Major League Baseball’s Draft League will be extending through 2030, according to a recent announcement Thursday morning. According to the MLB, its Draft League is planning to introduce two more teams in the following seasons.
Initially founded in 2021, the Draft League has provided players with exceptional assistance before and after the draft. According to the MLB, the Draft League has helped more than 230 players sign with MLB organizations, with the 2023 Draft being the league’s most successful year, drafting more players in the 2023 draft’s top ten rounds than 2021 and 2022 Drafts combined.
According to the league’s executive director, Sean Campbell, the organization has been a great help for not just the players but the coaches as well.
“There was going to be a need for … players to play, you know?” said Campbell. The fun part for me has been not only liking the player procurement side but also helping coaches get back into the game and then also the affiliate side and trying to help them keep players playing games in those communities because those are historic. There has been baseball being played there for a lot of years. So that side of it’s been fun as well.”
Campbell expressed his excitement at the league’s accomplishments in a statement.
“In three short years, the MLB Draft League has done exactly what we had hoped, as it has provided players another chance to be evaluated by scouts from all MLB clubs both before and after the draft,” said Campbell. “The league has also kept professional-caliber baseball in six terrific baseball cities, and we are most appreciative of the fans that come out to watch these players chase their dreams of playing in the Major Leagues.”
Additionally, the announcement noted that the league’s founding teams will remain during that time frame. Those members include the Frederick Keys, Mahoning Valley Scrappers, State College Spikes, Trenton Thunder, West Virginia Black Bears, and Williamsport Crosscutters.
Currently, the Draft league is gearing up for the first game of their season, which starts on June 4.
