If you’re a Notre Dame baseball fan who wants to figure out when a player might choose to leave for Major League Baseball, it can be hard to nail down when they become eligible. After all, there are some rather odd rules when it comes to going pro precisely because MLB is the only major sport organization that regularly drafts high school athletes.
So what exactly are the rules when talking about a player who might be eligible for the draft? Do you have to play three years of college baseball? The short answer is that strictly speaking, no you don’t need to play three years. However, there are certain rules that change that answer big time.
When it comes right down to it for high school players, the obvious answer is that no, you don’t have to play 3 years in order to get drafted. Once you graduate high school you are able to be drafted and head off to MLB should you get selected.
Do you have to play 3 years of college baseball?
However, things get more difficult and more complicated should you decide to go to college instead. What college you go to also matters when it comes to the answer of this question.
If you opt to enroll at a four-year college, you must then must complete three years of college to regain professional draft eligibility. In other words, assuming you don’t redshirt you’ll have to finish your junior season before you can be drafted. Of course, if you do redshirt, you can be drafted after your sophomore season.
There is another way to go. Do you have to play 3 years of college baseball? Not if you happen to turn at least 21 before those three years take place.
The other difference is that if you enroll at junior colleges (i.e., two-year institutions) you will be able to be drafted after just one season of college baseball.