The second day of the 2024 MLB Draft saw the completion of Rounds 3-10. As expected, many of the rounds were filled with college talents and some high schoolers who fell. With Day 2 of the 2024 MLB Draft in the books, here’s a look at 11 picks made on July 15 we thought were the most interesting.
Drew Beam
The second day of the 2024 MLB Draft featured several players who had legitimate first-round aspirations heading into the spring. One such player was Drew Beam, a three-year starter at Tennessee. With Chase Burns no longer in the Vols’ rotation, Beam headed into the year as a key piece to the Tennessee rotation. However, his ERA jumped from 3.63 to 4.22, the second straight season his earned run average jumped. Not to mention, he failed to average more than a strikeout (8.7 K/9) per inning this season.
Beam doesn’t have the most repeatable delivery in the world. On the other hand, the new Royal, taken 76th overall by Kansas City, has a good low-80s breaking ball with shape, a mid-80s change, along with a fastball with carry that sat in the mid-90s but a pitch that gets torched when left in the middle of the zone.
Carson DeMartini
Virginia Tech infielder Carson DeMartini was in MLB.com‘s top 100 preseason prospect list after two very strong seasons with the Hokies. This season with Virginia Tech, DeMartini hit a career-high 21 home runs but struck out 71 times over 54 games and batted just .269.
DeMartini has an open stance and above-average power, making him an intriguing pick at #130. But, the hit tool will be a major question.
Marco Dinges
The Florida State Seminoles lost two key pieces of their lineup on Day 1 and the losses continued into the second day. One of those was Marco Dinges, a catcher/outfielder with a wild story. Dinges torched pitchers at Tallahassee Community College before committing to Maryland, was diagnosed with Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis, pivoted and opted to go to Florida State, and then overcame it to star at FSU all within a year and a half.
A Virginia prep product, Dinges hit .323/.415/.583 with 15 home runs and 29 extra-base hits over 64 games. He’s a strong hitter, albeit one with questions where he’ll end up defensively. The Brewers took Dinges with #123.
Jaime Ferrer
Speaking of FSU, Jaime Ferrer was taken three picks after Dinges, at #126 to the Twins. Ferrer is a physically mature hitter who grew into a good power hitter; he belted 22 home runs with the Seminoles, playing primarily in left field for the Seminoles. It came after a strong run in the Cape, where Ferrer hit .313 over 31 games.
Ferrer can have trouble with fastballs, something that showed up in the College World Series. But, the power is very interesting.
Dakota Jordan
Mississippi State outfielder Dakota Jordan wasn’t picked in 2022 amidst a strong commitment to the Bulldogs. Scouting reports lauded his bat speed and it showed up on the stat sheet this season, as he batted .354 with 20 home runs and a 1.129 OPS. On the other hand, Jordan struck out 84 times over 63 games, not a great sign.
Jordan has a quick swing with not a lot of length but did have a reported weakness to breaking balls. That could be a problem at the pro level but teams will do everything possible to work with someone like Jordan, a first-round talent with power and speed. The Giants grabbed him at #116.
Grant Knipp
The Mariners grabbed a two-way player in Campbell catcher/pitcher Grant Knipp in the sixth round. Knipp was one of the hottest hitters to begin 2024, as he belted 17 home runs over his first 25 games to get on the Golden Spikes Midseason Watch List. He missed a month during the middle of the 2024 campaign but still posted an incredible .407/547/1.029 slash line with 18 home runs over 29 games. In a relief role, he struck out six over 5.2 IP this year.
Knipp has plus-plus raw power, something very evident in batting practice (I know, I saw it myself). There are questions about what his hit tool will ultimately be. There’s some swing-and-miss there, as he struck out 48 times in 2023. But, the power and arm behind the plate make Knipp a very interesting prospect.
Chase Mobley
The Guardians went big on Day 2, starting with Iowa high school pitcher Joey Oakie in the third round. Oakie was a first-round caliber talent but he wasn’t the only big prep arm selected on July 15. In the tenth round, the Guardians selected Chase Mobley, rated #80 in the draft pool per MLB.com.
A Florida State commit, Mobley was recorded at 97 MPH with his fastball by Perfect Game last summer. He’s tall and has a lot of upside but a delivery he’ll need to work on. Given that he was drafted in the tenth round — meaning Cleveland will forfeit $183.6K from their pool if he doesn’t sign — one could Mobley, a top-two-round talent, will sign.
Tyson Neighbors
Heading into the 2024 season, there arguably wasn’t a reliever in the college scene that received as much attention as Tyson Neighbors. A power pitcher with a hard fastball and slider, Neighbors struck out 61 over 38.2 IP with the Kansas State Wildcats. His walk rate jumped in 2024, though, and he gave up significantly more base hits in his junior season, pushing him into the fourth round.
Neighbors, selected by the Padres, could move very quickly up the farm system.
Brett Sears
A general rule, especially with a franchise like the Braves, is don’t let them get pitchers they can work with. That might have been the case with Brett Sears, selected at #221 by the Braves. Sears had an exceptional season at Nebraska, as he posted a 2.16 ERA and 101 strikeouts over 104 innings for the Cornhuskers. The 24-year-old is from the same school as current Brave Spencer Schwellenbach.
Yes, he’s an overage senior who dominated against primarily younger players. But, he posted an exceptionally good 1.6 BB/9 and got whiffs up and out of the zone with his fastball, especially against good competition.
Mike Sirota
Heading into the spring, Northeastern outfielder Mike Sirota had a strong chance to be a first-round pick. Sirota batted .346 with 18 home runs and 19 stolen bases in 2023, which catapulted him up draft boards. However, Sirota batted just .298 with seven home runs and 25 extra-base hits in his junior season. The lower average was largely part of a cold start to 2024.
When I saw Sirota in March 2024, he looked more like a hitter in between. He was chasing fastballs and breaking balls out of the zone, just trying to make something happen. At the same time, he still has good speed and range in the outfield and bat speed. The Reds have a knack of making it work with good athletes; Jake Fraley is one example. We’ll see if Sirota, selected in the third round by Cincinnati, can be a similar player.
Kaveras Tears
We started with a Tennessee player and we’ll finish with a Tennessee player. Outfielder Kavares Tears was one of two Padres fourth-round compensation picks. Tears was taken at #134, while the second, at #135, was Clark Candiotti, a University of Arizona pitcher Clark Candiotti, the son of Tom Candiotti. Tears hit .304 in 2023 but didn’t show off much power. He did in 2024, as he belted 20 home runs and posted a 1.070 OPS with the Volunteers in 2024.
Tears got a lot of attention for an incredible catch in Omaha against FSU but he also has above-average power, which can be said about several players from the 2024 Volunteers.