The 2018 MLB Draft gets underway Monday night, with fans getting their first look at names that could dominate the baseball landscape in the years to come. Before the first pick is made, MLB Pipeline has put together this primer to fill you in on everything you need to know ahead of this big three-day event.
How do I watch?
Today: Coverage begins with the Draft preview show on MLB Network and MLB.com at 6 p.m. ET. Live Draft coverage from MLB Network's Studio 42 begins at 7 p.m., with Round 1 and Competitive Balance Round A (picks 1-43) broadcast on MLB Network and streamed on MLB.com. Picks 44-78 (Round 2, Competitive Balance Round B and second-round compensation picks) will be streamed on MLB.com. All rounds can be viewed live here.
:: 2018 Draft coverage ::
Tuesday: MLB.com's exclusive coverage of Day 2 begins with a live Draft show at 12:30 p.m. ET and takes you through Rounds 3-10 with live analysis from Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo.
Wednesday: Exclusive coverage of Day 3 begins at noon ET on MLB.com and takes you through the end of the Draft.
Each day, MLB.com's coverage includes Draft Central, the Top 200 Draft Prospects list and Draft Tracker, a live interactive application that includes a searchable database of more than 1,500 Draft-eligible players.
Every selection will be tweeted live from @MLBDraftTracker, and you can also keep up to date by following @MLBDraft. And get into the Draft conversation by tagging your tweets with #mlbdraft.
Who has the top pick?
The No. 1 pick in this year's Draft came all the way down to the final day of the 2017 regular season, when Pablo Sandoval's walk-off homer for the Giants slotted the Tigers atop the Draft board. This is only the second time the Tigers have ever picked first in the Draft, following their selection of right-handed pitcher Matt Anderson in 1997. Anderson did appear in 257 games for the Tigers and Rockies, but finished with a career 5.19 ERA that did not match up with his top Draft billing.
While MLB Pipeline's Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis reported Sundat that the Tigers are still discussing three different players for their top pick, the consensus expectation is that Detroit will select Auburn righty Casey Mize -- the No. 1 overall player on MLB Pipeline's Top 200 Draft Prospects List. No. 2 Brady Singer, a fellow righty from the University of Florida, could also be given strong consideration.
• Complete Draft order
Who has the most money to spend on signing bonuses in the first 10 rounds?
While the Tigers hold the No. 1 overall pick, the Royals own the biggest allotment at $12,781,900 after they were compensated this past offseason for the loss of free agents Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer. Other clubs with eight-figure spending pools include the Rays ($12,415,600), Tigers ($12,414,800), Giants ($11,747,500), Reds ($10,900,400), White Sox ($10,589,900), Padres ($10,462,000) and Pirates ($10,390,400).
The defending National League champion Dodgers have the smallest allotment for this Draft at $5,288,200, followed by the World Series champion Astros at $5,492,900.
• 2018 Draft bonus pools, pick values
How is this money allotted?
Each pick in the top 10 rounds comes with an assigned value, and the total for each of a team's choices covers what it can spend without penalty in those rounds. Any bonus money in excess of $125,000 given to an individual player selected in Rounds 11-40 also counts against a club's bonus pool. If a player selected in the first 10 rounds doesn't sign, his pick's value is subtracted from his club's pool. If a team surpasses its allotment, it faces a penalty.
Which teams have the most first-round picks?
Three clubs possess multiple first-round picks this year, led by the Rays and Royals with three picks each. The Indians have two first-round selections.
The Rays were compensated one pick for the loss of pitcher Alex Cobb to free agency after they extended him a qualifying offer, and another pick for not signing righty pitching prospect Drew Rasmussen following last year's Draft. The Royals were compensated two extra picks after free agents Cain and Hosmer rejected qualifying offers and signed with other teams, while the Indians were compensated in similar fashion for the departure of free agent Carlos Santana.