Draft FAQ
Question:
How is the selection order determined?
Answer:
Major League clubs select in reverse order of their records at the close of the preceding season, without regard to League. Some transfers of selection rights from one Club to another are made as compensation to Clubs that lost certain types of Major League free agent players after the previous season. Additional selections are also awarded to Clubs that lost certain types of Major League free agent players after the previous season.
Question:
How many rounds are there?
Answer:
Up to 40 rounds. Each Club continues to select until it makes its selection in the 40th round. A Club has the right to "pass" instead of making a selection in a round.
Question:
Who is eligible for the draft?
Answer:
A player who is a resident of the United States or Canada and who has not previously contracted with a Major League or Minor League Club, so long as the player is eligible to sign under the High School, College or Junior College Rules contained in Major League Rule 3. For purposes of Rule 4, the term "United States" means the 50 states of the United States of America, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and any other Commonwealth, Territory or Possession of the United States of America. Players attending high school, college or junior college in the United States or Canada are considered residents of the United States or Canada for purposes of draft eligibility.
Question:
What are the basic eligibility rules contained in the High School, College or Junior College Rules in Major League Rule 3?
Answer:
High School -- Generally, only those high school students in the United States or Canada who have exhausted their eligibility to participate in high school athletics are eligible for selection.
College -- Generally, a student at a four-year college is eligible after completion of their junior year or if the student is at least 21 years old.
Junior College -- All junior college students are eligible for selection.
The applicable Major League Rules are more specific than this general answer. Players with specific questions about eligibility should consult a Major League scout or Office of the Commissioner of Baseball.
Question:
When may a selected player who has not utilized all of his potential college eligibility sign?
Answer:
Generally, a selected player with college eligibility remaining may sign with the Club that selected the Player from the time of the selection until the second or third Friday of July. For the 2014 signing season, the deadline is Friday, July 18.
Question:
When may a selected player who has utilized all of his potential college eligibility sign?
Answer:
A selected Player with no college eligibility remaining may sign up until the start of the Closed Period. The Closed Period begins at 12:01 a.m. ET of the seventh day prior to the start of the First-Year Player Draft.
The applicable Major League Rules are more specific than this general answer. Players with specific questions about eligibility should consult a Major League scout or Office of the Commissioner of Baseball.
Question:
May a player who was not selected in the First-Year Player Draft still sign?
Answer:
Generally, yes, so long as the player is eligible to sign under the High School, College or Junior College Rules in Major League Rule 3. Such a player may sign with any Club until the start of the Closed Period, or until the player enters, or returns to a four-year college or junior college. The Closed Period begins at 12:01 a.m. ET of the seventh day prior to the start of the First-Year Player Draft.
Question:
How do I search the MLB.com Draft Tracker for a college?
Answer:
The schools are listed in the fashion they were submitted to the Major League Scouting Bureau. If you can't find your school under its alphabetical listing, try searching under the letter "U," for "University of."
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