Seven weeks into the DI college season and there has been plenty of movement lining up the top prospects for the 2024 MLB Draft. Like every spring many prospects improve, produce at a high level, and as a result, climb draft boards.

• Preseason Draft Board
• Mid-March Draft Board

In the ‘Bonus Boom’ category, these prospects have not taken a huge leap up our rankings, but each slot they climb translates to an increase of at least mid-six figures in bonus money. Of note, there will be 14 slots greater than $5M this year, and 46 greater than $2M.

Charlie Condon 1B / OF / The Walker School, GA / 2021 College baseball’s top performer at this point in the 2024 season, the 6-foot-5, 215-pound slugger is producing historic numbers. Condon currently boasts a video game-like slash line of .505/.619/1.184 with 19 home runs and an unreal .680 ISO with just a 10.8% K rate in just 28 games. Ranked No. 9 on our preseason Draft Board, Condon has undoubtedly risen into the top-three. The difference between pick nine and pick three is almost $3.0M. Condon AGAIN! Top 9️⃣ 🐶 11 🟠 16 📺 https://t.co/arjGftp6V0 (SECN) 🎧 https://t.co/8udSNmg0EJ 📊 https://t.co/1cmmOj0i3Y#GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/Yc5f2Mqa9N — Georgia Baseball (@BaseballUGA) March 31, 2024

Braden Montgomery OF / Madison Central, MS / 2021 With just two innings pitched to date this spring, Montgomery looks to have put away the two-way tag that he wore in our preseason rankings. Ranked No. 14 at that time, B-Mont has risen to No. 6 as the switch-hitter has refined his swing from both sides of the plate, especially the right handed side. The results (.381/.515/.933) have boosted him into the top half dozen overall picks which equates to greater than $2M in potential bonus money. For a full scouting report, please see College Crosscheck: Week Six.

Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas: As ridiculous as Condon’s ISO, Smith’s K rate of 54.5% might be even more insane. Even more remarkable is that he’s posting incredible numbers during another season of juiced offense in college baseball. Smith has moved up at least four slots (+$1.25M) from No. 10 to somewhere closer to No. 5. For a full scouting report, please see College Crosscheck: Week Two.

(Hagen Smith; 2/23/24)

 

Position players generally gain more helium than pitchers, especially in the week leading up to the draft. Here are a handful who were on the top-three-round radar in the preseason who have now played their way into Day One consideration:

Billy Amick, 3B, Tennessee: Moving well up our draft board from No. 70 in the preseason, Amick’s greatest improvement so far this season has been defensively at the hot corner. The talk has changed to whether he can play there, to how much better than average will he become at the pro level. In the batter’s box there are few, if any questions about his impact. For a full scouting report, please see College Crosscheck: Week Five.

Dylan Dreiling, OF, Tennessee: Ranked No. 143 in the preseason, Dreiling is performing at a high level with all five tools and has jumped into Day One talks. There’s thunder in his forearms and better than average tools across the board. With current production of .360/.482/.831, the arrow is up on this sophomore draft-eligible. For a full scouting report, please see College Crosscheck: Week Five.

Walker Janek, C, Sam Houston State: Long regarded as one of the premier defensive catchers in college baseball, Janek has taken his offense to another level this spring, posting a current slash of .381/.470/.637. Ranked No. 53 in the preseason he is now knocking on the door of the first round. For a full scouting report, please see College Crosscheck: Week Six.

Christian Moore, 2B, Tennessee: Another potential five-tool Volunteer, Moore has shown continued improvement, notably lowering his strikeout rate from 24.4% last season to 19.2% currently, while producing more power. Moore leaps from No. 131 to No. 59 on our board. For a full scouting report, please see College Crosscheck: Week Five.

James Tibbs, OF, Florida State: Tibbs has always controlled the zone and shown power, but his breakout this season has been fun to watch. Also improving defensively in the outfield, the lefthanded thumper has an ISO of .420 with just a 6.5% strikeout rate. Jumping into the back end of the first round consideration (maybe not of now, but it all changes when MLB teams get “on the clock”), Tibbs shoots up from his preseason ranking at No. 76.

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RISING PITCHERS

Several of the top-ranked pitchers from the preseason, like Smith, as well as Chase Burns and Jonathan Santucci, have also jumped up since the start of the season, separating themselves from the pack. Here are some arms who were previously ranked outside the top-25 or so, who have since made their way up draft boards:

Ryan Johnson, RHP, Dallas Baptist: Always a strike-thrower with a big arm, the 6-foot-6 righthander is the only pitcher in the country who is a part of both D1 Baseball’s Heat Sheet and Control Artists 1.0. Regardless of a delivery that traditionally projects to the bullpen at the pro level, his combination of control and velo typically places a healthy pitching prospect in strong consideration for the top-30 overall picks. For a full scouting report, please see College Crosscheck: Week Six.

(Ryan Johnson; 3/22/24)

Trey Yesavage, RHP, East Carolina: Possessing a power pitcher’s build at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, Yesavage reminds me of the first time I saw Gabriel Hughes (Gonzaga) for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team in 2021, even physically. Like Hughes, Yesavage wasn’t the sharpest in my first-ever look, but he had many of the needed ingredients to become a first-rounder. Up 23 spots from the preseason, the righthander overpowers the baseball from a high slot that produces mid-90 heaters and a plus- or better slider. Maybe not regarded as a slam-dunk first-round pick at this point, he will be no different than other Day One arm talents (Hughes) who rise simply based upon staying healthy and performing consistently. For a full scouting report, please see College Crosscheck: Week Three.

Bryce Cunningham, RHP, Vanderbilt: An enigma for me personally, I originally saw Cunningham his freshman season and thought future first-rounder. In successive evaluations (Cape Cod as one example) his velocity fluctuated, as did the quality of his slider. News Flash: Cunningham has figured some things out this year and makes a leap to No. 32 on our Top-200. With a fastball that touches 98 mph, a plus slider, and greatly improved performance (37.2 IP, 2.87 ERA, 25 H, 15 BB, 57 SO), he now projects as a potential top-30 overall pick and has been described as a future No. 2/3 Major League starter.

Connor Foley, RHP, Indiana: If you saw the 6-foot-5, 235-pound righthander’s opening weekend start at Coastal Carolina, his week two start at Baylor, and/or week six start against Illinois, Foley is likely slotted higher on your pref list than those who saw him in weeks three, four or five. With that written, there isn’t a pitcher in the country this spring with more helium than this draft-eligible sophomore Hoosier. Up to 99 mph with a useful slider/cutter and changeup, Foley’s upside is also considerable. He has struck out 54 in 36 innings, while holding opposing hitters to a .152 batting average. Unranked in the preseason, Foley will likely receive second-round consideration. For a full scouting report, please see College Crosscheck: Week Four.

Ryan Prager, LHP, Texas A&M: A healthy return from Tommy John surgery after missing all of last season, the southpaw boasts elite pitchability from an arsenal that includes a low-90s high-riding fastball, a swing-and-miss slider, and plus changeup. Prager has walked just five batters while striking out 51 through 36.2 innings this spring. Ranking No. 193 in the preseason, he rises 95 spots to No. 98 overall, and he has firmly established himself as a top three-round draft prospect. For a full scouting report, please see College Crosscheck: Week Six.

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