The draft lottery results are in and the Oakland Athletics have drawn the 4th pick in the 2024 MLB draft. For the second straight year, the A's have fallen in the draft lottery despite having better odds at a top pick.
After earning a lottery selection for two consecutive seasons, the Athletics will be ineligible for the draft lottery next year. They won't be able to pick inside the top 10 in the 2025 MLB draft. Based on 2023 numbers, the slot value for the A's pick will be roughly $7.5 million.
The Athletics shared the highest odds at the number one overall pick, with an 18.3% chance. The Rockies and Royals shared those same odds. All three teams ended up dropping. The Rockies were given the 3rd pick, while the Royals were given 6th.
The Guardians and Reds will select 1st and 2nd, respectively. Both teams were on the cusp of the playoff race in 2023, and both had a roughly 1% chance of ending up where they did.
The 2024 MLB Draft order is set.
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) December 5, 2023
The Guardians land the No. 1 pick pic.twitter.com/Yp4PG63eGf
The Athletics don't have any specific organizational needs. They're not over-leveraged with hitting or position prospects, and therefore should just be looking for the best player available.
According to Baseball America, the top pick in the 2024 amateur draft could be first baseman Nick Kurtz. Coming out of Wake Forest, Kurtz is a big left-handed power bat. He's listed at 6'6", and has strong defense at first. He's coming off a season in which he hit .353 with 24 homers, and he walked more than he struck out.
Second baseman JJ Wetherholt hit .449/.517/.782 with 16 homers in 2023. Coming out of the University of West Virginia, the righty has good speed and strong plate discipline to go along with the contact tool. His profile is similar to Termarr Johnson, who was taken 4th overall by the Pirates last year.
Travis Bazzana is another college middle infielder who played at Oregon State. Bazzana profiles similarly to Wetherholt, with elite contact and plate discipline tools, and good speed. Bazzana hit .429 as a freshman, and followed that up with a .374 mark this past year.
Another standout from the University of Florida, Jac Caglianone comes in at 6'5" and has light-tower power. He was a finalist for the Golden Spikes award, which recognizes college baseball's best player. Not only is Caglianone a star first baseman, he was also a top pitcher for the Gators. The lefty has a mid-90's fastball that has gotten plenty of strikeouts in college. Caglianone might be a project but the skill set is unmatched.
Rounding out the top 5 is Mike Sirota, an outfielder from Northeastern University. Sirota is a true five-tool player who hit .346 in 2023 with 18 homers, 19 steals, and elite defense. At 6'2", he's big enough to be able to put on some weight and not lose any athleticism.
Whatever route the Athletics choose, they will be able to add a substantially talented player to their system. Last year's draft proved worthwile with the addition of infielder Jacob Wilson. Despite missing out on the top tier players last year, there isn't as much consensus this year. The Athletics are positioned well to take advantage of their draft spot and end the 2024 season in a better place than they started it.