MLB draft 2025: Why players were a no-show

Atlanta-Back of Coca-Cola Roxy, a small concert site, which hosted the first round of the Major League baseball draft, was closed with stains on Sunday night. Gray couch was arranged for apprehension for optimistic people for the lounge along with his travel parties, while MLB Commissioner was waiting for his name by Rob Manfred, but there was a different problem:

There was no one in them.

Four years ago, MLB pushed his draft back, paired it with the rest of his all-star game festival and conceived a Grander Affair, in which fans in appearance, a national audience watching and prepared with a player, grand suits, arrived at the stage to donate their first professional cap and Jersey. But only six and eight players were shown from 2021 to 2024 each year. And this year, with Atlanta Braves And serving as Trust Park hosts, the player’s presence was reduced to nothing. One or two enthusiasts expressed interest in leaving and it was said that they should not be upset.

In MLB’s brain, one or two worse was worse.

Two days later, Fielding questions from members of the Baseball Writers Association of America, Manfred deferred the “progress” of MLB’s draft product, which praised both the broadcasts and atmosphere of its most recent version, but admitted that the player’s presence is clearly a significant part. “

Manfred said on Tuesday, “Some of these draws are luck.” “Some agencies take the situation that they do not want their players to explain to you.

In particular, three agencies have been identified by League authorities, who are combined as Boras Corporation, Excel Sports Management and Vasarman, which are combined to represent 18 out of the top 30 pics of this year as to reject customers from participating in MLB’s draft.

Representatives of each of the three agencies refused to have a difficult and sharp rule to prevent the players from participating in the draft, stating that they eventually rest with their customers. But those agencies, as well as other agents throughout the industry identified two major reasons why some of their customers were not eventually present.

One is that Amateur, especially those who graduate only in high school, preferred their names to fall into the draft and subdue public shame, instead of hosting draft parties surrounded by friends and family members from home. Another, the more major reason is that the economic landscape of the MLB draft decomposes it.

Each selection within the first 10 rounds comes with a fixed price, but the teams are free to divide their total draft bonus pools, although they want. Signing the bonus, then, are subject to dialogue. And those dialogues are often a few minutes before the selection of players, potentially affects whether teams take them to some places. After that, deals still need to be finalized. Scott Boras, the most influential agent of baseball, believes that participating in a draft may obstruct the length.

“I have players who have been drafts, and they still have to interact on their contracts,” said Boras. “You can’t go out from there and parade in front of a live audience,” I am with the team, “without knowing that they are living with the team. We still have other options.”

High school players can choose to participate in universities that they are already committed, a large draw with money generated through name, image and equality deals. College Juniors can opt for their senior years to return. They can reject the bonus given by all teams.

Joel Wolf, an executive vice -president on behalf of baseball in Vasarman, wrote in a text message, “The nature of our unique draft system and the culture of amateur players is why they opt for most not to appear.” “Our first round is very unexpected – perhaps there are 50 to 80 children who think they can be taken. Players are not only chosen in the order of their highest value or ranking. There is a lot that is correct until the moment they have been chosen.”

Last year, three out of the top 12 and six out of the top 24 players were present on the draft. In each of the last three years, a player was first taken within six pics in attendance, including two. Pittsburg pirates Selection, Henry davis And Terror JohnsonWhich went to first and fourth respectively. This year, even though the draft of 12 out of the first 30 players was either from Georgia or neighboring state, no one showed anyone.

“Unhappy,” a player representative said that who is not affiliated to any above agencies.

“Shameful,” said another.

But out of mass economic changes, which will trigger hard slots in the draft – one that will have to wait until the conversation for a new collective bargain agreement resumes, with the end of the existing one after the 2026 season – the league does not have many options.

This year, MLB raised its incentive package in the hope of wooing more draft expectations. He offered six rounds of flights, three hotel rooms and six tickets for domestic run darby and all-star game, as well as chatting with players during batting exercises, participating in red carpet shows, participating in hall of fames and celebrities and other allowances on social media channels of the league. Obviously, this was not enough.

Manfred said that he interacted with representatives of some more major agencies “in an attempt to make an understanding that it is part of a comprehensive player-marketing attempt that starts with a combine, continues through drafts, a minor league in MLB.TV through connecting the baseball games so that people can see these young players, and then they can fulfill their possibilities.

The path from amateur rank to major league can be long and difficult, with some exceptions. It will be at least three years ago at least three years ago at least three years ago, if they make it, they reach the highest level of their profession.

Lack of immediate satisfaction is one of the clear reasons that MLB draft will never come close to reaching the popularity of NFL and NBA versions, two sports that give teams less flexibility with draft signing bonuses. College basketball and college football are also more popular than college baseball, making fans more invested in players when their names are called.

MLB Draft attracted 863,000 spectators in ESPN and MLB networks in 2024, its second largest audience and more than three times more and more that usually attracted in the previous decades. But even its best ratings are dwarfs by NFL and NBA, which attracted 13.6 and 3.8 million audiences in their 2025 drafts respectively. MLB officials have no illusion to reach those numbers someday. However, what they would like, for the players, and their representatives, to be more invested in feeling the draft.

An agent suggested the players to pay to appear, such as they do major legers who participate in the home run darby. After a draft begins, suggested cutting communication between teams and their agents, eliminating a lot of chaos before the pixed.

Otherwise, in the words of another agent, “it makes them more understandable to be home with their family when they are rolling into the call. It is very stressful.”

Kelly McDaniel of ESPN contributed to this report.