The window to sign draft picks from the 2018 MLB Amateur Draft in June is over. While several first-round picks went unsigned, MLB still managed to accomplish a record for money given out in the process.
According to Jim Callis of MLB.com, the league set a record with a combined $294.658 million spent, which eclipsed last year’s record of nearly $288 million.
The industry combined to spend $294,648,102 on @MLBDraft bonuses, eclipsing the record of $287,700,870 set last year. The average bonus for the 32 first-rounders who signed was $3,754,124, second all-time to the $3,880,723 average in 2017.
— Jim Callis (@jimcallisMLB) July 6, 2018
The record is especially surprising given the average bonus for the first-round picks fell from last year’s record-setting number. In 2017, the average bonus money given to a first-round pick was $3.88 million. This year, the 32 first-round selections averaged $3.75 million in bonus money.
Casey Mize, the No. 1 pick by the Detroit Tigers, signed for the highest bonus amount at $7.5 million.