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2024 - MLB Draft Thread


DirtySox

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The top player in the class as of right now and I don't see it changing is Vance Honeycutt. 

This is from Perfect Game: Honeycutt is a superstar in every sense of the word. A 25-25 season in college baseball is unheard of. They only play roughly 60 games. That's precisely what Honeycutt achieved as a true freshman. He's the prototype power/speed centerfielder with plus tools in both areas and the body, trajectory and pedigree to suggest it'll only get better from here. If there's one quip on his profile at present, the swing-and-miss rates will need to come if he's to project the all-star level contributor at the next level most see him being. In the field, he's an above average centerfielder flashing moments of even bigger promise. His route quality can waver from day-to-day, but there are nights where he looks like a surefire plus centerfielder with long strides and a gliding nature to his game, not to mention a keen awareness at the wall. He's got a solid average arm too. The potential here is big, a potential five-tool star.

 

 

 

He looks like the real deal. He seems to have gotten the strikeouts under control as well, that write up is from November 22

Edited by Joshua Strong
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Another player I like is Nick Kurtz, who's probably the best hitter in the draft class and has the most power potential in the class too. He's RF/1B for Wake Forrest. From Perfect Game: Some evaluators believe Kurtz may be the best hitter in the 2024 class, and that's saying a lot considering his imposing size, strength and power-corner archetype. Kurtz has plus power with the chance to grow into 70-grade juice, as well as a plus hit tool with a willingness to take his walks. He hardly ever strikes out too. Kurtz is an average runner underway with solid baseball instincts and the ability to impact the game on the base paths if you don't pay attention to him. Kurtz has a chance to anchor a big league lineup for a long, long time.

 

Edited by Joshua Strong
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  • 2 months later...

Here's the top 5 picks from the mock. Let's hope the White Sox tank hard and have some lottery luck.

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1. A’s — Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest

Kurtz was the best overall hitter on one of the best teams in the country this past spring with Wake Forest. He’s likely the most well-rounded hitter in the class at this point and pairs a savvy batting eye with a clean lefthanded swing and plenty of raw power from his 6-foot-5, 235-pound frame. Kurtz slashed .353/.527/.784 with 24 home runs and 10 doubles, and has walked more than he’s struck out in both seasons with the Demon Deacons. He’s a terrific defender at first base and scouts think he might be athletic enough to play the corner outfield. 

2. Royals — Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State

Bazzana is an Australian native who has developed a strong reputation as a pure hitter by performing at a high level wherever he’s played: with Australia’s 18U National Team, with Oregon State in his first two seasons, in the West Coast League and once again this summer on the Cape. He’s coming off a .374/.500/.622 season where he hit 11 home runs, 20 doubles and stole 36 bags in 39 tries (92.3%). He stays within the strike zone consistently and makes a ton of contact, with an 85% contact rate this spring with the Beavers. 

3. Rockies — Vance Honeycutt, OF, North Carolina

Honeycutt’s raw tools, athleticism and all-around profile should make him the 1-1 favorite, but he has consistently struggled with strikeouts and took a step backward in 2023 after a sensational freshman season in 2022 when he hit 25 home runs and stole 29 bases while displaying acrobatic defensive highlights in center field. Honeycutt hit just .257/.418/.492 with a home run/fly ball ratio that was essentially cut in half compared to his freshman season, though he did cut his strikeout rate from around 30% to 20% and also walked more often. He has speed, power and a no-doubt center field profile, but there are still questions looming about exactly what sort of hitter he’ll be. 

4. Nationals — Brody Brecht, RHP, Iowa

Brecht has elite arm talent on the mound and averaged 97.5 mph this spring with his fastball while pitching in a starting role for Iowa. He posted a 3.74 ERA in 77 innings despite an unsustainable 18% walk rate and outperformed his peripherals thanks in part to stranding runners on base at an 84.5% clip after they reached. Brecht has a whippy fast arm and has eclipsed 100 mph many times, and he also has a slider that could be a 70-grade pitch and generated whiffs at a 53% rate this spring. He throws the fastball and slider equally and the breaking ball has terrific tilt and diving action in the upper 80s. As his walk rate suggests, there’s plenty of reliever risk here. 

5. White Sox — JJ Wetherholt, 2B, West Virginia

You could use a single hand to count the hitters who performed better than Wetherholt this spring, and there’s a case to be made that you wouldn’t need to lift a finger. He led the country in hitting and slashed .449/.517/.782 with 16 home runs, 23 doubles and 35 stolen bases. Wetherholt is just 5-foot-10, but he’s physical with plenty of strength in his hands and forearms and the ball jumps off his bat. He had a 93 mph average exit velocity this spring and while he might be a second baseman, he should offer power, speed and strong pure hitting ability at the position. He was also one of the most impressive hitters with USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team.  

 

Edited by DirtySox
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5/10 either 1b or 2b profiles. (Tommy Tanks is no 3b) Not the strongest draft, but Sox should get a solid player. It's hilarious that our two worst draft positions in a long while have given us players with the most upside (Schultz & Montgomery). Even picking first, Sox would be hard-pressed to get a player like either of those guys.

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44 minutes ago, bmags said:

I can't remember this rule, is it you can't pick in back to back years within top 6 if you are a non-revenue sharing team?

I'll be honest, I can't find any reason why the Nats wouldn't be allowed to draft in the top 10. 

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Teams that receive revenue-sharing payouts can't receive a lottery pick for more than two years in a row and those that don't can't get a top-six choice in consecutive Drafts. Furthermore, a club that's ineligible for the lottery can't select higher than 10th overall.

https://www.mlb.com/news/draft-rule-changes-with-new-cba

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30 minutes ago, Balta1701 said:

I'll be honest, I can't find any reason why the Nats wouldn't be allowed to draft in the top 10. 

https://www.mlb.com/news/draft-rule-changes-with-new-cba

So here’s the rule essentially: large market teams are ineligible for lottery in back to back years if they picked top 6 basically. Small market clubs no more than two years in a year. Basically, Nats and Rangers can’t pick top 6 next year. If Washington finished with worst record in the league, highest they can choose is 10th. It helps the Sox but there’s basically no incentive for Sox to be intentionally bad next season 

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1 minute ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

So here’s the rule essentially: large market teams are ineligible for lottery in back to back years if they picked top 6 basically. Small market clubs no more than two years in a year. Basically, Nats and Rangers can’t pick top 6 next year. If Washington finished with worst record in the league, highest they can choose is 10th. It helps the Sox but there’s basically no incentive for Sox to be intentionally bad next season 

Ok here's the part I don't get - if Washington finished with the worst record in the league, and the top 6 picks are determined by the lottery, and the Nats only can't get a lottery pick, why wouldn't they pick #7?

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1 minute ago, Balta1701 said:

Ok here's the part I don't get - if Washington finished with the worst record in the league, and the top 6 picks are determined by the lottery, and the Nats only can't get a lottery pick, why wouldn't they pick #7?

Totally agree with you. The rule makes no sense. I’ve asked everyone the same thing. 

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