Nationals Arm Race

"… the reason you win or lose is darn near always the same – pitching.” — Earl Weaver

2024 Draft Coverage: Overview of top Draft Prospects plus Local guys of note

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First draft version of this post was created in January 2023, a bit later than normal, but in time with the first post that I saw about the 2024 draft class. Fittingly it came from BaseballAmerica, posting their top 100 prep kids for the 2024 class. I did a bit more research to help build this out and started listing the top candidates.

I’m also including all DC/MD/VA “local” draft prospects in this article instead of a separate one going forward.

College Upper 1st round names in the mix for 1-1

  • Charlie Condon of Georgia. OF/CF guy. Hit .386/.484/.800, 25hrs as a RS freshman for Georgia in 2023. MVP of the US college national team in 2023 summer competition. Big hitter. .800 slugging in SEC as a sophomore raises eyebrows. 2024 season has exploded from mid 1st rounder to 1-1 talk. By April, he’s now the consensus 1-1 pick on most pundit’s boards. He’s moved to CF, so he’s no longer being considered a 1B/Corner OF guy, increasing his value.
  • Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP Florida. 2-way star for 2023 CWS finalist, weekend starter plus he hit 33 homers for the #2 team in the country. BA AA as a sophomore. Projecting as possible 1-1 2024 already. Golden Spikes semi finalist in 2023. Best two-way player since Brendan McKay, but with better tools on both sides.
  • Travis Bazzana 2b/SS Oregon State: can play anywhere, crushed Pac12 as a sophomore .374/.500/.622 with more walks than Ks. 36/39 SB as well. Lefty swing, Aussie native. Could be best bat in the class. Projecting as top 5 pick despite 5’9″ size. Hugely successful in Cape Summer 2023; led the league in batting .375/.456/.581. 2024: continued to hit, stays top 5 discussion.
  • Nick Kurtz, 1B Wake Forest. 2nd team BA AA as sophomore in 2023, 24 homers for #1 team. Big 6’5″ lefty swing. BA’s 1-1 projection July 2023. Is he really 1-1 potential playing 1B? BA still projects 1-1 in Nov2023, saying he could also be a corner OF. 2024 season: slow start and an injury, but mid-april starting to come back and show power. Still top 5.

College Candidates who have fallen out of  1-1 contention

  • Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest (was Tennessee). D1baseball Freshman of the year in 2022, went 8-2 with a 2.91 ERA and 103 Ks in 82IP. Decent swing man/long reliever for Tennessee in 2023 but stepped back in stats, so he xferred for 2024 to Wake Forest. Can hit 101, unclear what went wrong for him in 2023, but has the capability of being first College start off the board. 2024 season: has really impressed at Wake, back in top 5 discussion. Sits upper 90s
  • Hagen Smith, LHP Arkansas. Struck out 35% of hitters he faced in 2023. Sits 93-96, touches 97, easy slider (best pitch). Mechanics not the best. TJ in HS, but he’s best lefty in the draft.
  • Braden Montgomery, RHP/SS, TAMU (was Stanford). Top prep prospect in 2021, got to school. Two-way player, switch hitter, most believe his future is on the mound. 2023 pitching a bit, but mostly a SS for top-10 Stanford. Good but not AA stats. Xfer out of Stanford, now focused on OF. Spring 2024 rocketing up the ranks, top 10 pick now.
  • JJ Weatherholt, 2B West Virginia. Big12 POTY as sophomore in 2023,  .449/.517/.787 with 16 home runs and 36 stolen bases. Led the nation in hitting in 2023. Wow. BA AA 2023. only 5’10”. Great hit tool, decent speed, but 2B limited. 2024 season injured hamstring, falling.

  • Brody Brecht, RHP Iowa. Was a 2-sport guy at Iowa, but gave up football to focus on baseball. Huge arm, 100mph starter. Allegedly hit 104 in a game in 2023 vs Maryland. 90mph curve is crazy; needs to work on command. BA has him in the teens, others have him higher
  • Seaver King, OF, Wake Forest; Blowing up 2024, putting himself into top 10 discussion
  • Vance Honeycutt, OF UNC. Rocketed to 1-1 conversation ahead of 2023 season. 25 hrs, 29 SB as Freshman as a true CF. 2023 performance slipped, only hit .257, fewer HRs. ACC defensive POTY, back injury ended 2023 season early. Played through injury in 2023; some still remember his freshman year and have him upper 1st rounder.
  • Mike Sirota, CF, Northeastern. Went from solid player for a mid-major to a 1st round pick by virtue of huge 2023 Cape Cod League. 5-tool player, true CF who can stay at the spot. BA says 20/20 future. 2024: struggling and dropping.
  • Tommy White, 3B LSU (was NC State). Slashed .362/.425/.757 with 27 homers his freshman year. Then xfer to LSU and becomes the star of LSU’s title-run in 2023. BA AA 2023. Posted similar slash number in SEC for 2023, premier hitter. Really “famous” but an atrocious defender and likely a 1B/DH in the pros. Is he really a big-time draft prospect though? 2024 season: numbers slipping.
  • Josh Hartle, LHP, Wake Forest; weekend starter for top 2023 team. 11-2, 2.18 ERA in 2023.
  • Peyton Stoval, 2B, Arkansas. One of best pure hitters in 2021 prep class, got to school.
  • Will Taylor, SS, Clemson. Was a 3-sport star in HS (football, baseball, and was a 2-time state champ wrestler). Playing both Football and Baseball at Clemson. Slighter frame, but good bat-to-ball skills.
  • Thatchur Hurd, RHP, LSU (was UCLA). Sunday starter for CWS champ LSU in 2023 but struggled to a 6.00 ERA regular season. Got the win in the CWS final with great performance, but needs to rebound.
  • Tyson Neighbors, RHP Kansas State: D1baseball AA 2023 as a soph, but for being a reliever.
  • Jacob Cozart C NC State. Top Catcher in the draft, power bat, power arm.
  • Malcolm Moore C Stanford. .311/.386/.564, 15 HRs as true freshman in 2023, draft-eligible So in 2024.
  • Caleb Lomavita, C, Cal.

Local College Draft Prospects

  • Griff O’Ferrall, 2b/SS UVA by way of St. Christopher HS in Richmond. 2023 US Collegiate National team’s starting SS. Projecting as 3rd rounder early in 2024 season, seeing his stock rise and now looking like a mid 2nd rounder.
  • Ethan Anderson, C/1B UVA: was behind last year’s top round pick Teel, should be full time C in 2024. Good bat;  .347/.444/.591 with 20 home runs in his first two years at UVA. Projecting as late 2nd rounder. Slipping apr2024, now 3rd rounder projection.
  • Carson DeMartini, 3B, Virginia Tech. LH bat, good hit/power. 4th round projection.
  • Harrison Didawick, corner OF, UVA. big start to 2024 power wise, rising up boards. 5th rounder, mlbpipeline has him #129 in Apr2024.
  • Konner Eaton, LHP George Mason (by way of Prince George HS south of Richmond). #149 on mlbpipeline apr2024. Brother of Nate Eaton.
  • Casey Sauke, OF/RF UVA. 60 arm, good hitter. 4th round projection, perhaps later. #134 apr2024
  • Kyle Robinson, RHP from Texas Tech by way of Marshall HS, hails from Vienna VA. In 2020, was PBR top recruit 2021.  Likely ranked too low to go in top few rounds, seems bound for college. Now 2023 US Collegiate National team. Outside MLB’s top 150 apr2024.
  • Fenwick Trimble, OF, JMU. .342/.452/.631 with 13 homers as sophomore, struggled a bit in Cape. Could be corner or CF. 7th round projection.
  • Jay Woolfolk, RHP from UVA by way of Benedictine HS, hails from Chesterfield, VA. 2019 Gatorade POTY, UVA’s closer in 2023, 2023 US Collegiate National team. Stretched back out to be a starter in 2024 and getting shelled early, stock falling badly.
  • Garrett Horn, LHP Liberty U. Up and down college career.

High School Upper 1st round names in the mix for 1-1

  • Konnor Griffin, RHP/SS, Jackson Prep, Flowood, Miss. LSU commit. Big-time two-way player, reclassified to 2024. Top ranked prep player Feb 2023. Projecting as an upper 1st round pick; some shops have him as 1-1 early. Probably first Prep player drafted either way.
  • P.J. Morlando, OF/1B, Summerville (S.C.) HS. Mississippi State commit. Older at Draft, which will limit him in some camps. Big bat, big power.
  • Bryce Ranier, 3B/RHP, Harvard-Westlake HS, Simi Valley, CA. Fast riser 2023, classic SoCal SS who looks great on paper, smooth defense, solid tools.

High School guys whose stock has fallen:

  • Dalton West, RHP/SS, Amherst County. South Carolina commit. Highest ranked DC/MD/VA kid for 2024. SS now, projects to 3B in the pros due to size. already at 93 on the mound, future seems to be position player. Switch hitter.
  • Michael Mullinax, OF (CF), North Cobb Christian HS, Kennesaw, Ga. Georgia commit. Switch hitting true CF who slashed 491/.603/.947 as a sophomore.
  • Derek Curiel, OF (corner), Orange (Calif.) Lutheran HS. LSU commit.
  • Owen Paino, SS, Roy C. Ketcham HS, Wappingers Falls, N.Y.S. Ole Miss commit.
  • Cam Caminiti, LHP/OF, Saguaro HS (Scottsdale, Ariz.). Solid 2-way player, better on the mound than at the plate.
  • Noah Franco, OF/LHP, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), talented 2-way player like Caminiti.

Local Prep Draft Candidates for 2024

  • Griffen Burkholder, OF/CF, Freedom-South Riding HS. Committed to West Virginia. Good hitting tool, grade 70 runner. projecting late 3rd round; could be going to college. MLBpipeline has him ranked #93 apr2024.
  • Aiden Harris, 3B, PDG Academy, Fredericksburg, Va. UVA commit. Huge guy, 6’4″ but on the dirt, impressed at PG National, big power.
  • Jake Yeager, RHP, Spalding HS, Severna Park MD. Maryland commit. 6’4″ but skinny 195, low 90s, spike to 95. Projecting 6th to 7th, probably not enough to get out of college.
  • James Nunnallee, C, Lightridge HS, Aldie VA. (brand new HS opened in 2021). UVA commit. 7th rounder.

Sources used to create this list

Written by Todd Boss

July 1st, 2024 at 10:12 am

Posted in Draft

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