The 2024 MLB draft featured numerous surprises throughout the first round, resulting in some top players falling in the draft. Here is a look at the three best value picks in the first round, excluding the Competitive Balance Round A:
Cardinals: JJ Wetherholt, SS, West Virginia
The Cardinals selected Wetherholt with the seventh overall pick. The talented infielder was in play to go first overall and is considered a top-three player in this year’s draft class.
Wetherholt is a 5-foot-11, 200-pound left-handed hitting second baseman with strong tools at the plate. He uses a quick, compact swing to consistently barrel up the baseball. He also has advanced bat-to-ball skills and can drive the baseball hard to all fields.
Wetherholt is athletic and has respectable arm strength to handle an up-the-middle position. He showed the ability to handle shortstop this spring.
Over the last year, Wetherholt has suffered two hamstring injuries, causing some reservations among scouts. If he can remain healthy, he has the toolset to be the best player in this year’s draft class.
Read a detailed feature story on Wetherholt and his skill set here.
Red Sox: Braden Montgomery, OF, Texas A&M
The Red Sox managed to land a top-five prospect with the 12th overall pick. It’s a huge steal for the Red Sox, as Montgomery has five-tool potential and plenty of upside to develop into a middle-of-the-order hitter. He suffered an ankle injury in the NCAA Tournament, which likely impacted his draft position despite it not being a serious injury.
Montgomery is a 6-foot-2, 217-pound switch-hitting outfielder known for his five-tool potential. The switch hitter has a simple setup and a gap-to-gap approach. He consistently barrels up pitches and displays above-average power from both sides of the plate. He has improved his plate discipline in college, crediting his growth in the mental game and approach for his development.
Montgomery also is extremely athletic, which helps him on the bases and in the field. He profiles as a right fielder in pro ball due to his elite arm strength, quality throwing accuracy, and ability to cover plenty of ground.
Read a detailed feature story on Montgomery and his skill set here.
Braves: Cam Caminiti, LHP, Saguaro (Ariz.) HS
Scouts considered Caminiti the top prep pitcher in this year’s MLB draft and expected him to go within the first 13 picks. He ended up lasting until the No. 24 pick, where the Braves landed immense value with the selection of the prep lefty pitcher.
Caminiti is a 6-foot-2, 205-pound lefty who can potentially have four quality pitches. He leans on a mid-90s fastball, which touches 98 mph and features late movement. His slider and curveball are quality-breaking pitches that generate swings and misses.
Caminiti locates his pitches well and attacks the strike zone. Overall, Caminiti misses a lot of bats and projects as a top-of-the-rotation pitcher.
Read in-depth stories on top 2024 MLB draft prospects at Baseball Prospect Journal.
Dan Zielinski III has covered the MLB draft for nine years. He has interviewed 518 of the top draft prospects in that period, including four No. 1 overall picks. Multiple publications, including Baseball America, USA Today, MLB.com, The Arizona Republic and The Dallas Morning News, have quoted his work, while he has appeared on radio stations as a “MLB draft expert.” Follow him on Twitter @DanZielinski3.
