Monday afternoon at 5:00 pm Eastern represents the deadline for teams to sign players from their rookie class. As MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis was among those to report, all but two players selected in the top 10 rounds have signed and will enter professional baseball.
A second-round pick for the Rangers Logan Schmidt and the fifth-place Brewers Aidan Knack he did not agree to the terms. Schmidt, a 6’4″ left out of the California high school, was the 59th pick. That’s not far from where he ranked in pre-draft rankings from MLB Pipeline, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN, Keith Law of The Athletic and Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs.
Baseball America was even higher, ranking him 21st in the class and third among high school pitchers. Evaluators praise the 17-year-old’s mid-90s speed and breaking ball with mixed reviews of his delivery and changeup. He would be a high, risky bet for Cleveland’s pitching staff.
Schmidt has committed to LSU, though he could also choose the junior college route if he wants to re-enter the draft in 2027 (pending negotiations between the league and the Players Association regarding draft eligibility in the upcoming CBA). Cleveland will receive the 60th pick next year as compensation. The Rangers have signed away all of their other options.
The 59th pick had an estimated slot value of $1.6MM. Cleveland still had just under $1.7MM left in its total bonus pool to offer Schmidt before he could be foreclosed on in the future draft. “I have a lot of respect for that organization and everyone I’ve met throughout this process,” Schmidt said as part of a social media post announcing that he would not be signing. “We couldn’t agree, but I appreciate the time they put into getting to know me and my family. … I’m excited for what’s next!”
Milwaukee will not receive compensation for not being able to sign Knaak. That only applies to undrafted players selected within the first three rounds, so the Brewers will simply lose the pick. Knaak is Clemson’s right fielder coming back for his senior season. Jason Priester of The Clemson Insider reported over the weekend that the university is making a strong push to bring Knaak back, possibly using a NIL package that would compete with or exceed his signing bonus. Knaak had a 5.81 ERA but 88 strikeouts in 57 1/3 innings in 13 starts his junior year.
With the signing deadline in the rearview mirror, Baseball America’s Ben Badler takes a look at the top college baseball players in 2027. Schmidt is BA’s #1 high school unsigned prospect and could be a huge asset to LSU if he doesn’t go the JUCO route. BA lists 17 “five-star” high school talents who chose not to sign, at least three of whom are also headed to LSU. Vanderbilt, normally a strong program but missing its first NCAA tournament appearance in 20 years, has three in the top 10. Those interested in the draft and/or college baseball are encouraged to check out the full list.
