The 2017 MLB Draft begins tonight, offering baseball fans across the world a glimpse at the next wave of potential All-Stars, and possibly even a future Hall of Famer or two. With that in mind, MLBPipeline.com has put together a primer with everything you need to know ahead of the franchise-changing three-day extravaganza.
How do I watch?
:: 2017 MLB Draft coverage ::
Today: Coverage begins with the Draft preview show on MLB Network and MLB.com at 6 p.m. ET. Live Draft coverage from MLB Network's Studio 42 begins at 7 p.m., with Round 1 and Competitive Balance Round A (picks 1-36) broadcast on MLB Network and streamed on MLB.com. Round 2 and Competitive Balance Round B (picks 37-75) will be streamed on MLB.com. <o:p>
Tuesday: MLB.com's exclusive coverage of Day 2 begins with a live Draft show at 12:30 p.m. and takes you through Rounds 3-10 with live analysis from Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo.
Wednesday: Exclusive coverage of Day 3 begins at noon on MLB.com and takes you through the end of the Draft.
Each day, MLB.com's coverage includes Draft Central, the Top 200 Draft Prospects list and Draft Tracker, a live interactive application that includes a searchable database of more than 1,500 Draft-eligible players.
Every selection will be tweeted live from @MLBDraftTracker, and you can also keep up to date by following @MLBDraft. And get into the Draft conversation by tagging your tweets with #mlbdraft.
Who has the top pick?
The Twins, for the fourth time in franchise history. With their last No. 1 pick, the club selected catcher Joe Mauer from the local prep ranks. The now 34-year-old has become a six-time All-Star, winning three American League batting titles as well as the 2009 AL MVP Award along the way.
Despite their track record of selecting toolsy position players in the first round, the Twins are widely expected to target one of the top pitchers in this year's class with the No. 1 overall pick. No hurler has more upside than prep right-hander Hunter Greene (MLBPipeline.com's top-ranked Draft prospect), though Minnesota is also said to be considering Vanderbilt righty Kyle Wright (No. 3) and Louisville left-hander Brendan McKay (No. 2).
Who has the most money to spend on signing bonuses in the first 10 rounds?
As owners of the No. 1 pick, Minnesota leads the way with $14,156,800 in spending power. Beyond the Twins, six other clubs have an eight-figure spending pool: the Reds ($13,658,400), Rays ($12,528,100), Padres ($11,839,000), Athletics ($11,407,500), Brewers ($10,447,700) and Pirates ($10,135,900).
How is this money allotted?
Each pick in the top 10 rounds comes with an assigned value, and the total for each of a team's choices covers what it can spend without penalty in those rounds. Any bonus money in excess of $125,000 given to an individual player selected in Rounds 11-40 also counts against a club's bonus pool. If a player selected in the first 10 rounds doesn't sign, his pick's value is subtracted from his club's pool. If a team surpasses its allotment, it faces a penalty. In 2016, 23 of the 30 teams outspent their pool.
Who has the least to spend?
The Cardinals have the lowest bonus pool at $2,176,000. St. Louis forfeited its first-round pick by signing free agent William Fowler, and it surrendered its second- and supplemental-second-rounders as part of a punishment for former scouting director Chris Correa hacking the Astros' information systems.
Which teams have the most first-round picks?
Three teams possess multiple first-round picks in this year's Draft: the Blue Jays (No. 22 and 28), Rangers (No. 26 and 29) and Cubs (No. 27 and 30). For each club, their second pick is compensation for the loss of a free agent who had been extended a qualifying fffer.
Which teams are without a first-round pick?
Besides the aforementioned Cardinals, both the Indians and Rockies forfeited their first-round pick this year after their offseason signing of free agents Edwin Encarnacion and Ian Desmond.