How Are 2024 MLB Draft First-Round Picks Faring So Far?
Below we take a look at the early assignments for each of the first-rounders from the 2024 draft class. Many players have not yet been activated to start their pro careers—high schoolers and pitchers in general—so this piece mainly focuses on college hitters.
It’s worth noting that all players below are still working with extremely small sample sizes. Still, it’s worthwhile to check on how the top-ranked names are doing early on.
We also mention five notable debut performances beyond the first round.
1. Travis Bazzana, 2B, Guardians
Assignment: Lake County (High-A, Midwest League)
Performance: .256/.418/.442, 10 BB, 17 K, 1 HR, 5 2B, 152 wRC+
The first overall pick was assigned to Lake County where he tallied hits in six of his first 13 games. He managed a three-hit effort a few nights ago that featured three of his five total doubles and has played each game at second base. Bazzana has been one of the more passive first-round hitters in the minors so far with a 37.6% swing rate, though that’s right in line with his college numbers.
2. Chase Burns, RHP, Reds
Assignment: ACL Reds (rookie ball, Arizona Complex League)
Performance: No games
3. Charlie Condon, OF, Rockies
Assignment: Spokane (High-A, Northwest League)
Performance: .205/.279/.333, 2 BB, 15 K, 1 HR, 2 2B, 75 wRC+
Condon turned in a four-hit effort in just his second game with Spokane, but since then he’s gone just 4-for-30 (.133) with a single extra-base hit. His 15 strikeouts and 34.9% strikeout rate are the highest of any first-round hitter, as is his 41.8% miss rate. Condon has played five games in left field, three at designated hitter and two at third base.
4. Nick Kurtz, 1B, Athletics
Assignment: Stockton (Low-A, California League), Midland (Double-A, Texas League)
Performance: .400/.571/.960, 10 BB, 7 K, 4 HR, 2 2B, 273 wRC+
Kurtz torched California League pitching through seven games and quickly earned a promotion to Double-A Midland—making him the third* player from the 2024 class to reach that level after Christian Moore and David Mershon. He walked more than he struck out in seven games, homered four times and added two doubles with a 90th-percentile exit velocity of 109.4 mph and max exit velocity of 113.4 mph.
*Editor’s note: We originally stated Kurtz was the second player from the class to reach Double-A. That has been corrected.
5. Hagen Smith, LHP, White Sox
Assignment: ACL White Sox (rookie ball, Arizona Complex League)
Performance: No games
Smith has been ramping up in Arizona and will join High-A Winston-Salem’s roster this week ahead of a potential debut on Saturday, according to MLB.com’s Scott Merkin.
6. Jac Caglianone, TWP, Royals
Assignment: Quad Cities (High-A, Midwest League)
Performance: .211/.348/.395, 6 BB, 12 K, 2 HR, 1 2B, 113 wRC+
Caglianone has exclusively played first base and designated hitter so far in his 11-game pro career. That’s expected, and we’ll probably need to wait for the 2025 season to see how the Royals plan to use Caglianone on the mound. He has continued to chase out of the zone at a high clip (40.9% chase) but hit the ball extremely hard when he connects (110.3 mph 90th, 114 mph max) and has made a ton of contact inside the zone (14.6% in-zone miss).
7. JJ Wetherholt, SS, Cardinals
Assignment: Palm Beach (Low-A, Florida State League)
Performance: .255/.418/.353, 12 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, 2 2B, 134 wRC+
Wetherholt has shown the best pure batting eye of first-round hitters with any reasonable sample of games at this rate. His 12 walks are second to only Yankees outfielder Brendan Jones among 2024 draftees, and his 10.3% chase rate is the best mark among first round 2024 drafted hitters. His overall miss and in-zone miss rates have also been strong. Wetherholt has played three games as a designated hitter but all of his playing time in the field has come at shortstop.
8. Christian Moore, 2B, Angels
Assignment: Inland Empire (Low-A, California League), Rocket City (Double-A, Southern League)
Performance: .414/.469/.776, 6 BB, 15 K, 6 HR, 3 2B, (307 wRC+ Low-A, 238 wRC+ Double-A)
Moore has been the most impressive 2024 prospect to debut in the minors to this point. He spent just two games in Low-A with Inland Empire before the Angels pushed him to Double-A Rocket City, where he’s slashed .383/.442/.723 with five home runs in 12 games. Moore’s six homers leads 2024 draftees so far and he’s shown an impressive combination of swing decisions and impact.
9. Konnor Griffin, SS, Pirates
Assignment: FCL Pirates (rookie ball, Florida Complex League)
Performance: No games
10. Seaver King, SS, Nationals
Assignment: Fredericksburg (Low-A, Carolina League)
Performance: .238/.273/.333, 0 BB, 5 K, 0 HR, 0 2B, 78 wRC+
King has only played five games with Fredericksburgh but he started off strong with back-to-back two-hit games. King has been one of the most free-swinging hitters among first round 2024 draftees in this admittedly tiny sample with a 56.1% overall swing rate and 42.9% chase rate that is one of the most aggressive of this group of players.
11. Bryce Rainer, SS, Tigers
Assignment: FCL Tigers (rookie ball, Florida Complex League)
Performance: No games
12. Braden Montgomery, OF, Red Sox
Assignment: FCL Red Sox (rookie ball, Florida Complex League)
Performance: No games
13. James Tibbs, OF, Giants
Assignment: San Jose (Low-A, California League)
Performance: .415/.429/.512, 1 BB, 11 K, 0 HR, 4 2B, 154 wRC+
Tibbs was drafted as a bat-first position player with a corner profile and has played each game in the field in right while tallying hits in eight of his first nine games. He’s stacked seven consecutive multi-hit games at San Jose and might have a hit tool that’s simply too advanced for the level, though his modest impact numbers will be something to monitor moving forward considering the offensive bar he’ll need to clear.
14. Cam Smith, 3B, Cubs
Assignment: Myrtle Beach (Low-A, Carolina League)
Performance: .154/.267/.269, 4 BB, 10 K, 0 HR, 1 2B, 65 wRC+
Smith was one of the 2024 draft’s most improved hitters from the 2023 spring to 2024, but he has struggled in his first eight games in the Carolina League. He’s managed hits in just three games and has struck out at a 33.3% clip. His in-zone miss rate has been one of the highest among first-round draftees with a 33.3% mark so far.
15. Jurrangelo Cijntje, SHP, Mariners
Assignment: ACL Mariners (rookie ball, Arizona Complex League)
Performance: No games
16. PJ Morlando, OF, Marlins
Assignment: Jupiter (Low-A, Florida State League)
Performance: .000/.000/.000, 0 BB, 0 K, 0 HR, 0 2B, -100 wRC+
Morlando was one of the few high school players selected in the first round this year to actually get into pro games, but he tallied just one at-bat before a lumbar stress reaction ended his season. He’ll get back to work in 2025.
17. Braylon Payne, OF, Brewers
Assignment: ACL Brewers (rookie ball, Arizona Complex League)
Performance: No games
18. Theo Gillen, OF, Rays
Assignment: FCL Rays (rookie ball, Florida Complex League)
Performance: No games
19. Carson Benge, OF, Mets
Assignment: St. Lucie (Low-A, Florida State League)
Performance: .400/.700/.400, 4 BB, 3 K, 0 HR, 0 2B, 248 wRC+
Benge has only played in two games so far in the Florida State League but he managed hits in both and added four walks for good measure. In both games he played as the team’s designated hitter.
20. Trey Yesavage, RHP, Blue Jays
Assignment: FCL Blue Jays (rookie ball, Florida Complex League)
Performance: No games
21. Kaelen Culpepper, SS, Twins
Assignment: Fort Myers (Low-A, Florida State League)
Performance: .297/.366/.541, 3 BB, 2 K, 2 HR, 3 2B, 156 wRC+
Culpepper has shown excellent bat-to-ball skills through his first nine pro games with some of the best contact numbers of the first-round 2024 hitters. Culpepper has spent most of his time at shortstop when he’s played the field but he does have a single game at third base, which could be a real defensive home for him as well.
22. Vance Honeycutt, OF, Orioles
Assignment: FCL Orioles (rookie ball, Florida Complex League)
Performance: No games
23. Kellon Lindsey, SS, Dodgers
Assignment: ACL Dodgers (rookie ball, Arizona Complex League)
Performance: No games
24. Cam Caminiti, LHP, Braves
Assignment: FCL Braves (rookie ball, Florida Complex League)
Performance: No games
25. Kash Mayfield, LHP, Padres
Assignment: ACL Padres (rookie ball, Arizona Complex League)
Performance: No games
26. Ben Hess, RHP, Yankees
Assignment: FCL Yankees (rookie ball, Florida Complex League)
Performance: No games
27. Dante Nori, OF, Phillies
Assignment: Clearwater (Low-A, Florida State League)
Performance: .200/.368/.333, 4 BB, 6 K, 0 HR, 0 2B, 112 wRC+
With Morlando dealing with an injury, Nori is the sole representative of the high school class among first-rounders in the minors so far. Perhaps the Phillies are being more aggressive with Nori than their peers given his age, as Nori will turn 20 in early October. He’s played in just four games with Low-A Clearwater but has shown a solid approach with some swing-and-miss while playing both center and left field.
28. Walker Janek, C, Astros
Assignment: Asheville (High-A, South Atlantic League)
Performance: .211/.250/.342, 2 BB, 10 K, 1 HR, 2 2B, 68 wRC+
Through 10 games with High-A Asheville, Janek has been the most aggressive first-round hitter with a 47.5% chase rate that tops other free swingers like Seaver King and Jac Caglianone. With 10 strikeouts and just two walks, Janek will need to hone in the offensive approach, but he’s wasted no time showing off his arm behind the dish, with eight runners caught stealing in 15 total attempts against him—a 53% caught stealing rate.
29. Slade Caldwell, OF, D-backs
Assignment: ACL D-backs (rookie ball, Arizona Complex League)
Performance: No games
30. Malcolm Moore, C, Rangers
Assignment: Hickory (High-A, South Atlantic League)
Performance: .138/.265/.207, 2 BB, 11 K, 0 HR, 2 2B, 50 wRC+
Moore has played in nine games with High-A Hickory this summer and started his first six games slowly when he went just 1-for-19 (.053). His most recent three-game stretch has been a bit better, as he’s hit in each game and gone 3-for-10 (.300) overall with a triple. Moore has stayed within the zone on his swing decisions but his 35.9% overall miss rate is a bit high and he’s also caught just 1-of-11 base stealers (9% caught stealing) in five games behind the plate.
Five Notables Beyond The First Round
Derek Clark, LHP, Angels (9th round)
Assignment: Inland Empire (Low-A, California League)
Performance: 8 IP, 4 GS, 1.13 ERA, 10 K, 0 BB
A later draft date means most teams have become pretty conservative in how they activate and use their recently drafted pitchers. The Angels are built differently though. Clark leads all draftees with eight innings pitched and with 10 strikeouts. He’s started four games and gone just two innings in each and has yet to allow a walk while sitting around 90 mph with his fastball.
Cole Tolbert, RHP, Red Sox (18th round)
Assignment: Salem (Low-A, Carolina League)
Performance: 4 IP, 2 GS, 2.25 ERA, 9 K, 0 BB
Tolbert was an 18th round selection out of Ole Miss who struggled during the spring out of the bullpen but pitched well in a starting role in the Northwoods League before the draft. In two starts with Low-A Salem, Tolbert has struck out nine without walking a batter while sitting in the 90-93 mph range with his fastball that has played up so far and mixing in a low-80s curveball and sweeper slider.
Jack Costello, 1B/3B/OF, Padres (10th round)
Assignment: Lake Elsinore (Low-A, California League)
Performance: .326/.407/.674, 4 BB, 3 K, 4 HR, 4 2B, 175 wRC+
Costello trails only Christian Moore with 31 total bases among 2024 draftees through his first 11 games with Low-A Lake Elsinore. He signed for just $10,000 in the 10th round as a senior sign but has shown excellent contact skills and surprisingly impressive top-end exit velocity marks so far. He has mostly split time between third base and first base so far but also has a game under his belt in right field. Costello is a 23-year-old in Low-A, but it’s a strong start.
Ian Petrutz, OF, Cardinals (10th round)
Assignment: Palm Beach (Low-A, Florida State League)
Performance: .396/.532/.521, 9 BB, 4 K, 0 HR, 4 2B, 207 wRC+
Petrutz signed for $250,000 in the 12th round out of Alabama and throughout his college career stood out for his plate discipline—a trait the Cardinals prioritize. He has continued to walk more than he has struck out in pro ball through 15 games with a 21.5% chase rate and excellent 9.3% in-zone miss rate.
Brendan Jones, OF, Yankees (12th round)
Assignment: Tampa (Low-A, Florida State League)
Performance: .321/.537/.536, 13 BB, 8 K, 1 HR, 3 2B, 209 wRC+
If walks are your thing, look no further than Yankees 12th-rounder Brendan Jones, an outfielder who signed for $150,000 and leads all 2024 draftees with 13 free passes. His 4.2% chase rate tops even the impressive mark mentioned above for JJ Wetherholt and his 31.7% walk rate is the best mark of any 2024 hitter with at least 25 plate appearances so far. All nine of his games with Tampa so far have come in center field.
