The Major League Baseball Draft for 2025 is scheduled for the 13th to the 15th of July in Atlanta, Georgia, which marks the beginning of MLB’s All-Star Week celebrations. The Washington Nationals have won the draft lottery to possess the first overall selection.

The draft starts on Sunday, July 13, and will run the first three rounds. It will continue Monday and Tuesday, and complete all 20 rounds. This year’s event features amateur prospects from the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, which includes both collegiate and high school players wishing to be signed by various MLB franchises.

The draft order was set by a lottery for the first six picks, with reverse order of regular season record and postseason finish determining the rest. The Nationals were highly favored with the top pick and are expected to select from Oklahoma shortstop Ethan Holliday, Texas A&M outfielder Jace LaViolette, and Florida State pitcher Jamie Arnold, who is emerging as a contender for the No. 1 spot.

Moving the MLB Draft to July places it concurrently with the All-Star Week, letting both college and high school seasons finish in time for the event. This shift, which was made a couple of years ago, looks to optimize the scheduling of drafts and avoid conflicts with the College World Series.

With the 2025 draft, penalties will also apply to teams who went over the luxury tax threshold, as the Dodgers, Mets, and Yankees will have their first picks docked by 10 spots. Competitive balance and compensation picks will be included, as always.

For now, the MLB Draft still remains a vital event for teams to plan out their futures, though dealing with the 2025 edition will likely attract a lot of focus with new prospects entering the league.