This summer, as America celebrates its 250th anniversary, it is only fitting that Major League Baseball’s All-Star festivities will take place in Philadelphia, the city that served as the birthplace of this country.
Since 1965, MLB has conducted an annual amateur draft, which has served as the primary pathway for numerous superstar players to begin their professional careers. That year, the Athletics, who were then based in Kansas City, selected Rick Monday with the first pick in the inaugural MLB Draft.
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In the decades since then, the A’s have drafted several players who went on to become big-league superstars. Reggie Jackson, Rickey Henderson and Mark McGwire are among the greatest players in franchise history. Jason Giambi and Eric Chavez, both drafted in the 1990s, helped lead successful A’s teams during their MLB careers.
At the end of the 2010’s, the A’s went through a stretch of disappointing first-round draft picks. The team selected risky talents such as Austin Beck and dual-sport athlete Kyler Murray. Beck never reached the major leagues, and Murray chose to pursue football and eventually became the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
The Athletics’ recent draft picks have panned out better in the 2020s. As the team prepares for its looming relocation to Las Vegas, its largely homegrown lineup offers reason for optimism. Starting left fielder Tyler Soderstrom, shortstop Jacob Wilson, first baseman Nick Kurtz, versatile utility player Zack Gelof and rookie left-hander Gage Jump were all recent early-round draft picks who advanced through the minor leagues and are now finding success in the majors.
For the sixth straight year, the MLB Draft will kick-off the league’s All-Star festivities, emanating from the Philadelphia Convention Center today and tomorrow. The Draft’s first four rounds happen today, with the final 15 rounds taking place on Sunday. After the draft is complete, all 30 franchises have until Monday, July 27 at 5 p.m. ET to agree to deals with players they draft out of four-year colleges and high schools.
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Once again, the Athletics got snakebitten in the draft lottery process. The team entered this past December’s event with the fifth-best odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick. However, they fell to the eighth selection. Some of the players linked to the A’s at that spot include Kentucky’ shortstop Tyler Bell, GA Tech’ outfielder Drew Buress, Arkansas’ catcher Ryder Helfrick and Texas A&M infielder Chris Hacopian.
Following that pick, the “Green and Gold” will choose four more times on Day 1, at 47, 73, 83 and 111. How they choose to invest their $13,840,300—the 10th-highest in MLB bonus pool—will be interesting to watch.
Will scouting director Eric Kubota and general manger David Forst focus on pitching, position players or a combination of both? Which prep player should the A’s sign to an over-slot deal to lure him into their system and away from his college commitment?
Tune in to find out or chat about the draft with fellow A’s fans in the comment section below. Let’s welcome the next wave of players to this historic franchise.
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Day 1: Saturday, July 11 (Rounds 1-4)
• 1:00-2:30 p.m. ET – Preview show + Picks 1-10 (NBC/Peacock)
• 2:30-4:30 p.m. ET – Picks 11-40 (MLB Network, MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+)
• 4:30-7:45 p.m. ET – Picks 41-135 (MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+)
Day 2: Sunday, July 12 (Rounds 5-20)
• 11:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. ET (MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+)
