There’s nothing better in baseball than the Rule 5 Draft, traditionally the last number of the annual Winter Meetings. Every year, Rule 5 rings the bell at the end of the Winter Meetings, providing substantial league opportunities to several players who might not otherwise receive them immediately.
This year’s edition will take place in Dallas on Wednesday at 2 p.m. EST, when teams will have the chance to strengthen their rosters and acquire low-risk talent to facilitate them in the upcoming season.
Unlike the amateur draft (Rule 4), whose first-round order is now partially determined by lottery, the Rule 5 draft order remains dictated in reverse order to the previous season’s rankings. So the White Sox, who had the worst record in baseball in 2024, have the first pick, followed by the Rockies, Marlins, Angels and A’s. Teams that finished the 2024 competition with identical records are ranked based on their wins and losses from the previous season.
Draft ordinance
Below is this year’s complete draft order under Rule 5. A team must have a spot on its roster to make a selection, so the status of the 40-member team is listed in parentheses.
These are the player qualifications outlined in Rule 5:
Players who turned professional at age 18 or younger in 2020 or age 19 or older in 2021 may be selected for the Major League Phase of the Rule 5 Draft if not in the 40th -personnel.
Clubs that sign a player at this stage must pay his former team $100,000 and keep him on the lively substantial league roster through next season. A player cannot be sent to the minors without first agreeing to a waiver and then being offered back to his original organization for half of his draft price.
There is also a Minor League phase in the Rule 5 draft. Anyone who is not protected on a major league or Triple-A roster is eligible, and the selection cost is $24,000. Players selected in this phase of the Rule 5 Draft are not subject to any roster restrictions in their recent organizations.
Since 2012, seven Rule 5 selections have produced a career 5.0 or more bWAR: Mark Canha (15.3), Odúbel Herrera (13.4), Anthony Santander (11.1), Ryan Pressly (10.1) , Brad Keller (8.9), Garrett Whitlock (5.9) and Delino DeShields (5.1).
The best picks of all time
Hall of Fame star Roberto Clemente remains the best player ever selected in a Rule 5 draft. However, given the significant changes made to the draft over the years, it is hard to compare selections from different eras.
If we draw the line at 1990 for the more newfangled era, here are the top six Rule 5 selections, ranked by career WAR:
This list only includes Rule 5 selections that stuck with recent teams. However, if we included every player ever drafted, we would add some more eminent names, especially recent ones like José Bautista, RA Dickey and Ender Inciarte. Right now, Soria is the most recent player on this list, a longtime reliever who finished his 14-year career with stints with the D-backs and Blue Jays in 2021. Canha is the closest among lively players stuck, with 15.3 bWAR.
The best prospects available
There is always a group of top 30 prospects left unprotected by their clubs and this year is no different, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will be drafted under Rule 5. When selecting teams, when evaluating Rule 5 prospects, you should consider consider talent, but also proximity to the substantial leagues, as these players would ideally have the best chance of remaining on the substantial league roster through next season.
Some of the generating names early buzz about Rule 5 are A’s second baseman Cooper Bowman (No. 20), Cubs outfielder Christian Franklin (No. 21), Rockies right-hander Yujanyer Herrera (No. 29), Twins outfielder Kala’i Rosario (No. 19) and Guardians left-hander Ryan Webb (No. 26) .
