Sean McCormack's 2024 MLB mock draft

The 2024 MLB Draft gets underway this Sunday. As previously written here, I have the Marlins selecting Oklahoma State outfielder Carson Benge with the 16th overall pick, which would be a great selection.

Benge has flown up the draft boards moving into his redshirt sophomore year of college. Benge missed his freshman year of college after undergoing Tommy John surgery and since then has focused on hitting. He is a good outfield defender with a solid arm. He projects to be a corner outfielder moving forward, but can fill in at center field if needed.

Where Benge pops is in his bat. Benge this last season had 18 home runs and posted a .335/.444/.665 slash line, giving him a 1.109 OPS on the season. He nearly walked as much as he struck out with 51 K's and 49 walks. His under-the-hood data is even more promising than his counting stats. He posted elite max exit velocities in the top 1% of college baseball. He combines this wicked power with a great plate approach, which is something Peter Bendix and staff covets in players. With a great zone contact rate of 84% and low chase rates, this is a recipe that should continue leading him to success in the pros.

My one knock on Benge would be that there are many moving components to his swing. As competition gets tougher, he may want to ease out his swing so higher velos don't catch up on him. Even with that being said, scouts have Benge listed with a 55-hit tool, which is above average for the big leagues.

See below for my full mock draft: