2024 MLB Draft 1.1 Stock Watch List
Keeping track of the Guardians options at #1 overall in the 2024 draft by week and ranking the choices
While the first-round pick in everyone’s draft isn’t the most important, especially in baseball, the Cleveland Guardians picking #1 overall for the first time in franchise history is worth paying closer attention to.
So at the end of each week, we’ll update some of the candidate’s names and stats from the past week and for the season. We will rank our current favorites, in order, to take #1 overall this July. We may add or subtract names from this list as the season goes on, depending on who we think deserves to be in the conversation.
Week 2
2B Travis Bazzana (Oregon State) 5-12, 2B, 2 HR, 2 RBI, BB, 3K, SB vs. Arkansas, Michigan, Oklahoma State, (.438/.526/1.031 - 2 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 9 RBI, 3/4 SB): Hagen Smith struck out 17 batters in six innings on Friday, including three times of Bazzana. That might worry some people or paint the picture of Chase DeLauter facing Parker Messick in 2022. But Messick wasn’t a first round talent and Hagen Smith might end up being the first pitcher off the board. Big difference there and Bazzana went on to have a great weekend after that and is on a tear to start the year.
https://x.com/RotoClegg/status/1761980589693952237?s=20
RHP Chase Burns (Wake Forest) 5.1IP, 5H, 3ER, 4BB, 8K, HR, WP vs. Dayton (11.1IP, 8H, 3ER, 5BB, 18K): Burns was an electric factory against Illinois and got tons of chases and misses. His command was a little erratic against Dayton and he only fanned eight. Now, Dayton actually might be a bit better than Illinois. But this is Burns right now. Ace upside but is inconsistent.
https://x.com/MLBPipeline/status/1761585505919992111?s=20
LHP/1B Jac Caglianone (Florida) 7-11, 2 RBI, 3BB, 1K (.545/.667/.727, 12-22, 2B, HR, 8 RBI, 7BB, 2K); 3 IP, 2H, 3ER, 2BB 7K, HR vs. Columbia: College baseball’s more watched two way player made his first pitching appearance of 2024 and was electric, hitting 99. He had some walks and fanned some batters. Kind of the Cagliaone experience on the mound. Waiting around to see if he shows better control as he gets more reps on the mound. On the hitting side, a nice weekend, but no extra base hits in three games against Columbia.
https://x.com/PitchingNinja/status/1761828956695589358?s=20
OF/1B/3B Charlie Condon (Georgia) 8-13, 2B, 3B, HR, 3 RBI, BB, 2K vs. Northern Kentucky (.643/.694/.1.179, 18-28, 4 2B, 3B, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 6 BB, 3K): Condon is smoking the ball early on. The Bulldogs are playing him at third some and the outfield. His position is more of a question than the bat. He hasn’t faced anyone of consequence yet but he’s doing exactly what he needs to do against lesser competition and hitting everything.
https://x.com/BaseballUGA/status/1761839495773847651?s=20
OF/RHP Konnor Griffin (High School) (.591/.763/.1.181, 4 2B, 3 HR, 28 SB, 14 BB, 3K); (13IP, 7H, 0ER, 27K, 2BB): We don’t have game by game stats for Griffin, but his season stats so far are insane. He’s not striking out at all and running like crazy on the bases. His pitching stats are good in just three outings too and right now he’s the only high school player in the 1-1 conversation.
https://x.com/JoeDoyleMiLB/status/1760348125297090754?s=20
OF Vance Honeycutt (UNC) 4-11, HR, 4 RBI, BB, 4K, 1/2 SB (.296/.441/.852, 5 HR, 12 RBI, 3 BB, 10 K, 3 SB) vs ECU: Honeycutt had one extra base hit all weekend and had a tough time with ECU ace and future first rounder, Trey Yesavage, as anyone would. It was a good weekend but with strikeouts and just one extra base hit.
https://x.com/hayudi18/status/1761194328884490593?s=20
OF Seaver King (Wake Forest) 5-15, 2B, 2 HR, 3K 4 RBI vs. Dayton (.667/.600/.1.667, HR, 7 RBI, 2 SB, 4K, 2BB): King got hot over the weekend against Dayton as the Flyers pitched around Kurtz mostly. He made them pay. He was aggressive, as he has been so far to start the year, but he hit a ball a long way and could be just now breaking out.
https://x.com/JoeDoyleMiLB/status/1761552173283082735?s=20
1B Nick Kurtz (Wake Forest) 3-9, 2B, 8 BB, 2K vs. Dayton (.280/.455/.440, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 9 BB, 5K, SB): Eight walks in three games, two intentional, suggests Kurtz isn’t getting much to hit early on this year. Taking his walks is good. Better to not chase and change his approach. Of course, you’d like to see him dominate weaker competition the way Condon is. But no reason for concern obviously.
https://x.com/Mustbethehawk/status/1761137763708006577?s=20
OF Mike Sirota (Northeastern) 1-8, 3 BB, K, SB vs. Minnesota (.200/.333/.200, RBI, 4 BB, 3K, SB): Early season vs. power five teams (even if Minnesota is not a great Big Ten team) is where you’d like to see him excel to continue to be that dark horse top pick. But that hasn’t happened yet.
https://x.com/PGCollegeBall/status/1761846009305412082?s=20
LHP Hagen Smith (Arkansas): (6 IP, 3H, BB, 17 K) (Season Stats) - Smith turned in what should be the best pitching performance anyone is going to deliver this season. If someone does top it, that would be pretty impressive. He only needed 78 pitches (59 strikes) to punch out 17 of the of the 22 batters he faced. He touched 99 and was hitting 96 in the sixth inning. He missed a ton of bats with his slider against Oregon State and Travis Bazzana, who he also fanned two times. This performance alone is what put him on the list here because of the stuff and who it was against. We’ll see how he follows it up.
https://x.com/TylerJennings24/status/1761228144025956597?s=20
SS/2B JJ Wetherholt (West Virginia) DNP - Hamstring injury (.308/.438/.385, 2B, 3 BB, 2K, 3B): Whetherholt has played four games, all vs. Stetson and is dealing with a hamstring issue and hasn’t played since Feb. 19.
https://x.com/kileymcd/status/1760693331917472046?s=20
Justin’s ranking
Travis Bazzana
Nick Kurtz
Konnor Griffin
JJ Weatherholt
Charlie Condon
Etc.
Comment: I’m still the captain of the Nick Kurtz official fan club. Being pitched around early has made Kurtz looks less than impressive numbers wise than others on this list. It’s still early in the year and I like to avoid making many changes based on early season performance, but Travis Bazzana put in serious work over the offseason to specifically improve his power output through his attack angle and pull fly balls. Sometimes it can take time for those changes to work and show in game, but it’s showing up already for Bazzana. The work ethic is off the charts and right now the results match it, so I’ve moved Bazzana ahead of Kurtz now. My pre-season order was Kurtz, Bazzana, and Wetherholt. Due to Wetherholt’s injuries, however, I did slide Griffin ahead of him, who has a lot of things in his favor right now. I’ll keep an eye on Condon for now too with his bat and if he can stick in the outfield. Also very hard to ignore Smith after his performance against Oregon State on Friday.
Willie’s ranking
Nick Kurtz
Travis Bazzana
Konnor Griffin
JJ Wetherholt
Charlie Condon
Comment: There was a clear group of top-tier talent before the baseball season started. That tier has expanded to four players with the addition of Konnor Griffin. The Mississippi native has done nothing but mash this spring and record video game-like numbers. One of the youngest players in the class Griffin has the highest upside in this class for this writer. As of the moment, Travis Bazzana has been the most impressive collegiate performer. However, hulking Demon Deacons first bagger Nick Kurtz has barely faced a pitcher willing to challenge the young slugger. While Wetherholt’s season has temporarily been put on hold his ability to make contact holds him safely in the top five, but that could change. Last but not least Charlie Condon has carried over his power and contact skills that he unveiled last year.
Keep eyes out on Jac Caglionone, Brody Brecht, Seaver King, Chase Burns, and Hagen Smith among others.
Jared’s ranking
Travis Bazzana
Nick Kurtz
Konnor Griffin
JJ Wetherholt
Sever King
Comment: Before the season starting, I had felt that Bazzanna and Kurtz were very close in terms of my preference at 1-1. Bazzana’s start to the season against some pretty good competition has me taking him just slightly over Kurtz. Teams are definitely pitching around Kurtz, but I would still like to have seen more damage being done. Griffin’s ridiculous start to his season, paired with Wetherholt’s injury, has me taking Griffin in the 3 spot. King in the 5 spot is due to him finally getting comfortable and showing off the tools he possesses. Smith could creep into this list if he continues at somewhat of the pace he showed Friday.
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