Why does nobody care about the MLB draft?

[SabresRule]

In the major sports, most fans get excited about their respective sport's draft.

NBA fans always are excited for the NBA Draft (I'll post a thread on that after the NBA Finals); ditto for the NFL and NHL.

But, why is it that the MLB Draft is both unknown, uninteresting, and unanticipated?

 

[Jimbo]

In the major sports, most fans get excited about their respective sport's draft.

NBA fans always are excited for the NBA Draft (I'll post a thread on that after the NBA Finals); ditto for the NFL and NHL.

But, why is it that the MLB Draft is both unknown, uninteresting, and unanticipated?

First of all, it's like 125 rounds, then it isn't televised so most don't know about it or when it is.

MLB is to fault for this, they could promote it, talk about it ect, you never hear about players in the minors, unless it's YOUR teams guys, or college for that matter, until the College WS.
College baseball is barley covered in the media and the minors is not much more.

Jimbo

 

[ycebar]

Most of the player drafted won't play in the mlb for a couple of years.

 

[Jimbo]

Most of the player drafted won't play in the mlb for a couple of years.

at the earliest,
thats another good reason.

 

[salsadancer7]

I guess only a few people, me in particular, would have a vested interest. I have a couple of kids that might get drafted as high as thr 4th round through 6th rounds. Those rounds still get somewhere around $200,000 to $600,000 signing bonus....depending on their agent/parents. I, of course, would LOVE for all my kids to go to college but it is hard for those kids/parents to pass up on that much money.

 

[Ramy]

Most of the players in the draft don't go straight to the Majors like in the other sports.

 

[HD MM]

I think everyone nailed it collectively.......

A) College Baseball and players aren't as recognized and as well known as other collegiate athletes.

B) MLB's Minor League development system means that we won't know the fate of the teams' selected player until years later.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Baseball is boring enough on TV , let alone a baseball Draft.

 

[HD MM]

Baseball is boring enough on TV , let alone a baseball Draft.

Yeah, because theoretically, a NASCAR draft would be all the more exciting?!

I just can imagine it now.........."With the #1 overall pick, Chevrolet selects, Randy Bufford Hayes out of Johnstown, PA High School!

 

[Hemi 6.1]

They don't have a Nascar Draft.

 

[HD MM]

They don't have a Nascar Draft.

Yeah, because theoretically, a NASCAR draft would be all the more exciting?!

I can just imagine it now.........."With the #1 overall pick, Chevrolet selects, Randy Bufford Hayes out of Johnstown, PA High School!

I guess you didn't get it. I was making a joke. Notice my use of the word "theoretically" and "imagine".

 

[Hemi 6.1]

I don't get it.

 

[DanLee]

the mlb draft is also unique in that the draft takes place while the season is still going.

 

[HD MM]

the mlb draft is also unique in that the draft takes place while the season is still going.

Yeah. The NBA Draft almost intersects with the playoffs. Their draft is typically 7 days following the scheduled game 7 of the NBA Finals.

 

[DanLee]

With most sport's drafts being in the offseason, it gives the fans something to look forward to between seasons. The mlb fans are usually watching a game when the broadcasters announce who their teams took in the draft that day.

 

[SamCdbs]

In the NFL and NBA, the draft is of already well known players, as college sports in those sports are followed very closely, and the players will be in the "big leagues" the next season/ In the NHL, among those who follow it, likewise the "major juniors" and NCAA hockey are followed closely.

The baseball draft is of HS players and college juniors (if a player enters college, he must play 3 years) who are unknown and will be in the low minor bus leagues for at least 3 years. And it only applies to mainland Americans (not even Puerto Ricans) and Canadians, with Latin and Asian players signed by scouts. It is apples to oranges.

If baseball jointly operated the minors as a developmental league and then drafted the players out of AAA, then you would have something worth watching.

 

[bleedblue23]

First of all, it's like 125 rounds, then it isn't televised so most don't know about it or when it is.

MLB is to fault for this, they could promote it, talk about it ect, you never hear about players in the minors, unless it's YOUR teams guys, or college for that matter, until the College WS.
College baseball is barley covered in the media and the minors is not much more.

Jimbo

To be fair, MLB has done a much much better job with promoting the draft as of the past couple of years and its even on ESPN2 now. Not 5 years ago there was zero coverage from the draft. MLB.com has full coverage of it now.

It's hard to follow College Baseball players and even harder for High School players. Atleast for Basketball they have alot of the High School showcases on national tv. That's not the case with baseball.

 

[mattsarz]

Can't believe the real reasons hasn't been mentioned.

The MLB draft is a farce for a few reasons

1) A player's agent can dictate whether you draft a player. Some players who have been represented by high profile agents like Scott Boras tell teams in advance what they will be negotiating a contract for and teams are scared off. A player might be the most talented player in the draft, but not get drafted until #17 because of who represents him.

So you don't always draft the player you want, but the player you can sign.

2) The draft is for North America only. Players from Central America and the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, etc. are excluded and those players are signed through Latin "scouting combines" and other means.

 

[mattsarz]

First of all, it's like 125 rounds, then it isn't televised so most don't know about it or when it is.

MLB is to fault for this, they could promote it, talk about it ect, you never hear about players in the minors, unless it's YOUR teams guys, or college for that matter, until the College WS.
College baseball is barley covered in the media and the minors is not much more.

Jimbo

Barely covered in the media because of where the sports media resides (the Northeast) and because its a warm weather sport. Go to the southern U.S. and college baseball is much more of a big deal. Its why smaller conferences like the Sun Belt, C-USA and Big West have teams that do very well and can be equals of the SEC, Big 12 and PAC-10, where teams from northern conferences like the Big Ten and Big East don't.

Last team north of the Mason-Dixon line, besides Oregon St. the past two years, to win the CWS was Ohio St....in 1966.

I don't see where the NBA actively promotes NCAA basketball or where college football is promoted by the NFL. Those sports promote themselves because they are national sports. NCAA baseball isn't. If a kid is a top talent, he isn't going to play ball in a northern state, he's going to Florida, Texas, Arizona, California, etc. In football, he can go to PSU, OSU, Michigan, WV, BC and other schools.