MLB Proposes 2-Year College Rule for High School Draftees, Delaying 2026 Eligibility
Updated
Updated · baseballprospectus.com · Jun 24
MLB Proposes 2-Year College Rule for High School Draftees, Delaying 2026 Eligibility
3 articles · Updated · baseballprospectus.com · Jun 24
Summary
MLB’s draft overhaul would bar high school players from turning pro until they are both 20 by Sept. 1 and two years removed from graduation, reshaping the 2026 amateur class.
That would replace the current age-based system with a dual requirement that pushes some prep prospects back a full year even if they already meet the age cutoff.
Seth Hernandez, a 2025 draftee and top global pitching prospect, is cited as an example: he would have qualified by age under the proposed structure but would be delayed until 2027 by the graduation rule.
In practice, the change would make the 2026 pool look more like a blend of 2024 prep players and future 2027 college eligibles, with prospects such as Brendan Lawson and Dax Whitney among the likely beneficiaries.