2021 MLB Draft Overview: Part 2

By Ben Slavin

The MLB Draft signing period wrapped up Sunday, with 566 of 612 draft picks signing deals. While only 46 players went unsigned, that list featured some notable names, starting with No. 10 overall pick Kumar Rocker of the Mets. After Rocker, just two more players went unsigned over the first 10 rounds. The pace then picked up over the final 10, with the 13 unsigned players in Round 20 being the high mark.

Along with the signing of the deals themselves, another factor to watch was the players’ signing bonuses. Of the 566 players signed, 130 earned bonuses above their slot values, 143 saw bonuses matching their slot values, and 293 signed below their slot values.

For the players who received lower signing bonuses, it all came down to leverage. College players represented 272 of the players signing below their slot value, and 151 of them were either seniors or fifth-year players. On the other side, just 21 were underclassmen.

Breaking it down by round, an interesting pattern unfolded. Through the first two rounds and the two competitive balance rounds, 26 of the 39 college signees received signing bonuses below their slot value. These cheaper picks continued regularly until Round 11, where the opposite was true. From Rounds 11-14, just 14 of the 99 picks signed deals below their pick values.

The player to sign the lowest deal relative to his pick value was none other than No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis. The new Pittsburgh Pirate signed for $6.5 million, nearly $2 million below his slot value. Taking advantage of the money they saved by signing Davis, the Pirates also signed the player with the largest bonus relative to his pick value. That would be Bubba Chandler, the 72nd overall pick, who signed for $3 million—over three times his slot value of $870,000.