We are now over a month past the completion of the MLB Draft. 2024 draftees are beginning to make a name for themselves in the prospect rankings world as they are assigned to MiLB teams. We are going to take a look at a couple of notable assignments that will be worth watching and following. There are some players who have not been assigned, including most pitchers who have been shut down for the time being. I do not anticipate guys like Burns and Yesavage pitching in affiliate ball any time soon, and many younger players are playing in the complex leagues. With that being said, let’s take a look at some assignments worth following.
FYPD Assignments Worth Following
Christian Moore to Rocket City Trash Pandas (AA)
The most popular name so far from the 2024 draft class has been Christian Moore. He lasted only 2 games in A ball before the Angels felt he was ready to be promoted to AA Rocket City. Within those 2 games in A ball, Moore managed to accumulate 6 hits in 11 at-bats with 2 doubles and a home run. Since being promoted to AA, he has continued to dominate the competition with 5 home runs in 11 games and a .361 average. At Rocket City, he has shown some swing-and-miss concerns with 14 K’s in 11 games, but the contact has been consistently loud.
Recently, the Angels have pushed their 1st round picks through the MiLB ranks. 2023 1st Round pick, Nolan Schanuel, was the first member of his class to debut, and Moore seems to be in line to do the same. Moore is one of the more advanced hitters in the 2024 class. He performed extremely well this spring at Tennessee with 34 home runs and a .375 batting average. There are some concerns about swing and miss on fastballs at the top of the zone, but he dominates everything else. This spring, he averaged 96.1 mph exit velocity with 62.5% of those being above 95 mph. He combined that with a solid 77.0% contact rate and a 23.7% chase rate.
Moore is an impressive hitter, and the results are translating immediately in pro ball. With the Angles making the decisions, don’t be surprised to see him in the MLB by season’s end. At the very least, he will have a shot to debut to open next season. Dynasty owners should value Moore as an impact bat who could be in the MLB soon.
Nick Kurtz to Stockton Ports (A)
The A’s went a little off the beaten path with their selection of Kurtz at 4th overall. Kurtz was widely regarded as one of the top bats, but an inconsistent Spring left him in an interesting position. The A’s seemed to prioritize his full track record of success, not just the 2024 season, and decided to take Kurtz ahead of many projections. So far the A’s look like the geniuses for their 1st round selection.
I believed Kurtz was the most MLB-ready bat in the class. He is a prototypical new-age power hitter. The combination of power, contact abilities, and swing decisions is very advanced. During the 2024 season, he only chased 13.8% of pitches out of the zone. Combine that with a 94.1 mph average exit velocity and 41.4% fly ball rate, and you paint the picture of a modern MLB home run champion. What makes Kurtz even more special is that his disciplined, power-focused approach, does not come at the sacrifice of contact. He still sported a 79.4% contact rate, which is extremely impressive for a player with that much power.
Kurtz has been extremely impressive in his short stint in Stockton. So far in 6 games, he already has 4 home runs with a .409 batting average. There are some hitters who just get better as the competition improves. Kurtz seems to be the type of player who is best suited to perform at the MLB level. Depending on what the A’s want to do, he could debut as early as next spring. This is a potential impact bat for Dynasty owners everywhere.
Jac Caglianone to Quad City River Bandits (A+)
Caglianone will always be a notable assignment no matter where he is. His name carries weight across the baseball world, and every step he takes is watched. I have voiced some concerns about Caglianone as a hitter, but after further research, I wanted to walk those takes back. Unfortunately, once you put something out on the internet, you can’t take it back often. So far in a small sample size in pro ball, though, the results have not been great.
The most impressive thing about Cags’ 2024 college season was the advancements he made as a hitter. He has a massive chase problem with a 37.4% rate on the year at Florida. But with that negative came a greatly improved contact rate and strikeout percentage compared to the 2023 season. In 2023, Cags struck out in 18.2% of his at-bats with a 25.2% whiff rate. This season he cut his strikeout rate down to 9.1% and lowered his whiff rate to 20.7%. All of that, with no sacrifice in the power department, as he hit 35 home runs compared to 33 in 2023. A major adjustment Cags made was a 2-strike approach that was highly effective. He was able to sell out for power with less than 2 strikes, then spread out and ensure contact with 2 strikes. This allowed him to be one of the most dynamic players in college baseball.
In pro ball, the strikeouts have seemingly reappeared in pro ball. So far in 10 games, he has 12 strikeouts. On top of the strikeouts, he is hitting .177 with only 2 extra-base hits. It is an extremely small sample size, but as the competition gets better, pitchers will expose Cags’ chase tendencies. Cags will eventually settle in and start producing, but how productive will he ultimately be? The swing mechanically has a lot of moving parts, which could lead to streakiness. Cags has unbelievable talent, but it has to translate to the field. He will have stretches of greatness, but can he be consistent enough? This assignment is worth following to see if this is a slump or a trend. I swear, I am not a hater; it just comes off that way.
Hagen Smith to Winston-Salem Dash (A+)
Hagen Smith is going to dominate hitters in the lower minors. He spent time throwing in the Arizona Bridge league and looked like a future Cy Young winner. The fastball flashed up to 98 and the slider generated a ton of swing and miss. This is a trend many college fans have become accustomed to. As long as Smith is in the strike zone, he dominates hitters, especially at the lower levels. The main concern is how long Smith will be able to dominate hitters.
I wrote an article outlining some of my concerns about Smith, and how he reminds me of Asa Lacy. The main point of the article was that some pitchers have such wicked stuff that they can throw their stuff anywhere and hitters swing and miss or chase. However, as hitters become more mature, those pitches do not create the same results. Pitches out of the zone that got swing-and-miss at the lower levels, are now just takes. The fastballs in the middle of the plate that generated a swing and miss are now put in play hard.
This is why I am so fascinated by Smith’s assignment. Every level he is promoted is another opportunity to test the Asa Lacy Theory. Some pitchers have elite enough stuff to consistently dominate hitters that way all the way to an MLB career. Smith could have that caliber of stuff. But we ultimately won’t know until he does it. Every move he makes will be followed to see how the stuff plays. There is no doubt in my mind he has the stuff to dominate High-A, but consistency matters. Smith is one of the highest variance prospects in my eyes, but he can be a legit ace if everything clicks.
Blake Burke to Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (A+)
This assignment is fascinating to me because it shows the confidence the Brewers have in Burke. Burke was one of the more underappreciated draft picks in this class. He is positionally limited, which is why he wasn’t a true 1st rounder, but the bat is legit. This year at Tennessee he hit .379 with 30 doubles and 20 home runs. As I always like to say, doubles power becomes home run power as a hitter matures, and Burke was an extra-base hit machine with 51 on the season. Combine that impressive power production with only 48 strikeouts in 78 games, you can see why the Brewers are so confident in his abilities. On top of that, the data tells an even better story.
On the season Burke combined a 95.1 mph average exit velocity with an 82.9% contact rate. Burke consistently makes loud contact. There is a little bit of a chase problem with a 32.6% chase rate, but the bat-to-ball skills are impressive enough to outweigh that. Burke’s offensive ceiling is dependent on his ability to elevate the baseball. This season, he only had a 26.5% barrel percentage and hit the ball on the ground 39% of the time. The fact that he was still able to hit 20 home runs and 51 extra-base hits shows the skills he possesses. If he learns to hit the ball in the air a little more, he has 40 home run potential based on the contact rates.
Burke is a name dynasty owners should be following. It is very easy to see a player drafted outside the top 32 and think it isn’t worth following until they light up the MiLB. But Burke’s advanced skillset has the potential to impact an MLB offense soon. It’s a combination of a safe floor and a high ceiling. He already impacts the baseball and strike zone discipline, and elevation for more power should follow suit. Don’t be surprised if Burke moves fast.
Featured Image by Justin Redler (@reldernitsuj on Twitter)