How does the shortened MLB Draft impact Mississippi State?

It has long been expected that this year’s Major League Baseball Draft would be shortened as a cost-cutting measure for MLB teams in the midst of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. On Friday, the details came into better focus. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, this year’s MLB Draft will be only five rounds, which will obviously impact the Mississippi State roster and rosters all around college baseball.

The 2020 Major League Baseball draft will be five rounds, sources tell @kileymcd and me. All players who go undrafted would be eligible to sign for a maximum of $20,000. While there was a proposal to the union for a 10-round draft, the sides didn’t come to an agreement.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) May 8, 2020

So exactly what will a shortened draft mean for Mississippi State? We’ll have to wait and see how exactly the dust settles to know for sure, but here are some things to keep in mind:

- A shortened MLB Draft likely doesn’t impact MSU second baseman Justin Foscue and shortstop Jordan Westburg

Foscue and Westburg are two of the premier talents available in the upcoming draft. MLB Pipeline recently projected both Diamond Dog middle infielders as first-round choices. If that or anything close to it holds, it seems logical Foscue and Westburg would go ahead and begin professional careers. MSU head coach Chris Lemonis indicated as much in a call with media members last month.

“I don’t want to speak for them, but I would assume a Jordan Westburg and a Justin Foscue, they’re in pretty good situations with the draft,” Lemonis said.

A high draft selection obviously would give Foscue and Westburg a chance to sign for life-changing money. It’s hard to envision a scenario where either would be able to pass that up. And every indication at this point is that Foscue and Westburg are going to get that opportunity.

- A shortened MLB Draft does impact pretty much everyone else

Here’s the easiest way to look at all this. The MLB Draft has typically been 40 rounds. This is 35 rounds shorter. That’s more than 1,000 players that typically would be drafted that now won’t be. Some of those 1,000 players in a normal year might include names like Tanner Allen or Rowdey Jordan or Josh Hatcher. And perhaps some team likes one of those guys enough to take them in even a shortened draft. But if those guys, or anyone else, don’t hear their names called, their only option is to sign an undrafted free agent deal and this year, that signing bonus is capped at $20,000. Logic says it would probably be wise in that scenario to just return to school and hope next year’s draft provides a better opportunity.

“When you play at Mississippi State, it’s hard to leave for not a great situation, because this is such a great situation,” Lemonis said last month about the decisions his guys face.

- A shortened MLB Draft is going to cram rosters

It just got a lot harder to be a college baseball coach. It’s already a challenge for Lemonis and his peers to navigate their rosters. Now, many players who would under normal circumstances go pro, will return. Keep in mind, too, that seniors and grad transfers are able to return as well after the NCAA granted all spring-sport athletes an extra year of eligibility.

Now add to the mix all the high school and junior college players that will now show up on campuses where in typical years, they might have heard their names called in the draft and made the jump.

On one hand, it does make for an incredible influx of talent on college baseball teams. On the other, it could create a major headache for coaches trying to manage playing time and keep everyone happy given the number of individuals involved.

“It’s going to cause a logjam across the board,” Lemonis said last month.

The bright side, Lemonis said, is it’s going to make for some really, really good college baseball come 2021.

“We’ve talked about it a lot, we’ve got a chance to be really good,” Lemonis said. “Then, I follow it up with ‘I think everyone thinks they have a chance to be really good.’ You’re going to see college baseball at its highest level this coming year, maybe two years, because of the influx of players in the game.”

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