College World Series Top 2024 MLB Draft Prospects For Every Team
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Image credit: James Tibbs III (Brian Westerholt/Four Seam Images)
The College World Series returns on Friday, providing one final collegiate look at some of the top prospects in the 2024 MLB Draft class.
Last year’s College World Series final between LSU and Florida provided a great glimpse at three of the first four picks in the subsequent draft: Paul Skenes, Dylan Crews and Wyatt Langford. This year doesn’t offer quite the same starpower.
Only one of the top 10 prospects in our 2024 MLB Draft Rankings, Jac Caglianone, will suit up in the College World Series. Texas A&M outfielder Braden Montgomery is the top-ranked player in the field, but he is out for the rest of the season after suffering an ankle injury during super regionals.
Still, there’s considerable draft depth here, including 10 of the top 50 prospects. In all, the event features 37 prospects currently ranked in our BA 500. Tennessee leads all teams with seven draft prospects in the 2024 class. The full breakdown is as follows:
Tennessee (7)
Florida (6)
Texas A&M (5)
Virginia (5)
Florida State (4)
North Carolina (4)
Kentucky (3)
NC State (3)
You can also find our rankings for the 2025 class here and 2026 class here.
Below, Baseball America subscribers can find a chart of every draft prospect, plus full scouting reports organized by team. Schools are listed in alphabetical order.
Top 2024 MLB Draft Prospects
RANK | CWS RANK | PLAYER | POS | SCHOOL | HT | WT | B | T |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 | 1 | Braden Montgomery* | OF | Texas A&M | 6-2 | 217 | B | R |
7 | 2 | Jac Caglianone | 1B/LHP | Florida | 6-5 | 245 | L | L |
13 | 3 | James Tibbs III | 1B/OF | Florida State | 6-0 | 200 | L | L |
14 | 4 | Vance Honeycutt | OF | North Carolina | 6-3 | 205 | R | R |
15 | 5 | Cam Smith | 3B | Florida State | 6-3 | 221 | R | R |
18 | 6 | Billy Amick | 3B | Tennessee | 6-1 | 220 | R | R |
19 | 7 | Christian Moore | 2B | Tennessee | 6-1 | 210 | R | R |
31 | 8 | Ryan Waldschmidt | OF | Kentucky | 6-2 | 205 | R | R |
41 | 9 | Drew Beam | RHP | Tennessee | 6-4 | 208 | R | R |
44 | 10 | Jacob Cozart | C | NC State | 6-3 | 222 | L | R |
58 | 11 | Ethan Anderson | 1B/C | Virginia | 6-2 | 205 | B | R |
62 | 12 | Blake Burke | 1B | Tennessee | 6-3 | 240 | L | L |
63 | 13 | Colby Shelton | SS | Florida | 6-0 | 200 | L | R |
65 | 14 | Ryan Prager | LHP | Texas A&M | 6-3 | 185 | L | L |
72 | 15 | Dylan Dreiling | OF | Tennessee | 6-0 | 200 | L | L |
89 | 16 | Chris Cortez | RHP | Texas A&M | 6-1 | 205 | R | R |
111 | 17 | Griff O’Ferrall | SS | Virginia | 6-1 | 185 | R | R |
115 | 18 | Kavares Tears | OF | Tennessee | 6-0 | 200 | L | L |
153 | 19 | Casey Saucke | OF | Virginia | 6-3 | 198 | R | R |
170 | 20 | Ali Camarillo | SS | Texas A&M | 6-1 | 180 | R | R |
181 | 21 | Casey Cook | OF | North Carolina | 6-0 | 195 | L | R |
185 | 22 | Harrison Didawick | OF | Virginia | 6-4 | 215 | L | L |
202 | 23 | Eli Serrano III | 1B/OF | NC State | 6-5 | 199 | L | L |
222 | 24 | Luke Heyman | C | Florida | 6-3 | 205 | R | R |
240 | 25 | Pierce Coppola | LHP | Florida | 6-8 | 230 | L | L |
244 | 26 | Brandon Neely | RHP | Florida | 6-3 | 210 | R | R |
256 | 27 | Emilien Pitre | 2B | Kentucky | 5-11 | 185 | L | R |
259 | 28 | Travis Smith | RHP | Kentucky | 6-4 | 200 | R | R |
289 | 29 | Jay Woolfolk | RHP | Virginia | 6-0 | 200 | R | R |
301 | 30 | Dominic Fritton | LHP | NC State | 6-1 | 190 | L | L |
302 | 31 | Gavin Adams* | RHP | Florida State | 6-4 | 195 | R | R |
336 | 32 | Dalton Pence | LHP | North Carolina | 6-2 | 215 | L | L |
352 | 33 | Ty Evans | OF | Florida | 6-2 | 225 | R | R |
353 | 34 | Jaime Ferrer | OF | Florida State | 6-1 | 219 | R | R |
427 | 35 | AJ Causey | RHP | Tennessee | 6-3 | 205 | R | R |
440 | 36 | Anthony Donofrio | OF | North Carolina | 6-3 | 195 | L | R |
473 | 37 | Tanner Jones | RHP | Texas A&M | 6-2 | 195 | R | R |
Florida
7. Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida
Height: 6-5 | Weight: 245
In terms of pure talent, it will be hard for any player in the 2024 class to match what Caglianone brings to the table. A 6-foot-5, 245-pound lefthanded hitter and lefthanded pitcher, Caglianone led the country with 33 home runs during the 2023 season as a middle-of-the-order hitter behind Wyatt Langford and also posted a 4.34 ERA as Florida’s Sunday starter in 74.2 total innings. He has gargantuan raw power that earns double-plus grades currently, with the bat speed and strength projection to get to top-of-the-scale grades in the future. On the mound, he averaged 94-95 mph last spring and can get his fastball up to 99 mph. Given his natural tools and ability, Caglianone has perhaps the highest pure upside in the class with legitimate two-way potential in pro ball, but his flaws on both sides of the ball give him wide error bars and also make him a polarizing prospect in the industry. Caglianone’s swing is lengthy and steep, which helps him put the ball in the air frequently, but also leads to holes that pitchers can exploit. His 18% career strikeout rate with Florida is actually quite tame, and more than reasonable for a 30+ home run hitter, but his overall swing decisions and chase rates (44% between the 2022 and 2023 seasons) need to improve in order for him to maximize his power against pro pitching. On the mound, Caglianone is a below-average strike thrower who will need to improve his fastball command and his consistency with a slider and changeup to profile as a starter.
63. Colby Shelton, SS, Florida
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 200
Shelton was a second team All-American in 2023 after leading Alabama with 25 home runs and slashing .299/.418/.725 with a 24.6% strikeout rate and 13.3% walk rate. A 6-foot, 200-pound infielder, Shelton hits the ball hard, though most of his power went to the pull side and he also swings and misses at a solid clip vs. all pitch types, including a 40% miss rate on fastballs thrown 92 mph or harder. Shelton’s power is his calling card, but after playing third base with Alabama, he is getting a chance to play shortstop in 2024 with Florida. If he shows a chance to defend a middle infield position, his lefthanded power will only look more appealing to big league clubs.
222. Luke Heyman, C, Florida
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 205
Heyman is a big 6-foot-4, 220-pound catcher who has stood out for his power since his prep days. A draft-eligible sophomore, Heyman homered 12 times in his 2023 season with Florida though that power did come with a 24.5% strikeout rate. He might always be more of a power-over-hit player, but that could profile nicely if he is able to stick behind the plate, where a strong arm could be another asset for him.
240. Pierce Coppola, LHP, Florida
Height: 6-8 | Weight: 230
Coppola was a top-100 prospect coming out of high school thanks to a towering frame, diverse pitch mix and standout body control. He made it to campus at Florida, where he has pitched just 4.1 innings in two years after dealing with injury. He enters the 2024 season as a redshirt sophomore and will need to make up plenty of ground, though when healthy he has shown a fastball up to 96, a slider that flashed plus and a splitter, curveball and cutter. The 6-foot-8, 255-pound lefthander is a massive question mark, but the arm talent that made him a standout prep prospect will keep him on radars until he proves otherwise this spring.
244. Brandon Neely, RHP, Florida
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 210
Neely attended the same Spruce Creek High School in Port Orange, Fla., that 2020 first rounder Zac Veen attended, and while he was a top-200 talent in the 2021 class a year later he made it to campus at Florida. Neely posted a 3.68 ERA as a high-usage reliever for the Gators in his first two seasons and was named a stopper of the year finalist after pushing his strikeout rate from 25.3% to 30.1% and moving to the closer role in 2023. A 6-foot-3, 210-pound righthander, Neely has a deep pitch mix for a college reliever. He mostly works off a 92-94 mph fastball that touches 97, but will also mix in a low-80s slider, an upper-80s cutter, a mid-80s changeup and a slower, mid-70s curveball. While his breaking balls are high-spin offerings, Neely’s fastball has been his best swing-and-miss pitch as its usage might suggest. He throws from a lower release height and gets tons of arm-side running life on the heater.
352. Ty Evans, OF, Florida
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 225
Evans is a 6-foot-2, 225-pound outfielder and righthanded hitter who had two middling seasons with the Gators in his first two seasons before a breakout 2024 campaign as a junior. After hitting well under .300 as a freshman and sophomore, Evans slashed .340/.438/.593 with nine homers through 38 games as a junior, though his swing-and-miss questions persist. He’s an aggressive hitter who expands the zone far too frequently and has contact questions against all pitch types, but also hits the ball hard and has the power to drive homers out to all fields when he does connect. The Braves drafted him in the 20th round out of high school back in 2021, and he could be a power-hitting day three target in 2024.
Florida State
13. James Tibbs III, 1B/OF, Florida State
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 200
Tibbs is a stocky, 6-foot, 201-pound outfielder and first baseman who has been a productive power hitter everywhere he’s been. In his first two seasons with Florida State, Tibbs slashed .321/.444/.622 with 27 home runs and in a 2023 summer in the Cape Cod League he showed power with a wood bat and homered six times in 40 games while slashing .303/.390/.472. Tibbs’ power comes with plenty of swing and miss, but despite some contact questions he does a nice job with his swing decisions and has managed a more than respectable 16.4% walk rate with FSU. Tibbs played first base in 2023, but he played corner outfield over the summer and might get more time in left or right with the Seminoles in 2024.
15. Cam Smith, 3B, Florida State
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 221
Smith came into the 2023 season with significant buzz following a monster fall in which he established himself as an every-day member of the Seminoles’ lineup. He showed flashes of plus raw power and showed the ability to defend well at third with a plus arm, but swing and miss issues hindered the freshman’s production. Smith had a great summer in the Cape Cod League and addressed some of those concerns by hitting .347/.406/.575 with six home runs and 12 doubles and showing a more advanced approach and better contact ability against all pitch types. Smith has a big league body now at 6-foot-3, 221 pounds and his plus throwing arm should give him a chance to stick at third if he can improve his glovework and throwing accuracy.
302. Gavin Adams, RHP, Florida State
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 195
Adams is a 6-foot-4, 195-pound righthander with tantalizing pure arm talent but a lack of consistent strikes, track record and health. He was one of the most intriguing juco transfers entering the 2024 season and would have given Florida State a weapon on the mound, but had Tommy John surgery before he could pitch an inning for the Seminoles. In the run up to the season Adams was throwing a fastball in the upper 90s that had been up to 100-101 mph and had flashed both a solid slider in the upper 80s and changeup in the same range.
*Note that Adams is injured and will not participate in the College World Series
353. Jaime Ferrer, OF, Florida State
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 219
Ferrer is a 6-foot-1, 219-pound outfielder who has been a consistent hitter for three seasons for Florida State, while spending time in both right and left field. He’s an aggressive hitter who loves to swing the bat and has never walked more than about a 9% clip, but he makes a solid amount of contact and can leave the yard to the pull side and back up the middle. Ferrer could be something of a tweener prospect who doesn’t hit for quite enough power to be a slam dunk, everyday corner outfielder, but his consistent ACC performance—as well as a solid 2023 summer in the Cape Cod League—should make him a day three target at the least.
Kentucky
31. Ryan Waldschmidt, OF, Kentucky
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 205
Waldschmidt is a 6-foot-2, 205-pound outfielder who has a pair of solid tools in his raw power and above-average speed. He started his career at Charleston Southern, where he was one of the team’s best hitters as a true freshman, then moved to Kentucky where the SEC competition was more of a challenge in 2023. He’s looking at a career-year in his junior 2024 campaign, and through 36 games has slashed .361/.506/.639 with eight homers, 14 stolen bases, solid pull-side power and strong contact and chase rates. Waldschmidt is probably a left field profile in pro ball, but his power, speed and 2024 hitting production should make him a solid day two prospect.
256. Emilien Pitre, 2B, Kentucky
Height: 5-11 | Weight: 185
Pitre is a 5-foot-11, 185-pound Canadian native and second baseman who has shown solid plate discipline and contact skills with Kentucky. He is a singles and doubles hitter who doesn’t hit for much power and doesn’t project to add much more to his frame, but he’ll work counts, take walks when he gets them and is also a good runner who stole 20 bags during the 2023 season.
259. Travis Smith, RHP Kentucky
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 200
Smith was a notable prep prospect in the 2021 class thanks to a large frame, a sinker he showed feel to pump into the zone and a pair of quality secondaries in his slider and changeup. He made it to campus at Kentucky, missed the 2022 season with injury but was solid in 2023 when he posted a 4.84 ERA in 13 starts and 48.1 innings with a 20% strikeout rate and 12.1% walk rate. Smith now averages 93 mph on his sinking fastball and has been up to 97, though it’s more of a groundball getter than a swing-and-miss offering, and he used it to induce a 49% groundball rate in 2023. His low-80s slider is his go-to secondary in all situations, though he will up the usage of a firm, upper-80s changeup when facing lefthanded hitters.
NC State
44. Jacob Cozart, C NC State
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 222
Cozart took over everyday catching duties as a freshman for NC State in 2022, and had a solid but unspectacular .240/.337/.377 slash line to go with it. He took a step forward in 2023 hit .301/.392/.546 with 10 home runs and 14 doubles, then was invited to USA Baseball’s trials roster during the summer where he was one of the best position players at the event—though he ultimately didn’t make the final roster. At 6-foot-3, 222 pounds, Cozart is big for a catcher but he has impressive hands, defensive actions and arm strength behind the dish. He is able to throw from different arm slots and from tough angels with power and precision and should stick behind the plate as a solid-average defender. As a hitter, Cozart pairs solid lefthanded power with solid bat-to-ball skills, and has performed nicely against all pitch types though he could clean up a bit of swing-and-miss against breaking balls. His well-rounded profile gives him a chance to be the first catcher selected in a strong year for the position at the college level.
202. Eli Serrano III, 1B/OF, NC State
Height: 6-5 | Weight: 199
Serrano was a notable prep prospect thanks to his big frame, solid raw power and bat speed that made him seem like a solid prospect even at one of the offensive-first defensive positions. Now a draft-eligible sophomore at NC State, Serrano has moved from first base to center field after a solid 2023 freshman season where he homered seven times and added 12 doubles. While Serrano doesn’t look like a center fielder in the long run, showing the ability to move around the outfield and perhaps profile at a corner could help his profile as long as he keeps hitting and showing more power. He still has some physical projection remaining with a lanky 6-foot-5, 201-pound frame.
301. Dominic Fritton, LHP NC State
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 190
Fritton had a standout freshman season for NC State in 2023, where he split time as a starter and reliever but led the team with a 3.59 ERA, a .211 opponent average and managed a 27.8% strikeout rate and 8.9% walk rate in 62.2 innings. Fritton should spend the bulk of his time in a starting role this spring, where he might need to expand his arsenal a bit more. Fritton’s bread and butter is his low-90s fastball, which touches 94-95 but plays up thanks to a low release height and solid riding life. He threw the pitch 77% of the time in 2023, and spent the fall working on his secondary stuff, which in 2023 featured mostly a slow curveball in the mid 70s and a mid-80s changeup for righthanded hitters.
North Carolina
14. Vance Honeycutt, OF, North Carolina
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 205
Honeycutt is a dynamic athlete who was one of the most impressive freshman hitters in the country in 2022, when he put together a 25/25 season, with 25 home runs and 29 stolen bases. A 6-foot-3, 205-pound center fielder, Honeycutt has the speed, athleticism and instincts to be a plus defender and brings impressive raw power to the table, though he has yet to hit over .300 in a single season and will need to prove his pure hitting ability in 2024. He did make strides as a sophomore by cutting his strikeout rate from 29.7% to 20.4%, though his overall 2023 production was lacking compared to his debut season. In terms of toolset, athleticism and defensive profile, Honeycutt is one of the most appealing all-around profiles in the 2024 draft class, but without any significant wood bat track record he’ll need to instill confidence in his pure hitting chops in 2024.
181. Casey Cook, OF, North Carolina
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 195
Cook is a 6-foot, 195-pound outfielder who missed his freshman season due to injury but put together a tremendous 2023 campaign where he slashed .317/.428/.415. Cook has a mature, advanced approach at the plate and might be the best pure hitter on a team that includes likely first rounder Vance Honeycut. He employs an open stance and high handset but consistently makes sound swing decisions with a slightly lofted, line drive swing. Cook didn’t hit for much power in 2023 but has shown more early in the 2024 season, which will help his profile if he’s limited to an outfield corner.
336. Dalton Pence, LHP, North Carolina
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 215
Pence is a 6-foot-2, 215-pound lefthanded reliever with a fastball-dominant pitch mix. He has three legitimate options on the mound including the fastball, a mid-80s changeup and a low-80s slider, but he uses the heater more than 80% of the time. It’s a quality pitch that has averaged 92 mph and been up to 95 with solid riding life and above-average induced vertical break that allow it to play above its velocity. Through his first 21 games and 30.2 innings, he has posted a 1.76 ERA and generated a 35% miss rate with the fastball, though his control is below average and he’s a straight reliever prospect.
440. Anthony Donofrio, OF, North Carolina
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 195
Donofrio is a 6-foot-3, 195-pound outfielder and lefthanded hitter who is one of the oldest players in the 2024 class, but who could get drafted as a money-saving senior sign thanks to his performance with North Carolina. He started his college career all the way back in 2019 with Division III SUNY Cortland (N.Y.), then played for two seasons at Quinnipiac where he hit at a high level and transferred to UNC and the ACC for the 2024 season as a 24 year old. He slashed .311/.425/.528 through 47 games with five home runs and more walks than strikeouts as the team’s everyday right fielder and hits the ball hard with solid contact ability. Many teams will undoubtedly not have interest given his advanced age but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him sign a significantly under-slot deal on the second day of the draft either.
Tennessee
18. Billy Amick, 3B Tennessee
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 220
Amick logged just 19 at-bats as a true freshman in 2022, but exploded in 2023 to the tune of an eye-popping .413 average with 17 doubles, 13 home runs, and 63 RBI in 46 games. A righthanded hitter with a 6-foot-1, 220-pound frame, Amick has a simple setup at the plate with a minimal load, but has serious strength in his forearms and really gets the barrel moving through the strike zone. He consistently extends well through the baseball, which enables him to drive the ball with authority to all fields. After spending his first two seasons with Clemson he transferred to Tennessee for the 2024 season where he figures to be the team’s everyday third baseman.
19. Christian Moore, 2B, Tennessee
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 210
Moore is a physical infielder with a muscular, 6-foot-1, 210-pound frame and back-to-back seasons of well-rounded offensive production with Tennessee. In 2023 he hit .304/.444/.603 with 17 home runs. There are contact questions, as Moore has struck out around 25% of the time in both seasons, and he has a lot of miss vs. all pitch types and managed just a 65% contact rate in 2023. He hits the ball hard when he does connect and has shown a reasonable approach, with a willingness to draw walks. Defensively, Moore will be limited by his arm strength and likely fits best as a second baseman.
41. Drew Beam, RHP, Tennessee
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 208
Beam established himself as one of college baseball’s most reliable starting pitchers in his first two seasons with Tennessee. In 32 starts and 160.1 innings, the 6-foot-4, 208-pound righthander posted a 3.20 ERA with a 22.5% strikeout rate and 6.7% walk rate. He has a starter’s frame and deep pitch mix that includes five different pitches, though he primarily relies on a fastball, curveball and changeup. He averages 93-94 mph on the fastball and has been up to 98 and he does an excellent job moving the pitch around the zone to set up the rest of his arsenal. His 78-82 mph curveball is his go-to swing and miss pitch and has above-average potential, as does his mid-80s changeup. Beam has also mixed in a slider and a cutter. He has a prototypical starter build and above-average command that should make him one of the safer college pitching options in the 2024 class.
62. Blake Burke, 1B Tennessee
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 240
Burke is a physical, 6-foot-4, 230-pound first baseman who has some of the most impressive raw power in the country. In his first two seasons with Tennessee he hit a combined .293/.398/.610 with 30 home runs. Burke’s slugging and batting average were better during his 2022 freshman season than his 2023 sophomore campaign, but he did cut his strikeout rate from 30.8% to 17.4% year over year—a significant improvement. Burke is a definite first base profile who will need to hit for power and mash to provide value at the next level, but he has all-fields juice, put up a 107.2-mph 90th percentile exit velocity in 2023 and is a surprisingly nimble defender at first base considering his size.
72. Dylan Dreiling, OF, Tennessee
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 200
Dreiling stood out for his well-rounded game and advanced hitting ability in high school, when he ranked as the No. 336 player in the 2022 draft class, though scouts wanted to see him perform at Tennessee without a single carrying tool. Now a draft-eligible sophomore, Dreiling showed solid on-base skills and power in his 2023 freshman season, when he slashed .295/.433/.621 with seven home runs and more walks than strikeouts in 50 games. While his overall numbers are strong, Dreiling needs to improve against lefthanders this spring and has earned Drew Gilbert comparisons in the past. He has a chance to be a top-five round selection.
115. Kavares Tears, OF, Tennessee
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 200
Tears is a 6-foot, 200-pound outfielder and redshirt sophomore who was a strong offensive performer with Tennessee in 2023 and has doubled down during the 2024 season. A lefthanded hitter with a filled out, muscular frame, Tears employs a high handset and a level bat path at the plate. He has made an impressive jump in power production from the 2023 season to the 2024 season, and as a corner outfielder that increased pop is key to his profile. He has the arm strength for right field, though scouts wonder about whether his power will fully translate to pro ball and wood bats. Tears has hit fastballs at an impressive clip in 2024, but changeups have been a challenge for him. He fits as an early day two prospect at the latest.
427. AJ Causey, RHP, Tennessee
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 205
Causey is a 6-foot-3, 205-pound righthander who throws from a sidearm slot and gets plenty of horizontal movement across his entire arsenal as he attacks hitters. He spent the first two years of his college career at Jacksonville State where he was a lights out reliever and then Friday night starter before transferring to Tennessee where he has pitched in both roles. Causey has a three-pitch mix that includes a 90-mph that touches 93, a changeup in the low 80s and a mid-70s slider with sweepy shape but typical curveball power. The slider and changeup are Causey’s go-to swing-and-miss offerings while the tremendous running action of his fastball makes it more of a ground ball inducing pitch that he’ll need to keep down in the zone. Causey will likely need a bit more power on his fastball and slider at the next level—and there are potentially some inefficiencies that could be ironed out of his delivery, most notably his direction to the plate, which could help him unlock more—but he has been a strong strike thrower and creates a unique look for opposing batters.
Texas A&M
5. Braden Montgomery, OF, Texas A&M
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 217
Montgomery is a 6-foot-2 outfielder and righthanded pitcher who is more than capable of contributing on both sides of the ball in college, but has greater upside as a hitter in pro ball. He spent his first two seasons with Stanford and made significant strides with his approach year-over-year. After posting a 6.5% walk rate as a freshman in 2022 that figure jumped to 16% in 2023 and he slashed .336/.461/.611 with 17 home runs and 14 doubles. Montgomery is a better hitter from the left side but has some swing-and-miss tendencies as both a lefty and a righty. His greatest tool is a borderline 80-grade throwing arm which affords him a prototypical right field profile and has manifested on the mound with a fastball that has been up to 97-98 mph. He transferred to Texas A&M for his 2024 draft season, where he is expected to contribute as an everyday outfielder, hitter in the middle of the lineup and occasional hard-throwing reliever.
*Note that Montgomery is out for the College World Series due to an ankle injury
65. Ryan Prager, LHP, Texas A&M
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 185
Prager was a projection lefthander out of high school in the 2021 class where he ranked as the No. 441 prospect overall and showed flashes with a fastball and promising 12-to-6 curveball. He started 16 games as a freshman for Texas A&M in 2022 but missed the 2023 season with injury. He got off to a loud start in the 2024 season and has a pair of pitches with intriguing characteristics. Prager throws from an over the top arm slot and gets tons of swings and misses with a fastball that sits 90-93 but plays up from that velocity, and now has a mid-80s slider that darts down and to his glove side instead of the previous curve. His delivery adds deception and he’s thrown with solid control as well. Prager does have a low-80s changeup, but it’s behind his fastball/slider combo for now.
89. Chris Cortez, RHP, Texas A&M
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 205
Cortez was a lightning-armed high school prospect who was raw on the pitching side of things out of high school. He ranked as the No. 220 prospect in the 2021 draft class but made it to campus at Texas A&M where he has mostly pitched out of the bullpen. Listed at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, Cortez has a thick and powerful pitching frame and works from the stretch with a short stride and lower three-quarters arm slot. He averages 96-98 mph in short stints and has been up to 101 with hard sinking life that generates lots of ground balls and should break plenty of wood bats in pro ball. It’s a pitch that works better down in the zone and to Cortez’s credit he’s done a better job locating it there early in the 2024 season. He previously threw a curveball but now throws a hard mid-80s slider that is inconsistent but flashes hard glove-side turn at times. He infrequently uses a mid-80s changeup that could be a useful third pitch with more refined feel. His control could limit him to a bullpen role though he has shown improvement in that area early in the 2024 season.
170. Ali Camarillo, SS, Texas A&M
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 180
Camarillo earned a reputation as a slick-fielding defensive shortstop in high school. He stepped onto campus at Cal State Northridge and was the team’s starting shortstop as a freshman in 2022, but he dealt with an injury and also struggled offensively. Camarillo broke out as a sophomore in 2023, when he slashed .371/.421/.611 with seven home runs and 15 doubles. He ranked second in the Big West in batting and made the All Big West first team, though he transferred to Texas A&M for the 2024 season, where he will look to amplify his offensive profile and flash a bit more pop.
473. Tanner Jones, RHP, Texas A&M
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 195
Jones is a 6-foot-2, 195-pound righthander who pitched two seasons with Jacksonville State in 2022 and 2023 before transferring to Texas A&M for the 2024 season. He posted a 6.70 ERA through 11 starts and 43 innings with a 21.2% strikeout rate and 8.6% walk rate. Jones throws a fastball that sits 93-94 mph and touches 97, as well as an upper 80s cutter, a mid-80s slider and a low-80s changeup. He’s occasionally mixed in a slower, 11-to-5 curveball in the mid 70s but his arm slows on the pitch and he rarely uses it.
Virginia
58. Ethan Anderson, 1B/C, Virginia
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 205
A bat-first catcher and infielder, Anderson was a key member of Virginia’s lineup in his first two seasons, but his time there came mostly by playing first base and DH. With the departure of 2023 first rounder Kyle Teel, Anderson should get a shot to catch everyday for the team in 2024, which could radically change his overall profile. Anderson has raked with Virginia and has a combined batting line of .347/.444/.591 with 20 home runs—including 15 during his 2023 sophomore season—and 38 doubles. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound switch hitter has elite bat-to-ball skills and posted a 91% in-zone contact rate in 2023 and he has mashed fastballs with a direct path to the baseball and great extension through it.
111. Griff O’Ferrall, SS, Virginia
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 185
O’Ferrall is the stereotypical, steady Eddy college grinder profile who doesn’t boast loud raw tools but does everything well and helps win games. A 6-foot-1, 185-pound shortstop and righthanded hitter, O’Ferrall assumed Virginia’s everyday shortstop role as a true freshman and has combined to hit .356/.431/.436 in his first two seasons with a 10.9% strikeout rate and 11.4% walk rate. After the 2023 season O’Ferrall was invited to Team USA where he became the starting shortstop and was second on the team with a .463 average in 10 games. O’Ferrall puts the barrel on the ball, controls the zone, and uses all fields with soft line drives. He lacks power and homered only three times in 123 college games, with fly balls that die off the barrel with wood. He doesn’t project for more than 30-grade raw power and will instead need to rely on contact skills and strike-zone discipline. O’Ferrall is a sound and reliable defender at shortstop, but he’s not flashy and will need to improve his arm strength to more consistently make challenging plays in the hole to his arm side. O’Ferrall is an above-average runner and smart baserunner who has gone 33-for-37 (89.2%) in stolen bases.
153. Casey Saucke, OF, Virginia
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 198
Saucke is a 6-foot-3, 210-pound outfielder who stood out as a high school prospect thanks to his projectable frame, bat speed and raw power. He made it to campus at Virginia where he raked in his freshman season in 2022 and hit .360 with 16 doubles and 7 home runs. He got off to a slow start in 2023, but ended the season on a high note and finished the year with a .299 average and 16 home runs. There was some length to Saucke’s swing in 2022, but he has since shortened up which led to a lower strikeout rate. He has a much more direct swing and does a nice job staying inside the baseball. In right field, he has a strong, 60-grade arm. Saucke is an average runner and profiles as a corner outfielder professionally.
185. Harrison Didawick, OF, Virginia
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 215
Didawick is a 6-foot-4, 215-pound outfielder and draft-eligible sophomore who entered the year with just middling offensive numbers at Virginia and in college summer leagues. Scouts were intrigued with his power/speed combination during the fall of 2023 and he got off to a sensational start in 2024 with nine home runs in his first 20 games and an average exit velocity of 95 mph. Didawick has shown all-fields power early in the season but he does swing-and-miss at a decent clip which could impact his hit tool in pro ball. He’s played both center and left field and covers solid ground with his long, athletic strides—though his arm might limit him to left or center instead of right.
289. Jay Woolfolk, RHP, Virginia
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 200
Woolfolk was the 2019 Gatorade player of the year in Virginia, then made it to campus in Charlottesville where he has led Virginia in appearances in 2022 and 2023 while posting a cumulative 2.89 ERA and 28.4% strikeout rate. Woolfolk also pitched for USA Baseball’s college national team in 2023 and tied for the team lead with four appearances during the summer. A 6-foot, 200-pound righthander, Woolfolk attacks hitters with a 92-95 mph fastball that touches 97 and has more run than ride and has three secondaries including a mid-80s slider with short bite, a mid-80s changeup and an upper-80s cutter that checks in about three ticks harder than his slider. Woolfolk also played for Virginia’s football team and played in four games in 2022, but he began focusing on baseball after the season and worked on stretching out for a starting role during the 2023 fall.