MLB Draft 2024: Meet the high school baseball players projected as first-round picks
MLB mock drafts for 2024 have been flowing since the 2023 draft ended, but they're starting to feel more real as the draft combine wages on and the big day approaches July 14.
High school baseball players have taken a back seat throughout the speculative process to the college stars this year, but the player widely considered to have the highest upside in the draft is a prep star from Mississippi.
We've broken out all the high school first-round picks (including the supplemental round) in one of mlb.com's recent mock drafts to spotlight how those players fared in their final year of high school baseball.
We focus more on old-fashioned stats than exit velocity and spin rates.
Here they all are, listed in the order the mock draft has them being selected.
9. Pirates: Konnor Griffin, SS/OF, Jackson Prep (Mississippi)
Griffin is a freakish athlete at 6-foot-4 and considered the highest-upside player in the draft, including the college guys. He earned National Gatorade Player of the Year honors after hitting .559 with nine home runs and stealing 87 bases. He also went 10-0 on the mound with 107 strikeouts in 67.2 innings, holding a 0.72 ERA.
10. Nationals: Bryce Rainer, SS, Harvard-Westlake (California)
Rainer became a national sensation as a freshman pitcher, but he’s since evolved to be coveted by MLB scouts even more as a hitter and shortstop. He hit .505 and played excellent defense as a senior playing top competition, and he throws 96 on the mound.
11. Tigers: Cam Caminiti, LHP, Saguaro (Arizona)
Caminiti hit .493 with a .679 on-base percentage in 2024, but MLB prefers him as a pitcher. The 6-foot-3 athlete went 9-0 with 119 strikeouts in 52.2 innings and a 0.93 ERA in leading Saguaro to a state championship.
18. Rays: Ryan Sloan, RHP, York (Illinois)
Sloan became the first York baseball player to be named Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year after holding a 0.18 ERA in 39.2 innings. He struck out 79 batters and walked just four.
25. Padres: Theo Gillen, SS/2B, Westlake (Texas)
Gillen battled injuries as a sophomore and junior, but he started flying up draft boards after hitting .487 with six home runs through his first 16 games. Baseball America named him a first-team All-American.
30. Rangers: Kash Mayfield, LHP, Elk City (Oklahoma)
Mayfield hit .476 and stole 21 bases as a senior, but his pitching is what made him become the back-to-back Gatorade Player of the Year in Oklahoma. He finished his senior season with a 0.16 ERA and 115 strikeouts in 44 innings, walking just eight and going 8-0.
31. Diamondbacks: William Schmidt, RHP, Catholic (Louisiana)
Schmidt was named Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year after going 10-0 with 102 strikeouts in 62.3 innings with a 0.44 ERA, leading the nationally ranked Bears to a state championship.
32. Orioles: Slade Caldwell, OF, Valley View (Arkansas)
Caldwell hit .450 as a senior and set the state record for career walks and steals. The 5-foot-9 speedster has been named Arkansas Gatorade Player of the Year in consecutive seasons.
33. Twins: Wyatt Sanford, SS, Independence (Texas)
Sanford has flown up draft boards in recent months. The lefty hitter is slick with the glove, earning 5A Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2024.
35. Diamondbacks: Kellon Lindsey, SS, Hardee (Florida)
Lindsey made mlb.com's list of the top Day 1 performers at the MLB Draft Combine, showing off his glove and bat along with his top-flight speed. The quarterback for the football team hit over .400 as a junior and senior and stole a combined 53 bases.
36. Guardians: Braylon Doughty, RHP, Chaparral (California)
Though considered small for a pitcher at 6-foot-1, Doughty’s combination of a high-90s fastball with a plus curve and outstanding command have scouts drooling. He finished his senior season with 85 strikeouts in 50.1 innings and a 1.11 ERA.
37. Pirates: Carter Johnson, SS, Oxford (Alabama)
The 6-foot-2 shortstop is viewed as one of the best pure hitters in the class, with a quick, smooth swing from the left side. He hit .364 in his senior season while drawing 39 walks batting at the top of the order.
39. Royals: Tyson Lewis, SS, Millard West (Nebraska)
Lewis finished his senior season with a .496 batting average with eight home runs, seven triples and 31 stolen bases, earning honors as Nebraska’s Gatorade Player of the Year. Baseball America named him a first-team High School All-American.
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-- Mike Swanson | swanson@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports
MIKE SWANSON, SBLIVE SPORTS
Mike Swanson is the Trending News Editor for SBLive Sports. He's been in journalism since 2003, having worked as a reporter, city editor, copy editor and high school sports editor in California, Connecticut and Oregon.