Dreams will be realized. Lives will be changed. History will be made.
And it all starts in Seattle.
The MLB Draft begins in the Emerald City as the league's 30 teams hope to uncover a gem through the 20 rounds that take place across three days. By now, fans know those at the top of draft boards — the LSU duo, Dylan Crews and Paul Skenes.
They'll make two very happy fanbases between them. But there are plenty of players who will fly under the radar and eventually make many question how they dropped that far.
The big event is held during MLB's All-Star week, which culminates with the Midsummer Classic. Some who hear their names called with eventually become mainstays on the All-Star diamond.
MORE: Watch the MLB Draft live with Fubo (free trial)
The future of baseball begins at the MLB Draft. The Sporting News has everything you need to know about when that future begins.
What time does the MLB Draft start today?
In 2021, the league moved the draft from June to July and made it part of the All-Star festivities. MLB has since transformed all of the action into a week of All-Star events, and the draft is now set up for a Sunday night, prime-time affair.
The first round will begin at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. local time) at Lumen Field in Seattle — home of the NFL's Seahawks.
| Round | Day | Date | Start time |
| 1-2 | Sunday | July 9 | 7 p.m. ET |
| 3-10 | Monday | July 10 | 2 p.m. ET |
| 11-20 | Tuesday | July 11 | 2 p.m. ET |
On Monday and Tuesday, the start times will be pushed up to 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. local time) in order to prevent conflict with the Home Run Derby or All-Star Game.
MORE: Final top 100 big board of 2023 MLB Draft prospects
What channel is the MLB Draft on today?
- TV channels: ESPN (First round), MLB Network (Day 1) | TSN2 (Canada)
- Live stream: ESPN+, Fubo (First round) | MLB.com (Days 2 and 3)
ESPN and MLB Network will share the Round 1 coverage of the MLB Draft, but the latter will air the second round exclusively. TSN2 will have coverage in Canada.
Following the big names flying off the board on Sunday night, the focus then shifts to Monday and Tuesday for the draft's final 18 rounds. Coverage of those rounds is only available on MLB.com.
MLB Draft TV schedule
Day 1 of the MLB Draft begins on ESPN, before later shifting over to MLB Network. After the first two rounds, coverage flips to MLB.com exclusively for Day 2 and 3.
| Day | Rounds | TV channel |
| July 9 | 1-2 | ESPN (Round 1), MLB Network, TSN2 (Canada) |
| July 10 | 3-10 | MLB.com |
| July 11 | 11-20 | MLB.com |
MLB Draft live stream
- Live streams: ESPN+ (Round 1), Fubo (Round 1), MLB.com (Day 2 & 3)
Baseball fans hoping to get a glimpse of MLB's next biggest stars can stream the draft on ESPN+ or Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers. On Day 2 and 3, the selections are only available on MLB.com and will not be aired on television or any streaming platform.
MLB Draft order 2023
This year's first-round order was determined by a draft lottery for the first time in MLB history. The Pirates ended up being the big winners and will make their sixth No. 1 overall selection in franchise history.
You don't have to go far back into the history books to see Pittsburgh's last top pick. In 2021, the Bucs took Henry Davis at No. 1.
Here's what the draft order looks like through the first competitive balance round.
Round 1
| Pick | Team |
| 1. | Pirates |
| 2. | Nationals |
| 3. | Tigers |
| 4. | Rangers |
| 5. | Twins |
| 6. | Athletics |
| 7. | Reds |
| 8. | Royals |
| 9. | Rockies |
| 10. | Marlins |
| 11. | Angels |
| 12. | D-backs |
| 13. | Cubs |
| 14. | Red Sox |
| 15. | White Sox |
| 16. | Giants |
| 17. | Orioles |
| 18. | Brewers |
| 19. | Rays |
| 20. | Blue Jays |
| 21. | Cardinals |
| 22. | Mariners |
| 23. | Guardians |
| 24. | Braves |
| 25. | Padres |
| 26. | Yankees |
| 27. | Phillies |
| 28. | Astros |
Prospect promotion incentive pick
| Pick | Team |
| 29. | Mariners |
Competitive Balance Round A
| Pick | Team |
| 30. | Mariners |
| 31. | Rays |
| 32. | Mets |
| 33. | Brewers |
| 34. | Twins |
| 35. | Marlins |
| 36. | Dodgers |
| 37. | Tigers |
| 38. | Reds |
| 39. | Athletics |