We already know that the 2021 draft will undergo one notable change, as the draft will be held during the All-Star break in July rather than its normal spot a month earlier in June. In regards to the draft order, however, it appears the status quo will be in effect, as ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan reports that teams’ 2020 records are “highly likely” to be used to determine the order of selection.
With only 60 games in the 2020 season, there had been speculation that the 2021 draft order could be based on a larger timeframe, such as perhaps a combination of teams’ records from both the 2019 and 2020 seasons. The league had the right to change the order as part of the agreement reached last March between Major League Baseball and the MLBPA about a wide range of issues related to how baseball operations would proceed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, though Passan notes that a change to the normal draft order might only have occurred had the 2020 season been interrupted or halted from proceeding whatsoever.
The Pirates carry a 15-39 record into today’s action, four games “ahead” (so to speak) of the 19-35 Rangers for the game’s worst record. This would be the fifth time Pittsburgh has held the first overall pick, previously selecting first in 2011 (Gerrit Cole was their pick), 2002 (Bryan Bullington), 1996 (Kris Benson), and 1986 (Jeff King. Should the Rangers finish with the second-worst 2020 record, picking second in the 2021 draft would represent the team’s highest draft selection since way back in 1974, when Texas took right-hander Tommy Boggs second overall.
The Pirates and Rangers are followed in the standings by the Red Sox and Diamondbacks at 20-34, with Boston earning the #3 pick in this tiebreaker since the Sox had a worse record in 2019. The Nationals round out the current top five with their 21-32 ranking, perhaps benefiting the most of any team from the unaltered draft order since naturally they would have been picking much lower in the first round if their 2019 record was factored into the determination.
On the other side of the equation, the Tigers (currently slated for the seventh overall pick) probably feel dismayed that 2019 records won’t be a consideration. Detroit’s league-worst 47-114 mark last season earned them the first overall pick in the 2020 draft, and they would still be in line for the first overall pick in 2021 had the 2019-20 records been combined. Though the Tigers are surely pleased to have landed Spencer Torkelson first overall in this year’s draft, the team didn’t really achieve full value from their prime spot in the order given that the 2020 draft was only five rounds long and . As per the March agreement, the 2021 draft will be at least 20 rounds long and teams should theoretically have something of a more normal scouting and evaluation process for prospects.
I don’t like what I’m reading. It seems to me a more fair way would be to go by the last 162 games every team has played.
Not really. Every team has had to face the same issues in 2020.
I don’t see a favorable argument as to why it should be changed.
To me, schedule imbalance is the strongest argument why it should be changed. Your W-L is impacted by the quality of competition. Not that MLB gives a flying one about playing balanced schedules, even in a normal year, but this year teams are playing against vastly different strengths of competition than one another, since they don’t play outside their regions.
Yea, maybe they should balance record with the record of opponents somehow. I mean, they won’t, but perhaps they should.
Good idea. Might be too weighted in favor of 2019, though, They could give 2020 greater influence in the equation by simply taking the average of each team’s winning percentage over the past two seasons.
Why would that be more fair? If the champion of this year counts so should the last place teams. They clearly need the higher picks more than teams who were bad in 2019
I agree, using the 60 from this season and last 102 from last yr to combine and show a full season’s worth of games would be better than just going by 60 this yr. Yes every team had to face similar issues this season, however some decided after 20 games to not try and push this yr. Teams that have sucked for this yr and last should pick higher than a team who was really good last yr and stunk this yr. Evens out the draft position a little better, than just by going from this yr. Would it really be fair for the Nats to pick in the top 5, based on this yr, IMHO no! If though they picked middle of the pack because of the last 162 games PLAYED, then sure. Teams who were good, and are still good are going to pick pretty close to the same spots as last yr. So in essence yes I like your idea.
What they should do is the 222 game record — 2019’s season and 2020’s combined. That seems fair.
If the 2020 season is good enough to lead to a championship, MVPs, Cy Youngs, etc, it is certainly good enough to lead to a draft order.
+1
+2
No wonder the White Sox have been tanking lately. They don’t want the best record in 2020 baseball!!
They knew this was coming.
was there ever reallt any doubt? i think the other options were more contingency plans in case the season didnt go to completion.
I’ve heard that the Cardinals aren’t on pace to play 60 games. This could affect their draft order.
I believe they’ll play 60, if needed, via a doubleheader next week.
If they don’t make it to 60 games, I imagine it would go by winning percentage
Option 2 could be the combined 2019 and 2020 records. Otherwise the idea of using the 2020 season record for the 2021 draft makes sense as it is tradition.
As a Tigers fan, I certainly believed that 2019 and 2020 records should have been used to determine the 2021 draft order. We got screwed by only having a 5 round draft this year and now we get screwed again.
Y’all have Casey Mize, let us win for once.
The five round draft and the bonus cap affected every team in baseball.
Not a very sophisticate reply, DrDan. The Tigers are still basically the same team they were in 2019. In the draft reflecting last year, they got only five high picks. Many quality players that would have been drafted in rounds 6-10 stayed in school. Now they come out, but the Tigers only get the #7 picks.
A more fair way would have been to average the finishing positions for both 2019 and 2020.
No it really affected bad teams and will allow good teams to get more talent this coming draft because the players union sold the future out.
I’m so happy I could cry…
No crying in baseball.
One reason to combine or partially combine is due to skewed records this year. White sox and cubs and yuge schedule winners this season as they dominate central opponents which has definitely helped compared to tigers who have accumulated more wins than they would have bc they are too playing central opponents.
Ok, now that I have the happy juices flowing, here’s why I think Manfred did this, and should do this. If MLB is wanting this season to seem as real as possible, and trying not to make a WS win seem like an asterisk, than this is just logical. Make the season seem as real as possible by having the same implications as a normal season (besides the expanded playoffs). If the Padres got a high spot in the draft because they were worst last year than this year, plus maybe making a WS run, that would be unfair to the other 29 teams. I like this. Jack Leiter here we come! Don’t get “cute” with your first round pick Rangers.
While I disagree with the general premise that bad teams deserve high draft picks, as long as they stick with that method it only makes sense to use this year’s record to determine draft order. If this season had to be cancelled midway through it might make sense to not use this year’s records but given how well it’s gone this was the only real option
I bet if the Padres win the WS this year and a Padre fan tries to use that in an argument with you next year you will go straight to saying that it didn’t count because the season was only 60 games.
Are the Padres one of the best teams in baseball? Are the Marlins? I have seen lots of fans on this site answer that with a decisive “No!” If you only get a half win, you should only get a half penalty. There are teams every year who are great for the first 60 games of a season then fall apart. Those same Padres that you used in your example Rangers29. After 60 games last year they were just 1.5 games out from having the NL wildcard. They finished in LAST PLACE. Should they be punished for having a good 60 games? Should Texas be rewarded for having a bad 60? Do you think Texas is truly one of the worst teams in baseball?
Personally I think it should be the last 162 game record. Or combined winning percentage from 2019 & 2020.
As a Red Sox fan…Yes. I will be happy with this.
May the best man win… lose.
Best news this Pirate fan has heard in quite some time.
They’ll blow it.
They only need to say “Kumar”. Not that hard.
In 2020 fashion we should do a lottery draft.
Why not. Nobody is going to agree with how draft order should be handled.
Have some fun with it. 2020 records for non playoffs teams lottery selected. playoff teams based on record.
I still think that to give bad teams some ambition not to tank, MLB should do as follows: take all the teams that are in 5th place in their division, throw their names into a hat, and that’ll choose the 1-6 spots of the draft. Do so for 4th place, 3rd place, 2nd place, and 1st place. So that even if you are a bad team, there is not a 100% chance you get 1st pick. Still a good draft slot, but maybe not 1st.
not bad. Maybe a talking part to start.
You can also expand playoffs.
It was always going to be tough to determine a “fair” way to do this, given all the weirdness of 2020…..this solution is as good as any. And probably the most logical.
Realistically, this seems like the best of bad options, and what is 2020 about if not choosing the best of bad options?
After 2021 season, hope MLB considers all the non-playoff teams getting an equal random shot of landing the 1 thru 18 picks for first 2 rounds (or however many teams are let in out of 30 clubs).If team managements want to “tank”, only getting top picks by bad record order from 3rd round on isn’t that great an incentive.
The draft is the main reason so many teams feel comfortable to tank, I wish they find a better way to avoid 7 teams tanking the same time.
Although every year we see one or two high drafting squads unwilling to spend the big money needed and will opt for a guy they know they can sign based on their budget. Many times that has backfired. KC and Pittsburgh fans can attest.
You mean like the Pirates trying to sign Appel?
How did that turn out?
The Buccos are guilty of some poor decisions over the last 12 years or so, but being cheap in the draft is absolutely NOT one of them.
since the Pirates could not compete in the free agent market, they used to fork out more in the draft. Example: Josh Bell was drafted in the second round by the Pirates and signed for five million, highest non-first round signing. Bell had previously sent out a letter to all clubs that he was not interested in being drafted, but the Pirates made him a great offer. Pirates were not the only small budget club to spend their money this way. MLB changed the rules about how much you could spend on the draft then. After all, MLB has to protect the big budget clubs as they have the biggest fan bases which produce the biggest post season audiences. MLBs nightmare is a Cleveland-Pittsburgh WS.
Correct., Skeptical.
And now Manfred is about to open up that possibility with expanded playoffs and universal DH. So as dirty as it may feel, there’s probably more chance of a small market WS going forward as there has been since the big market revolution of the ’90’s/2000’s.
Why are you only looking at the last 12 years?
Bryan Bullington
Brad Lincoln
Daniel Moskos
At least 3 names Pittsburgh drafted above slot to sign below slot value. They’ve done it in the past. That may not be the way they conduct business but this is what they did. I am sure we can find more names if I bothered to run a search.
Because the last twelve years was the period that covered Bob Nutting’s ownership with Huntington and Coonelly as execs.
You’re absolutely batshit crazy if you believe David Littlefield’s draft selections from the early 2000’s have any bearing on what the Pirates will do next summer with the first pick.
Holy crap you can’t read nor was I implying that is what Pittsburgh is doing. I pointed out that teams have done this in the past. I used the Bucs as one example. Could have used Baltimore in the 2020 draft. There can be 1 or 2 teams doing that in 2021. Possibly.
Next time read before you pick a fight.
You’re just piling on as far as I’m concerned..
The Pirates have a new front office who’s job really starts from next year’s draft.
Nick Gonzales was a decent initial sign of intent. Let’s see what BC and Co. and come up with next summer.
If a 60 game season is good enough to determine which teams should make the playoffs and for one of them to be declared a champion, then surely it is good enough to realize that the Pirates are terrible and need lots of help.
H/T to Miguel Del Pozo and Geoff Hartlieb.
Geoff Hartlieb isn’t that bad. Del Pozo is in a class by himself, really.
Actually Hartlieb has improved quite a bit since his rookie year of 2019.
The pitching is bad, but has quietly been pretty good the last two or three weeks. The Pirates’ offense on the other hand probably couldn’t put up 5 runs if every inning started with a runner on second, not just extras.
the angels had a chance to pick one of the game changing pitchers in the draft. they blew it. that was so mike scoscia like. what for?
You should know as an Angels fan that draft order doesn’t matter. Mike Trout was picked in the 30s.
25th to be exact. however, he was a fairly unknown prospect. these 2 pitchers are known quality that could change the course of the franchise.
Angels problem is developing pitchers
Given the Pirates’ Karma the past couple of years (today’s events WITH standing), they’ll select Kumar with #1-1, who will promptly be abducted by aliens from the planet Zardoz, and will return 300 years from now (time/space relativity) as Jean Luc Picard’s main adversary.
Haha.
As a Huddersfield Town life long fan, I’d be horrified if JLP messed with my Buccos karma!
I say try some lottery type draft for 2021 based on some combination of a team’s 2020 and 2019 results. Like others have said, this season has been wacky and the schedules were completely different, but at the same time everyone had to deal with it.
Since it’s a short year they should base it on the better you played
Not reward the pirates for tanking
The draft pretty much starts at #3 overall. The Pirates will take Kumar Rocker, and the Rangers will take Jack Leiter.
Boston, you’re on the clock.
This is the way it should be. You can’t go changing rules about the league one week before the season ends. The rules need to be set out before the season even begins so they know what they are playing (or not playing) for.
And like others have said, if 60 games is good enough to crown division champs and a world series champion (and have individual league leaders, Cy Young, MVP awards & rookie of the year awards), it’s good enough to set the draft order for next year like it always does.
I don’t think the Pirates needed to tank on purpose. This is all a tiny payroll like Bob Nutting is paying can afford. You get what you pay for.
Why don’t they have the first five rounds based on 2020 and then have the rounds after that based on the combined seasons.
That would be silly
Sounds fair whyhayzee.