2024 MLB Draft: Final White Sox Mock Draft Roundup and Day 1 Draftchat

5:54 PM CDT on July 14, 2024

The 2024 MLB Draft starts tonight at 6 p.m. CT, and before we open up the first of three Draftchats, let's take a quick look at what the mock drafts have the White Sox selecting with the No. 5 pick.

Surprisingly, plenty has shifted since the Friday's White Sox mock draft roundup. It had the White Sox primarily tagged to Florida first baseman Jac Caglianone, and he's still the leader. ESPN's Kiley McDaniel, the lone mocker who assigned Mississippi prep shortstop Konnor Griffin to the White Sox the last time around, switched to Caglianone with his last-minute draft:

I think Cags is under consideration at every pick before this to varying degrees and won't get past either here or Kansas City with the next pick. Hagen Smith and Konnor Griffin (likely under slot) are seen as the other likely options for the White Sox, and Wetherholt would also be in the mix if he's still on the board.

Meanwhile, Baseball America is still on that train:

I wrote on Friday that the White Sox are linked to more players than any other team inside the top five, perhaps with the exception of Cleveland. I still think this could be a pivot point of the draft. There also seems like there could be some more volatility with Caglianone than expected. Ultimately, his gigantic power upside might be too much to pass up. Konnor Griffin and JJ Wetherholt are two other names that would be unsurprising.

As is Keith Law:

The White Sox appear to be swinging for the fences, as the two names most linked to them remain Caglianone and Konnor Griffin, two high-risk, high-upside bats.

But MLB Pipeline's dueling experts produced two different names for the White Sox in their last look, and neither of them are Caglianone, even though he's on the board. Jim Callis has the White Sox selecting Griffin ...

Bazzana would be a no-brainer for the White Sox. Otherwise, Griffin appears to be their preference, even over Caglianone and Wetherholt.

... while Jonathan Mayo is going with Texas A&M outfielder Braden Montgomery.

Montgomery’s name is all over the top half of the first round, starting at No. 2. The White Sox are still considering Kurtz (college bat), Hagen Smith (college arm) and the top two high school hitters in Griffin and Bryce Rainer.