Director’s Note: All Draft Day Ages for players are pinned to July 14, 2024, our guess as to when the MLB Draft will start. The league has not announced the dates for the 2024 MLB Draft and once revealed, we will adjust approximate ages to that date.
The link to our 2024 Top 50 College board can be found here and our 2024 Prospect Footage can be found here.
1. 1B/of PJ Morlando, summerville hs (SC)
Height: 6’3
Weight: 200
B/T: L/R
Commitment: south Carolina
Draft Day Age: 19 yr 1 mo
There's no mincing words here, Morlando projects as the biggest offensive threat in this year's prep class thanks to a loud combination of high contact rates, robust power, and mature plate discipline. Morlando has a quiet setup with a wide lower half, but he really explodes through the zone with quick hands and high-end bat speed. He's a patient hitter who knows the strike zone and isn't afraid to rack up the free passes, plus he'll utilize the whole field and keeps the whiffs to a minimum. The power potential with Morlando is sky high with the bat speed and leverage/loft he generates and he's already put on shows during batting practices in big league stadiums. It's easily plus right now. Defensively, he projects as a potential corner outfielder thanks to his athleticism and average speed/arm, which have improved over the years. There's still a chance that he moves to a first base role as he grows, though that's not set in stone just yet. The South Carolina commit will be a fun one to follow for years.
2. OF/RHP Konnor Griffin, Jackson Prep (MS)
Height: 6’4
Weight: 210
B/T: R/R
Commitment: Louisiana State
Draft Day Age: 18 yr 2 mo
There may not be a more famous name in this class than Konnor Griffin, who reclassified from the 2025 ranks and has a chance to be the first prep player off the board next July. Given the reclassification, he projects to be one of the younger guys in this class, though you wouldn't know that with mix of physicality and projection. He's got two-way abilities, though most project him as a center fielder, where his athleticism, plus speed, and excellent range are on full display. He's got a very good arm and plenty of twitchiness, too. At the dish, it's a polished approach with a ton of bat speed and over-the-fence power, which projects as plus once he's fully developed. His overall contact has shown some inconsistencies this summer, though it's gotten better as the summer has progressed. All in all, Griffin has the potential to be rather special offensively. There's upside on the bump, as well, as he's already gotten into the mid-90s with his fastball and shows a promising breaking ball with swing-and-miss traits, too.
3. ss/3B Caleb Bonemer, Okemos HS (MI)
Height: 6’1
Weight: 195
B/T: R/R
Commitment: Virginia
Draft Day Age: 18 yr 9 mo
Bonemer profiles as one of the biggest, if not the biggest, riser from the summer circuit, propelling himself to the top of the class with a loud toolset. It's a legitimate power/speed threat with a chance to be a solid defender on the left side of the dirt. There's not a ton of wasted energy with Bonemer's swing, as he stays very quiet through his load and short to the ball, displaying explosive bat speed from the right side and punishing baseballs in the process. Most of his power plays up the middle and to his pullside and he's already produced multiple exit velocities over 105 MPH. If there's anything to work on with Bonemer, it's polishing up his plate discipline, as he does run into some issues with whiffs and the chase rate is a bit higher than you'd want to see. Despite the physical nature of his frame, he's very athletic and produces plus or better run times. He's got a very good glove and could stay at shortstop, though given his size, a move to third base seems likely, where he'd be a potentially above-average or better defender.
4. RHP Levi Sterling, Notre Dame hs (CA)
Height: 6’4
Weight: 190
B/T: r/r
commitment: texas
Draft Day Age: 17 yr 10 mo
Sterling turned in a loud summer and has vaulted himself to the top of the class with a mix of loud stuff, pitchability, and projection. For starters, Sterling will be one of the youngest players in the entire class, as he won't turn 18 until September, which certainly helps him in team model runs. He projects as a starter with a buttery-smooth delivery on the mound and a legitimate four-pitch mix that is led by a fastball that's already in the low-90s with life and can easily get into the mid-90s with added strength to his long and lanky frame. His best secondary comes in the form of a low-mid 80s change-up, which has splitter-esque movement and dives hard away from lefties. He mixes in an upper-70s curveball that classifies more as a sweeper and a mid-80s cutter with tight spin to righties. He's got plenty of athleticism and he throws a large quantity of strikes as a result, showcasing potentially above-average command at best.
5. 1B/LHP Noah Franco, IMG Academy (FL)
Height: 6’3
weight: 195
B/T: L/L
COMMITMENT: N/A
DRAFT DAY AGE: 18 yR 2 mo
Another reclassified player from the 2025 class, Franco has some of the best two-way upside in this class. He's got a physical frame with very broad shoulders and plenty of athleticism that plays well on both sides of the ball, though there's a bit more upside with the bat. There is some swing-and-miss to his game, but he's not afraid to rack up walks and doesn't chase a ton, plus he's been able to hold his own in left-on-left matchups. There's plenty of bat speed present and he swings with serious intent, spraying the ball to all fields and showcasing solid power up the middle and to his pullside. That'll get better as he becomes physically mature. He's likely limited to first base with his size, though don't let that fool you. He's rather mobile and shows quick twitch at the position, letting his athleticism shine. On the bump, he's been into the low-90s with easy, athletic mechanics and it's easy to project him into the mid-90s by next summer. He's got a high spin slider that has some teeth in the low-80s with late sweep, as well as feel for a change-up.
6. rhp jOEY oAKIE, aNKENY cENTENNIAL hs (ia)
hEIGHT: 6’3
WEIGHT: 195
B/T: R/R
COMMITMENT: iOWA
dRAFT dAY agE: 18 yr 2 mo
Another loud arm coming out of Ankeny, Iowa, Oakie has some of the loudest stuff in the entire class. Oakie generates a ton of scap load in his delivery with a big arm swing before driving down the mound with a whippy, near sidearm slot. He's already gotten into the mid-90s with the fastball, getting up to 97 MPH, with a ton of life and spin through the zone and plays up thanks to the low launch nature of his release. It wouldn't be a shock to see Oakie's velocity jump into the upper-90s when all is said and done, either. Oakie's sweeper might be the best pitch in the prep ranks, a diabolical pitch with a ton of sweep and hard biting action in the mid-80s and projects as plus. He's gotten up to 25 inches of horizontal break this summer and the pitch has insanely high spin rates, touching the 3,000 RPM barrier. He's got feel for a fading change-up that he throws hard in the mid-upper 80s that projects well, too. He'll need to iron out some command inconsistencies, but this is an enticing package overall.
7. c cADE aRRAMBIDE, tOMBALL hs (tx)
hEIGHT: 6’3
wEIGHT: 209
B/T: R/R
COMMITMENT: LOUISIANA STATE
DRAFT DAY AGE: 18 yr 9 mo
Another year, another Texas prep catcher. While Arrambide is not quite what Blake Mitchell was last year, Arrambide's toolset is rather robust, especially defensively. He's athletic behind the plate with great lateral movement and he's got a bazooka of a right arm, which has been up to 90 MPH as a catcher and 102 MPH from the outfield in workouts. It's really special arm talent. He's a decent blocker and receiver, as well. There's not a ton to dislike back there, though he's got utility in right field, too. With the bat, he's got prodigious power from the right side with big time bat speed and leverage that is built for doing damage, especially to his pullside, though the biggest issues comes in the form of his hit tool. The swing-and-miss to his game will need to be toned down, as well as the chase rate, though if he can iron that out, there's solid offensive upside.
8. RHP Owen Hall, Edmond North HS (OK)
Height: 6’3
Weight: 185
B/T: R/R
COMMITMENT: vANDERBILT
dRAFT dAY AGE: 18 yr 8 mo
Hall is another big riser from the summer circuit, vaulting himself into the top ten with a mix of present stuff and starter traits. It's a fluid and athletic delivery on the bump with a lean frame that has plenty of projection remaining at 6'3, 185 pounds. Hall's fastball is rather explosive with a ton of late life, especially at the top of the zone, and he'll show a bit of a two-seam/sinker variant at the bottom of the zone. He throws plenty of strikes with the heater and he'll hold 92-95 MPH throughout outings, plus he's already been up to 98 MPH in shorter stints. He's got two breaking balls, a slider/cutter hybrid in the mid-80s that has good two-plane tilt and a curveball in the mid-to-upper-70s that has good depth, but lacks bite/conviction at times. He's developing a mid-80s splitter, as well. He'll need to develop consistency with his off-speed arsenal, but there's a ton to like with the Vanderbilt commit.
9. rhp wILLIAM sCHMIDT, cATHOLIC hs (la)
hEIGHT: 6’4
WEIGHT: 180
b/t: r/r
COMMITMENT: Louisiana State
DRAFT DAY AGE: 18 yr 9 mo
In terms of raw stuff, Schmidt's one-two punch might be the best in this class. An above-average, if not better, athlete on the mound, Schmidt is a quick mover on the mound where his athleticism is explosive and there's a ton of projection with his long, lean frame. The fastball has seen a solid velocity uptick over the past year, now touching 95 MPH and holding 90-94 MPH consistently. There's plenty of riding life with the heater, as well as some cut, and given the projection, it's likely that he could get into the upper-90s soon. The true separator with Schmidt is an upper-70s curveball with a ton of upside. It's a true 12-6 hammer with tons of depth and extremely high spin rates, exceeding the 3,000 RPM threshold on occasion. There's plenty of bat-missing traits between those two pitches and he's developing an upper-70s change-up with plenty of fading life. Command comes and goes, but given the projection and pure stuff, this is a profile that can sneak into the first round with further development.
10. OF Derek Curiel, Orange Lutheran HS (CA)
Height: 6’2
Weight: 175
B/T: l/l
commitment: Louisiana State
draft day age: 19 yr 1 mo
SoCal powerhouse Orange Lutheran has an extensive baseball alumni list and Curiel is set to be the next big name on it. Curiel has plenty of polish and has a sweet swing from the left side with patient plate discipline and strike zone awareness, racking up the walks and not chasing a ton. He's able to utilize the whole field to his liking and there's some gap-to-gap power in the bat, though he's likely a hit-over-power guy moving forward. It's likely fringe-average power at best, but if he can fill out his body more and add some impact and bat speed, it could be average or better power. Defensively, Curiel projects as an above-average center fielder thanks to his speed, route running, and smart instincts.
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