The 2024 MLB draft begins Sunday, and that means your team could be selecting its next superstar. Since baseball draft prospects often aren't household names when they're chosen, we queried the league to find comparisons to major league players who are expected to come off the board early in the first round.
It's important to note that the evaluators who helped us find our comparisons emphasized that the Major League players were the guy of the player each prospect reminded them of, and not based on projected major league ability.
From two 2024 hitters with games similar to big-time power hitters to a pair of flamethrowers who had our panel mentioning current MLB aces, here's a look at how five coveted draft picks mirror Major League Baseball stars, past and present.
MLB Draft Rankings | Big Question Mark for All 30 Teams
Charlie Condon, 3B, Georgia
Best comparison: Richie Sexson
Also mentioned: Kris Bryant, Jayson Werth and Jorge Soler
If it wasn't obvious from the comparisons, Condon is tall and lanky with enormous power. Some evaluators offered mixed reviews of his athleticism, but the consensus is that it's decent for a prospect of his size (6-foot-6, 216 pounds). Condon also showed he could handle multiple positions defensively while playing third base, first base and the outfield for Georgia.
Like Kris Bryant, Condon won the Golden Spikes Award, hitting 37 home runs this year, the most in a Division I baseball season since BBCOR (ball-to-bat ratio restoration) went into effect in 2011.
“I'm not sure what position he'll play at the next level,” one scout said. “He's a big player with an advanced bat. He has power. He's also a very good athlete. You have to be one to go from the outfield corner to third base.”
Jac Caglianone, 1B, Florida
Best comparison: Bryce Harper
Also mentioned: Matt Olson, Joey Gallo, Carlos Gonzalez
Remember, this has to do with who each prospect reminds evaluators of, not necessarily talent level. Harper was a generational player when he went No. 1 overall in 2010, and Caglianone is not in that class, though one scout summed up the similarities by saying the Florida star’s swing is “as violent as Bryce’s.” Caglianone has produced plenty of power with that swing, hitting 35 homers for Florida this year after hitting 33 in 2023.
He also shined on the mound with the Gators, striking out 83 in 73 innings this season. Could he be baseball's next big thing?
“I could see some teams giving him that opportunity now that Shohei [Ohtani] “He's opened that door, but we're really looking at him purely as a hitter,” one evaluator said. “He's [the swing] “He's very easy on the eyes. He's fast, he's violent, he jumps on the fly. He's loud. And he's a big guy.”
Caglianone’s ability with the bat in hand is what makes him a surefire top-10 pick in this draft. He helped cement his value this year with a dramatic turnaround in his strikeout-to-walk ratio. After drawing 17 walks with 58 strikeouts in 2023, he’s struck out just 26 times and drawn 58 free passes this season. He also has more athletic talent than one might think for a pitcher/first baseman.
“He made a play in the SEC tournament,” another evaluator said. “It was on a fly ball from the Bermuda Triangle. He got on his horse and ran at it. We were all amazed by his athleticism and speed.”
Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State University
Best comparison: Pursue Utley
Also mentioned: Jake Cronenworth and Joe Panik
Bazzana hit .407 for Oregon State this year and has put himself in position to possibly become the first Australian-born player to be selected No. 1 overall in the MLB draft. But it's his approach to the game that reminded some of our evaluators of a former Philadelphia Phillies player.
“His mannerisms and aggressiveness remind me of Chase Utley,” one executive said. “He's not the caliber of a defender that Chase was, but Bazzana has improved greatly at second base since the start of this season.”
Another evaluator was not as on board with Utley's comparison, saying Bazzana has more speed. He stole 36 bases for Oregon State last season but only 16 this year, but maybe that's because he ran a lot more. His home run total rose from 11 last year to a single-season school record of 28 this season.
“I love makeup, too,” said one scout. “He's a fighter.”
Chase Burns, right-handed pitcher, Wake Forest
Best comparison: Dylan ceases
Also mentioned: Hunter Greene, Corbin Burnes, Tyler Glasnow, Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller
Evaluators were all over the place with comparisons for Burns, but the theme was consistent: a potential MLB ace with hard pitches.
Burns has many of the traits that scouts look for in a major league starting pitcher, from his 6-foot-3, 210-pound frame to his high-octane fastball-slider combination. One scout summed him up this way: “He has the size of Hunter Greene with the pitching arsenal of Dylan Cease and Bobby Miller.”
Burns transferred from Tennessee to Wake Forest for his junior season and took his game to another level with the Demon Deacons, striking out 191 batters in 100 innings and had a 16-strikeout performance against a 37-10 Clemson team in May that left the industry buzzing.
“A powerful arm with great potential,” one evaluator said.
Hagen Smith, left-handed pitcher, Arkansas
Best comparison: Carlos Rodon
Also mentioned: Chris Sale, Josh Hader, Robbie Ray and Blake Snell
Smith allowed just 41 hits and racked up an incredible 161 strikeouts in 84 innings for Arkansas this year. That's nearly two strikeouts per inning and he only allowed one hit every two innings. Smith was never better than during his 17-strikeout performance against Oregon State, an outing that included three strikeouts of potential No. 1 overall pick Travis Bazzana. It's no wonder the lefty is at the top of many draft boards.
“The delivery is unique,” one evaluator said. “Some people draw comparisons to Chris Sale, but I don't see that connection because Sale's slider has more movement. He's more of a hybrid of Sale and Carlos Rodon.”
Another evaluator compared Smith's slider to Rodon's when the New York Yankees starter was selected No. 3 overall in the 2014 draft out of North Carolina State. But that offering isn't the only pitch that has scouts excited.
“It's also an electric fastball,” one scout said.
