The 2024 MLB Draft gets underway on Sunday, July 14, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN and MLB Network.
The Cleveland Guardians are picking first overall for the first time in franchise history after winning the 2024 MLB Draft Lottery. The Guardians will be followed by the Cincinnati Reds (2nd), Colorado Rockies (3rd), Oakland Athletics (4th), Chicago White Sox (5th), Kansas City Royals (6th), St. Louis Cardinals (7th), Los Angeles Angels (8th), Pittsburgh Pirates (9th) and Washington Nationals (10th).
Our MLB betting staff is all over the MLB Draft with five best bets, including three picks on the potential No. 1 overall pick — specifically, 2B Travis Bazzana (Oregon State), OF/3B Charlie Condon (Georgia) and SS/2B JJ Wetherholt (West Virginia) — plus over/under draft positions for pitcher Chase Burns (Wake Forest) and outfielder Braden Montgomery (Texas A&M).
Check out the latest draft odds and our MLB Draft best bets and predictions below.
2024 MLB Draft Odds: No. 1 Pick
| Player | School | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| SS/2B JJ Wetherholt | West Virginia | -190 |
| 2B Travis Bazzana | Oregon State | +170 |
| OF/3B Charlie Condon | Georgia | +1200 |
| 1B/LHP Jac Caglianone | Florida | +4000 |
| RHP Chase Burns | Wake Forest | +4500 |
| LHP Hagen Smith | Arkansas | +9000 |
| SS/OF Konnor Griffin | Jackson Prep (MS) | +9000 |
| 1B Nick Kurtz | Wake Forest | +12000 |
| SS Bryce Rainer | Harvard Westlake (CA) | +12000 |
| OF Braden Montgomery | Texas A&M | +15000 |
Odds as of 6:26 p.m. ET Sunday (DraftKings)
2024 MLB Draft Odds: Best Bets & Predictions
| Pick | ||
|---|---|---|
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our MLB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
By William Boor:
Travis Bazzana, a second baseman from Oregon State, is the best player in this draft. If this were the NFL or NBA Draft, I could stop the analysis right there. However, the MLB Draft has a unique bonus-pool system, meaning the best player doesn't always get selected first.
The Guardians could opt to draft JJ Wetherholt first overall as that'd allow them to save some money, which they could then use in later rounds. That strategy is one used often in the MLB Draft, so if you want to bet Wetherholt, I wouldn't blame you. There's a lot of value in backing the West Virginia infielder at plus money and he's someone who, according to sources, the Guardians have discussed taking with the first overall pick.
However, I'm still going with Bazzana, who hit .407 with 28 homers and 66 RBI in 60 games this season. As a result, he became the sixth unanimous First-Team All-American selection in Oregon State history.
By Alex Hinton:
The Guardians control the MLB Draft after winning last December's lottery. They do so from an enviable position as they own a comfortable lead in the AL Central and are in position to claim one of the top-two seeds in the AL.
A few players Cleveland will have under consideration include Oregon State second baseman Travis Bazzana, Georgia third baseman/outfielder Charlie Condon, Florida first baseman/left-handed pitcher Jac Caglianone, high-school outfielder Konnor Griffin and West Virginia shortstop JJ Wetherholt.
The best player and best fit for the Guardians may be Condon. Standing a hulking 6-foot-6, Condon set a SEC freshman record with 25 home runs last season before leading the country with 37 home runs this past season. He also led NCAA Division I in batting average, slugging percentage, OPS, extra-base hits and total bases. While Condon's 70-grade power draws the most attention, scouts have also given him 60-hit and 55-arm grades (on the 20-80 scale).
However, his power bat is why I like the fit for Condon with Cleveland. Over the past five years, the Guardians ranked 27th, 12th, 29th, 30th and 10th (this season) in home runs.
First time All-Star Steven Kwan and franchise player Jose Ramirez have established themselves as core members of Cleveland's future. Kwan sets the table as Cleveland's leadoff hitter while Ramirez drives in runs and gets on base. Condon could provide more protection for Ramirez behind Josh Naylor in Cleveland's current lineup.
Condon would also add to a system that includes outfielders Chase DeLauter, Jhonkensy Noel and Jaison Chourio, and 1B Kyle Manzardo. At +750, Condon is a great value to be selected first overall given his talent and fit.
By Alex Hinton:
Those odds for Condon may be so generous because recent reports suggest Cleveland may be more focused on Bazzana and Wetherholt.
If Wetherholt is the selection, he would give Cleveland flexibility with his ability to play shortstop, second and third base. The Guardians have Ramirez at third signed through 2028 and a club option on second baseman Andres Gimenez through the 2030 season. However, they could use more production at short, where the platoon of Brayan Rocchio and Gabriel Arias has struggled.
Wetherholt does not have Condon's power and profiles more as a contact-first hitter. Some scouts feel he is the best pure hitter in the draft. He also has base-stealing upside with a 60-run grade.
Additionally, Wetherholt is a candidate to sign an underslot deal if he is selected first. That would allow Cleveland to apply some of its bonus money elsewhere and get more aggressive later in the draft. For a financially conscious organization like Cleveland, Wetherholt could be the choice.
By Alex Hinton:
If Wetherholt is indeed the pick for Cleveland, that could create a ripple effect down the board. Cincinnati would have its choice of any number of player, including Chase Burns.
If the Reds pass on Burns, it'd be on the Rockies at No. 3 to determine whether Burns is selected in the top three. The Rockies would have a dilemma on their hands in this scenario.
In Burns, they could land a potential ace, which would be huge considering that luring elite arms to Coors Field via free agency is impossible. Burns has four plus pitches, including a wipeout slider (70 grade) and a fastball (65) that reaches 102 mph.
After transferring to Wake Forest from Tennessee, Burns had 191 strikeouts over 100 innings. If the Rockies select Burns, they could reunite him with former Tennessee teammate Chase Dollander.
However, Colorado could also select one of Travis Bazzana, Charlie Condon or Jac Caglianone. It's easy to imagine Condon or Caglianone launching homers into the thin Colorado air. They would provide a boost to a Colorado offense that has ranked 15th or worse in runs scored over the past three years and is outside of the top 20 in home runs.
Historically, the Rockies' best teams have been strong offensively, playing to the strengths of their ballpark. They could lean into that again and pass on selecting the best college pitcher in this year's draft.
Given that Burns has been linked more to the Rockies than the Reds, I'll take the value on the chance that the Rockies opt to go in another direction and push Burns out of the top three.
By Greg Liodice:
The more I think about it, the more I think Braden Montgomery goes in the top five in this draft.
The 21-year-old outfielder is not only a switch-hitter, but he also pitches (though I don’t foresee Montgomery continuing his career on the mound as a pro). He struggled with a career 9.09 ERA, though he did strike out 49 over 34 2/3 innings across three collegiate seasons.
What makes the Stanford-turned-Texas A&M product so special is his versatility. After heading down to College Station, Montgomery became a 30-homer threat and batted .322. Additionally, his presence in the outfield is promising. Runners will certainly have to think twice before running on Montgomery, who has a cannon of an arm, which scouts have graded a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale.
DraftKings has the line for Montgomery’s draft position at 7.5, and I think he’s going earlier than that — possibly to the Chicago White Sox at pick five.
Chicago’s very much in a rebuild, and building its pipeline is paramount. I’m much more optimistic about the future of its infield as Chicago only has one outfielder — Samuel Zavala — among its top-10 prospects.
With the White Sox future outfield in question, who better to call on than Montgomery?
