Article: 2024 MLB Draft Position Previews: Outfielders

Jeremy Nygaard · June 26, 2024

We have reached the end of our positional previews for the 2024 MLB Draft as we conclude with outfielders. Outfielders who will likely be off the board when the Brewers come onto the clock won’t be previewed here.

We’re excited to ratchet up 2024 MLB Draft content in the coming weeks. We’ll start with a series of articles detailing each positional demographic. These pieces aren’t meant to be an exhaustive list, rather, an overview of the caliber of talent at the position. For each player, we'll run down some basic information, in addition to some strengths and weaknesses. You’ll also find their current position on the Consensus MLB Draft Board in parentheses next to their name.

Braden Montgomery (Texas A&M), Konnor Griffin (Mississippi prep), and James Tibbs III (Florida State) all seem destined to be taken in the top dozen picks.

Carson Benge, L/R OF, Oklahoma State (15)
Carson Benge is a two-way player who missed a chunk of the 2023 season recovering from TJ surgery, before returning for the latter part of the campaign. Though he did post some impressive pitching numbers in 2024 (44 strikeouts in 37 innings, 11 walks, .186 batting average against), he’s expected to focus on hitting as a professional.

Benge has an exciting offensive toolkit led by good bat speed that produces consistently high exit velocities. This is paired with a chase rate under 20% and a contact% over 80%, a potent combination. Benge has posted high ground ball rates.

In 2024, Benge batted .335/.444/.665 (1.109 OPS) with 18 home runs and 10 stolen bases.

Benge has average speed, a plus arm, and an above average glove that should lend itself to a really solid right-field profile defensively. If Benge can lift the ball with more consistency, look out.

Vance Honeycutt, R/R OF, North Carolina (19)
At 6' 3”, 205 pounds, North Carolina centerfielder Vance Honeycutt is perhaps the one college player in the 2024 class who can boast true five-tool upside.

Honeycutt had an incredible freshman campaign for North Carolina, punctuated by 25 home runs and 29 stolen bases. Slowed a little by a back issue in 2023, his performance came back down to earth, although he did cut down significantly on the strikeout issues that arose in his first season of college baseball. In 2024, Honeycutt trended back the right direction hitting .313/.407/.703 (1.110) with 28 home runs and 28 stolen bases. He did strike out 86 times with only 37 walks, but was absolutely a must-watch player in the College World Series.

Generating plenty of bat speed and loft from the right hand side of the plate, it's the development of the hit tool that will govern Honeycutt's ultimate ceiling. Most of his power comes to the pull side currently, and although he doesn't chase much, he has struggled more with breaking stuff than other pitches. Teams are easily and very turned off by in-zone swing-and-miss and that’s something Honeycutt possesses.

Defensively, he's the total package; an outstanding centerfielder who should stick at the position, with plus speed and a plus arm.

Honeycutt has the potential to be the whole package with speed, defense, a great arm, on-base skills and burgeoning power.

Slade Caldwell, L/L OF, Valley View HS, Ark (20)
Slade Caldwell was the Arkansas player of the year in 2023 and 2024. At 5' 9”, 175 pounds, he's an undersized player who will naturally draw comparisons to Jett Williams, a first round selection in 2022.

While Caldwell is undersized, he's an explosive athlete. A sweet and quick left-handed swing generates sneaky good bat speed and he has an effective line drive swing, being able to leverage all parts of the ballpark. As a senior, he batted .485.

Caldwell has fringe average power, and while that is unlikely to be above average, he can hurt you a ton of different ways.

A double plus runner, he's a problem on the base paths stealing 51 bases on the season. This is augmented by his discerning approach at the plate, he has a great eye and feel for the strike zone.

Defensively, he has the speed and athleticism to easily maintain centerfield as a pro, although a below average throwing arm lessens the appeal slightly. At worst, he'll be a plus defender in left who gets on base a ton and steals plenty of bases.

Ryan Waldschmidt, R/R OF, Kentucky (63)
Waldschmidt is an all-around, tweener-type prospect who transferred from Charleston Southern to Kentucky before his sophomore season. Despite not having a carrying tool, he can chalk up value in a number of different ways.

It's a little bit of everything at the plate, as strong bat-to-ball skills are combined with good on-base skills. There's sneaky pull side power there too, with a line drive to all fields impact at the plate.

In 2024, Waldschmidt batted .333/.469/.610 (1.079 OPS) with 14 home runs and 25 stolen bases. He walked 41 times with 45 strikeouts. While the numbers aren’t eye-popping, Waldschmidt is considered an “analytics darling.”

Waldschmidt has good speed which aids him defensively and on the bases. In the outfield, he takes efficient routes and has a good shot to stick in centerfield as a pro.

Mike Sorota, R/R OF, Northeastern (48)
At 6' 3”, 190 pounds, there's still some projectability left in Mike Sirota's frame. Sirota has plenty in the bag in terms of tools. His offensive profile is underpinned by his right-handed swing. Operating from a crouched stance, it's quiet and clean with not a lot of moving pieces. Sirota has good bat speed and quick hands, and his ability to let the ball travel in the zone and relatively flat bat path give him line drive ability all over the field.

Sirota had a big power breakout in 2023, taking his home run total from 4 to 18. Back-to-back outstanding performances in the Cape Cod League (.942 OPS) should allay fears about him stacking up against consistently inferior competition.

Defensively, it's plus speed with an above average arm and glove, a combination that should allow him to stick at centerfield as a pro.

The problem with Sorota, however, is that he came into the season as a potential Top 10 pick. But he struggled on the season. His .298 batting average was a career low. He showed very little power as his home run numbers dropped (only had seven). He did walk more (59) than he struck out (48) for the first time in his career. But all the things that put him on the map… took a step back.

Sorota has shown enough that he could still be a Day One pick. But he’s also shown enough recently that maybe the “breakout” Sorota had was just an aberration and he’s more of a Day Two guy.

Who excites you from the outfielder class in 2024? Who are you higher on than other prospects? Jump into the draft conversation in the comments below.

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Find more draft coverage here:

2024 MLB Draft Position Previews: Prep Pitchers

2024 MLB Draft Position Previews: College Pitchers

2024 MLB Draft Position Previews: First Basemen

2024 MLB Draft Position Previews: Second Basemen

2024 MLB Draft Preview: Midwest Highlights

2024 MLB Draft Position Previews: Third Basemen

2024 MLB Draft Position Previews: Shortstops

2024 MLB Draft Position Previews: Catcher

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