MLB’s Dog Days: A New Location For The Draft?
Each week over the summer, UNPLUGG’D Staff Writer Andrew Golden will be bringing you new storylines to follow from America’s Pastime. This week, he writes on how to spice up the MLB Draft
When it comes to the NBA and NFL Draft, there is typically lots of buzz and excitement among respective fans as they look for the next cornerstone of their franchise. Unfortunately for the MLB Draft and America’s pastime, there isn’t the same palpable buzz.
There are many factors that lead to the lack of attention on the MLB Draft, including the fact that it is 40 rounds and college baseball isn’t televised as much as basketball or football. But the biggest problem facing the MLB is the location. While the NBA Draft was held in Brooklyn a little over a week ago and the NFL Draft was held in Nashville in April, the MLB Draft was held at MLB Network’s headquarters in Secaucus, New Jersey. Nothing against Secaucus, but it’s no Brooklyn or Nashville.
The studio that hosts the draft looks too small to even hold the draft, as the MLB Network analysts almost seem like they can reach down and touch the team’s draft desks. For a sport that is looking for ways to make itself more marketable to younger viewers, having it in a small studio isn’t gonna attract more viewers or even players.
There are normally three potential draftees and their families that fly out to New Jersey, but that’s nothing compared to the 20–30 NBA and NFL prospects with a green room waiting to be drafted.
So the MLB needs a location change and there have been lots of ideas thrown out by baseball analysts about where it could be held. However, the best alternative would be Omaha, Nebraska, a place that doesn’t have the same stature name-wise as Brooklyn or Nashville, but would be perfect for the MLB Draft.
Omaha is primarily known for two things in the sports world: Peyton’s Manning’s audible call and the College World Series. Every year, baseball fans from around the world gather to watch some of college baseball’s best compete for a championship. So why not make Omaha the center of the baseball world for a weekend and give MLB a place to host?
This year, the NBA and NFL draft averaged 3.09 and 6.1 million viewers respectively, while the MLB Draft brought in just 304,000 viewers on the first night of the draft. Even for a league that claims to be looking for ways to increase viewership, those numbers are alarmingly low for a draft.
But the first game of this year’s College World Series Championship drew 1.88 million viewers, the largest audience for Game 1 since 2011. Among the eight teams competing this year, 60 players were drafted by MLB teams, including 13 Vanderbilt Commodores, the 2019 champions. By bringing the MLB together with college baseball, it would create a niche audience that the MLB is lacking and increase TV ratings.
It could be a great chance for the college baseball fan bases to get to show their support for their prospects, while fans could get to know the players they are drafting to be the future of their franchises.
Marketing draft prospects as larger than life characters is part of what has made the NFL and NBA so popular recently. Zion Williamson has been marketed as the next LeBron James due to his unreal dunking ability and raw athleticism. Kyler Murray is viewed as the next Bo Jackson, with the ability to play two sports.
But the MLB’s prospects are just as impressive: №1 pick Adley Rutschman has been touted as the greatest hitting prospect since Bryce Harper in 2010. In the past two seasons, he has combined for 26 home runs and 141 runs batted in while hitting .408 and .411 in his last two seasons.
Rutschman, a future Baltimore Oriole, was so feared as a hitter that Cincinnati decided to walk him with the bases loaded instead of pitching to him during the opening round of the College World Series. Some have even called him a Hall of Famer before he’s taken an at-bat as a professional.
This season, the MLB has continued to emphasize the theme “Let the Kids Play,” trying to allow its stars’ personalities to show. What better chance to get to know the next pillar of your franchise than the draft?
The MLB should find a venue that allows them to host prospects and families to show off the talented incomers before they head to the minors.
The league has already started to show a connection with NCAA baseball, playing a game in Omaha the day before the College World Series started. The game between the Royals and Tigers could be the beginning of a future partnership that brings the two together.
In addition to finding a place in Omaha to host future drafts, this year’s draft was held from June 3rd to 5th, a few days before the 2019 NCAA Baseball Super Regionals. If the MLB was to plan the draft around the College World Series so players could attend, they would have to delay the draft by a week or two.
While this could be a potential barrier, bringing in more fans should be the MLB’s number one priority. If adding a couple of more weeks to the draft means more ratings, I think the MLB should definitely look into making the draft a part of the College World Series tradition.
Inside the Park: What’s New Around the League
First Base: Springer Returns from IL — Before getting injured against the Red Sox on May 25th, Houston Astros outfielder George Springer was having a MVP-caliber season. In 47 games, the two-time All-Star was batting .308 with 16 home runs and 42 RBIs. With Springer out, the Astros didn’t miss a beat and are still comfortably atop the AL West as we head towards the All-Star break. With three games separating the top three records in the AL, Springer should give the Astros an extra boost.
Second Base: Breakout Players Starting to Slow Down — Pirates first baseman Josh Bell and Tampa Bay outfielder Austin Meadows had breakout beginnings to their 2019 campaigns. However, the month of June hasn’t treated either of them well. Bell and Meadows, teammates last season, are hitting .208 and .206 respectively this month and after combining to hit 31 home runs in April and May, have hit just fourthis month. Both made the final round of All-Star voting for starters and should make the All-Star teams regardless, but it remains to be seen if their slides will continue for the rest of the season.
Third Base: Tampa Bay Looking to Split Time in Montreal — Last Thursday, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that the Rays were exploring the possibility of splitting time between two home stadiums in Tampa Bay and Montreal. While this doesn’t seem like it’s happening in the near future, this is definitely an interesting storyline, as something of this nature has never been done before. Personally, I don’t think the idea as this breaks up families and throws off the rhythm and routine that players are used to. It’s one thing if the two locations are near each other, but moving homes halfway through the season to a completely different geographical location? Doesn’t seem like the move to me.
Home Plate: The Yankees Get the Magic 28…Kinda — In a quest for their 28th championship, the Yankees have been on a hot streak. With a homerun by D.J. LeMahieu on Tuesday, the Bronx Bombers have now hit a homer in 27 straight games, a MLB record. Didi Gregorius kept the streak going on Wednesday with a round-tripper in the Yankees victory over the Blue Jays. As expected, the Yankees have had no shortage of power, but what is surprising is that the majority of the streak took place while Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge were on the injured list. With Judge back and the addition of Edwin Encarnacion, who knows how long the streak will go.
Andrew Golden is a sad Knicks fan who is having a rough go after the first batch of NBA Free Agency. You can follow him on Twitter here.
