A few takeaways from the Orioles' 2024 MLB Draft

The latest MLB Draft has come and gone. The Orioles, since Mike Elias and his staff took over, are known for scoring well in the draft.

Once again this year they showed they tap into the college ranks much more than the high school ranks, getting 17 of 21 drafted players from college.

But that is actually twice the number of high school players the club drafted in the last two years, when they took just two high school players among 22 selections in 2022 (including Jackson Holliday) and two last year. Their first high school pick last year came in round 15 and they did not sign Qrey Lott.

This year they selected prep players in rounds six, 12, 16 and 19. They seem quite high on sixth rounder, DJ Layton, the shortstop from Charlotte. He hit .449 and also is said to have a big arm.

From 2019 to 2023, the O’s selected just nine high school players among 91 draft picks in the first 20 rounds. But a few of those nine were high picks and are premium prospects with the likes of Holliday, Gunnar Henderson and Coby Mayo. No one is putting this kid in that class, but he sounds promising. Catcher Creed Willems was another high school pick and he is a top 30 O’s prospect.

I have gotten numerous questions about why the O’s select pitchers with poor or modest college stats?

O’s vice president of player development and domestic scouting Matt Blood noted yesterday they look for pitchers with “major league traits.”

He added this on that topic Monday: “It’s usually a combination of raw stuff, physical capacity, the athleticism, the way they move and then performance. It’s some sort of combination of those things. We have people that feel with this adjustment or that adjustment or this improvement or this other thing, that they will be better than maybe they have been in the past. It’s a combination of all those things.”

One thing we can note from this draft. A couple of other AL East teams took pitchers higher up the board than the Orioles. The Birds selected just one pitcher among their first seven picks and took 11 of 21 over the three days.

Boston, which selected 13 pitchers, took four among its first six picks. New York’s first seven picks were pitchers, among 13 pitchers they selected and one two-way player. Tampa Bay selected 12 pitchers including eight in a row starting in round four. Toronto’s first three selections and six of its first 10 were pitchers.

Among some other draft takeaways.

Honeycutt’s loud tools: There was much talk of the strikeout rates of O’s top pick, UNC center fielder Vance Honeycutt, selected No. 22 overall.

But what a combo they got here of speed, power and defense. MLBPipeline.com rated his power tool as 60 grade, his running at 65, his arm a 60 and his fielding a 70. He won two straight ACC Defensive Player of the Year awards. The O’s sure got big upside here in a player that Baseball America rated No. 13 in this draft.

Defense was important: It was notable some of the defensive accomplishments of selections in the first 10 rounds. In addition to Honeycutt, UVa shortstop Griff O’Ferrall, taken No. 32 overall, has a strong glove and won the Brooks Wallace Award as top college shortstop. Third rounder, USC outfielder Austin Overn was a two-time Pac 12 all-defensive team member. And catcher Ryan Stafford, taken in round five, was the 2024 Big West Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

Getting pitchers from big schools and small ones: On the draft’s third day they got pitchers from Louisville, Missouri and Cal-State Fullerton, but also from Felician College of New Jersey and Cowley County (Kan) Community College.

Also, Blood was asked about all 11 pitchers coming from the college ranks?

“We had some high school pitchers on the board. But you know, usually high school pitchers have college commitments, and they have higher signing bonus demands. So, they are not always as easy to acquire. And especially where you have seen us draft them. Sometimes it just turns out to be that college pitchers are the ones that we take. They also have more information and a little more track record, and we feel like you know, we are comfortable with those selections. But I wouldn’t say we have a no tolerance policy. I think it just has to be the right person, the right spot.”

Blood at the helm: Blood has been a key member of the O’s front office for several years running the minors and player development. We know how well that has gone for the club. This was his first year running the domestic scouting operation after Brad Ciolek left the O’s to join the Washington Nationals after last season.

“It was great," he said. "The group of people we have here are fantastic. I was very fortunate to have a lot of experience around me, a lot of people that are really pulling in the same direction. And it was just a lot of fun to do, and I think we were able to accomplish most of the goals that we had, most of the things we were trying to do. I’m very grateful for this organization and for Mike and Sig (Mejdal) for helping bring me along and giving me this opportunity.”

The process to sign these players has already begun. The deadline to sign 2024 draft picks is Aug. 1 at 5 p.m. ET.