Percentage of NCAA Division I Seniors That Get Drafted

As fans, do we really care whether a MLB position player/pitcher came from high school, college or foreign soil? No.

Within the Major League Baseball scouting world, however, it is an issue that is always sure to come up before every First-Year Player Draft.

The trend for scouting directors and GM is to draft the best players available and the need for parent clubs to create it's players from within.

College players are obviously "not as risky" since each are more mature and you have players further along to find out who they are. The draft dictates how you go.

If it's between a high school or a college guy and it's either-or, parent clubs in the past decade have drafted the college guy.

Some approaches to clubs having multiple picks even in the first round, is take a college guy because the college players are going to go off the board more quickly.

Moneyball, should you believe those trends, tells us
the average is about five years (for a HS prospect) to get to the bigs from high school.
If a club needs quicker results (and they all do) common sense says you take the college player before the high school player. The HS player may have a higher ceiling, yet it becomes a 'risk management' type decision.

To answer your question, I would believe it's high. As in 10% are DI.

Bottom Line: Whether a college player has zero college eligibility (Sr) or not, or is a HS player or foreign player (not subject to the First Year Player draft...yet) it is only part of the formula when MLB parent clubs seek the best talent to build it's organization.

The number of seniors drafted is high because the majority of those players are fillers for the organizations. There are exceptions, but most are guys that sign for a thousand bucks, get an opportunity, and usually are released in a year or two.

Here are my thoughts on my son possibly being drafted after college is done, if you are not drafted as a junior in college, you are probably not a true major league prospect. At that point reality should set in ( of course there are exceptions for every rule). The beauty of not being drafted til after your Sr year is you should have completed your education and you have the opportunity to follow your dream and play some minor league ball before you step into the REAL world of business. Sure, you may be the exception and climb the ladder, stranger things have happened, but I would hope my son would first appreciate the reward for all those years of effort and enjoy the experience so few get to have. The stories will last a lifetime and boy, I wish I could have told my son about my days in the pros.
$1000 bonus or what ever, its about the opportunity to wear a pro uniform and get PAID for playing a game. I would cherish the memories.

quote:

Originally posted by mlb97:
The number of seniors drafted is high because the majority of those players are fillers for the organizations. There are exceptions, but most are guys that sign for a thousand bucks, get an opportunity, and usually are released in a year or two.

The question being asked is what # of the 10.5% of the college kids drafted are College Sr.

To state that most $1,000 sign guys are fillers may need to be discussed. Fillers are typically identified as 'organizational' players, should I understand your terminology. To state the $1,000 guys (which could be 30th-50th rnd guys) get the opportunity, (which they do), yet are released in a year or two may not be true.

In recent times, the College type guys are the organizational guys and typically play four years (and if not considered a MLB prospect, are released). Remember, for college guys the Rule V draft kicks in the winter after four years. The HS signees, are typically the highest risk guys, yet also are the higher of ceiling guys and if $1,000 sign, are not the organizational players (with exception)!

Diamond Dog: Many clubs today desire to develop players within the organization. By definition, every player and position player within the organization starts at the bottom of the MiLB affiliates (short season Rookie Ball for the College Players, Gulf Coast for the 17-18-19 y.o). The players are provided equal opportunities to succeed, fail, pick themselves up, learn to adapt, and climb the ladder. The bonus players will move rapidly, if able to perform, climb the ladder, and of course be in the line-up everyday.

The college players, (being more mature than the 17-18-19 y/o), have more discipline, have learned the reality checks of getting there early and working it out at the ball park everyday, (vs the cadillac and park guys), and most importantly if the organization believes the player is not a MLB prospect, are released.
The drafted and signed college players are keenly aware of three daily realities in MiLB.
1) Consistent execution in their performance (i.e. bring it to the park, every day)
2) What day (out of about 28 days in a row) do they have off.
3) Are they progressing and climbing the ladder this week, or will they be released today.

I have taken many college players whose path I crossed, after being released or a month or two after not being drafted, out for dinner and adult beverages (as a way keep their bitterness in check, offer advise to turn the page, support to find employment or simply listen.)

And yes, as parents, seeing your boy on a pro ball field and in pro uniform is equally emotional and cherishable for a lifetime. Another cheerishable memory is watching your boy in pro uniform playing catch or running the bases with your grandchildren.

Actually my emphasis was on Division I. What percetage of Division I Seniors get drafted? If 10.5% of all NCAA Seniors get drafted, then, I would assume, the percentage of Division I Seniors that get drafted would be even higher. Does anyone know what that percentage is?

quote:

I would assume, the percentage of Division I Seniors that get drafted would be even higher.

Wonder why you would make that assumption?
Care to share your thoughts?
I cannot imagine anyone keeps information of this type.

I am not sure that I am right. I know that many colleges track the numbers for their own recruiting purposes. Whether somebody gathers all of the numbers is another story.

This website posts a compilation of 10.5 percent for all NCAA Seniors. That got me thinking what is the percentage broken out by NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III Seniors. Just curious.

I would think the majority of NCAA Seniors drafted were D1 players just based on exposure, level of play and development. Not to say a good D2, D3 player wont get noticed, but the D1 player has more opportunity to be seen in the spring. The great equalizer would be the summer wood bat leagues, heavily scouted and open to players of all divisions. Have a good Summer and you will be noticed (and drafted)!!

Mr. Diamond Dog AZ,

Good stuff. Good Luck with your son . What programs do colleges offer in the Summer and Fall? Are they the ones who make the recommendation for the players or are the players responsible for what programs/leagues they join in the Summer.

RR23

The Coaches pretty much tell you where your going, Most of our kids go to Northwoods, Hawaii or Alaska or stay in NorCal.

well that wasn't listed in the full scholarship offer. lol Who pays for that? Need I ask.

Usually you are responsible for getting your son there and home, the rest is covered by the summer league, housing is offered and meals are available from host families, if the kids show up to eat them, otherwise its your dime... These places thrive on the summer college ball thing and probably make a good buck from the tourism aspect of it I guess.
It is an extra expense not necessarily brought up in recruiting, but if they are recommended to go somewhere, you are expected to get em there.

if you really want to spend the time you could use mlb.com drafttracker and figure out how many of the drafted are seniors and then take the seniors by college and figure out who was not D-1.

imo, doesnt matter. what matters is that a scout loves what he sees and gets his organization to see it his way.