When the Guardians won the 2024 draft lottery, they not only got the No. 1 overall pick, but they also gained more buying power than any team has ever enjoyed before.
Cleveland had the ninth-best lottery odds to win the top pick and the accompanying pick allocation of a record $10,570,600, and its bonus pool for the first 10 rounds is an unprecedented $18,334,000, which it can increase to $19,250,700 without losing a future first-round pick as a penalty.
The Guardians could pay $150,000 to each of their selections from the 11th through 20th rounds, for a total of $20,750,700 because those bonuses don’t count toward the pool. By comparison, the 2015 Astros set the spending standard by paying $19,103,000 in bonuses to a class that included Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, Myles Straw, Patrick Sandoval and Daz Cameron, the key piece in the original Justin Verlander trade.
So, given the No. 1 overall pick and the potential spending, at first glance, it’s no surprise that Cleveland had the best crop of the late draft. With the usual caveat that you won’t know how picks will work out until a few years down the line, and under the assumption that all players selected in the first 10 rounds go pro, here are the six teams that fared best.
1. Guardian
The Guardians started the draft with Oregon State second baseman Travis Bazzana, the best pure hitter, and never slowed down. University of California Prep right-hander Braylon Doughty was the second-best high school pitcher in some clubs’ drafts, so Cleveland dropped him in the supplemental first round and ended the first day by taking one of the top defensive catchers in North Carolina State’s Jacob Cozart in the second round. On the second day, they acquired more high school right-handers who should have been ranked higher in the draft: Joey Oakey (third round vs. 46th in the draft top 250), Cameron Sullivan (seventh round vs. 118th), and Chase Mobley (10th vs. 80th). Miami left-hander Leif Schlesinger (fourth) and West Virginia right-hander Aidan Major (fifth) are likely relief pitchers, but Major needs elbow surgery.
2. Pirates
Despite the ninth pick, the Pirates took Mississippi high school outfielder Connor Griffin, who was the highest-ranked prospect in the draft. His swing has some clubs worried. Right-hander Levi Starling (supplementary first round) is one of the youngest, most polished and most promising high school pitchers in the draft, and Wyatt Sanford (second) was arguably the best defensive shortstop in the high school class. Wake Forest left-hander Josh Hartle (third), Clemson outfielder Will Taylor (fifth) and UC Santa Barbara right-hander Matt Ager (sixth) were all first-round prospects in the past before their ratings dropped due to poor performances in 2024. Wisconsin high schoolers Eddie Linders (fourth) and UCLA Deuce Gorson (ninth) are expected to move to less challenging positions at offensive shortstop.
3. Red
The Reds’ first six picks were all ranked 77th or better in the top 250 of the draft, with Wake Forest right-hander Chase Barnes at No. 2, a great all-around player. Nebraska high schooler Tyson Lewis (2nd round) is an athletic shortstop with 20 home run potential, and Louisiana State right-hander Luke Holman (auxiliary 2nd round) is a starting pitcher with a lot of potential. Northeastern outfielder Mike Sirota (3rd round) was projected as a mid-1st round pick before slumping earlier this season, but he still has the potential to be a center fielder with good power and speed. Arkansas second baseman Peyton Stovall (4th round) and Clemson left-hander Tristan Smith (5th round) both turned down first-round picks in high school before having up-and-down playing careers in college.
4. Athletics
The Athletics took the No. 1 player with the fourth pick, and some teams thought Wake Forest first baseman Nick Kurtz had the best combination of swing judgment, contact and exit velocity in the entire draft. Louisiana State teammates slugging third baseman Tommy White (second round) and talented left-hander Gage Jump (an additional second round) were bargains, taken 20 rounds longer than they should have been. Rutgers shortstop Joshua Clodagh Garner (third round) finished second in the NCAA Division I batting average race with a .428 average. Oakland also took five top 250 draft prospects: University of California outfielder Rodney Green (4th pick), University of Portland right-hander Sam Starr (5th pick), Canadian high school right-hander Josiah Romeo (6th pick), Texas Tech right-hander Kyle Robinson (11th pick) and Texas A&M shortstop Ali Camarillo (12th pick).
5. Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks’ first three picks were earlier than anyone else’s — 29th, 31st and 35th — and they scored with all of them. Two-time Gatorade Arkansas High School Player of the Year Slade Caldwell is a dynamo with hitting ability, above-average speed and center field prowess. Kentucky outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt has impressed scouts with his skills and analysts with his metrics and has 20/20 potential. Wisconsin high school shortstop J.D. Dix is a switch-hitter who has been likened to an athletic version of D.J. LeMahieu. Puerto Rican catcher Ivan Luciano (second round) and Missouri shortstop Titus Cissell (fourth round) are raw high schoolers who need time to develop. Right-handers Daniel Egan (Presbyterian University, No. 3) and Connor Foley (Indiana University, No. 5) stood out among a thin college pitching class in 2024 and should have been selected earlier in the draft.
6. Marlins
The Marlins had the 16th-highest bonus pool, but they also had nine top-250 draft picks in the first 10 rounds, one more than the Guardians and Pirates. After Florida State third baseman Cam Smith and Wake Forest third baseman/outfielder Seaver King didn’t make it past the 16th round, Miami turned to South Carolina high school outfielder P.J. Moreland, whose power and athleticism the team trusted more than any other team. Though he wasn’t a unanimous first-round pick, acquiring Moreland saved them money for later. Alabama shortstop Carter Johnson drew interest late in the first round, but the Marlins were able to slide him to the middle of the second round. They added a third high school player, Colorado State right-hander Grant Shepardson (fifth round), but also secured college players in the top 250 of the draft, including Oregon State right-hander Aiden May (second round supplemental), Alabama infielder Gage Miller (third round), Georgia Tech shortstop Peyton Green (sixth round), Portland right-hander Nick Brink (seventh round), East Carolina outfielder Jacob Jenkins-Cowart (eighth round) and University of California, Irvine third baseman Dov Gleed (ninth round).
Best draft without extra picks: Royals
Since the teams with the extra pick are always the ones with the best prospects right after the draft ends, here’s one team that doesn’t have the extra pick. The Royals actually held an extra first-round pick before sending it to the Nationals on the eve of the draft along with third baseman prospect Cayden Wallace for Hunter Harvey. Kansas City started off by taking the most impressive hitter in the draft, first baseman/left-hander Jack Caglianone from Florida, at No. 6. It was no secret that the Royals wanted left-hander David Shields from Pennsylvania with the No. 39 overall pick they traded, but they still took him two spots later at the top of the second round. Tennessee right-hander Drew Beam is polished and has a track record of success and shouldn’t have stayed until the third round. Other college right-handers: LP Langevin (University of Louisiana at Lafayette, 4th round) and AJ Causey (University of Tennessee, 5th round) have incredible pitching metrics, while Dennis Colleran (Northeastern University, 7th round) can reach 100 mph with his fastball, and Louisiana high school outfielder Corey Cousin (18th round) is a deep sleeper and a good athlete.
