Virginia Baseball: Hoos Headed to the MLB Draft? Latest Prospect Rankings

Matt Newton | Jun 28, 2024

Virginia shortstop Griff O'Ferrall is projected to be a first round pick in the most recent MLB.com mock draft for the 2024 MLB Draft. / Virginia Athletics

The most impactful aspect of the offseason for the Virginia baseball program is seeing which current Cavaliers and, perhaps more importantly, which of UVA's high school commits, will hear their names called at the MLB Draft. Depending on where they are taken in the draft and how much money is guaranteed in their rookie contract, the high school players in particular will have a tough decision to make as to whether they sign with those teams and begin their professional careers or go the college route and come to Virginia.

As for the current team members, Griff O'Ferrall is almost a certainty to turn pro as the nation's top shortstop is projected to be a first round pick in next month's draft. For other draft-eligible players like Ethan Anderson and Casey Saucke, though, it's less clear. How those dominoes fall will have dramatic effects on what Brian O'Connor's roster looks like next spring.

MLB.com updated its prospect rankings for the 2024 MLB Draft this week and a total of 13 players who are either currently members of the Virginia baseball team or are high school recruits currently committed to play baseball at UVA made the list of 250 draft prospects:

Virginia Baseball in the MLB Pipeline Prospect Rankings (note: HS players in italics)
SS Griff O'Ferrall - 38
SS Luke Dickerson - 49
RHP Bryce Meccage - 51
SS/3B Caleb Bonemer - 71
C/1B Ethan Anderson - 78
RHP Trey Gregory-Alford - 105
LHP Tomas Valincius - 107
LHP William Kirk - 110
OF Harrison Didawick - 125
OF Casey Saucke - 127
3B Aiden Harris - 168
C James Nunnallee - 200
RHP Jay Woolfolk - 250

Of the 14 high school players currently committed to play baseball at the University of Virginia out of the class of 2024, eight of them are listed among the top 250 prospects for the 2024 MLB Draft, headlined by top 75 prospects Luke Dickerson, Bryce Meccage, and Caleb Bonemer.

O'Ferrall is listed as the No. 38 overall player in the prospect rankings and the eighth-ranked shortstop. Ethan Anderson comes in at No. 78 and Casey Saucke is ranked No. 127, while Jay Woolfolk rounds out the rankings at No. 250.

Harrison Didawick, who matched Jake Gelof's single-season home record this spring, just wrapped up his sophomore season as a Cavalier, but he is eligible to be selected in the MLB Draft this year because he turned 21 years old this month. Once a player begins competing in college baseball, he has to stay in school until he completes his junior year or until he turns 21 years old. Didawick is the No. 125-ranked prospect in the draft.

Jim Callis of MLB.com released a new mock draft on Thursday and projected O'Ferrall to get picked No. 34 overall in the first round by the Milwaukee Brewers. That 34th draft slot carries with it a bonus slot value of $2,698,300 in this year's draft. Click here for more information on the slot values and bonus pools for the 2024 MLB Draft.

The 2024 MLB Draft will take place from Sunday, July 14th through Tuesday, July 16th at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas.

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