Happy NFL draft day to all those who celebrate! Tonight is the biggest night of the three-day national event that has garnered the most attention and interest from the four major sports leagues in the U.S. for at least three decades. The draft has an added sensationalism because top NFL draft picks are usually expected to play immediately after summer training camps.

MLB’s draft, on the other hand, doesn’t get much hype. Although MLB can’t corral the same level of media attention and fan interest as the NFL, baseball beats the other three national sports league drafts in a few departments.

Talent depth is the biggest differentiator among MLB and the NBA, NFL, and NHL. MLB recently halved its draft rounds from 40 in 2019 to 20 rounds (2020 was the exception, during which there were five rounds), but the number of draftees far exceeds any other league. There are nearly three times as many MLB draft rounds as the NFL and NHL, which are tied for the second-most, and more than double the number of expected baseball draftees than in football and hockey.

• MLB – 20 rounds, 600+ standard picks
• NFL – 7 rounds, 260 standard picks
• NHL – 7 rounds, 224 standard picks
• NBA – 2 rounds, 60 standard picks

Although the magnitude of the MLB draft makes it less possible to have a big, in-person event that keeps attendees engaged, the pool of drafted players offers more depth than any other sport. Combined with the nine distinct defensive baseball positions as opposed to 24 in football, six in hockey, and five in basketball, the skill diversity is unparalleled.

Another unique part of baseball that other leagues pale in comparison to is the extensive use of a minor league system. The NFL, NHL, and NBA all have and use a minor league system to develop talent, but MLB is a lone ranger in the size and usage of one.

Nearly every baseball player — drafted or undrafted, college or high school age — goes directly to one of the 120 MiLB teams affiliated with the 30 MLB franchises. In most instances starting with rookie ball, all MLB players must work through all five tiers before qualifying for a spot on the 40-player roster/26-player active roster. The MiLB system emphasizes development and growth over recent success.

The beauty of MLB teams enforcing its minor league system is that it sets a standard level of proficiency across baseball — yes, even for the Chicago White Sox. There may not be the instant gratification of seeing a first-rounder hit the field months after being drafted, but the odds of a player flopping for an entire season once called up are much smaller. Throwing an NFL player into a starting role may produce a bigger boom, but it also generates even larger and more busts. Sending players down to improve and experiment versus benching them due to suboptimal performance creates a system designed (key word) to generate the most prepared professional players, and leads a more exciting debut.

Glitz and glamor aren’t terms used to describe the MLB draft, but the quality and quantity of players produced by the draft and minor league system quietly shape some of most talented and and ready players in sports. The MLB draft may makes less of a bang, but the stories, emotional attachment to, and excitement for minor-leaguers and their journeys to the majors can’t be duplicated by the NBA, NFL, or NHL.