Talk about the vibe inside the Coca-Cola Roxy the night of the MLB Draft — or rather, the lack of one, gray couches roped off like some exclusive VIP section, waiting to host the next generation of baseball stars and every single one of them sat completely empty. Not one draft hopeful in sight. It was less “future of baseball” and more “ghost town with spotlights.”
MLB Draft Dream Is Still a Work in Progress
Now, MLB had this big dream a few years ago. They pushed the draft to All-Star week, hoping to capture that NFL/NBA glitz — suits, caps, cheers, tears — but year after year, the turnout has been, frankly, sad. From 2021 to 2024, they managed to attract a handful of players. This year? Zero. And that’s despite the draft being held in Braves Country, where a dozen of the top 30 picks had local ties. These guys could’ve Ubered to the venue, and they still stayed home.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred says the draft is making “progress,” and look, TV ratings are up. But let’s not pretend couches full of nobody is a win. Even Manfred admitted, yeah, we need the players there. He pointed fingers (very diplomatically) at some of the biggest agencies in the game — Boras Corp, Excel, Wasserman — who, let’s be honest, run this part of baseball. These guys represent over half the top picks, and while they say they don’t ban players from attending, there’s clearly a strategy in play.
Behind the No-Shows: Anxiety and Economics
Two reasons. One, no one wants to be that guy awkwardly sitting there when their name doesn’t get called. Especially not 18-year-olds fresh out of high school. Two, and this one’s bigger: the money game. MLB’s draft bonuses are negotiable, and deals often get made literally minutes before a pick. If you’re on a stage in a team hat, you just gave up leverage. That’s not great business.
So now you’ve got agents like Scott Boras saying, “Look, until a deal’s done, our guys stay put.” Add in the fact that college commitments and NIL money give high schoolers real options, and yeah, staying home makes a lot of sense.
Perks, Promises, and Still No Players
MLB tried to sweeten the pot this year. Free flights, hotels, All-Star Game tickets, social media exposure, the whole red carpet treatment. Still, no takers. Not even one.
It’s not that the draft isn’t important. It’s just that for most players, it’s not the moment. It’s the start of a very long, very uncertain journey. Most of these guys won’t sniff the majors for three or four years — if ever. Compare that to the NFL and NBA, where rookies are often stars immediately. Fans already know them, and teams don’t haggle over bonuses.
So until MLB rewrites the draft rules, maybe even tosses in some appearance money like the Home Run Derby does, this couch situation isn’t going to change. Because right now? The players — and their agents — have every reason to skip the show.
