Tag: 2024 MLB draft

CBS Sports weighs in on Jac Caglianone’s 1st-round selection

Jac Caglianone’s selection by the Kansas City Royals might be riskier than we realize.

Jac Caglianone heard his name called at Cowtown Coliseum in Ft. Worth, Texas, on Sunday night when the Kansas City Royals made him the sixth overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft.

The two-way star was a projected top-five pick coming into the evening but his stock slipped ever so slightly as he fell just outside of the predicted range. Nonetheless, he is expected to be a big-league contributor — possibly both as a slugger and a hurler.

CBS Sports writer R.J. Anderson followed the first round of the draft and made a note of the former Gators standout’s selection.

“Caglianone is the most exciting player in the class. He has massive strength from the left side and some special bat-to-ball skills,” Anderson notes. “At the same time, an elevated chase rate — and a history of zone-management issues — make this pick riskier than it may appear.”

Because of the risk, Anderson gives the draft pick a B grade.

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ESPN breaks down Jac Caglianone’s selection by Kansas City Royals

ESPN MLB expert David Schoenfield broke down Caglianone’s profile in his post-pick analysis. 

The Kansas City Royals used the sixth pick in the 2024 MLB draft to select Florida’s two-way star [autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] on Sunday night. The selection spot tied him with John Burke (1991) and A.J. Puk (2016) for the fourth-highest drafted Gator, regardless of position.

However, Jac slid just outside of his projected range coming into the evening to land in K.C., having been seen as a top-five pick before the start of the event. Nonetheless, he became the 14th first-round selection out of Gainesville since the start of the Kevin O’Sullivan era in 2008 — an era that has seen 106 MLB draft picks emerge from his program.

ESPN MLB expert David Schoenfield broke down Caglianone’s profile in his post-pick analysis.

Who is Caglianone?

“Nicknamed ‘Jactani’ after Shohei Ohtani and for his two-way play, Caglianone profiles best as a hitter in the pros — and with good reason,” Schoenfeld begins.

“A huge presence at 6-foot-5-inches and 250 pounds, he became one of the greatest sluggers in NCAA history the past two seasons, leading the country with 33 home runs as a sophomore and then following up with an even more dominant junior season, hitting .419 with 35 home runs.”

It should be added that Cags went 5-2 on the mound with a 4.76 ERA as a pitcher, maxing out at 100 mph on the radar gun.

“It’s grade 80 raw power on the 20-to-80 scale. His 58-to-26 strikeout-to-walk ratio looks impressive, but 31 of those walks were intentional and he has a very high chase rate that he’ll have to improve as a pro.”

Why the Royals took him here

“Imagine Bobby Witt Jr. batting in front of a 40-homer-hitting Caglianone? That’s what the Royals are hoping for — and this is definitely an offense that needs some juice besides Witt, Salvador Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino, Schoenfeld continues.

“Note that the Royals announced Caglianone as a two-way player, so it’s possible they will try to develop him as a two-way player. With Pasquantino at first base, Jactani could turn into a DH/SP… sound familiar?”

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SEC, ACC dominate 1st half of MLB draft’s 1st round on Sunday night

Another fine showing for the SEC on the opening night of the 2024 MLB draft.

The first round of the 2024 MLB draft is in the books and the Southeastern Conference — as well as the Atlantic Coast Conference — dominated the top half of the opening round.

USA TODAY Sports writer Gabe Lacques penned up his five takeaways after the dust settled, noting that the SEC and ACC were a significant presence among the top picks.

“After Oregon State’s Travis Bazzana was picked No. 1 overall, 11 of the next 14 players selected hailed from either Southeastern or Atlantic Coast Conference schools,” Lacques begins.

“That tracks with the most recent College World Series, in which the field was comprised entirely of ACC and SEC teams.

“Wake Forest had three players taken in the top 10, giving the Demon Deacons five first-rounders the past two years. And the SEC had 16 of the top 60 picks.”

Does it truly just matter more?

“The SEC is the best of the best. You got guys like Paul Skenes coming out, [autotag]Brandon Sproat[/autotag] coming out, Friday night guys who are top-round picks,” says Tennessee infielder Christian Moore, taken eighth overall by the Los Angeles Angels.

“It definitely prepares you for pro ball. I don’t know what it’s like, but I hope it’s fun,” he added.

“Telling that Moore would lump Sproat, a second-round pick of the Mets out of Florida in 2023, in the same breath as Skenes, who leaped from 1/1 in 2023 to starting the All-Star Game in 2024,” Lacqeus continues.

“While Sun Belt schools always had a weather advantage, the same advantages that lure high school kids to college – NIL, excellent facilities, pro-level coaches – are exacerbated in the SEC and ACC.

“Yes, the rich will continue to get richer.”

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Top-15 high-school prospect Cade Arrambide withdraws from MLB draft, will attend LSU

The Tigers saw two top-15 prospects withdraw from the draft on Sunday night.

LSU got some huge news ahead of the 2024 MLB draft as pitcher and No. 5 national high school prospect [autotag]William Schmidt[/autotag] announced that he would be pulling his name from the draft and heading to Baton Rouge.

Now, he’s been joined by another elite member of the Tigers’ 2024 signing class.

After going unselected in the first 74 picks on the first night of the draft, catch [autotag]Cade Arrambide[/autotag] announced that he would be removing his name from the draft and joining the Tigers for the 2025 season. Arrambide is the No. 13 player in the 2024 class, according to Perfect Game, and No. 2 catcher.

He’s also the No. 2-rated player in the state of Texas.

https://twitter.com/ArrambideCade/status/1812699865987637716

The top two commits in LSU’s 2024 class, [autotag]Konnor Griffin[/autotag] and [autotag]Cam Caminiti[/autotag], were both drafted in the first round on Sunday night. However, with Schmidt and Arrambide joining outfielder [autotag]Derek Curiel[/autotag], the No. 10 player in the nation who withdrew from the draft last month, the Tigers will add a trio of top-15 recruits to their roster next season.

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Gage Jump drafted by Athletics, will join LSU teammate Tommy White

LSU’s ace will join teammate Tommy White in Oakland after he was taken with the 73rd pick in the 2024 MLB draft.

With the 73rd pick of the [autotag]2024 MLB Draft[/autotag] the Oakland Athletics selected [autotag]Gage Jump[/autotag], a left-handed pitcher from LSU.

Jump transferred to LSU after playing as a freshman for UCLA three years ago. He didn’t get to play two years ago for the Bruins after suffering an injury. He rehabbed his way back and became the Ace of the LSU pitching staff.

He finished the season with a 6-2 record and a 3.47 ERA. He struck out 101 hitters and walked 22 over 83 innings of work. Jump was rated as the No. 62 overall draft prospect by MLB.com so he was drafted around the area he was projected to go. The slot value for the No. 73 pick is $1,076,900.

Oakland took [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] with the 40th pick of the draft so Jump will be joining his former teammate in the Athletics farm system.

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Texas A&M SS commit Wyatt Sanford selected in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft

Texas A&M’s top 2024 prospect has been drafted with the 47th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft

It’s been a bust night for Texas A&M baseball’s 2024 roster, as star outfielder Braden Montgomery was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft, followed by stud relief pitcher Chris Cortez being selected in the second round with the 45th overall pick by the Anaheim Angels.

With nine more rounds to go, one of Texas A&M’s top commitments in the 2024 recruiting class has gone off the board, as shortstop Wyatt Sanford was selected in the second round with the 47th overall pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Ranked as the No. 34 overall prospect in the draft, Pittsburgh is obviously getting tremendous value in the second round. Sanford’s elite defensive skills, athleticism, and decision-making at the plate should accelerate his route to joining the Pirates from the minor leagues.

However, Sanford can still retain his commitment to joining Texas A&M next season to enhance his skillset further and join an elite roster that should only help him in the long run.

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LSU pitcher Luke Holman drafted by Cincinnati Reds in competitive balance rounds

LSU’s Saturday starter became the second Tiger off the board in the draft.

With the 71st pick of the 2024 MLB draft, the [autotag]Cincinnati Reds[/autotag] selected [autotag]Luke Holman[/autotag], a right-handed pitcher from LSU.

Finally, after a long night of waiting Holman hears his name called in the MLB draft as the Cincinnati Reds have taken him in the competitive balance portion of the second round.

Holman transferred to LSU after spending two seasons at Alabama. He became the Saturday starter for the Tigers and pitched very well. He finished the season with a 9-4 record and a 2.75 ERA. He struck out 127 hitters and walked 33 over 91.2 innings of work.

The Reds drafted [autotag]Ty Floyd[/autotag] out of LSU last season so they have returned to the LSU pipeline by picking Holman. The Junior pitcher has a chance to return to LSU if he would like, but the draft slot value for the No. 71 pick is $1,110,600.

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Chris Cortez selected by the Los Angeles Angels with the 45th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft

Texas A&M pitcher Chris Cortez is the second Aggie off the board in the 2024 MLB Draft to the Los Angeles Angels

It’s been a wild ride for Texas A&M flamethrower Chris Cortez in his three years in Aggieland. The last 12 months have been even more interesting for Cortez, as he went from entering the transfer portal last year after a poor 2023 season to being a second-round draft pick in the 2024 MLB Draft.

The Los Angeles Angels selected the Aggie pitcher with the 45th pick, capping off a great 2024 season for Cortez. Last season, there was a lot of talk about Cortez’s big-league stuff and lack of command of his pitches. After being convinced to pull out of the transfer portal and stay at A&M, the work began to transform Cortez into one of the most feared relievers in the SEC.

With a fastball that tops out at over 100 MPH and a wicked slider, former A&M pitching coach Max Wiener helped him learn to control his money pitches. That led to him having his best season in the Maroon & White with over 100 strikeouts and an opponent batting average of .187. 

 https://twitter.com/MLBDraft/status/1812674373020528745  

CAREER STATS

  • Record – 19-7
  • Saves – 1
  • ERA – 4.67
  • Innings Pitched – 150.1
  • Strikeouts – 173
  • Walks – 90
  • Opposing Batting Average – 237

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Duke pitcher Jonathan Santucci drafted by New York Mets in second round

After an All-ACC First Team junior campaign, Blue Devils southpaw Jonathan Santucci will take his talents to Queens with the New York Mets.

Duke pitcher [autotag]Jonathan Santucci[/autotag]’s professional career finally began on Sunday night when the New York Mets took him in the second round of the 2024 MLB draft.

Santucci, a 6-foot-2 left-hander who made the All-ACC First Team this past season, became the first Blue Devil off the board.

After earning some preseason All-American honors, the third-year star finished 2024 with a career-best 3.41 ERA and a 6-1 record. He struck out 90 batters in 58.0 innings on the bump, giving him a stunning nine-inning split of 13.97, and he surrendered just 1.31 walks and hits per inning pitched.

He got off to a sterling start, not allowing an earned run through his first three appearances (17.0 innings pitched), and only 10 of his 40 hits went for extra bases.

Santucci missed some time near the end of the Duke season, sitting out for the North Carolina series and for the Blue Devils’ victorious ACC Tournament run with a rib injury on his non-throwing side. He returned for Duke’s regional game against Oral Roberts, allowing one hit and two walks in two scoreless innings of an elimination game.

Six other Duke baseball players joined Santucci on the all-conference team for 2024, and with the third round of the draft resuming on Monday, more Blue Devils may hear their names called alongside him.

Another LSU signee drafted as Boston Bateman goes to Padres in 2nd round

Boston Bateman became the third member of LSU’s 2024 signing class to be drafted on the first night.

With the 52nd pick of the [autotag]2024 MLB Draft[/autotag], the [autotag]San Diego Padres[/autotag] selected [autotag]Boston Bateman[/autotag], a left-handed pitcher from Camarillo, California.

Bateman was another member of Jay Johnson’s talented 2024 recruiting class. He is a 6-foot-8, 240-pound lefty who throws gas and has a nasty curveball. I was hoping Bateman would slip through the first few rounds and wind up in Baton Rouge, but it appears he will end up in his home state after being drafted by San Diego.

Bateman was rated as the No. 57 overall prospect according to MLB.com and was one of the top 10 pitchers out of the high school class. The draft slot value of the No. 52 overall pick is $1,762,500. Bateman joins [autotag]Konnor Griffin[/autotag] and [autotag]Cam Caminiti[/autotag] as LSU signees who have heard their names called on night one of the MLB draft.

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