2024 MLB mock draft: Where are Jac Caglianone, other top prospects predicted to go?
It's still early in the MLB season with most teams still short of their 20th game, but college baseball's season has reached its halfway point. With the MLB Draft less than three months away, some star prospects have emerged.
One of college baseball's most intriguing players is Florida's Jac Caglianone – the top two-way player in amateur ball.
The Gators' junior is slashing .400/.494/.848 at the plate for an OPS of 1.343, a top-12 mark in college baseball. On the mound, Caglianone is 4-0 across eight starts with 49 strikeouts, 29 walks and a 3.89 ERA. He throws a fastball that can touch triple digits, a wipeout slider, a cutter and a curveball.
Here are Caglianone's – and other top picks' – potential landing spots according to the latest MLB mock drafts.
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2024 MLB Draft projections
No. 1 overall pick, Cleveland Guardians
Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo – MLB.com: Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State
Callis said, "We talked about what a crazy year Travis Bazzana was having, he's hitting .467/.581/1.054... I'm taking the lefty bat. I'm taking the little-bit-more defensive value."
Isaiah Burrows, Tyler Henninger, Tyler Kotila, Vincent Cervino – Perfect Game: Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State
Cervino writes, "There’s lots of buzz that the Guardians are enamored with Bazzana here and he checks a ton of boxes in what Cleveland is looking for in a prospect. The new Oregon State career home run leader is in the middle of a blistering spring and if he doesn’t go here we don’t expect him to get out of the top three."
Joe Doyle – Future Star Series: Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest
Doyle writes, "This pick could come down to which player gives the Guardians the best haircut and allows them to stretch their pool. Kurtz entered the year clearly one of the three-best players in the country, and he’s playing as such once again. Don’t be surprised if his name is called here in July with a boatload of savings."
Kiley McDaniel – ESPN: JJ Wetherholt, 2B, West Virginia
McDaniel writes, "Wetherholt, in my eyes and the eyes of some sources I checked with after the lottery, fits Cleveland's type of prospect the best of this top tier of talent... He went from little-known prospect to slam-dunk first rounder during the spring of 2023, hitting .449/.517/.787 with 42 extra base hits and 36 stolen bases while playing a solid second base for the Mountaineers."
Matt Rooney – Bleacher Nation: Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida
No. 2 overall pick, Cincinnati Reds
Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo – MLB.com: Charlie Condon, 1B/OF, Georgia
Mayo said, "I think I will probably take him and send him out as a third baseman and see if that works because it does enhance his value. I think the bat is special enough that he could go play left field or even first base and it's going to play."
Isaiah Burrows, Tyler Henninger, Tyler Kotila, Vincent Cervino – Perfect Game: Charlie Condon, 3B/OF, Georgia
Burrows writes, "With Bazanna off the board first overall, the Reds still have a good slew to choose from and it’s hard to imagine Condon making it out of the Top-3 at this point given the absurd offensive production and gaudy in-game power he possesses. He checks boxes as a quick riser through a system and become an immediate impact big league bat in short order."
Joe Doyle – Future Star Series: Charlie Condon, OF, Georgia
Doyle writes, "Assuming Kurtz goes No. 1 overall, it’d be hard to imagine both Condon and Bazzana slipping past the No. 2 pick to Cincinnati. That’s by no means a guarantee, but for much of the spring they’ve separated themselves a half-tier above the rest of the field at this point."
Kiley McDaniel – ESPN: Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest
McDaniel writes, "Kurtz has a simple sales pitch: He rakes. He's a 6-foot-5, 235-pound left-handed masher who wasn't a real pro prospect out of high school, but has immediately performed in one of the best lineups in college baseball. He posted a .349/.525/.758 line with 22 homers and 62 walks in 55 games with scouts hanging just as lofty scouting grades -- 60s and 70s on the 20-80 scale -- on everything he does in the batter's box."
Matt Rooney – Bleacher Nation: Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest
No. 3 overall pick, Colorado Rockies
Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo – MLB.com: JJ Wetherholt, INF, West Virginia
Callis said, "I will take JJ Wetherholt here. I thought he was the best pure hitter heading into the year. Bazzana and Condon's huge years aside, this guy had a 1.300 OPS last year."
Isaiah Burrows, Tyler Henninger, Tyler Kotila, Vincent Cervino – Perfect Game: Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida
Kotila writes, "It’s hard to have Jac Caglianone no.1 on our board and not see the Rockies take him. The supreme upside on both sides of the ball has to make him an attractive grab at 1-3 in our Mock Draft 1.0, especially after the Rockies have taken college players aplenty in the first round lately, outside of Zac Veen and Benny Montgomery."
Joe Doyle – Future Star Series: Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida
Doyle writes, "It’s hard to argue with the numbers Caglianone has put up this season. He is an aggressive hitter and strikeouts may eventually materialize in his game at the pro level. To this point he’s shown borderline elite bat-to-ball skills and picturing 500-foot homers leaving Coors Field would surely invigorate a fan base looking for more narratives to get behind."
Kiley McDaniel – ESPN: Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State
McDaniel writes, "His position isn't clear yet, with scouts throwing out almost every position on the field as his potential landing spot -- but the selling point here is the bat. Bazzana is a plus runner who makes the most of his speed and has 20ish homer upside..."
Matt Rooney – Bleacher Nation: Charlie Condon, 1B/OF, Georgia
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Where will Jac Caglianone be drafted?
Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo – MLB.com: Kansas City Royals, No. 6 overall
Mayo said, "I'm announcing him as a two-way guy. I'm taking Jac Caglianone. I think he's going to end up hitting, but we've talked about him before. Very intriguing skills in both directions. He was more likely to hit, and he's off to a really good start."
Isaiah Burrows, Tyler Henninger, Tyler Kotila, Vincent Cervino – Perfect Game: Colorado Rockies, No. 3 overall
Kotila writes, "It’s hard to have Jac Caglianone no.1 on our board and not see the Rockies take him. The supreme upside on both sides of the ball has to make him an attractive grab at 1-3 in our Mock Draft 1.0, especially after the Rockies have taken college players aplenty in the first round lately, outside of Zac Veen and Benny Montgomery."
Joe Doyle – Future Star Series: Colorado Rockies, No. 3 overall
Doyle writes, "It’s hard to argue with the numbers Caglianone has put up this season. He is an aggressive hitter and strikeouts may eventually materialize in his game at the pro level. To this point he’s shown borderline elite bat-to-ball skills and picturing 500-foot homers leaving Coors Field would surely invigorate a fan base looking for more narratives to get behind."
Kiley McDaniel – ESPN: Oakland A's, No. 4 overall
McDaniel writes, "He's a big guy with true 80-grade power who also has above average bat-to-ball skills at the plate, not to mention a plus heater and good slider on the mound."
Matt Rooney – Bleacher Nation: Cleveland Guardians, No. 1 overall
When is the 2024 MLB Draft?
Where: Cowtown Coliseum, Fort Worth, Texas
When: July 14-16, 2024
Cable TV: ESPN (first round); MLB Network
Streaming: fuboTV
How to watch: Catch the 2024 MLB Draft with a subscription to fuboTV
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2024 MLB mock draft: Projected teams for Jac Caglianone, top picks