The 2024 MLB draft was held in Arlington, TX this year with the first round beginning on July 14th and the final pick being called on July 16th. This year, just like every year, the state of Illinois was well-represented, and we’re going to spend some time dissecting those draft picks and their future destinations. We will break down the players that were drafted out of high school, beginning with this years Prep Baseball Illinois Player of the Year Ryan Sloan.

HIGH SCHOOL PROSPECTS

Ryan Sloan RHP / York, IL / 2024 Rankings  StateRank: 1 / POS: 1 OverallRank: 6 / POS: 1 Round 2, Pick 55, Seattle Mariniers 6/07/24: "Wake Forest signee. Currently ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 6 nationally; made his final high school start on Friday night and did not disappoint. Standing in at a physical 6-foot-4, 225-pounds with a presently strong lower-half, Sloan is an efficient mover down the mound with an in-sync delivery. The ball comes clean out of the hand from a ¾ slot, with a ton of life through the zone, especially on the fastball. His heater sat 96-98 mph in the first, before settling in at 94-96 with over 2500 rpm at times. His secondary stuff was just as polished; with his slider playing tight at 79-84 mph with over 2400 rpm for late, sharp bite, while also going to a heavy arm-side fading changeup at 88-91 mph. He punched out eight batters over the course of the outing, with half of them coming from the fastball, while the other four came from the slider. Sloan has certainly positioned himself to hear his name called early when the MLB Draft rolls around in July; with what he has done not only this season but with what he has done throughout his high school career."

Tyler Bell SS / Lincoln-Way East, IL / 2024 Rankings  StateRank: 2 / POS: 1 OverallRank: 13 / POS: 4 Round CB-C, Pick 66, Tampa Bay Rays 9/23/23: "Prep Baseball All-American Game: Starting in a slightly wide, open base, the natural switch-hitter utilizes a quiet, shoulder height pre-pitch load with a quick leg trigger. Short to the ball with a loose finish from both sides while creating loft with ease. Equally present bat-to-ball skills but boasts massive power potential from the left side. Plus bat speed with lean strength in the frame that continues to grow can allow Bell to carry a strong hit/power combo going forward. A true shortstop long-term with fluid actions in all directions and easy transfers. Plays confident and shows high, situational baseball IQ. Arm strength to make every play needed and can be accurate from multiple arm angles. 6.68 runner with a great first step and straight line speed. Showing the potential of a day one middle-infielder."

Ethan Bagwell RHP / 1B / Collinsville , IL / 2024 Rankings  StateRank: 9 / POS: 3 OverallRank: 154 / POS: 55 Round 6, Pick 191, Atlanta Braves 4/16/24: "Mizzou signee, ranked No. 10 overall in the state’s senior class and No. 152 nationally. Highly physical and professional 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame that’s packed with muscle throughout. Punched out six and allowed an earned run on three hits for the Kahoks in five innings of work. Works only out of the stretch, lead leg lifts inward into a hip coil to start his movement downhill. Gets onto his backside and rides it down the mound, glove arm tucks and finishes onto his front heel through release. Quick arm that’s continuous on the backside, finishes out of a ¾ slot. Fastball pitched in the low-90s, touching 93 mph early, and touched 92 mph in the fifth near the end of his outing. Cut it at times, best when he stays behind and backspins it up in the zone. Slider showed out-pitch potential in this look; flashed sweep and bite at times at 77-80 mph that grabbed several uncomfortable swings-and-misses against a good lineup. A strong-armed, physical senior that’s garnered MLB Draft attention throughout the spring."

Brendan Tunink OF / OF / Newman Central Catholic, IL / 2024 Rankings  StateRank: 3 / POS: 1 OverallRank: 74 / POS: 17 Round 8, Pick 250, Los Anglese Dodgers 6/01/24: "Notre Dame signee. Ranked No. 3 in the state's senior class and No. 74 overall. Started in center field and batted second for the Comets. Stands an athletic frame with strength at 6-foot-1, 189.2-pounds. Although he didn’t produce any results, the left-handed hitter impressed with his mature approach at the plate with a simple, fluid load and direct bat path with above-average bat speed through the zone, produced multiple hard-hit balls throughout the weekend. Showed quality range in the outfield, making an impressive diving play to record an out. Quality look at one of the state’s top seniors."

Ethan Dorchies RHP / C / Cary-Grove, IL / 2024 Rankings  StateRank: 29 / POS: 10 Round 10, Pick 305, Milwaukee Brewers 5/01/24: "Illinois-Chicago commit. Ranked currently No. 23 in the 2024 class. Listed at 6-foot-5, 201-pounds with an athletic, long-levered frame. Working with a deliberate delivery, was strong at balance point and showed a long stride to home. Pitches come from a long, clean arm action out of a 3/4 slot. His fastball is clean out of the hand, with easy life through the zone, was up to 91 mph in the first two innings before settling in at 86-88 mph. Mainly working off the fastball was the curveball, a swing-and-miss pitch when down in the zone, 76-77 mph. The changeup played with a slight arm-side action to it, thrown mainly to the arm-side, sitting in the low 80s."

Jude Warwick SS / 2B / Downers Grove North, IL / 2024 Rankings  StateRank: 19 / POS: 3 Round 12, Pick 356, Detroit Tigers 4/24/24: "Michigan State commit. Currently ranked No. 20 in the state. Lean and ultra-projectable 6-foot-1, 152-pound frame. Hit out of the leadoff spot and took some quality L/L at-bats against a premium arm, also making some highlight-reel plays at shortstop. The left-handed hitter has above-average zone awareness and was making quality swing decisions all-game, not recording a hit on the day but finding the barrel twice which included a sharply hit lineout to center. It’s an easy, simple swing that stays flat through the zone, working short to the ball with some extension through impact. Advanced defender on the infield, working with easy range to both sides of his glove, making plays both up the middle and to his backhand easily, including a Jeter-esk jump throw play in the ⅚ hole to nab the runner at first. Soft hands play with confidence on the dirt, fields with rhythm and timing. Arm plays with life and accuracy across the diamond with a quick release. High-ceiling left-handed hitting shortstop who’s best days are still very much ahead of him."

Sir Jamison Jones C / 1B / St. Rita, IL / 2024 Rankings  StateRank: 12 / POS: 2 OverallRank: 387 / POS: 39 Round 15, Pick 440, Washington Nationals 4/15/24: "Oklahoma State commit. Currently ranked No. 13 in the state, No. 387 nationally. Batted out of the two-hole for the Mustangs and was on the barrel throughout the game. Jones stands in at a physically imposing 6-foot-2, 233-pounds and was a standout defensively as well. At the plate, he has an evident swagger in the box with a wider setup, a rhythmic load onto his backside with a strong lower half. His swing is powerful and quick through the zone, allowing for consistent hard contact; Jones finished the day 2-for-4 at the plate. Defensively, Jones was the apparent vocal leader on the field behind the dish; he was in constant communication with his battery mate throughout the game, with words of encouragement while also pushing the pitcher to execute pitches in key spots in the game. He showed off a strong arm in between innings, but did not get to show it off in-game. Jones also displayed a consistent willingness to block, being a wall back behind the plate for his pitcher. Jones was a participant this winter at the Super 60 Pro Showcase."

Nate George OF / RHP / Minooka , IL / 2024 Rankings  StateRank: 5 / POS: 2 OverallRank: 228 / POS: 41 Round 16, Pick 489, Baltimore Orioles 2/19/24: "We were eager to get our eyes on OF Nate George (Minooka, 2024) at our ProCase earlier this winter, but he unfortunately had to miss it due to illness. It was well worth the wait, as George further cemented his status as a true draft prospect this past Monday. Listed at a strong and highly athletic 6-foot, 200-pounds with sloped shoulders and a developed lower-half, George got his event going with a 6.39 in the 60, the best in-event by nearly .40 seconds. The right-handed hitter put on a show in BP, averaging 97.9 mph for his exit velocity with a max of 102.4 mph, also reaching up to 389’ for his max distance. He has a strong and athletic swing, using controlled aggression with a fluid, flat path to work loud hard contact up the middle and to his pull-side with natural lift at times. His athleticism was easily noticed in his round of defense as well, showcasing quick feet with athletic actions and a bounce in his step. He’s always had a strong arm, but it appears to have gotten even better; topping out at 96 mph from an athletic crow hop and quick ¾ release. High-level prospect that shoulder garner plenty of pro attention this coming spring."

Cooper Malamazian SS / 3B / Nazareth Academy, IL / 2024 Rankings  StateRank: 7 / POS: 2 OverallRank: 156 / POS: 32 Round 17, Pick 515, Milwaukee Brewers 5/10/24: "Indiana signee. Currently ranked No. 6 in the state, No. 156 nationally; started at shortstop and batted second. A physical and athletic 6-foot-1, 187-pounds, Malamazian had a strong showing on both sides of the ball on Friday. Defensively, he continues to impress with his range up the middle, showing the ability to make plays to both his left and his right. His arm plays easy and strong across the diamond, which should allow him to stick on the left-side of the infield at the next level. Offensively, the right-handed hitter has a hitterish look about him in the box with a short and simple stride. His hands work direct to the ball with a compact, level swing that was on the barrel a couple times throughout the game. Malamazian finished the day 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. He also hopped on the bump to close the game out, earning the save, and running his fastball in the 88-91 mph range."

Henry Brummel RHP / Pontiac, IL / 2024 Rankings  StateRank: 6 / POS: 2 OverallRank: 414 / POS: 143 Round 20, Pick 605, Milwaukee Brewers 4/22/24: "Indiana commit. Currently ranked No. 15 in Illinois’ 2024 class and No. 414 nationally. Listed at 6-foot-4, 200-pounds with strength and athleticism throughout. Started on the mound for the Indians and threw 6.2 innings with 16 strikeouts, three walks, one unearned run and three hits allowed. Showed a high motor with competitiveness on the mound and worked with a quality pace throughout the game. Simple delivery into balance point, medium leg lift with tuck and coil, tall and fall delivery down the mound, works in-line, toe consistently lands in-line with the plate. Clean and loose arm path with clear acceleration out front, ¾ slot. Fastball sat 90-92 mph early on, touching 93 mph multiple times, but settled in at 89-92 mph throughout the game with clear life through the zone. Mixed in two separate breaking balls; a curveball that sat 77-78 mph with 11/5 break, showing sharp, vertical actions that dropped in the zone, and a slider that sat 79-82 mph with hard, sweeping shape, created multiple check-swings and some swing-and-miss. Rounded out his four-pitch mix with a changeup that sat 82-84 mph with slight fade to the arm-side. An impressive performance from the senior against a talented Monticello lineup."

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