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Each year, the MLB Draft offers fans, players, and executives the opportunity to get a glimpse at the future of baseball. However, the fateful selection process is merely the first step in a long road to MLB stardom.
For the first time, the MLB used a random lottery to select the draft order in 2023. The only North American pro sports draft to take place during the season, it is also the longest. A total of 614 players were selected across 20 rounds in Seattle earlier this month.
While everybody loves the optics of a young star being selected by his presumptive new team at the MLB Draft, it really is only just a start.
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No. 1 overall pick Paul Skenes signs w/ @Pirates for $9.2 million (pick value = $9,721,000). Breaks MLB Draft record of $8,416,300 (Torkelson, 2020). @LSUBaseball RHP, ranks w/Strasburg as best Draft pitching prospect ever. Fastball up to 102 mph, wipeout upper-80s slider." - Jim Callis
This year, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected LSU pitcher Paul Skenes with their first overall slot. Skenes, 21, posted a 1.69 ERA in 18 games for his school this season. Less than two weeks later, the Pirates announced that they'd be paying Paul Skenes $9.2 million to sign with them, a sum that shattered the record $8.4 that the Detroit Tigers gave 2020 first-rounder Spencer Torkelson.
MLB draft picks and their teams have a hard cut-off line of 5 pm ET on Tuesday, July 25 to reach signing agreements with their teams. If a player does not sign with a team, then they can re-enter next year's draft, or return to their college team.
"Outfielder Dylan Crews is getting a $9 million signing bonus from the Washington Nationals, the second-highest agreed to with a drafted player." - Sierra Fox
Dylan Crews, Skenes' LSU teammate went second overall to the Washington Nationals. Although the 21-year old made headlines by saying he wanted $10 million, he and his new team agreed to a $9 million signing bonus on July 25, mere hours before the window was to close on MLB draft selectees signing with teams.
MLB draft signing sizes ring in a new generation of stars
The signing bonuses that we are seeing in the league now are larger than they have ever been before. As such, owners and front offices must be aware of the stupendous amount of starpower that these youngsters can bring to an organization.
