College players are more important than ever in MLB
MLB completed its 60th player draft for the 2025 season; it began on Sunday July 12th and ended on Tuesday the 14th. In the inaugural draft of 1965, in the first round, there were five players drafted out of college, the rest were high school players. In this year’s first round there were 20 players drafted from college. Note: The MLB draft does not include international players.
Almost all the draft picks had been top high school players who were expected to be in this position. But there were others who didn’t have many options coming out of high school or preparatory school. Getting drafted out of high school has never been more difficult.
The shift to drafting players from colleges is a big benefit to MLB as the league contributes exactly nothing to what is essentially a top minor league. Last year, Paul Skenes from LSU was drafted first by the Pirates, and he will start the All-Star Game on Tuesday almost one year later to the date. High school players drafted by MLB teams take longer and cost more in the long run.
As a baseball fan who’s been around for more than a few years, I was aware of great college players who became MLB stars like HOFer Reggie Jackson, Robin Ventura, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and even Kris Bryant. I remember that Robin Ventura was a star at Oklahoma State and there were question marks attached to his resume regarding what some called his ‘aluminum bat’ power. Fortunately for Ventura and the White Sox, the team that drafted him, that did not turn out to be the case.
When I attended the University of Southern California as an undergraduate, I was aware of the great baseball tradition at USC. Not only did my hero Tom Seaver attend USC, but other well-known later MLB players like Bill ‘Spaceman’ Lee, Dave Kingman, and former MVP Fred Lynn had also starred for the Trojans. HOFer Randy Johnson later pitched there as well. USC to this day has the most National baseball championships (12) of any D1 school. Yet while I was a baseball fan, even with winning the NCAA championship one year while I was a student, I think I attended less than three baseball games at Dedeaux Field which was on campus. Clearly, I felt there were plenty of other more interesting things to do. College baseball back in the 1970s and 80s was much like pro tennis is today — it was where most players who could not make it at the next level went to play, because that’s what was available.
Things are different now
When did the switch flip? The first step was after USC’s last NCAA championship way back in 1998. The final game that had a score of USC 21, Arizona State 14. Too many runs and offense became so out of control that the NCAA mandated a minimization of the trampoline effect of metal bats. Scoring dropped immediately the next season and ever since.
Over the next 26 years players themselves became much more aware and capable of improving themselves without relying solely on the coaching staff. Yes, technology, analytics, and video had a lot to do with that. High school and prep school graduate players still need time to physically mature compared to a player who’s been in college for a few years. MLB is getting a more finished product from college than from high school. Formerly MLB teams felt that colleges would impede individual player development. No longer is that the case and most college coaches, (why they are called coaches all the way up to the Major Leagues and then are called managers has always baffled me), have contacts and relationships throughout MLB.
There’s so much more confidence in the overall abilities of college players today and opportunities to evaluate their abilities. Summer collegiate leagues like the Cape Cod League and the Northwoods League, showcase the talents of the best college players. It’s important to note that those elite summer college baseball leagues are wood bat leagues. This enables pro scouts to better evaluate the players ability to hit without the evil metal bat. For many like me, the sound of the ping of a bat is nothing compared to the crack of a wood bat.
How about wood bats for all D1 teams?
There is only one reason that NCAA teams play with metal bats. Cost. MLB owners have and make a lot of money. So, here’s my take: Providing NCAA D1 teams with wood bats for the season is something MLB should consider doing. It would not cost too much, considering MLB has already saved on some player development costs. In 2023 MLB dropped 40 minor league teams going from about 160 to 120. Free-to-MLB college players have been making up the difference.
Sounds easy right? Like too many things in this world, it depends. The logistics of delivering and administering bats for each player in D1 would be a challenge for many colleges and universities. The college baseball staff is not as robust as one might expect. NCAA baseball, while gaining some popularity, does not deliver revenue like college football and college basketball. Then there’s the travel issue. When traveling for road trips with metal bats, a player needs one, maybe two bats. With wood bats a road trip might necessitate taking a half dozen bats for each player because as we know, wood bats break.
Name — in-likeness (NIL) has made a big difference for some college athletes. But college baseball and softball trail basketball and football by a significant margin in terms of players receiving money. That is not set to change anytime soon.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred could use some good PR for himself as well as the owners. Providing bats for the D1 players would acknowledge the service that the NCAA is providing MLB and would allow pitchers to be viewed through a different lens since their real abilities will more clearly shine through. Aluminum bat bleeders drive pitchers crazy especially on pitches close to the hands that might break a wood bat but instead end up over the infield for a soft base hit. It ends up making pitchers throw more pitches than they would were all the players using wood bats. A little less stress on the arms of pitchers would also be a good thing.
Why shouldn’t MLB provide D1 teams with wood bats?
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About the Author: Mark Kolier along with his son Gordon co-hosts a baseball podcast called ‘Almost Cooperstown’. He also has written baseball-related articles that can be accessed on Medium.com and Substack.com.
