Top 30 2024 MLB draft prospects, projected by D1Baseball (2024)

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There has been very little change at the top since our last ranking of the top college draft prospects in September. In fact, the top six spots remain unchanged with Jac Caglianone (Florida) still leading the way. The two-way talent has well-documented tools that include the ability to throw a baseball 100 mph and hit one over 115 mph, both from the left side. Another slugger, Nick Kurtz (Wake Forest) occupies the second slot in our rankings. The Demon Deacons’ first baseman is a more pure hitter than Caglianone and also possesses light-tower power.

Next up are a pair of impact infield talents with Travis Bazzana (Oregon State) and J.J. Wetherholt (West Virginia) ranking third and fourth, respectively. A native of Australia, Bazzana stands out for his strength and explosiveness. He’s a 70-grade runner who also produces high-level exit velocities at the plate. Wetherholt brings electrifying speed and twitchy power. The middle of the diamond talent posted a .449/.517/.782 production line last spring that also included more walks (26) than strikeouts (22), 16 home runs and 35 stolen bases.

Coming into this past fall, the 2024 college draft class appeared to be light on starting pitching depth. However, with the continued development of Caglianone, Chase Burns (No. 5/Wake Forest), Brody Brecht (No. 6/Iowa), Hagen Smith (No. 7/Arkansas) and Josh Hartle (No. 10/Wake Forest) there are now five potential starting pitchers in our top 10.

Both Burns and Brecht are arguably closer to 1-1 overall than Paul Skenes was at this same time last year. Consistent big velocity has already been seen in the preseason from Burns, who sat 99-100 (T101) for much of his six-inning start this past weekend during an intrasquad. Brecht is another hundy-hurler with a wipeout slider, but his fastball command is a work in progress. The left-handed Smith dialed it up into the upper 90s this past fall and has continued finding the extra juice, averaging 98 mph and touching 100 every time out during his ramp-up time the past several weeks. And although Hartle’s velocity was more 89-91 this past Saturday, the southpaw no doubt profiles as a pro starter with four pitches for strikes and elite production. As with every year, many under-the-radar arms will emerge to deepen the pool, yet it’s realistic to forecast that others will fall due to injury. It’s just the risky nature of pitching.

.@VandyBoys threatens in their half of the 3rd, but Chase Burns pitches out of it with his plus plus 89-91 cutter on a nice play by RF Jake Renisch @WakeBaseball

1st round #MLBDraft prospect Burns touched 98, also showed an 84 86 Slider and his new pitch CH at 89 91.… pic.twitter.com/bLWDrqVPrq

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Another strength of the college class is behind the plate, where a handful of backstops possess Day One tools and the performance to further bolster their value. At the top is Jacob Cozart (No. 13/NC State). The 6-foot-3, 210-pound lefthanded-hitting catcher has a plus arm and a power bat. Two Bay Area receivers rank next with Cal’s Caleb Lomavita (No. 18) and Stanford’s Malcolm Moore (No. 19). The arrow is also pointing up on Sam Houston State’s Walker Janek (No. 31), who is the best athlete of the group, and Derek Bender (No. 30/Coastal Carolina) who showed his catching abilities during the Cape Cod League playoffs after an All-Star regular season at first base. Ethan Anderson (No. 33/Virginia) and Kevin Bazzell (No. 34/Texas Tech) are two additional catchers who rank within the top 35 overall. Both are making the transition to a full-time role behind the plate this spring.

Two-way prospects and draft-eligible sophom*ores further deepen a strong class of college prospects. It does not show the middle-of-the-diamond firepower of Skenes, Dylan Crews and Wyatt Langford from 2023, but when it all shakes out there should be another strong crop of college prospects in 2024.

Top 30 DI college prospects for the 2024 MLB draft

* player is soph-eligible

Click or tap here for the full list of the top 200 D1 College Prospects on D1Baseball.com.