2024 Preseason College All-American Teams

Image credit: Nick Kurtz (Photo by Brian Westerholt/Four Seam Images)

Baseball America presents its 2024 Preseason All-America college teams, as voted on by the scouting departments of major league organizations. 

The first team is led by Wake Forest first baseman Nick Kurtz and Florida utility player Jac Caglianone, who were the only two unanimous first team selections. Wake Forest leads all schools with three players selected on the first team and four players in total among the three teams. 

Top 200 Draft Prospects

Full scouting reports on the top 200 players in the 2024 class entering the season via BA’s Carlos Collazo.

SEE THE LIST

Baseball America annually polls major league scouting directors to vote for its Preseason All-America teams, asking only that they make their selections based on performance, talent and professional potential. The BA Preseason All-America teams have been a predictor of both first round draft talent and team success in previous years. 

Twelve of the 13 eligible first team members from the 2023 preseason all-america team went on to be first round selections, with only reliever Andrew Walters (2nd round) not joining the group. 

This year’s teams include seven players who are repeat nominees, led by righthander Chase Burns who joins the first team once again in 2024 after making the 2023 first team as an underclassman. Others include 2023 second teamers Tommy White, Vance Honeycutt and Braden Montgomery and 2023 third teamers Nick Kurtz, Brody Brecht and Carter Holton.

Baseball America received votes from 13 organizations.

• Bold indicates unanimous first team selection

First Team 

Pos	Player	School
C	Malcolm Moore	Stanford
1B	Nick Kurtz	Wake Forest
2B	JJ Wetherholt	West Virginia
3B	Tommy White	LSU
SS	Kaelen Culpepper	Kansas State
OF	Charlie Condon	Georgia
OF	Mike Sirota	Northeastern
OF	Vance Honeycutt	North Carolina
SP	Josh Hartle	Wake Forest
SP	Chase Burns	Wake Forest
SP	Hagen Smith	Arkansas
SP	Drew Beam	Tennessee
RP	Tyson Neighbors	Kansas State
UTL	Jac Caglianone	Florida

Malcolm Moore, C, Stanford

Moore was a standout pure hitter coming out of high school in the 2022 class and had a freshman All-American season with a .311/.386/.564 slash line including 15 home runs and 20 doubles. His swing is unorthodox with an extremely open stance, but he supplies special power upside for a catcher. He’ll need to refine his defensive ability to stick at the position, but he does boast above-average arm strength. 

Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest

Kurtz enters the season in the running for the first overall pick thanks to a well-rounded set of offensive tools and skills. He has a prototypical slugger’s build at 6-foot-5 and the power to match, but his swing is more compact than you’d expect given his size and both his pure contact ability and batting eye are clear strengths. He’s a great athlete and plus defender at first who might be able to play corner outfield. 

JJ Wetherholt, 2B, West Virginia

Wetherholt led the nation in hitting in 2023 and slashed .449/.517/.782 with 16 home runs, 23 doubles and 35 stolen bases. He followed up that sensational season by showing out as the best player with Team USA during the summer—all while battling a hamstring injury. Wetherholt has surprising pop thanks to snappy, strong hands and he should get a chance to prove his shortstop defense this spring. 

Tommy White, 3B, LSU

White has a chance to cement himself as one of college baseball’s all-time sluggers, and perhaps he’s already done so after a 24-homer season with NC State as a freshman and a 27-homer follow up campaign with LSU in 2023. His bat-to-ball skills, power and aggressive approach make him a nightmare matchup for pitchers and his offensive chops should make him a first round pick even with some defensive question marks. 

Kaelen Culpepper, SS, Kansas State

Culpepper will slide over to shortstop in the wake of Nick Goodwin’s departure for Kansas State, and he showed more than enough ability to handle the position during the summer with above-average arm strength and standout athleticism. He has electric hands in the box and slashed .325/.423/.576 in 2023 with Kansas State, hit well with Team USA over the summer and is also a smart and efficient base runner.

Charlie Condon, OF, Georgia

Baseball America’s 2023 freshman of the year, Condon had an unbelievable season for Georgia and finished tied for seventh with 26 home runs and put up a .386/.484/.800 slash line. He’s a power-over-hit offensive profile with long levers and some swing-and-miss concerns, but his swing decisions 94-mph average exit velocity give confidence that he’ll hit for enough impact to live with a few strikeouts. After playing first base in 2023, he could spend time in the outfield this spring. 

Mike Sirota, OF, Northeastern

Perhaps the only ding on Sirota’s scouting card is that he doesn’t play in a power conference. The 6-foot-3, 188-pound outfielder has one of the most well-rounded profiles in the class with above-average contact ability, quick hands, excellent swing decisions and solid pop. Those offensive tools look even better after factoring in his center field defensive role and plus speed. He has 20-20 upside and solid wood bat track record in the Cape Cod League to ease any small school questions. 

Vance Honeycutt, OF, North Carolina

In terms of toolset and athleticism Honeycutt would rank near the top of the draft class. He’s a no-doubt plus runner who pulls off acrobatic, highlight-reel caliber plays in center field with ease and also turned in a 25-homer, 29-stolen base season as a freshman at UNC in 2022. While he cut his strikeouts as a sophomore, Honeycutt has never hit over .300 and has a 1-1 case if he can show a better hit tool this spring.  

Josh Hartle, SP, Wake Forest

Hartle had day one talent out of high school, but announced his intention to make it to campus at Wake Forest prior to the 2021 draft. Hartle is a first-round, high-probability, pitchability lefthander in the Nick Lodolo mold and doubled his strikeout rate year-over-year in Winston Salem, going from a 16.6% rate in 2022 to 33.4% in 2023. Others throw harder, but Hartle commands a low-90s fastball, curveball, changeup and cutter with supreme confidence. 

Chase Burns, SP, Wake Forest

Burns returns as a first team preseason All-American after landing on this list a year ago. His tremendous arm talent dates back to his prep days and after shifting to bullpen role in 2023 with Tennessee, Burns will look to re-establish his starting chops with Wake Forest in 2024. His fastball averages 96 and gets into the triple digits and he backs that up with a vicious upper-80s slider. Those two pitches give him some of the best pure stuff in the nation. 

Hagen Smith, SP, Arkansas

Smith creates uncomfortable at-bats thanks to an electric arsenal and an effectively wild command profile. He’s been a two-year starter for Arkansas but made a sizable jump in velocity from 2022 to 2023 and now sits with a 93-mph fastball that has been up to 98. He has impressive feel for a mid-80s slider that is easily plus, and also mixes in a useful changeup. Smith already has a TJ on his resume and could add to his draft stock by sharpening his command. 

Drew Beam, SP, Tennessee

Beam’s starter resume is unimpeachable and unmatched in the 2024 college draft class. In two seasons with Tennessee he posted a 3.20 ERA in 32 starts and 160.1 innings with a solid 22.5% strikeout rate and 6.7% walk rate. Beam has a real five-pitch mix, but mostly establishes the zone with a mid-90s fastball and gets his misses with a curveball and changeup. His 6-foot-4, 208-pound frame further add to his starter traits. 

Tyson Neighbors, RP, Kansas State

After throwing just 8.1 innings in 2022, Neighbors broke out as one of the best relievers in the country in 2023 when he posted a 1.85 ERA in 48.2 innings with a 46.7% strikeout rate and 8.7% walk rate. He gets a ton of riding life on a 94-mph fastball that has been up to 99 and mixes in a plus slider that sits in the mid 80s as well as a high-spin curveball that’s a few ticks slower. 

Jac Caglianone, UTL, Florida

Caglianone’s talent on both sides of the ball is exceptional. On a team that included Wyatt Langford, it was Caglianone who led the Gators—and the nation—with 33 home runs while moonlighting as a Sunday starter who posted a 4.34 ERA and averaged 95 mph with a heavy-running fastball. To make the most of his talent, Caglianone needs to sharpen his swing decisions as a hitter and throw more strikes on the mound. 

Second Team

Pos	Player	School
C	Caleb Lomavita	California
1B	Blake Burke	Tennessee
2B	Travis Bazzana	Oregon State
3B	Cam Smith	Florida State
SS	Anthony Silva	TCU
OF	Seaver King	Wake Forest
OF	Cam Cannarella	Clemson
OF	Jace LaViolette	Texas A&M
SP	Brody Brecht	Iowa
SP	Jonathan Santucci	Duke
SP	Trey Yesavage	ECU
SP	Thatcher Hurd	LSU
RP	Brandon Neely	Florida
UTL	Braden Montgomery	Texas A&M

Third Team

Pos	Player	School
C	Jacob Cozart	NC State
1B	Derek Bender	Coastal Carolina
2B	Christian Moore/Duce Gourson	Tennessee/UCLA
3B	Billy Amick	Tennessee
SS	Griff O’Ferrall	Virginia
OF	Ethan Petry	South Carolina
OF	Will Turner	South Alabama
OF	Dakota Jordan	Mississippi State
SP	Ben Hess	Alabama
SP	Matt Scott	Stanford
SP	Matt Ager	UC Santa Barbara
SP	Carter Holton	Vanderbilt
RP	Greysen Carter	Vanderbilt
UTL	Carson Benge	Oklahoma State

Best Athlete

1. Vance Honeycutt, OF, North Carolina
2. Seaver King, OF, Wake Forest
3. Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida

Best Pure Hitter

1. JJ Wetherholt, 2B, West Virginia
2. Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State
3. Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest

Best Power

1. Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida
2. Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest
3. Charlie Condon, OF, Georgia

Fastest Runner

1. Vance Honeycutt, OF, North Carolina
2. Austin Overn, OF, Southern California
3. John Spikerman, OF, Oklahoma

Best Defensive Infielder

1. Anthony Silva, SS, TCU
2. Griff O’Ferrall, SS, Virginia
3. Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest

Best Defensive Outfielder

1. Vance Honeycutt, OF, North Carolina
2. John Spikerman, OF, Oklahoma
3. Austin Overn, OF, Southern California

Best Infield Arm

1. Cam Smith, 3B, Florida State
2. Kaelen Culpepper, SS, Kansas State
3. Cole Mathis, 1B/RHP, College of Charleston 

Best Outfield Arm

1. Braden Montgomery, OF, Stanford
2. Vance Honeycutt, OF, North Carolina
3. Nick McLain, OF, Arizona State

Best Catcher Arm

1. Jacob Cozart, C, NC State
2. Walker Janek, C, Sam Houston State
3. Bryan Arendt, C, UNC Wilmington

Best Fastball

1. Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest
2. Brody Brecht, RHP, Iowa
3. Michael Massey, RHP, Wake Forest

Best Fastball Movement

1. Ben Hess, RHP, Alabama
2. Jonathan Santucci, LHP, Duke
3. Michael Massey, RHP, Wake Forest

Best Breaking Ball

1. Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest (SL)
2. Brody Brecht, RHP, Iowa (SL)
3. Thatcher Hurd, RHP, LSU (SL)

Best Changeup

1. Josh Hartle, LHP, Wake Forest
2. Drew Beam, RHP, Tennessee
3. Daniel Avitia, RHP, Grand Canyon

Best Command

1. Josh Hartle, LHP, Wake Forest
2. Drew Beam, RHP, Tennessee
3. Luke Holman, RHP, LSU

Best Athlete (Pitcher)

1. Brody Brecht, RHP, Iowa
2. Jac Caglianone, LHP/1B, Florida
3. Braden Montgomery, OF/RHP, Texas A&M

Closest To the Majors

1. Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest
2. JJ Wetherholt, 2B, West Virginia
3. Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State