2 The Bigs

By Sal Corso: December 3rd, 2024

2024 Bowman Draft is HERE. And as always, it’s without a doubt the best card release of the year. Our first full-length YouTube video goes into 10 players that you definitely want to grab up in the card market or in your Dynasty League FYPD (First-Year-Player-Draft). 2 The Bigs gives you eight-1st Round Draft Picks and two-2nd Round sleepers that have tremendous upside.

Here are our notes for each player:

10. Griffin Burkholder (PHI) [Round 2, 63rd Overall]

Strong, fast, and a big arm. The tools are there for the young kid who can squat 500 lbs in his teen years. But the jury is still out on his hit tool. He was stolen from WVU by the Phil’s as he rose up to the 2nd round before draft day. Fastest kid in draft with plus power? I like him as a better value prep-school play to Konnor Griffin.

9. Tyson Lewis (CIN) [Round 2, 51st Overall]

Quick, left handed swing. Another high school bat, this one out of Nebraska. Gatorade Player of the Year, 496/.579/.912 with eight home runs, 41 RBIs and 31 stolen bases during his senior season. We’ll see about the power come his pro debut but the tools are also there for a 2nd round flier.

8. Caleb Bonemer (CHW) [Round 2, 43rd Overall]

At the Perfect Game National Caleb hit two HR and had two 105+ barrels. That’s likely to do his bat speed which MLB.com scouts rated as the fastest in the high school class. A very high upside Shortstop ranked 2nd nationally at the position and 6th overall.

7. Konnor Griffin (PIT) [Round1, 9th Overall]

May be the highest potential in the entire draft class, but a young-prep school signee with a lot of work to do. A big power righty swing, not jumping on the 30-30 potential bandwagon yet until we see a pro debut but he’s enticing nonetheless. Also need the pirates to do something they don’t generally do, and that’s develop a young bat.

6. Dante Nori (PHI) [Round 1, 27th Overall]

Two Phils on the list. Organization has extensive value in OF (Nori, Burkholder, Crawford). However, a much more seasoned, comfortable hit tool for Dante than Griffin. He’s got a very quick lefty swing, which is why he can consistently put bat to ball. Phillies Assistant GM called him an “advanced bat with good tools”. He hit .477 with 20 SB and 52 SB in his Mr. Baseball Senior season in Michigan.

5. Christian Moore (LAA) [Round 1, 27th Overall]

Covered him in our Hottest Hitters write-up in August when he hit 6 homers in 6 straight games. Moore Wow’d in pro debut, .347/.400/.584 across 110 PA with those 6 HR 20 RBI. Problem is he added 29 K’s. He’s GOT to get that K-rate down if he plans on being a major league bat. It’s likely due to his long swing, which the Angels could fix. A positive is that he has a near split of balls hit to each field and he sees over 3.5 pitches per plate appearance.

4. Carson Benge (NYM) [Round 1, 19th Overall]

One of the higher floors of the group. Baseball America sees him only needing a single year in the minors. .856 OPS in 55 AB at A-ball. 14 K’s but 11 BB. He should get that K-rate down next year closer to his collegiate career. He’ll get comfortable real quick. We love a high power potential with a good, high floor hit tool. I think I’m higher on his power than most.

3. Braylon Payne (MIL) [Round 1, 17th Overall]

ESPN thinks he was taken too high, I don’t. SB and Hits record for Elkins High, formerly owned by Matt Carpenter. Quick 16 ABs in A ball he went 7/16 with a 1.151 OPS with 4 steals in 4 games. My personal favorite upside pick in the 1st round. The confidence is there too, “Spend less than a year at every single place – that’s my goal,”. Team that developed Chourio and even Turang, Mitchell and Frelick.

2. Jac Caglianone (KC) [Round 1, 6th Overall]

Mix of Judge and Ohtani hype, we’re not buying either. That doesn’t mean he won’t be good. We aren’t big here on high-chase guys, although he’s kept his K-rate down right around 20% in pro debut and fall league. Hit a HR in 9 straight games in Florida and set the school record for HR. He’s going to have a hard time hitting lefties.

1. Nick Kurtz (A’s) [Round 1, 3rd Overall]

The most MLB ready hitter in draft but very injury prone. A 6’5 lefty monster, .530 OBP in college, led D1 in walks, hits all over the field, great pro start in 12 games A/AA 1.283 OPS 4 HR 13 RBI in 12 games