2024 MLB Draft results, grades: Analysis of every first-round pick as Travis Bazzana, Charlie Condon go early (2024)

This was my fifth year as CBS Sports' MLB draft expert. This was my best first round-only four players chosen in the top 30 were ranked outside of my top 40, and only two outside of my top 50.

The first round is in the books

Another 43 picks to go tonight, but this is the rapid fire round. One minute between picks.

No. 30: Rangers select Malcolm Moore (C, Stanford)

Moore had a really odd year for a first-round pick. He hit just .255 because of an absurd rate of fly balls. There are some defensive questions about Moore, too. If he hits, it won't really matter. We had him 25, so this is about right. Grade: B

No. 29: Diamondbacks select Slade Caldwell (OF, Valley View HS)

The Diamondbacks love those small outfielders. Caldwell is the latest in a line that includes Corbin Carroll and Alek Thomas, among many others. He's a speedy runner with a fast bat. We had him at 38 so this is just a little earlier than expected as well -- but when you have a type, you have a type. Grade: B

No. 28: Astros select Walker Janek (C, North Carolina State )

We had Janek at 36, so this is just a little earlier than we expected based on our intel. He grades as a surefire backstop with a strong arm. He also has some offensive promise (he cranked 17 home runs this season). Grade: B

No. 27: Phillies select Dante Nori (OF, Northville HS)

We didn't have Nori ranked in our top 50 for a few reasons, beginning with his advanced age: he'll turn 20 in October. There are also some offensive concerns given that he has substandard power projection. Nori does run well, however, and if you're a little higher on his hit tool than our modest forecast then you can see a top-of-the-order center fielder. Grade: C

No. 26: Yankees select Ben Hess (RHP, Alabama)

Hess entered the season ranked in our top 30. He then had a pretty miserable platform year, posting a 5.80 ERA and a 4.6 walks per nine rate. He's a physical righty with velocity and feel for a good curveball. Mid-rotation upside if all develops as planned, but we'll dock a little because of his shaky season. Grade: C

No. 25: Padres select Kash Mayfield (LHP, Elk HS)

We had Mayfield 31, but noted that he could go in the first round. Sure enough. He's a big lefty with easy gas and a feel for spin. There's a lot of risk associated with prep arms, but hey, it's the back of the first round. Grade: B

I thought Caminiti would fall to a team with extra picks (Guardians? Brewers?) at this point. Braves get the best high school pitcher in the draft class at No. 24.

No. 24: Braves select Cam Caminiti (LHP, Saguaro HS)

There was buzz earlier in the cycle that Caminiti would go top 15. He's a pretty interesting lefty with velocity and bloodlines (his cousin was the late Ken Caminiti, a former NL MVP). Some evaluators think he'll need to pick up a gyro slider to have a true out pitch. The Braves are strong at pitching development, so keep an eye on this one. For our money, a really good value at 24. Grade: A

No. 23: Dodgers select Kellon Lindsey (SS, Hardee HS)

Lindsey enjoyed a lot of late helium in the cycle to land at No. 26 on our final list. He's an absolute burner, a former two-sport star, who should remain at short heading forward. The question is the bat -- specifically how it takes against professional pitching. We don't know the answer, but we get why the Dodgers want to find out for themselves. Grade: B

Culpepper to the Twins and Honeycutt to the Orioles. Nailed those two in the mock draft. Any self-respecting mock drafter will tell you nailing a pick in the back half of the first round is far more satisfying than getting a top 10 pick right.

No. 22: Orioles select Vance Honeycutt (CF, North Carolina)

Go figure that the Orioles take Honeycutt, just a few years after selecting Jud Fabian. Honeycutt is a really good center fielder and runner with all the tools except one: the hit tool. He swings and misses a lot, and he struck out 28% of the time this season overall. There's a real chance his inability to make consistent contact dooms him; the secondary skills here, though, give him a relatively low offensive bar to clear Grade: B

No. 21: Twins select Kaelen Culpepper (SS, Kansas State)

You may have noticed the lack of collegiate shortstops. Culpepper will stick at the six. The question is his bat. His approach was a little too swing-happy (and some scouts question his breaking ball recognition). His exit velocities were also uninspiring. That said, we had him ranked 22nd because he did perform and, again, he should stick at a premium defensive position. Grade: B

No. 20: Blue Jays select Trey Yesavage (RHP, ECU)

Yesavage was supposed to be the third collegiate pitcher off the board. He'll have to settle for fourth. It's a very vertical-based arsenal, including a fastball with absurd carry. As Axisa noted, he had that collapsed lung late in the season. He did return to pitch afterward, however, and he has mid-rotation upside. Grade: B

Well there goes Yesavage to the Blue Jays at No. 20.

East Carolina righty Trey Yesavage is still on the board. Not often a college pitcher with his track record makes it beyond the top 15-ish picks. Yesavage missed the ACC tournament with a collapsed lung a few weeks ago, but he returned into the Regionals and looked like himself. The medicals might be scaring some teams.

No. 19: Mets select Carson Benge (OF, Oklahoma State)

We had Benge 18. He goes 19. He was actually an interesting two-way prospect, but scouts preferred him as a hitter. He recorde some impressive exit velocities and showed a good feel for contact (he walked more than he K'd two consecutive seasons). He'll need to get the ball in the air more often to maximize his strength, but he's an interesting player with room to get better. Grade: B

Gillen had labrum surgery a few years ago and his arm hasn't bounced back well. The Rays announced him as an outfielder and he has the athleticism to play center. Gillen can really hit though. With good health, he might've been a top 10 pick. Sounds like Tampa won't bother trying him at short or even second. They're sending him straight to the outfield.

No. 18: Rays select Theo Gillen (SS/CF, Westlake HS)

Gillen had a lot of helium late in the cycle. He's a pure hitter with good wheels. His arm is below average following shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum. As such, he may end up at either second base or in center field. Either way, he's a pretty tantalizing prospect to land at this point in the first round. Grade: B

No. 17: Brewers select Braylon Payne (OF, Elkins HS)

This is another reach based on our rankings. Payne has an angular frame and some exciting power and speed tools. He's going to require some serious development time and instruction in order to maximize those traits, however. We're dinging the pick with the caveats that 1) the Brewers could use whatever their savings are here to nail some later picks; and that 2)Payne has the kind of upside that may make this commentary age poorly. Grade: D

The Brewers go off the board a bit with OF Braylon Payne and the No. 17 pick. That leads me to believe they expect Payne to sign underslot, and have deals lined up for their two competitive balance picks (No. 34 from the Orioles via the Corbin Burnes trade and also No. 67).

No. 16: Marlins select PJ Morlando (1B/OF, Summerville HS)

This is definitely higher than we had Morlando ranked -- either in spring or now. He has a promising offensive profile, including good strength and feel for contact. But he's also limited defensively and he turned 19 months ago. We'll see if Morlando and the Marlins get the laugh last here, but we must admit we're low on this pick. Grade: D

Feature on Cijntje

Our R.J. Anderson broke down switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje (pronounced SAIN-ja) leading up to the draft. Check it out here:

No. 15: Mariners select Jurrangelo Cijntje (RHP/LHP, Mississippi State)

We had Cijntje 14th. When we told one of our sources that, they called it another word for "gutsy." We feel vindicated now. Anyway, Cijntje is a really nice prospect as a right-handed starter: very good fastball, swing and miss breaker, and he's a good athlete who proved to be durable despite his small stature. We'll see if the Mariners let him continue to toy around as a lefty now and then, but he has mid-rotation promise as a northpaw. Grade: B

No. 14: Cubs select Cam Smith (3B, Florida State)

Smith started to raise his stock late last summer in the Cape Cod League. In that sense, he followed the same path as Matt Shaw, Chicago's first-round pick last draft. Smith cut into his strikeout rate thanks to some swing tweaks, and there's no denying his strength or arm. He might have to move across the diamond, however, which puts more pressure on his bat. We're docking this pick just a smidge as a result. Grade: C

No. 13: Giants select James Tibbs III (OF, Florida State)

We ranked Tibbs 10th because we believed some team in this neighborhood would jump on him as a potential value get. Sure enough. Tibbs improved each season at FSU and offers a solid offensive foundation from a corner-outfield spot. He's a fine player, this is a fine pick. Grade: B

No. 12: Red Sox select Braden Montgomery (OF, Texas A&M)

Montgomery is a switch-hitter with a right-field arm. There are some swing-and-miss concerns in his game that caused him to slip outside of the top 10. Sources I talked to had him outside of the top 10 even before the ankle injury. Make of that what you will. Grade: B

No. 11: Tigers select Bryce Rainier (SS, Harvard Westlake HS)

Another big swing on a prepster. Rainier fits that modern profile of being a lefty-swinging shortstop with power. Think Gunnar Henderson, think Corey Seager. Why'd he slip to 11? There's a chance he outgrows short, and he is on the old side -- something teams hold against prepsters who are already 19 or older by draft night. We dig the upside all the same. Grade: B