Why don't players 'declare' for the MLB draft?

Question

In football, basketball, etc. players in college declare themselves for the professional draft when they're ready to turn pro. In baseball, it seems like the teams draft haphazardly, and it's not uncommon for a player taken high in the draft to choose to stay in school another year (or, if they're a high schooler, they might choose to go to college instead). Isn't this kind of a waste? Why doesn't pro baseball use the declaration system to prevent teams from wasting picks?

Answer 1

There is like 50 rounds...teams take the risks of drafting a bust at the worst they will throw them on the single A team or just cut them.  But i see what you are saying about the wasting of picks.....i think there should be somekind of team rights rule issued such as NBA will draft a foreign player and they have the rights to him for when they come over seas...now maybe baseball has this i am not for sure i know quite a bit about it but not that much....i think that they should issue that rule though i believe it would help the league talent wise...but baseball seems to like to keep things the way they they are

Answer 2

A main reason a lot of draft picks choose to stay in school potentially is because they don't know if they want to go through all of the different leagues before the majors. Not all/hardly any draft picks go straight to the MLB. Most work their way up from A to AA to AAA to the Show. Some first round draft picks also may never make it to the MLB. A former player at my school was a first round draft pick by the Braves out of high school but he chose to stay in college which turned out to be right because he never made it to the MLB even after playing 10 seasons in AAA. Idk if this helps but most players are apprehensive about their decision to actually go pro. Also there are two different drafts for teams. One is of college players and the other is of high school players.

Answer 3

? More money is always a plus so that is why they decide to go to college.... but if you go to a university you have to go three years.. that is why alot of players who got drafted go to a junior college or some two year college to play ball for a year or two to up their status in the draft to recieve more money.. and some still go to college for the main reason.. education... what if you get a career ending injury when you are playing in the minor league system and have been out of school for about three years and lost all sense of time management, all the things you learned.... where are you now? that just makes getting a degree that much harder... so many players go to college now days to get an education as well as a backup but there are still the greedy ones who want money also.. it is just all opinion.

Answer 4

first year playa draft not mlb draft lol

Answer 5

Because no one really gives a c**p about baseball's draft...