The third day of the 2024 MLB Draft concluded with the Diamondbacks making 10 more selections to close out the week.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Players selected on the third day are subject to a different rule with their signing bonuses than the first two. Instead of being assigned a slot value, teams may sign them up to a $150K bonus. Any overage on that number counts towards the team’s total bonus pool.
11th Round – Starrs Mill High School outfielder Bo Walker
Walker, 18, was ranked as the No. 2 outfielder and No. 8 player in the state of Georgia by Perfect GameFadfasdfas. The 6’3″ outfielder has a commitment to Georgia Tech, which will make him a difficult sign. However, of all the prep players taken on the third day of the draft, he stands as the most likely to sign. The Diamondbacks did something similar in 2018, signing Blaze Alexander to a $500K bonus out of the 11th round.
12th Round – Boston College right-hander John West
West went 1-4 with a 5.42 ERA in 14 starts with Boston College as a senior. He spent time as the closer and the starter, with a college ERA of 6.06 and 179 strikeouts in 188 2/3 innings. The most notable trait about him is a 6’8″ 265-lb. frame. Ironically enough, the Diamondbacks took a player with similar results and stature, taking the hard-throwing Sam Knowlton last year.
13th Round – Texas Christian right-hander Kyle Ayers
Ayers bounced around college, starting at Los Angeles Valley Community college before transferring to the University of Houston, then TCU. He appeared in 10 games in 2024, pitching to a 6.59 ERA in 17 2/3 innings.
14th Round – Connecticut left-hander Braden Quinn
Quinn broke out in his junior year, pitching to a 3.63 ERA with four saves with Connecticut. The most notable thing in his profile is an excellent strikeout rate, with 67 in just 44 2/3 innings (13.5 K/9). Arizona doesn’t have a lot of left-handed arms in their system that can consistently throw strikes.
15th Round – Clemson right-hander Rocco Reid
Reid pitched three years at Clemson, with a 6.31 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 51 1/3 innings. He made a handful of starts but never stuck in Clemson’s rotation. In his junior year he went 2-1 with a 5.82 ERA in 15 appearances (3 starts).
16th Round – Georgia Tech right-hander Dawson Brown
Brown is the son of 19-year major league veteran and six-time All-Star Kevin Brown. A 6’4″ right-hander with a lower arm slot, he went 2-0 with four saves and a 5.58 ERA in 30 2/3 innings for Georgia Tech.
17th Round – San Diego right-hander Drake Frize
After three relatively umimpressive seasons at San Diego, Frize had a big 2024 season to get himself on the Diamondbacks radar. Frize went 3-1 with two saves and a 2.38 ERA, piling up 41 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings.
18th Round – Battle Ground High School outfielder Jackson Hotchkiss
Hotchkiss was rated the No. 5 player and No. 1 outfielder in the state of Washington. He’s committed to the University of Washington, and barring some godfather offer late, will probably go unsigned.
19th Round – South Forsyth High School right-hander Tyler Bayer
Bayer is ranked as the No. 7 right-handed pitcher and the No. 29 overall player in the state of Georgia. He is committed to go to Kennesaw State University and is likely to honor his commitment and not sign with the Diamondbacks.
20th Round – First Coast High School catcher Hunter Carns
Carns is ranked as the No. 152 prospect in the draft by MLB Pipeline. Perfect Game ranks him as the No. 1 catcher in the country and No. 12 overall player amongst the list of high school players. He is committed to go play at Florida State and will be eligible for the 2026 draft as a sophomore.
The Diamondbacks drafted six more college arms, although not as intriguing as last year’s crop that featured a lot of high velocity arms such as Knowlton, Hayden Durke (signed for $350K), and Matthew Linskey.
If Arizona does sign any of the four high school players on the third day of the draft, it could come down to outfielder Bo Walker or catcher Hunter Carns. Without knowing the bonus values and how that impacts the pool, it’s unclear what the team may do in the draft.
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
