The College World Series lags behind other championships, and one analyst has an idea to fix that.
MLB Must Combine the College World Series and the Draft
If you rank the top collegiate championships, the College World Series comes far behind basketball and football. In all honesty, the Frozen Four (hockey) and softball appear to captivate the audience more. As a result, the games at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Neb., are largely overlooked on a national scale.
Unfortunately, elite athletes’ performances frequently go unnoticed. However, a recent solution has emerged that could propel the week to new heights, even altering the landscape of televised collegiate baseball. During Foul Territory, former MLB catcher A.J. Pierzynski proposed an idea that could revolutionize the sport.
“Here is a great idea,” Pierzynski said. “This was created by someone smarter than me. Have the MLB Draft at the College World Series. The best eight teams are supposed to be present, along with the best players.
Then there are all the high school students flying out there who are committed to these schools. So, we watched the kids get drafted while the college coach cried. Think of the drama we could have in one place.”
MLB insider Ken Rosenthal appeared intrigued by the idea and said he would look into the logistics outlined by Pierzynski. However, Rosenthal made it clear where the league stands on the matter.
“It is the logical thing to do,” Rosenthal stated. “It would generate more interest in the College World Series and the draft.” However, MLB believes this is a better All-Star Week.
Comparisons
For the sake of argument, let us compare different collegiate draft rankings. Barrett Media reported that the Major League Baseball Draft drew 863,000 total viewers last season. The 2024 NBA Draft’s first round drew 4.41 million viewers over the course of one night.
The MLB Draft used to be held in June at the MLB Network studios in New Jersey. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, MLB decided to move the draft to the Sunday before the All-Star game and broadcast it live from that city. The plan was to create a massive, multi-day spectacle to attract viewers and promote the game.
Interestingly, MLB announced that the draft would take place during the 2020 College World Series in Nebraska. Unfortunately, this was canceled due to the pandemic, and MLB did not reschedule it for the following year.
The combination of the College World Series and the MLB Draft elevates both events to new heights. In a sport where amateurs are less well-known than in others, this could become a marquee event that keeps fans interested in players for years to come. Furthermore, ratings are likely to skyrocket due to the natural excitement of both the World Series and the draft.
While Pierzynski’s point of drama appeared to be humorous, he is telling the truth about overall excitement and marketing. People enjoy drama. It’s an American pastime to watch intense moments unfold.
MLB continues to pass up golden opportunities to take their product mainstream by incorporating elements that could appeal to the casual, lapsed, or new fan.
