The 2024 MLB draft is underway on ESPN, with the Cleveland Guardians starting things off by taking Travis Bazzana with the No. 1 overall pick on Sunday night.
What will the Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox do as they follow Cleveland in the top five? And who will be the biggest steals — and stretches — of Day 1?
Follow along for pick-by-pick coverage, with ESPN MLB experts David Schoenfield and Dan Mullen breaking down everything you need to know about who your favorite team took in the first round as the picks come off the board.
Final mock draft | Draft rankings: Top 250 | Big question for all 30 teams
Who is Bazzana? The Australian-born Bazzana had a monster season for the Beavers, hitting .407/.568/.911 with 28 home runs and more than twice as many walks as strikeouts (76-37). The 28 home runs set a school record and the overall numbers are a little better than Adley Rutschman had for the Beavers when he went No. 1 overall in 2019. A left-handed hitter, Bazzana’s hit tool rates a little better than his raw power, although he learned to tap into that this season, improving from 11 home runs as a sophomore. He’s a pure second baseman who could potentially move to center field as well.
Passan: Inside Bazzana’s rise to the top of the MLB draft
Why the Guardians took him here: There was a lot of pre-draft discussion about what Cleveland would do with this pick, including speculation the Guardians might opt to cut a deal with a slightly lesser prospect — but in Bazzana they are getting one of the consensus top players in this draft class. The Oregon State star pushed himself to the top of draft boards by packing power and hitting ability into his compact frame, which makes him exactly the type of player Cleveland has thrived at getting the most of in recent years. He also gives off some Jose Ramirez vibes with the swagger that comes with his ability. — Dan Mullen
2. Cincinnati Reds: Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest
Who is Burns? The latest in the Wake Forest pitching pipeline, Burns transferred from Tennessee for his junior season and becomes the fifth Demon Deacon hurler taken in the first round since 2018, joining Rhett Lowder, Ryan Cusick, Jared Shuster and Griffin Roberts. He also joins Lowder (seventh overall last year to the Reds) and Kyle Sleeth (third overall in 2003) as the earliest selections in program history. Burns starts with a 98 mph fastball that can touch 101, with a hard, high-spin slider that helped him record the highest strikeout rate in Division I at nearly 49% (191 K’s in 100 IP). There is some concern about his delivery, but he averaged less than 3.0 walks per nine all three seasons in college.
Why the Reds took him here: The Reds can dream on Burns turning into the next Paul Skenes given his fastball velocity and strikeout rate in college. He isn’t projected to advance to the majors as quickly as Skenes, but there’s no denying Burns is a potential ace if everything comes together. With Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo and Andrew Abbott already leading a much improved Cincinnati rotation, the Reds could have a fearsome foursome in a couple of years. — David Schoenfield
Who is Condon? Condon had one of the most prolific seasons in NCAA history as a redshirt sophomore, hitting .433 with 37 home runs and a 1.565 OPS – becoming the first Division I hitter this century to hit 35 home runs and posting better numbers than Wyatt Langford and Dylan Crews put up in the same conference last season. At 6-foot-6, he draws comparisons to Kris Bryant and Alec Bohm for his lanky frame. He’s played all over the field for Georgia and has the arm to get a shot at third base, although he could end up as a corner outfielder.
Upcoming picks
First round
4. Oakland Athletics
5. Chicago White Sox
6. Kansas City Royals
7. St. Louis Cardinals
8. Los Angeles Angels
9. Pittsburgh Pirates
10. Washington Nationals
11. Detroit Tigers
12. Boston Red Sox
13. San Francisco Giants
14. Chicago Cubs
15. Seattle Mariners
16. Miami Marlins
17. Milwaukee Brewers
18. Tampa Bay Rays
19. New York Mets
20. Toronto Blue Jays
21. Minnesota Twins
22. Baltimore Orioles
23. Los Angeles Dodgers
24. Atlanta Braves
25. San Diego Padres
26. New York Yankees
27. Philadelphia Phillies
28. Houston Astros
29. Arizona Diamondbacks
30. Texas Rangers
Prospect Promotion Incentive picks
31. Arizona Diamondbacks (for Corbin Carroll winning ROY)
32. Baltimore Orioles (for Gunnar Hendersonw winning ROY)
Compensation picks
33. Minnesota Twins (Compensation for Sonny Gray)
Competitive balance round A
34. Milwaukee Brewers (Acquired from Orioles in Corbin Burnes trade)
35. Arizona Diamondbacks
36. Cleveland Guardians
37. Pittsburgh Pirates
38. Colorado Rockies
39. Washington Nationals (Acquired from Royals in Hunter Harvey trade)
Second round
40. Oakland Athletics
41. Kansas City Royals
42. Colorado Rockies
43. Chicago White Sox
44. Washington Nationals
45. Los Angeles Angels
46. New York Mets
47. Pittsburgh Pirates
48. Cleveland Guardians
49. Detroit Tigers
50. Boston Red Sox
51. Cincinnati Reds
52. San Diego Padres
53. New York Yankees
54. Chicago Cubs
55. Seattle Mariners
56. Miami Marlins
57. Milwaukee Brewers
58. Tampa Bay Rays
59. Toronto Blue Jays
60. Minnesota Twins
61. Baltimore Orioles
62. Atlanta Braves
63. Philadelphia Phillies
64. Arizona Diamondbacks
65. Texas Rangers
Competitive balance round B
66. Tampa Bay Rays
67. Milwaukee Brewers
68. Chicago White Sox (Acquired from Mariners in Gregory Santos trade)
69. Minnesota Twins
70. Miami Marlins
71. Cincinnati Reds
72. Detroit Tigers
73. Oakland Athletics
Compensation picks
74. Los Angeles Angels (For Shohei Ohtani)
