The old scouting adage is that big leaguers come from everywhere. Four members of the Draft Class of 2024 have already touched the Major Leagues, with the exciting promotion of Royals first-rounder Jac Caglianone (more on him below) the most recent, joining fellow first-round picks Nick Kurtz and Cam Smith and second-rounder Ryan Johnson.
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Each of the 30 players below from last year’s Draft have gotten off to strong starts in their first full season of pro ball. Some still have a ways to go to fulfill the above axiom, but with 11 Top 100 players and five who aren’t even currently on a team Top 30, they’re taking steps toward making sure it remains a true statement.
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AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
Blue Jays: Trey Yesavage, RHP (No. 2/MLB No. 70)
Toronto played it slow with last year’s 20th overall pick (partly because of the early April weather up north) with an opening assignment to Single-A Dunedin. He dominated the Florida State League as expected (2.43 ERA, 55 strikeouts in 33 1/3 innings) and has carried that performance to High-A Vancouver (1.46 ERA, 24 K’s in 12 1/3 innings). His 79 punchouts on the season rank third in the entire Minors, thanks to an arsenal of above-average to plus pitches that all move armside from an over-the-top delivery.
Orioles: Cohen Achen, RHP (unranked on Orioles Top 30)
Talk about bang for your buck. The Orioles selected Achen in the 14th round out of Lindsey Wilson College, an NAIA school in Kentucky, signing the senior for $25,000 after a strong turn in the Northwoods League. The 23-year-old started out in Single-A Delmarva but has already been promoted twice and he’s given up just one run over 8 1/3 innings in Double-A to bring his season line to a 3.08 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and a .209 BAA. He throws a lot of 84-85 mph sliders and a fastball that touches 95 mph.
Rays: Theo Gillen, OF (No. 5/MLB No. 84)
Last year’s 18th overall pick’s first full season was delayed for a bit by a calf injury, but he’s been on fire since joining Single-A Charleston on April 27. He’s produced a .293/.441/.478 line with four homers and 14 steals over 27 games with the RiverDogs, and his 166 wRC+ is third-best among 259 Single-A players with at least 120 plate appearances this season. He’s doing all of that while balancing a move from his high-school position on the infield to the grass.
Red Sox: Brandon Clarke, LHP (No. 28)
The top junior college prospect in the 2024 Draft, Clarke went in the fifth round out of the State JC of Florida (Manatee-Sarasota) despite missing most of the previous two seasons and having little history of providing strikes. Yet he has made a smooth transition to pro ball this spring, posting a 1.88 ERA, .085 opponent average and 38/9 K/BB ratio in 24 innings between two Class A stops. He's operating at 96-97 mph with his fastball while also introducing an upper-80s slider.
Yankees: Griffin Herring, LHP (No. 25)
The Yankees spent five of their first six picks on Southeastern Conference arms and the best performer from that group has been Herring, who landed a well over-slot $797,500 bonus in the sixth round. He ranks fifth in the Minors in ERA (1.24), fifth in opponent average (.154) and sixth in WHIP (0.87) and leads the Single-A Florida State League in all three categories, while also striking out 61 in 50 2/3 innings. He sets up his best offering, a sweeping mid-80s slider, with a low-90s fastball.
AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL
Guardians: Sean Matson, RHP (unranked on Guardians Top 30)
The younger brother of University of North Carolina field hockey great and current coach Erin Matson, Sean pitched at Harvard and didn't surrender a run in 28 2/3 innings in two seasons as a Cape Cod League reliever. A ninth-rounder, he succeeds by pairing an upper-80s fastball with carry and a mid-70s changeup with depth. He sports a 1.64 ERA, .175 opponent average and a 41/10 K/BB ratio in 33 Single-A innings.
Royals: Jac Caglianone, OF/1B (No. 1/MLB No. 10)
The man who inspired this theme, Caglianone became the fourth member of the 2024 Draft class to see the Majors when he debuted for Kansas City on Tuesday. The sixth overall pick has met the hype with truly prodigious power, including 15 homers (tied for third-most in the Minors) between Double-A and Triple-A. He added a .322/.389/.593 line in his 50 games at those levels, proving that his ability to rocket balls from the left side while sometimes expanding the zone could translate to the pros.
Tigers: Bryce Rainer, SS (No. 3/MLB No. 47)
This comes at a rough time considering the 11th overall pick appeared to injure his right shoulder diving back to the first-base bag Tuesday night, but it’s still worth pointing out how good Rainer has been to this point in ‘25. The 19-year-old shortstop has hit .288/.383/.448 with five homers and nine steals in 35 games for Single-A Lakeland. His 108 mph, 90th-percentile exit velocity is impressive for his age and solidifies his standing as a potential power bat at a premium position.
Twins: Khadim Diaw, C (No. 29)
If you want to check in on the Twins’ 2024 Draft class, head to Cedar Rapids. There are four members of the Top 30 playing in the High-A Midwest League from last year’s crop and all of them are performing well, with OPSes over .850. Billy Amick leads the way at .922, but he’s been on the IL since the beginning of May. Diaw, the club’s third-rounder, is hitting .302/.455/.431 with 156 wRC+, placing him second in the league in OBP.
White Sox: Caleb Bonemer, SS/3B (No. 9)
Paying Bonemer first-round money ($2,997,500) as a second-round choice from a Michigan high school looks like a wise investment for the White Sox. He stands out with his bat speed, big raw power and solid arm strength and is hitting .294/.436/.490 with four homers and 17 steals in 45 games in Single-A. He ranks third in the Carolina League in on-base percentage, slugging, OPS (.926) and extra-base hits (19).
AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST
Angels: Christian Moore, 2B (No. 1/MLB No. 59)
The Angels’ first-round pick got off to a slow start with a .712 OPS in April with Double-A Rocket City, but then things started to click. He hit .310 over a seven-game hit streak and got bumped up to Triple-A and while the power has yet to show up much, he’s hit .333 with a .426 OBP in 13 games with Salt Lake. Next stop: The Show.
Astros: Joseph Sullivan, OF (No. 11)
The grandson of 1971 Heisman Trophy winner Patrick Sullivan and a seventh-round pick out of South Alabama, Sullivan has some of the best all-around tools in the Astros system. He stands out most with his swing decisions, plus speed and solid center-field defense. He's slashing .232/.425/.500 and leads the High-A South Atlantic League with 46 walks in 48 games while ranking second in homers (12) and (tied) fifth in steals (20).
A’s: Gage Jump, LHP (No. 13)
Tip of the cap for what first-rounder Nick Kurtz is already doing in the big leagues, but we want to keep shining a light on the year Jump, taken in the Competitive Balance Round B, is having. The A’s went over slot to sign the LSU Draft-eligible sophomore and it’s looking like money well spent as the lefty has already made his way from High-A to Double-A and keeps dominating, leading all Minor Leaguers with 50 or more innings with his 2.38 xFIP. He’s also high on that leaderboard in ERA (1.61), BAA (.181), WHIP (0.82), K/9 (11.89) and K/BB (7.40).
Mariners: Jurrangelo Cijntje, RHP (No. 8/MLB No. 91)
His overall surface numbers may not stand out (4.57 ERA), but if you take out the switch-pitcher's left-handed reliever numbers (9 ER in 2 IP), his starting ERA is 2.75 with a 1.07 WHIP and .163 BAA. Cijntje was removed from his last start on May 31 as a precaution with what was termed “general soreness,” but he’s slated to take his turn in the Everett rotation on Saturday, assuming all goes well with his bullpen session this week.
Rangers: Devin Fitz-Gerald, INF (No. 30)
Fitz-Gerald won four straight Florida 7-A state titles at Stoneman Douglas HS (Parkland), where his father Todd is the head coach and has guided players such as Roman Anthony, Jesús Luzardo and Coby Mayo. Signed for an over-slot $900,000 in the fifth round, he's a switch-hitter with a high baseball IQ who likely fits best at second base. He's slashing .333/.435/.609 in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League, where he's tied for the home run lead with five in 21 games and sitting second in slugging (.609) and third in OPS (1.044).
NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
Braves: Luke Sinnard, RHP (No. 19)
When Sinnard, the Braves’ third-round pick out of Indiana, took the mound in early April, it was the first competitive action he’d seen since 2023 Regional play, when he blew out his elbow and had Tommy John surgery. The Braves understandably started him slowly with an assignment to Single-A Augusta, but he earned a promotion after seven starts and a 0.92 ERA. Even with a rough introduction to High-A Rome, the right-hander has a 2.06 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, .211 BAA and an 11.8 K/9 rate.
Marlins: Payton Green, SS (unranked on Marlins Top 30)
A shortstop with solid raw power and arm strength, Green scuffled in his 18-game pro debut last summer but is hitting the ball with much more authority this spring. A sixth-rounder out of Georgia Tech, he's batting .356/.405/.538 with 14 extra-base hits through his first 26 games in High-A.
Mets: Carson Benge, OF (No. 3/MLB No. 88)
Coney Island can do a number on left-handed hitters. That makes Benge’s start all the more interesting as he’s slashed .307/.424/.497 with four homers and 32 walks through his first 44 games with High-A Brooklyn. Three of those dingers have come in road games, and Benge is slugging .529 over 107 plate appearances away from the beach. Throw in above-average speed and a strong throwing arm, and the former two-way Oklahoma State star continues to solidify his Top 100 standing.
Nationals: Luke Dickerson, SS (No. 6)
The New Jersey native signed for $3.8 million as a second-rounder last summer -- giving him the highest bonus outside of the first round in the bonus pool era -- but given his cold-weather prep status, the Nationals eased him in with six games in the Florida Complex League. He debuted with Single-A Fredericksburg on May 14, and he’s hit .274/.390/.435 through 18 games so far. Seven of his 17 hits have been doubles as he’s continually struck balls to the gaps, and those could turn into homers as he works deeper into his age-19 season.
Phillies: Carson DeMartini, 3B (No. 15)
DeMartini put up some big numbers at Virginia Tech, though his 21 homers in 2024 came with a regression in approach and a lot more swing-and-miss. After the Phillies took him in Round 4, he had a solid pro debut last summer (.863 OPS) and has been performing well overall with High-A Jersey Shore. He’s in the top 10 in the South Atlantic League with his .393 OBP and has a solid .821 OPS and his 146 wRC+ places him fourth in the organization among full-season Minor Leaguers.
NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL
Brewers: Marco Dinges, C (unranked on Brewers Top 30)
Dinges used a breakout season at Florida State to propel him into the fourth round last July, and he hit .353/.500/.576 line with 12 extra-base hits, 21 walks and 14 strikeouts in 26 games with Single-A Carolina to begin this season. He’s cooled off since his promotion to High-A Wisconsin on May 20, but he’s certainly on the radar as a Top 30 replacement. After DHing a ton with the Seminoles, he’s moved back behind the plate at both Minor League stops this year.
Cardinals: JJ Wetherholt, SS (No. 1/MLB No. 20)
Last year’s seventh overall pick showed good bat-to-ball skills and a keen eye in 2024, and that approach has translated quickly to the upper Minors with a .287 average, .404 OBP and 21/25 K/BB ratio through 38 games with Double-A Springfield. He’s one of only three Double-A qualifiers with more walks than strikeouts, and his 12.7 percent K rate is 12th lowest on that list of 197 hitters at the level. It’s been more doubles power than homers, but otherwise, the Cardinals should be pleased with how their first-rounder is handling a fairly aggressive assignment.
Cubs: Ryan Gallagher, RHP (unranked on Cubs Top 30)
After missing 2023 following Tommy John surgery, Gallagher topped NCAA Division I in WHIP (0.84) and ranked fourth in hits per nine innings (5.1) and seventh in ERA (2.22) last spring before the Cubs selected him in the sixth round out of UC Santa Barbara. With a four-pitch arsenal highlighted by a low-90s fastball that plays up because of carry and command and an upper-70s changeup with good depth, he has compiled a 2.92 ERA with a 48/11 K/BB ratio in 37 High-A innings.
Pirates: Konnor Griffin, SS/OF (No. 2/MLB No. 37)
Griffin had perhaps the best all-around raw toolset of anyone in the class and he’s shown off all five of them during his full-season debut with Single-A Bradenton. After a decent enough start (.851 OPS in April), Griffin hit .354/.393/.515 in May. He’s currently third in the Florida State League in OPS (.895) and tied for third in home runs (eight) while sitting in second with 25 steals and showing off defensive chops at shortstop and in center field.
Reds: Chase Burns, RHP (No. 1/MLB No. 11)
Burns evidently didn’t get the memo that the jump to Double-A can be hard. His 1.54 ERA and .187 BAA in seven starts with Chattanooga brings the No. 2 overall pick’s season totals to a combined 1.93 ERA and .172 BAA to go along with an absurd 7.67 K/BB rate (13.3 K/9, 1.7 BB/9). His 1.64 xFIP leads all Minor League hurlers.
NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
D-backs: Slade Caldwell, OF (No. 2/MLB No. 97)
Arizona certainly has a type with smaller outfielders, and the 5-foot-9 Caldwell fits the description. Caldwell lacks the power of Corbin Carroll right now, but he’s still reaching base a ton with a .460 on-base percentage and 19.6 percent walk rate through 44 games with Single-A Visalia. His plus-plus wheels also help him pick up hits and steals, and while he won’t likely run a .467 BABIP for long, he could run decent averages (like his current .303) as he cuts down on the swing-and-miss with experience.
Dodgers: Mike Sirota, OF (No. 19)
Northeastern's best prospect since Carlos Pena, Sirota projected as a first-rounder entering last year but slumped and dropped to the third round to the Reds, who sent him to the Dodgers in the Gavin Lux trade six months later. The grand-nephew of Hall of Famer Whitey Ford, he has the potential to become a center fielder with solid tools across the board and has crushed two Class A levels in his pro debut this year. He's pacing the Minors in hitting (.374), slugging (.702) and OPS (1.159) and also ranks sixth in on-base percentage (.457).
Giants: James Tibbs III, OF (No. 4)
One of the best all-around college bats in last year's crop, Tibbs offers an attractive combination of smart swing decisions and repeated hard contact. He tried to do too much at the plate in his brief pro debut last summer but has been productive this year even without a gaudy batting average, slashing .238/.385/.476 while ranking second with 10 homers and fourth with 36 walks in 46 games in the High-A Northwest League.
Padres: Tyson Neighbors, RHP (No. 15)
The Kansas State righty was seen as the best relief prospect in last year’s Draft class, and after going to San Diego in the fourth round, he’s certainly performed like it with a 1.35 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 36 strikeouts in 20 innings with High-A Fort Wayne. His 93-96 mph fastball blows past hitters out of his over-the-top delivery, and his slider, cutter and curveball have all been even more whiff-heavy offerings. The aggressive Padres could use Neighbors out of the MLB bullpen at some point this summer, if results and stuff hold.
Rockies: Jared Thomas, OF (No. 11)
It’s nice to see first-rounder Charlie Condon back in action and producing, but Thomas, the Rockies’ pick in Round 2, had been picking up the slack with High-A Spokane. The University of Texas product has hit .318/.427/.473 for Spokane with seven homers and 17 steals. He tops the Northwest League with his OBP and is fourth in OPS while his 141 wRC+ is second in the organization behind Ryan Ritter.