. Cleveland will enter Sunday's first round leading their division and fighting for the best record in the American League.
This year's draft class brings plenty of intrigue with no surefire top prospect. It's not every year a Bryce Harper or Paul Skenes type of player comes through, but there's usually one name emerging as the top choice within a week of the draft. Less than 100 hours before Cleveland is officially on the clock, several names are still being mentioned as the first pick.
Even if they're not sure who to take, the Guardians have a shortlist of a few names they'd be comfortable choosing. There's pressure in selecting first overall, especially with a draft class that lacks an obvious multi-time All-Star. When all is said and done, one of these four names will be the first one called when Cleveland opens the MLB Draft on Sunday.
Charlie Condon, OF/3B, Georgia
Nobody in college baseball swung a hotter stick than Charlie Condon in 2024. The former walk-on followed a breakout first season with the Bulldogs in 2023 with an historic year in 2024.
Condon slugged 37 home runs this spring, the most by any NCAA player since BBCOR bat rules were implemented in 2011. He also won the Division I batting title and led the nation in slugging percentage, OPS and extra-base hits. He won the Golden Spikes Award as the top amateur player in the country, becoming the first Georgia player to do so.
Condon is as good a lock as any to be selected in the top three picks and has drawn considerable attention at No. 1. His combination of raw power and quick hands give him maybe the highest hitting ceiling in the class.
The Guardians haven’t had a primary outfielder hit 30 home runs in a season since Grady Sizemore hit 33 in 2008. Condon slots in best as a corner outfielder with average defense, but he did play a bit of center and third base for Georgia this season.
An outfielder hasn’t been taken first overall in the MLB Draft since Mickey Moniak in 2016 and only three times since 2000.
Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State
An Australian as the No. 1 pick in the MLB Draft? That statement could have some baseball fans scratching their heads, but watching Travis Bazzana on the diamond exhausts any doubts that he should be in the conversation.
Bazzana debuted professionally at 15 and played 19 games in the Australian Baseball League before coming to the United States. He improved each year at Oregon State, capping off his three-year college career by hitting over .400 with 28 home runs, 16 doubles and a 1.479 OPS.
He unlocked some of his raw power this past season and proved he can hit lefties well, helping his stock as a second baseman. He's an average fielder but his potential at the plate is too good to see him slide outside the top five.
Bazzana is the player most linked to the Guardians with several outlets predicting he'll go first overall in their latest mock drafts. A second baseman has never been selected with the first pick in the MLB Draft. Bazzana is good enough to break that trend.
JJ Wetherholt, SS/2B, West Virginia
Another name getting some buzz for the first pick, Wetherholt enters the draft as one of the best amateur bats of the last few classes. A hamstring injury ate into his junior year at West Virginia but he still contributed 60 runs with a 1.094 OPS in 36 games.
Wetherholt is a pure hitter who gets the bat to the ball with ease. He can hit to all parts of the field and has decent power for a guy his size (5-10, 190).
Wetherholt displayed his talent the most as a sophomore in 2023. He had a .449 average to win the Division I batting title and stole 36 bases, showing off his base running skills. If the hamstring holds he can be a real threat when he gets on base.
His defensive position at the next level depends on which team selects him. He didn't play a ton of shortstop this spring and could use some work there, but second base is a good fallback.
If the Guardians want to save money, Wetherholt could be the pick at 1-1.
Jac Caglianone, 1B, Florida
Jac Caglianone flashed his potential as a two-way star during his sophomore and junior seasons at Florida. A physical specimen who uses power both at the plate and on the mound, Caglianone profiles better as a hitter than a pitcher at the big-league level.
He launched 68 home runs over his last two college seasons, leading Division I with 33 in 2023. He kept his power numbers up while getting on base more in 2024, collecting 13 more hits in five fewer games than he did the year before. Caglianone raised his batting average from .323 as a sophomore to .419 as a junior.
Maybe most impressively, Caglianone cut down his miss & chase rates and struck out less this spring. That plate discipline is one of the few things that could hold him back if he reverts to chasing.
Caglianone probably won’t pitch as a professional but does have a lightning-quick fastball and the potential for four solid pitches with a repertoire that includes a slider, cutter and changeup. Cleveland has done exceptionally well developing pitchers over the years and could take a chance trying to build the next Shohei Ohtani. His bat alone still plays as the first overall pick.
The Guardians haven’t drafted a first baseman with their first pick since 2007.
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