What happened: ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan reported that MLB owners, in talks over a new collective bargaining agreement, want high school players ineligible for the domestic draft and required to be at least two years removed from graduation before being selected. The same framework would trim both the domestic and international drafts to 12 rounds and label college a mandatory stop in the development pipeline. It echoes the league's broader push to overhaul the amateur draft and remove high school players.
Why it matters: Routing prep-level talent into college baseball would deepen the talent pool across Division I, with top programs benefiting most but the gains trickling down to mid-major conferences. Schools in the Mountain West and Pac-12 footprint could see a meaningful upgrade as prospects who once signed out of high school instead use their college eligibility. The current CBA expires after this season, and the proposal is considered a long shot to survive negotiations.
By the numbers: Under the proposal, the domestic draft would shrink from 20 rounds to 12, and the international draft would also run 12 rounds. High school players would need to wait at least two years after graduation to be eligible.
What to watch: Watch whether the high-school eligibility and draft-length terms survive CBA negotiations before the current agreement expires after this season.