2024 MLB Draft Preview: College Pitchers

[Jeremy Nygaard]

We approach the end of our positional previews for the 2024 MLB Draft, with only pitchers and outfielders left. Because pitchers make up almost half of the draftees, we’ll be breaking that into two parts.

Image courtesy of Brock Beauchamp

We’re excited to ratchet up 2024 MLB Draft content in the coming weeks. We’ll start with a series of articles detailing each positional demographic. These pieces aren’t meant to be an exhaustive list, rather, an overview of the caliber of talent at the position. For each player, we'll run down some basic information, in addition to some strengths and weaknesses. You’ll also find their current position on the Consensus MLB Draft Board in parentheses next to their name. 

The collegiate pitching class is headlined by two arms who will get scooped up quickly. There is one other arm likely to go in the Top 15. And then? It’s anyone’s guess as to what happens next. Today, we’re going to look at some college arms who aren’t necessarily ranked at the top of the board, but who might pay dividends later.

Jurrangelo Cijntje, S/S P, Mississippi State (36)
Jurrangelo could be the fifth Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, both because his name fits and also because he’s sort of a mutant. Cijntje was drafted by the Brewers in 2022 as a switch-pitcher. Yes, that’s right. He’s a left-handed pitcher… and also a right-handed pitcher.

That’s likely to change, as he’s more effective as a right-handed pitcher, where the fastball sits in the 93-95 mph range and has touched 97 mph with good carry. There's an above-average slider with good bite, and an average changeup. From the left/natural side, it's less velocity and more of a fastball-slider combination.

While Cijntje doesn't have an ideal frame, he's stocky and strong, and has made a good deal of progress with his control in 2024, although through better command of his pitches, he could still improve.

An incredibly unique profile, it'll be fascinating to see what a drafting organization does here. My bet is a starting role from the right side to begin. At any rate, he will be a prospect worth watching after likely being selected on the first day of the draft.

Ryan Johnson, S/R P, Dallas Baptist (47)
Johnson is one of the most fascinating pitchers in all of college baseball, and has carried over some impressive results from the tail end of 2023 into an eye-popping 2024.

At 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds, he's quite a presence on the mound. Johnson leverages a quick pitching motion with more of a drifting step than a leg kick, and wastes little time between pitches, operating efficiently and quickly. He throws from a lower arm slot. It's definitely an unusual look, with some deception present. While some evaluators might not love the effortful delivery, it hasn't prevented him from filling up the strike zone.

Johnson has a fastball that's flirted with 100 mph. It sits 93-95 mph, with arm-side run. The heater is not a bat-misser, but Johnson has a repertoire that doesn't require it to be. He throws his sweeping slider close to half the time. It has plenty of lateral movement and late bite, and Johnson commands it extremely well. Johnson also throws a cutter as a bridge pitch between his fastball and slider, and a changeup with good fade that's more of an emerging offering.

Johnson finished his junior year with an 11-3 record, a 2.21 ERA and 151 strikeouts, with only 14 walks over 106 innings. He offers some unique traits and a lot of features of interest to teams considering taking him.

Ryan Prager, L/L P, Texas A&M (68)
Prager had plenty of interest as a high schooler in 2021, before getting to campus at Texas A&M. He had Tommy John surgery his freshman year, sat out all of 2023, and is a draft-eligible sophomore in 2024, after a phenomenal season in which he's currently 9-1, with 118 strikeouts in 93 2/3 innings.

Prager has an effortful delivery, with an over-the-top arm slot. In spite of this, he gets a ton of ride on his fastball (91-93 mph), averaging north of 20 inches of IVB on the pitch, likely to induce plenty of whiffs when he can command it more consistently at the top of the zone. He also has an above-average slider that replaced his curveball from high school, and which has been an effective pitch, in addition to a changeup with plenty of horizontal movement.

Coming into the season, there were some questions about whether Prager profiled as a starter or reliever. He may have answered those with an extremely impressive 2024 season as the Aggies' Friday night starter.

Ryan Forcucci, R/R P, UC San Diego (82)
Forcucci is a right-handed starting pitcher for UC San Diego with a ton of interesting traits and a track record of success, albeit against lesser competition than some of his counterparts in the 2024 draft class.

At 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, Forcucci has an athletic frame and clean, easy mechanics, making his delivery repeatable and efficient. On the mound, the selling point is a plus run and ride fastball. It sits 93-95 mph, and has been up to 97 mph with over 20 inches of ride and 9 inches of run, making it a nightmare at the top of the strike zone when combined with Forcucci's low release height.

For secondary pitches, Forcucci throws a slider that's above-average. It features some bite and sweep and has proved to be a bat-misser. Forcucci also throws a slower curveball and has started using a changeup, though it's far from being a weapon against pro hitters right now.

The combination of a plus fastball with unusual traits, clean mechanics, good athleticism on the mound, and a solid college track record make Forcucci great clay to mold at the pro level. As of mid-March, he looked like a top 50-60 selection come July. However, Forcucci hasn’t made an appearance since then because of injury, and there is speculation that he will be having Tommy John surgery.

 

Daniel Eagen, R/R P, Presbyterian (129)
Eagen is a right-handed pitcher with a stereotypical starting pitcher's frame, having an outstanding 2024 campaign for little Presbyterian College. In 14 games, Eagen struck out 122 in 77 2/3 innings, sporting a sub-1.00 WHIP.

Eagen's fastball saw a velocity jump this spring, after he moved into the rotation full-time. It sits 93-94 mph, but can get up to 96 mph with some carry, thrown from a high slot. Eagen throws a pair of breakers: a downer curveball in the low 80s, and a slider, both of which have been good bat-missers in 2024. There's also a changeup in the arsenal, but it's seldom been used and needs more velocity separation from his fastball.

Already, he's taken a step forward in strike-throwing in 2024. The combination of size, a little projection left from added strength, and the current arsenal give him a good chance to stick as a starter at the next level.

Konner Eaton, R/L P, George Mason (234)
Eaton put himself on the map with his raw stuff, though he’s still more projection than final product.

After throwing only one inning as a freshman, Eaton had a wild sophomore year, walking 25 in 42 1/3 innings (while striking out 47) before heading to the Cape, where he teased some more. He was better as a junior (walk rate dropped from 5.3 to 4.9 per 9, and strikeout rate improved from 10 to 11.9 per 9), but still failed to put it all together.

Now we head into the draft, where Eaton continues to flash a 94-mph fastball and above-average slider. There will be a team (or teams) out there who thinks they can develop him professionally into a starter and will likely be able to get him late on Day Two or on Day Three.

Who excites you from the college pitching class in 2024? Who are you higher on than other prospects? Jump into the draft conversation in the comments below.

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Find more draft coverage here:

2024 MLB Draft Position Previews: First Basemen

2024 MLB Draft Position Previews: Second Basemen

2024 MLB Draft Position Previews: Midwest Highlights

2024 MLB Draft Position Previews: Third Basemen

2024 MLB Draft Position Previews: Shortstops

2024 MLB Draft Position Previews: Catcher

Mock Drafts!

Mock Draft v. 1.0 (Nygaard Edition): An Unusual Target

Mock Draft v.2.0 (Cameron Edition): Twins Lean into Prep Class

View full article

[LambchoP]

If I'm remembering right, the Twins don't have any top picks. Hopefully we can hit on some high upside pitching. Starting pitching especially looks like a weakness for this club.

[Dman]

So with Cijntje if he remains a righty starter is he an arm that after a couple of days could pitch out of the pen using his left arm? Or say he becomes a reliever could he pitch righty two days and then lefty two days and continuously be used in the pen? Could be a versatile arm to have if he can maximize both sides.

There are a lot of good arms to choose from in the first 33 picks but I still think bats are the way to go. Almost impossible to find elite bats outside the first 100 picks or so and this draft seems lighter than normal for bats. Still with the extra picks they could go bat, arm, bat arm.

When going pitcher, going with elite pitches plus control is the way to go, but arms get injured so easy and often that if that happens you get nothing out of a high pick. I like what they did last year with three high end bats in the first three rounds and then pretty much pitching the rest of the way. They should grab an arm with one of there first 4 picks and 33 might be a good spot to get one, but 60 could work too. Will be interesting to see what they do.

[roger]

OK, Jeremy, your including Cijntje got me thinking.  Is it legal for a pitcher to change arms for a new batter, ie, throw right handed to a right handed hitter and then left handed to the next guy who hits from the left side?  Are there rules against that? 

Only problem I see would be developing a glove he could wear on both hands as pitchers can't call time out and go to the dugout to get a different glove.

[Doctor Gast]

37 minutes ago, roger said:

OK, Jeremy, your including Cijntje got me thinking.  Is it legal for a pitcher to change arms for a new batter, ie, throw right handed to a right handed hitter and then left handed to the next guy who hits from the left side?  Are there rules against that? 

Only problem I see would be developing a glove he could wear on both hands as pitchers can't call time out and go to the dugout to get a different glove.

I believe for each batter you have to choose which hand you can pitch with & can't switch while pitching to the same batter. He has a glove that fits both hands.

[2wins87]

1 hour ago, roger said:

OK, Jeremy, your including Cijntje got me thinking.  Is it legal for a pitcher to change arms for a new batter, ie, throw right handed to a right handed hitter and then left handed to the next guy who hits from the left side?  Are there rules against that? 

Only problem I see would be developing a glove he could wear on both hands as pitchers can't call time out and go to the dugout to get a different glove.

Google "Pat Venditte rule". There's some fun history there worth reading a bit.

[2wins87]

I really like Forcucci besides the durability issue, which is very significant in his case.

I don't remember if there was previous injury history as well? Regardless, he wasn't a full time starter prior to this year so hasn't pitched more that 53 innings in a season. Definitely questions on how he'll manage a starters workload.

I'd still love him as a third round pick if he falls that far due to injury. Wouldn't hate him as a second round or comp B pick either. I would think that the Twins and a few other clubs must really like his fastball.

Prager was really impressive in his CWS start. Not sure how much extra weight to put on that, but he's got my interest piqued.

[roger]

29 minutes ago, 2wins87 said:

Google "Pat Venditte rule". There's some fun history there worth reading a bit.

Very interesting, thanks 2wins87

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

No Brecht???   Maybe including as the player that may get picked top 15.  He might,  he might have enough warts to last to 21.  Will have to wait and see.  

[Mike Sixel]

Just want to say how much I love these articles. So informative.

[bean5302]

1 hour ago, Hawkeye Bean Counter said:

No Brecht???   Maybe including as the player that may get picked top 15.  He might,  he might have enough warts to last to 21.  Will have to wait and see.  

He's MLB's #21 ranked draft prospect, and the 8th highest ranked pitcher by them in the draft. Good chance he'll be around.

The Athletic has him going to Houston at #28.
on3 has him going to the Dodgers at #23
Bleacher Report as him going to the Phillies at #27 a couple weeks ago.

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

14 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

He's MLB's #21 ranked draft prospect, and the 8th highest ranked pitcher by them in the draft. Good chance he'll be around.

The Athletic has him going to Houston at #28.
on3 has him going to the Dodgers at #23
Bleacher Report as him going to the Phillies at #27 a couple weeks ago.

Again, its questionable why not included,  other than included in a previous installment,  once I looked back.  

[Jocko87]

I don't know any of these names and won't bother until they show up on a Twins draft card but I'll take a six pack, thanks. Your pick.

This and various shortstops should be about 85% of the draft picks. 

[TopGunn#22]

I think Dman raises a VERY INTERESTING point.  Could Cijntje throw RH out of the pen on Tuesday.  Then throw LH out of the pen on Wednesday and come back on Thursday throwing RH?  (and so on).  That is beyond intriguing. 

Or, how about he's a starter as a RH pitcher and could give you an inning here and there out of the pen as a LH relief pitcher in the days between his next start as a RH?  Starts game on Monday RH, throws an inning in relief on Wednesday LH, and then throws another inning in relief on Friday LH, before starting as a RHP again on Saturday.  Kind of like Ohtani, where you get an elite hitter who is also a very good pitcher, you'd be getting 2 pitchers for the price of one.  

Could this actually be done?  Think of the added flexibility it would give a manager.  You could carry a 3rd catcher comfortably or another position player.  If you had a Nelson Cruz/Ohtani level DH it would be invaluable.  

[Mottee]

On 6/19/2024 at 5:21 PM, Jeremy Nygaard said:

We approach the end of our positional previews for the 2024 MLB Draft, with only pitchers and outfielders left. Because pitchers make up almost half of the draftees, we’ll be breaking that into two parts.

Image courtesy of Brock Beauchamp

We’re excited to ratchet up 2024 MLB Draft content in the coming weeks. We’ll start with a series of articles detailing each positional demographic. These pieces aren’t meant to be an exhaustive list, rather, an overview of the caliber of talent at the position. For each player, we'll run down some basic information, in addition to some strengths and weaknesses. You’ll also find their current position on the Consensus MLB Draft Board in parentheses next to their name. 

The collegiate pitching class is headlined by two arms who will get scooped up quickly. There is one other arm likely to go in the Top 15. And then? It’s anyone’s guess as to what happens next. Today, we’re going to look at some college arms who aren’t necessarily ranked at the top of the board, but who might pay dividends later.

Jurrangelo Cijntje, S/S P, Mississippi State (36)
Jurrangelo could be the fifth Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, both because his name fits and also because he’s sort of a mutant. Cijntje was drafted by the Brewers in 2022 as a switch-pitcher. Yes, that’s right. He’s a left-handed pitcher… and also a right-handed pitcher.

That’s likely to change, as he’s more effective as a right-handed pitcher, where the fastball sits in the 93-95 mph range and has touched 97 mph with good carry. There's an above-average slider with good bite, and an average changeup. From the left/natural side, it's less velocity and more of a fastball-slider combination.

While Cijntje doesn't have an ideal frame, he's stocky and strong, and has made a good deal of progress with his control in 2024, although through better command of his pitches, he could still improve.

An incredibly unique profile, it'll be fascinating to see what a drafting organization does here. My bet is a starting role from the right side to begin. At any rate, he will be a prospect worth watching after likely being selected on the first day of the draft.

Ryan Johnson, S/R P, Dallas Baptist (47)
Johnson is one of the most fascinating pitchers in all of college baseball, and has carried over some impressive results from the tail end of 2023 into an eye-popping 2024.

At 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds, he's quite a presence on the mound. Johnson leverages a quick pitching motion with more of a drifting step than a leg kick, and wastes little time between pitches, operating efficiently and quickly. He throws from a lower arm slot. It's definitely an unusual look, with some deception present. While some evaluators might not love the effortful delivery, it hasn't prevented him from filling up the strike zone.

Johnson has a fastball that's flirted with 100 mph. It sits 93-95 mph, with arm-side run. The heater is not a bat-misser, but Johnson has a repertoire that doesn't require it to be. He throws his sweeping slider close to half the time. It has plenty of lateral movement and late bite, and Johnson commands it extremely well. Johnson also throws a cutter as a bridge pitch between his fastball and slider, and a changeup with good fade that's more of an emerging offering.

Johnson finished his junior year with an 11-3 record, a 2.21 ERA and 151 strikeouts, with only 14 walks over 106 innings. He offers some unique traits and a lot of features of interest to teams considering taking him.

Ryan Prager, L/L P, Texas A&M (68)
Prager had plenty of interest as a high schooler in 2021, before getting to campus at Texas A&M. He had Tommy John surgery his freshman year, sat out all of 2023, and is a draft-eligible sophomore in 2024, after a phenomenal season in which he's currently 9-1, with 118 strikeouts in 93 2/3 innings.

Prager has an effortful delivery, with an over-the-top arm slot. In spite of this, he gets a ton of ride on his fastball (91-93 mph), averaging north of 20 inches of IVB on the pitch, likely to induce plenty of whiffs when he can command it more consistently at the top of the zone. He also has an above-average slider that replaced his curveball from high school, and which has been an effective pitch, in addition to a changeup with plenty of horizontal movement.

Coming into the season, there were some questions about whether Prager profiled as a starter or reliever. He may have answered those with an extremely impressive 2024 season as the Aggies' Friday night starter.

Ryan Forcucci, R/R P, UC San Diego (82)
Forcucci is a right-handed starting pitcher for UC San Diego with a ton of interesting traits and a track record of success, albeit against lesser competition than some of his counterparts in the 2024 draft class.

At 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, Forcucci has an athletic frame and clean, easy mechanics, making his delivery repeatable and efficient. On the mound, the selling point is a plus run and ride fastball. It sits 93-95 mph, and has been up to 97 mph with over 20 inches of ride and 9 inches of run, making it a nightmare at the top of the strike zone when combined with Forcucci's low release height.

For secondary pitches, Forcucci throws a slider that's above-average. It features some bite and sweep and has proved to be a bat-misser. Forcucci also throws a slower curveball and has started using a changeup, though it's far from being a weapon against pro hitters right now.

The combination of a plus fastball with unusual traits, clean mechanics, good athleticism on the mound, and a solid college track record make Forcucci great clay to mold at the pro level. As of mid-March, he looked like a top 50-60 selection come July. However, Forcucci hasn’t made an appearance since then because of injury, and there is speculation that he will be having Tommy John surgery.

 

Daniel Eagen, R/R P, Presbyterian (129)
Eagen is a right-handed pitcher with a stereotypical starting pitcher's frame, having an outstanding 2024 campaign for little Presbyterian College. In 14 games, Eagen struck out 122 in 77 2/3 innings, sporting a sub-1.00 WHIP.

Eagen's fastball saw a velocity jump this spring, after he moved into the rotation full-time. It sits 93-94 mph, but can get up to 96 mph with some carry, thrown from a high slot. Eagen throws a pair of breakers: a downer curveball in the low 80s, and a slider, both of which have been good bat-missers in 2024. There's also a changeup in the arsenal, but it's seldom been used and needs more velocity separation from his fastball.

Already, he's taken a step forward in strike-throwing in 2024. The combination of size, a little projection left from added strength, and the current arsenal give him a good chance to stick as a starter at the next level.

Konner Eaton, R/L P, George Mason (234)
Eaton put himself on the map with his raw stuff, though he’s still more projection than final product.

After throwing only one inning as a freshman, Eaton had a wild sophomore year, walking 25 in 42 1/3 innings (while striking out 47) before heading to the Cape, where he teased some more. He was better as a junior (walk rate dropped from 5.3 to 4.9 per 9, and strikeout rate improved from 10 to 11.9 per 9), but still failed to put it all together.

Now we head into the draft, where Eaton continues to flash a 94-mph fastball and above-average slider. There will be a team (or teams) out there who thinks they can develop him professionally into a starter and will likely be able to get him late on Day Two or on Day Three.

Who excites you from the college pitching class in 2024? Who are you higher on than other prospects? Jump into the draft conversation in the comments below.

---

Find more draft coverage here:

2024

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