Cleveland Guardians Focus On Pitching On Day Two Of MLB Draft, Recap Of Each Pick

The Cleveland Guardians selected eight pitchers during rounds 3-10 of the 2024 MLB Draft.

Jul 14, 2024; Ft. Worth, TX, USA; MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announces Minnesota Twins draft pick Travis Bazzana as the first pick during the first round of the MLB Draft at Cowtown Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Guardians had a clear plan heading into the second day of the MLB Draft (rounds three through ten). The front office selected only pitchers after selecting INF Travis Bazzana with the first overall pick and C Jake Cozart with their second pick of the night.

Here is a recap of all seven selections the Guardians made on Monday afternoon:

Pick 84: RHP Joey Oakie - Ankeny Centennial HS (IA)

The Guardians selected another high school pitcher with their first pick on day two of the draft. RHP Joey Oakie, 18, out of Ankeny Centennial HS in Iowa.

Oakie's best pitch so far appears to be his slider, which MLB.com scouts gave a grade of 65. His fastball is also promising, sitting in the low 90s and peaking at 97 mph. There is a lot of swing-and-miss potential with Oakie, and it is a great addition to Cleveland's pitching development program.

Pick 113 - LHP Rafe Schlesinger - University of Miami

Cleveland selected LHP Rafe Schlesinger out of the University of Miami with the 113th pick in the draft. The lefty has solid velocity, with his fastball topping out at 97 mph with his slider sitting in the mid-80s.

The biggest question with Schlesinger is whether he will be a starting pitcher or bullpen arm as he makes his way through the system. He started 15 games for the Hurricanes in 2024 and had a 1.678 WHIP and gave up about 12 hits per nine innings.

The pitch arsenal is there, but he'll need to find more consistency to be a starting pitcher.

Pick 146: RHP Aidan Major - West Virginia University

Cleveland continued its trend of drafting pitchers with this pick, selecting RHP Aidan Major out of West Virginia University. Major spent most of his collegiate career as a relief pitcher, mainly due to injuries.

Major's fastball is in the mid-90s, and he has an 85 mph slider, a mid-80s change-up, and an 89 mph cutter to complement the heater.

Pick 175: LHP Caden Favors - Wichita State University

Another pitcher goes to the Guardians as Cleveland selected LHP Caden Favors with the 175th overall pick.

Favors has a lot of potential to be a major league starter in the future. He started 16 games for the Shockers during the 2024 collegiate season, finishing with a 3.21 ERA and a 1.153 WHIP. Favors averaged one strikeout and inning and SO/W ratio of 107/20.

Pick 205: RHP Cameron Smith - Mount Vernon High School (IN)

The Guardians selected RHP Cameron Smith out of Mount Vernon HS, adding another high school pitcher to their draft class.

Smith already has an incredible fastball, which received a grade of 60 by MLB.com scouts. The heater currently sits at 94 mph, but he's been able to top out at 97 mph. While the velocity is more than impressive, Smith still needs to work on his command and location of his pitches.

Pick 235: LHP Donovan Zsak - Rutgers University

Another pitcher is headed to Cleveland as the organization took LHP Donovan Zsak.

Zsak was ranked by Perfect Game as the 24th best left handed pitcher in the nation. During his 2024 season at Rutgers, he eappred in 19 games and had a SO9 of 10.0. His fastball velocity appears to be a strength, but he still needs to get better command of the strike zone.

Jul 14, 2024; Ft. Worth, TX, USA; MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announces Minnesota Twins draft pick Travis Bazzana as the first pick during the first round of the MLB Draft at Cowtown Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Pick 265: RHP Sean Matson - Harvard University

The next pitcher the Guardians took in the draft was RHP Sean Matson out of Harvard University.

Matson, 22, started in 11 games for Harvard last season and had an ERA of 3.25 and a 1.257 WHIP. He doesn't throw super hard, with his fastball velocity sitting in the low 90s, but Matson still has solid command. He averaged just 3.8 walks per nine innings, and his SO/W was 2.85.

Pick 295: RHP Chase Mobley - Durant High School (Florida State Commit)

Cleveland selected RHP Chase Mobley with their final pick of the day.

Mobley's best pitch is his fastball, which sits at 92 mph but has reached 99 mph on some occasions. MLB.com scouts graded his heater a 60 heading into the draft. Just like with many other young pitchers who throw hard, Mobley is still working on location and command of his pitches, but there's a lot to like about the potential of the 18-year-old.