2021 MLB Draft Overview: Part 1
By Ben Slavin
Taking place from July 11-13, the 2021 MLB Draft saw 612 players selected. This year’s draft was 20 rounds plus 2 supplemental rounds. At 20 rounds, this draft acted as a middle ground between the normal 40-round drafts and last year’s COVID-shortened five-round affair.
Pittsburgh kicked off the draft by taking Louisville catcher Henry Davis first overall, which continued the trend of college players going early and often. In the 71 picks across the first two rounds and the two competitive balance rounds, 41 college players were drafted, compared to 30 from high school.
Due to the limited number of rounds in the 2020 draft, looking back at 2019 provides a better reference point. In 2019, the first 71 picks saw 45 college players and 24 high schoolers drafted. Those 45 included two players from junior colleges compared to zero over this year’s first 71.
| Position | RHP | LHP | C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF |
| Draftees | 18 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 1 | 13 |
Looking at positional value, four groups were prioritized early in this year’s draft. Over the first 71 picks, the 18 RHP selected marked the highest position total, followed by 15 SS, 13 OF, and 12 LHP. In 2019, the hierarchy was similar, with 19 SS, 18 RHP, and 11 OF leading the way.
| Position | RHP | LHP | C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF |
| Draftees | 18 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 19 | 6 | 11 |
Over the whole 2021 draft, similar patterns unfolded. 446 draftees attended 4-year schools while 50 attended 2-year schools and 115 were high schoolers. Position-wise, 263 RHP were selected, accounting for 43% of the total pool. Behind them, the 97 LHP, 85 OF, 63 SS, and 48 C drafted rounded out the top five positions.
| Position | RHP | LHP | C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF |
| Draftees | 263 | 63 | 48 | 11 | 17 | 97 | 27 | 85 |
While college players predictably dominated the field, a few schools stood above the rest. UCLA led the way with 10 players drafted, with Arkansas and Texas Tech trailing shortly behind with nine. South Carolina and NC State each had eight draftees while Arizona, Florida, Florida State, Louisville, Tennessee, Texas, and Vanderbilt all had seven.
UCLA’s MLB Draft Insights
Texas Tech’s MLB Draft Insights
Arkansas’ MLB Draft Insights
Another key subnote of the draft was where seniors and fifth-year players would be drafted due to their lack of leverage. Things started off slow, with only one going in the first round. The pace picked up slightly in Rounds 2 and 3, with four selections each, but Round 4 is where the run on veterans began. From that point on, at least eight seniors/fifth-year players were selected in every round, with 16—accomplished in Rounds 9, 10, and 18—being the high mark.
As of July 22th, 279 players have signed their contracts. Subscribe to our list or follow us on social media for updates on the latest signing bonuses.
