How Many Rounds Are In The MLB Draft 2024

Being a baseball coach, one question that I am often asked is, How many rounds are in the MLB draft? The baseball world has many things that can get confusing, even for a die-hard baseball lover. Baseball drafts are one of them.

Unlike the NBA and NFL drafts, the MLB draft is not widely televised, and the event is also more complicated. Since there are not many viewers of this event and the selection process is also confusing, numerous questions arise in its audiences’ minds. 

If you, too, are wondering how many draft rounds there are in MLB, you have come to the right place. Here we will answer your question and shed light on some other common queries about the MLB draft. 

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Key Takeaways

• The MLB draft has 20 rounds from the year 2021.
• To be a part of the MLB drafts, make sure you tick all the criteria they want from the players.
• The worst-performing teams from the last season get to pick first to balance the highs and lows of the performance between each team.
• Each year a substantial number of players get selected, and the whole draft lasts for three days.

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How Many Rounds are in the MLB draft?

From the year 2021, there are 20 rounds in the MLB draft. However, until 2019, the draft was 40 rounds long. Post-pandemic, in 2021, MLB reduced the size of minor-league baseball. 

That meant fewer teams and fewer roster spots and players were needed. As a result, the draft was cut in half.

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What to Expect from the MLB Draft 2024?

This year the MLB draft will most likely take place from July 9th to July 11th, 2023. However, for the first time, on December 6th, 2022, the MLB draft lottery took place in San Diego, California, at the MLB winter meetings. 

The lottery determined the first six picks of this year’s MLB draft. The teams that did not qualify for the postseason will be eligible for the top six teams and the worst three record-holder teams of last season. 

These teams have the highest percentage chance of landing the number one spot and getting picked. 

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What is the MLB Draft?

MLB player draft is the primary way of assigning eligible baseball players from high schools, colleges, and other amateur baseball clubs into teams. 

It was first started by the scouts when they used to drive around the country and sign players wherever they could find them. One of the greatest baseball players of all time, Walter Johnson, was discovered by the scouts similarly. 

However, from 1964, every baseball team voted to implement a first-year player draft. This happened when the player distribution among the teams started being uneven, and every team wanted to stockpile talent. 

From then till now, the MLB draft rules have been changed many times and evolved to be the draft that you know today.  

How many Players are Selected during the MLB Draft? 

Last year in July 2022, a total of 620 players were selected from 20 MLB draft rounds. 18 players were drafted in each round, along with compensation picks. 

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What are the Criteria to be in the MLB Draft?

Being a part of the MLB draft is not as simple as it sounds. Now that you know how many rounds are in the MLB draft, let’s talk about what you need to attend MLB draft rounds. 

All the eligible players must be from one of these three categories: 

1. Residents of the USA or Canada who are high school graduates. 
2. College players who are at least 21 or have completed their junior year. 
3. Junior college players. 

Apart from that, there are Compensatory Picks. Compensatory picks are gifting a team who lost a player with an extra pick. 

How is the Order of the Players in a Draft Decided? 

From the very beginning of baseball draft history, the general format has been quite similar. Regardless of how many rounds there are in the MLB draft, the order of the draft starts with the team who had the worst record in the previous season. 

The least eligible team gets to pick first, the second least eligible team picks second, and so on. The order repeats until all rounds are completed. This is done to ensure that no team is left behind and they can perform better in the upcoming years. 

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How Long Does the MLB Draft last? 

Although the MLB draft has become half the size of what it used to be, it still takes three days to complete all the rounds. 

Day one is the most happening day among all the three days of the MLB draft. The first day consists of the first round, the first batch of the compensation picks, competitive balance round A, the second round, competitive balance round B, and compensation picks round two. 

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Day two moves a lot faster than day one round. The second day consists of rounds three to ten and does not have too much going on like the first day. On day three, the players go through rounds eleven to twenty, which is the fastest-paced day among all three days.

Final Word

With so many rounds and so many picks at the MLB draft, most players who get picked don’t even play at the main event. However, being on the list is what every amateur baseball player dreams about. 

Now that you know how many rounds are in the MLB draft, most of the confusion will surely go away. Most players who got picked in the MLB drafts have been given cash prizes, and they are open to many opportunities leading to a better future.