Changes in draft

Just a couple days ago, I watched the movie “Moneyball” again. I guess many people used to watch this movie or read the book. Additionally, there have been several changes in baseball since the book “Moneyball” was released in 2003.

A key change might be the way that the MLB teams evaluate a player’s ability and potential. Hence, I was wondering whether the MLB teams have dramatically changed their views at selecting players. To understand a little bit more, I went to check on the great baseball reference website. Firstly, let’s look at those players who were selected in the first round (including Compensation Round A and Competitive Balance Round A) from 2000 to 2009. During these 10 years, 441 players were selected in the first round and decided to sign. Among those players, more than 50% of them were pitchers. At the same time, 25% of those players were infielders and 15% of them were outfielders. Furthermore, among those 441 players, 128 players didn’t make it into the big leagues.

Now, let’s look back at the first round in the last decade. From 2010 to 2019, 437 players were selected in the first round and chose to sign. Among those 437 players, 199 of them were pitchers. In the meantime, 116 infielders were chosen in the first round and agreed to sign. Meanwhile, 95 outfielders were selected and signed. However, 129 of those 437 players haven’t had any MLB appearances at this moment.
  

When we look at the numbers, from 2000 to 2009, more than 50% of players who were selected in the first round and decided to sign were pitchers. Nonetheless, in the last decade, the number dropped to 45.5%. Moreover, from 2000 to 2009, 25% of the first-rounders that decided to sign were infielders and in the last decade, the number went up a little bit to 27%. Furthermore, looking at the number of outfielders, there are some changes. From 2000 to 2009, 65 players who were selected in the first round and chose to sign were outfielders. In the last decade, nearly 100 outfielders were drafted in the first round and signed. Looking at the first round of the draft from 2000 to 2019, we can see that there are some changes. From 2000 to 2009, more than 50% of the first-rounders that signed were pitchers. It seems that MLB teams preferred to select pitchers in the first round. Nevertheless, in the last decade, less than 50% of the first-rounders that chose to sign were pitchers. And, there were more outfielders that were drafted in the first round and signed. It’s clear that there are changes in baseball over the last 20+ years. As we can see, there were fewer pitchers who were selected in the first round and signed. However, we always have to remember a key thing, which is whether these players actually made it into the big leagues. 29% of the first-rounders who chose to sign from 2000 to 2009 didn't make the MLB. Additionally, 30% of the first-rounders who decided to sign from 2010 to 2019 haven’t had MLB appearances. Well, there are still several first-rounders who are currently working hard in the minors. Perhaps, we will see some of these players make their MLB debut in 2023.