What Colleges Produce the Most MLB Draft Picks

by Editorial team

Many players dream of playing professional baseball in the MLB. One of the best stepping stones to the MLB Draft is playing college baseball. Players are able to develop and hone their skills and play with and against other great players who are looking to play in the MLB. We will discuss which college teams have produced the most MLB Draft picks and how impactful the players have each been. 

 

What Players Can Be Drafted 

Baseball players do not have to be in college to be drafted to the MLB. Players who graduate high school are also immediately eligible to enter the MLB Draft. Players at a junior college are eligible to enter the MLB Draft at any time. Those players who decide to play at a four-year university in the NCAA or NAIA will not be eligible to enter the MLB Draft until after their junior season. 

 

Where to Play in College 

To have the best opportunity to be drafted and play in the MLB, most baseball players will play at a 4-year university at the NCAA Division 1 level. Players who play NCAA Division 2, 3, NAIA Division 1,2,3, or at a junior college have the ability to make the MLB Draft, and some have, but it can be much more difficult to get attention from scouts. 

 

What is Wins Above Replacement (WAR) 

Before we talk about anything else, we should mention an important statistic in baseball, WAR. In baseball the statistic WAR, wins above replacement, measures the value of a player. It is based on the ability of the player in all areas of the game, how many wins the player is worth compared to a replacement-level player in the same position. A replacement-level player would be considered a player from the Minor League or a free agent. 

 

The formula to compute the WAR statistic is different for each position. To compute the WAR for a positional player it’s different from computing the WAR for a pitcher. This is very useful because players in different positions can be compared because the WAR statistic can quantify a value to each player. 

 

NCAA Division 1 Conferences 

There are 299 NCAA Division 1 baseball programs, each is divided, based on location, into 20 conferences, including: 

  • Big East Conference 
  • Atlantic Coast Conference 
  • Big West Conference 
  • SEC 
  • Conference USA 
  • Sun Belt Conference 
  • Southland Conference 
  • Big Ten Conference 
  • Western Athletic Conference 
  • Patriot League 
  • Mountain West Conference 
  • Atlantic 10 Conference 
  • America East Conference 
  • Big South Conference 
  • Atlantic Sun Conference 
  • Summit League 
  • Ivy League 
  • Big 12 Conference 
  • Summit League 
  • Ivy League 
  • Big 12 Conference 
  • Pacific-12 Conference 
  • Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference 
  • Southern Conference 
  • Southwestern Athletic Conference 
  • Missouri Valley Conference 
  • Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference 

 

Notable NCAA Division 1 Conferences 

There are some NCAA Division 1 baseball conferences that tend to be more competitive than others. Therefore these conferences usually tend to produce more MLB Draft picks than others. Here are the top three conferences that have produced the most first-round MLB Draft picks: 

 

  1. The SEC has the most first-round MLB Draft picks of any other conference with 124 picks. 
  2. The Atlantic Coast Conference follows close behind with 119 first-round MLB Draft picks. 
  3. The Pacific-12 Conference has had 117 first-round MLB Draft picks.

 

The NCAA has accounted for close to half of all first-round draftees since 1965. Many of the other first-round draftees come straight from high school and a few come from NAIA or junior colleges. 

 

Notable NCAA Division 1 Colleges

We should mention some of the NCAA Division 1 colleges that have produced numerous MLB Draft picks. Each college program has continued to produce players who make an impact on their college team and in the Minor and Major Leagues. Here are 5 NCAA Division 1 colleges that have made a significant impact in the MLB 

  • Stanford University
  • Arizona State University 
  • The University of Texas at Austin 
  • Florida State University 
  • Vanderbilt University 

 

Stanford University 

Stanford University is an NCAA Division 1 college that plays in the Pacific-12 Conference. They are well known for their rigorous academics and strong baseball program. They have had 16 NCAA College World Series Appearances, including two national championship titles in 1987 and 1988. 

 

Stanford University has seen a lot of success at producing first-round MLB Draft picks, but many of the players have not seen as much success as others in the MLB. The career WAR of first-round MLB Draft picks for Stanford is 182.7. 

 

Arizona State University 

Arizona State University is an NCAA Division 1 college that plays in the Pacific-12 Conference. They are well known for their exceptional college baseball program, which has produced numerous MLB players. They have appeared in 22 NCAA College World Series, winning five national championships in 1965, 1967, 1969, 1977, and 1981. 

 

Arizona State University has made itself known as a strong baseball program that can produce players with the ability to compete in the MLB. The career WAR of first-round MLB Draft picks for Arizona State University is 374.3. 

 

The University of Texas at Austin 

The University of Texas Austin is a NCAA Division 1 college that plays in the Big 12 Conference. They have also established themselves as an extremely strong baseball program with exceptional players. They have competed in the most NCAA College World Series compared to any other team with 36 appearances. In addition, they have six national championships in 1949, 1950, 1975, 1983, 2002, and 2005. 

 

The University of Texas at Austin has not produced any number one overall picks, but they have had numerous first-round MLB Draft picks. The career WAR of first-round MLB Draft picks for the University of Texas at Austin is 210.9. 

 

Florida State University 

Florida State University is also an NCAA Division 1 college that plays in the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have appeared in the NCAA College World Series 23 times, unfortunately not winning any national championships yet. 

 

Florida State University has had a strong baseball program for years producing many MLB Draft picks that have found success in their careers. The career WAR of first-round MLB Draft picks for Florida State University is 99.0. 

 

Vanderbilt University 

Vanderbilt University is an NCAA Division 1 college that plays in the SEC. As of late, they are becoming a more powerful and known program in college baseball. They have appeared in 4 NCAA College World Series, not quite winning any national championships yet. 

 

Vanderbilt University has found success with multiple players in the MLB, especially the more recent draftees. The career WAR of first-round MLB Draft picks for Vanderbilt University is 97.8. 

 

Most NCAA Division 1 First-Round MLB Draft Picks 

There are some NCAA Division 1 colleges that have been more successful than others at producing first-round MLB Draft picks. Here are the top 10,

  1. Stanford University plays in the Pacific-12 Conference. The program has produced 24 first-round MLB Draft picks, including 1 no.1 overall pick. 
  2. Arizona State University plays in the Pacific-12 Conference. The program has produced 23 first-round MLB Draft picks, including 4 no.1 overall picks. 
  3. The University of Texas at Austin plays in the Pacific-12 Conference. The program has produced 21 first-round MLB Draft picks, with 0 no.1 overall picks. 
  4. Florida State University plays in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The program has produced 20 first-round MLB Draft picks, including 1 no.1 overall pick. 
  5. Vanderbilt University plays in the SEC. The program has produced 18 first-round MLB Draft picks, including 2 no.1 overall picks. 
  6. The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill plays in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The program has produced 17 first-round MLB Draft picks, including 1 no.1 overall pick. 
  7. Southern California University plays in the Pacific-12 Conference. The program has produced 15 first-round MLB Draft picks, with 0 no.1 overall picks. 
  8. Rice University plays in the Conference USA. The program has produced 14 first-round MLB Draft picks, including 1 no.1 overall pick.  
  9. The University of Florida plays in the SEC. The program has produced 14 first-round MLB Draft picks, with 0 no.1 overall pick. 
  10. University of California Los Angeles plays in the Pacific-12 Conference. The program has produced 14 first-round MLB Draft picks, including 1 no.1 overall pick. 

 

Most NCAA Division 1 Overall MLB Draft Picks 

As exciting as it is to have an NCAA Division 1 baseball program with the most first-round MLB Draft picks and no. 1 overall pick, it is also interesting to see which colleges produce the most MLB Draft picks overall throughout all 40 rounds. Shown below is a compiled list of the top 10 NCAA Division 1 colleges with the most overall MLB Draft picks:

  1. Arizona State University with 151 total picks.
  2. California State University Fullerton with 149 total picks. 
  3. The University of Texas at Austin with 140 total picks. 
  4. Rice University with 140 total picks. 
  5. The University of Florida with 136 total picks. 
  6. Stanford University with 136 total picks.
  7. University of California Los Angeles with 134 total picks.
  8. Texas A&M University with 133 total picks.
  9. The University of South Carolina at Chapel Hill with 133 total picks.
  10. Oklahoma State University with 132 total picks. 

 

Summary 

Players from various backgrounds get drafted during the MLB Draft every year, some from NCAA colleges, others from NAIA colleges or junior colleges, and some right out of high school. 

 

It is helpful to take a look at the breakdown of what colleges are producing the most MLB Draft picks. Some conferences are producing more than other conferences, some colleges more than others in terms of first-round draftees or based on overall draftees. Being able to compare and see where the MLB players are coming from can be interesting. 

 

If you found this blog helpful, interesting or informative, be sure to check out Ryan Weiss’s coaching program and his other training programs to elevate your game. 

 

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