After Paul Skenes became the first No. 1-overall pick to make an All-Star Game in the summer after he was drafted, it’s safe to say there’s more interest in this year’s MLB draft.
With intrigue comes the opportunity to place bets.
Here are some of our best bets for the three-day 2024 MLB First-Year Player Draft, which starts at 7 p.m. on Sunday (ESPN, MLB Network).
Leading off for the Guardians …
After the immediate success experienced by Skenes, there will be an exceptional amount of attention paid to who will be selected first Sunday.
The odds imply it will be one of two infielders: Oregon State’s Travis Bazzana (-150) or West Virginia’s JJ Wetherholt (+175).
Bazzana, a native of Australia, has had an interesting path, starting as a cricket batsman before moving to the States to pursue baseball.
He’s shown tremendous progression at Oregon State, from hitting around .300 with little power as a freshman to putting up a ridiculous slash line of .407/.568/.911 and 28 home runs in 2024.
Primarily a second baseman, Bazzana can also provide versatility as an outfielder.
Wetherholt hit .449 at WVU in 2023, but he missed a lot of time this past season with a hamstring injury, putting up lower rate-based numbers when he did play.
He doesn’t offer as much power as Bazzana, making him something of a lower-upside choice.
It’s far from a lock who will go first overall, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a serious mock draft that doesn’t have Bazzana as Cleveland’s pick.
As someone with less time in the U.S. baseball system, the belief is Bazzana can keep improving, and it’s hard to look past a power lefty with his level of on-base ability.
With an implied probability of 56 percent, the odds of Bazzana going No. 1 are worth playing, as it would be a surprise if Wetherholt or anyone else jumps him.
Recommendation: Bazzana to go first overall (-150, DraftKings).
First-round prop bets
Keep an eye on Texas A&M right-handed pitcher Braden Montgomery’s draft position.
His projected line of 7.5 is pessimistic, though it might be depressed by an injury he suffered during the Super Regional.
His prognosis is fine, and he’s been consistently mocked inside the top five.
After a solid start to his career at Stanford, Montgomery transferred to A&M and found an even higher gear, nearly winning a College World Series title.
Compared to his final year in Palo Alto, Calif., his home run total jumped by 10 up to 27, and his slugging percentage climbed by 122 points up to .733.
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After spending the last season displaying the high-end switch-hitting talent that can be so impactful at the major league level, expect Montgomery to be one of the first players off the board, perhaps to the Athletics at No. 4. At -115, his odds of being picked seventh or earlier are certainly worth a play.
Catcher Malcolm Moore is another Stanford player I’m eying.
There are questions about his defense to the point where he might have to make a move to first base, which would significantly depress his value.
He’s a solid hitter, but he didn’t show a tremendous amount of progression from his freshman to sophomore year and isn’t necessarily even a lock to go in the first round.
At +110 odds, bet on him to be selected later than 26th.
Recommendations: Braden Montgomery draft position under 7.5 (-115) and Malcolm Moore draft position over 26.5 (+110) — FanDuel