5 Stars The Cleveland Guardians Had And Lost In The MLB Draft

The Cleveland Guardians have a proven track record in the MLB Draft and will make the first selection in the 2024 MLB Draft in June. For Cleveland, the plethora of picks that have made their way through the organization is impressive, but in some cases, the list of names that were almost added is just as accomplished.

The MLB Draft works differently than sports fans are used to who follow the NFL and NBA. Players can be drafted multiple times, and it's not exactly a rare occurrence. Some players will be taken following their high school career, opt for college, and be drafted at least once from that point on. There aren't draft rights that carry over or anything like that. If they don't sign, they go back in the pool the following year. 

Money is tied to the various selections, and that dictates who is signed. Taking a college junior higher in the draft gives more reason for them to sign then, whereas taking a college senior later in the draft saves money because they are out of options other than to sign anyway. It's not the most ethical system, but what do you expect from a league without a salary cap?

For a team like the Cleveland Guardians, the MLB Draft is key. Cleveland doesn't have the luxury of signing any player they won't, so drafting and developing players is their path to success. For example, over the last 10 years, Cleveland has drafted and then debuted in a Cleveland uniform 19 pitchers. For a team that only rosters about 13 at one time, that's an impressive achievement. However, the list of names that could have been added to the rotation, as well as the playing field, is just as impressive. Putting on full display the drafting IQ that the Cleveland Guardians organization possesses.