NCAA Decision on Spring Athlete Eligibility Could Have Major Impact on MLB Draft
By Michael Luciano
The NCAA allowed spring student athletes to pick up an extra year of eligibility after they cancelled all spring sports in an effort to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, which is a major development for many of the top collegiate prospects in the 2020 MLB Draft.
With top collegiate athletes now able to go back to school and not lose a year, teams could find it difficult to secure a commitment from these prospective picks in a 2020 MLB draft that is already going to be shortened to five rounds.
The ruling that all spring sports players receive an extra year of eligibility is huge news for potential baseball draftees. Gives juniors significant leverage going into a draft that could be as few as five rounds and has strict caps on paying undrafted players.
— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) March 30, 2020
Juniors now have the option to demand more money than the lowball offers that some team swill undoubtedly give them, lest they return to the college ranks and leave teams that only have a limited number of picks with nothing.
This ruling allows allows star underclassman to pull this same stunt again in the 2021 draft.
Without this NCAA decision many of this years juniors would have faced a no-win situation--take a lowball offer to go pro or head back to school knowing they have no leverage as a sr. next year. Now they can go back to school and still have leverage in 2021.
— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) March 30, 2020
The shortened MLB Draft is likely going to force many of the top high school players in the country to eschew the pros in favor of college, and top juniors getting one more crack at improving their stock could ask for the world in a potential contract situation now that they have the power to return to school.