For the first time in 2021, the MLB Draft will be part of the All-Star events.
MLB moved its annual selecting-the-future-stars event from its traditional slot of early June to mid-July, with the hopes that adding it to the sport’s premier mid-season showcase will put a bigger spotlight on the event.
It’s an event worthy of more eyeballs. The Draft’s first round has been aired live on MLB Network since 2012 — you’ll remember a kid named Mike Trout was the only potential first-round pick to show up in the studio for that one — and this year ESPN joins the broadcast.
Here’s what you need to know about the event. More details will be added — such as the list of representatives for each team — as they become available.
When is the MLB Draft in 2021?
- Dates: July 11-13
- Start time: 7:07 p.m. ET (July 11) | Day 2 starts at 1 p.m. and Day 3 starts at noon.
- TV channel: MLB Network (ESPN for Day 1)
- Live stream: MLB.com
The draft will begin July 11 and continue through July 13, with the first day’s broadcast on MLB Network and ESPN and the other days streamed on MLB.com.
Where is the MLB Draft in 2021?
- City: Denver
- Location: Bellco Theatre
Need to know: The 2021 MLB All-Star Game was originally scheduled to be held in Atlanta, but MLB moved the game and all associated events to Denver in response to a law passed in Georgia that was seen as restrictive on voting rights.
The MLB Draft has been held in the MLB Network studio in NYC since 2012, but it’s moved this year to be part of the All-Star festivities. The Bellco Theatre seats 5,000 and is connected to the Denver Convention Center. It’s about a mile-and-a-half from Coors Field.
What time does the 2021 MLB Draft start?
- Sunday, July 11: 7 p.m. ET
- Monday, July 12: 1 p.m. ET
- Tuesday, July 13: Noon ET
The first round of the 2021 MLB Draft begins at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 11. Day 2 begins at 1 p.m. ET on Monday, July 12 with Rounds 2-10. Round 11 starts at noon ET on Tuesday, July 13. The MLB All-Star game will be held that night.
MLB Draft TV schedule, live stream
MLB Network will broadcast a pre-draft show on Sunday, July 11 before showing the draft from 7 p.m. to the conclusion of the first round and the Competitive Balance A round (the first 36 picks). While the other rounds are available exclusively online, MLB Network will continue to provide draft coverage and analysis. You can also live stream all three days of the event for free on MLB.com.
| Rounds | Date | Time (ET) | Viewing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/CompBalance A | Sunday, June 11 | 7:07 p.m. | MLB Network/ESPN |
| 2-10/CompBalance B | Monday, July 12 | 1 p.m. | MLB.com |
| 11-20 | Tuesday, Junly 13 | noon | MLB.com |
Competitive Balance picks, explained
Starting in 2017, MLB added picks to the draft designed to help boost franchises that might not be able to compete with the largest, strongest franchises for free-agent talents. The teams with the 10 lowest revenues and the teams in the 10 smallest markets are eligible to receive a bonus pick, either after the first round or after the second round. Some teams qualify on both lists, but are only eligible for one additional pick. These competitive balance picks are the only draft picks that can be traded, and they can only be traded once.
Here are the picks for 2021.
| Competitive Balance Round A |
|---|
| 31. Miami Marlins |
| 32. Detroit Tigers |
| 33. Milwaukee Brewers |
| 34. Tampa Bay Rays |
| 35. Cincinnati Reds |
| 36. Minnesota Twins |
| Competitive Balance Round B |
| 65. Pittsburgh Pirates |
| 66. Baltimore Orioles |
| 67. Kansas City Royals |
| 68. Arizona Diamondbacks |
| 69. Colorado Rockies |
| 70. Cleveland Indians |
| 71. St. Louis Cardinals |
| 72. San Diego Padres |
2021 MLB Draft order of picks, Day 1
Reminder: The Astros do not have a first-round pick in 2021; loss of that pick was part of the penalty resulting from the franchise’s sign-stealing scandal.
| Pick/team | 2020 record |
|---|---|
| 1. Pittsburgh Pirates | 19-41 |
| 2. Texas Rangers | 22-38 |
| 3. Detroit Tigers | 23-35 |
| 4. Boston Red Sox | 24-36 |
| 5. Baltimore Orioles | 25-35 |
| 6. Arizona Diamondbacks | 25-35 |
| 7. Kansas City Royals | 26-34 |
| 8. Colorado Rockies | 26-34 |
| 9. Los Angeles Angels | 26-34 |
| 10. New York Mets | 26-34 |
| 11. Washington Nationals | 26-34 |
| 12. Seattle Mariners | 27-33 |
| 13. Philadelphia Phillies | 28-32 |
| 14. San Francisco Giants | 29-31 |
| 15. Milwaukee Brewers | 29-31 |
| 16. Miami Marlins | 31-29 |
| 17. Cincinnati Reds | 31-29 |
| 18. St. Louis Cardinals | 30-28 |
| 19. Toronto Blue Jays | 32-28 |
| 20. New York Yankees | 33-27 |
| 21. Chicago Cubs | 34-26 |
| 22. Chicago White Sox | 35-25 |
| 23. Cleveland Indians | 35-25 |
| 24. Atlanta Braves | 35-25 |
| 25. Oakland A's | 36-24 |
| 26. Minnesota Twins | 36-24 |
| 27. San Diego Padres | 37-23 |
| 28. Tampa Bay Rays | 40-20 |
| 29. Los Angeles Dodgers | 43-17 |
| 30. Cincinnati Reds (comp, Trevor Bauer to Dodgers) | |
| Competitive Balance Round A | |
| 31. Miami Marlins | |
| 32. Detroit Tigers | |
| 33. Milwaukee Brewers | |
| 34. Tampa Bay Rays | |
| 35. Cincinnati Reds | |
| 36. Minnesota Twins |
MLB Draft 2021 players to know
Here are 23 players who are likely to be picked in the first round of the draft, along with their spots in recent mock drafts by Baseball America, MLB.com, FanGraphs and The Athletic.
Marcelo Mayer, SS, Eastlake High (Chula Vista, Calif.)
Mock spots: MLB: 1, BA: 1, TA: 1, FG: 1
Need to know: A lot of the talk in the past few months has been about how there really isn’t a clear-cut No. 1 pick in this draft, but all four of our mocks have Mayer in the top spot. Both Jim Callis of MLB.com and The Athletic’s Keith Law indicate the Pirates are only looking at position players right now, which seems to take Vanderbilt’s Jack Leiter out of the equation. He’s a shortstop who bats lefty, with outstanding hit and glove tools (obviously, which is why he’s here).
Jordan Lawlar, SS, Jesuit Prep (Dallas)
Mock spots: MLB: 4, BA: 2, TA: 2, FG: 2
Need to know: Lawlar is actually tops on Baseball America’s draft prospect rankings. Here’s what they say: “Because he’s coming out of Texas two years after Bobby Witt Jr. (and like Witt he’s nearly 19 on draft day), Lawlar draws understandable comparisons. Witt had louder tools almost across the board with the exception of the hit tool, but Lawlar has plenty of plus tools himself, with future 60 speed (he’ll turn in 70 times right now) to go with 60 hit, a 60 glove and an above-average arm and future power.” He’s a Vanderbilt commit, which is worth noting.
Jack Leiter, RHP, Vanderbilt
Mock spots: MLB: 2, BA: 4, TA: 3, FG: 4
Need to know: Once upon a time, Jack Leiter was mostly known as the son of former big league pitcher — and current MLB Network analyst — Al Leiter. Then, he earned a reputation as one of the top prep pitching prospects ahead of the 2019 MLB Draft. His commitment to Vandy and bonus demands scared teams away, and he wasn’t picked until the Yankees took a flier on him in the 20th round. He didn’t sign, obviously. Then with Vandy he quickly earned the reputation as one of the very best pitchers in college baseball; he had a 1.72 ERA in 15 2/3 innings as a freshman before the sport shut down because of the pandemic. In 2021, Leiter finished with a 2.08 ERA and 171 strikeouts in 104 innings.
Jackson Jobe, RHP, Heritage Hall High (Oklahoma City)
Mock spots: MLB: 3, BA: 3, TA: 11, FG: 9
Need to know: Jobe has dynamic stuff, but there’s more of a risk taking a prep pitcher with a great arm than a college pitcher with a great arm. That’s part of the reason you see him at No. 3 on two mock drafts, and around 10 on the others. From FanGraphs: “Jobe arguably has the best single pitch in the draft with a slider that has earned some 80 grades, but comes with all of the usual risks attached to high school arms. He has one of the bigger ranges of outcomes at this time, but it’s hard to see him falling out of the top 10.”
Henry Davis, C, Louisville
Mock spots: MLB: 5, BA: 6, TA: 4, FG: 5
Need to know: The draft experts are split on where Davis might land, but there’s one thing they agree on: Davis will be the first college bat taken in the draft. The fact that he’s a catcher? That’s a combo that will certainly keep him in the top 10 picks.
Kahlil Watson, SS, Wake Forest (N.C.) High
Mock spots: MLB: 7, BA: 5, TA: 6, FG: 6
Need to know: Have you noticed a common thread so far? Watson is the third prep shortstop we’ve talked about already, and we’re not done with that position yet. Great tools, but at 5-9, he doesn’t have the size of Mayer (6-3) or Lawlar (6-2).
Kumar Rocker, RHP, Vanderbilt
Mock spots: MLB: 6, BA: 7, TA: 7, FG: 7
Need to know: Rocker came into this season in the conversation for the 1-1 draft spot, largely because he was a “known” prospect with his success at Vanderbilt, and there was so much unknown about potential draft picks with most of the 2020 season lost to the pandemic. Rocker has been very good again in 2021, but he’s dropped a few spots and isn’t generally considered as a possible selection in the top three or four picks.
Brady House, SS, Winder-Barrow (Ga.) High
Mock spots: MLB: 8, BA: 8, TA: 8, FG: 3
Need to know: Yep, here’s the fourth prep shortstop likely to go in the first 10 picks. FanGraphs has him highest, so let’s see what they say: “This one feels like the first wild card, but House provides a high school bat who some scouts have put the rare combo of plus bat/plus power on. Davis is in the mix here as well, as would be Mayer or Lawlar if one is still on the board.”
Ty Madden, RHP, Texas
Mock spots: MLB: 9, BA: 11, TA: 12, FG: 14
Need to know: Madden is seen as the best college arm outside of the Vandy duo; along with guys like Sam Bachman of Miami (Ohio) and Will Bednar of Mississippi State. Madden struck out 137 in 113 2/3 innings for the Longhorns this year, holding opposing batters to a .188 average and helping Texas get within one win of the College World Series title matchup.
Matt McLain, SS, UCLA
Mock spots: MLB: 12, BA: 12, TA: 9, FG: 10
Need to know: McClain missed time with a broken thumb this season, but still managed to impress scouts with his productive bat. He might not have the upside of the prep shortstops, but he’s still a solid potential pick right around the 10 range.
Sal Frelick, OF, Boston College
Mock spots: MLB: 10, BA: 10, TA: 14, FG: 11
Colton Cowser, OF, Sam Houston
Mock spots: MLB: 14, BA: 15, TA: 5, FG: 8
Sam Bachman, RHP, Miami (Ohio)
Mock spots: MLB: 11, BA: 20, TA: 10, FG: 16
Benny Montgomery, OF, Red Land High (Lewisberry, Pa.)
Mock spots: MLB: 13, BA: 13, TA: 13, FG: 12
Jordan Wicks, LHP, Kansas State
Mock spots: MLB: 15, BA: 16, TA: 18, FG: 15
Harry Ford, C, North Cobb High (Kennesaw, Ga.)
Mock spots: MLB: 16, BA: 14, TA: 15, FG: 13
Bubba Chandler, RHP/SS, North Oconee High (Bogart, Ga.)
Mock spots: MLB: 17, BA: 17, TA: 16, FG: n/a
Gunnar Hoglund, RHP, Mississippi
Mock spots: MLB: 18, BA: n/a, TA: 29, FG: n/a
Anthony Solometo, LHP, Bishop Eustace Prep (Pennsauken Township, N.J.)
Mock spots: MLB: 19, BA: 27, TA: 27, FG: n/a
Andrew Painter, RHP, Calvary Christian (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Mock spots: MLB: 20, BA: 19, TA: 30, FG: 17
