The 2024 MLB Draft is only 24 days away. The Astros are selecting at pick #28 in the first round, and hoping to add another top talent to the system. As the mock draft are coming in hot, this is a list of who the draft pundits have the Astros taking on July 14th.
Baseball America:
Billy Amick, 3B, Tennessee
“Amick’s raw power should have him as a target for many teams throughout the 20s. Will his strikeouts and defensive profile questions push him toward the bottom of that range? Potentially, but the Astros clearly weren’t put off by Brice Matthews’ strikeout questions a year ago and he’s looked great this spring in pro ball.”
Amick has put up a huge junior season for the Volunteers hitting .311 with 23 HR, 64 RBI in 61 games helping Tennessee to the College World Series. Also of note, he hit .413 last season at Clemson and in 11 games in the Cape Cod League (wood bats), Amick hit .368 with a 1.021 OPS, something the big league clubs love to see. Amick would slot it with Brice Matthews as one of the highest potential position players in the Astros minor league system and give them some more infield options for the near future.
The Athletic:
Brody Brecht, RHP, Iowa
“Brecht is a college pitcher who’s less polished than his peers, with athleticism and arm strength that point to more upside, very much the sort of player Houston general manager Dana Brown has liked in his career running drafts.”
Like they mentioned, Brecht is a little unpolished but has good stuff. He runs the fastball up to 101MPH, sitting high 90s, and pairs it with a plus slider which helps generates a ton of strikeouts. This year he racked up 128 strikeouts in 78.1 innings with 3.33 ERA for Iowa. Judging by last year’s class of pitchers, and the development of the ones they already had, I would love to see what the Astros could do with a pitcher like Brecht. This year, we were able to see Bloss dominate and earn a potential MLB callup less than a year after being selected.
ESPN:
Dakota Jordan, OF, Mississippi State
“The Astros are kicking the tires on some prep position players but are believe to be heavily leaning toward college position players for the pick. GM Dana Brown was seen scouting Jordan and DeBarge at conference tournaments with those two and Virginia SS Griff O’Ferrall the leading candidates for this pick.”
Jordan has some of the best raw power in the draft, connecting on 20 HR and posting a .671 slugging percentage this season for the Bulldogs. MLB noted that he struggles with breaking balls, which has led to the high strikeout number, 84 in 63 games this season. Another high potential bat that could join the system. On the flip side, DeBarge (ULL) and O’Ferrall (Virginia) are both good looking infielders who appear would have a smooth transition into professional baseball with their bat to ball skills and defensive versatility up the middle.
CBS Sports:
Ryan Sloan, RHP, York HS (Illinois)
“Sloan is one of the most exciting high school arms in the draft class. He’s been in the upper-90s at times this spring, his changeup is as good as you’ll see in the prep ranks, the slider is good, and he’s got a workhorse build (listed at 6-foot-5 and 220 lbs.). GM Dana Brown had a thing for athletic pitchers with big stuff when he ran drafts for the Braves. Sloan is right up his alley.”
The Astros haven’t really hit on any prep pitcher selections recently, but that shouldn’t stop them from trying. A big body, Sloan can handle the starter workload and still has plenty of room to grow. With the potential promotion of Jake Bloss, the label of “top pitching prospect” in the Astros system will be up for grabs and he can join the likes of Ethan Pecko, James Hicks, Alonzo Tredwell and many others from the 2023 draft that are having success in the Astros system.
The Sporting Tribune:
Kaelen Culpepper, SS, Kansas State
“Following the sign-stealing and trash can banging, the Astros managed the draft penalties placed on them in 2020 and 2021 fairly well by taking advantage of the draft market. Culpepper could be off the board here and even be a teen pick as the one collegiate who has a fair chance of staying in the middle of the dirt while also possessing a solid offensive tool across the board.”
He had a nice year at Kansas State hitting .328 with 15 2B, 6 3B, 11 HR and 17 stolen bases. He has a plus arm and MLB noted he has well above average bat speed. Like Matthews, getting a good athlete up the middle never seems like a bad decision. MLB also noted that Culpepper should have an easy transition to third base if shortstop didn’t work out for him. Culpepper also posted some good numbers in wood bat leagues as well, something big league clubs love to see.
Bleacher Report:
Walker Janek, C, Sam Houston State
“Best available and organizational need collides here for the Astros with a lack of overall depth at catcher and Janek representing good potential value late in the first round thanks to a breakout performance this spring. A good athlete behind the plate with a plus throwing arm, he is hitting .364/.476/.709 with 15 doubles, 17 home runs, 58 RBI and 13 steals in 58 games, albeit against second-tier competition in Conference USA.”
This would be another first round pick for Sam Houston State. Janek, who is a righty hitter, is seen as having a plus arm, above average bat speed and solid power. Teams always need catchers, and it’s rare to get a catcher that is good defensively and can hit. Teams don’t really draft for need, but even with Diaz on the roster, the Astros can easily find a spot for Janek in a few years if he ended up being the Astros selection. Janek would be a local product too, being born in Portland, TX.
After perusing the different drafts in here, which player would YOU like the Astros to select?
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