MLB Draft 2024: Cleveland selects RHP Braylon Doughty with the No. 36 pick

One of the top prep pitching prospects is on his way to Cleveland.

The Cleveland Guardians have selected high school pitcher Braylon Doughty out of Chaparral High School in California with the No. 36 overall pick of the 2024 MLB Draft. MLB Pipeline had him ranked the No. 36 prospect in the draft.

Here’s what MLB Pipeline had to say about him:

Doughty wasn’t on the radar much, and wasn’t at all of the high profile showcase events over the summer, but came on the scene in a big way at the Area Code Games with some serious swing-and-miss stuff. He didn’t pitch in the fall for Chaparral High School in California, but the scouting industry was buzzing this spring when he came out of the gate showing that what he did late in the summer appears to be for real.

While Doughty isn’t all that big at 6-foot-1, he is compact, strong and extremely athletic on the mound. He has a quick arm that fires fastballs up to 96-97 mph with life and solid command. He misses bats with it and even more so with his power low-80s curve, that tops 3,000 rpm and features tight break. He has an 83-85 mph slider with two-plane late lateral movement, and some think both breaking pitches could be plus in time. He has some feel for a changeup, but he doesn’t throw it much.

Doughty’s athleticism helps him find the strike zone very consistently, especially given his power repertoire. Those who were around him at the Area Code Games also saw plus makeup, a kid who was a sponge for pitching knowledge, something he would take to Oklahoma State should the Draft not go his way. Since he’s come out and shown he can dominate like he did late last summer, he may never make it to campus, with his name coming up in early-round discussions.

MLB Pipeline grades Doughty with a 55 fastball, 55 curveball, 55 slider, 45 changeup and 50 control for an overall grade of 50.

Here’s some video of Doughty that I was able to find right after he was drafted:

What are your thoughts on the pick? How would you grade it?