***Official 2024 STL Cardinals Thread ***

[Ocotillo]

Cardinals' pick in Baseball America's just released mock draft.

7. Cardinals — Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest

Kurtz was hitting under .300 for the first 25 games of the season. But if you look at his overall production he’s still managed to be one of the very best hitters in the country thanks to exceptional plate awareness and power that has surfaced in a huge way in April.

His 26.1% walk rate is second among D-I hitters and his 14.4% chase rate is the best of any college hitter you’ll see in this mock draft. His 17 homers are tied for ninth in the country which is perhaps not ideal for a top-of-the-draft first baseman but much more impressive when you consider he had just two homers through his first 20 games.

Being a first base-only profile could hold Kurtz back among the top tier players, as could his more lengthy injury history. But his offensive track record and toolset seems as safe as any in this draft class.