MLB Pipeline releases updated 2024 MLB mock draft with new No. 1 pick

College baseball’s regular season is largely complete, with conference tournaments underway and regional tournaments starting before we know it. With the postseason upon us, MLB Pipeline has released an updated 2024 MLB mock draft featuring a new roster featuring the No. 1 overall pick.

As expected, the mock is once again dominated by college players and mostly college hitters. Of the 30 players selected in the first round, 22 are college players, with only eight coming from the high school/prep ranks. 16 of those 22 college players are hitters, including two-time star Jac Caglianone.

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There’s a new first overall pick in this week’s MLB mock draft, with Oregon State’s Travis Bazzana overtaking Charlie Condon as the pick for the Cleveland Guardians. But again, the top ten is dominated by college stars, with eight of the top ten selections coming from college.

Here’s what the first round currently looks like in the eyes of MLB Pipeline and Jim Callis.

1. Cleveland Guardians: Oregon State 2B Travis Bazzana

Travis Bazzana finished the regular season as one of the best hitters in all of college baseball. In 264 at-bats this season, he hit .429 with 26 home runs and 62 RBI.

In his collegiate career, Bazzana hit .365 with 43 home runs and 161 RBI. He is known for leading games with homers, and he could be a player who can quickly rise to the majors. This MLB mock draft sees him taken off the board first overall, which seems like a very strong possibility.

2. Cincinnati Reds: Georgia 3B/OF Charlie Condon

Charlie Condon broke out at Georgia last season with 25 home runs and 67 RBI while hitting .386. This season he was even better.

In 270 at-bats this season, Condon is hitting .452 with 35 home runs and 75 RBI. He has undoubtedly been the best hitter in college baseball and also had a 1.063 deficit with an OPS of 1.630.

3. Colorado Rockies: Florida 1B/LHP Jac Caglianone

Jac Caglianone has done it all in Florida. The two-time star has been one of the nation’s best hitters over the past two seasons, and he is a career .349 hitter with 69 home runs and 175 RBI. It’s not surprising to see him consistently ranked in the top three in MLB mock drafts.

This season, Caglianone hit .414 with 29 home runs and 58 RBI, while hitting .851 with a 1.376 OPS. He also pitched to a 4.35 ERA with 68 strikeouts in 13 starts and 62 innings pitched.

4. Oakland Athletics: Wake Forest 1B Nick Kurtz

Nick Kurtz didn’t have as productive a season this year as he did in 2023, but he was still very good. On the season, Kurtz hit .312 in 235 at-bats with 21 home runs and 52 RBI, while batting .790 with a 1.322 OPS.

In his three-year career at Wake Forest, Kurtz hit .336 with 60 home runs and 177 RBI. He hit .731 with a 1.241 OPS.

5. Chicago White Sox: Texas A&M BY Braden Montgomery

Braden Montgomery played at Stanford to start his career, hitting 35 home runs with 118 RBI in his two seasons out west. This year he was even better after transferring to Texas A&M.

As a big reason why the Aggies were one of the top teams in college baseball all year, Montgomery hit .326 with 26 home runs and 80 RBI.

6. Kansas City Royals: Jackson Prep HS SS/OF Konnor Griffin (LSU commitment)

Konnor Griffin could very easily become the top high school prospect in the 2024 MLB Draft, and that’s what happens in this mock. His upside is huge at shortstop, and his bat could develop into a very productive bat in the pros.

Griffin is committed to playing in college at LSU. He’s unlikely to get there as a potential top ten pick.

7. St. Louis Cardinals: Arkansas LHP Hagen Smith

It’s impossible to describe how dominant Hagen Smith has been for Arkansas this season. He is the clear top pitcher in this draft class. In 14 starts in the regular season, Smith was 9-0 with a 1.52 ERA and a .083 WHIP. He pitched 77 innings and struck out 150, compared to just 29 walks.

Smith is a very strong contender to be the first pitcher selected. He will eventually finish in the top ten, it’s just a matter of how high he goes.

8. Los Angeles Angels: Wake Forest RHP Chase Burns

Chase Burns is another intriguing pitcher and if there’s anyone who could push Smith to the top of the league, it’s him. Burns is the second pitcher selected in this MLB mock draft.

He made a name for himself in two seasons at Tennessee, but transferred to Wake Forest prior to this season. This year, he is 10-1 in 14 starts and pitching to a 2.63 ERA and a 0.84 WHIP over 89 innings. He struck out 169 batters compared to 24 walks, consistently reaching triple figures with his fastball.

9. Pittsburgh Pirates: West Virginia SS/2B JJ Wetherholt

JJ Wetherholt has missed some time this season due to injury, but he has been great on the field. In 132 at bats in 29 regular season games, he is hitting .375 with eight home runs and 30 RBI.

Last season was Wetherholt’s most productive season, hitting .449 with 16 home runs and 60 RBI in 268 at-bats.

10. Washington Nationals: Harvard-Westlake HS SS Bryce Rainer (Texas commit)

Bryce Rainer is in the mix for the top college prospect in this year’s draft class. The Harvard-Westlake shorts is a great hitter with some power in his swing, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he landed in the top ten on draft night.

Rainer is a Texas commit, should the unlikely scenario unfold where he makes it to campus.

2024 MLB Mock Draft: Picks 11-30

11. Detroit Tigers: Eastern Carolina RHP Trey Yesavage
12. Boston Red Sox: Wake Forest 3B/OF Seaver King
13. San Francisco Giants: Sanguaro HS LHP Cam Caminiti (LSU commit)
14. Chicago Cubs: State of Florida FROM James Tibbs III
15. Seattle Mariners: Westlake HS SS/2B Theo Gillen (Texas commit)
16. Miami Marlins: Florida State 3B Cam Smith
17. Milwaukee Brewers: North Carolina BY Vance Honeycutt
18. Tampa Bay Rays: State of Kansas SS Kaelen Culpepper
19. New York Mets: The state of Mississippi FROM Dakota Jordan
20. Toronto Blue Jays: LSU 3B Tommy White
21. Minnesota Twins: Tennessee 3B Billy Amick
22. Baltimore Orioles: Iowa RHP Brody Brecht
23. Los Angeles Dodgers: Elk City HS LHP Kash Mayfield (State of Oklahoma to connect)
24. Atlanta Braves: Oklahoma State BY Carson Benge
25. San Diego Padres: Hardee HS SS Kellon Lindsey (Florida commit)
26. New York Yankees: Mississippi State RHP/LHP Jurrangelo Cijntje
27. Philadelphia Phillies: Catholic HS RHP William Schmidt (LSU commit)
28. Houston Astros: Sam Houston C Walker Janek
29. Arizona Diamondbacks: Valley View HS VAN Slade Caldwell (Ole ma’am to connect)
30. Texas Rangers: Stanford C Malcolm Moore

Only eight high school players were selected in the first round of this 2024 MLB mock draft. Three of those eight were pitchers, five of which were position players.