The Cincinnati Reds are set to make their first-round selection in the 2024 MLB Draft with the 2nd overall pick.
Exploring Potential Fits for the Cincinnati Reds in the 1st Round of the 2024 MLB Draft
The Reds won big on lottery night, moving from the No. 13 pick to🦩 second overall. The last time the Reds picked this high was in 2017 when they selected Hunter Greene.
In CBS Sports’ first mock draft of the season, which dropped this week, they have the Reds taking Georgia homer machine Charlie Condon, with in-state neighbor Cleveland taking Oregon State’s Travis Bazzana first overall.
“Condon set the BBCOR era record (the NCAA adopted composite bats in 2011) when he hit his 34th home run last month, and he has been the best performer in this year’s draft class. His offensive upside is significant. That said, the Reds are not afraid to take pitchers early in the draft — they’ve selected Hunter Greene (No. 2 in 2017), Nick Lodolo (No. 7 in 2019), and Rhett Lowder (No. 7 in 2023) in the top 10 in recent years — so Burns figures to get serious consideration here. He is the draft’s top pitcher.”
Condon, a Georgia baseball player, started as a walk-on but quickly made a name for himself with outstanding performance. He earned national freshman of the year honors with impressive stats and is a leading candidate for the No. 1 overall pick. Condon possesses exceptional offensive abilities, including raw power and a compact swing. While he’s not a fast runner, he is reasonably athletic and shows versatility in playing multiple positions.
In his latest mock draft (), MLB.com’s Jim Callis agrees that the Reds will take Condon second overall.
“The Reds’ decision looks as simple as taking whomever the Guardians leave on the table between Bazzana and Condon, who is the biggest offensive force in the Draft. He currently leads NCAA Division I in both hitting (.445) and home runs (36, a record since the NCAA instituted stricter bat guidelines in 2011). Cincinnati does need pitching and could opt for Burns, but that seems unlikely.”
His MLB.com colleague Jonathan Mayo also has Cincinnati taking Condon. Anywhere you look, it’s Condon heading to Cincinnati at No. 2 overall, and it makes plenty of sense for the Reds.
But for the sake of playing devil’s advocate, would Cincinnati pass on Condon for another pitcher? If they did, it would be for Wake Forest’s Chase Burns.
Burns has had an interesting journey in his baseball career so far. Initially drafted by the Padres, Burns chose to play for Tennessee, where he played until he transferred to Wake Forest. Burns faced some challenges in 2023. Despite this, he excelled in a long-relief role and contributed to the team’s success in reaching the College World Series.
Burns possesses a strong arsenal, including a fastball that hits up to 102 mph, a tight slider with an impressive swing-and-miss rate, and a plus low-80s curveball. While his changeup is not frequently used, it has the potential to be a significant pitch. Burns has also shown improvement i🐷n his overall command this season. With the potential to be a frontline starter, Burns comes with a𒀰 bit of reliever risk, but his talent and adaptability make him an exciting prospect for the future.
Given Burns’s reliever risk, the Reds will likely play it safe and take one of the two big college bats, Condon or Bazzana, if Cleveland takes Condon.
