David Seifert

Was talking to a parent of one of the best draft prospects in the country. He asked me how important tournament organization player rankings were in terms of the draft. They have absolutely no importance. MLB scouting departments have their own rankings, and they're compiled by the scouts they pay. MLB scouts have a running pref (preference) list that continually gets updated. Those pref lists will then be discussed, argued and integrated to compile the organizations draft board. Most organizations will have approximately 15 area scouts, 3-5 regional cross checkers and 2-3 national cross checkers, an assistant scouting director and scouting director. All of them will have running pref lists that will be integrated before the draft. Players will get moved around and even removed from the board based on medicals and signability. Outside rankings will never be mentioned in organizational or draft meetings and have absolutely no value or importance when it comes to the MLB draft.