Guardians will make first pick in 2024 MLB draft

Why it matters: The Guardians get to choose from a handful of top prospects who could help secure the team's future after a disappointing season.

Zoom out: The draft lottery was an Ohio party, as the Cincinnati Reds secured the second overall pick.

The intrigue: Unlike last year's top pick — LSU's Paul Skenes by the Pittsburgh Pirates — there is no clear favorite to go No. 1.

• Wake Forest first basemen Nick Kurtz and West Virginia shortstop JJ Wetherholt are among highest rated players, along with Kurtz's teammate, pitcher Chase Burns.

What they're saying: ESPN MLB writer Kiley McDaniel predicts the Guardians will take Wetherholt.

• "Wetherholt, in my eyes and the eyes of some sources I checked with after the lottery, fits Cleveland's type of prospect the best of this top tier of talent," McDaniel writes.

What's next: The 2024 draft will take place on a yet-to-be-determined date next July to coincide with the MLB All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas on July 16.