Tampa Bay Rays 2024 MLB Draft Review
Following the 2024 MLB Draft, we’re taking a deeper look at each individual draft class. Below, find one overarching takeaway from the draft, plus a full scouting report on the most interesting pick on days two and three. You can see all 30 draft reviews here.
Draft Theme: Riding Fastballs
The Rays selected high school players with three of their first four picks, including shortstops Theo Gillen and Tyler Bell, and one of the best Canadian prospects in the class with power-hitting catcher Nathan Flewelling. After the third round, Tampa Bay started targeting plenty of pitchers and most of them had similar characteristics to their fastballs: RHP Nate Knowles has “great riding life and dominates the top of the strike zone” with his fastball; RHP Jacob Kmatz has “above-average carry” with his fastball; RHP Janzen Keisel “creates a low release height and he generates excellent riding life” with his fastball; and even ninth round senior LHP Garrett Gainey has “solid riding life” with his fastball.
Most Interesting Day 2 Pick: RHP Nate Knowles, 4th round
Knowles is a 6-foot, 185-pound righthander who William & Mary have used as a short-inning starter who takes the ball more frequently than most college starters. He was near the D-I lead for all pitchers with 19 starts and posted a 2.48 ERA over 80 innings with a 33.5% strikeout rate and 11.7% walk rate. While pitching on a five-day schedule, Knowles didn’t pitch beyond five complete innings until his final three starts of the season. He has a four-pitch mix including a 90-94 mph fastball that touches 95 but has great riding life and dominates the top of the strike zone. He generated an impressive 31% miss rate with the heater though he needs to sharpen his command of the pitch. His go-to secondary is a firm cutter/slider in the mid to upper 80s that is his most consistent in-zone offering, and he will also spin an upper-70s curveball with excellent depth and finish and mix in an occasional low-80s changeup that could become more of a weapon against lefties with added touch and feel. Knowles pitched himself into a potential early day two draft position and pairs solid spin and release characteristics despite fringy control.
Most Interesting Day 3 Pick: 3B Tony Santa Maria, 19th round
Santa Maria would likely be a more prominent name in college baseball had he not suffered a shoulder injury that cost him all but five games in the 2023 season. His first season with Rutgers in 2022 was excellent: he slashed .303/.402/.540 with 10 home runs, 16 doubles and seven stolen bases. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound third baseman continued to hit at a high level in 2024, launched a career-high 14 homers and slashed .324/.436/.586. He is a bat-first infielder who will need to shore up his defensive actions a bit at third base to stick there as an average defender, and could be a day two prospect as a senior who will be 22 on draft day.
