In just a little over a couple of days, I will officially be on spring break for nine days. My plan is to start or complete a five round, mock draft. Hopefully I will get that done in between my naps. To get ready for that mock, I needed to sit down and work out some names of guys who will be moving up the lists at Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, Prospects Live, and Future Star Series. Most of those publications will be coming out with updates to reflect changes in performance this spring. And most of these guys listed today are probably going to zoom right past the Cubs at #14,

Right now, college players are doing most of the rising. Most of the guys falling are in high school. That should change quite a bit here next month as northern high schools get underway.

Risers Moving Up

Chase Burns of Wake Forest is an ace, pure and simple. To see him in the mid teens initially was sort of a slap in the face to his talent.. After his first five starts, it is quite clear that he has moved up to the top 5. Sadly, the Cubs will not be drafting the Wake Forest righty.

Hagen Smith of Arkansas had a rough opening night. Since then, he’s been hitting double digit Ks every Friday night. As the top lefty starter in the draft, Smith has moved up towards the top 5, too. I don’t know if  he will get in that tier, but he is clearly not going to last until 14. 

On the position side of things, Seaver King has been getting the most hitting hype on the country’s #1 team. However, 3B Adam Tellier has been drawing some pub. The 6-foot-4 righty has 7 HRs and 19 RBIs in 17 games. A fifth year senior transfer from Ball State (Greg Huss U), the 23-year-old Tellier has taken off this spring. Right now, he’s probably a day 2 pick.

Braden Montgomery is an amazing talent the Cubs would be lucky to get. After transferring from Stanford, he’s been slowly creeping up from the late 20s. Currently a 2-way player, Montgomery’s  future is likely as a hitter. He’s a big kid at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds and depending on his spring, He could fly right by 14 into the top 10. Here is what BA said of his talents.

Braden Montgomery is an absolute tool-shed with physical abilities very few in the 2024 class can match […] Montgomery likely best projects as a prototype right fielder with easy plus power and above average athleticism both on the base paths and in the field […] Montgomery might have the best outfield arm in the class, a truly elite cannon with pinpoint accuracy.

Trey Yesavage of Eastern Carolina is putting up Ks everywhere. In 30 innings, he’s struck out 49 (49.2% K rate). He’s only given up 12 hits in 5 games. That’ll do! He throw in the low to mid 90s and has a plus split-changeup and slider. He also has a rarely used curve. That’s an interesting mix. Originally ranked in the low 30s and high 20s, he is probably now in the high teens and in the sights of the Cubs.

For LSU’s Luke Holman, I really like him. There’s a lot there in his 6-foot-4 frame and his arsenal is only coming into focus. The big righty also has USA Baseball experience and he’s off to a good start this year. In his first four games, he struck out 40 in 24 innings and has not allow a run yet. That has moved him from the mid 30s to possibly the mid 10s in some upcoming rankings. 

Holman’s teammate, lefty Gage Jump, is in the same boat. After three starts, the sophomore eligible lefty was originally a second round pick. Yeah, he’s not going to be in that round at all. He holds all the cards when it comes to negotiating and could bet on himself and return to LSU for a few more million and be a top 5 pick in 2025. However, the money might be too good this year to turn down and get his career started a year early.

I am going to have stop at some point. Rather go “all hog” on some players, I will just list some other risers including SS Kaelen Culpepper from Kansas State, Kellon Lindsey, a high school SS, prep pitcher William Schmidt, and Dallas Baptist giant righty Ryan Johnson. And to keep you cool, prep SS Bryce Rainer is in play at #14 and prep 2-way player Cam Caminiti is too!

Needless to say, the Cubs will still get a great young player in the first round.