In a testament to the talent of baseball players hailing from Illinois, several players with Illinois connections were selected in the Major League Baseball's 2024 amateur draft. Let's take a closer look at the teams that drafted them across the 20 rounds and where they were picked relative to their predraft MLB Pipeline top 250 ranking.

One standout player from downstate Charleston, right-handed pitcher Hess, surpassed expectations by boosting his MLB Pipeline projection of No. 44 to become a first-round pick. Hess, who had a successful collegiate career at Alabama with a 12-6 record as a starter, is expected to receive a signing bonus estimate worth $3.33 million.

Another player worth noting is Dix, a shortstop who attended the alma mater of Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell in Wisconsin. Dix outperformed his MLB Pipeline projection of No. 75 and is committed to playing college baseball at Wake Forest. Notably, Wake Forest had three players picked in the top 10 of this year's draft.

Sloan, a right-handed pitcher projected at No. 19 on the MLB Pipeline list, dropped to the second round but this may not necessarily indicate any concerns or performance issues. The Seattle Mariners agreed to sign Sloan well above the slot value at approximately $3 million, indicating their confidence in his potential. Similar to Dix, Sloan is also committed to playing at Wake Forest.

Bell, a defense-first shortstop projected at No. 81, faces a decision between signing with the Rays or attending college at Kentucky. The slot value for this Competitive Balance Round B pick stands at $1.26 million.

Kent, a left-handed pitcher who made the All-Pac-12 team last season, exceeded expectations by improving his position from his MLB Pipeline projection of No. 136. As a fourth-round pick, the slot value for Kent will be $676,000.

Other notable players selected in the draft include Olejnik, a 6-11 right-handed pitcher from Northwest Indiana; Bagwell, a 6-4 right-handed pitcher from Collinsville; Tunink, a left-handed-hitting outfielder from Sterling; Zielinski, a 6-3 middle infielder from UIC; Griffin, a right-handed pitcher who greatly contributed to his team's Indiana Class 4A championship win; Crowder, a 6-4 right-handed pitcher from Illinois; Smith, a right-handed pitcher from Westchester; Dorchies, a 6-5 right-handed pitcher; Foeller, a right-handed pitcher from Massachusetts; Janik, a catcher who garnered prestigious accolades in the Big Ten; Warwick, a 6-1 middle infielder with a college commitment to Michigan State; Deakins, a left-handed pitcher with a solid performance in the Great Lakes Collegiate League; Kisting, a 6-5 right-handed pitcher with prior experience at Bradley; Jones, a 6-3 right-handed catcher with a college commitment to Oklahoma State; and George, a 6-0 outfielder with a college commitment to Eastern Illinois. Lastly, Clifford, at 5-10, showcased versatility by playing infield and making relief pitching appearances during his time with the Bluejays.

The Illinois baseball talent on display in the 2024 MLB amateur draft is undeniably impressive. Each player's journey in professional baseball is just beginning, and fans eagerly await the impact these young athletes will make on the diamond in the coming years.