With the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft coming up in June, for the first time, high school baseball prospects who will be considered for the Draft will now be able to select an agent who will help navigate the process of negotiating with major league teams on the players behalf when it comes to their draft status and potential signing bonus.

By a vote of 75-2 in favor of the new rule back in January, this should lead to new ground being broken in the way players and families will be educated in both the draft and college process overall, as well as receiving proper guidance during this important time period.

According to ABCA Executive Director, Craig Keilitz, the process should open the door to more student-athletes playing college. “I honestly feel this way, but to me, the more student-athletes, players and parents are educated about the draft, the better off it is for college baseball, meaning it will lead to more kids playing in college.”

There are a few things to be aware of now that this rule is in place:

The new rule DOES NOT affect current collegiate players but focuses on high school players who will become student-athletes in college. The NCAA’s authorized use of an agent also does not affect that player’s eligibility.

The NCAA will allow current college players to receive input and advice from an advisor of their choosing but cannot have anyone acting as their agent when negotiating with major league clubs.

Leading the way in the vote were the Power 5 Conferences: ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac 12 and SEC as well as independent school, Notre Dame where the rule is being enforced immediately. Other DI schools currently are not required to follow the rule, but may adopt the rule if they choose to do so.

And perhaps the most vital piece of this is that if a student-athlete does not sign a contract with a major league team, he must not be represented by the agent in any way prior to signing on full-time at his college of choosing both academically and athletically.

Dan Mooney, Senior Director of College Recruiting for Baseball Factory, knows full well the type of experiences a teenager faces entering a new world once a major league team selects you in the Draft.

“I am a supporter of the new NCAA rule allowing HS players to have agents to help with the MLB Draft. Having been drafted out of high school myself, it is a scary time for an 18-year old. There are so many variables and scenarios to consider when entering professional baseball and young athletes were being asked to make a life changing decision without professional help. I believe this will benefit both professional and collegiate baseball.”