Cleveland Guardians grade out well on first day of 2024 MLB Draft

36. Braylon Doughty - RHP Chaparral High School (CA): A+

Coming in Competitive Balance Round A, the Cleveland Guardians decided to select right-handed high schooler Braylon Doughty. Interestingly enough, Cleveland's selection of Dougthy received a higher grade than Bazzana, with Reuter giving them an "A+". Doughty's pitching arsenal and strike-throwing frequency were both specifically mentioned by Reuter as encouraging traits for the 36th overall selection.

His 6'1", 196-pound frame does not offer much projection, but with a fastball that sits in the mid-90s, a great feel for spin on two distinct breaking pitches, and a developing changeup, his present stuff and ability to consistently throw strikes has his arrow pointing straight up.

No one should be surprised that the Guardians selected a pitcher high in the draft. Obviously, the first overall pick was out of the question, but turning around in the competitive balance round and adding an arm was a wise decision by Cleveland. For the longest time, the Guardians were able to count on the seemingly endless supply of arms in their minor league system as a way to replenish their starting rotation as needed. With the mass call-ups that took place last season, in addition to the injuries and struggles of some of their current options, Cleveland's previously overflowing cupboard of arms to turn to is now barren. Bringing in a young developmental high school pitcher into their system should allow them to replenish what they once had while being able to address other positions elsewhere in the draft.

48. Jacob Cozart - C NC State: B+

The second round of the 2024 MLB Draft saw the Cleveland Guardians go back to the collegiate ranks for their third pick in the draft, opting to select North Carolina State catcher Jacob Cozart. While Cozart may not have been considered to be one of the top options at catcher in the draft, his performance in college and for Team USA in 2023 resulted in Cleveland drafting him 48th overall and his selection by the Guardians being given a "B+".

A solid all-around catching prospect with a strong arm, good receiving skills and 20-homer potential, Cozart hit .305/.437/.601 with 19 home runs in 61 games this spring. He was a three-year starter at NC State and played for Team USA last summer, so scouts have had ample opportunity to see him. There are some swing-and-miss concerns, but even as a power-over-contact backstop with good catch-and-throw skills, he offers a high floor.

Taking into consideration what Cozart has been able to accomplish, it was clear that the Guardians felt more than comfortable with making him their second-round pick. Cozart has some of the traits that major league teams are looking for in a catcher, and they believe that he could be an asset one way or the other.

While there may be some concerns regarding positional fit on the major league roster due to the presence of Bo Naylor, catcher is a position that unless you have a well-rounded option on the roster, the best path forward is to churn-and-burn until that a player that fits that description is found. Naylor could become that type of player in time, but in the event he does not, Cleveland has the next person in line to potentially become what they are looking for in a long-term catcher.