MLB Draft Preview: 10 players to watch tonight

The MLB draft is tonight, with the Rays selecting at No. 18, 58, and 66 on Day 1. The most chatter will be about who Tampa Bay picks up with that top selection, but all three should be considered quality prospects for the organization.

To get ready here are ten player’s I’ve got my eye on tonight, with a snippet of the player profiles available on MLB.com, with where they rank.

Some of these names will go early, but if any are still available at 18, I think they’re great candidates for the Rays.

3. Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 70 | Run: 40 | Arm: 60 | Field: 55 | Overall: 65

Scouting grades: Fastball: 70 | Slider: 50 | Cutter: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 40 | Overall: 50

While calling him the “next Shohei Ohtani” might be unfair, Caglianone is the best two-way player in the nation, an easy early choice for the John Olerud Award given to college baseball’s best hitter/pitcher. He has some standout tools both on the mound and at the plate, though big steps forward as a hitter this spring have led most scouts to prefer his left-handed bat over his left-handed arm.

A 6-foot-5 physical beast, Caglianone has top of the class left-handed raw power...

5. Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas

Scouting grades: Fastball: 65 | Slider: 65 | Splitter: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 60

Smith operates at 94-97 mph and touches 100 with his fastball, which plays up because his funky delivery creates deception and riding action. His best offering is an 83-87 mph slider, which features sweep and depth while destroying lefties and keeping righties at bay, and he also can turn it into a cutter that reaches 91 mph. He uses an upper-80s splitter as a change of pace, and while he struggles to locate it well, it has intriguing tumble when it’s on.

Smith employs far from a textbook delivery, working from a low-three-quarters slot with some crossfire that makes it tough to pick up his pitches and also to throw strikes at times.

7. Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest

Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 65 | Run: 40 | Arm: 50 | Field: 60 | Overall: 60

Kurtz’s signature tool is his well-above-average power to all fields, the product of outstanding bat speed, strength and a left-handed stroke designed to drive balls in the air. More than just a slugger, he’s a complete hitter with no discernible weakness who crushes left-handers and right-handers and all types of pitches. He controls the strike zone, covers the entire plate and hits the ball with authority all over the ballpark.

10. Bryce Rainer, SS, Harvard Westlake HS (CA)

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 60 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 60

Before the 2024 high season began, people looked at Rainer as an exciting two-way player. [...] Rainer has a ton of tools in all directions. At 6-foot-3 and listed at 195 pounds, he has a strong and projectable body. While his swing used to get long at times, with a tendency to wrap the bat behind his head, a stronger Rainer has shown the ability to make consistently hard contact from the left side of the plate.

11. Trey Yesavage, RHP, East Carolina

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 60 | Splitter: 60 | Control: 50 | Overall: 55

The American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year, Yesavage has a quality four-pitch arsenal highlighted by a mid-80s slider/cutter with more depth than lateral movement. His fastball parks at 93-95 mph and peaks at 98, overcoming a lack of life with plenty of carry from a high arm slot. He also has a low-80s spike curveball and a splitter with similar velocity, and both miss bats as well.

More physical than athletic at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, Yesavage has some effort in his delivery but it doesn’t prevent him from throwing strikes.

12. James Tibbs III, OF, Florida State

Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 55 | Run: 40 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55

he left-handed hitter is confident and smart at the plate, with an approach he’s improved over his time at Florida State, cutting his strikeout rate and upping his walk rate considerably from his freshman to his sophomore seasons, and even more so this spring. He punishes fastballs and has been showing the ability to get to his average power and drive the ball to all fields, though he’s struggled more with breaking stuff in the past.

14. Cam Smith, 3B, Florida State

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 45 | Arm: 60 | Field: 55 | Overall: 55

{Earned] Most Outstanding Pro Prospect honors in the Cape Cod League after finishing with a .981 OPS, and he’s upped his game again during his Draft-eligible sophomore season. At 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, Smith already looks the part with plenty of now strength. How much he hits will help dictate how consistently he can get to his plus raw power, and he’s answered that question well last summer and this spring.

18. Carson Benge, OF/RHP, Oklahoma State

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 55 | Overall: 55

He’s a legitimate prospect both ways, showing first-round potential at the plate and third-round upside on the mound.

Few college hitters in this class can match Benge’s combination of bat-to-ball skills and high exit velocities. A left-handed hitter, he controls the strike zone and uses the opposite field exceptionally well. He should have solid power thanks to his combination of hitting ability and bat speed, and he did a better job of turning on and lifting more pitches as this spring progressed.

25. Jurrangelo Cijntje, RHP/LHP, Mississippi State (“What if Pat Venditte sat 95?”)

RHP scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 50

LHP scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40

Cijntje is pitching right-handed against lefty hitters more often in 2024, and many scouts would like to see him do so full time. While his 5-foot-11 build creates questions about his long-term durability as a starter, he’s strong and athletic. He has significantly improved his strike-throwing as a sophomore and could develop average control as he gains more experience.

28. Theo Gillen, SS, Westlake HS (TX)

Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 55 | Run: 60 | Arm: 40 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

Gillen may have the best bat of any high schooler in this Draft. He has a disciplined approach, quick hands and a sweet left-handed swing that combine to produce line drives to all fields. His hitting ability will allow him to get to most of his plus raw power, giving him a 20-homer floor, and he should develop more pop as he adds more strength to his physical 6-foot-2 frame.