Why do the Detroit Tigers have a Competitive Balance Round A Draft pick in 2025?

President of Baseball Operations Scott Harris and the Detroit Tigers will be busy Sunday night in Atlanta, where they will have four picks to make on the first night of the 2025 MLB Draft.

The Tigers will make one selection in each of the first three rounds (Nos. 24, 62 and 98), as well as the No. 34 overall pick in Competitive Balance Round A between the first and second rounds.

The 10 lowest-revenue clubs and the clubs from the 10 smallest markets are eligible to receive a Competitive Balance pick. Teams are awarded a maximum of one Competitive Balance pick, even if they meet both criteria.

All eligible teams are assigned a pick, either in Competitive Balance Round A or Round B. Round A takes place between the first-round compensation picks and the second round, while Round B is held after the second round is over. The order of the picks within each round is determined by order of finish in the previous year’s standings, best to worst.

Competitive Balance Draft picks were implemented in the 2012-16 Collective Bargaining Agreement, while the process to assign said picks was amended in the 2017-21 Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Why do the Detroit Tigers have a Competitive Balance Round A Draft pick in 2025?

Forbes releases an annual ranking of MLB team valuations that includes each club's current value, one-year value change, debt as a percentage of total value, revenue and operating income. In the 2025 ranking, The Tigers ranked 25th out of the 30 MLB clubs in terms of revenue ($320 million), with revenue defined as "earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization."

The only clubs trailing the Tigers in total revenue are the Colorado Rockies ($318 million), Miami Marlins ($317 million), Tampa Bay Rays ($297 million), Chicago White Sox ($277 million) and the Athletics ($257 million). While still in the bottom-third of the league, the Tigers rank slightly higher in terms of team valuation (22nd) at $1.55 billion.

Notable Competitive Balance picks made by the Tigers in the last few years include relief pitcher Ty Madden (2021), No. 1 prospect Kevin McGonigle (2023) and No. 13 prospect Ethan Schiefelbein (2024). The Tigers will look to continue using their smaller market to their advantage and add another name to that list on Sunday.

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