Major League Baseball’s draft process could be headed for one of its most dramatic overhauls if a proposal to eliminate high school players from the MLB Draft is eventually adopted.
The idea is still being discussed as part of MLB’s negotiations with the Major League Baseball Players Association on a new collective bargaining agreement, but it has already generated strong reactions across the league. Team executives, scouts and player development personnel have all weighed the potential impact of removing prep prospects from the annual draft.
Few groups would be affected more than amateur scouting departments, which devote years to evaluating high school talent across the country and internationally. Organizations that have built strong farm systems by identifying and developing prep players would likely need to overhaul their scouting approach.
Philadelphia Phillies amateur scouting director Brian Barber is among those expressing concern, becoming one of the few executives to publicly question the proposal as league officials continue negotiating possible CBA changes.
“Brian Barber said he wouldn’t be excited about the current proposal of eliminating high schoolers from the MLB Draft, even though he acknowledged nothing is set in stone yet,” Crossing Broad’s Luke Arcaini reported.
Phillies Scouting Director Questions Proposed MLB Draft Change
Barber explained why he believes removing high school players from the draft would have a major impact on the profession.
“It would totally change the landscape of what scouting is all about,” Barber said, according to Grace Del Pizzo of OnPattison.
His comments carry significant weight given his reputation as one of baseball’s respected scouting leaders. At a time when many executives have avoided publicly criticizing proposals being discussed during labor negotiations, Barber’s willingness to voice reservations stands out.
Since taking over the Phillies’ amateur scouting department, Barber has helped oversee several productive drafts that have strengthened one of baseball’s better farm systems. Philadelphia has consistently blended polished college talent with high-ceiling high school prospects, making the proposed change especially significant for the organization.
Although MLB has not reached a final decision, Barber’s remarks illustrate the uncertainty surrounding a proposal that would remove an entire category of amateur players from the draft pool.
Phillies Have Invested Years Into Their Draft Process
Barber has previously emphasized the extensive preparation that goes into each draft, highlighting the countless hours scouts and executives spend evaluating prospects before making selections.
“And we meet for about 10 days leading up to the draft,” he told The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Scott Lauber earlier this year. “And obviously we had talked about those players a lot before then, but you start to get down into every deep weed that you can try to talk about on those players and all the other players that are on the board at the time. It’s a first step. But it’s a very satisfying first step to see the realization of those guys getting to the big leagues.”
Those comments reflect why the proposed rule change would extend well beyond a simple adjustment to the draft format. For scouting departments like Philadelphia’s, eliminating high school players would require a significant shift in evaluation methods, scouting priorities, resource allocation and long-term player development strategies.
No decision has been made on the proposal, and Barber acknowledged that discussions remain ongoing. Even so, his public skepticism makes him one of the few MLB executives to openly question a potential CBA change that could reshape the future of amateur scouting.