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While the Houston Astros are in the middle of a resurgence at the big league level, they have some important business to attend to now that the 2024 MLB Draft is upon us. While the MLB Draft doesn't have an immediate impact on teams' rosters like the draft does in the NFL and NBA, the Astros getting their picks right will have ripple effects for years to come.
There has been quite a bit of speculation as to who the Astros could pick in this year's draft. Houston picks far enough down in the first round that fans will just have to watch the draft to see how things will play out. To get fans up to speed with how the MLB draft works and how to follow along with their picks, here is everything Astros fans need to know.
2024 MLB Draft: How to watch the MLB Draft (TV and Streaming), Draft Schedule
MLB made the change fairly recently (2021) to include the draft as a part of the All-Star break festivities. While this has allowed for more eyeballs to be able to be focused on the draft without conflicting with the regular season and the College World Series, the change has come with its share of problems, as the draft has to share the spotlight with the All-Star Game itself (not to mention the headaches it creates for colleges).
However, the change HAS allowed for plenty of options for watching the draft without missing out on Astros games, and gave MLB the chance to make the event a bigger spectacle, with more players being able to attend the event itself. Here is the schedule for the 2024 MLB Draft.
2024 MLB Draft Schedule
Date | Rounds | Time |
|---|---|---|
Sunday, July 14 | 1-2 (including supplemental picks) | 7 PM EST (6 PM EST for pre-draft coverage) |
Monday, July 15 | 3-10 | 2 PM EST |
Tuesday, July 16 | 11-20 | 2 PM EST |
Importantly, there is a bit of conflicting information regarding when pre-draft coverage will begin, as some sources have pre-draft coverage beginning at 5 PM EST. The easiest solution here is to check the two main channels (ESPN and MLB Network) starting at 5 PM if you really want the full experience, but you should be able to get up to speed if you tune in starting at 6 PM on Sunday, July 14, with the first round officially getting started at 7 PM EST.
How to watch the 2024 MLB Draft
- TV: Rounds 1-2 on ESPN, MLB Network, MLB.TV, Rounds 3-20 only on MLB.TV
- Streaming: MLB.TV, MLB.com, MLB App
Fortunately, coverage of the MLB Draft has improved recently as well. Both ESPN and MLB Network will have comprehensive coverage of the first day of the draft, and both networks have draft experts that do a great job in breaking things down. Days 2and 3 are a bit more difficult to watch live, but draft diehards can rest assured that the MLB.com streaming option is still very good, even when the picks go into rapid fire mode on Day 3.
Astros 2024 MLB Draft Position and Bonus Pool: Where Do the Astros Pick?
Many Astros fans don't check for when the team picks until the day of the draft. We not only forgive you, but are here to help you out. In the first round of the 2024, the Astros pick at No. 28 overall with no sandwich picks on Day 1. Houston also lost their second-round pick this year when they signed qualified free agent Josh Hader last offseason. The rest of their picks are basically near the bottom of each round due to where they finished last season (being in the ALCS isn't all good news after all).
The end result of losing a pick and drafting near the bottom of each round is that Houston has the smallest draft bonus pool this year at $5,914,700. The MLB Draft uses a pick slot system to calculate a team's bonus pool, which teams can divide up however they want through the first 10 rounds as long as all their picks sign. They can also use it whenever they go over $150,000 for any draft picks from the 11th round on (which do not have a slot value). Teams paying more that 5% of a team's bonus pool start losing draft picks the next year, so don't expect Houston to do that whatsoever.
2024 MLB Draft: Complete First Round Draft Order
1. Cleveland Guardians
2. Cincinnati Reds
3. Colorado Rockies
4. Oakland Athletics
5. Chicago White Sox
6. Kansas City Royals
7. St. Louis Cardinals
8. Los Angeles Angels
9. Pittsburgh Pirates
10. Washington Nationals
11. Detroit Tigers
12. Boston Red Sox
13. San Francisco Giants
14. Chicago Cubs
15. Seattle Mariners
16. Miami Marlins
17. Milwaukee Brewers
18. Tampa Bay Rays
19. New York Mets
20. Toronto Blue Jays
21. Minnesota Twins
22. Baltimore Orioles
23. Los Angeles Dodgers
24. Atlanta Braves
25. San Diego Padres
26. New York Yankees
27. Philadelphia Phillies
28. Houston Astros
29. Arizona Diamondbacks
30. Texas Rangers
The draft order in the first round matters because teams have tendencies which can really impact which players the Astros can realistically think could float down to them. Houston has been connected to athletic college players -- especially position players, as ESPN's Kiley McDaniel recently shared on a media call -- but teams like the Braves and Yankees ahead of them, as well as the Rangers, Orioles, and Brewers just behind them, are also interested in that demographic. Others are focused on high school players or arms. The Astros will just have to do their homework, wait and see who gets to them, and go from there.