How many picks are in the 2023 MLB Draft? Exploring baseball's three day event from start to finish

The 2023 MLB draft is underway, and we are seeing the beginning of some highly-rated prospects ascending to the big leagues. Now with the first two rounds out of the way and 70 different players hearing their names on the first day, there is still more to happen.

But how long is the draft, and how many picks will there be? Let's discuss the basics of the 2023 MLB draft so you can understand exactly what is happening here.

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How many rounds is the 2023 MLB draft?

There are 20 rounds of picks throughout the 2023 MLB draft, spanning three days during the 2023 All-Star week, as it began on Sunday, July 9, and will conclude on Tuesday, July 11. There will also be 614 total picks made throughout the draft.

Why are there 614 draft picks when 30 teams multiplied by 20 rounds equals 600? That is because baseball does things a little differently than other sports.

The Seattle Mariners received an additional first-round pick as outfielder Julio Rodriguez won the AL Rookie of the Year Award. The new MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement awards teams for promoting their highly-touted prospects, and if they win hardware in their first season in the majors.

2023 MLB Draft presented by Nike

Compensation picks are also awarded if a team loses a key player in free agency. A team can extend the qualifying offer to impending free agents, but if the player declines and signs with another club, they are losing a draft pick to sign the player.

Finally, the competitive balance picks are the only ones eligible for trade. They are for teams that do not have high payrolls to compete with franchises like the New York Yankees, New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers with high payrolls.

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When does round three of the MLB draft start?

Monday, July 10, is when the second day of the 2023 MLB draft begins. That will have rounds 3-10 and stream on MLB.com at 2 pm Eastern. These rounds go a lot faster than the first two because there are only 60 seconds between picks.

How has your favorite team done after the first day of the MLB draft, and who would you like to be selected? Make sure to keep an eye on Sportskeeda for all of your draft coverage!