We are back to continue diving into the first round of the MLB Draft. Now that the best talent in High School and College Baseball is now finishing up by signing their contracts we have the opportunity to dive into their profiles. In the months leading up to the MLB Draft, we highlighted some of the top-performing draft eligible College players so some of these names should stand out. This will be a three-part series so make sure to check back for picks 1-10 and 21-30 when they drop. Now let’s recap picks 11 through 20 of the 2024 MLB Draft.
Picks 11-20 Player Breakdowns
Detroit Tigers- Bryce Rainer, SS High School
(33 GP, .505 AVG, 4 HR, 17 SB)
With the 11th pick of the 2024 MLB Draft, the Detroit Tigers selected High School shortstop Bryce Rainer to bolster the farm system. Rainer was a two-way player in High School putting up solid numbers on the mound as a freshman but the long-term Detroit will have Rainer focus on hitting. Standing at 6’3” and 195 pounds there is still a ton of room for muscle and the future grades of plus raw power. In his senior season, Rainer hit .505 with four home runs and 17 stolen bases. The plan is to have Rainer stick at shortstop though third base might be a likely long-term home.
For dynasty managers, there is a lot to like here with a potential plus bat and power coming at a premium position of shortstop. We have seen Detroit not shy away from pushing High School talent in the past so Rainer could move quickly.
Boston Red Sox- Braden Montgomery, OF Texas A&M
(61 GP, .322/.454/.733, 27 HR, 65 R, 85 RBI, 5 SB)
The Boston Red Sox might have gotten a steal at pick 12 by selecting Braden Montgomery out of Texas A&M. After finishing his Sophmore season at Stanford slashing .336/.461/.611 with 17 home runs, 70 runs scored, 61 RBIs, and six stolen bases in 64 games played, Montgomery announced he would be transferring to Texas A&M. Once with Texas A&M Montgomery continued to increase his power output while continuing to hit for average and get on base. In 61 games played Montgomery slashed .322/.454/.733 with 27 home runs, 65 runs scored, 85 RBIs, and five stolen bases.
💣💥A&M OF Braden Montgomery is a beast! One of the highest exit velocities in NCAA and frankly could be this year’s Wyatt Langford. In 52 GP he has
•333 AVG
•.476 OBP
•.778 SLG
•24 HR
•77 RBIQuestion is what pick will he go in the MLB draft? 🤔 @Fantrax @AggieBaseball https://t.co/zrl5PsMMKi
— Richard Haake (@Mustbethehawk) May 14, 2024
Montgomery’s season ended in the postseason with an ankle injury but all reports have him close to getting back to game action before the minor league season is up. For dynasty managers, there is potential for 25-30 plus home runs in Fenway Park. The advanced bat-to-ball skills might remind some Red Sox fans of some of the best days of Mookie Betts. This could make this an exciting prospect to watch going forward and to stash in FYPD.
San Fransisco Giants- James Tibbs II, OF Florida State
(66 GP, .363/.488/.777, 28 HR, 75 R, 95 RBI, 8 SB)
Florida State was a fun team to watch this season and in the middle of all their team success was James Tibbs II. In 2024 the lefty increased his power output as well as his average en-route to getting the Seminoles into the Playoffs. In 66 games played Tibbs II slashed .363/.488/.777 with 28 home runs, 75 runs scored, 95 RBIs, and eight stolen bases. Standing at 6’0” and 201 pounds Tibbs II might be maxed out developmentally but this is still a solid pick for the Giants in the first round.
💣📝FSU 1B/OF James Tibbs III is definitely good at baseball. His career at @FSUBaseball is great to dive into and this year his draft 📈 keeps going 🆙 In 31 GP he has
•.422 AVG
•.503 OBP
•860 SLG
•13 HR
•52 RBI
•13.6% BB
•6.1% KShould I go on? @Fantrax @JamesTibbsIII https://t.co/pXzo9f2nOG
— Richard Haake (@Mustbethehawk) April 8, 2024
For dynasty managers, James Tibbs II is a big-moment type of player who seems to be clutch at the right time. The future home ballpark in San Fransisco hurts the power output but we can still expect between 20-25 home runs annually when he is up. With excellent bat-to-ball skills a .280-.300 hitter is possible for Tibbs II while stolen bases aren’t really a large part of his game. If you are to compare Tibbs II to a Currency Giants outfielder there are many similarities to Michael Conforto.
Chicago Cubs- Cam Smith, 3B Florida State
(66 GP, .387/.488/.654, 16 HR, 82 R, 57 RBI, 4 SB)
Chi-Town can be happy with their first-round draft pick selecting Cam Smith out of Florida State. Smith was a draft-eligible Sophomore so we can expect the development results to project up after getting a full season in the Cubs organization. Standing 6’3” and 224 pounds Smith has the build for a third baseman or a first baseman long-term though he will need to tap into more power. In 66 games with the Seminoles, Smith slashed .387/.488/.654 with 16 home runs, 82 runs scored, 57 RBIs, and four stolen bases. The bat-to-ball skills are a potential plus for Smith and we saw the extra bases skyrocket over his Freshman season from 25 to 39 in his Sophomore season indicating more power could be coming.
For dynasty managers, this is an interesting prospect to target in dynasty leagues as a strong bat-to-ball third baseman who could develop into above-average to plus power. With some of the big names potentially going early in FYPD, Cam Smith could be a prospect you see skyrocket up draft boards if he performs well in his first pro assignment.
Seattle Marriners- Jurrangelo Cijntje, P Mississippi State
(16 GP, 90.2 IP, 113 K, 11.2 K/9, 3.67 ERA)
Seattle went big drafting the ambidextrous pitcher out of Mississippi State Juangelo Cijntje. Born in the Netherlands Cijntje stands 5’11” and 200 pounds topping at 98 mph with his fastball and 86 mph with the slider from the right side. As a left-hander, the slider comes out at 82 while the fastball tops out at 93 mph. In his final season at Mississippi State Cijntje started 16 games striking out 113 batters over 90.2 innings pitched, good for an 11.2 K/9 while walking three batters per nine innings, and finishing the season with a 3.67 ERA in the SEC.
As a two-pitch pitcher, it will be interesting to see how the Mariners plan to use Cijntje as a starter going forward as he will need to develop an off-speed pitch long-term. For dynasty managers the allure of a pitcher throwing from both sides is exciting but there are also a few red flags to keep in mind with an early-round pick.
Miami Marlins- PJ Morlando, OF High School
(32 GP, .403/.602/.571, 2 HR, 26 R, 10 RBI, 9 SB)
One of the names being talked about going in the first round was High School outfielder PJ Morlando. Ultimately the Marlins snagged the 19-year-old in the first round who stands 6’3” and 198 pounds batting from the left side. In his senior season, Morlando played 32 games and slashed .403/.602/.571 with two home runs, 26 runs scored, 10 RBIs, and stole nine bases. One of the major concerns was the lack of power for Morlando as he has played third base, first base, and outfield long-term primarily power-focused positions.
For dynasty managers, there is a solid bat here but the power and speed are major concerns long term for a prospect being drafted in the first two rounds of a ten-team league. The Marlins have not done a great job developing position players over the last five seasons so this would need to be a value pick falling late for me to take a flyer on till we see more.
Milwaukee Brewers- Braylon Payne, OF High School
(28 GP, .531/.613/.802, 3 HR, 39 R, 28 RBI, 32 SB)
Milwaukee bolstered the farm system this season drafting high school outfielder Braylon Payne in the first round. Standing 6’2” and 186 pounds and batting from the left side, Payne is one of the fastest prospects coming out of the prep ranks in this year’s MLB Draft. Defense, Speed, and bat-to-ball skills are Payne’s claim to fame and we saw this in his Senior season. In 28 games played Payne slashed .531/.613/.802 with three home runs, 39 runs scored, 28 RBIs, and 32 stolen bases.
For dynasty managers, this is a profile that could take some time moving through the Brewers farm system but the stolen base upside could be massive. We have seen the Brewers have success with prospects with above-average hit tools and speed with Bryce Truang, Garrett Mitchell, and Sal Frelick at the Major League level.
Tampa Bay Rays- Theo Gillen, OF High School
(30 GP, .415 AVG,.579 OBP, 7 HR, 30 RBI, 29 SB)
Tampa Bay drafted a High School outfield and shortstop prospect that has a ton of future upside. Theo Gillen has a potential five-tool upside but injuries to his shoulder as a sophomore dampened what he was able to do in his final two years. As a Senior Gillen had a .415 average with a .579 OBP while hitting seven home runs, 30 RBIs, and 29 stolen bases. Standing at 6’2” and 195 pounds there is still projection for the 18-year-old who bats from the left side.
With potential plus grades in hit, power, and speed there is a lot to like here with Gillen and the Rays have had a solid track record developing High School talent in the past. It should be interesting to see if Gillen will get some playing time in Low-A before the season is out or if he will remain in rookie ball to finish the 2024 season. With a solid showing, we could see Gillen’s stock rise going into FYPD.
New York Mets- Carson Benge OF Oklahoma State
(61 GP, .335/.444/.665, 18 HR, 72 R, 64 RBI, 10 SB)
The Mets drafted a two-way player in Carson Benge out of Oklahoma State though the plan is to keep him in the outfield long term. Standing 6’1” and 184 pounds batting from the left side Benge looks to be a part of the Met’s long-term outfield plans. In his final season at Oklahoma State Benge played in 61 games while slashing .335/.444/.665 with 18 home runs, 72 runs scored, 64 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases. The Mets believe there could be more power in store for Benge as he moves up the organizational ladder.
For dynasty managers Benge profiles as an average outfield prospect who could be an interesting source of OBP similar to fellow Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo. Like Nimmo, I don’t expect many 20-plus home runs seasons unless they get more power to the pull side limiting the upside in shallow leagues.
Toronto Blue Jays- Trey Yesavage, RHP East Carolina
(15 GP, 93.1 IP, 145 K, 14 K/9, 2.03 ERA)
With the 20th overall pick in the MLB draft, the Toronto Blue Jays selected Trey Yesavage out of East Carolina. Standing at 6’4” and 225 pounds Yesavage was fun to watch on the mound for the Pirates. Featuring a mid-90s fastball that tops out at 98 he would dominate opposing batters up in the zone and let the slider and splitter rack up the strikeouts. In 15 games pitched, Yesavage struck out 145 batters across 93.1 innings pitched, good for a 14 K/9 while walking 3.1 batters per nine and finishing the season with a solid 2.03 ERA. With the repertoire and size, Yesavage has what it takes to be front of the rotation starter for the Blue Jays long term.
⛽️🔥ECU RHP Trey Yesavage has a 80-grade name and skills to back it up! @ECUBaseball standout has been dominant this season. In 8 GS he has
•48.1 IP
•74 K
•13.8 K/9
•2.86 BB/9
•1.86 ERAThere is at least a mid rotation starter with SP 1 upside here. @Fantrax @treyyesavage https://t.co/2YMWcYTGGL
— Richard Haake (@Mustbethehawk) April 8, 2024
East Carolina does it again adding yet another high-upside arm in the minor leagues. Yesavage could be a solid get in dynasty leagues this season and depending on how he performs in his first taste of professional ball could rise up draft rankings.