Rule 5 Draft 2024: How To Watch, Order, Top Players Available & More
A busy week at the Winter Meetings will get even busier on Wednesday with the annual Rule 5 draft.
A crucial part of the hot stove season, the Rule 5 draft represents a special time each year for Baseball America. To help get ready for the big day, we’ve got a complete rundown of everything to know.
When Is The Rule 5 Draft?
This year’s Rule 5 draft is set to take place during the Winter Meetings in Dallas on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 2 p.m. ET.
How To Stream The Rule 5 Draft?
While the Rule 5 draft won’t be broadcast on television, it will be streamed live for fans on MLB.com.
How Does The Rule 5 Draft Work?
An annual December tradition that actually predates the World Series, Rule 5 draft allows for teams to add to their rosters from other organizations.
For this year’s draft, those eligible to be selected include any player not on a 40-man roster who turned professional at age 18 or younger in 2020 or at age 19 or older in 2021.
The draft itself consists of a two-round major league phase and five rounds of a minor league phase. Only teams with room on their 40-man roster are eligible to participate.
Drafted players must be carried on the selecting team’s active MLB roster without being optioned to the minors for the entire following season. Teams pay $100,000 to select a major league Rule 5 pick. If they offer the player back to his original team, that team has the option of accepting the player’s return and giving back $50,000 of the Rule 5 fee.
What Is The Rule 5 Draft Order?
Teams draft in reverse order of the final regular season standings. This year’s order is as follows:
- White Sox
- Rockies
- Marlins
- Angels
- Athletics
- Nationals
- Blue Jays
- Pirates
- Reds
- Rangers
- Rays
- Giants
- Red Sox
- Twins
- Cubs
- Cardinals
- Mariners
- Tigers
- Royals
- Astros
- Diamondbacks
- Mets
- Braves
- Orioles
- Guardians
- Padres
- Brewers
- Yankees
- Phillies
- Dodgers
Do Future Star Players Ever Get Drafted?
While many Rule 5 players are role players or bit characters in the scheme of baseball history, there have been big names selected, too.
Historical standouts include Hall of Famers Roberto Clemente, Christy Mathewson and Hack Wilson, Cy Young winners Johan Santana and R.A. Dickey, MVP Josh Hamilton and all-stars like Jose Bautista, Shane Victorino, Anthony Santander and more.
Who Are The Top Players Available For This Year’s Rule 5 Draft?
Will there be future stars in this year’s draft? Baseball America has been hard at work prepping a comprehensive Rule 5 draft preview featuring top names to know and a rundown of key positional groups like first base bats, bullpen arms, backup outfielders, swingman starters and more.
You can find our complete Rule 5 draft coverage here:
