Three Future Washington Nationals Stars!!!

I would also like to add that these three HS players have made the adjustment in a very mature fashion with the NATS in my observations and really prove that HS players are ready for the pros. peace, Shep

Headed to the park but before I go....:>The signing bonuses of these just drafted 2006 HS signs is in excess of 5 million dollars. Are you telling me these fine young and very happy prospects should have risked college first? Just click the picture taken a few days ago and tell me what you see in the body language and faces of these players :> Peace, Shep

Shep,
I am confused. You guys always say it shouldn't be about the money, now you bring up money. Obviously it wasn't about the money for Andrew Miller, it appears to me he wanted to go to college first. Same way with Smoak and Havens (as examples), they both turned down a lot of money and chose college. This happens more often than not these days. Many teams don't want to pay out lots of money these days to high schoolers unless they are pretty mature. And many players do not want to wait years to go through the system, even if offered lots of money.
Out of the top 50 players drafted 29 were college students. Can you tell us why? I am assuming for most of them they were drafted. But some were not, not because of signability but they just developed their skills in college and put them in a better position not only for money but for opportunity.

Some don't care about the money, but some know they may have a better opportunity if they are in a higher round then drafted in a lower round. I think that is an issue for others as well.

No one is saying you should go to college first, it's a personal decision, and much harder for those who are drafted quite high out of HS and offered better opportunities. Personally if offered nice money and that is the issue, it's a no brainer for me, and personally if someone is offered a plane ticket and a few grand out of HS that's also a no brainer for me.

Baseball America says it takes 5 years to see if a previous draft was worth the teams investment. Could you go back 5 years and see who is now playing MLB, just curious. And who was drafted out of HS, who was drafted and decided to go to college and drafted again? Thanks.

It shouldn't be an issue here when parents ask questions. We are all entitled to our own opinions, some from a parents point of view, others from a professional point of view.

What I find amazing is that we have to find out from someone else who bbscout drafted. I'll say it again, I really appreciate his professionalism here, his simple answers, his reluctance to sway someone one way or the other as a professional because he knows this website base is of parents of very few players who will most likely not be very high round picks and have that tough decision to make. I think most appreciate that also.

There are many many happy faces of those who chose to play in college, just visit college websites, summer college leagues pictures. I am not sure what the purpose of your comment was.

That was an excellent post TPM. I gotta hand it to ya. Not trying to confuse and really didn't look at my earlier post as comment but rather examples of the other side of the coin. That coin does seem to be one-sided sometimes and after reading your post I think I an beginning to understand some of what you're promoting for pro prospects in HS about to make a decision of a lifetime. As you pointed out, every situation is different though and the decision ultimately rests with the parent(s) and player with a little help from the advisor. I'm not going to spend all night looking up all those stats you requested so forgive me in advance. I am just really busy with reports and preparing for some very important upcoming baseball events and just got in from a very hot ballpark. If you want to read my flipside about college, read what I have written in Casey Whitmer signs with FL STATE in the 2006 Signees thread. The post also includes info about another prospect, Buster Posey.
: > ) peace, Shep

Shep,
I am sorry you think my parental opinion (not professional) is one sided, but I never said, one SHOULD NOT give up the opportunity to go to college.
What I have said, is that it is a personal decision. So much depends on the decision. What round, is the bonus what you feel is fair, what team, what college program would you give up, etc.
The decision ultimately rests WITH THE PLAYER and with the guidance of his INFORMED parents and an advisor if he has one.

Great pic, Shep...it really captures the excitement of starting a pro career at 17-18 years old.

Three fine-looking young men!

nice job Shep..............quality players

Thinking of you bbscout...

Word...

marrero I played him in hs a couple times when he was a pace. He could hit some serious bombs and had a cannon at third but i hear he moved to OF. Any way i hope him and the other two in that pic do well.