Inaugural Draft Combine set for June 21-28
Major League Baseball and USA Baseball today announced details for the inaugural MLB Draft Combine presented by Gatorade, taking place at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary, N.C., and the Raleigh Convention Center in Raleigh, N.C., from June 21-28. The Combine will feature more than 100 of the top high school and college baseball prospects, as identified by USA Baseball and MLB Clubs, as well as a decorated group of former Major League players and coaches, and various general managers, scouting directors and other Club personnel.
Among those scheduled to attend are five-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glove Award winner Torii Hunter; five-time All-Star and 1995 World Series champion Fred McGriff; two-time All-Star and 2003 World Series champion Brad Penny; former All-Stars Billy Butler, Royce Clayton and Rickie Weeks; 1986 World Series champion Roger McDowell; 2013 World Series champion Jarrod Saltalamacchia; two-time World Series champion and MLB’s senior director of on-field operations Gregor Blanco; former Major Leaguers Michael Barrett, Erik Kratz, Ray Searage and Rajai Davis, who is also MLB’s senior director of on-field operations; former Major League managers Jeff Banister and Bo Porter, who serves as a consultant on coaching development for MLB; longtime baseball executive Omar Minaya; former All-Star and MLB’s senior vice president of on-field operations Raul Ibañez; and MLB’s senior vice president of on-field operations Michael Hill.
The Combine will provide an opportunity for players to participate in a series of medical and performance assessments as well as educational programming designed to prepare them for a career in professional baseball. On June 24-35, all players will have the opportunity to participate in a pro-style showcase workout, as well as strength and conditioning and PDP performance assessments. Additionally, as part of the Combine experience, the high school players will participate in a unique showcase tournament from June 22-26.
MLB Network will cover the MLB Draft Combine throughout the week of June 21, including five consecutive hours of exclusive coverage live from Cary, N.C., on Friday, June 25, beginning at 1 p.m. ET. MLB Network’s Greg Amsinger, Dan Plesac, Harold Reynolds, Bill Ripken and Dan O’Dowd, as well as MLB.com’s Jim Callis and Sarah Langs, will provide analysis and breakdowns throughout the afternoon on June 25 as the players undergo their pro-style showcase workout. Interviews with players and club personnel will be featured as part of the coverage.
Participants at the MLB Draft Combine will have opportunities to be featured on MLB social media channels, in addition to receiving personal branding training and access to real-time content and custom video for their own platforms.
In addition to the events in North Carolina, participants of the newly formed MLB Draft League are also provided with the opportunity to participate in Combine assessments and evaluations through special events taking place in Pittsburgh (this past Monday) and Philadelphia (Monday, June 14). The MLB Draft Combine will be an integral part of the identification and development process for future USA Baseball national teams. MLB and USA Baseball are in communication with the NCAA to ensure athlete eligibility requirements are met overall.
The 2021 MLB Draft is planned for July 11-13 during All-Star Week in Colorado, and for the first time since the inception of the Draft in 1965, the event will be scheduled outside the month of June. The Draft will feature 20 rounds across the three days, beginning with the opening night of the Draft on Sunday, July 11 at the Bellco Theatre in Denver, following the 2021 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game, part of All-Star Sunday at Coors Field. Since 2009, the first night of the Draft has been held live at MLB Network in Secaucus, N.J.