The MLB Draft is an annual event that occurs in June that allows teams in Major League Baseball to select amateur players from high school, college and junior college rosters. Teams have until a set deadline to sign their draft picks, meaning that the timing of the draft affects how high the players are valued, ultimately influencing the course of the league.
In this article, we will provide an overview of the MLB Draft, when it starts and ends, and how to stay informed on the latest developments.
Who Is Eligible To Be Drafted?
Players eligible for selection in the Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft must be at least 17 years and a minimum of one year removed from high school graduation, or if they are not a high school graduate, one year removed after their 18th birthday. Players who have attended college may enter the draft after their junior or senior years, or if they are 21 years old. In addition to age-eligible players, those who have put their name on the International Registration list are also eligible for selection in the MLB Amateur Draft. These players include those who were initially Dominican Republic prospects and later sign with an MLB organization. MLB teams must select from this list until the allotted amount is reached before drafting new players. In order to protect organizations from having to use an excessive amount of money on signing bonuses; all organizations are limited to spending no more than $100 million annually on amateur signings. Any team that surpasses this limit has its tax rate assessed by 40 percent of every dollar above until it reaches its limit.
When Does The MLB Draft Start
The Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft is held every year in the month of June. It is the process by which Major League Baseball teams select players to join their franchises. All players eligible to be drafted must have graduated from high school at least one year prior and must not have previously signed a professional contract with an MLB team.
The MLB Draft typically begins on the first Monday of June, but exact dates and deadlines can vary from year to year. Typically, picks for the first round are announced that day on MLB Network, followed by each additional round being announced throughout the three-day event. Rounds 11–40 are spread out over two days and occur in early July. The official 2020 MLB Draft will begin on Thursday, June 10th and last through Saturday, June 12th with rounds 1–10 taking place over the course of two days. Rounds 11–40 will take place two weeks after that on Wednesday, July 8th through Friday, July 10th. The teams have until 4 PM EST on August 1st which is known as deadline day for draftees to sign their contracts officially becoming part of an MLB organization.
What is The Draft Order?
Major-League Baseball’s draft order is determined through a lottery system. Each team is assigned a certain number of chances, and the lottery winner starts the draft. The draft order works in reverse order of the regular season standings, so teams with poorer records have better chances to select top players first. The MLB Draft typically takes place during the final weeks of June or early July, with teams given until a set deadline to sign their draft picks. This deadline is generally at least one week before the next season begins in April, but can be extended in exceptional cases. When teams are unable to sign their signed picks by the deadline, they can receive compensation from the following year’s draft in exchange for their pick from that year’s class.
In addition to unselected players who enter free agency when they turn eighteen (18), non-U.S., Canadian and Puerto Rican players aged twenty-five (25) or over are also eligible for selection under international rules and will be placed into an international pool in accordance with rules set by Major League Baseball. Players can make selections regardless of residency status and whether they have graduated high school or college.
Signing Deadline
The Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft is held each year in June, offering teams the opportunity to select new players from the amateur ranks. Each team has a set deadline for when they must sign their draft picks and announce their selections. This year the MLB Draft starts on June 10th and teams have until August 1st to sign their draft picks. Let’s explore the timeframe for signing draft picks in greater detail.
When is The Deadline For Teams to Sign Their Draft Picks?
According to Major League Baseball (MLB) rules, drafted players must be signed no later than 5:00 PM Eastern Time on the fifth day following the end of the MLB First-Year Player Draft. This means that a Commissioner’s Office representative must receive a signed contract from a selected player by 11:59 PM ET on that particular day.
The teams have until this deadline to sign their draft picks and if they do not sign any of their selections prior to this date, those players become eligible for selection in the next year’s draft. Once the deadline has passed, the Commissioner’s Office will officially announce all teams’ final selections for that particular year; therefore, it is important for each organization to ensure all necessary paperwork is completed and filed before this date in order to remain competitive within the MLB.
What Happens If Teams Don’t Sign Their Draft Picks By The Deadline?
If an MLB team does not sign its draft picks by the deadline, the team will forfeit rights to those players. The team will be unable to select and sign future players from that class, or in the case of high school and college prospects, from future classes until a certain period of time after the deadline has passed. If an unsigned player elects to attend college or junior college, that player’s rights will remain with the drafting team for one year following his expected college graduation. If his rights remain unclaimed for one year following his graduation, then he may become eligible for the MLB Draft again in that same year.
If a team is unable to sign a drafted player due to nonvoluntary reasons (such as health concerns), then that player may be returned to the draft pool in order to give other teams an opportunity to select him. In this case, even if it’s past the signing deadline, teams still have another chance at selecting him during the next round of drafts.