The Proposal Unveiled
Major League Baseball is considering a sweeping change that would effectively ban high school players from signing professional contracts, forcing them to wait until they are at least 20 years old and two years removed from graduation before becoming eligible for the draft.
The suggestion comes as the sport grapples with a growing exodus of teenage phenoms who have traditionally bypassed college to sign directly, a trend that has produced stars such as Pete Crow‑Armstrong, Mike Trout and Bobby Witt Jr., all of whom inked deals as teenagers, while pitchers like Ben Brown were drafted at 17 by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2017.
College Baseball’s Rise
College programs have expanded their scholarship limits to 34 and are now offering multimillion‑dollar name, image and likeness opportunities, making the collegiate route increasingly competitive with professional offers.
The 2025 draft already illustrated the shift, with 56 college players selected among the top 90 picks, including standout talents such as Nick Kurtz, the AL Rookie of the Year, and Paul Skenes, a LSU star who entered the draft after a dominant collegiate season.
A New Frontier for Coaches
The proposal also raises questions about the pathways of coaches turned executives; Tony Vitello, formerly a college manager, now helms the San Francisco Giants despite never having worked in a professional organization, exemplifying the blurred boundaries between amateur and pro.
MLB has assured stakeholders that it will not reduce the 120 minor league teams that occupy the top four levels, promising stability for the developmental structure through the next professional‑development license negotiations in 2030.