# 1965 Major League Baseball draft

The 1965 Major League Baseball draft is the first year in which a draft took place for Major League Baseball. It was held on June 8–9 in New York City.
In Major League Baseball's first Free Agent Amateur Draft, the Kansas City Athletics selected Arizona State sophomore Rick Monday as the number one pick. Kansas City also chose ten future major leaguers, including Sal Bando (6th round) and Gene Tenace (20th round), building the base for the Oakland Athletics' championship teams of the early 1970s.
A total of 813 players were selected. Some of the more significant picks were catcher Johnny Bench by the Cincinnati Reds in the second round, pitcher Nolan Ryan by the New York Mets in the twelfth round, and infielder Graig Nettles by the Minnesota Twins in the fourth round. The first player to reach the majors was pitcher Joe Coleman, the Washington Senators' first pick and third pick overall. Future Hall of Famer Tom Seaver was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 10th round but did not sign and returned to the University of Southern California campus.

## Key

| Pick | Indicates the number of the pick |
| Player | Indicates the player selected |
| Team | Indicates the team making the pick |
| Position | Indicates the secondary/collegiate position at which the player was drafted, rather than the professional position the player may have gone on to play |
| * | Player did not sign with their team |
| ^ | Player made a Major League Baseball All-Star Game appearance |
| † | Member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum |

## First round selections

| Pick | Player | Team | Position | School (Location) |
| 1 | Rick Monday^ | Kansas City Athletics | Outfielder | Arizona State University (Tempe, Arizona) |
| 2 | Les Rohr | New York Mets | Left-handed pitcher | Billings West High School (Billings, Montana) |
| 3 | Joe Coleman^ | Washington Senators | Right-handed pitcher | Natick High School (Natick, Massachusetts) |
| 4 | Alex Barrett | Houston Astros | Shortstop | Atwater High School (Atwater, California) |
| 5 | Billy Conigliaro | Boston Red Sox | Outfielder | Swampscott High School (Swampscott, Massachusetts) |
| 6 | Rick James | Chicago Cubs | Right-handed pitcher | Coffee High School (Florence, Alabama) |
| 7 | Ray Fosse^ | Cleveland Indians | Catcher | Marion High School (Marion, Illinois) |
| 8 | John Wyatt | Los Angeles Dodgers | Shortstop | Bakersfield High School (Bakersfield, California) |
| 9 | Eddie Leon* | Minnesota Twins | Shortstop | University of Arizona (Tucson, Arizona) |
| 10 | Doug Dickerson | Pittsburgh Pirates | Outfielder | Ensley High School (Birmingham, Alabama) |
| 11 | Jim Spencer^ | Los Angeles Angels | First baseman | Andover High School (Glen Burnie, Maryland) |
| 12 | Dick Grant | Milwaukee Braves | First baseman | Watertown High School (Watertown, Massachusetts) |
| 13 | Gene Lamont | Detroit Tigers | Catcher | Hiawatha High School (Kirkland, Illinois) |
| 14 | Al Gallagher | San Francisco Giants | Third baseman | Santa Clara University (Santa Clara, California) |
| 15 | Scott McDonald | Baltimore Orioles | Right-handed pitcher | Marquette High School (Yakima, Washington) |
| 16 | Bernie Carbo | Cincinnati Reds | Outfielder | Livonia Franklin High School (Livonia, Michigan) |
| 17 | Ken Plesha | Chicago White Sox | Catcher | Notre Dame University (Notre Dame, Indiana) |
| 18 | Mike Adamson* | Philadelphia Phillies | Right-handed pitcher | Point Loma High School (San Diego, California) |
| 19 | Bill Burbach | New York Yankees | Right-handed pitcher | Wahlert High School (Dickeyville, Wisconsin) |
| 20 | Joe DiFabio | St. Louis Cardinals | Right-handed pitcher | Delta State University (Cleveland, Mississippi) |

## Post-first round selections

The list of later selections is limited to those who have made at least one major league appearance.
| Round | Pick | Player | Team | Position | School (Location) |
| 2 | 21 | Joe Keough | Kansas City Athletics | First baseman | Mt. San Antonio College (Walnut, California) |
| 2 | 24 | Keith Lampard | Houston Astros | Outfielder | University of Oregon (Eugene, Oregon) |
| 2 | 26 | Ken Rudolph | Chicago Cubs | Catcher | University of Nebraska (Lincoln, Nebraska) |
| 2 | 28 | Alan Foster | Los Angeles Dodgers | Right-handed pitcher | Los Altos High School (Hacienda Heights, California) |
| 2 | 29 | Del Unser* | Minnesota Twins | Outfielder | Mississippi State University (Mississippi State, Mississippi) |
| 2 | 31 | Sandy Vance* | Los Angeles Angels | Right-handed pitcher | Pasadena High School (Pasadena, California) |
| 2 | 36 | Johnny Bench^† | Cincinnati Reds | Catcher | Binger High School (Binger, Oklahoma) |
| 2 | 38 | Larry Hisle^ | Philadelphia Phillies | Outfielder | Portsmouth High School (Portsmouth, Ohio) |
| 2 | 39 | Danny Thompson* | New York Yankees | Shortstop | Capron High School (Capron, Oklahoma) |
| 3 | 41 | Bob Stinson* | Kansas City Athletics | Outfielder | Miami Senior High School (Miami, Florida) |
| 3 | 42 | Joe Moock | New York Mets | Shortstop | Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) |
| 3 | 43 | Gene Martin | Washington Senators | Outfielder | Dougherty Comprehensive High School (Albany, Georgia) |
| 3 | 45 | Ken Poulsen | Boston Red Sox | Third baseman | Birmingham High School (Van Nuys, California) |
| 3 | 51 | Dick Baney* | Los Angeles Angels | Right-handed pitcher | Anaheim High School (Anaheim, California) |
| 3 | 53 | Andy Messersmith*^ | Detroit Tigers | Right-handed pitcher | University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley, California) |
| 3 | 55 | Frank Tepedino | Baltimore Orioles | First baseman | Wingate High School (Brooklyn, New York) |
| 3 | 58 | Bill Champion | Philadelphia Phillies | Right-handed pitcher | Shelby High School (Shelby, North Carolina) |
| 4 | 61 | Ken Holtzman^ | Chicago Cubs | Left-handed pitcher | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Urbana, Illinois) |
| 4 | 64 | Charlie Vaughan | Milwaukee Braves | Left-handed pitcher | Brownsville High School (Brownsville, Texas) |
| 4 | 66 | Ken Boswell | New York Mets | Second baseman | Sam Houston State University (Huntsville, Texas) |
| 4 | 68 | Stan Bahnsen | New York Yankees | Right-handed pitcher | University of Nebraska (Lincoln, Nebraska) |
| 4 | 71 | Bob Reed* | Detroit Tigers | Right-handed pitcher | University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, Michigan) |
| 4 | 73 | Harry Parker | St. Louis Cardinals | Right-handed pitcher | Collinsville High School (Collinsville, Illinois) |
| 4 | 74 | Graig Nettles^ | Minnesota Twins | Third baseman | San Diego State University (San Diego, California) |
| 4 | 76 | Pat Jacquez* | Houston Astros | Right-handed pitcher | Stagg High School (Stockton, California) |
| 4 | 79 | Pete Koegel | Kansas City Athletics | Outfielder | Seaford High School (Seaford, New York) |
| 4 | 80 | Fred Rath, Sr. | Chicago White Sox | Right-handed pitcher | Baylor University (Waco, Texas) |
| 5 | 85 | Terry Harmon | Philadelphia Phillies | Shortstop | Ohio University (Athens, Ohio) |
| 5 | 87 | Joe Henderson | Los Angeles Angels | Third baseman | Edison High School (Fresno, California) |
| 5 | 92 | Rich Robertson | San Francisco Giants | Right-handed pitcher | Santa Clara University (Santa Clara, California) |
| 5 | 95 | Amos Otis^ | Boston Red Sox | Shortstop | Williamson High School (Mobile, Alabama) |
| 6 | 104 | Wayne Garrett | Milwaukee Braves | Shortstop | Sarasota High School (Sarasota, Florida) |
| 6 | 105 | Bob Chlupsa* | Philadelphia Phillies | Right-handed pitcher | Manhattan College (New York City) |
| 6 | 107 | Clyde Wright^ | Los Angeles Angels | Outfielder | Carson-Newman College (Jefferson City, Tennessee) |
| 6 | 117 | Hal McRae^ | Cincinnati Reds | Shortstop | Florida A&M University (Tallahassee, Florida) |
| 6 | 118 | Bill Dillman | Baltimore Orioles | Right-handed pitcher | Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) |
| 6 | 119 | Sal Bando^ | Kansas City Athletics | Third baseman | Arizona State University (Tempe, Arizona) |
| 7 | 121 | Garry Jestadt | Chicago Cubs | Shortstop | Fremont High School (Sunnyvale, California) |
| 7 | 127 | Marty Pattin^ | Los Angeles Angels | Right-handed pitcher | Eastern Illinois University (Charleston, Illinois) |
| 7 | 128 | Darcy Fast* | New York Yankees | Left-handed pitcher | North Thurston High School (Olympia, Washington) |
| 7 | 135 | Jim Hutto | Boston Red Sox | Third baseman | Pensacola High School (Pensacola, Florida) |
| 7 | 139 | Scott Reid* | Kansas City Athletics | Outfielder | Cerritos College (Norwalk, California) |
| 8 | 154 | Ron Keller | Minnesota Twins | Right-handed pitcher | Indiana University (Bloomington, Indiana) |
| 8 | 157 | John Morlan* | Cincinnati Reds | Outfielder | West High School (Columbus, Ohio) |
| 9 | 161 | Joe Decker | Chicago Cubs | Right-handed pitcher | Petaluma High School (Petaluma, California) |
| 9 | 163 | Garry Hill* | Washington Senators | Right-handed pitcher | Garinger High School (Charlotte, North Carolina) |
| 9 | 169 | Vic Albury | Cleveland Indians | First baseman | Key West High School (Key West, Florida) |
| 10 | 185 | Ken Szotkiewicz* | Philadelphia Phillies | Second baseman | Salesianum School (Wilmington, Delaware) |
| 10 | 189 | Greg Washburn* | Cleveland Indians | Right-handed pitcher | Coal City High School (Coal City, Illinois) |
| 10 | 190 | Tom Seaver*^† | Los Angeles Dodgers | Right-handed pitcher | USC (Los Angeles, California) |
| 10 | 191 | Gary Taylor | Detroit Tigers | Right-handed pitcher | Central Michigan University (Mount Pleasant, Michigan) |
| 10 | 196 | Danny Walton | Houston Astros | Outfielder | Bishop Amat Memorial High School (La Puente, California) |
| 10 | 199 | George Lauzerique | Kansas City Athletics | Right-handed pitcher | George Washington High School (New York, New York) |
| 10 | 200 | Ron Lolich | Chicago White Sox | Third baseman | Central Catholic High School (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) |
| 11 | 201 | Tom House* | Chicago Cubs | Left-handed pitcher | Nogales (La Puente, California) |
| 11 | 206 | Jim McAndrew | New York Mets | Right-handed pitcher | University of Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa) |
| 11 | 212 | Chris Arnold | San Francisco Giants | Shortstop | Arcadia High School (Arcadia, California) |
| 11 | 216 | Gary Gentry* | Houston Astros | Right-handed pitcher | Phoenix College (Phoenix, Arizona) |
| 12 | 226 | Nolan Ryan^† | New York Mets | Pitcher | Alvin High School (Alvin, Texas) |
| 13 | 241 | Darrell Evans* | Chicago Cubs | Third baseman | John Muir High School |
| 17 | 323 | Dick Tidrow | Washington Senators | Right-handed pitcher | Mt. Eden High School |
| 18 | 342 | Bob Moose | Pittsburgh Pirates | Right-handed pitcher | Franklin Area High School (Franklin,PA) |
| 18 | 356 | Tom Murphy* | Houston Astros | Right-handed pitcher | Ohio University |
| 20 | 382 | Gene Garber | Pittsburgh Pirates | Pitcher | Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania |
| 20 | 400 | Gene Tenace^ | Kansas City Athletics | shortstop | Lucasville, Ohio |
| 21 | 404 | Ken Tatum* | Milwaukee Braves | Pitcher | Mississippi State University |
| 21 | 407 | Doug Griffin | California Angels | Second baseman | El Monte High School (El Monte, CA) |
| 21 | 413 | Dan McGinn* | St. Louis Cardinals | Pitcher | University of Notre Dame |
| 21 | 417 | Charlie Sands | Baltimore Orioles | Catcher | Newport News (Newport News,VA) |
| 22 | 421 | Freddie Patek^ | Pittsburgh Pirates | Shortstop | Seguin, Texas |
| 22 | 430 | Ron Bryant | San Francisco Giants | Pitcher | Davis, California |
| 23 | 447 | Steve Arlin* | Detroit Tigers | Pitcher | Ohio State University |
| 23 | 453 | Lowell Palmer* | Baltimore Orioles | Pitcher | Norte del Rio (Sacramento, CA) |
| 24 | 461 | Steve Renko | New York Mets | First baseman/Pitcher | University of Kansas |
| 26 | 493 | Tom Dettore | Pittsburgh Pirates | Pitcher | Canon McMillan (Canonsburg,PA) |
| 26 | 505 | Paul Reuschel* | Cincinnati Reds | pitcher | Camp Point Central (Camp Point,IL) |
| 30 | 561 | Lou Marone | Pittsburgh Pirates | Pitcher | San Diego Mesa College |
| 31 | 577 | Jim Nelson | Pittsburgh Pirates | Pitcher | Burbank (Sacramento, CA) |
| 34 | 624 | Tom Shopay | New York Yankees | Outfielder | Dean College |
| 35 | 636 | Don Shaw | New York Mets | Pitcher | San Diego State University |
| 36 | 654 | Jerry DaVanon* | Houston Astros | Outfielder | San Diego Mesa College |
| 37 | 662 | Bill Butler | Detroit Tigers | Pitcher | Herndon (Herndon,VA) |
| 38 | 671 | Duffy Dyer* | Milwaukee Braves | C-OF | Arizona State University |
| 39 | 683 | Danny Frisella* | Milwaukee Braves | Pitcher | Washington State University |
| 55 | 777 | John Sipin | St. Louis Cardinals | Shortstop | Watsonville High School (Watsonville, California) |
| 56 | 781 | Rich Nye* | Houston Astros | Left-handed pitcher | University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley, California) |
| 68 | 817 | Otis Thornton | Houston Astros | Catcher | Westfield High School (Docena, Alabama) |