Five international prospects were selected in round 17 of the 2024 MLB Draft, the most in any round this year. Here’s what you should know about each of them.
Dane Burns
The Kansas City Royals selected Canadian Dane Burns with the second pick in round 17, 497 overall. Burns was committed to Mississippi State and played baseball for Prosper High School in Texas.
At 6 foot 4 inches, he possesses a terrific frame for a lefty pitcher. His fastball has been sitting between 94 and 97 this summer while playing in the NECBL. Burns was set back by Tommy John surgery after high school but has returned throwing harder than ever.
He could be a late-round gem if the Royals can work on his mechanics and control.
Yan Cruz
Yan Cruz, the outfielder from Puerto Rico, was the round 17 choice of the Boston Red Sox.
Cruz was ranked 10th out of all Puerto Rican players in the class of 2024 by Perfect Game and possesses major raw talent.
The lefty outfielder is listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 180 pounds and has not even celebrated his 18th birthday. Cruz was born in Rio Grande, PR, and attended Academia Presbyterian High School. These late-round international picks always have incredible upsides, although they may not be the most well-known, and the Red Sox have decided to roll the dice on Cruz.
Gabriel Rosado
Gabriel Rosado was selected by the Detroit Tigers in round 17 of the 2024 MLB Draft with pick N0. 506.
Coming out of Puerto Rico, the catcher from Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy can greatly strengthen the Tigers minor league system with his excellent qualities.
Putting up a 6.74 60-yard dash is impressive for a catcher, as he has the speed to be a fast player. As a catcher, his receiving time is excellent and was showcased at the 2023 National Combine. His pop time was equally great, measured at 1.88 seconds in 2023.
He threw 84 mph to second base, which can be an area to develop but something great at his age. As a switch hitter, Rosado has the versatility to make pitchers think more about him, which makes him a tough out to get.
Micah McDowell
More Canadian-born players continue to be selected in the MLB Draft. In round 17, the Miami Marlins used pick 514 on Micah McDowell. He is a six-foot-one senior from Halifax, Nova Scotia, who played his college baseball at Oregon State.
Congratulations to @BaseballCANJNT alum Micah McDowell on being selected by the @Marlins in the 17th round of the 2024 #MLBDraft! pic.twitter.com/644vb17knF
— Baseball Canada 🇨🇦⚾️ (@baseballcanada) July 16, 2024
McDowell played five seasons with Oregon State. 2024 was his best collegiate season with the Beavers. McDowell was selected to the Corvallis Regional All-Tournament Team for his play in the NCAA Tournament this spring. This past season was his best at the plate, batting .382 with a 1.118 OPS and scoring 42 runs. Throughout his five-year career, he batted .307.
McDowell also played multiple summer ball seasons in Canada since beginning his college career. His most recent season in 2022 was with the Okotoks Dawgs, a part of the Western Canadian League. He batted .381 during 31 games in 2022 with the Dawgs.
Coming out of high school, McDowell was a highly-ranked prospect. The now 23-year-old was once the number three prospect in Alberta by Prep Baseball Report.
McDowell hopes to build on his many years of experience in college, contribute to the Marlins farm system right away, and eventually move up the ranks.
Lyle Miller-Green
With pick 499 in the 2024 MLB draft, the Chicago White Sox selected two-way player Lyle Miller-Green out of Austin Peay State University. Miller-Green was born in Tomsk, Siberia, Russia, a region not known for producing MLB prospects.
The right-handed pitcher and hitter played for four schools in his four years of college baseball: George Mason, Chipola Junior College, Oklahoma State, and Austin Peay. Miller-Green played the field and pitched for most of the schools he attended; however, it is fair to assume that the White Sox will be looking to develop Miller-Green as a hitter and outfielder.
In the Summer of 2022, Miller-Green won the Cape Cod League home run derby and set an Austin Peay single-season record with 30 home runs in his final year of collegiate baseball. The two-way sensation also boasted an impressive .397 batting average with 92 runs batted in for the Governors in 2023. Moreover, Miller-Green only had two errors in the outfield in the 2023 season.
Lyle Miller-Green has had an interesting path to the majors, from Siberia to 4 different collegiate baseball teams in four years; however, the White Sox must be ecstatic to draft such a versatile player in round 17 of the MLB draft.
Photo Credit: A general view of the stage during the 2024 MLB Draft presented by Nike at Cowtown Coliseum on Sunday, July 14, 2024 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
