MLB mock draft 2024: Who will Cleveland Guardians take with No. 1 overall pick?
Entering the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft Lottery with just a 2% chance of winning the No. 1 overall pick, the Cleveland Guardians beat the odds and are unofficially on the clock for July's draft in Arlington, Texas, during MLB's All-Star week.
There's still a whole spring season for prospects to impress among the college and preps ranks, meaning a mock draft before the calendar flips is something of a speculative exercise – but it's worth taking a way-too-early look at where things stand.
Wake Forest slugger Nick Kurtz is our projected No. 1 pick in the early 2024 mock. Kurtz, who is hitting .345 with 39 homers and 125 RBI in 110 games in two seasons for Wake, could be the first of five Demon Deacons taken in the first round.
2024 MLB first round mock draft
1. Cleveland Guardians: Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest
2. Cincinnati Reds: JJ Wetherholt, SS/2B, West Virginia
3. Colorado Rockies: Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida
4. Oakland Athletics: Charlie Condon, OF/1B, Georgia
5. Chicago White Sox: Seaver King, OF/SS, Wake Forest
6. Kansas City Royals: Josh Hartle, LHP, Wake Forest
7. St. Louis Cardinals: Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State
8. Los Angeles Angels: Vance Honeycutt, OF, North Carolina
9. Pittsburgh Pirates: Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas
10. Washington Nationals: Konnor Griffin, OF, Jackson Prep, Flowood, Miss.
11. Detroit Tigers: Malcolm Moore, C, Stanford
12. Boston Red Sox: Tommy White, 3B, Louisiana State
13. San Francisco Giants: Braden Montgomery, OF/RHP, Texas A&M
14. Chicago Cubs: Thatcher Hurd, RHP, Louisiana State
15. Seattle Mariners: Brody Brecht, RHP, Iowa
16. Miami Marlins: PJ Morlando, OF, Summerville (S.C.) HS
17. Milwaukee Brewers: Caleb Lomavita, C, California
18. Tampa Bay Rays: Mike Sirota, OF, Northeastern
19. New York Mets: Carson Benge, OF/RHP, Oklahoma State
20. Toronto Blue Jays: Slade Caldwell, OF, Valley View HS, Jonesboro, Ark.
21. Minnesota Twins: Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest
22. Baltimore Orioles: Drew Beam, RHP, Tennessee
23. Los Angeles Dodgers: Cam Caminiti, LHP, Saguaro HS, Scottsdale, Ariz.
24. Atlanta Braves: Noah Franco, OF/LHP, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.
25. San Diego Padres: Dakota Jordan, OF, Mississippi State
26. New York Yankees: Kaelen Culpepper, SS, Kansas State
27. Philadelphia Phillies: Cam Smith, 3B, Florida State
28. Houston Astros:Caleb Bonemer, SS/3B, Okemos (Mich.) HS
29. Arizona Diamondbacks: Michael Massey, RHP, Wake Forest
30. Texas Rangers: Jonathan Santucci, LHP, Duke
When is the 2024 MLB draft?
The 2024 Major League Baseball draft is scheduled for July in Arlington, Texas, as part of the itinerary for MLB's All-Star week.
Former No. 1 overall picks of the MLB draft
Here is every No. 1 pick in the MLB draft since 2000:
2023: Paul Skenes, Pirates
2022: Jackson Holliday, Orioles
2021: Henry Davis, Pirates
2020: Spencer Torkelson, Tigers
2019: Adley Rutschman, Orioles
2018: Casey Mize, Tigers
2017: Royce Lewis, Twins
2016: Mickey Moniak, Phillies
2015: Dansby Swanson, Diamondbacks
2014: Brady Aiken, Astros
2013: Mark Appel, Astros
2012: Carlos Correa, Astros
2011: Gerrit Cole, Pirates
2010: Bryce Harper, Nationals
2009: Stephen Strasburg, Nationals
2008: Tim Beckham, Rays
2007: David Price, Rays
2006: Luke Hochevar, Royals
2005: Justin Upton, Diamondbacks
2004: Matt Bush, Padres
2003: Delmon Young, Rays
2002: Bryan Bullington, Pirates
2001: Joe Mauer, Twins
2000: Adrián González, Marlins
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB mock draft 2024: Guardians have No. 1 pick of top prospects