The
Baltimore Orioles are a
Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise based in
Baltimore,
Maryland. They play in the
American League East division. Since the institution of MLB's
Rule 4 Draft, the Orioles have selected 60 players in the first round. Officially known as the "First-Year Player Draft",[1] the Rule 4 Draft is MLB's primary mechanism for assigning amateur baseball players from high schools, colleges, and other amateur baseball clubs to its teams. The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings, with the team possessing the worst record receiving the first pick.[1] In addition, teams which lost
free agents in the previous off-season may be awarded
compensatory or supplementary picks.[2]
Of the 60 players picked in the first round by Baltimore, 30 have been
pitchers, the most of any position; 21 of them were right-handed, while 9 were left-handed. Twelve
outfielders, eight
shortstops, seven
catchers, two
third basemen, and one
second basemen were also taken. The team has never drafted a player at
first base.[3] 16 of the players came from high schools or universities in the state of California, and Florida follows with five players.[3] The Orioles have also drafted two players from Canada,
Ntema Ndungidi (1997) and
Adam Loewen (2002).[3] The Orioles have not drafted any players from their home state of Maryland.[3]
The Orioles have made 11 selections in the supplemental round of the draft and six compensatory picks since the institution of the First-Year Player Draft in 1965.[3] These additional picks are provided when a team loses a particularly valuable free agent in the previous off-season,[2][8][V] or, more recently, if a team fails to sign a draft pick from the previous year.[9] The Orioles have failed to sign two of their first-round picks, Brad DuVall (1987) and
Wade Townsend (2004). They received the 28th pick in 1988 and the 48th pick in 2005 for failing to sign DuVall and Townsend, respectively, as compensation.[3]
V Through the 2012 draft,
free agents were evaluated by the
Elias Sports Bureau and rated "Type A", "Type B", or not compensation-eligible. If a team offered
arbitration to a player but that player refused and subsequently signed with another team, the original team was able to receive additional draft picks. If a "Type A" free agent left in this way, his previous team received a supplemental pick and a compensatory pick from the team with which he signed. If a "Type B" free agent left in this way, his previous team received only a supplemental pick.[9] Since the 2013 draft, free agents are no longer classified by type; instead, compensatory picks are only awarded if the team offered its free agent a contract worth at least the average of the 125 current richest MLB contracts.[57] However, if the free agent's last team acquired the player in a trade during the last year of his contract, it is ineligible to receive compensatory picks for that player.[58]
The
Baltimore Orioles are a
Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise based in
Baltimore,
Maryland. They play in the
American League East division. Since the institution of MLB's
Rule 4 Draft, the Orioles have selected 60 players in the first round. Officially known as the "First-Year Player Draft",[1] the Rule 4 Draft is MLB's primary mechanism for assigning amateur baseball players from high schools, colleges, and other amateur baseball clubs to its teams. The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings, with the team possessing the worst record receiving the first pick.[1] In addition, teams which lost
free agents in the previous off-season may be awarded
compensatory or supplementary picks.[2]
Of the 60 players picked in the first round by Baltimore, 30 have been
pitchers, the most of any position; 21 of them were right-handed, while 9 were left-handed. Twelve
outfielders, eight
shortstops, seven
catchers, two
third basemen, and one
second basemen were also taken. The team has never drafted a player at
first base.[3] 16 of the players came from high schools or universities in the state of California, and Florida follows with five players.[3] The Orioles have also drafted two players from Canada,
Ntema Ndungidi (1997) and
Adam Loewen (2002).[3] The Orioles have not drafted any players from their home state of Maryland.[3]
The Orioles have made 11 selections in the supplemental round of the draft and six compensatory picks since the institution of the First-Year Player Draft in 1965.[3] These additional picks are provided when a team loses a particularly valuable free agent in the previous off-season,[2][8][V] or, more recently, if a team fails to sign a draft pick from the previous year.[9] The Orioles have failed to sign two of their first-round picks, Brad DuVall (1987) and
Wade Townsend (2004). They received the 28th pick in 1988 and the 48th pick in 2005 for failing to sign DuVall and Townsend, respectively, as compensation.[3]
V Through the 2012 draft,
free agents were evaluated by the
Elias Sports Bureau and rated "Type A", "Type B", or not compensation-eligible. If a team offered
arbitration to a player but that player refused and subsequently signed with another team, the original team was able to receive additional draft picks. If a "Type A" free agent left in this way, his previous team received a supplemental pick and a compensatory pick from the team with which he signed. If a "Type B" free agent left in this way, his previous team received only a supplemental pick.[9] Since the 2013 draft, free agents are no longer classified by type; instead, compensatory picks are only awarded if the team offered its free agent a contract worth at least the average of the 125 current richest MLB contracts.[57] However, if the free agent's last team acquired the player in a trade during the last year of his contract, it is ineligible to receive compensatory picks for that player.[58]