1997 Major League Baseball expansion draft
| 1997 Major League Baseball expansion draft | |
|---|---|
The logo for the 1997 MLB expansion draft | |
| General information | |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Date | November 18, 1997 |
| Location | Phoenix Civic Plaza, Phoenix, Arizona |
| Network | ESPN |
| Overview | |
| 70 total selections | |
| League | Major League Baseball |
| Expansion teams | Arizona Diamondbacks Tampa Bay Devil Rays |
| Expansion season | 1998 |
| First selection | Tony Saunders (Tampa Bay Devil Rays) |
The 1997 Major League Baseball expansion draft was held on November 18, 1997, at the Phoenix Civic Plaza in Phoenix, Arizona. The expansion draft allowed two expansion teams in Major League Baseball (MLB)—the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays—to build their rosters prior to their inaugural seasons.
Both teams subsequently began play in the 1998 season, increasing the size of the American League and National League from 14 to 15 teams each. Arizona was placed in the National League West division and Tampa Bay was played in the American League East division. This remains the most recent expansion draft conducted by MLB.