A RECORD NIGHT FOR COLLEGIANS

Four key takeaways from the 2024 draft

- CARLOS COLLAZO

Day one of the draft consists of the first two rounds, including all the compensatory, competitive balance and Prospect Promotion Incentive picks following those rounds.

This year, a total of 74 picks were made during the top two rounds of the draft.

Kentucky outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt and Virginia shortstop Griff O’Ferrall, drafted 31st and 32nd overall by the D-backs and Orioles, were the second- and third-ever PPI draft picks. Arizona and Baltimore added the picks when Corbin Carroll and Gunnar Henderson won Rookie of the Year awards in 2023.

A RECORD EIGHT STRAIGHT COLLEGE PLAYERS KICK THINGS OFF

We expected this year’s first round to lean heavily on college players, and that wound up being the case on a record-setting night.

This draft was the first in history to feature college players taken off the board with the top eight picks, and it also set a record with nine collegians drafted among the first 10 picks of the draft. The 2024 draft was the 60th ever conducted.

1. Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State

2. Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest

3. Charlie Condon, OF, Georgia

4. Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest

5. Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas

6. Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida

7. JJ Wetherholt, SS, West Virginia

8. Christian Moore, 2B, Tennessee

10. Seaver King, SS, Wake Forest

Previously, the high-water mark for college players selected in the first 10 picks was six, which happened in 1985, 2018 and 2019.

In the first 30 overall picks, 20 college players were drafted. That tracks with the overall BA draft prospect ranking, which featured 21 collegians ranked among the top 30 players.