We’re moving along, with the MLB Draft Combine less than two weeks away. The summer circuit has started, and college baseball’s season is winding down. Scouts have retreated to their meetings and draft rooms, popping out for coverage of super regionals or the Draft League, and setting up the initial boards.
These boards will be revised again and again, including during the draft. The college class has separated itself from the high school one for a several reasons, not the least of which is the consistent level of competition and ability to review games and data on a consistent basis after the reports are filed.
With that in mind, I bring to you the second installment of notes on players to watch for in the 2024 draft.
I wrote about 12 others right here.
JJ Wetherholt, SS — West Virginia
Right off the bat, this is an engaging kid. High energy and has fun playing baseball, which is a must to sustain any kind of career. He’s dealt with some adversity and injury history, which teaches resilience. Hard not to like any of that.
To put it mildly, the kid can hit. He possesses barrel to ball skills with feel to change planes easily. It’s a leg kick rhythm trigger that can get guys into trouble if they don’t control it, but he manages it well and stays behind the ball. It’s pull side power and opposite field hit for me, which is fine, but he’s going to have to work as pro to get guys to come back to the power zone intentionally.
Stays at short for me, with a good first step, hands that work, and plenty of arm to make the throw from the 6 hole. That package is interesting for sure, and someone’s going to take him high as he’s the type that continues to rise as the draft board comes together.
Trey Yesavage, RHP — East Carolina
Respect is the word that comes to mind here. Have to respect it. It’s plenty good, but there are a lot of guys out there with ‘good’ that don’t get the respect. That’s a separator right there. Like most of the guys that have risen to the top this year, Yesavage pitches like he has something to prove. That’s key to remember all the way to the big leagues as that mentality gets engrained.
It’s a high slot and a four-seam pitch mix, which indicates a fly ball type of pitcher in the end. He tunnels well — pitches look the same, giving him deception and some soft contact or swings and misses. He’s got two breaking balls: a get-me-over for early counts to change eye levels, and a harder one to put hitters away. The change has sell, and the fastball shows late hop in the hitting zone.
Yesavage has an innings-eater body, suggesting a chance to sit in the middle of a rotation with excellent mound presence.
Seaver King, 2B/SS/CF — Wake Forest
This kid is a favorite for me. He’s an electric performer and the package reminds me of Tim Anderson. Pure hitter with bat speed to go with pitch recognition and rhythm in the box. It’s explosive and he’s a fun story — the opposite of entitled and playing with the right size chip on his shoulder. He’s been humbled in the game already and appreciates the chance to show up everyday.
He’ll do exactly that in the middle of the diamond as a 60 defender.
I’m absolutely all-in here. He’s going to pass guys that are taken ahead of him or have more fame.
Mark it down.
Brody Brecht, RHP — Iowa
Brecht is physically a monster and reminds of former first-round pick Jeff Niemann or big leaguer Seth McClung. Either way, a very large human.
It’s a High 3/4 power slot, and control over command here, but so what? A zone filler with all his pitches, he’s a power arm with stuff to match and a breaking ball that is off the table when he hits it right. He’s a tunneler with extreme angle and deception to the ball out of the hand, and it’s on you before you know it.
Brecht is a workhorse who’s built like one, and can land as a two or three starter when it’s all done.
Cameron Smith, 3B — Florida State
Smith is a power bat with a passion for hitting. The type of guy that works on his craft and rewards his club for 15 years. It’s all-fields power with the ability to defend the edges, and a simple swing that plays against both left and right handers.
This one isn’t hard, and he’s the type that gets you excited knowing he’s in the lineup. There is 25-homer potential here, and an instinct to drive in runs with a flair for the big moment. Baseball player, in full.
Reminds of Scott Rolen.
James Tibbs III, OF –Florida State
Another power bat at Florida State, recruited by Mike Metcalf (now with the Detroit Tigers as a crosschecker). He checks every box as a corner profile bat, and has some Joey Votto in his approach and demeanor. Thats a very, very, good thing.
He’s gonna hit. It’s not as sexy as some of the others around him in the draft with extra live bodies and flash, or even fame, but I’m partial to guys that have to work on it to be good because they’re relentless. That’s Tibbs. He’s relentless and nobody wants to face him.
Malcolm Moore, C — Stanford
Moore is a physical kid that has a long track record of performing. The bat plays and the defense is enough, profiling him as a No. 6 hitter in the big leagues once he arrives. He’s excellent at getting to his power field and the zones he likes to work in, and that’ll carry him through the minors quickly.
Defensively, he’s better than you think and athletic for short distances. He can actually benefit from the changes in catching today with mobility and in saving his legs, and he’s smart enough behind the plate to figure that out for himself while he learns to catch and hit Major League pitching. I’m a big fan of the approach he takes to play each day, and and his confidence in himself coupled with a commitment to winning is exactly what’s needed. Reminds of A.J. Pierzynski, with less on field vocals.
PJ Morlando, RF — Summerville (SC)
When I first saw this kid the reaction was “I get it.” It’s easy to get too, as he’s got both hit and power ceiling. Corner position players need to be either very good at both, or dominant at one. Morlando falls into the first grouping, as you can dream on the bat and its future impact.
It’s a very quiet approach with a wide setup and no stride most times, which allows his hands and body to stay on the ball and through contact. The rhythm in the approach is evident, although he does get off his legs at times and get too far uphill. He’s been physically dominant for a long time with players in his age bracket, so the concern here is the upside projection as the game speeds up
Regardless, he can drive the ball with authority and use the whole field to get to his power zones, and that’s something not many high school players do well.
Tommy White, 3B — LSU
White needs no introduction, as he’s been famous for a few years since garnering the Tommy Tanks nickname at NC State as a freshman. Simply stated, he plays ‘right-hand hitter.’
He’s a throwback type of player with a 2024 flair to it, and has performed throughout his college baseball tenure. For me, he ends up at first base with a Bob Horner profile, and that’s plenty good enough to take early in the draft.
He’s earned his position, and whoever takes him will get a chance at .260 hitter with 25 homers, and a consistently good at-bat.
In the not too distant past we would say he’s an American League player, but the bat fits anywhere and I can see someone buying into him with helium as the draft models with heavy weight on statistics come together.
Blake Burke, 1B– Tennessee
They say speak softly and carry a big stick. Blake Burke embodies that expression and just continues to rake. A lot.
I threw a Jason Giambi comp on him in high school and he’s done absolutely nothing to dissuade that opinion. In fact, he’s done just the opposite in proving everyone who doubted him wrong in spades. That’s the fun part in it whether he tells you that or not (he won’t), and destroying baseballs is something he was just born to do.
Defensively it’s a limited profile, as it’s first base only for me. A club with an 80-runner for a center fielder could think about left field, but either way it’s the bat. But, he’s better than you think over there and makes up for his speed and agility shortcomings with instincts and positioning, which works out just fine for taking hits away and saving runs.
Whoever takes him can expect to get a run producer who knows his role and has the ability to hit the baseball out to all fields — and often. I’ll take that and sleep well.
Kevin Bazzell, C — Texas Tech
It’s amazing to me this kid has been overlooked as long as he has. It’s simple mechanics, an all-fields approach, and the pull-side power is real. He’s got a plus throw tool and hands and feet that operate in sync behind the plate. In truth, the defense will be a question long-term but will work in today’s game, and he’s a guy that the knee down setup can help him and a staff with pitches he may struggle to receive otherwise.
Bazzell is the type of guy organizations love to have, as the makeup and character make his teammates better, and he’s got a role on a championship club that’s tough to fill.
Kyle DeBarge, 3B — Louisiana
Debarge is a grinder, first and foremost. No matter what he does in the game, that’s how he’ll be remembered. With the toolbox, he does everything well enough to help you win games anywhere you put him. The carrying tool is the bat, and while that sounds redundant with Debarge thats something he’s been able to do as long as he’s been able to walk.
Originally from Barbe High School in Louisiana, Debarge played a limited summer circuit in high school and showed up on our radar with his high school summer team in an event we held in Lake Charles, as an affiliate branch of the Louisiana Knights.
He was tough to walk away from then and hasn’t made it any easier on anyone else since. All he’s done is produce with Matt Deggs guiding the ship, and players that come from Deggs’ tutelage don’t understand the meaning of the word quit.
It’s easy to see him playing all over the dirt and even a corner outfield spot when needed, but finding his way in the lineup for a long time with production.
It’s 55 hit, 50 power, 55 throw, 55 defend, and 50 run. It’s a good player when it shakes out every year.
- BOOTH: 6 Standouts at USA Baseball 40-Man Trials - August 24, 2025
- MLB Draft Combine: Tools, comps, and future stars - July 3, 2025
- JUNE: Four countries, 13 cities, and a whole lot of baseball - July 2, 2025
