Steve A. posted:Iowamom23 posted:I appreciate the help on the whether to sign or not to sign. Honestly, he's a pretty mature kid and works for a guy who was drafted out of high school, got hurt, and, as he frequently tells my son, is here teaching him to play baseball rather than playing in the pros because of bad choices he made along the way. If you can't have a good example in your life, a reformed bad example is a powerful teacher.
I guess the whole process sort of confused me, but it sounds like making connections now, even if you plan to really shoot for a draft after your junior year in college, is worthwhile?
My 2C would be: If he is going the College route, he will have 3 full years before the issue of Pro Ball possibly enters the picture. Embrace that College Experience, have fun, get better. The rest will start to take care of itself when the time comes. He will also be surrounded with some people who have been through the process in addition to his current instructor.
It is definitely exciting times for your son and the family, congratulations. The questionnaires are the first step in the process, The next few months will dictate where he may "possibly" place in the draft. Some scouts will make themselves known, others will be strictly behind the scenes until the month prior to the draft. If your son is a round 1-10 possibility he may in the course of a few weeks before the draft be traveling across country working out for MLB teams. There will be many publications coming out with their prediction on how the draft will happen. You can get an idea where your son fits compared with the draft class, but definitely not written in stone. For what it's worth, I will give the same advice I gave my son. Except for a few gifted high school athletes, it is virtually impossible to predict how you will do in the next level, whether it be college or pro. Go to college, experience the college life, grow, mature and have fun. This is the only chance most likely you will have to live your life as a young adult in an adult body. Give 110% at baseball but don't dwell on your 3 year plan of entering the draft. Trust in the process, trust in Him. If you do well playing college ball the draft will always be there. If you don't or have a career ending injury, you will always have a college education to fall back on, nobody can take that away. I have no doubt your son at 17 is mature and has great morals, but remember he will be among men 21 and up in the minors and be forced to mature. My son told me the best decision he made so far in his young life is going to a D1 college for baseball, excelling then when most of his goals/experiences were met (baseball, maturity and college life) it was time to move onto the next level. Good luck