The All-Star break for the 2024 season began Sunday with the first two rounds of the MLB Draft. 74 prospects had their names called and their lives changed forever as their dreams of playing professional baseball became reality.
Baseball is such an unpredictable sport, much more than others. There is no telling which of these players will turn into All-Stars and which will struggle in the minor leagues. Picking players in the MLB Draft is as close to a game of chance as anything in sport. Odds are there will be a few household names in this year's draft class, but they may not be what fans think.
College prospects dominated the first round and accounted for the first eight picks as teams opted for more experienced players. Travis Bazzana, somewhat surprisingly, was the first overall pick, becoming the first second baseman taken 1-1 in the MLB Draft thanks to the Cleveland Guardians.
That was one of the many talking points coming out of Day 1 of the 2024 MLB Draft. There were plenty of other shockers and head-scratchers along the way, but all in all, it was an exciting night for Major League Baseball and those in attendance in Fort Worth, Texas.
All 30 teams made a selection on Sunday but not every one of them will be successful. It's probably unfair to label some of these picks as “winners” and “losers” before they even begin their professional careers. Why not give them a little extra motivation?
Winner: Colorado Rockies
Winning has not been on the Rockies' radar much throughout the franchise's three-decade history. They made the playoffs five times in their first 31 years of existence and things aren’t looking too hot this year. Colorado is likely heading for its sixth consecutive losing season.
Maybe the 2024 MLB Draft can be a turning point for the Rockies franchise after Colorado used the third overall selection on Georgia star Charlie Condon. Seen as a possible candidate for the No. 1 pick, Condon slid down a few spots and fell into Colorado's lap as arguably the top prospect in the class.
There's no telling how well Condon's raw power will play at Coors Field. He launched 37 homers this spring and led NCAA Division I in several offensive categories. He has solid bat speed and the sound he makes on contact is consistent and loud.
Condon has been compared to Kris Bryant. It's easy to forget Bryant is on the Rockies, given he's only played 146 games since joining Colorado in 2022. Still, having Bryant take Condon under his wing will be beneficial for all parties.
Charlie Codon has the chance to be a star in Denver and could join the Rockies relatively soon.
Winner: Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks were among the busier teams on Sunday as one of three franchises with four picks in the first two rounds. Arizona had three of the first 35 selections and should be happy with the haul they got after the first day of the draft.
The D-backs went outfield-heavy in the first round, using the 29th and 31st overall picks on high school outfielder Slade Caldwell and Kentucky product Ryan Waldschmidt. Arizona has done well developing outfielders recently. Corbin Carroll won NL Rookie of the Year in 2023 while Jake McCarthy and Alek Thomas have contributed meaningful at-bats throughout their first few seasons.
Caldwell would be a higher pick if he were taller but his hitting abilities make up for his smaller frame. He provides great contact to all fields and is a plus runner on the basepaths. That speed helps him play an above-average center field, a position he should be able to stick at in the MLB.
Similarly, Waldschmidt is a contact hitter with good plate discipline. He shows off strength at times, hitting 28 home runs in three college seasons. Teams were wary about his health following a torn ACL in 2023 but he gained confidence throughout this past season and has the intangibles to succeed at the next level.
The Diamondbacks also selected Wisconsin high schooler JD Dix and took a chance on 17-year-old Puerto Rican catcher Ivan Luciano with the 64th pick. There is a bit of risk in some of Arizona's selections, but the upside of all four players could make this an important class of D-backs prospects.
Loser: Miami Marlins
There is always potential for a first-round pick in the teens to be hit or miss, especially in a draft class that boasts few stars like this year's. Sometimes teams go for an obvious reach though and the Marlins did just that with their initial pick.
Miami selected 19-year-old PJ Morlando, a left-handed hitting outfielder from Summerville High School in South Carolina. Morlando was a projected second-round pick after his stock dropped due to concerns about his power stroke. His swing in-game leaves something to be desired in the power department, something he'll need to improve if he wants to stick in the MLB.
The Marlins saved money by picking Morlando, but is it worth it if he doesn’t pan out? He needs to check a lot of boxes to do so.
Winner: Kansas City Royals
Few teams have surprised people as much as the Royals have this season. Kansas City is firmly in the mix for a playoff spot in the American League and should finish with a winning record for the first time since 2015.
The Royals' farm system is thin but they added two premier prospects, Jac Caglianone and David Shields, to continue the rebuild. There is excitement with both picks, particularly Caglianone and his two-way potential.
The Royals will probably keep Caglianone off the mound, but his bat is good enough to make him a steal with the sixth pick. He brings unreal power from the left side of the plate with 68 home runs over the last two spring seasons. He also flipped his walk and strikeout numbers from 2023 to 2024, going from 17 walks and 58 strikeouts in the former to 58 walks and 26 strikeouts in the latter.
There's a lot to like about the 17-year-old Shields who was also a high school quarterback before giving up football last year. He has plenty of room for growth and possesses the ability to get the most out of himself.
Winner/Loser: Oakland Athletics/players the Athletics drafted
In their final year in Oakland, the Athletics put together a solid first day of the 2024 MLB Draft. Unfortunately, fans in the Bay Area won't get a chance to see these promising prospects as the franchise moves to Sacramento followed by a permanent stay in Las Vegas.
The A's came away with two power-hitting corner infielders with their first two picks, hoping to bring some fireworks to their relocations in the future. Slugging first baseman Nick Kurtz consistently drives balls in the air and uses every bit of his 6-foot-5 frame to reach all parts of the field with his power. He hit 61 home runs in three seasons at Wake Forest.
Tommy White needs no introduction to diehard baseball fans. The stocky third baseman burst onto the scene and set the NCAA Division I record for home runs by a freshman with 27 at North Carolina State in 2022. He then clubbed 24 more and led D-I in RBIs in 2023 as a member of the College World Series-winning LSU Tigers.
Although his hype declined this spring due in part to a nagging shoulder injury, White has the potential to stick in the heart of an MLB lineup. His power ability could get him to the A's sooner than later.
While fulfilling a dream and getting drafted by an MLB team has to be a wonderful feeling, it wouldn’t shock me if Kurtz or White had a few reservations about joining the Athletics organization. Nothing the franchise has done in recent years has indicated it's heading in the right direction and there's no guarantee fans will show up in Sacramento and Vegas. That doesn’t exactly sound like an ideal situation for a minor league prospect.
Loser: MLB marketing
Major League Baseball has tried to make its draft more of an entertainment showcase for television, similar to the NFL and NBA's version. This year's venue and in-person setting at Cowtown Coliseum made for an impressive backdrop to kick off MLB's midseason break.
While the presentation of the 2024 MLB Draft was done fairly well, the promotion of the event was once again poor for the standard that the world's most popular baseball league needs to meet.
Local broadcasts for teams barely mentioned the draft leading up to the event and national broadcasts lacked the viewership and consistency to get the word out to the vast majority. Having the draft air on two channels simultaneously (ESPN and MLB Network) is a fantastic idea and should boost viewership. However, numbers were down last year from 2022 and will likely be down again this year.
Major League Baseball has increased its efforts to promote the game but continues to miss the mark. More than enough casual fans missed the MLB Draft festivities to warrant a change in the league's marketing strategy.
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