NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Center:MLB mock draft 2024: Who will Cleveland Guardians take with No. 1 overall pick?

Entering the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft Lottery with just a 2% chance of winning the No. 1 overall pick,NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Center the Cleveland Guardians beat the odds and are unofficially on the clock for July's draft in Arlington, Texas, during MLB's All-Star week.

There's still a whole spring season for prospects to impress among the college and preps ranks, meaning a mock draft before the calendar flips is something of a speculative exercise – but it's worth taking a way-too-early look at where things stand.

Wake Forest slugger Nick Kurtz is our projected No. 1 pick in the early 2024 mock. Kurtz, who is hitting .345 with 39 homers and 125 RBI in 110 games in two seasons for Wake, could be the first of five Demon Deacons taken in the first round.

2024 MLB mock draft

1. Cleveland Guardians: Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest

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2. Cincinnati Reds: JJ Wetherholt, SS/2B, West Virginia

3. Colorado Rockies: Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida

4. Oakland Athletics: Charlie Condon, OF/1B, Georgia

5. Chicago White Sox: Seaver King, OF/SS, Wake Forest

6. Kansas City Royals: Josh Hartle, LHP, Wake Forest

7. St. Louis Cardinals: Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State

8. Los Angeles Angels: Vance Honeycutt, OF, North Carolina

9. Pittsburgh Pirates: Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas

10. Washington Nationals: Konnor Griffin, OF, Jackson Prep, Flowood, Miss.

11. Detroit Tigers: Malcolm Moore, C, Stanford

12. Boston Red Sox: Tommy White, 3B, Louisiana State

13. San Francisco Giants: Braden Montgomery, OF/RHP, Texas A&M

14. Chicago Cubs: Thatcher Hurd, RHP, Louisiana State

15. Seattle Mariners: Brody Brecht, RHP, Iowa

16. Miami Marlins: PJ Morlando, OF, Summerville (S.C.) HS

17. Milwaukee Brewers: Caleb Lomavita, C, California 

18. Tampa Bay Rays: Mike Sirota, OF, Northeastern

19. New York Mets: Carson Benge, OF/RHP, Oklahoma State

20. Toronto Blue Jays: Slade Caldwell, OF, Valley View HS, Jonesboro, Ark.

21. Minnesota Twins: Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest

22. Baltimore Orioles: Drew Beam, RHP, Tennessee

23. Los Angeles Dodgers: Cam Caminiti, LHP, Saguaro HS, Scottsdale, Ariz.

24. Atlanta Braves: Noah Franco, OF/LHP, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.

25. San Diego Padres: Dakota Jordan, OF, Mississippi State

26. New York Yankees: Kaelen Culpepper, SS, Kansas State

27. Philadelphia Phillies: Cam Smith, 3B, Florida State

28. Houston Astros: Caleb Bonemer, SS/3B, Okemos (Mich.) HS

29. Arizona Diamondbacks: Michael Massey, RHP, Wake Forest 

30. Texas Rangers: Jonathan Santucci, LHP, Duke

When is the 2024 MLB draft?

The 2024 Major League Baseball draft is scheduled for July in Arlington, Texas, as part of the itinerary for MLB's All-Star week.

Past MLB draft No. 1 overall picks

Here is every No. 1 pick in the MLB draft since 2000:

• 2023: Paul Skenes, Pirates
• 2022: Jackson Holliday, Orioles
• 2021: Henry Davis, Pirates
• 2020: Spencer Torkelson, Tigers
• 2019: Adley Rutschman, Orioles
• 2018: Casey Mize, Tigers
• 2017: Royce Lewis, Twins
• 2016: Mickey Moniak, Phillies
• 2015: Dansby Swanson, Diamondbacks
• 2014: Brady Aiken, Astros
• 2013: Mark Appel, Astros
• 2012: Carlos Correa, Astros
• 2011: Gerrit Cole, Pirates
• 2010: Bryce Harper, Nationals
• 2009: Stephen Strasburg, Nationals
• 2008: Tim Beckham, Rays
• 2007: David Price, Rays
• 2006: Luke Hochevar, Royals
• 2005: Justin Upton, Diamondbacks
• 2004: Matt Bush, Padres
• 2003: Delmon Young, Rays
• 2002: Bryan Bullington, Pirates
• 2001: Joe Mauer, Twins
• 2000: Adrián González, Marlins