By Tobey Schulman
2024 MLB Mock Draft
With the days leading up to the draft, it’s time to start looking at who’s going to be selected in the first round. With that being said, it’s also important to take time and look at the picks that just missed the first round mark. Picks 31-39 are the picks before the second round, 31 and 32 being Prospect Promotion Incentive Picks, 33 being a compensation pick, and 34-39 being part of Competitive Balance Round A. Before releasing the final first round mock draft, here are the additional nine picks before the second round.Â
Prospect Promotion Incentive Picks
A team who has a prospect rated in the Top 100 on MLB Pipeline, Baseball America, and/or ESPN go on to make the Opening Day roster and later win Rookie of the Year gets rewarded with prospect promotion picks after the first round. The Diamondbacks and Orioles earned these two picks, from Corbin Carroll and Gunnar Henderson winning the award in 2023.
31. Arizona Diamondbacks – Braylon Doughty RHP (Chaparral, CA)
Braylon Doughty has first round talent but other question marks that may have him just fall out of the initial 30 picks. He’s played less than a fair amount of the pitchers you’d normally see drafted in the first round, but when he has played he’s looked like a phenomenal pitching prospect. Per his Perfect Game profile, he has a fastball that touches 96 MPH, with a curveball that has 3100 RPM. Scouts everywhere rave about Doughty’s athleticism and if available at the 31st slot, could be a great selection for Arizona.
32. Baltimore Orioles – Billy Amick 3B (Tennessee)
With the current state of the Orioles farm, adding any top of the line bat after the first round would be a huge get. Especially with the chance of many of their prospects being traded before the deadline for a star player to add to a World Series contending roster. Amick would provide Baltimore with a well polished bat, as well as someone who could man the third base position sooner rather than later. Amick has excelled everywhere when given the opportunity. Whether it was the SEC with Tennessee, ACC with Clemson, or in Cape Cod, Amick has proven to be one of the better college bats in the NCAA. Across collegiate and summer ball in three seasons, Amick hit for a .324 average, .998 OPS, and recorded 40 HR with 155 RBI’s in 169 games.
Compensation Picks
The Minnesota Twins received a compensation pick when the Cardinals forfeited their second round pick for signing Sonny Gray.
33. Minnesota Twins – Carter Johnson SS (Oxford, AL)
Scouts have mentioned that high school shortstops in this class skill-wise are not that far apart from each other and the Twins pick again at 60, meaning they may want to save some of their money for the second round. Johnson is the 40th ranked draft prospect by MLB Pipeline, and could be a good pick here at 33. Johnson’s a well rounded prospect that has drawn offensive comparisons to Gunnar Henderson. He’s great at everything on both sides of the ball, but with time in the pros will only improve further.
Competitive Balance Round A
Teams that have either one of the 10 smallest markets or 10 smallest revenue pools get additional picks at the end of the first or second round. The groups of teams alternate between both rounds each year.
34. Milwaukee Brewers – Kaelen Culpepper SS (Kansas State)
With some teams maybe looking to take a risk on a high school shortstop, it could leave someone like Kaelen Culpepper to possibly fall to a team near the second round. In three seasons at Kansas State, Culpepper hit .314, with an OPS of .934 with 26 HR and 122 RBI’s in 152 games. Culpepper has a solid hit tool with potential to tally 20 HR a year at the big league level. He has a great arm in the field and has potential to be an everyday shortstop wherever he lands.
35. Arizona Diamondbacks – Wyatt Sanford SS (Independence, TX)
Another borderline first rounder, Wyatt Sanford possesses great skill in the field as well as on the basepaths. He has the potential to be an everyday infielder wherever he lands as well, but his 60 grade run tool could possibly give him potential to play in the outfield as well. At just 18-years old his bat is almost sure to improve once he reaches the pro ranks, and Arizona could be a great landing spot for him.
36. Cleveland Guardians – David Shields LHP (Mt. Lebanon, PA)
The Guardians can really round out their farm and their future with this draft and standout athlete David Shields can be the next big arm in this Cleveland system. Shields shows potential of being a middle or back end of the rotation pitcher, with a fastball touching mid-90’s currently, and a solid slider and changeup to go along with it. The previous Mt. Lebanon Quarterback’s athleticism is a dream for some organizations, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him go earlier.
37. Pittsburgh Pirates – Jonathan Santucci LHP (Duke)
The Pirates have undoubtedly gotten great success out of drafting college pitchers recently, as their 2023 first overall pick is an all star. Santucci could be one of the better remaining college arms available at this point, and was solid in his final season at Duke. Santucci delivered a 3.41 ERA with a 6-1 record for the Blue Devils. The lefty has a 60-grade fastball and slider, and with better control can be a solid big league starter.
38. Colorado Rockies – Tommy White 3B (Louisiana State)
Tommy White’s power is what sets him apart from the majority in his class. The LSU third baseman has a 55 graded hit tool with 60 graded power. At LSU and NC State across three seasons, he hit 75 home runs and totalled a batting average of .355. The power that Tommy White has combined with the elevation at Coors Field could be a great fit for Colorado, and his run and fielding tools could potentially cause him to fall. However, the 21-year old has 40+ HR per year potential.
39. Kansas City Royals – PJ Morlando OF (Summerville, SC)
There’s a plethora of high school shortstops available but with Bobby Witt Jr. at short, getting an outfielder should be a priority. Morlando has very high upside, but saw his draft stock slide after spring ball. He’s shined on the biggest stages of high school baseball, and seems to perform well under pressure. Morlando has a 55 grade hit tool and 50 grade power tool. If his power can develop further, he opens up the possibility to be an everyday big league corner outfielder.
Cover photo from: LSU Athletics