Well, life happens, right?
I’ve been boarded up with a ton of school in recent weeks and it’s been tough to find time to write up reports and clip together film for these. With that said, it’s still a goal to post these reports and film for readers, so while it’s late, you still get to enjoy it! This edition features players from the Duke/Clemson series and the UNC/Georgia Tech series that I scouted in middle/late March. The UVA bats and players from the Texas A&M/South Carolina series will be posted at a later date, hopefully as soon as possible.
2024 MLB Draft: Top 100 College Prospects
Director’s Note: All Draft Day Ages for players are pinned to July 14, 2024, our guess as to when the MLB Draft will start. The league has not announced the dates for the 2024 MLB Draft and once revealed, we will adjust approximate ages to that date.
The 2024 Top 100 High School board can be found here. Once the season is in full bloom, we will begin to integrate a single list, starting off with 200 prospects. As always, our 2024 Prospect Footage can be found here.
1. 2B/SS JJ Wetherholt, West Virginia
Height: 5’10
Weight: 190
B/T: L/R
Draft Day Age: 21 yr 10 mo
Wetherholt's bat has a chance to be very special, as the mix of pure hit and power tools profile as one of the best in the entire country. Wetherholt posts elite contact rates and seldom whiffs with impressive feel for the barrel. It's a compact and powerful swing from the left side of the plate, showcasing very quick hands and loud bat speed. Wetherholt utilizes the whole field to his advantage and will punish the gaps with legitimate above-average to plus power, which also plays well to his pull side. It's a truly special bat. He's played at third base and second base the past two years, though he's been given a chance at shortstop this fall and the reports are promising. The range is there to handle the position, though the arm strength needs some improvement. He's a solid runner and knows how to be a menace on the basepaths, as well, recording 36 stolen bases in 2023.
2. 1B Nick Kurtz, Wake Forest
Height: 6’5
Weight: 235
B/T: L/L
Draft Day Age: 21 yr 4 mo
Coming in at 6'5, 235lbs, Nick Kurtz is a monster of a human being at the plate. The size, strength, and power Kurtz possesses is a scout's dream. The Wake Forest first baseman has a scary good offensive profile. He is going to draw his fair share of walks due to his patience at the plate while also hitting for massive power thanks to his near 70-grade pop. On top of that, he's got a well advanced approach at the plate and is able to use the entire field. Shockingly for his size, he is fairly athletic and can more than hold his own at first base. He's one of the best defenders at first base and easily grades as a plus defender. Kurtz is a likely frontrunner to be the 2024 ACC Player of the Year and should be providing plenty of offense as the anchor for the Demon Deacons lineup. He has the makings of becoming a force in a big league lineup and will likely be a fast riser through the minors.
3. 2B Travis Bazzana, Oregon State
Height: 6’0
Weight: 199
B/T: L/R
Draft Day Age: 21 yr 10 mo
An import from Australia, Bazzana's overall toolset is ridiculously impressive. He's put up incredible numbers in his two years at Oregon State, slashing .340/.463/.549 across two seasons in Corvallis with elite bat-to-ball skills and plate discipline. He's a really tough out at the plate, rarely expanding the zone and he's got an incredible eye, racking up walks aplenty. His spray chart is a thing of beauty, utilizing the entire field with a compact, line drive swing with a ton of bat speed that is meant to do serious damage. It's above-average juice at the present and most of it plays to his pull side, but he's shown an ability to hammer the ball to the opposite field gap. Bazzana is also an incredible runner, posting plus run times on a consistent basis. He's primarily been a second baseman up to this point, though there's a chance we see him at shortstop in 2024. He's got enough athleticism and twitch to have solid range there, though his arm is nothing more than average. Either way you draw it up, this is a potentially elite bat with suitable defense up the middle.
4. RHP Chase Burns, Wake Forest
Height: 6’4
Weight: 195
B/T: R/R
Draft Day Age: 21 yr 5 mo
Burns is an electric factory on the bump. The Wake Forest transfer is a bulldog type on the mound and he exudes all the confidence you want to see in a pitcher on the mound. He isn't afraid to go right after batters with his electric fastball. What is an elite two-pitch mix, he sits in the upper-90s with significant life to the fastball and pairs it with a diabolical upper-80s/low-90s slider that he can manipulate the shape of. He also isn't afraid to reach back on his fastball for a little extra and can get it up to 101-102 mph. He's been working on a curveball and a splitter, flashing potential, though he doesn't rely on either heavily. His command can waiver at times, but when he is locked in, he can paint a masterpiece. Even with the slight command woes, the stuff is elite and it will be interesting to see what the Wake Forest pitching lab can do to elevate his already incredible arsenal to the next level. He is the best arm in this class.
5. 1B/of Charlie Condon, Georgia
Height: 6’6
Weight: 211
B/T: R/R
Draft Day Age: 21 yr 3 mo
The reigning SEC Freshman of the Year, Condon's unexpected emergence was a welcome sight. After redshirting his first year on campus, Condon exploded onto the scene with a .386/.484/.800 slash line and 25 home runs in 56 games. Condon has a towering, physical frame at 6'6, 211 pounds with plenty of strength throughout his body and there's quite a bit of projection to it still. Condon has plus-plus raw power to all fields and got to it often in 2023, posting healthy exit velocities and even getting into the 110-115 MPH range. It's a ton of bat speed and very quick hands with the barrel exploding through the zone with little effort. There's some hitterish traits with Condon, as he has solid bat-to-ball skills, though he does have his struggles with spin. Defensively, Condon has enough speed and athleticism to handle a corner outfield spot, though if he outgrows the position, he can handle first base. The bat would have to continue to perform in that case and that's the selling point right now.
6. OF Vance Honeycutt, North Carolina
Height: 6’3
Weight: 205
B/T: R/R
Draft Day Age: 21 yr 1 mo
Finding guys with five tool potential is a tough task, but Honeycutt has the potential to be that type of player. Honeycutt showed plenty of improvements in the strikeout department in 2023, dropping the strikeout rate significantly, though that came with the price of production. Nonetheless, Honeycutt has game-changing tools. There's plenty of bat speed from the right side of the plate and there's potentially plus power that plays to his pull side and he'll hit the gaps to show off his blazing speed. The swing-and-miss has toned down and he rarely chases, which is promising for the hit tool. If everything comes together in 2024, there's potential for an above-average hit tool here. He's a lock to stick in center field long term, as his plus speed gives him exceptional range and he'll make highlight reel plays on a consistent basis. There's a strong arm here, as well. If everything clicks, there's serious 1-1 potential.
7. SS/OF Seaver King, Wake Forest
Height: 6’0
Weight: 190
B/T: R/R
Draft Day Age: 21 yr 2 mo
One of the funnest development stories to follow, Seaver King has made his way to Wake Forest after playing last year at Division II Wingate. He was quite undersized coming out of high school which only earned him the Wingate offer, but he's grown a bit since then and found his way into a gig with what might be one of the best college teams going into the 2024 season. King has a robust line-drive approach at the plate with tons of bat speed and has the ability to use the entire field to go along with very good exit velocities, getting up to 111 MPH this fall. King doesn't strikeout often and gets a lot of barrel to ball, but he also doesn't walk a ton either and the chase rates are a bit too high. If he can improve the discipline in 2024 and continue to blast the baseball, he'll be a certified top fifteen pick. He's rather twitchy in the field and can play a myriad of positions for Wake Forest this spring, including center field.
8. RHP Brody Brecht, Iowa
Height: 6’4
Weight: 225
B/T: R/R
Draft Day Age: 21 yr 9 mo
Brecht may have the highest upside of any arm in this loaded college class and he's lit up Stuff+ models with some of the loudest stuff in the college landscape. Brecht has undergone some mechanical tweaks since his high school days, most notably being a shortened arm action that has given him more deception. It's a very quick arm with excellent athleticism, as well. He's gotten up to 101 MPH during starts in 2023, holding upper-90s velocity well throughout his starts, accuring whiffs at a high rate despite suboptimal vertical carry. The slider is the real deal, showing true double-plus potential with hellacious bite. It'll display shorter break with late lateral movement and he's shown an ability to land it for strikes when the fastball command is out of whack. He's tinkered with a low-90s change-up and a low-80s curveball, but he's primarily just had to use the FB-SL combination thus far. The high walk rate and command woes have been the big thing holding Brecht back, though he did show improved fastball command down the stretch for the Hawkeyes. He's stepped away from football and will be focusing solely on pitching moving forward.
9. 1B/LHP Jac Caglianone, Florida
Height: 6’5
Weight: 245
B/T: L/L
Draft Day Age: 21 yr 5 mo
Dubbed the "Ohtani" of college baseball, Caglianone is one of the most well-known players at the amateur level with legitimate two-way potential. There's a bit of rawness to his game, but the power on both sides of the ball are rather impressive. We'll start with the bat, which might have the best power in this entire class. It's easy double-plus right now with extremely quick hand speed and torque, generating a ton of bat speed and all fields power. He's producing some of the loudest exit velocities in the country as a result. The hit tool could use some refinement, as he's rather aggressive and expands the zone frequently. On the defensive side, it's a first-base profile. As an arm, Caglianone has loud stuff, but the command holds him back. The fastball has flirted with triple digits with some life, paired with a bullet-esque slider with solid potential and a bigger bender. The change-up has excellent velocity separation and fading life, boasting a high whiff rate. He's tinkered with his mechanics, becoming more compact this fall, but time will tell how much this helps his command. The jury is still out on if he has to choose one or the other, but the upside on both sides is enticing.
10. OF Mike sirota, Northeastern
Height: 6’3
Weight: 188
B/T: R/R
Draft Day Age: 21 yr
Sirota is about as well-rounded of a hitter as you'll find in college baseball. The Northeastern outfielder possesses a rare combination of discipline, power, and hit ability that is hard to come by at the amateur level. Offensively, he lets the ball get deep in the zone, allowing him to stay back and drive the ball to all fields with authority. He rarely chases pitches out of the zone, drawing plenty of walks in the process. Though he occasionally gets knocked for playing at a mid-major, his performance against high-quality pitching over the last two summers in the Cape Cod League show he can excel with a competition jump and wood bat. His speed allows him to cover a ton of ground in center field, which is where he projects as plus long-term. Sirota's advanced bat combined with his athleticism are what make him a potential first-round pick.
2024 MLB Draft: Top 50 College Prospects
Director’s Note: All Draft Day Ages for players are pinned to July 14, 2024, our guess as to when the MLB Draft will start. The league has not announced the dates for the 2024 MLB Draft and once revealed, we will adjust approximate ages to that date. Furthermore, we do not own the rights to any images utilized in these lists and those rights belong to the proper individuals/organizations.
The link to our 2024 Top 50 High School board can be found here and our 2024 Prospect Footage can be found here.
1. 2B/SS Travis Bazzana, Oregon State
Height: 6’0
Weight: 202
B/T: L/R
dRAFT dAY aGE: 21 yr 10 mo
An import from Australia, Bazzana's overall toolset is ridiculously impressive. He's put up incredible numbers in his two years at Oregon State, slashing .340/.463/.549 across two seasons in Corvallis with elite bat-to-ball skills and plate discipline. He's a really tough out at the plate, rarely expanding the zone and he's got an incredible eye, racking up walks aplenty. His spray chart is a thing of beauty, utilizing the entire field with a compact, line drive swing with a ton of bat speed that is meant to do serious damage. It's above-average juice at the present and most of it plays to his pull side, but he's shown an ability to hammer the ball to the opposite field gap. Bazzana is also an incredible runner, posting plus run times on a consistent basis. He's primarily been a second baseman up to this point, though there's a chance we see him at shortstop in 2024. He's got enough athleticism and twitch to have solid range there, though his arm is nothing more than average. Either way you draw it up, this is a potentially elite bat with suitable defense up the middle.
2. 2b/3b j.j. wETHERHOLT, wEST vIRGINIA
hEIGHT: 5’10
wEIGHT: 190
b/t: l/r
Draft Day Age: 21 yr 10 mo
Wetherholt's bat has a chance to be very special, as the mix of pure hit and power tools profile as one of the best in the entire country. Wetherholt posts elite contact rates and seldom whiffs with impressive feel for the barrel. It's a compact and powerful swing from the left side of the plate, showcasing very quick hands and loud bat speed. Wetherholt utilizes the whole field to his advantage and will punish the gaps with legitimate above-average to plus power, which also plays well to his pull side. It's a truly special bat. He manned second base primarily in 2023, though he's got prior experience at the hot corner and one would expect him to see more time there in 2024. The range is there to handle the position, though the arm strength needs some improvement. He's a solid runner and knows how to be a menace on the basepaths, as well, recording 36 stolen bases in 2023.
3. RHP Chase Burns, Wake Forest
Height: 6’4
Weight: 195
B/T: R/R
Draft Day Age: 21 yr 5 mo
Burns is an electric factory on the bump. The Wake Forest transfer is a bulldog type on the mound and he exudes all the confidence you want to see in a pitcher on the mound. He isn’t afraid to go right after batters with his electric fastball. What is an elite two-pitch mix, he sits in the upper-90s with significant life to the fastball and pairs it with a diabolical upper-80s/low-90s slider that he can manipulate the shape of. He also isn’t afraid to reach back on his fastball for a little extra and can get it up to 101-102 mph. He’s been working on a curveball and a splitter, but both pitches are still a work in progress with potential. His command can waiver at times, but when he is locked in, he can paint a masterpiece. Even with the command issues, the stuff is elite and it will be interesting to see what the Wake Forest pitching lab can do to elevate his already incredible arsenal to the next level.
4. 1B NIck Kurtz, Wake Forest
Height: 6’5
Weight: 235
B/T: L/L
Draft Day Age: 21 yr 4 mo
Coming in at 6’5, 235lbs, Nick Kurtz is a monster of a human being at the plate. The size, strength, and power Kurtz possesses is a scout's dream. The Wake Forest first baseman has a scary good offensive profile. He is going to draw his fair share of walks due to his patience at the plate while also hitting for massive power thanks to his near 70-grade pop. On top of that, he’s got a well advanced approach at the plate and is able to use the entire field. Shockingly for his size, he is fairly athletic and can more than hold his own at first base. He’s one of the best defenders at first base and easily grades as a plus defender. Kurtz is a likely frontrunner to be the 2024 ACC Player of the Year and should be providing plenty of offense as the anchor for the Demon Deacons lineup. He has the makings of becoming a force in a big league lineup and will likely be a fast riser through the minors.
5. OF Vance Honeycutt, North Carolina
Height: 6’3
Weight: 205
B/T: R/R
Draft Day Age: 21 yr 1 mo
Finding guys with five tool potential is a tough task, but Honeycutt has the potential to be that type of player. Honeycutt showed plenty of improvements in the strikeout department in 2023, dropping the strikeout rate significantly, though that came with the price of production. Nonetheless, Honeycutt has game-changing tools. There's plenty of bat speed from the right side of the plate and there's potentially plus power that plays to his pull side and he'll hit the gaps to show off his blazing speed. The swing-and-miss has toned down and he rarely chases, which is promising for the hit tool. If everything comes together in 2024, there's potential for an above-average hit tool here. He's a lock to stick in center field long term, as his plus speed gives him exceptional range and he'll make highlight reel plays on a consistent basis. There's a strong arm here, as well. If everything clicks, there's serious 1-1 potential.
6. RHP Brody Brecht, Iowa
Height: 6’4
Weight: 225
B/T: R/R
Draft Day Age: 21 yr 9 mo
Brecht may have the highest upside of any arm in this loaded college class and he's lit up Stuff+ models with some of the loudest stuff in the college landscape. Brecht has undergone some mechanical tweaks since his high school days, most notably being a shortened arm action that has given him more deception. It's a very quick arm with excellent athleticism, as well. He's gotten up to 101 MPH during starts in 2023, holding upper-90s velocity well throughout his starts, accuring whiffs at a high rate. The slider is the real deal, showing true double-plus potential with hellacious bite. It'll display shorter break with late lateral movement and he's shown an ability to land it for strikes when the fastball command is out of whack. He's tinkered with a low-90s change-up and a low-80s curveball, but he's primarily just had to use the FB-SL combination thus far. The high walk rate and command woes have been the big thing holding Brecht back, though he did show improved fastball command down the stretch for the Hawkeyes. He's stepped away from football and will be focusing solely on pitching moving forward, which is great news for his potential.
7. 1B/OF Charlie Condon, Georgia
Height: 6’6
Weight: 211
B/T: R/R
Draft Day Age: 21 yr 3 mo
The reigning SEC Freshman of the Year, Condon's unexpected emergence was a welcome sight. After redshirting his first year on campus, Condon exploded onto the scene with a .386/.484/.800 slash line and 25 home runs in 56 games. Condon has a towering, physical frame at 6'6, 211 pounds with plenty of strength throughout his body and there's quite a bit of projection to it still. Condon has plus raw power to all fields and got to it often in 2023, posting healthy exit velocities and even getting into the 110-115 MPH range. It's a ton of bat speed and very quick hands with the barrel exploding through the zone with little effort. There's some hitterish traits with Condon, as he has solid bat-to-ball skills, though he does have his struggles with spin. Defensively, Condon has enough speed and athleticism to handle a corner outfield spot, though if he outgrows the position, he can handle first base. The bat would have to continue to perform in that case and that's the selling point right now.
8. C Jacob Cozart, NC State
Height: 6’3
Weight: 216
B/T: L/R
Draft Day Age: 21 yr 6 mo
Cozart is the latest to join a recent pipeline of NC State backstops and there's a chance he could be the best of the bunch. Instead of enduring a "sophomore slump," Cozart improved in all facets of his game, becoming a very well-rounded catcher with a budding bat. While he does struggle a bit with spin, Cozart's plate discipline is great and he's able to curb the strikeouts with solid contact rates. There's at least average power in his sweet lefty swing and it plays primarily to his pull side, but he's shown an ability to go up the middle and use the gaps. He shines on the defensive side, as he's one of the best defensive catchers in recent memory. He's a very good framer and has excellent actions behind the dish, as well as owning an above-average arm with solid pop times. It's above-average defense at the present with plus potential down the line. He was one of the best players to try out for the Collegiate National Team, as well.
9. OF/RHP Braden Montgomery, Texas A&M
Height: 6’2
Weight: 217
B/T: S/R
Draft Day Age: 21 yr 2 mo
Are you looking for someone with tools for days? Look no further than Braden Montgomery. The two-way star transferred to Texas A&M and will be looking to make an impact on both sides of the ball for the Aggies. He’s a force at the plate, as the switch-hitter has easy plus pop from both sides of the batter box. There were plenty of concerns about his approach and patience at the plate, but he greatly increased his walk rates and cut down on the strikeouts last year. He’s got the tools to project as a power corner outfielder as he has what might be the best arm in the draft class. It’s extremely accurate and has tons of carry. Montgomery also saw time on the bump as his fastball has been up to 97 MPH. He’s struggled quite a bit with command of his fastball, leading many to believe that he will eventually focus on being a bat only. He will likely be a day one call as many teams will want to take a shot on his physical tools and athleticism.
10. 1B/LHP Jac Caglianone
Height: 6’5
Weight: 245
B/T: L/L
Draft Day Age: 21 yr 5 mo
Dubbed the "Ohtani" of college baseball, Caglianone is one of the most well-known players at the amateur level with legitimate two-way potential. There's a bit of rawness to his game, but the power on both sides of the ball are rather impressive. We'll start with the bat, which might have the best power in this entire class. It's easy double-plus at the present with extremely quick hand speed and torque, generating a ton of bat speed and all fields power. He's producing some of the loudest exit velocities in the country as a result. The hit tool could use some refinement, as he's rather aggressive and expands the zone frequently. On the defensive side, it's a first base profile. As an arm, Caglianone has loud stuff, but the command holds him back. The fastball has flirted with triple digits with some life, paired with a bullet-esque slider with solid potential. The change-up has excellent velocity separation and fading life, boasting a high whiff rate. The jury is still out on if he has to choose one or the other, but the upside on both sides is enticing.
Live looks #1: Wake Forest at Clemson 3/30/23
Wake Forest looked for their red-hot bats to stay hot as they took on Clemson at Doug Kingsmore Stadium and stay hot they did from the first inning onward.
1B Nick Kurtz, Wake Forest , 2024
The sophomore first baseman kicked things off in the first inning by hitting an 0-2 fastball way out of the stadium to right field, scoring Castillo. What was most impressive about the swing was how fast Kurtz got hands through the zone.
In the following at-bat, Kurtz worked his way up 3-0 and quickly fell down in the count 3-2. He managed to foul two away before Austin Gordon eventually put him away swinging. Kurtz Walked once and struck out again before grounding out to short to end his day in the 9th.
Kurtz is also an excellent fielder, and on multiple occasions, he bailed out his fellow infielders. At one point, he made a miraculous pick to end the inning. After seeing Kurtz play, all the tools are there that make him a potential top-ten pick in the 2024 MLB Draft.
3B Brock Wilken, Wake Forest, 2023
Fortunately enough I got to the ballpark a few hours early and watched Wilken’s batting practice.Baseballs were jumping off of Wilken’s bat as he easily sprayed balls to both gaps; the raw power and gap power were being shown off to those who watched. In one of the culminating swings, Wilken put a ball about 3/4 of the way up the left-field bleachers.
One of the big questions for me coming into the day was how Wilken would do when he was down in the count. He didn't do a good job of fighting back when he was behind, making life more challenging than it needed to be for him. The day could have been better for him, but it certainly wasn't bad. He had a pair of strikeouts, one of which was pretty bad at bat for Wilken's standards. The second strikeout of the day came after multiple foul balls, and Austin Gordon just caught him off guard.
Now onto the good for Wilken; he had a pair of really nice swings, both of which he turned on well and resulted in singles, one coming in the 4th on an 0-0 count and the other coming in the 8th on a 1-1 count. All in all, Brock Wilken was as advertised and looks poised to have an excellent finish to the 2023 regular season.
LF Will Taylor, Clemson, 2024
Another question I had coming into this weekend was how Will Taylor would handle the surplus of elite arms that Wake Forest has. Taylor answered this question by going 3-for-4 and scoring two runs in the process. His first hit of the day came in the first inning as he put the 3-1 pitch up the middle for an excellent single.
The next hit came in the bottom of the 6th inning, where Taylor blooped one in shallow center field where no one could get to it. My favorite thing about this play was how hard Taylor ran out of the box; this showcased how much of a competitor he is and will continue to be.
RHP Rhett Lowder, Wake Forest, 2023
A pair of Wake Forest Pitchers stuck out today, the first being projected top-20 pick Rhett Lowder. He went seven innings giving up a run, and seven hits, many of which were not hit that hard, struck out 6. He has an awe-inspiring arsenal of weapons he'll throw at any given start.
Lowder’s 6’2 frame on the mound needs to be mentioned, and it's worth noting how athletic he looks on the mound. He looks like a natural and is invested in every pitch and result. He uses this athleticism nicely in the field did a decent job of fielding his position, highlighted by a nice put-out to first on a rollover.
The best pitch Lowder throws is his changeup, which sits around 84-87. His change has a noticeable amount of fade, making life very difficult on all hitters. He starts many at-bats against left-handed hitters off with his fading changeup. Lowder located his changeup well but could not get many swings and misses or strike calls. However, he also deploys a nice slider that dives very late in the zone. The slider forced a handful of swing and misses and looked to be his most impressive pitch on Thursday night. His fastball which sits around 91-94 leaves a lot to be desired and quite frankly doesn’t have much life to it causing him to rely on his other pitches. It’s worth noting that he also throws a cut fastball which was getting weak contact consistently for him.
Before the game, I had never gotten a chance to see Lowder throw live, but he looks like he has a great chance to become an even better pitcher with small improvements to the life and velocity of his fastball. Lowder is a projected top-20 pick in this year's draft, and there was no shortage of moments in this game to solidify that.
RHP Michael Massey, Wake Forest, 2024
Finally, we reach the final pitcher of the night for Wake Forest, Michael Massey. After a decent year at Tulane, he hit the portal and committed to Wake. This decision looks to be paying off well, and Massey showed why he has a plethora of reasons to be in the weekend rotation next year.
I’d never seen Massey pitch before today, and he lived up to expectations. Massey's fastball sits 93-96 with good zip that's underscored by good extension from his 6-5 frame.
He was charged with the fireman role and did a tremendous job of getting out of the jam he inherited in the 8th. He followed that up with a 1-2-3 9th while striking out the first two guys he faced.In a relatively quick outing, Massey showed off his impressive fastball, and with improvement to his secondary pitchers, he will be one to watch for the 2024 draft as he looks to keep moving up boards.
