Though the nature of the baseball draft means that some of the picks we aren’t quite sure about on Day 1 will become clearer when we see how teams spread their bonus allotment around later in the draft, here are the early picks I liked the most and some eye-opening selections along with the top players still available entering Day 2.
Five favorite moves
Mariners and Pirates get their guys
The buzz leading up to the draft was that Kade Anderson was atop the Mariners’ draft board and Seth Hernandez was the top target (after Willits, who wasn’t going to get there) of the Pirates. Seattle was the other team taking a long look at Hernandez, but the shenanigans at the top two picks (more on that later) means that both Seattle and Pittsburgh got their preferred arms.
A’s select Arnold and Taylor
The Athletics had only two picks on Day 1 but received excellent values at each. Jamie Arnold was the top prospect in the draft entering the season and seemed primed to go somewhere between No. 2 and No. 8 after an uneven season. He somehow was the prospect left holding the short straw, falling to the 11th pick. Devin Taylor was in the mix at multiple picks in the comp round but lasted five selections into the second round.
Twins embrace risk with Quick and Young
The Twins took two hit-first college infielders as their first picks last year (Kaelen Culpepper and Kyle DeBarge), took another one in the 2023 second round (Luke Keaschall), and two more in the top two rounds in 2022 (Brooks Lee, Tanner Schobel) — and also took one with their first pick this year in Marek Houston.
What interested me though is what Minnesota did after that, taking big swings with the upside of Riley Quick (four potential plus pitches but below-average command) and Quentin Young (80-grade power potential with big questions on contact rate).
Phillies try to jump the reliever trade market?
Gage Wood has a chance to start long term but can also go straight to the upper minors — if not the big leagues — and potentially help the bullpen later this season, like a trade deadline addition. The Phillies’ next pick, Cade Obermueller, is another possible starter who also could move quickly as a lefty turning 22 later this month with two knockout pitches in his fastball/slider combo. Odds are good that at least one of them can provide big league value in the next 12 months if Philly wants to utilize them that way.
The Red Sox land Witherspoon, Phillips and Eyanson
The Red Sox are interested in creating more pitching depth and selected a number of interesting arms on Day 1. Kyson Witherspoon had a lot of interest in the top 10, but the Red Sox got him at No. 15.
He’ll need to sharpen his execution a notch and his short arm action is unique, but there’s midrotation upside. Marcus Phillips has a chance to start but could also bring another distinctive look as a late-inning arm with four plus pitches from a low slot and a triple-digit fastball. Anthony Eyanson is a different sort, with fringy fastball velocity but standout command along with a slider and splitter that keep hitters off-balance.
Five eye-openers
Eli Willits at No. 1
The buzz ahead of the draft was that there were three players in play for the top pick and Willits was my third-ranked player in the class, so the same group is what I would’ve been considering — and I love Willits as a player. The bonus will be a factor in evaluating how successful this pick will be viewed — I’ll guess it starts with an eight — but I think this will be seen as a solid decision, as long as Kade Anderson or Ethan Holliday don’t become stars.
Tyler Bremner at No. 2
The biggest piece of late buzz I was hearing is that Bremner was in play at No. 3 to the Mariners. I didn’t hear his name at all at No. 2 so that made this pick the first shocker in the draft.
Bremner was considered in this area (on a deal) because he could easily be the best pitcher in this class — but only if he can develop a better slider, which isn’t a small if. The Angels seem to have a thought about how to solve this, and how he progresses will be one of the more followed storylines of this draft.
Tigers take Yost and Oliveto
I like both players, but it’s fascinating that these two and the most-rumored prep hitter tied to Detroit that they didn’t take (Coy James, who had a tough summer) were all missing strong 2024 summer performances.
Jordan Yost and Michael Oliveto were the only two prep position players in the first-round mix who weren’t in the major national events on the summer circuit, thus creating a lot of uncertainty about how to project them.
The Tigers are right to assume this could create a potential quick gain in value if Yost and Oliveto can perform early in their pro careers, but I don’t remember seeing a team double down on lack of summer exposure in the early rounds.
Orioles take two catchers in the first round, and two pitchers in the second
It’s certainly a bit odd that the Orioles took two college catchers with their first two picks after taking another one (Ethan Anderson) in the second round last year. Obviously, teams don’t draft for big league need — the O’s already have Adley Rutschman — and they need at least two catchers at all four full season minor league affiliates, it’s just odd to see them invest in this position early multiple times. And after all of the position players they have drafted under Mike Elias, they did sneak in two arms on Day 1 with Joseph Dzierwa (a command-forward lefty) and J.T. Quinn (one of my favorite college relievers with the traits to start in pro ball).
Guardians lean into power
The Guardians often draft, or sign internationally, hit-first players who are often underpowered, with Steven Kwan a prominent example. They swerved a lot this year, taking Jace LaViolette with their first pick (I compare him to Cody Bellinger or Joey Gallo; he hit .258 this season) and Nolan Schubart (24% strikeout rate, 22% in-zone whiff rate) with their fifth pick on Day 1. Those two have big power and strong pull/lift rates, and LaViolette has the athleticism to play center field, so there’s real talent, it’s just not usually the type that the Guardians have targeted.
Best available for Day 2
Listed by top 250 draft rankings
43. Mason Neville, OF, Oregon 44. Matthew Fisher, RHP, Evansville Memorial HS (Ind.) 53. Josiah Hartshorn, LF, Orange Lutheran HS (Calif.) 55. Brock Sell, CF, Tokay HS (Calif.) 61. Jack Bauer, LHP, Lincoln Way East HS (Ill.) 69. Coy James, SS, Davie County HS (N.C.) 70. Alec Blair, CF, De La Salle HS (Calif.) 71. Mason Pike, RHP, Puyallup HS (Wash.) 72. Cam Appenzeller, LHP, Glenwood HS (Ill.) 73. Briggs McKenzie, LHP, Corinth Holders HS (N.C.)
Week 4 did not produce any seismic upsets, but as always, there were plenty of eye-opening results that impacted the College Football Playoff picture and beyond.
Among the games that altered perceptions were Indiana’s dismantling of Illinois, decisive wins by Texas Tech (at Utah) and Ole Miss (over Tulane), and road victories by Syracuse (at Clemson) and Michigan (at Nebraska).
As in last season’s inaugural 12-team CFP, the five highest-ranked conference champions, plus the next seven highest-ranked teams, will make the field. Unlike last year, the four highest-ranked teams (not necessarily conference champions) will be awarded first-round byes. The other eight teams will meet in first-round games at the campus sites of seeds Nos. 5 through 8.
From there, the quarterfinals and semifinals will be played in what had been the New Year’s Six bowls, with this season’s national championship game scheduled for Jan. 19 at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.
All of that is just the tip of the iceberg, though. Apart from the playoff is the 35-game slate of bowl games, beginning with the Cricket Celebration Bowl on Dec. 13.
We’re here for all of it.
ESPN bowl gurus Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach are projecting every postseason matchup, including their breakdowns of how the playoff will play out, and we’ll be back every week of the season until the actual matchups are set.
Bonagura: No. 12 South Florida at No. 5 LSU Schlabach: No. 12 South Florida at No. 5 Oregon
Bonagura: No. 11 Texas Tech at No. 6 Miami Schlabach: No. 11 Indiana at No. 6 Penn State
Bonagura: No. 10 Texas at No. 7 Florida State Schlabach: No. 10 Texas A&M at No. 7 Florida State
Bonagura: No. 9 Oklahoma at No. 8 Indiana Schlabach: No. 9 Texas Tech at No. 8 Oklahoma
First-round breakdown
Bonagura: Two teams worth highlighting this week are Indiana and Texas Tech, both of which had huge wins against conference teams that were in these projections a week ago (Illinois and Utah). These games weren’t just wins, they were statements. Indiana beat Illinois by 53, and Tech beat Utah by 24.
For Texas Tech, the win should establish the Red Raiders as the favorite in the Big 12 — a conference that will have a tough time getting two teams in the playoff. For Indiana, the road is more difficult — but it’s manageable. The only ranked teams left on its schedule are Oregon and Penn State, so if the Hoosiers hold serve in the games they’re favored in and finish 10-2, that should be good enough to get in the playoff. Of course, this appears to be a team that can go toe-to-toe with anyone, so it’s premature to write off any games as losses.
Schlabach: It was another wild Saturday, and my playoff bracket has three new teams after Illinois, Tulane and Utah were on the wrong side of blowouts.
Texas Tech spent a boatload of cash boosting its roster this past offseason, and it paid off in Saturday’s 34-10 victory at Utah. The victory puts the Red Raiders and Iowa State in the driver’s seat in the Big 12 race, and those teams won’t play each other in the regular season. In fact, Texas Tech doesn’t face another Big 12 opponent that is currently ranked in the AP poll the rest of the way.
Indiana’s 63-10 rout of No. 9 Illinois put the rest of the Big 10 on notice. It was the Hoosiers’ first victory over a top-10 opponent in five years and its most lopsided win over one in school history. The Hoosiers play at Oregon on Oct. 11 and at Penn State on Nov. 8, so there won’t be any questions about their strength of schedule if they get back into the CFP for the second straight season.
USF, which beat Boise State and Florida earlier this season, returns to my 12-team bracket. The Bulls blasted FCS program South Carolina State 63-14, and they’re my fifth conference champion after Tulane lost 45-10 at Ole Miss on Saturday. I also strongly considered Memphis, which knocked off Arkansas 32-31 at home.
CFP quarterfinals
Wednesday, Dec. 31
CFP quarterfinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas) 7:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: No. 7 Florida State vs. No. 2 Oregon Schlabach: No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 LSU
Thursday, Jan. 1
CFP quarterfinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida) Noon, ESPN Bonagura: No. 5 LSU vs. No. 4 Penn State Schlabach: No. 7 Florida State vs. No. 2 Miami
CFP quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California) 4 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: No. 9 Oklahoma vs. No. 1 Ohio State Schlabach: No. 9 Texas Tech vs. No. 1 Ohio State
CFP quarterfinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Caesars Superdome (New Orleans) 8 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: No. 6 Miami vs. No. 3 Georgia Schlabach: No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 3 Georgia
Quarterfinals breakdown
Bonagura: The tastiest hypothetical quarterfinal matchup here is Georgia vs. Miami, which would feature Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck against his former team. The downside is that storyline would be so dominant everyone would quickly get tired of hearing about it.
Ohio State vs. Oklahoma looks good too, but then again that’s the whole point of the playoff. These are all enticing games.
Schlabach: These potential matchups would produce some intriguing storylines, with Florida State and Miami potentially meeting for a second (or third?) time. The Hurricanes have already taken down USF and Florida, and they’ll play the Seminoles on the road Oct. 4. Those teams could potentially meet again in the ACC championship game.
Ohio State and Texas Tech have much in common in terms of spending big bucks in the transfer portal, and Oregon and LSU would be a matchup of two of the best quarterbacks in the FBS: Garrett Nussmeier and Dante Moore.
Georgia and Penn State have played just once in the past 43 years. The Bulldogs defeated the Nittany Lions 24-17 in the 2015 TaxSlayer Bowl.
CFP semifinals, national championship game
Thursday, Jan. 8
CFP semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona) 7:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: No. 5 LSU vs. No. 1 Ohio State Schlabach: No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 2 Miami
Friday, Jan. 9
CFP semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) 7:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 2 Oregon Schlabach: No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 1 Ohio State
Monday, Jan. 19
CFP National Championship Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida) 7:45 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 1 Ohio State Schlabach: No. 2 Miami vs. No. 1 Ohio State
National championship breakdown
Bonagura: Ohio State is still the favorite on paper, but it has an interesting test Saturday against Washington at Seattle, which can be a tough place to play. And Husky Stadium will surely be electric for this one. The more important game this week is Oregon at Penn State, where the winner will be well on its way to the Big Ten title game.
Schlabach: I had all but one of my top four seeds advancing to the semifinals. A Georgia-Miami matchup in the Fiesta Bowl would be good drama, as Kyle noted in his quarterfinals breakdown.
Oregon and Ohio State won’t play each other in the regular season, but they could certainly meet in the Big Ten championship game. They played twice last season, with the Ducks winning 32-31 at home during the regular season and the Buckeyes flipping the script with a 41-21 victory in a CFP quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl.
Complete bowl season schedule
Saturday, Dec. 13
Cricket Celebration Bowl Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) Noon, ABC Bonagura: Alabama State vs. South Carolina State Schlabach: Jackson State vs. South Carolina State
LA Bowl SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California) 9 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Cal vs. UNLV Schlabach: Washington vs. UNLV
Tuesday, Dec. 16
IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl Cramton Bowl (Montgomery, Alabama) 9 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: South Alabama vs. Miami (Ohio) Schlabach: Western Kentucky vs. Georgia Southern
Wednesday, Dec. 17
StaffDNA Cure Bowl Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida) 5 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Buffalo vs. Cincinnati Schlabach: Northern Illinois vs. Troy
68 Ventures Bowl Hancock Whitney Stadium (Mobile, Alabama) 8:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Southern Miss vs. Middle Tennessee Schlabach: Old Dominion vs. Central Michigan
Friday, Dec. 19
Myrtle Beach Bowl Brooks Stadium (Conway, South Carolina) Noon, ESPN Bonagura: East Carolina vs. Marshall Schlabach: East Carolina vs. James Madison
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida) 3:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Mississippi State vs. NC State Schlabach: South Carolina vs. Virginia
Monday, Dec. 22
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Albertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho) 2 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Ohio vs. Fresno State Schlabach: Ohio vs. Utah State
Tuesday, Dec. 23
Boca Raton Bowl Flagler Credit Union Stadium (Boca Raton, Florida) 2 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: UConn vs. Northern Illinois Schlabach: Boise State vs. Toledo
New Orleans Bowl Caesars Superdome (New Orleans) 5:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: James Madison vs. Jacksonville State Schlabach: Coastal Carolina vs. Louisiana Tech
Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl Ford Center at The Star (Frisco, Texas) 9 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: North Texas vs. Texas State Schlabach: North Texas vs. New Mexico State
Wednesday, Dec. 24
Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex (Honolulu) 8 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Boise State vs. Arizona Schlabach: Hawai’i vs. Tulane
Friday, Dec. 26
GameAbove Sports Bowl Ford Field (Detroit) 1 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Rutgers vs. Toledo Schlabach: Rutgers vs. Buffalo
Rate Bowl Chase Field (Phoenix) 4:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Houston vs. Maryland Schlabach: Baylor vs. Michigan State
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl Gerald J. Ford Stadium (Dallas) 8 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Army vs. Appalachian State Schlabach: UCF vs. San Diego State
Saturday, Dec. 27
Go Bowling Military Bowl Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, Maryland) 11 a.m., ESPN Bonagura: Pitt vs. Memphis Schlabach: SMU vs. Navy
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl Yankee Stadium (Bronx, New York) Noon, ABC Bonagura: Duke vs. Iowa Schlabach: Clemson vs. Maryland
Wasabi Fenway Bowl Fenway Park (Boston) 2:15 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Clemson vs. Tulane Schlabach: NC State vs. Memphis
Pop-Tarts Bowl Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida) 3:30 p.m., ABC Bonagura: Georgia Tech vs. TCU Schlabach: Georgia Tech vs. Utah
Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl Arizona Stadium (Tucson, Arizona) 4:30 p.m., CW Network Bonagura: Bowling Green vs. New Mexico Schlabach: Bowling Green vs. Fresno State
Isleta New Mexico Bowl University Stadium (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 5:45 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Utah State vs. Western Kentucky Schlabach: Wyoming vs. Texas State
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Florida) 7:30 p.m. ABC Bonagura: Louisville vs. Alabama Schlabach: Syracuse vs. Alabama
Kinder’s Texas Bowl NRG Stadium (Houston) 9:15 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Iowa State vs. Texas A&M Schlabach: TCU vs. Ole Miss
Monday, Dec. 29
JLab Birmingham Bowl Protective Stadium (Birmingham, Alabama) 2 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: South Carolina vs. Old Dominion Schlabach: Mississippi State vs. Pittsburgh
Tuesday, Dec. 30
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl Independence Stadium (Shreveport, Louisiana) 2 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Baylor vs. Louisiana Tech Schlabach: Houston vs. Jacksonville State
Music City Bowl Nissan Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee) 5:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Minnesota vs. Auburn Schlabach: Illinois vs. Auburn
Valero Alamo Bowl Alamodome (San Antonio) 9 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: BYU vs. USC Schlabach: Iowa State vs. USC
Wednesday, Dec. 31
ReliaQuest Bowl Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida) Noon, ESPN Bonagura: Illinois vs. Tennessee Schlabach: Iowa vs. Tennessee
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl Sun Bowl Stadium (El Paso, Texas) 2 p.m., CBS Bonagura: SMU vs. Arizona State Schlabach: Notre Dame vs. Arizona
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida) 3 p.m., ABC Bonagura: Michigan vs. Ole Miss Schlabach: Michigan vs. Texas
SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas) 3:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Nebraska vs. Utah Schlabach: Nebraska vs. Cal
Friday, Jan. 2
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl Amon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth, Texas) 1 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Kansas vs. Navy Schlabach: Kansas vs. Rice
AutoZone Liberty Bowl Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee) 4:30 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: UCF vs. Missouri Schlabach: BYU vs. Missouri
Duke’s Mayo Bowl Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina) 8 p.m., ESPN Bonagura: Syracuse vs. Vanderbilt Schlabach: Duke vs. Vanderbilt
Holiday Bowl Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego) 8 p.m., Fox Bonagura: Notre Dame vs. Washington Schlabach: Louisville vs. Arizona State
College football reporter; joined ESPN in 2008. Graduate of Northwestern University.
UCF assistant coach Shawn Clark, who was the head coach at Appalachian State for five seasons, died Sunday at 50.
Clark had been hospitalized after experiencing a medical emergency Sept. 9. UCF coach Scott Frost said last week that Clark was “doing OK, he’s in stable condition,” and others close to him said he was making progress in his recovery. But he died “unexpectedly” Sunday, UCF announced, with his wife Jonelle at his side.
“Shawn was so much more than a coach. He was a remarkable man, husband, and father who cared deeply about his players and staff,” Frost said in a statement. “The reaction of our players and coaches to the news this morning is a testament to Shawn’s character and the impact he had on every life that he touched. He was loved. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Jonelle, and children, Giana and Braxton. We are here to support them and will continue to keep them in our hearts and prayers.”
Clark was in his first year with UCF as offensive line coach after going 40-24 at Appalachian State. A former Appalachian State offensive lineman, Clark returned to his alma mater as offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator in 2016, before taking over the program following the 2019 season.
“We are profoundly saddened by the passing of App State alumnus, football All-American and former head coach Shawn Clark. We extend our deepest sympathy to Shawn’s family and everyone who knew and loved him,” the school said in a statement.
Before returning to Appalachian State, Clark made stops at Kent State, Purdue and Eastern Kentucky.
“We are heartbroken by Shawn’s passing,” UCF athletic director Terry Mohajir said in a statement. “He brought passion, integrity, and a genuine love for people to everything he did.”
Clark is survived by Jonelle, a Hall of Fame softball player at Eastern Kentucky, and their two children.
The ACC fined Syracuse $25,000 and publicly reprimanded the school Monday for faking injuries in a 34-21 win over Clemson last weekend, calling its actions “unethical and contrary to the spirit of the rules.”
In a statement, the ACC said Syracuse violated a NCAA rule established this year aimed at stopping teams from faking injuries to slow down play.
With 9:25 left in the fourth quarter, the ACC said the action of two players and a coach “were a clear attempt to gain an unmerited advantage by stopping the game in order to secure an injury timeout.”
Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik accused Syracuse of faking injuries after the loss as a way to slow down its tempo.
“We were playing with tempo and props to them, they stopped us on some third downs and then they have an injury or something like that when we really got going,” Klubnik said. “That’s up to them if they want to be honest about that.
“That was definitely tough for us to really get in a rhythm. We’re playing fast and unfortunately they had a guy get hurt or a timeout or something like that.”
Syracuse defensive linemen Nissi Ogbebor and Kevin Jobity Jr. are both seen falling to the ground after a 23-yard completion from Klubnik to Tristan Smith for a first down to the Orange 9-yard line. The game was stopped so trainers could attend to them, as the Clemson crowd booed.
The ACC office and the National Coordinator of Football Officials reviewed the play. According to the ACC, the national coordinator “agreed that the action violated the spirit of the injury timeout and fair play and was done in a way to circumvent the new injury timeout rule to avoid the team being charged a timeout.”
Under the new NCAA rule, a team is charged a timeout if a player goes to the ground injured after the ball is spotted. But in this case, both players went down before the ball was spotted, so Syracuse was not charged a timeout.