2024 MLB Draft

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Got another catcher with the 79th pick: Kevin Bazzell out of Texas Tech. Ranked as the 55th overall prospect on mlb.com.  Law had him ranked at 35th, ahead of Lomavita.

this one I like. Good contact with a batting eye.

[imref]

At 141 Nats take Randal Diaz, SS out of Indiana State. Was not on the MLB top-250. Had entered the transfer portal after last year.

Via:
https://gosycamores.com/sports/baseball/roster/randal-diaz/8088

2024: 2024 ABCA/Rawlings All-Midwest Region Second Team selection … NCAA Lexington Regional All-Tournament Team selection … MVC All-Tournament Team selection … 2024 MVC Baseball All-Conference First Team selection … Fourth in the MVC in batting average (.360) … 10th in the MVC in slugging percentage (.632) … Ninth in the MVC in on-base percentage (.437) … Eighth in the MVC in OPS (1.069) … Second in the MVC in hits (91) … Ninth in the MVC in home runs (18) … Fifth in the MVC in assists (151) … Lined up and started in all 59 games in the 2024 season … Recorded a team-high .360 batting average with 91 hits over 253 at-bats … Recorded 33 extra-base hits with 15 doubles and 18 home runs … Scored 55 runs and drove in 55 RBIs … Drew 31 walks and was hit by six pitches … Recorded a .437 on-base percentage and a .632 slugging percentage … Went 7-for-9 in stolen base attempts on the season … Led ISU with 30 multi-hit games and was fourth on the team with 12 multi-RBI contests … Finished the 2024 season on a 32-game hitting streak spanning April 5 – June 2 … Finished the 2024 season on a 38-game on-base streak spanning March 24 – June 2 … First multi-homer game came on May 3 against Belmont … Second multi-homer game came on May 17 at Valparaiso … Recorded eight games with three hits including a 3-for-5 game at Xavier with three doubles on March 15 … 3-for-5 with a home run, three runs scored, and four RBIs against Bradley on April 12.

Via Nats Communications:

⚾️Hit .360 with 14 2B, 18 HR, 55 RBI, 31 BB and 55 R in 2024
⚾️Recorded a .632 SLG and a .437 OBP
⚾️Capped the season with a 32-game hitting streak and a 38-game on-base streak
⚾️Hit 35 HR in 3 collegiate seasons

[imref]

At 171 the Nats take Davian Garcia, RHP out of Florida Gulf Coast University. Not on the MLB top-250

Stats: https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=garcia020dav

Some video: https://x.com/JoeDoyleMiLB/status/1805025220270657596 - says he throws upper 90's and profiles as a reliever.

Via the Nats:

⚾️Went 6-3 with a 3.10 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 61.0 innings pitched in his lone season at FGCU
⚾️Named First-Team All-Atlantic Sun

[tomterp]

We got him on the cheap...call it like it is...

I would expect them to spend the whole pot, just shifting it around.  Do you think they would leave some unspent?

[aspenbubba]

I would expect them to spend the whole pot, just shifting it around.  Do you think they would leave some unspent?

Hey Tom,
Since you are retired we need you to post more with your vast reservoir of wisdom.

[imref]

7th round (#200): Robert Cranz, RHP out of Oklahoma State, unranked.

8th round (#230): Sam Peterson, OF out of Iowa. Ranked 205.

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 60 | Arm: 45 | Field: 55 | Overall: 40

While most of the scouting focus at Iowa was on the Hawkeyes' all-prospect rotation, they also have an outfielder who could go in the top five rounds. Petersen earned all-Big Ten Conference honors and starred in the playoffs to help Bourne with the Cape Cod League championship in 2023. He was posting a strong encore this spring before stress reactions in both his shins affected his swing and eventually ended his season in late April.

A right-handed hitter, Petersen has improved his ability to make hard contact and his plate discipline throughout his college career. Though he shows some feel for driving the ball in the air to his pull side, some scouts question his ability to turn on quality fastballs and hit for power with wood bats. He slugged just .329 with wood on the Cape and may top out at 12-15 homers per year.

Petersen is a consistent plus runner who will post occasional plus-plus times, and his quickness and instincts make him a dynamic basestealer. He spent most of his college career in left field despite his speed, so his ability to play center remains unproven. He possesses fringy arm strength that is playable in left or center.

[imref]

9th round (#260): Jackson Ross, 3B out of Ole Miss

Via olemisssports:

2024 (Senior): Was the only player to start all 56 games for the Rebels, starting 35 games at first base, 12 in left field, five in right field, and four as DH ... Led the team in runs scored (52), walks (55), and sacrifice flies (5) ... Finished second on the team in on base percentage (.438) and RBI (49) ... Finished third on the team in slugging percentage (.492), home runs (10), and total bases (95) ... Posted the fourth-most walks by a Rebel in a single season with 55 free passes ... Went 2-for-5 with two walks and two runs scored at Hawaii (2/16) ... Went 7-for-9 with four home runs, 10 RBI, eight runs scored, and four walks in three-game series against High Point (2/23-25) ... Went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, a walk, three RBI, and three runs scored against Little Rock (2/27) ... Drew seven walks over three games against Iowa and Memphis (3/2-6) ... Went 2-for-3 with a double, two walks, an RBI, and a run scored against Memphis (3/6) ... Went 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI at Tennessee (3/24) ... Went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI against Kentucky (3/30) ... Went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two walks, two RBI, and two runs scored against Mississippi State (4/13) ... Went 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, two RBI, and three runs scored at Auburn (5/3) ... Went 1-for-4 with three walks and two runs scored against Murray State (5/8).

[tomterp]

Hey Tom,
Since you are retired we need you to post more with your vast reservoir of wisdom.

Hah, thanks for the thought but I'm being sucked into volunteering turbocharged.  Each of these is added to all the preceding ones.

1- I started trail maintaining with a group, monthly outings.
2- I got my own trail,
3- I began to write a monthly article for the newsletter about the monthly outings.  This takes a full day each month.
4- I got "promoted" to District Manager with 30 trail maintainers reporting to me
5- I got drafted to lead a project to get a certain type of insurance, and asap!
 

Maybe someday I'll actually go to a game.

[imref]

PATC?

[tomterp]

yep

[varoadking]

I would expect them to spend the whole pot, just shifting it around.  Do you think they would leave some unspent?

The point I was trying to make was go get the best player.  Period...

I realize that's not a concept the Nats have employed in recent years, so...

[Slateman]

The point I was trying to make was go get the best player.  Period...

I realize that's not a concept the Nats have employed in recent years, so...

You know, except when they do

[Senatorswin]

Obviously the guys making the picks for the Nats know a helluva lot more than I do about the guy they picked number 10 in the first round, especially since I know nothing about him, but if somebody asked me if I thought a guy that was 3rd team all-ACC in his last year of college would ever make the majors I would say no.

[zoom]

Mlb draft is very different than other sports.   The way teams draft to sign under slot for the 'big swing' picks.   I heard the Nats had a deal with Lomavita at 10,   but worked a deal with King (and still got Lomavita).   Day 3 and bonuses will be interesting.   

[zoom]

Mlb.com Best Available:

Top players available:
Dax Whitney, RHP, Blackfoot (Idaho) HS (No. 56)
Garrett Shull, OF, Enid (Okla.) HS (No. 76)
Carson Wiggins, RHP, Roland (Okla.) HS (No. 79)
Sawyer Farr, SS, Boswell (Texas) HS (No. 91)
Noah Franco, LHP/OF, IMG Academy (No. 92)
Tegan Kuhns, RHP, Gettysburg (Pa.) HS (No. 96)
Mason Russell, LHP, Casteel (Ariz.) HS (No. 97)
Duncan Marsten, RHP, Harvard-Westlake (Calif.) HS (No. 98)
Jackson Barberi, RHP, Brockwood (Ga.) HS (No. 99)
Mason Brassfield, LHP, Bakersfield Christian (Calif.) HS (No. 101)

[nobleisthyname]

Not saying Seaver King is an amazing pick, but I don't think you can call it a bad pick just based on it being a likely underslot. The Orioles do underslot deals all the time in their drafts and they're by far and away the best team at drafting under Elias.

Seems like many posters here would not have been happy with the Orioles drafting strategy despite its overwhelming success.

[Natsinpwc]

Mlb.com Best Available:

Top players available:
Dax Whitney, RHP, Blackfoot (Idaho) HS (No. 56)
Garrett Shull, OF, Enid (Okla.) HS (No. 76)
Carson Wiggins, RHP, Roland (Okla.) HS (No. 79)
Sawyer Farr, SS, Boswell (Texas) HS (No. 91)
Noah Franco, LHP/OF, IMG Academy (No. 92)
Tegan Kuhns, RHP, Gettysburg (Pa.) HS (No. 96)
Mason Russell, LHP, Casteel (Ariz.) HS (No. 97)
Duncan Marsten, RHP, Harvard-Westlake (Calif.) HS (No. 98)
Jackson Barberi, RHP, Brockwood (Ga.) HS (No. 99)
Mason Brassfield, LHP, Bakersfield Christian (Calif.) HS (No. 101)

You mean it's not over?

[zoom]

Soon, i promise

[JCA-CrystalCity]

At 141 Nats take Randal Diaz, SS out of Indiana State. Was not on the MLB top-250. Had entered the transfer portal after last year.

Via:
https://gosycamores.com/sports/baseball/roster/randal-diaz/8088
Via Nats Communications:

kind of obvious from this point through #10 they have been picking guys they can sign for minimal money so they can splurge some on picks like Dickerson or on the 3rd day. Last year they did this, with every guy from #6 -#10 signing for $20K

[BigMeech]

Could the Nats offer overslot if they drafted someone like Whitney on the third day?  At this stage of the draft you're mainly just drafting what will amount to farm filler anyway, so why not take the chance?

[zoom]

The league assigns a dollar value to every pick in the first 10 rounds. Those values are added up to constitute each team's bonus pool. And from there, each team can spend that money -- and up to 5% over it, taxed at 75% but with no pick penalty -- however it pleases.

[imref]

so these high ranking high school guys haven't been drafted yet because teams think they'd have to overpay to keep them from going to college, right?

[zoom]

Yes.  Some guys drop out of the Draft (Schmidt) as they are 100% intent on going go college.   I am sure teams are trying to find out which of these guys could be persuaded to go pro.   

[imref]

@nationalscomms

With their 11th-round pick in the 2024 Draft, the Nationals selected: 

Merritt Beeker - LHP - Ball State University

⚾️ MAC Pitcher of the Year
⚾️ Ranked T7th in NCAA Division 1 with 128 strikeouts in 81.0 innings

Gotta be looking at Bunsen Honeydew next.

[imref]

12th round: Alexander Meckley, RHP out of Coastal Carolina

13th round: Bryant Olsen, LHP out of Mercer GA

14th round: Yoel Tejeda Jr. - RHP - Florida State University

Gotta think ChatGPT is making the selections at this point.