The MLB Draft Happens Mid-Season Because of College and High School Schedules

Every sport does things differently, but one thing that's true almost across the board is that drafts are held during the off-season. The obvious reason for this scheduling decision is that teams then have time to incorporate their new rookies into their squads, teach them schemes, and help them get ready to take the field.

This is true in basketball and in football, but not in baseball. Instead, the baseball draft is held during the season, in the middle of the All-Star break. Now, some people want to understand why. Here's what we know.

The simple reason the draft happens in the middle of the season is that it's when college and high school baseball players, who make up the majority of potential draftees, are done with their seasons and with school more generally. The college baseball season runs from February through June, and the baseball season is also typically winding down in June.

After a few weeks off, then, these athletes are drafted and can join their new teams.

The other major reason it doesn't really matter when the draft happens is that baseball has an extensive system of minor league teams that work as feeders for the pros. As a result, even top prospects are almost never put on the roster of a Major League team right away, and instead have to work their way up for years at a time to get to the pros.

In that respect, the draft doesn't do all that much to shape the ongoing season, and if it were held in the off-season, it wouldn't necessarily change the shape of many teams by all that much. For that reason alone, it makes sense to hold the draft at a time that's convenient for the players and allows them to begin working with their minor league teams almost immediately.

Although the MLB draft was always held in the middle of the season, there was a time when the draft was held in early or mid-June, before the college baseball season was officially over. That ended back in 2021 when the draft was moved to coincide with the All-Star game, a logical decision that also gave college players a bit more time to prepare for the draft and breathe following the end of their collegiate careers.

The move turned out to be beneficial for the league, too, as it gave teams more time to scout and meet with players, and gave the league as a whole a chance to build buzz about players who might go on to be major stars. The breathing room just ensured that everyone was more comfortable and confident, and didn't ultimately do much to change the outcome of the draft for teams.

So don't expect any of this year's drafted players to wind up in the World Series. In MLB, things are done on a much slower time table.