2014 MLB Draft: Draft Order, Start Times, Viewing Information
While it may not carry the prominent following and wall-to-wall television coverage as it’s counterpart in the NFL, Major League Baseball’s annual draft still holds significant importance for the thirty teams that compromise the sport as each looks to add talent towards building for the future. The 2014 MLB Draft begins later today at 7:00 PM EST, with the first two full rounds (including competitive balance picks) of selections being broadcast live from MLB Network’s Studio 42 in Secaucus, New Jersey and online at MLB.com.
Rounds 3-10 will take place tomorrow. Rounds 11-40 will be conducted on Saturday. Each will begin at 1:00 PM EST and will be broadcast at MLB.com.
Teams will have until July 18th to sign their respective draft picks, many of whom will begin their professional careers in the lower minor leagues shortly thereafter.
The draft order is determined based on reversing the final team standings from the 2013 season. The Houston Astros, who held the worst record in baseball in 2013, will make the first selection in the draft for the third year in a row. Their previous picks have included shortstop Carlos Correa and right-hander Mark Appel, each of whom currently rank among the organization’s top prospects and form much of the hope surrounding the Astros for their future.
Two teams – the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees – will not make a selection during the first round after losing their selections by signing free agents who were given qualifying offers this past offseason. The Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers would fall into this group as well, but they gained a compensatory pick when one of their own qualifying free agents signed elsewhere.
The full first round draft order is as follows, with the 2013 team records included:
- Houston Astros (51-111)
- Miami Marlins (62-100)
- Chicago White Sox (63-99)
- Chicago Cubs (66-96)
- Minnesota Twins (66-96)
- Seattle Mariners (71-91)
- Philadelphia Phillies (73-89)
- Colorado Rockies (74-88)
- Toronto Blue Jays (74-88)
- New York Mets (74-88)
- Toronto Blue Jays (compensatory pick for failing to sign 2013 1st Round selection Phil Bickford)
- Milwaukee Brewers (74-88)
- San Diego Padres (76-86)
- San Francisco Giants (76-86)
- Los Angeles Angels (78-84)
- Arizona Diamondbacks (81-81)
- Kansas City Royals (86-76)
- Washington Nationals (86-76)
- Cincinnati Reds (90-72)
- Tampa Bay Rays (91-71)
- Cleveland Indians (92-70)
- Los Angeles Dodgers (92-70)
- Detroit Tigers (93-69)
- Pittsburgh Pirates (94-68)
- Oakland Athletics (96-66)
- Boston Red Sox (97-65)
- St. Louis Cardinals (97-65)
- Kansas City Royals (compensatory pick for the Braves’ signing of Ervin Santana)
- Cincinnati Reds (compensatory pick for the Rangers’ signing of Shin-Soo Choo)
- Texas Rangers (compensatory pick for the Orioles’ signing of Nelson Cruz)
- Cleveland Indians (compensatory pick for the Orioles’ signing of Ubaldo Jimenez)
- Atlanta Braves (compensatory pick for the Yankees’ signing of Brian McCann)
- Boston Red Sox (compensatory pick for the Yankees’ signing of Jacoby Ellsbury)
- St. Louis Cardinals (compensatory pick for the Yankees’ signing of Carlos Beltran)