NCAA Decision on Spring Athlete Eligibility Could Have Major Impact on MLB Draft

The NCAA allowed spring student athletes to pick up an extra year of eligibility after they cancelled all spring sports in an effort to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, which is a major development for many of the top collegiate prospects in the 2020 MLB Draft.

With top collegiate athletes now able to go back to school and not lose a year, teams could find it difficult to secure a commitment from these prospective picks in a 2020 MLB draft that is already going to be shortened to five rounds.

Juniors now have the option to demand more money than the lowball offers that some team swill undoubtedly give them, lest they return to the college ranks and leave teams that only have a limited number of picks with nothing.

This ruling allows allows star underclassman to pull this same stunt again in the 2021 draft.

The shortened MLB Draft is likely going to force many of the top high school players in the country to eschew the pros in favor of college, and top juniors getting one more crack at improving their stock could ask for the world in a potential contract situation now that they have the power to return to school.