USA Baseball announced the Midseason Watch List for the 2024 Golden Spikes Award last Thursday as part of the process to determine the nation's top amateur baseball player for the 2024 season. The list features 45 of the top college and high school baseball prospects in the country.

Since the preseason watch list was announced on 9 February, 27 athletes have earned a spot on the list. The Golden Spikes Award Advisory Board will continue the open list and selection process and the semifinalists will be announced on 20 May.

"We are honoured to recognise the top 45 amateur players in the country for their outstanding performances this season," said Paul Seiler, CEO/Executive Director of USA Baseball. "There is incredible talent throughout the amateur baseball landscape. The players on this list represent the best of the best. We look forward to seeing how the rest of the season unfolds as we get closer to naming the 46th recipient of the prestigious Golden Spikes Award," he added.

The Golden Spikes Award is presented annually to the top amateur baseball player in the United States. First presented in 1978, the award was created by USA Baseball and sponsored by the Major League Baseball Players Association. It recognises the amateur player who combines on-field skills with exemplary sportsmanship. It is the most prestigious award in amateur baseball. The National College Baseball Hall of Fame has ten Golden Spike inductees. 

Four players who were named Golden Spike semifinalists last season are on this year's midseason list, including 2023 finalist Jac Caglianone (Florida). Charlie Condon (Georgia), Hagen Smith (Arkansas) and Tommy White (LSU). 

Eight other players reappear on the Midseason Watch List after earning a spot in 2023. Among them is Wake Forest's Chase Burns, who becomes just the fifth player in the history of the award to make the Midseason Watch List in three different seasons.

For the third time in programme history, Texas A&M has a trio of players on the mid-season list. The Aggies have Jace LaViolette, Montgomery and Ryan Prager on the 2024 list after doing so in 2012 and 2013. No. 14 Florida State also has three players on the mid-season watch list: Jamie Arnold, Cam Smith and James Tibbs III.

The only non-Division I player on this year's midseason list is Konnor Griffin (Jackson Prep). With 41 stolen bases in the first 14 games of 2024, Griffin broke the Jackson Prep record for stolen bases in a season.

The mid-season watch list represents 36 different schools and 12 NCAA conferences. In addition to Florida State and Texas A&M, five other schools have multiple athletes on the list: Duke, East Carolina, Florida, LSU and Tennessee. The Southeastern is the leading conference with 15 players on the list, closely followed by the Atlantic Coast with 12. The most recent Golden Spikes Award winner is LSU's Dylan Crews.

Timeline for the 2024 Golden Spikes Award:

-20 May: Announcement of Golden Spikes Award semi-finalists and start of fan voting.

-3 June: Golden Spikes Award semi-finalist fan voting ends.

-5 June: Golden Spikes Award finalists announced. Fan voting begins.

-21 June: Fan voting ends for Golden Spikes Award finalists.

-22 June: Announcement of Golden Spikes Award winner.

Since 20 May, baseball fans have been able to vote for their favourite players at GoldenSpikesAward.com. To keep up with the 2024 Golden Spikes Award, visit GoldenSpikesAward.com. Follow @USAGoldenSpikes on Instagram and Twitter/X.