Cleveland Guardians MLB Draft grades: Everything to know about the first overall pick

The 2024 MLB Draft is officially here and the Cleveland Guardians are on the clock. Due to the newly added draft lottery, the Guardians jumped up to the first overall pick, winning the lottery. They have had plenty of time to look into who they want to take with this first overall pick, but only the Guardians know what that decision is at this point.

With the first overall pick, the Guardians will have their selection of talent between any draft eligible player on the planet. They have been mocked to select nearly all of the players in the projected top ten picks, but they can only select one of them.

FanSided’s Roger Castillo projected the Guardians to select the Oregon State infielder, Travis Bazzana, with their first overall pick. Bazzana is a true five-tool prospect that could crack the big leagues by the beginning of next year. He has smashed every level of pitching that he’s been up against through his entire career.

Cleveland has also been consistently mocked to take a few other names. Among those names, JJ Weatherholt, Charlie Condon and Jac Caglianone are the most popular options for the Guardians to land with the first overall pick.

It’s hard to go wrong when you have your pick of the litter. With so much top-end talent in this draft, the Guardians are almost surely going to grab a perennial big leaguer with this first-overall pick.

The Guardians hold the No. 1, 36, and 48 picks on day one of the MLB Draft.

Round 1, Pick 1: Guardians select 2B/SS Travis Bazzana, Oregon State University

With the first pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, the Cleveland Guardians selected the middle infielder, Travis Bazzana out of Oregon State University. Bazzana is likely to be the most MLB ready player in this draft.

Last season, Bazzana slashed .407/.568/.911 while being a plus runner and a plus defender. He’s a true five-tool player with the ability to do anything and everything on the baseball field. MLB Pipeline has him ranked as the top draft prospect with multiple 60-grade tools.

Beyond just his physical traits, Bazzana adds a player that has the energy and desire to win. He’s a leader that leads from the front of the pack.

With the first pick, the Guardians landed on the best player in the draft. There’s potential that a player like Jac Caglianone or Chase Burns end up with a higher ceiling, but Bazzana is the right pick here. He’s the perfect combination of high-floor, high-ceiling that the Guardians need.

Grade: A

Comp Balance A, Pick 36: Guardians select RHP Braylon Doughty, Chaparral High School (CA)

With the 36th pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, the Cleveland Guardians selected 18-year-old right-handed pitcher, Braylon Doughty out of Chaparral High School in California.

After selecting a safe, top end talent in Travis Bazzana in the first round, the Guardians were right to go with a prep pitcher here. The teenager is typically a three pitch pitcher, led by a plus fastball and two plus breaking balls. He flashes a changeup, but it’s still quite a work in progress at the moment. He’ll need to develop that pitch as he matures and moves through the minor leagues.

His fastball consistently sits in the mid-nineties and his breaking pitches have flashed true swing and miss potential. If he can hold his athleticiscm while gaining another 10 pounds, he could be a truly dominant arm.

Grade: A-

Round 2, Pick 48: Guardians select C Jacob Cozart, NC State

With the 48th pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, the Cleveland Guardians selected catcher Jacob Cozart from North Carolina State.

Cozart is one of the top catchers in this year’s class and he produces with both the bat and the glove. He’s an above-average defensive catcher that has shown off a good arm in recent years. His receiving may need some adjusting to pro ball, but his defense as a whole has been average to above average for his entire college career.

His bat has looked tremendous, especially from a catcher, as he slashed .305/.437/.601 at NC State last season. His low doubles number, 7, is a bit concerning, but he made up for it by hitting almost 20 homers.

Having a well-rounded catcher is never a bad thing. He may never be one of the best catchers in the league, but the Guardians certainly got themselves a solid backstop here.

Grade: B