MLB Draft Regulations The structure is 50 rounds. 1 pick every round until a club chooses to "pass," which removes any future picks. Compensatory choices are given between the first and second rounds, as well as the third and fourth rounds. In addition, all non-playable players aged 18 or older who have completed their high school education can be drafted. The draft begins at 12:00 noon on Thursday, June 4th, with free agency beginning at 11:59 pm that night. The first player chosen in the 2015 MLB Draft will become a member of his organization and eligible for promotion to the major league roster. The draft order is based on the previous season's standings. If two teams finish with equal winning percentages, the team that finished higher in the overall win-loss record will choose earlier in the draft. If they are still tied, it will be done by using the inverse of each team's winning percentage from the previous season; if these numbers are also equal, then it would be done in reverse order of last year's finish. For example, if Team A went 42-39 and Team B went 43-37, then Team A would choose first because its winning percentage was lower (42 vs. 49). If they both chose again, then Team B would choose first since it finished last year.