By banning high school draftees and mandating two years of college, MLB’s radical proposal promises to flood campus rosters with elite talent and transform the collegiate landscape.
In a surprising report released Thursday afternoon, Major League Baseball may be considering some significant changes to the way incoming prospects enter professional baseball.
As it stands today, high school draft picks are all the rage. MLB organizations essentially call dibs on players years before they reach their prime and then watch them develop through the minor league system.
With a 20-round draft and an abundance of minor league affiliates, organizations have never been shy about taking chances on talented high school prospects.
However, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN, that could soon change.
“MLB today proposed an overhauled domestic amateur-entry system that removes high school players from the draft, makes college players eligible after sophomore year, shortens the draft from 20 to 12 rounds, and cuts bonus pool from current $358.7M to $200M, sources tell ESPN.”
It's a massive proposal, and one that has baseball fans divided.
To me, this reads as a sport finally understanding the ever-changing landscape of college athletics in the NIL era.
If this proposal were to become reality, there would no longer be Mike Trouts or Billy Beanes entering the draft directly out of high school. Instead, those players would head to college programs or other developmental leagues and continue playing until they become draft-eligible two years after graduation.
From a college baseball perspective, that could be a huge win.
The sport would immediately see an influx of elite talent, making college baseball more competitive, more recognizable, and ultimately more entertaining for fans.
College baseball remains one of the least-watched products among the major college sports, but it doesn't necessarily have to be that way. One of the biggest reasons is that many of the sport's top prospects never reach campus. Instead, they enter professional organizations and develop in the minors.
And that's perfectly understandable. It works, and there's a reason MLB clubs prefer it. They get to mold players into exactly what they want them to become.
But if you take a step back and compare it to other sports, there are leagues that prioritize drafting young prospects while still allowing them to attend college, continue their education, and develop as athletes before making the jump to the professional level.
Forcing players to spend at least two years in college isn't necessarily a bad thing for their futures.
Of course, there will be plenty of people who view this proposal negatively.
Some will argue that it forces players who may not have the financial means to attend college into a difficult situation if scholarships aren't available. Others will point out that certain prospects are simply better than their peers and ready for professional baseball immediately after high school.
Those are fair arguments, and they're not easy concerns to dismiss.
Still, I find myself in favor of the change.
The proposal to reduce the draft from 20 rounds to 12 rounds also feels long overdue. Similar to when the NFL once had far more rounds than it does today, there simply isn't a need for such an extensive draft anymore.
For Michigan State specifically, this type of rule change could have a direct impact.
The Spartans have recently seen players face the difficult decision between college and professional baseball. Jase Bowen chose the MLB route and made his professional debut on June 2 of this year. Adam Berghorst chose Michigan State and became the first athlete since 1990 to play both baseball and football for the Spartans.
Under a system like the one being proposed, more talented players could find themselves arriving on college campuses instead of immediately entering professional organizations.
Ultimately, I support this rule change and would love to see it take effect. As someone who loves college sports, I find college baseball far more exciting to watch than minor league baseball, and adding more elite talent to the college game would only strengthen the product.
Not everyone agrees, and that's perfectly fine. The proposal is now on the table regardless.
The question is simple: what side of history do you want to stand on?
