The Official 2024 Draft Thread

[Dave Saltzer]

Please post anything and send everything related to the 2024 amateur draft in here. Anything from mock draft picks for the Angels and scouting reports to draft strategies and signing bonuses. 

Personally, with our first oick, we can draft JJ Wetherholt to be a lefthanded 2B to go with our young core. I think he could zip through our system, ev n with the time he's missed with a hamstring issue (hell, the fact that he's had a hamstring issue already makes him fit in with us already! Just kidding). 

Here's a profile on JJ:

https://www.mlb.com/prospects/draft/jj-wetherholt-802139

My strategy for the draft would be to focus on a finished college hitter with our first pick and then with our supplemental picks and in the second and third rounds, go after some high school players. 

This draft is considered to be generally weak, especially with college pitching and high school players in general. However, there are some good finds there, and with a few players moving up the boards a bit, I think that a polished college bat should be available to us. At worst, one of the better college arms should be available for us to take. 

After getting a more polished college player with our first pick with our supplemental picks and 2nd and 3rd round, I'd go after HS players to add a new layer of development for us. 

One player that I'm keeping an eye on is Slade Caldwell for our Shohei pick. He's a bit undersized, so he could fall to us in a supplemental round. 

Here's a profile on him. 

https://www.mlb.com/prospects/draft/slade-caldwell-815154

[AngelStew43]

I think we should continue our strategy of drafting as many power arms as possible.  If the organization can find a few more players like Caden Dana and Barrett Kent, they could actually trade from an area of strength, as young, controllable pitching is MLB gold these days.  

If you have it, you can trade for players that you like, that may make your team a championship caliber team. 

[Dave Saltzer]

21 minutes ago, AngelStew43 said:

I think we should continue our strategy of drafting as many power arms as possible.  If the organization can find a few more players like Caden Dana and Barrett Kent, they could actually trade from an area of strength, as young, controllable pitching is MLB gold these days.  

If you have it, you can trade for players that you like, that may make your team a championship caliber team. 

I mostly agree, but our first pick should be another fast riser, as there aren't too many and one should fall to us (either a hitter like JJ or a pitcher). There are a lot of 1B, but we have Schanuel. 

 

After that, I mostly agree on power arms, but Caldwell could be another interesting pick. He's a bit undersized, but in some ways reminds me of El Rojo, who just made the team better. A good combination of speed, power, contact, and defense. 

 

After a polished college player I'd focus on some.power HS arms to create another wave of pitching talent. With the staff we have, and the players in development, we can afford to take higher end HS players l create another wave of talent. 

[Vlad27Trout27]

I've been following this draft since the top draft list was posted. From what I've gather and heard, this is draft that's going to be heavy with college hitter, while being weak on the pitching sides and teenagers. 

The top 3 potential hitters that could go 1.1 are; Condon, Bazzana, and Wetherholt.

The top pitchers that could go 1.1 are Burns and Smith 

For me personally My pick is Braden Montogomery, he has ranged between 6 to 9 in most mock draft. He is a switch-hitting outfielder with plus-plus power and an 80-grade arm that can potentially be a middle of the order bat.  

 

Baseball American released their first mock draft, and they have us selecting Jonathan Santucci, LHP. Which I'm not a fan of. 

[Inside Pitch]

3 minutes ago, Vlad27Trout27 said:

I've been following this draft since the top draft list was posted. From what I've gather and heard, this is draft that's going to be heavy with college hitter, while being weak on the pitching sides and teenagers. 

The top 3 potential hitters that could go 1.1 are; Condon, Bazzana, and Wetherholt.

The top pitchers that could go 1.1 are Burns and Smith 

For me personally My pick is Braden Montogomery, he has ranged between 6 to 9 in most mock draft. He is a switch-hitting outfielder with plus-plus power and an 80-grade arm that can potentially be a middle of the order bat.  

 

Baseball American released their first mock draft, and they have us selecting Jonathan Santucci, LHP. Which I'm not a fan of. 

I worry about drafts like this.  The SEC/ACC has been so offense friendly that you almost have to wonder if it's a fluke or just an awful pitching crop -- meanwhile the Pac12 and Big West offenses seem pretty anemic. The numbers Smith is putting up given the offensive environment are kind of comical.

 

[Angelsfan1984]

Don’t get cute. BPA. 

[BTH]

We’ll see how things evolve the next couple months, but right now it seems like the Angels are positioned to land one of the following players:

Charlie Condon (OF)

Travis Bazzana (2B)

JJ Wetherholt (2B)

Tanner Burns (RHP)

Hagen Smith (LHP)

Braden Montgomery (OF)

Jac Caglianone (1B/LHP)

Nick Kurtz (1B)

I’d be ecstatic to land any of them, as we sit here today.

Edited April 5 by BTH

[Stradling]

Well they draft 8th so they could land one of those guys but the season has a long way to go and who knows who moves up and down draft boards. 

[BTH]

7 hours ago, Stradling said:

Well they draft 8th so they could land one of those guys but the season has a long way to go and who knows who moves up and down draft boards. 

 

12 hours ago, BTH said:

We’ll see how things evolve the next couple months, but right now

I’d be ecstatic to land any of them, as we sit here today.

 

[SlappyUtilityMIF]

Charlie Condon.... Move him to 3B... I understand he's a slated as a corner outfielder at first. His arm projects I would have to watch his footwork more to look at first step quickness left-right for the corner. He has worked out at 3B in practice. Just more time and a solid coaching staff could help. Worse case you have a 1B, Corner OF, DH with pop.

6-6 with serious pop! He mashed Tennessee..

I like his at bats, he doesn't chase.

 

 

[Deek]

4 hours ago, SlappyUtilityMIF said:

Charlie Condon.... Move him to 3B... I understand he's a slated as a corner outfielder at first. His arm projects I would have to watch his footwork more to look at first step quickness left-right for the corner. He has worked out at 3B in practice. Just more time and a solid coaching staff could help. Worse case you have a 1B, Corner OF, DH with pop.

6-6 with serious pop! He mashed Tennessee..

I like his at bats, he doesn't chase.

 

 

 

"I've ever saw"...

 

Enough said....

[Taylor]

Looking forward to drafting Charlie Condon and AO called him "Broken Condom" every time he struggles.

[totdprods]

I like Braden Montgomery too, but sticking with Hagen Smith still. I know it’s an old bit at this point, but I’d deal Sandoval by no later than next deadline (get either a legit young bat in an one-for-one, a couple decent hitting prospects, or if he’s really rocking, a couple good hitting prospects and a young high-risk/reward pitching prospect) and aim for Hagen replacing him. Pitching is just such a premium. 

Maybe a rotation including Detmers, Dana, Smith, Kent by 2026? Paired with a Rada, Trout, Schanuel, Neto, O’Hoppe offense? Maybe one of DeJesus or Scull in outfield, Placencia or Guzman in infield?

Edited April 16 by totdprods

[tdawg87]

1 hour ago, Taylor said:

Looking forward to drafting Charlie Condon and AO called him "Broken Condom" every time he struggles.

That's too lowbrow for AO. He'd call him Condon't. 

[Stradling]

Condidnt 

[SlappyUtilityMIF]

Kind of like my Schanope....

[Angels in 2030]

On 4/4/2024 at 4:04 PM, Angelsfan1984 said:

Don’t get cute. BPA. 

Unfortunately, that's NOT been the Angels 1st round drafting MO for what seems like a long while now and across multiple GMs.  

[Stradling]

2 hours ago, Angels in 2030 said:

Unfortunately, that's NOT been the Angels 1st round drafting MO for what seems like a long while now and across multiple GMs.  

Since Detmers. 

[Stradling]

So across one GM. 

[Angel Oracle]

On 4/4/2024 at 3:13 PM, Inside Pitch said:

I worry about drafts like this.  The SEC/ACC has been so offense friendly that you almost have to wonder if it's a fluke or just an awful pitching crop -- meanwhile the Pac12 and Big West offenses seem pretty anemic. The numbers Smith is putting up given the offensive environment are kind of comical.

 

That is exactly my concern with Charlie Condon.   His Cape Cod numbers, albeit first time there, were pedestrian.

Someone like Weatherholt (Big-12) makes more sense to draft, as Condon seems to be mainly a power hitter.

Weatherholt has an all around game (SBs, OBP, solid enough power for INF).

[Angel Oracle]

9 minutes ago, Stradling said:

So across one GM. 

It does seem that Minasian’s strategy so far is to save some first round slot money to spend on an intriguing HS pitcher in a later round to entice them out of their college commitment.

It is working out fine so far with Caden Dana already in AA in age 20 season.  Hopefully, Barrett Kent can also work out well enough eventually in the higher minors.

Pitching is something you never have too much of, thanks to the many TJSs.

 

Edited April 17 by Angel Oracle

[Stradling]

1 minute ago, Angel Oracle said:

It does seem that Minasian’s strategy so far is to save some first round slot money to spend on an intriguing HS pitcher in a later round to entice them out of their college commitment.

It is working out fine so far with Caden Dana already in AA in age 20 season.  Hopefully, Barrett Kent can also work out well enough eventually in the higher minors.

Pitching is something you never have too much of, thanks to the many TJSs.

Yep. 

[Angel Oracle]

I still think Minasian went overboard with Schanuel, who was projected to be picked near the end of the first round.

[Lazorko Saves]

We're picking 8th.

We're not getting Charlie Condon, Hagen Smith, or Travis Bazzana.

[nothing, Nothing]

8 minutes ago, Lazorko Saves said:

We're picking 8th.

We're not getting Charlie Condon, Hagen Smith, or Travis Bazzana.

you can add Wetherholt and Caglianone to that list as well.