MLB Draft Day 1 takeaways: Bowden on the biggest winners — teams, players and colleges (2024)

Fort Worth, Texas — With the first day of the 2024 MLB Draft behind us, let’s assess what stood out. From players to teams to colleges, here, in no particular order, are my biggest winners after the first two rounds Sunday, along with other takeaways.

1. Cleveland Guardians

The Guardians got it right in drafting Oregon State second baseman Travis Bazzana with the first overall pick. There were rumors the Guardians might select a lesser player at No. 1 who would agree to an underslot bonus to improve the depth of their draft, but they made a good move in taking Bazzana, the best player in the 2024 class in my opinion. Bazzana became the first Australian and first second baseman ever to go No. 1.

2. Wake Forest

Three players from Wake Forest were taken in the first 10 picks of the draft, with the Reds selecting right-hander Chase Burns at No. 2, the A’s selecting first baseman Nick Kurtz at No. 4 and the Nationals selecting shortstop Seaver King at No. 10. Wake Forest became only the second school in draft history to have three players picked in the top 10. (Rice did it in 2004.)

3. Colorado Rockies

The Rockies were pleasantly surprised when the Reds chose Burns with the second overall pick because that meant outfielder Charlie Condon, the best right-handed power hitter in the draft, would fall to them at No. 3. It made their decision easier and gave them plenty to celebrate at the start of the draft. Condon profiles as a 40-home run hitter after blasting a modern-day-record 37 homers this past season at Georgia. Plugging Condon’s bat into the middle of their lineup, with half his games coming at homer-friendly Coors Field, should be a game-changer for the Rockies in the coming years.

4. Players who attended the draft

Only six players decided to attend the draft at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, but those who did got a special experience. All six were taken in the first round, including second baseman JJ Wetherholt (seventh pick, St. Louis) out of West Virginia University; second baseman Christian Moore (eighth, Los Angeles Angels) out of Tennessee; outfielder Braden Montgomery (12th, Boston) out of Texas A&M; switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje (15th overall, Seattle) out of Mississippi State; shortstop Kaelen Culpepper (21st overall, Minnesota) out of Kansas State; and left-handed pitcher Cam Caminiti (24th, Atlanta) out of Saguaro High in Scottsdale, Ariz. I interviewed all six during my SiriusXM draft coverage and they all not only loved and embraced the experience, but also recommended attending to prospects who will be drafted in future years.

5. Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles didn’t pick until No. 22 but were still able to land center fielder Vance Honeycutt out of North Carolina. Honeycutt was a two-time ACC defensive player of the year, and broke UNC’s single-season home run record with 28 in 2024. He’s a dead-pull hitter with a special combination of power and speed, but also is a Gold Glove-caliber center fielder with a right-field arm. If he hits, he’ll be a superstar. And things got even better for the Orioles at pick 32 when they were able to nab shortstop Griff O’Ferrall out of Virginia. O’Ferrall can really hit, and can stick at shortstop thanks to quick feet and first-step quickness. It’s amazing Baltimore did this well in the first round despite not picking in the top two-thirds of it.

6. St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals were another clear first-round winner when middle infielder JJ Wetherholt dropped to them at pick 7. For me, Wetherholt is the second-best hitting prospect in this draft class. Although he’s dealt with hamstring injuries, that shouldn’t have been enough for teams to pass on the West Virginia product and allow him to fall to St. Louis. With rookie Masyn Winn cemented for years to come as the Cardinals’ shortstop, they can now slot in Wetherholt as their long-term second baseman and be set in the middle infield for the foreseeable future.

7. Alumni of MLB Develops, diversity-focused programs

Three of the first-round selections were alumni of the MLB Develops program, which promotes baseball development among youth and college players and seeks to grow the game, particularly among underserved communities. The alums included Christian Moore (who participated in the Dream Series, Hank Aaron Invitational and Breakthrough Series before being drafted Sunday by the Angels at No. 8); Braden Montgomery (Dream Series, Hank Aaron Invitational, Breakthrough Series), who was drafted by the Red Sox at No. 12; and Cam Smith (Hank Aaron Invitational), who was drafted by the Cubs at No. 14. It was great to see the players’ and the program’s efforts lead to such success.

8. LSU

LSU also was a huge winner because the Tigers were able to use their NIL funds to persuade right-hander William Schmidt to forgo the draft and instead play college ball in his hometown of Baton Rouge, La. The Tigers got an ace for next year in Schmidt, the Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year, who had the best curveball of any prep pitcher in this draft class. Over the next three years, Schmidt will try to develop and move from the middle of the first round (where he likely would have gone) to the top of the first round. LSU certainly hopes he makes those developmental strides as well.

Callin Baton Rouge! Time for another Natty🐅 pic.twitter.com/4ceMRwpMvg

— William Schmidt (@_williamSchmidt) July 14, 2024

9. MLB’s choice of venue for the draft

The Cowtown Coliseum was a smart, fun choice to host the 2024 draft. It represented Texas, created a unique atmosphere and showed off the Stockyards, a historic district that celebrates the cattle industry and is known for its well-preserved Western heritage. The whole scene made me want to go out and buy a cowboy hat and boots. The venue and atmosphere made it a special night and an event to remember. Great job by baseball and the state of Texas!

(Top photo of JJ Wetherholt with commissioner Rob Manfred: Daniel Shirey / MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Jim Bowden , a national writer for The Athletic MLB, was formerly the Sr. VP and general manager for the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals for a combined 16 years, including being named the 1999 MLB Executive of the Year by Baseball America. He is the lead MLB Analyst and Insider for CBS Sports-HQ and a regular talk-show host on SiriusXM for the MLB Network and Fantasy channels. Follow him on twitter: @JimBowdenGM Follow Jim on Twitter @JimBowdenGM