MLB tonight will hold the start of its First-Year Player Draft at MLB Network Studios in Secaucus, N.J., for the eighth consecutive year. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred will again preside over the event, and two Draft hopefuls are confirmed to attend: high school players Ian Anderson and Will Benson. The on-site attendance of two players is down from four last year and seven in '14. But the current timing of the MLB Draft conflicts with ongoing NCAA Super Regionals. MLB, the MLBPA and NCAA continue to discuss potential reforms to better align the sport’s overall calendar, one of Manfred’s key priorities since becoming commissioner early last year.
The Draft will again be shown live on MLB Network and MLB.com beginning at 7:00pm ET, with a preview show starting at 6:00pm. The Phillies have the top overall selection, while the Padres and Cardinals each have three first-round picks.
MLB Network will air an opening segment titled "Youthful" prior to the first round. Baseball HOFer Mike Schmidt narrates the sequence, which was filmed last weekend at Citizens Bank Park.
