Two days down, one day and 10 laps to go.
So far, 315 players have been selected through the first two days of the 2024 MLB Draft. On Tuesday, another 300 players will hear their names called on Day 3 during rounds 11-20 as part of All-Star Week festivities in and around Arlington, Texas.
As a reminder, the late rounds can be more than just opportunities to fill out a farm system. Three of this year’s All-Stars — Matt Strahm (2012, 21st round), Kirby Yates (2005, 26th round) and Seth Lugo (2011, 34th round) — were taken after the 10th round. Even Hall of Famers Andre Dawson (1975, 11th), Ryne Sandberg (1978, 20th) and Jim Thome (1989, 13th) and future Cooperstown member Albert Pujols (1999, 13th) entered pro ball as late picks, giving hope to any player selected on Day 3.
How and when to watch
Day 3 of the Draft, spanning Rounds 11-20, begins Tuesday at 2 p.m. ET. The event will be streamed on MLB.com, and fans can follow every pick on the Draft Tracker.
Best available players:
Dax Whitney, RHP, Blackfoot (Idaho) HS (#56)
Garrett Shull, OF, Enid (Okla.) HS (#76)
Carson Wiggins, RHP, Roland (Okla.) HS (#79)
Sawyer Farr, SS, Boswell (Texas) HS (#91)
Noah Franco, left-handed/winger, IMG Academy (#92)
Tegan Kuhns, RHP, Gettysburg (Pa.) HS (#96)
Mason Russell, left-handed, Casteel (Ariz.) HS (#97)
Duncan Marsten, RHP, Harvard-Westlake (California) HS (#98)
Jackson Barberi, RHP, Brockwood (Ga.) HS (#99)
Mason Brassfield, left-handed, Bakersfield Christian (California) HS (#101)
Notably absent from the above list is No. 16 draft prospect William Schmidt, who announced his intention to transfer to LSU over the weekend and formally withdrew from the draft. The top 10 prospects remaining are all high school players, and while they are all expected to attend college, it’s still possible that clubs could make major moves to see if they’re signable.
While picks made in the top 10 rounds have specific bonus slots, selections made in rounds 11-20 do not. Players can be signed for up to $150,000 without it impacting an organization’s overall bonus pool. For any bonus above that threshold, the excess over $150,000 counts toward the pool. So if a team has created enough savings with its Days 1 and 2 selections, it can use that to make a big signing on Day 3. For example, the Brewers selected Justin Chambers in the 20th round last year but were able to sign the high schooler from Arizona for $547,500 because of the pool space it had from earlier picks. Chambers was later used to acquire 2024 breakout reliever Bryan Hudson in a deal with the Dodgers.
There is also no penalty for not signing a Day 3 pick. If a team fails to sign a pick from the first 10 rounds, the slot value of that selection is lost from the overall pool. With no slot values assigned for rounds 11-20, teams can take more risks if they wish, knowing that their bonus pools will not be affected if they miss a signing.
Draft decision
The A’s begin the day with the 316th overall selection, the first in the 11th round. Day 3 concludes at the end of the 20th and final round, highlighted by the final stretch by the Rangers.
Bonus pool & slot value
Under the collective bargaining agreement, each team is given an allotted bonus pool equal to the sum of the values of that club’s selections in the first 10 rounds of the draft. The more picks a team has and the earlier it picks, the larger the pool.
Any bonus over $150,000 for a player taken after the 10th round will also be applied to the bonus pool total. The allocated values for the 2024 Draft are up 8.7 percent from 2023, reflecting growth in industry revenues.
After winning the draft lottery for the first overall selection, the Guardians entered the draft with the largest pool in ’24 at $18,334,000, including $10,570,600 for that first pick. They are followed by the Rockies ($17,243,400) and Reds ($15,842,100). The A’s ($15,347,900) and White Sox ($14,593,300) round out the top five.