NEW YORK -- The MLB Draft League had a record-setting 52 players selected in the 2024 MLB Draft, surpassing the Draft League’s previous highest total of 47 picks in 2021 and 2023 Drafts. Additionally, the Draft League established another new record by having 36 players who participated in the first half of the 2024 Draft League season selected during the three-day event. Overall, the Draft League has had 185 players picked in the MLB Draft since the league’s inception in 2021.
After producing 19 Day 2 selections in the 2023 Draft, one more than the 2021-22 Drafts combined, the Draft League saw a record 20 Draft League players drafted during Rounds 3-10. Of the Draft League’s 57 total Day 2 picks since ‘21, 12 have been selected within the top five rounds, including nine in the past two Drafts alone.
L.P. Langevin (2023 West Virginia Black Bears) was the Draft League’s top pick in 2024, selected by the Kansas City Royals with the No. 105 overall pick in the fourth round. The Louisiana-Lafayette right-hander is the fourth-highest pick in Draft League history, and it marks the second straight year that a player one year removed from playing in the Draft League became its top pick.
Eddie Rynders (2024 Williamsport Crosscutters), a shortstop from Wisconsin Lutheran HS (Wisc.) taken by the Pirates with pick No. 112 in the fourth round, is the Draft League’s fifth-highest all-time selection and its highest-ever pick from the high school ranks. Rounding out the Draft League’s top-five-round selections this year was Coastal Carolina infielder Sam Antonnacci (2022 Black Bears), the White Sox fifth-round pick (No. 145 overall).
Beginning with the selections of Langevin and Ryders eight picks apart, there were 16 instances in this year’s Draft in which teams selected multiple Draft League players within a five-pick span and eight times that two Draft League players were taken within three picks. Draft League players were selected twice with consecutive picks: OF Joel Dragoo and RHP Ryan Lambert (Nos. 222 and 223), and C Ben Hartl and RHP Blake Hammond (Nos. 435 and 436).
Led by Rynders, five high school players who participated in the 2024 season’s first half were selected in the 2024 Draft, a new Draft League record after the league produced six prep picks in the 2022-23 Drafts combined. The group accounted for two of the Draft League’s first four picks this year, with RHP Josiah Romeo (6th round, No. 166 overall) joining Rynders as a Day 2 selection. Additionally, 16 Draft League alumni from the 2021-23 seasons were picked in the ‘24 Draft, with Langevin and Antonacci headlining the league’s eight alum selections during Rounds 3-10, and Phillies’ 11th-rounder RHP Titan Hayes (Williamsport ‘23) leading the Day 3 group.
Collegiate players accounted for 47 of the Draft League’s picks in 2023, with nearly 90 percent of the league’s college selections coming from the NCAA Division I level. Three Division II players were drafted for a second year, and the Draft League had its first Division III selection in RHP Hunter Dryden (Mahoning Valley ‘24), drafted by the Giants in the 17th round.
The Draft League established a new record with 24 position players selected in the 2024 MLB Draft, surpassing the league’s previous top mark of 17 in ‘23. The group includes 10 outfielders, another Draft League record after it had 10 outfielders picked in the past two drafts combined. The Sun Belt led all Division I conferences with five selections, followed by the Big 12 (4), Big West (4), Atlantic 10 (3) and WCC (2). In total, 21 Division I baseball conferences were represented via Draft League players selected in the ‘24 Draft.
Trenton and West Virginia paced the six Draft League teams this year with 11 picks each, followed by Williamsport (10), West Virginia (10), Mahoning Valley (9), Frederick (6) and State College (6). The Scrappers received credit for the pick for Angels sixth-rounder RHP Peyton Olejnik (6th round, No. 172), who pitched for the 2022 Black Bears before joining Mahoning Valley in ‘24.
The National League East drafted more Draft League talent than any other MLB division for a second straight year, with the Phillies (5), Marlins (3), Mets (2), Braves (1) and Nationals (1) accounting for more than 23% of the Draft League’s 2024 selections. American League Central teams drafted 11 Draft League players, with the Royals and White Sox selecting three apiece, while the AL East and West each plucked nine players from the Draft League ranks.
The Phillies led all MLB teams with five Draft League selections this year, followed by the Blue Jays, Orioles, Athletics, Royals, White Sox and Marlins with three. Overall, 26 different MLB organizations selected a Draft League player in the 2024 Draft, besting the Draft League’s previous record (24).
Complete list of MLB Draft League players selected in the 2024 MLB Draft:
Frederick Keys
RHP Christian Rodriguez (10th, Orioles)
C Brock Tibbitts (13th, Blue Jays)
RHP Kyle Ayers ‘22 (13th, Diamondbacks)
SS Cam Clayton (14th, Marlins)
OF JoJo Jackson (17th, Yankees)
RHP Evan Yates (20th, Orioles)
Mahoning Valley Scrappers
RHP Peyton Olejnik (6th, Angels)*
OF Joel Dragoo (7th, Phillies)
3B Jared Sprague-Lott ‘23 (9th, Athletics)
RHP Zachary Cawyer (11th, Royals)
C Coen Niclai (15th, Marlins)
RHP Andrew Morones (16th, Royals)
RHP Jacob Remily (16th, Guardians)
RHP Hunter Dryden (17th, Giants)
RHP Frank Elissalt ‘22 (19th, Mets)
*also pitched for 2022 West Virginia Black Bears
State College Spikes
3B Robert Hipwell (6th, Giants)
RHP Fidel Ulloa (7th, Rockies)
1B Tyler Wilson ‘23 (8th, Yankees)
LHP Jacob Kroeger (10th, Braves)
3B Deniel Ortiz (16th, Cardinals)
C Owen Ayers ‘22 (19th, Cubs)
Trenton Thunder
RHP Josiah Romeo (6th, Athletics)
OF Jackson Strong (7th, Tigers)
OF Nathan Archer (12th, White Sox)
OF Ryan Cesarini (14th, Guardians)
RHP Jacob Kisting (14th, Twins)
RHP Blake Hammond (15th, Athletics)
RHP Luke Gabrysh (15th, Phillies)
RHP Eli Trop ‘23 (16th, Phillies)
OF Ryan Picollo (20th, Mariners)
SS Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek (20th, Blue Jays)
West Virginia Black Bears
RHP L.P. Langevin ‘23 (4th, Royals)
SS Sam Antonacci ‘22 (5th, White Sox)
RHP Ryan Lambert (8th, Mets)
LHP Ethan Sloan (8th, Tigers)
RHP Blake Shepardson (11th, White Sox)
RHP Ryan Schiefer ‘23 (14th, Rays)
C Ben Hartl ‘22 (14th, Rangers)
RHP Eric Loomis (15th, Rangers)
OF Andrew Patrick (17th, Pirates)
RHP Ryan Degges ‘23 (17th, Phillies)
Williamsport Crosscutters
SS Eddie Rynders (4th, Pirates)
OF Joseph Sullivan ‘23 (7th, Astros)
RHP Will Riley ‘21 (8th, Mariners)
OF Eddie Micheletti Jr. ‘22 (8th, Blue Jays)
RHP Jack Crowder ‘23 (9th, Orioles)
RHP Luke Johnson (10th, Nationals)
RHP Titan Hayes ‘23 (11th, Phillies)
OF Anthony Stephan (13th, Reds)
RHP Jimmy Romano (16th, Reds)
1B Eric Rataczak (16th, Marlins)
For more information about the MLB Draft League, visit mlbdraftleague.com or follow @mlbdraftleague and @draftleaguedata on Twitter, and @mlbdraftleague on Instagram.
