Five baseball players born in Puerto Rico were selected during the 20 rounds of the MLB novice draft. Juriel Collazo, a outfielder, and Emanuel Hernández, a catcher, were both chosen in the 13th round by the Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs, respectively. Sebastián Rolón, a right-handed pitcher, was selected by the Cleveland Guardians in the 16th round.
Jatniel McCloud, an outfielder from Loíza, was chosen by the Miami Marlins in the 18th round with the 535th global pick. Luis Calderón, a right-handed pitcher, was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 19th round. These players will now have the opportunity to negotiate with the organizations that selected them and start their development in professional baseball.
Additionally, Justin Lebrón, a shortstop of Puerto Rican descent, was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the first round on Saturday, with a pick valued at $4.6 million. Starting Monday, Puerto Rican baseball players who were not selected in the draft will be able to sign as free agents.