The MLB Draft provides every team with the chance to stock up on the next generation of baseball talent.
Like every sports league, the MLB is highly dependent on the draft process to introduce young talent into the player pool. In the last two decades, the MLB Draft has yielded several superstars in the No. 1 spot alone: Bryce Harper in 2010, Carlos Correa in 2012, and Dansby Swanson in 2015, just to name a few.
The draft includes 20 rounds. Like any other draft, the worst teams select first. Unlike the NBA or NFL, MLB draft prospects can be selected straight out of high school. The most recent No. 1 pick, shortstop Jackson Holiday of the Baltimore Orioles, was selected out of Stillwater High School in Oklahoma in 2022.
So, when will the next slate of young talent be introduced into the MLB?
When is the MLB Draft 2023?
The 2023 MLB Draft will take place from July 9-11 in Seattle, Washington. The Pittsburgh Pirates, who won the inaugural MLB Draft Lottery, will select first overall. The Washington Nationals, Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, and Oakland Athletics will round out the top-5 picks.
Dylan Crews (Outfielder, LSU) and Paul Skeens (RHP, LSU) are considered the top prospects in the 2023 draft class. You can read our MLB Mock Draft to see other potential top-10 picks for July.
While prospects generally begin their career in the MLB's extensive, multi-tiered farm system (A, AA, or AAA), the importance of quality drafting cannot be overstated. A good investment in young talent can sustain a contender or turn around a failing franchise. Prospects are out of sight but not out of mind for the best MLB franchises. Draft picks have until August 1 to sign with their ball clubs.
The draft will be televised on MLB Network.
