STRAIGHT TO THE MAJOR LEAGUES

Drafted Players Who Advanced Directly to Major League Baseball | Baseball Almanac

The Major League baseball began its free agent draft in 1965. Twenty-three ballplayers have been drafted, then advanced directly to the Major Leagues without first playing on a Minor League team.

Other players prior to the draft accomplished this same feat, but are not as unusual as these instances where the Minor Leagues were a "necessity" for all up-and-coming Major League hopefuls.

Baseball Almanac is pleased to present a list of every player in baseball history who took part in the Amateur Baseball Draft and advanced directly into the Major Leagues.

Baseball Almanac Top Quote

"For a guy to be successful, you have to be like a clock spring, wound but loose at the same time." - Winfield, Dave. A Yankee Century & Beyond. Frommer, Harvey. Author. Sourcebooks, Inc. 1 November 2007. Page 249.

Straight to the Big Leagues

In Chronological Order | Research by Baseball Almanac

1. Mike Adamson RHP 07-01-1967 1967 University of Southern California 1967 Baltimore Orioles
2. Steve Dunning RHP 06-14-1970 1969 Stanford University 1970 Cleveland Indians
3. Burt Hooton RHP 06-17-1971 1971 University of Texas at Austin 1971 Chicago Cubs
4. Rob Ellis 3B/OF 06-18-1971 1971 Michigan State University 1971 Milwaukee Brewers
5. Pete Broberg RHP 06-20-1971 1971 Dartmouth College 1971 Washington Senators
6. Dave Roberts IF 06-07-1972 1972 University of Oregon 1972 San Diego Padres
7. Dick Ruthven RHP 04-17-1973 1973 Fresno State University 1973 Philadelphia Phillies
8. Dave Winfield OF 06-19-1973 1973 University of Minnesota 1973 San Diego Padres
9. David Clyde LHP 06-27-1973 1973 Westchester High School 1973 Texas Rangers
10. Eddie Bane LHP 07-04-1973 1973 Arizona State University 1973 Minnesota Twins
11. Denny Walling OF/3B 09-07-1975 1975 Clemson University 1975 Oakland Athletics
12. Mike Morgan RHP 06-11-1978 1978 Valley High School 1978 Oakland Athletics
13. Bob Horner 3B 06-16-1978 1978 Arizona State University 1978 Atlanta Braves
14. Tim Conroy LHP 06-23-1978 1978 Gateway High School 1978 Oakland Athletics
15. Brian Milner C 06-23-1978 1978 Texas Christian University 1978 Toronto Blue Jays
16. Pete Incaviglia RF 04-08-1986 1985 Oklahoma State University 1986 Texas Rangers
17. Jim Abbott LHP 04-08-1989 1988 University of Michigan 1989 California Angels
18. John Olerud 1B 09-03-1989 1989 Washington State University 1989 Toronto Blue Jays
19. Darren Dreifort RHP 04-07-1994 1993 Wichita State University 1994 Los Angeles Dodgers
20. Ariel Prieto RHP 07-02-1995 1995 Fajardo Regional College 1995 Oakland Athletics
21. Xavier Nady OF/IF 09-03-2000 2000 University of California 2000 San Diego Padres
22. Mike Leake RHP 04-11-2010 2009 Arizona State University 2010 Cincinnati Reds
23. Garrett Crochet LHP 09-18-2020 2020 University of Tennessee 2020 Chicago White Sox
Straight to the Majors | Research by Baseball Almanac
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baseball almanac fast facts

Did you know that David Clyde was the first left-handed pitcher brought directly into the Major Leagues? Click each name above to learn who else was first from various positions they played and create even more trivia questions.

Brian Milner was the first and still the only catcher to date brought straight into the Major Leagues. Will there be another? Tell us on on our Baseball Almanac Facebook Group, on Baseball Almanac Twitter, via Baseball Almanac Messenger, or our baseball forum — Baseball Fever.

A breakdown by decade reveals that one player from the 1960s was drafted and sent directory into the Major Leagues, fourteen from the 1970s, three from the 1980s, two from the 1990s, and three during the twenty-first century — to date.