Cozy heads to the Guardians with the 48th overall pick

NC State catcher Jacob Cozart became the first Wolfpack player selected in the 2024 MLB Draft when Cleveland picked him in the 2nd round with the 48th overall pick. This pick has a slot value of $1.94 million.

The Wolfpack have had at least one player chosen in the top three rounds of the draft in five of the past six years, totaling seven players in that period. This number could rise to eight if Eli Serrano is picked, with the third round starting at 2:00 pm on Monday.

Cozart is joining a Guardians organization with 24-year-old Bo Naylor (Cleveland’s 2018 1st round pick) as the starting catcher at the MLB level. However, Naylor has struggled offensively in his second year, and as Patrick Bailey demonstrated with the Giants, having a high-profile player ahead of you doesn’t preclude the opportunity to secure the position.

Besides Naylor, there is only one catcher in Cleveland’s Top 40 prospects list entering the draft: 2023 4th round pick Cooper Ingle from Clemson. Cozart is a superior defensive catcher compared to Ingle and has more power at the plate. Although Cleveland used their 2023 1st round pick on high school catcher Ralphy Velazquez, they quickly moved him to first base.

Overall, this is a promising organizational fit for Cozart.

During his three years with the Wolfpack, Cozart played in 163 games, posting a .284/.393/.524 line, with a 13.5% walk rate, 16.5% strikeout rate, 2-3 stolen bases, 29 doubles, 3 triples, 33 home runs, 123 runs, and 120 RBIs. His best season came in 2024, when he hit .300/.430/.604 with a 18.2% walk rate, 17.4% strikeout rate, and 19 home runs, helping lead the Pack to the College World Series. Cozart was a 2024 Buster Posey Award finalist (nation’s best catcher) and earned 2nd Team All-American honors from Perfect Game and 3rd Team All-American honors from Baseball America and D1 Baseball.

Jacob Cozart selected by Cleveland in 2nd round of 2024 MLB Draft