MLB reportedly proposes drastic overhaul to draft, which would exclude high school players and cut rounds from event

MLB proposed a drastic overhaul to its draft system on Thursday, June 18, 2026, which would eliminate high school players from eligibility and restrict entry to players who have completed at least their sophomore year of college. The league also proposed significantly reducing the number of draft rounds and introducing a formal draft for international players, according to reports from Baseball America's J.J. Cooper and ESPN's Jeff Passan. The changes would represent a major shift from the current system, which has historically allowed stars like Mike Trout, Manny Machado, and Clayton Kershaw to be drafted directly out of high school.