# 1978 Major League Baseball draft

The 1978 Major League Baseball draft was held June 6–8, 1978, consisting of 48 rounds, during which a total of 779 players were selected by 26 Major League Baseball (MLB) organizations. The first overall selection was Bob Horner, drafted by the Atlanta Braves.
Four of the selected players made their professional debuts in MLB without first playing in Minor League Baseball: third baseman Horner from Arizona State University, Oakland High School pitchers Tim Conroy and Mike Morgan, and catcher Brian Milner from Southwest High School in Fort Worth, Texas.
In addition to Horner, the Braves also selected future major-leaguer players Matt Sinatro (2nd round), Steve Bedrosian (3rd round), Rick Behenna (4th round), Jose Alvarez (8th round) and Gerald Perry (11th round).
Others notable players drafted included Lloyd Moseby and Dave Stieb (Toronto), Mike Marshall and Steve Sax (Los Angeles), Cal Ripken Jr. and Mike Boddicker (Baltimore), Kirk Gibson (Detroit), Kent Hrbek (Minnesota) and Hubie Brooks (New York Mets).

## First round selections

The following are the first round picks in the 1978 Major League Baseball draft.
| = All-Star | = Baseball Hall of Fame |
| Pick | Player | Team | Position | School |
| 1 | Bob Horner | Atlanta Braves | 3B | Arizona State |
| 2 | Lloyd Moseby | Toronto Blue Jays | 1B | Oakland High School (Oakland, California) |
| 3 | Hubie Brooks | New York Mets | SS | Arizona State |
| 4 | Mike Morgan | Oakland Athletics | RHP | Valley High School (Las Vegas, Nevada) |
| 5 | Andy Hawkins | San Diego Padres | RHP | Midway High School (Hewitt, Texas) |
| 6 | Tito Nanni | Seattle Mariners | OF | Chestnut Hill Academy High School (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
| 7 | Bob Cummings | San Francisco Giants | C | Brother Rice High School (Chicago, Illinois) |
| 8 | Nick Hernandez | Milwaukee Brewers | C | Hialeah High School (Hialeah, Florida) |
| 9 | Glenn Franklin | Montreal Expos | SS | Chipola Junior College |
| 10 | Phil Lansford | Cleveland Indians | SS | Wilcox High School (Santa Clara, California) |
| 11 | Rod Boxberger | Houston Astros | RHP | University of Southern California |
| 12 | Kirk Gibson | Detroit Tigers | OF | Michigan State University |
| 13 | Bill Hayes | Chicago Cubs | C | Indiana State University |
| 14 | Tom Brunansky | California Angels | OF | West Covina High School (West Covina, California) |
| 15 | Robert Hicks | St. Louis Cardinals | 1B | Tate High School (Pensacola, Florida) |
| 16 | Lenny Faedo | Minnesota Twins | SS | Jefferson High School (Tampa, Florida) |
| 17 | Nick Esasky | Cincinnati Reds | SS | Carol City High School (Carol City, Florida) |
| 18 | Rex Hudler | New York Yankees | SS | Bullard High School (Fresno, California) |
| 19 | Brad Garnett | Pittsburgh Pirates | 1B | DeSoto High School (DeSoto, Texas) |
| 20 | Tim Conroy | Oakland Athletics | LHP | Gateway High School (Monroeville, Pennsylvania) |
| 21 | Gerry Aubin | Pittsburgh Pirates | OF | Dougherty Comprehensive High School (Albany, Georgia) |
| 22 | Robert Boyce | Baltimore Orioles | 3B | Deer Park High School (Cincinnati, Ohio) |
| 23 | Rip Rollins | Philadelphia Phillies | 1B/RHP | Allegheny High School (Sparta, North Carolina) |
| 24 | Matt Winters | New York Yankees | OF | Williamsville High School (Williamsville, New York) |
| 25 | Buddy Biancalana | Kansas City Royals | SS | Redwood High School (Greenbrae, California) |
| 26 | Brian Ryder | New York Yankees | RHP | Shrewsbury High School (Shrewsbury, Massachusetts) |

## Compensation picks

* ↑ Pick from Chicago White Sox as compensation for signing of free agent Ron Blomberg
* ↑ Pick from Texas Rangers as compensation for signing of free agent Mike Jorgensen
* ↑ Pick from Los Angeles Dodgers as compensation for signing of free agent Terry Forster
* ↑ Pick from Boston Red Sox as compensation for signing of free agent Mike Torrez

## Other notable players

| = All-Star | = Baseball Hall of Famer |
| Round | Pick | Player | Team | Position |
| 2 | 37 | Danny Heep | Houston Astros | OF |
| 2 | 39 | Mel Hall | Chicago Cubs | OF |
| 2 | 48 | Cal Ripken Jr. | Baltimore Orioles | 3B |
| 2 | 52 | Steve Balboni | New York Yankees | 1B |
| 3 | 53 | Steve Bedrosian | Atlanta Braves | RHP |
| 3 | 70 | Britt Burns | Chicago White Sox | LHP |
| 3 | 74 | Bobby Bonner | Baltimore Orioles | SS |
| 4 | 85 | Rob Deer | San Francisco Giants | OF |
| 4 | 92 | Mike Witt | California Angels | RHP |
| 5 | 106 | Dave Stieb | Toronto Blue Jays | OF |
| 6 | 151 | Mike Marshall | Los Angeles Dodgers | 1B |
| 6 | 152 | Mike Boddicker | Baltimore Orioles | RHP |
| 8 | 196 | Tim Wallach* | California Angels | 1B |
| 9 | 229 | Steve Sax | Los Angeles Dodgers | SS |
| 15 | 377 | Mark Langston* | Chicago Cubs | LHP |
| 15 | 381 | Gary Redus | Cincinnati Reds | SS |
| 16 | 415 | Frank Viola* | Kansas City Royals | LHP |
| 17 | 432 | Kent Hrbek | Minnesota Twins | 1B |
| 18 | 447 | Eric Show | San Diego Padres | RHP |
| 18 | 460 | John Stuper | Pittsburgh Pirates | RHP |
| 19 | 475 | Kevin McReynolds* | Milwaukee Brewers | OF |
| 20 | 511 | Ryne Sandberg | Philadelphia Phillies | IF |
| 21 | 531 | Dave Dravecky | Pittsburgh Pirates | LHP |
| 23 | 577 | Howard Johnson* | New York Yankees | RHP |
| 24 | 594 | Rick Leach | Philadelphia Phillies | 1B |
| 39 | 758 | Vance Law | Pittsburgh Pirates | SS |
| 47 | 778 | Ron Reeves | Cleveland Indians | RHP |
* Did not sign