5 reasons why the MLB Draft 2024 isn't as popular as the NFL and NBA Drafts

With the MLB Draft coming up on July 14-16, the lack of buzz is notable. Unlike the NBA Draft and the NFL Draft, which are televised spectacles that inspire months of predictions and analysis, the MLB Draft just happens. Until a few years back, the MLB Draft was held by conference call. Picks routinely learned of being drafted from friends or random outsiders.

While the MLB is trying to turn the Draft into a bigger event, there are just some inherent problems that will keep the Draft less relevant. Here are five reasons why the MLB Draft isn't as popular as its NBA or NFL counterparts:

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Five reasons why the MLB Draft is less popular

2023 MLB Draft top pick Paul Skenes has been unusual in making it to MLB by the following season. (Photo Credit: Jordan Godfree-USA TODAY Sports)

#1 The delay between draft and playing in MLB

Unlike the NBA and NFL, where rookies are on the field almost immediately, MLB draft picks take years to reach the big leagues.

For instance, from the 2022 MLB Draft, just three of the 39 first-round and supplemental first-round picks have made the big leagues yet. Only one, infielder Zach Neto, has been an MLB regular.

In the 2022 NBA Draft, there's already an NBA All-Star (Paulo Banchero) and five players averaging over 15 points per game for their NBA career. In the 2022 NFL Draft, 22 of the 32 picks have already been primary starters during an NFL season, including six Pro Bowl selections and three first-team All-Pro picks.

#2 The impossibility of predicting quality

Not only are MLB picks slow to arrive, they often don't deserve the hype. Rather than a few years, let's compare a decade back. From the 2014 MLB Draft, 11 of the 41 first round picks have never made the major leagues.

Only 16 players have compiled a 1.0 WAR score, making them a single win better than an average replacement player. The class had three legitimate MLB standouts - Matt Chapman, Trea Turner and Aaron Nola.

Meanwhile, every NBA first-round pick from 2014 has played at least 32 NBA games. Fourteen of the 30 players have scored over 5,000 NBA points, and four have eclipsed 10,000 points.

All 32 first-round picks from 2014 have played in the NFL. Johnny Manziel's 14 games is the lowest total, while every other pick has played at least 35 games. Twenty-eight of the 32 became regular NFL starters, while 17 played in the Pro Bowl.

#3 Some players don't even sign

Back to our example of the 2014 MLB Draft. The top pick, Brady Aiken, not only didn't make the MLB, he didn't even sign with the team that drafted him. Yes, that whole chaos is part of the MLB Draft picture, while it's almost impossible for NBA and NFL players not to sign.

However, the MLB Draft allows teams to draft high school players and college juniors, making the draft calculus a near-impossibility. Signability has to be a part of the MLB's equation.

#4 MLB's late round picks often star

The NBA Draft has just two rounds, while the NFL Draft has seven. The MLB Draft has been shortened to 20 rounds, but the fundamental nature of the drafts is such that MLB stardom can come from anywhere.

Mike Piazza was drafted in the 62nd round. Jeff Conine went in the 58th round, while Keith Hernandez was chosen in the 42nd round. Ken Griffey Sr. was a 29th round pick, while Hall of Famer John Smoltz was taken in the 22nd round. Frankly, these stories make it difficult to put much stock in MLB Draft selections.

#5 MLB picks are mostly anonymous

The top picks in the NFL and NBA Drafts are generally well-known for either college stardom or international excellence. MLB Draft first picks, though, can be semi-anonymous college players or high school stars. It's difficult to sell the draft without many identifiable stars.

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