There is a crop of college players that are set to make some serious noise at the ext level. As the years ago by, the talent at the college level seemingly gets better and better. Whether that is the case, remains to be seen, but the perception is as such. So what does that mean? That means each and every year, the college players are set to crack the major leagues much quicker than previously. Players like Wyatt Langford in Texas and now Paul Skenes with the Pirates, have destroyed the timeline expectations for players coming out of college. With the new incentives, such as draft pick compensation, for teams bringing players up and performing, you will see more of this being the case.

The Major League Baseball draft is coming up this July and college players are expected to be heavy in the top 10. As with every year, high school prospects will be sprinkled in but here is what it would look like without the high school players in the draft.

(1) Guardians – Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State

Travis Bazzana is one of the top players in the country and quite possibly the most major league ready player in the draft. The Guardians are sitting high because they could get Bazzana under slot, allowing Cleveland to get frisky with other picks. He is a safe bet who is going to hit. He is a natural born hitter who is going to do work in Major League Baseball.

(2) Reds – Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida

Jactani, as he is affectionately known, is a dual threat that will make a major impact quickly. If Charlie Condon doesn’t go first, then he is a definite possibility here as well because you can expect Cincy to nab a power guy. If the Reds nab either Condon or Caglianone, it will be a major addition as both of those guys will do some serious damage at Great American Ballpark. The Reds are sitting in a perfect spot because they will get a potential franchise player at this spot and Jac Caglianone can be and is that guy.

(3) Rockies – Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas

Colorado simply cannot bring pitchers to Coors Field in free agency without massively overpaying them. Solution. Draft them. Hagen Smith is having one of the best seasons as a pitcher that we have seen and is a perfect fit for Colorado here. He did have Tommy John surgery when he was in high school so that’s always something to be aware of. Smith had one of the greatest pitching performances ever earlier this year, where he struck out 17 versus Oregon State, including Travis Bazzana three times. He will be a very serviceable starter in the majors.

(4) A’s – Charlie Condon, 3B/OF, Georgia

A preferred walk-on at the University of Georgia, Charlie Condon has skyrocketed up the draft boards and is a major candidate to be the top pick in the draft. Condon just broke the NCAA single season BBCOR home run record, with 34, a few weeks back and is the top power-hitting prospect in this draft. Once drafted, he will likely see a short-lived minor league stint and a debut in the big leagues relatively quickly.

(5) White Sox – Braden Montgomery, OF, Texas A&M

Braden Montgomery is another one of the guys that is a slam dunk pick, wherever he goes. Montgomery saw his season end in the NCAA Tournament, suffering a broken ankle. Montgomery is a switch hitter, 5 tool player, who has a very high ceiling. He has a great arm and will see himself playing solid right field in the majors for many years. He is incredibly talented who has the potential to be a home run pick.

(6) Royals – Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest

Burns is a stud from Wake Forest who will profile more of a reliever/closer in the majors. He brings with two pitches but does feature a total of four, which is why his projection says relief role. Burns is a phenomenal pitcher who sees a high whiff rate. If he works those four total pitches, then he will be a starter. He pumps strikes which is why he will be very successful at the next level.

(7) Cardinals – Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest

Kurtz is the perfect replacement for Paul Goldschmidt. Kurtz has the track record. Can hit and field. He’s produced his entire career and will be the spot on pick here.

(8) Angels – JJ Wetherholt, SS/2B, West Virginia

Coming into the season, Wetherholt was one of the guys who was projected to go 1/1. A phenomenal fielder, who was injured a lot this year, will have to prove himself at the plate. Wetherholt has one of the prettiest swings in the entire draft but the power numbers are going to be interesting. Another thing to watch is that it’s going to be interesting to see where he’s projected to play in the field, a definite second baseman, can play some short but will and can that translate to the big leagues.

(9) Pirates – Christian Moore, 2B, Tennessee

Moore had one hell of a run this year and his performance during Tennessee’s run to the National Championship, really rocketed him into the top ten. Moore had one of the greatest second basemen seasons of all time. Moore is going to be a second baseman at the next level but possesses power and solid fielding, which will be perfect for the Pirates here.

(10) Nationals – Vance Honeycutt, OF, North Carolina

Honeycutt straight up did work this postseason, truly helping himself in the draft. While realistically Washington goes with a high schooler here, Honeycutt is a solid defender who will hit at the next level. Adding him to an outfield with Dylan Crews, James Wood and Lane Thomas, that is something Nationals fans could get behind. Honeycutt plays, plain and simple.

Coming into the 2024 college season, there didn’t seem to be a solid college class or one that wasn’t as exciting but as the season played out, there were numerous players who developed and popped out as absolute stars. As this crop of players makes there way up the ladder towards the majors, expect for these guys to be highly touted and expected to perform.

Impact Sports Cincinnati can be followed on Twitter   and  and