Not long ago, the MLB draft ran 40 rounds. Today it runs 20. And in its current labor negotiations, MLB has proposed cutting it to 12.
For a player who isn't a consensus top prospect, that math changes everything. Every round that disappears is roughly 30 players who used to start their professional careers through the draft and now have to find another way in. More and more, that other way is independent baseball, and especially the four MLB Partner Leagues.
How We Got Here
The draft has been shrinking for years:
- Through 2019: 40 rounds, with well over 1,000 players selected every summer.
- 2020: Five rounds, cut down during the pandemic.
- 2021 to today: 20 rounds. That same year, MLB took over the minor leagues and reduced the number of affiliated clubs from 160 to 120.
The restructuring didn't just cut jobs. It also created a formal relationship between MLB and a group of independent leagues. The Atlantic League, American Association, Frontier League, and Pioneer League became MLB Partner Leagues. They remain independent, but MLB organizations scout them closely and buy player contracts from them all season long.
The 12-Round Proposal
In June 2026, as part of bargaining over the next collective bargaining agreement, MLB proposed shrinking the draft from 20 rounds to 12. The proposal would also make high school players ineligible. College players could enter after at least two years of school.
The Players Association called the league's proposals "flat out bad for baseball," and nothing is final. The current agreement expires on December 1, 2026, and the draft is one of many issues on the table. But the direction is clear. If the proposal survives in any form, it could mean roughly 240 fewer draft picks every year, starting as soon as the next agreement takes effect.
By the Numbers: Who's Sending Players to MLB Organizations
Every partner league sells player contracts to MLB clubs, and every one of them is busy. Here's what the leagues themselves have reported.
Atlantic League
By August 7, 2026, the Atlantic League had transferred 60 player contracts this season. Forty-five of those went to MLB organizations, and the rest went to leagues in Mexico, Taiwan, and Japan. That pace matched 2019 for the league's second-highest total ever. The record is 73 transfers, set in 2021, the first season after the minor league contraction.
American Association
American Association clubs transferred 27 player contracts to MLB organizations during the 2026 season, according to the league's transaction log. All-time, the league says nearly 500 of its players have had contracts transferred to MLB organizations. Seventeen league alumni played in the majors in 2026, including five who reached the big leagues for the first time.
Frontier League (National Association in 2027)
The Frontier League says 37 contracts have been purchased by MLB clubs since the beginning of 2026, up from 26 in 2025. Of those 26 in 2025, 22 had never played professionally anywhere but the Frontier League, which makes it a genuine starting point and not just a landing spot for released players. MLB credits the league with placing more than 1,000 players into major league organizations over its history. Starting in 2027, it becomes the National Association of Professional Baseball, with as many as 20 teams.
The California Winter League, listed on the ProBaseballTryouts.com calendar, is the Official Winter League of the Frontier League (National Association in 2027).
Pioneer League
The Pioneer League is built for younger players. Active rosters are limited to players with three or fewer years of professional experience. In the first half of the 2024 season alone, 13 Pioneer League players had their contracts purchased by eight different MLB clubs. In 2026, the league announced four players earning MLB organization contracts in June and two more in late July.
USPBL (Independent, Not a Partner League)
The United Shore Professional Baseball League in Utica, Michigan is not an MLB Partner League. It's a standalone development league for players roughly 18 to 25 years old, mostly undrafted college players and players released from affiliated contracts. Since 2016, 56 USPBL players have signed with MLB organizations, and seven have reached major league rosters.
*League figures come from each league's own announcements and transaction records. Leagues report differently, and some don't publish a full-season total.*
From Independent Ball to the Majors: Recent Success Stories
Cam Booser, Tampa Bay Rays
Cam Booser walked away from professional baseball after the 2017 season at age 25, worn down by injuries and personal struggles, including addiction. He came back through independent ball, pitching for the Chicago Dogs of the American Association and the Lancaster Barnstormers of the Atlantic League around a brief 2022 stint in the Diamondbacks system. The Red Sox signed him, and he made his MLB debut on April 19, 2024, at 31 years old.
The best part came in 2026. After signing with Tampa Bay, Booser was called up on May 31 and posted a 1.98 ERA over 42 appearances. He also had the best WHIP (0.76) of any American League reliever with at least 40 innings. In October, he earned a win against the Yankees in the ALDS and recorded five outs in the pennant-clinching game against Cleveland, helping pitch the Rays into the World Series.
Rudy Martin Jr., Toronto Blue Jays
Rudy Martin Jr. was a 25th-round pick of the Royals back in 2014, the kind of late-round selection that no longer exists in a 20-round draft. His career took him to Mexico and through independent ball, including the Milwaukee Milkmen of the American Association in 2023 and the York Revolution of the Atlantic League in 2024. In York, he won a league championship and set the franchise record with 78 stolen bases. He worked his way back to Triple-A, hit .385 there in 2026, and was called up by the Blue Jays in September, 12 years after he was drafted.
Dugan Darnell, Colorado Rockies
Dugan Darnell played at Adrian College, a Division III program, and switched from third base to pitching. Undrafted, he spent two seasons with the USPBL's Eastside Diamond Hoppers before signing with the Rockies in February 2021. On August 1, 2025, he made his major league debut.
Randy Dobnak, Minnesota Twins
Randy Dobnak is the USPBL's original success story. He went undrafted out of Alderson Broaddus University, pitched for the Utica Unicorns, signed with the Twins, and reached the majors in 2019. That October, he started a postseason game against the Yankees as a rookie.
The American Association's Class of 2026
Four other American Association alumni joined Martin as first-time big leaguers in 2026:
- Bryan Torres, OF, St. Louis Cardinals (Milwaukee Milkmen, 2022-23)
- Peyton Gray, RHP, Texas Rangers (Milwaukee Milkmen, 2020, 2022-23)
- Julian Garcia, RHP, Cincinnati Reds (Kansas City Monarchs, 2024-25)
- Josh Hendrickson, LHP, Houston Astros (Kansas City Monarchs, 2025)
What This Means for You
If you're an undrafted college player, a player released from an affiliated organization, or someone who simply developed late, the takeaways are practical:
- Treat independent ball as a pipeline, not a last resort. MLB organizations buy contracts from these leagues all season, every season. A smaller draft only increases how much they rely on them.
- Get on a partner league roster if you can. The partner leagues have formal scouting relationships and transfer processes with MLB clubs. Non-partner leagues like the USPBL also produce signings, but the partner leagues are where the volume is.
- Your numbers in a professional environment are your résumé. Scouts can buy a contract in the middle of June. Performing from the first week of the season matters.
- Know each league's eligibility rules. Age classifications, experience caps, and hard age limits all determine where you can actually be signed. Our guide on baseball tryouts for adults breaks down the rules in the Frontier League, Pioneer League, and USPBL.
- Start with a tryout or a winter league. Open tryouts, league camps, and winter leagues like the California Winter League are how most players get onto partner league rosters. Most of those spots are filled over the winter and spring, and the ProBaseballTryouts.com calendar lists tryouts and winter leagues as they're announced.
The Bottom Line
The draft used to be the front door to professional baseball for nearly everyone. Now it's a smaller door, and it may get smaller still. The players filling MLB organizations' rosters still come from somewhere, and every season more of them come from independent baseball. If you didn't get drafted, you haven't missed your chance. You've just found the road most players now take.