50 Fun Facts About MLB Draft

Which outfielder did the Athletics make the very first selection in MLB draft history in June 1965?

Rick Monday became better known for a 1976 play at Dodger Stadium, when he snatched an American flag away from two protesters who were trying to set it on fire.

Which Hall of Fame catcher was drafted in the 62nd round in 1988 as a favor to his father?

Mike Piazza was the 1,390th of 1,395 players picked that year, chosen because Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda was a childhood friend of his father.

Which MLB team drafted future NFL quarterback Tom Brady as a catcher in the 18th round in 1995?

The Montreal Expos had brought him in for a workout alongside their own players, and he ended up as the last active athlete the franchise ever drafted.

Which MLB team drafted quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the 37th round in 2014, though he never signed?

The Detroit Tigers took a late flier on the Texas high school pitcher, whose father, Pat Mahomes, pitched in the major leagues; he did not sign and went to Texas Tech instead.

Which future MVP from New Jersey lasted until the 25th pick of the 2009 MLB draft?

Mike Trout, later a three-time MVP, was taken with a compensation pick the Angels had received from the Yankees for losing free agent Mark Teixeira.

Which Dominican-born slugger lasted until the 13th round of the 1999 MLB draft, the 402nd player chosen?

Albert Pujols at first turned down a $10,000 bonus, signing only when the offer rose to $60,000, and he went on to hit 703 home runs.

Which first overall pick became, in 2016, the first top MLB draft selection ever inducted into the Hall of Fame?

Ken Griffey Jr. was named on a then-record 99.3 percent of ballots, breaking a mark that had stood for 24 years.

Which future Hall of Fame slugger went second in the 1966 MLB draft after the Mets chose catcher Steve Chilcott?

Reggie Jackson hit 563 career home runs, while Chilcott never played above Triple-A and retired without appearing in a single major league game.

Which slugger, featured on a Sports Illustrated cover as a high schooler, went first overall in the 2010 MLB draft?

Bryce Harper left high school after his sophomore year and earned a GED, which made him eligible for the draft a year early.

Which future strikeout king lasted until the 12th round of the very first MLB draft in 1965?

Nolan Ryan was only the 295th player chosen, yet he went on to throw a record seven no-hitters, three more than any other pitcher.

Which team made Miami high school shortstop Alex Rodriguez the first overall pick of the 1993 MLB draft?

The Seattle Mariners signed him away from a University of Miami scholarship, and he reached the major leagues the following year at just 18.

Which shortstop from Kalamazoo went sixth overall in the 1992 MLB draft after five teams passed?

Derek Jeter so impressed Astros scout Hal Newhouser that the Hall of Fame pitcher quit his job in protest when Houston, picking first, ignored his advice.

Which Stanford quarterback used his Yankees draft status to force a trade away from the Baltimore Colts in 1983?

John Elway, a second-round Yankees pick in 1981, threatened to play baseball full-time unless the Colts dealt him, and they sent him to the Denver Broncos.

Which Oklahoma quarterback was a top-ten pick in the 2018 MLB draft and the first pick of the next NFL draft?

Kyler Murray became the first player drafted in the first round of both sports, having taken a $4.66 million signing bonus from the Athletics.

Which MLB team drafted future Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson in the fourth round in 2010?

The Colorado Rockies kept him in their farm system as a second baseman for two summers before he told the club in 2012 that he would pursue football.

Which Hall of Fame outfielder was drafted by teams in MLB, the NBA, the ABA and the NFL in 1973?

Dave Winfield was picked by the Minnesota Vikings in the 17th round even though he had never played a down of college football.

Which future batting champion was picked in both the MLB and NBA drafts on the same day in 1981?

Tony Gwynn, later an eight-time batting champion, went to the Padres in the third round and the San Diego Clippers in the tenth; he said dribbling as a point guard had strengthened his wrists.

Starting with the 2023 MLB draft, what was introduced to decide which non-playoff team gets the first pick?

A lottery among the 18 clubs that missed the postseason was brought in to set the first six picks, with the three worst teams sharing the best odds.

In 2021, the MLB draft left its June slot to become part of the festivities around which annual event?

The All-Star Game shared its host city, Denver, with the draft that summer, and the two events stayed paired in the years that followed.

What caused Major League Baseball to cut its 2020 draft from 40 rounds to just five?

The COVID-19 pandemic also kept the event out of Omaha, where it was to be staged live for the first time beside the College World Series.

Which first overall pick of 2009 signed a record $15.1 million contract just 77 seconds before the signing deadline?

Stephen Strasburg repaid Washington a decade later, when he was named Most Valuable Player of the 2019 World Series.

Which Yankees first overall pick of 1991 never reached the majors after hurting his pitching shoulder in a fistfight?

Brien Taylor was defending his brother when he tore up the shoulder, and the surgery that followed cost him the whole 1994 season.

Which catcher is the only player chosen first overall in two MLB drafts, in 1971 and again in 1975?

Danny Goodwin turned down a pro contract out of high school to attend Southern University, then signed when the Angels made him the top pick again four years later.

Which university produced first overall MLB draft picks Floyd Bannister and Spencer Torkelson?

Arizona State also produced the very first pick in draft history in 1965 and the top choice of 1978.

Which Vanderbilt shortstop, the first overall pick of 2015, was traded by the Diamondbacks just six months later?

Dansby Swanson went to the Atlanta Braves in a package for pitcher Shelby Miller and was their starting shortstop by the following August.

Which agent, a former minor league player, is known for steering top MLB draft picks to record-setting contracts?

Scott Boras spent four seasons in the minor leagues before knee problems ended his playing career, then earned a law degree and began representing players.

Which shortstop became the first top overall MLB draft pick from Puerto Rico when Houston selected him in 2012?

Carlos Correa was drafted straight from a high school on the island, where the previous best had been a 17th overall pick in 1994.

Which high school catcher went first overall in the 2001 MLB draft ahead of college ace Mark Prior?

Joe Mauer, a St. Paul native picked by his hometown Twins, was also the national high school quarterback of the year and had committed to play football at Florida State.

Which Braves legend went first overall in 1990 after pitcher Todd Van Poppel said he would not sign with Atlanta?

Chipper Jones was Atlanta's fallback choice, yet he reached the Hall of Fame in 2018, while Van Poppel slid to the 14th pick.

Which first overall pick of the 1999 MLB draft served season-long drug suspensions before being named the 2010 AL MVP?

Josh Hamilton never played a major league game for Tampa Bay, the club that drafted him, and made his debut with Cincinnati in 2007.

Which pitcher turned down the Yankees as a 2008 first-round pick, then signed with them for $324 million in 2019?

Gerrit Cole chose to attend UCLA instead, and three years later the Pirates made him the first overall pick of the 2011 draft.

Each December, MLB teams can claim other clubs' minor leaguers left off the 40-man roster through which annual event?

The Rule 5 draft comes with a catch: a claimed player must stay on his new team's active roster all season or be offered back to his old club.

Which future Pirates legend was claimed from the Dodgers' farm system in a November 1954 draft of minor leaguers?

Roberto Clemente had signed with Brooklyn for a bonus big enough that sending him to the minors left him exposed, and Pittsburgh took him first.

Besides the United States and its territories, residents of which country have long been subject to the MLB draft?

Canada is the only other country in the draft pool; amateurs from everywhere else can sign with any team that makes them an offer.

Which future home run king went sixth overall in 1985, three years after rejecting another team over $5,000?

Barry Bonds wanted $75,000 out of high school and San Francisco would go no higher than $70,000, so he went to college instead.

Which Hall of Fame second baseman was a 20th-round pick of the Phillies in the 1978 MLB draft?

Ryne Sandberg had signed a letter of intent to play quarterback at Washington State before Philadelphia's late pick changed his plans.

Which Yankees slugger was the 32nd pick in 2013, three years after declining Oakland's 31st-round offer?

Aaron Judge went to Fresno State instead, and the pick New York later used on him was compensation for losing Nick Swisher in free agency.

Which LSU infielder did Houston take second overall in 2015 with the pick it received for not signing Brady Aiken?

Alex Bregman was Houston's consolation after talks with Aiken, the 2014 top pick, collapsed; Aiken never played a major league game.

Which LSU pitcher did Pittsburgh take first overall in 2023, one pick ahead of his college teammate Dylan Crews?

Paul Skenes and Crews were the first college teammates in draft history to be taken with the top two picks.

Which future three-time Cy Young winner went second in 2004 after San Diego took shortstop Matt Bush first?

Justin Verlander reached the majors the very next year, while Bush was beset by personal and legal problems and did not debut until 2016, at age 30.

Which first overall pick of 1978 skipped the minor leagues entirely and was named NL Rookie of the Year months later?

Bob Horner beat out future Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith for the award after jumping straight from college into Atlanta's lineup.

Which first overall pick of 1973 won his Texas Rangers debut just 20 days after his last high school game?

David Clyde pitched before more than 35,000 fans that night, the first sellout in Arlington Stadium history, and the gate boost helped a struggling franchise.

Which Stanford pitcher did Houston take first overall in 2013, one pick ahead of future MVP Kris Bryant?

Mark Appel had refused to sign as Pittsburgh's eighth overall pick a year earlier, and he did not reach the majors until 2022, with Philadelphia.

Which team cast the only vote against creating the MLB amateur draft at the 1964 Winter Meetings?

The St. Louis Cardinals had tried to defeat the plan together with the Yankees, Dodgers and Mets, but in the end they alone voted no.

Which type of MLB draft selection, introduced in 2012, became the first kind that teams were allowed to trade?

Competitive Balance picks go to clubs with the lowest revenues or smallest markets, and each one can be traded only once and never just for cash.

Which team made Carey Schueler, its general manager's daughter, the first woman ever chosen in the MLB draft in 1993?

The Chicago White Sox could make the pick only because baseball had lifted its ban on contracts for women a year earlier; she chose college basketball.

Which Hall of Fame designated hitter, the first pick of 1977, had been scouted by owner Bill Veeck since age 12?

Harold Baines signed for just $32,000, a record low bonus for a first overall pick.

Which pitcher did the Mets win in a special 1966 drawing after the commissioner voided his contract with the Braves?

Tom Seaver's deal was thrown out because his college team had already played two exhibition games, and three clubs entered the drawing for him.

Which group can be picked in the MLB draft at any time, skipping the three-year wait at four-year universities?

Junior college players have no waiting period, while those at four-year schools must wait three years or until they turn 21.

The first MLB draft televised live, in 2007, was staged at a sports complex inside which resort?

Walt Disney World hosted it in Florida; until then the draft was run as a conference call that fans could follow only as online audio.