I don’t disagree with passing on signing out of high school to go to college. However, first round money can make a difference. One of the baseball kid’s who came before my son in high school (daughter’s class) signed out of high school. He didn’t consider the ramifications of not turning eighteen until fall and being 6’1’ 170 playing against mostly twenty-one and twenty-two year old, far more physically developed men. He washed out in three years versus having attended a HA major conference program.
But, I believe staying in college until twenty-three is too far the other way. Mangum didn’t do so well in short season that he should expect to start the season any higher than low A. Chances are this won’t be a great year to jump two levels to high A. Some will. But there will be a lot less time/opportunity to jump three levels to AA this year.
Andrew Benintendi went from college to A in one season. He went from high A to Boston the next. But he aced every level in the minors. He was also a high first round pick.