Major League Baseball's 2024 amateur draft begins Sunday,NSI Community with Oregon State second baseman Travis Bazzana the favorite to be taken first overall by the Cleveland Guardians.

A month after a thrilling College World Series, collegiate sluggers Charlie Condon (Georgia) and Jac Caglianone (Florida) are likely be taken early, and West Virginia shortstop JJ Wetherholt is another possibility for Cleveland with the No. 1 pick. Some of the top pitchers on the board are Wake Forest's Chase Burns, Arkansas lefty Hagen Smith and prep southpaw Cam Caminiti

The Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox round out the top five, the second year of MLB's draft lottery. The Texas Rangers have the 30th and final pick as the World Series winners.

Here's our predictions (educated guesses!) for the first round of the 2024 MLB draft:

1. Cleveland Guardians: Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State

2. Cincinnati Reds: Charlie Condon, OF/3B, Georgia

3. Colorado Rockies: Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida

4. Oakland Athletics: Braden Montgomery, OF, Texas A&M 

5. Chicago White Sox: JJ Wetherholt, SS, West Virginia

6. Kansas City Royals: Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest

7. St. Louis Cardinals: Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest

8. Los Angeles Angels: Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas

9. Pittsburgh Pirates: Konnor Griffin, OF/INF, Jackson Prep (Miss.)

10. Washington Nationals: Bryce Rainer, SS, Harvard-Westlake HS (Calif.)

11. Detroit Tigers: Cam Caminiti, LHP, Saguaro HS (Ariz.)

12. Boston Red Sox: Christian Moore, INF, Tennessee

13. San Francisco Giants: Vance Honeycutt, OF, North Carolina

14. Chicago Cubs: Trey Yesavage, LHP, East Carolina

15. Seattle Mariners: Jurrangelo Cijntje, P, Mississippi State

16. Miami Marlins: James Tibbs III, OF, Florida State

17. Milwaukee Brewers: Cam Smith, 3B, Florida State

18. Tampa Bay Rays: Tommy White, 3B, LSU

19. New York Mets: Carson Benge, OF, Oklahoma State

20. Toronto Blue Jays: Seaver King, SS/OF, Wake Forest 

21. Minnesota Twins: Ryan Waldschmidt, OF, Kentucky

22. Baltimore Orioles: Brody Brecht, RHP, Iowa

23. Los Angeles Dodgers: Kash Mayfield, LHP, Elk City HS (Okla.)

24. Atlanta Braves: Billy Amick, INF, Tennessee

25. San Diego Padres: Dakota Jordan, OF, Mississippi State

26. New York Yankees: Kaelen Culpepper, SS, Kansas State

27. Philadelphia Phillies: Theo Gillen, INF, Westfield HS (Texas)

28. Houston Astros: Walker Janek, C, Sam Houston State

29. Arizona Diamondbacks: Slade Caldwell, OF, Valley View HS (Ark.)

30. Texas Rangers: Malcolm Moore, C, Stanford

MLB draft betting odds

Odds via BetMGM for the first overall pick in the 2024 draft:

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• Travis Bazzana: -150
• JJ Wetherholt: +150
• Charlie Condon: +1000
• Jac Caglianone: +2200
• Chase Burns: +2500

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