The MLB Draft

"The Draft" also known as "The First Year Player Draft" is a Major League Baseball event where all the Major League teams take turns picking eligible high school and college baseball players.

The Draft takes place every June. The club with the worst record the season before gets to select first. They alternate between National and American League going from worst records to best. The draft continues in that order (unless trades are made) for 50 rounds. Teams can stop selecting players in earlier rounds but for no reason can they make selections past the 50th round.

To be considered eligible for The Draft you have to be a resident of the United States or Canada. You also must have never signed a Minor League or Major League contract before.

Anyone who attends high school or college in the United States, no matter where they are originally from before are eligible. If you are a high school player, you cannot be drafted until the June after your senior year. You are considered ineligible if you are in a 4 year college and have not completed your Junior or Senior Year. Junior College players can be drafted no matter how many years they have attended.

When a club selects a player, if that player does not sign, the team still keeps the rights to sign that player, until one week before the next years draft. Sometimes clubs will select players knowing this. They call it a draft and follow and hope to sign the player before the next draft.

This is beneficial to the clubs and the player. A player can get more money out of the club if they put up some good numbers the year that they are locked up. The club benefits by locking up a player that they feel will be a higher draft pick in the future. It is a win/win situation.

If the player does not sign with the club one week before the next years draft, he can not be selected by the same team.