1996 Major League Baseball draft


The 1996 Major League Baseball draft was an annual choosing of high school and college baseball players that was held on June 4 and 5, 1996. A total of 1740 players were drafted over the course of 100 rounds.
This is the only draft to last 100 rounds. The last player taken was outfielder Aron Amundson, drafted by the New York Yankees in the 100th round.
This draft is also notable because a record four first-round draft picks were not offered contracts by the teams that drafted them and subsequently became free agents. Under Major League Baseball's Collective Bargaining Agreement, the teams had been required to offer a written contract within fifteen days of the draft, but that rule had been ignored for decades prior to this draft. Agent Scott Boras challenged the White Sox on their lack of an offered contract for Bobby Seay and filed grievances on behalf of John Patterson and Matt White. Travis Lee's advisers followed suit.

First round selections

PickPlayerTeamPositionSchool
1Kris BensonPittsburgh PiratesPClemson
2Travis LeeMinnesota Twins1BSan Diego State
3Braden LooperSt. Louis CardinalsPWichita State
4Billy KochToronto Blue JaysPClemson
5John PattersonMontreal ExposPWest Orange Stark HS (TX)
6Seth GreisingerDetroit TigersPVirginia
7Matt WhiteSan Francisco GiantsPWaynesboro Area HS
8Chad GreenMilwaukee BrewersOFKentucky
9Mark KotsayFlorida MarlinsOFCal State Fullerton
10Eric ChavezOakland Athletics3BMount [Carmel High School (San Diego, California)|Mount Carmel HS (CA)]
11Adam EatonPhiladelphia PhilliesPSnohomish HS (WA)
12Bobby SeayChicago White SoxPSarasota HS (FL)
13Rob StrattonNew York MetsOFSan Marcos HS (CA)
14Dermal BrownKansas City RoyalsOFMarlboro Central HS (NY)
15Matt HalloranSan Diego PadresSSChancellor HS (VA)
16Joe LawrenceToronto Blue JaysSSBarbe HS (LA)
17Todd NoelChicago CubsPNorth Vermillion HS (LA)
18R. A. DickeyTexas RangersPTennessee
19Mark JohnsonHouston AstrosPHawaii
20Eric MiltonNew York YankeesPMaryland, College Park|Maryland]
21Jake WestbrookColorado RockiesPMadison County HS (GA)
22Gil MecheSeattle MarinersPAcadiana HS (LA)
23Damian RollsLos Angeles Dodgers3BSchlagle HS (KS)
24Sam MarsonekTexas RangersPJesuit HS (FL)
25John OliverCincinnati RedsOFLake-Lehman HS (PA)
26Josh GarrettBoston Red SoxPSouth Spencer HS (IN)
27A.J. ZappAtlanta Braves1BCenter Grove HS (IN)
28Danny PeoplesCleveland Indians1BTexas
29Paul WilderTampa Bay Devil RaysOFCary HS (NC)
30Nick BierbrodtArizona DiamondbacksPMillikan HS (CA)

Other notable players

NFL player drafted