If the goal is to continually grow our game and create more interest from youth baseball, how does it makes sense to severely decrease the opportunity to get to pro ball by shortening the draft by another 8 rounds? @MLB @MLBPA
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 20: Justin Turner #10 of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning at Dodger Stadium on August 20, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The MLB Draft has been the latest topic in the ongoing collective bargaining negotiations between the MLB owners and the MLB Players Association. The negotiations have been an underlying subplot, as baseball prepares for the third labor dispute since 2020.
In the owner’s latest proposal, the MLB draft will shrink from 20 to 12 rounds. Players are no longer eligible for the draft out of high school. They’ll have to wait until after their sophomore year of college to enter.
Former Dodgers‘ All-Star Justin Turner criticized this proposal, aimed more at the loss of eight rounds. In his post on X, he tagged both MLB and the MLBPA.
If the goal is to continually grow our game and create more interest from youth baseball, how does it makes sense to severely decrease the opportunity to get to pro ball by shortening the draft by another 8 rounds? @MLB @MLBPA
Turner, 42, is currently playing with Toros de Tijuana in the Mexican League.
Justin Turner’s criticism centers more on how drafting 240 fewer players helps grow the game. You could argue that statistically, only a handful of those 240 players will carry any meaningful MLB impact.
There’s still a human side to the game with players to consider. It’s eight more opportunities for an organization to develop a potential MLB talent. The upkeep for minor league player salaries is a drop in the bucket compared to established MLB players.
Turner himself knows the struggles of a late-round pick who had to earn all the success he’s enjoyed. He is a later-round pick, selected in the seventh round out of Cal State Fullerton.
After bouncing around multiple organizations, Turner eventually found a home in Los Angeles. He played nine seasons for the Dodgers (2014-2022), hitting .296 with 156 home runs and a .865 OPS. He was a member of the 2020 World Series championship squad and an All-Star in 2017 and 2021.
Turner’s success with the Dodgers didn’t come until nearly a decade after playing his first professional game. With how the system has changed since his career started, one wonders if there’s room for a potential late-bloomer like him.
There’s more in this proposal that might draw the ire of the union, but Turner chose to focus on the number of players selected.
Since the pandemic, MLB has shrunk the minor leagues. Currently, there are four full-season levels, plus a Dominican and Complex League. Some organizations run multiple DSL and Arizona/Florida Complex League teams.
With fewer teams and a 165-player limit in every organization, that has also caused the draft to shrink. When Turner was drafted and signed in 2006, there were 50 rounds. The number of rounds shrunk to 40 in 2012, then to 20 in 2022, as part of two separate Collective Bargaining Agreements.
Shrinking the draft and removing eligibility for high schoolers also carries unintended consequences. It certainly benefits college baseball, as the top players only have one option. It also reduces the possibility that MLB sees anyone debut before their 23rd birthday, save for a generational talent like Konnor Griffin or Paul Skenes.
The other consequence will come in the form of growing bonuses in the draft. With a more established track record, the top players can command more money. Roch Cholowsky’s bonus situation is worth monitoring out of this year’s draft, as he could break the amateur signing bonus record this year. The record is $9.25 million by Chase Burns and Charlie Condon in 2024.
Michael McDermott Michael McDermott covers MLB for Heavy Sports. He's previously published content for SB Nation, Sports Illustrated, and FanSided in 11 seasons. Covered the Arizona Diamondbacks as an on-site reporter for the 2022-2024 seasons and the Arizona Fall League for 2022-2025. More about Michael McDermott
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