It’s that time of year where college baseball is at its peak.
The road to the College World Series begins this weekend and runs through 16 regional sites in the 2024 NCAA baseball tournament. The action starts on Friday May 31, and behind watching top talents like Charlie Condon and Travis Bazzana, it’s time to evaluate prospects who the Orioles could draft come July.
This is the second edition of this type of article, and I couldn’t be happier to be the one to write it. With that being said, here are five players to keep a close eye on during the College World Series.
1. Cam Smith: 3B – Florida State
Every college baseball season, I pick one prospect that I consider as the best fit for the Orioles before the season begins. In 2023, it was Enrique Bradfield Jr., and look how that turned out. My 2024 pick was Cam Smith, and he is still the guy that I would like to see GM Mike Elias select with the 22nd overall pick on draft night.
In 57 games, Smith has slashed .397/.487/.671 with a 1.158 OPS, 93 hits, 20 doubles, 14 home runs and 50 RBIs. He has also walked 33 times with three stolen bases in as many attempts.
The big thing with Smith this year was how much he has improved between his freshman and sophomore year. His average went up .138 points, he has 39 more hits, 12 more doubles, 14 more RBIs and 22 less strikeouts between the two seasons. That steady improvement earned Smith to be ranked 14th on MLB Pipeline’s top 150 draft list.
Florida State enters the College World Series as the ranked No. 10 team and is hosting their division, which includes Alabama, UCF and Stetson. The Seminoles’ first game is Friday, May 31, at noon on the ACC Network.
2. Bryce Cunningham: RHP – Vanderbilt
After a struggling sophomore year in the bullpen for Vanderbilt, Bryce Cunningham was moved to the starting rotation for the 2024 season, and it turned out to be the best move for him.
Cunningham started 15 games this season and had a 4.20 ERA with a 7-4 record. The 21-year-old right-hander pitched 79.1 innings and gave up 65 hits, 37 earned runs, 31 walks and struck out 94 batters.
“Bryce has improved in every area since arriving in the spring of ’21. I’m just really proud of his growth and maturity. As his academic outcomes have improved (Dean’s List), so has his abilities on the ball field. His strength and fitness levels have grown over the last year, and you can see the dividends in his movements down the mound. He helped lead Bourne’s pitching staff in the Cape Cod League to its second straight championship. He is a very personable young man, who is loved by his teammates.”
– Vandy head coach Tim Corbin on Cunningham
The season has been a huge upgrade from his 2023 season, as his ERA went down 2.23 points in 37.1 more innings pitched. He obviously gave up more hits, but Cunningham only gave up seven more earned runs and only walked eight more batters. Cunningham is currently ranked 44th on MLB Pipeline’s top 150 draft list.
Vanderbilt was given a two seed in a very tough regional bracket that is hosted by Clemson. The regional bracket also includes Coastal Carolina and High Point University. Vanderbilt’s first game is Friday, May 31, against Coastal Carolina at noon on ESPN2.
3. Jonathan Santucci: LHP – Duke
Pitchers like Ben Joyce for the Los Angeles Angels and Garrett Crochet flew through the minor leagues with no problem and even debut the same year they were drafted. That is something we might see with Jonathan Santucci.
The 21-year-old left-hander transitioned into a starting role for the 2023 season and struggled, but he remained a starter this season and was much better on the mound. With a 6-1 record in 12 starts and a 3.54 ERA, Santucci only gave up 39 hits and 22 earned runs, walked 34 batters and struck out 86 in 56 innings pitched. Santucci also held batters to a .209 batting average in all three years he was with Duke and is ranked 34th on MLB Pipeline’s top 150 draft list.
Duke was given a tough regional bracket. They are the two seed and have to go up against Oklahoma, UConn and Oral Roberts, four teams that could go the distance. Duke’s first game is against UConn with a 1:00 p.m. EST start time and can be watched on ESPN+.
Jurrangelo Cijntje: RHP/LHP – Mississippi State
Yes, you read that heading correctly. There is a switch-pitcher in the tournament, and he has grown to become better than you think.
Cijntje really struggled in his freshman season, but now, he is one of the best pitchers in the tournament, and it’s not just because of him being a switch-pitcher.
Cijntje has started 15 games and has a 8-2 record with a 3.55 ERA. He has pitched a total of 83.2 innings and has given up 63 hits, 33 earned runs, walked 29 batters and struck out 108. He also held batters to just a .207 average.
For context on his improvement, his ERA is down 4.55 points, he gave up just 19 more hits and eight fewer earned runs, walked five fewer batters and struck out 45 more batters while pitching 33.2 fewer innings between his freshman and sophomore season. He is currently ranked 31st on MLB Pipeline’s top 150 draft prospects list.
Mississippi State is the two seed in their regional bracket. They are going up against Virginia, St. John and Penn University. The first game for Mississippi State will be Friday, May 31, against St. John, with a 7:00 p.m. EST start time and can be watched on ESPN+.
5. Billy Amick: 3B – Tennessee
The final player in this article is ranked 26th, according to MLB Pipeline’s top 150 list, but I think he’s either not going to be available or is going to be passed on by the Orioles. Billy Amick is an amazing draft prospect and deserves all the respect, as he’s a star in the making.
Amick spent his 2024 season with the Volunteers after being a transfer from Clemson University. In 53 games, he slashed .317/.388/.663 with a 1.051 OPS and collected 65 hits, 12 doubles, a triple and 19 home runs. Amick is a third baseman, but I think he could be a plus outfielder, as he has one cannon of an arm.
Tennessee is the best team in college baseball heading into the tournament. They will be hosting a division that consists of Southern Mississippi, Indiana and Northern Kentucky. The Volunteers’ first game is Friday, May 31, at 7:00 p.m. against Northern Kentucky, and you can view the game on the SEC Network.
Before we wrap this up, below are three more names who just missed the cut for this piece:
- Vance Honeycutt: OF – North Carolina
- Ben Hess: RHP – Alabama
- Carter Holton: LHP – Vanderbilt.
As we watch the 2024 NCAA baseball tournament, we inch closer and closer to the 2024 MLB Draft, one of the most exciting nights for the sport. Who will the Orioles select as their next top prospect?
What do you think of our five collegiate prospects? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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