Major League Baseball's amateur draft kicked off on Sunday night. The three-day, 20-round event was initiated by the Cleveland Guardians, who made the No. 1 pick for the first time in franchise history. (The Guardians had previously made the No. 2 pick on five separate occasions.)
The Guardians chose Oregon State second baseman Travis Bazzana, the player they were linked to dating back to the spring. Bazzana was followed by a slew of collegiates -- Wake Forest pitcher Chase Burns went No. 2, Georgia third baseman/outfielder Charlie Condon No. 3, and so on.
CBS Sports provided live analysis and instant grades on all 30 first-round picks. Keep in mind that we're mostly judging where those players were taken in relation to our final draft ranking; we're also taking into account the opportunity cost associated with the picks.2024 MLB Draft first-round results, grades
1. Guardians: Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State -- Grade: A (analysis)
2. Reds: Chase Burns, P, Wake Forest -- Grade: A (analysis)
3. Rockies: Charlie Condon, 3B, Georgia -- Grade: A (analysis)
4. Athletics: Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest -- Grade: B (analysis)
5. White Sox: Hagen Smith, P, Arkansas -- Grade: B (analysis)
6. Royals: Jac Caglianone, 1B/P, Florida -- Grade: B (analysis)
7. Cardinals: JJ Wetherholt, INF, West Virginia -- Grade: A (analysis)
8. Angels: Christian Moore, 2B, Tennessee -- Grade: C (analysis)
9. Pirates: Konnor Griffin, CF/SS, Jackson Prep HS (MS) -- Grade: B (analysis)
10. Nationals: Seaver King, CF/MIF, Wake Forest -- Grade: B (analysis)
11. Tigers: Bryce Rainer, SS, Harvard-Westlake HS (Ca) -- Grade: B (analysis)
12. Red Sox: Braden Montgomery, OF, Texas A&M -- Grade: B (analysis)
13. Giants: James Tibbs III, OF, Florida State -- Grade: B (analysis)
14. Cubs: Cam Smith, 3B, Florida State -- Grade: C (analysis)
15. Mariners: Jurrangelo Cijntje, switch-pitcher, Mississippi State -- Grade: B (analysis)
16. Marlins: PJ Morlando, OF, Summerville HS (SC) -- Grade: D (analysis)
17. Brewers: Braylon Payne, OF, Elkins HS (TX) -- Grade: D (analysis)
18. Rays: Theo Gillen, OF, Westlake HS (TX) -- Grade: B (analysis)
19. Mets: Carson Benge, OF, Oklahoma State -- Grade: B (analysis)
20. Blue Jays: Trey Yesavage, RHP, East Carolina -- Grade: B (analysis)
21. Twins: Kaelen Culpepper, SS, Kansas State -- Grade: B (analysis)
22. Orioles: Vance Honeycutt, OF, North Carolina -- Grade: B (analysis)
23. Dodgers: Kellon Lindsey, SS, Hardee HS (FL) -- Grade: B (analysis)
24. Braves: Cam Caminiti, LHP, Saguaro HS (AZ) -- Grade: A (analysis)
25. Padres: Kash Mayfield, LHP, Elk City HS (OK) -- Grade: B (analysis)
26. Yankees: Ben Hess, RHP, Alabama -- Grade: C (analysis)
27. Phillies: Dante Nori, OF, Northville HS (MI) -- Grade: C (analysis)
28. Astros: Walker Janek, C, Sam Houston State -- Grade: B (analysis)
29. Diamondbacks: Slade Caldwell, OF, Valley View HS (AR) -- Grade: B (analysis)
30. Rangers: Malcolm Moore, C, Stanford -- Grade: B (analysis)
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.
Another 43 picks to go tonight, but this is the rapid fire round. One minute between picks.
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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
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).
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
Our R.J. Anderson broke down switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje (pronounced SAIN-ja) leading up to the draft. Check it out here:
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
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
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
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
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
