Right-hander Chase Burns (Reds) and third baseman/outfielder Charlie Condon (Rockies), the Nos. 2 and 3 picks in last Sunday’s Major League Baseball draft, have agreed to record-setting pacts with their respective teams that will pay them $9.25 million, according to MLB.com and ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The previous record for the highest signing bonus in draft history ($9 million), which was established last summer by Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes.
Here’s a look at the 10 richest signing bonuses in MLB draft history:
- Chase Burns, 2024, Reds, $9.25 million
- Charlie Condon, 2024, Rockies, $9.25 million
- Paul Skenes, 2023, Pirates, $9.2 million
- Dylan Crews, 2023, Nationals, $9 million
- Travis Bazzana, 2024, Guardians, $8.95 million
- Spencer Torkelson, 2020, Tigers, $8.42 million
- Jackson Holliday, 2022, Orioles, $8.19 million
- Druw Jones, 2022, Diamondbacks, $8.19 million
- Adley Rutschman, 2019, Orioles, $8.10 million
- Jack Leiter, 2021, Rangers, $7.92 million
Coming into the draft, CBS Sports ranked Burns as the third-best prospect in the class. Here’s what we wrote at the time:
Back in February, we posed this question: “Can Burns, plus Wake Forest’s genius pitching development crew (led by biomechanist Dr. Kristen Nicholson), equal this year’s Paul Skenes?” Sure enough, Burns broadly followed the Skenes arc, transferring to another program ahead of his draft year and better harnessing a power arsenal that should ensure an early selection. Burns averaged nearly two strikeouts per inning thanks to a high-grade arsenal that features a rising upper-90s fastball, a swing-and-miss bullet slider, and a curveball. (He also has a seldom-used changeup.) His delivery might make you think of Matt Garza, but these deuces aren’t so wild: He reliably walked fewer than 8% of the batters he faced in college, including less than 6% of those he faced this year in ACC play. Burns has all the makings of a well-above-average starter, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise if he becomes the first pitcher in this class to make their big-league debut.
We also ranked Condon as the No. 1 player in the class. here’s what we wrote:
Condon came into the season perceived as a second-tier collegiate who needed a big spring to cement his spot in the top 10. He more than delivered. He led the NCAA in batting average, slugging percentage, and home runs (his 37 established a new BBCOR Era record). Oh, and he did all that while picking up third base and instilling the belief that that’s where he should begin his career. The selling point here is still the bat. Condon, listed at 6-foot-6, possesses big-time strength and the ability to reliably hammer the ball. Additionally, he seldom whiffed; he chased outside the zone less often than some of his powerful peers, like Braden Montgomery and Jac Caglianone; and his batted-ball profile aligned with the current lift-and-pull trend — that is to say, you can call him Sephiroth with how frequently he takes aim at a cloud. Factor in how Condon survived two years of SEC vetting, and we’re comfortable declaring him to be the best player in the class — even if he doesn’t necessarily end up going No. 1 overall.
No. 1 pick Travis Bazzana also signed on Friday, albeit for just under $9 million.
