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There are a few posters on this site who had sons drafted out of HS.  Here is a thread from a very respected poster PREPSTER  that doesn't show up near enough anymore:

https://community.hsbaseballwe...o-out-of-high-school

My son was working out this off season with several HS guys in the area that could be drafted.  They were drilling him about the draft and the minor leagues.  The one thing he told me that he told them:  If you can't make it in college, you sure as h*** aren't going to make it in the pros.   

It opens the door.  There is a kid from our area who was throwing 88 in 8th grade.  We all thought he’d be a MLB Draft pick.  Got up to 94 (RHP) and then got dropped after freshman year by the SEC school he was at, and had a few injuries.

Now he’s sitting 91 and pitching for a mid major.  Not every man-child turns into Bryce Harper.  In fact, very very few of them do

(it’s still a big accomplishment, of course, pitching for a mid major)

I don’t think most people realize how freakishly talented MLB players are compared to the typical star college athlete.  Nor do I think most people realize how hard those freakishly talented MLB players work.

There was a man child we played against several times in 13u. He hit a ball about 375 against us.  When he was fifteen in 16u he was the same size. He could have been a quality high school player and D2 prospect had he not decided he liked drugs more than baseball.

When kids put  up big metrics for their age it’s noticed. But interest quickly wanes if they don’t keep developing. You’re a prospect when someone in the game tells you you’re a prospect .

On this similar note....I am pretty sure I read it on here....when college recruiters are out, they don't want to see facial hair.  Lack of facial hair shows that they have some growing yet to do.  Guys that sport 'staches and beards in high school have already hit manhood and there is no upside to growth.

(Keep your guys close shaved)

My son was about 5' 3" and 115 lbs entering HS. As a rising senior he was 5'10" and 155 (LHP).

Doesn't matter what you hit/throw until it's draft time (senior year). MLB scouts create follow lists well before that - so they can actually see the players during their senior year.

I have seen guys who were tagged - before senior year - as HS high single digit picks completely drop off the list during senior year. How do I know they were potential high single digit picks? By the hierarchy of the MLB club watching games - if the GM/head of scouting visits that's a sign. I've seen guys who blossomed as rising seniors make the list (and seen the scramble to get club hierarchy to watch these late bloomers).

My son went to a HS which could only field 12 guys (only a couple had played travel ball), played in a HS league of like schools, played only fall scout ball (and before HS only local travel ball), and beginning in 10th grade on a summer team playing very locally made up of his PCs players.  The only competitive sport he played was baseball. In short, he was a small slight unknown LHP, playing no where against no one, with no "rabbi" singing his praises. But he blossomed his rising senior summer with 2 potential tools - a FB and a devastating slider.

If you're potential pro-material - that's displaying one potential pro tool which can be developed - you make the follow list. Then show that tool repreatedly during games (even crappy HS games in crappy leagues), convince the scouts you'll forgo college for a bonus the club will pay, that you have the maturity and family support to survive as a HS signee, and poof, you may get drafted.

My son was a HS draftee - no one really expected him to sign and forgo college - and he didn't. Great decision for him.

@Goosegg posted:


If you're potential pro-material - that's displaying one potential pro tool which can be developed - you make the follow list. Then show that tool repreatedly during games (even crappy HS games in crappy leagues), convince the scouts you'll forgo college for a bonus the club will pay, that you have the maturity and family support to survive as a HS signee, and poof, you may get drafted.

My son was a HS draftee - no one really expected him to sign and forgo college - and he didn't. Great decision for him.

Above is a great post by @Goosegg and I'd like a repeat something he's insinuating but doesn't say outright - if your son has potential pro tools and is playing just about anywhere, they will find him. If you son has the type of pro potential that will create a significant signing bonus you and everyone else will know.

In my son's journey, he was a corner 4-hole kid with a good arm that would close some games senior year, throwing very low 90's. By the end of his senior year and playoffs there might have been a scout or two in the stands, but probably not exclusively for him and he didn't receive a call come draft time. That changed in juco as a PO, he got a call as a freshman, was drafted as a sophomore (didn't sign) and was drafted (and signed) out of Arkansas as a junior. That was the right path of him, as improbably he made the MLB. I say improbably, not because he hasn't earned every bit of what he's achieved or aspires to achieve, but because the odds are so stacked against making it.

At 12U and just moving to the Houston area I was looking for a new hitting instructor. I found a well-respected hitting coach who the Klein HS players were using. The facility was on the second floor of a baseball card shop and far less than state of the art (pretty much a rat hole). The instructor was a guy named Calvin Murry (He was the guy at bat when Randy Johnson hit the dove, A&M’s QB Kevin Murry’s brother and NFL QB Kyler Murry’s uncle) and was/is an agent for Scott Boras. I had conversation with Calvin about why Boras didn’t represent HS players (this was in 2008, that may have changed for a select few since). Paraphrasing he said: Typically a HS draftee will take a big chunk of their signing bonus and buy an expensive vehicle, they’re young adults and don’t always make the best choices with capital, some don’t make the MLB and exit the baseball life with little money, a vehicle that’s lost 90% of its value, no marketable skills and no education – it’s not something that the Boras Corp wants to be part of… I had no clue the conversation would be applicable with my kid’s future, but I think it partially shaped my son’s opinion on when to enter into pro ball.

I’d not seen a post by Goosegg before, so I glanced at his profile and read this:

“So, I'm trying to explain S's path - recognizing that even if someone duplicated every step, the results would have been different.”

And that’s really the thing, we don’t know what happens in the path unchosen. You can make all the same or even right choices and have a vastly different results. I still believe that unless it’s life changing money out of HS, I think college is the best option.

Last edited by JucoDad
@Dadof3 posted:

When did you know he was a prospect?  Friend of 2027 hit a ball over a 375 fence and throws 87-88.  Is that the extreme, 8th grade?  Or is that more common?  Another kid we know, 2026 is reclassifying up, he is a lhp and throwing low 90s.  Or do most develop in their sophomore/jr year?

It is remarkable to see a high level D1/prospect-type player when they're young. They really stand out. So fun to watch!

But there are about 10,000 things that can go right or go wrong between freshman year and summer after senior year.

A pitcher in my area could throw 94 as a sophomore; Texas commit. Got TJ summer after sophomore year. He's recovered now, topping 96 as a senior.

Another player I know was a definite first rounder. Dozens of scouts at his HS games all senior year. He crashed into the CFer during playoffs, hurt his shoulder and was drafted in the supplemental round, which is still really good. Never made it beyond AA though. "Couldn't hit the curve ball."

Another OFer we know was drafted out of HS in 2022. Doing OK in high A but still struggling. Already says he wishes he went to college.

Enjoy the game!  That's what it's all about. The future will take care of itself.

Last edited by SpeedDemon
@Dadof3 posted:

When did you know he was a prospect?  Friend of 2027 hit a ball over a 375 fence and throws 87-88.  Is that the extreme, 8th grade?

Yes, if he's still doing it as a HS senior, no.

People are like "drafted". The thing is the minor leagues aren't pro ball. The only way being drafted really means anything is if you make it to the biggs. That means you are one of the 600 or so best players in the world. My son was offered round 36-40 out of HS. I knew then that my son wasn't, nor would ever be, one of the best 600. So it was easy to say no. Was that the right decision? If you had asked me that 2 years ago I would have said no, I wish I would have given him his shot. Give him the right to tell people he got drafted, they didn't need to know he was filler in the minors. That said, recently things have changed, and after these last two years, and especially these last two months, I'm so very thankful I didn't get caught up in the "drafted" hype.

Last edited by SomeBaseballDad

Yes, if he's still doing it as a HS senior, no.

People are like "drafted". The thing is the minor leagues aren't pro ball. The only way being drafted really means anything is if you make it to the biggs. That means you are one of the 600 or so best players in the world. My son was offered round 36-40 out of HS. I knew then that my son wasn't, nor would ever be, one of the best 600. So it was easy to say no. Was that the right decision? If you had asked me that 2 years ago I would have said no, I wish I would have given him his shot. Give him the right to tell people he got drafted, they didn't need to know he was filler in the minors. That said, recently things have changed, and after these last two years, and especially these last two months, I'm so very thankful I didn't get caught up in the "drafted" hype.

The thing is, players in the minor leagues ARE professional baseball players.  Just without the pay and prestige of MLB. 

The best thing MLB did was reduce the rounds from 50 to 40 to 20.  It killed many dreams, but at least kept  realistic dreams alive.

@keewart posted:

The thing is, players in the minor leagues ARE professional baseball players.  Just without the pay and prestige of MLB.

The best thing MLB did was reduce the rounds from 50 to 40 to 20.  It killed many dreams, but at least kept  realistic dreams alive.

I chuckled when I saw this. When my son was old enough to understand the game he asked why I didn’t sign. I was drafted in the late 40’s. I told my son I was drafted in a round so insignificant it didn’t exist anymore. The draft had become forty rounds. I wasn’t contacted for six days. I guess that’s when the organization realized they needed more short season roster filler. Besides, as I put it I was a first round pick of IBM. At the time it was “the” company.

A few years ago I read 84% of American players come from the first ten rounds. Another 10% come from 11-20. It made sense to shorten the draft to twenty rounds.

Last edited by RJM

I agree @keewart. I am constantly amazed by the talent and the level of professionalism of so many of the young men in the minors.

To @Dadof3, I think you can tell young that certain players have the ability to be something special. You see flashes of remarkable things.  Whether or not that "something special" comes to fruition is fraught with innumerable mental, physical (injuries, strength, ceiling/talent, whether or not they continue to grow), coaching, opportunity, etc... pitfalls and barriers. And that's before you even make it to draft day. And it starts all over again in the minors! Then you have to add in media pressure and becoming an adult overnight. So when most people say "I knew he would" they really mean "I thought he could." Because there is no way to know no matter how special you think your kid is.

As for the young man hitting it 375, put a wood bat in his hands. If he's still doing it then, you might be on to something but the last thing I would do is worry about it at that age. He should still be having fun with his friends and working hard to get better and not thinking of those things (IMHO).

@keewart posted:

The thing is, players in the minor leagues ARE professional baseball players.  Just without the pay and prestige of MLB.

Granted, but the vast majority will never see a big-league field. So "my son was drafted", or "I was drafted". Great, you could probably make more money and have a better quality of life working at Home Depot, but whatever....

I know of 8 or so kids my son played against/knew well who were drafted. Only two even smelled the MLB. Drey Jameson and Jo Adell. They are both iffy, the others haven't even gotten close. Through HS everyone around us was like "we'll watch when he hits the biggs". I never got caught up in that. Yeah, he was really good and such but when you take a step back and think one of the best 600 in the world....

@SomeBaseballDad  if your son was drafted in rounds 36-40 out of HS, he is on the radar.  Those were what I call "courtesy draft picks" ....  relatives of front office staff, relatives of former players, 4th, 5th and 6th year college seniors, and HS players they can take a flyer on, just to get through the 40 rounds.  My son would have been thrilled to get drafted in HS at round 50, but would have had the sense to go to college at that round.   He didn't get drafted in HS, but did as a junior in college.  He didn't get to MLB...but got as close as you can get, had a great career (he said he would rate it a 95 from 1-100) and made tons of lifelong friends.   He was in it 100%.  Those that aren't usually self-weed themselves out.

There is a whole book written about the "problems" drafting players from high academic colleges (son's college is considered HA).  They (both MLB and the players) know they can make a ton of money elsewhere rather in milb, and the conditions (hotels, food, bus rides) in milb many times are quite a backslide from what they are used to in college.  "I Should Have Quit This Morning...Adventures in Minor League Baseball" by Kathy Diekroeger wrote about the players at Stanford University where her two sons played.  She actually quotes from the HSBASEBALLWEB !  I highly recommend the book.  The decisions each player made and how they came to that decision is very insightful.

In my son's 4 years in high school,  (not counting his travel team players or his friends he played against), he was one of 5 players drafted plus 1 free agent, 2 were first round picks, and 2 are now in MLB.   The 2 first rounders didn't make it, but the two drafted in days 2 and 3 did!

Personally, I think getting drafted is a big deal no matter what round.  Only a marginal few make it to MLB, but we all know that.  Even though the odds are against them, they still want to continue to play ball at the highest level they can.  And I congratulate them all.

Last edited by keewart

For many of us dad's who played baseball (regardless of how long or what level) had the dream of playing baseball in the MLB. Reality sets in, and that fantasy dies, but based on our objectiveness a bit of that dream will seep into our thoughts regarding our children (not just a dad thing).  

Being drafted, regardless of round is a validation that there's a glimmer of hope the dream no matter how improbable is still obtainable (for both the athlete and family). Confirmation bias causes most of us ignore the odds until they can't be ignored - that same voice that keeps casinos in business and has us focusing on facts that support our beliefs instead of being objective. I did a pretty good job of keeping my hopes to myself and remaining outwardly objective, but I found it hard not to privately dream a little for my kids.

I believe the most valuable things in life are memories of our experiences that don't create lasting physical or emotional damage. I can logically say that it makes sense to choose the road that will likely yield the most opportunity for a standard future foundation. However, it's impossible to know the value of the experiences of the road untraveled.

BTW, IMO you become a pro athlete once you enter a competitive college sports program, regardless of sport.  

When the kid was offered it was 40 rounds and single-A pay was 6k. I'm sure for some players it was a great experience and I'm sure others gave up because it was anything but..

I was a superintendent at a course in a small but very affluent town. The son of one of the members (whose family started one of the largest companies in the area) decided he wanted to try to make it onto the PGA tour. So he went to Asia, or Indonesia, or wherever and started playing these low-level tournaments. Sitting in the pro shop looking at the local paper one day they had a picture of Josh walking off the 18th green, after finishing like 26th, with a big smile on his face.  I made a comment to the golf pro that the winner was probably at that moment trying to figure out if his winnings would buy enough gas to get the car he was sleeping in too the next tournament. Josh is wondering what 4-star hotel his dad had booked for him.

Last edited by SomeBaseballDad
@keewart posted:


Personally, I think getting drafted is a big deal no matter what round.  Only a marginal few make it to MLB, but we all know that.  Even though the odds are against them, they still want to continue to play ball at the highest level they can.  And I congratulate them all.

I could have let the son be drafted, and after 3-4 years of uneventful MiLB ball he would have been back home. Never to have these memories.

https://twitter.com/IndStBaseb.../1653820388504219649

https://twitter.com/IndStBaseb.../1665526908069756929

https://twitter.com/IndStBaseb.../1665558355040165893

I could have let the son be drafted, and after 3-4 years of uneventful MiLB ball he would have been back home. Never to have these memories.

https://twitter.com/IndStBaseb.../1653820388504219649

https://twitter.com/IndStBaseb.../1665526908069756929

https://twitter.com/IndStBaseb.../1665558355040165893

Awesome video!  And what a ride this year!!! 

Your son DID get drafted....he just didn't elect to sign out of HS.  He made a great decision.  His draft stock will go up!  36th-40th round is not 'life changing money' to give up college ball.

Going to college is almost always the best decision.  Unless you are PTWood's son, James.  He is a beast and I'm glad I got to see him play last year.

@SpeedDemon posted:

It is remarkable to see a high level D1/prospect-type player when they're young. They really stand out. So fun to watch!



My son (who will be a Junior at a D3 in the Fall) is playing in a Summer Ball league that has a mixture of D1, D2, and D3 guys along with a few JUCO guys.

The D1 guys definitely stand out.  Much more athleticism, more fluid in their movements, and the ball jumps off their bat differently.  Fun to watch.

The same is true when you go to Minor League games.  There are some guys who just stand out.  A few years ago we went to an A+ game and there was a relief pitcher throwing upper 90’s.  Even just watching him warmup in the bullpen it was different, just a higher level of ballplayer.  Tough to put into words but it was more than just the extra pop of the carcher’s mitt.  He’s pitching in the Majors now

Last edited by 3and2Fastball


The same is true when you go to Minor League games.  There are some guys who just stand out.  A few years ago we went to an A+ game and there was a relief pitcher throwing upper 90’s.  Even just watching him warmup in the bullpen it was different, just a higher level of ballplayer.  Tough to put into words but it was more than just the extra pop of the carcher’s mitt.  He’s pitching in the Majors now

All the position player we knew who were drafted it's the pitching they are struggling with, even Jo Adell. He does well in the minors then struggles when called up. Of the others, two made it to AAA, the rest never higher than AA. With the two who made it to AAA you could watch their BA sink with every step up in competition.

Adell and this guy were the two from around here that were "can't miss". Through HS Jo was a sure thing. Tearing up HS pitching, 25 HR's etc. I guess hitting a HR vs a MLB pitcher throwing 98 vs a HS pitcher throwing 89 is slightly more difficult. Trey I didn't know, was a couple of classes ahead of the kid, but the scouts were like can't miss. He'll either make it as a pitcher or PP. Wrong, but also got bank.

Edit to add this guy. This was big time crash and burn. Not trying to make fun of others failures, but apparently making it to the show is difficult.

Last edited by SomeBaseballDad

If getting drafted in the money rounds then signing out of high school may makes sense.  If your good enough then you should be drafted after college.  If he does not shine in college then the player probably would have hit road blocks in the minors.  Minor league season is a long grind for an 18 year old who has hits bumps. 

If drafted in any round you have a chance.  While the top rounders get many opportunities to fail all players get the opportunity to play and perform.  It is a meritocracy and sunk money often presents an opportunity playing well presents a better opportunity. 

When looking at Baseball Reference you will see most players in the early rounds that make it are getting a  cup of coffee.  Only a very small percentage make it for a few years which leads to significant financial benefits.

If getting drafted in the money rounds then signing out of high school may makes sense.  If your good enough then you should be drafted after college.  If he does not shine in college then the player probably would have hit road blocks in the minors.  Minor league season is a long grind for an 18 year old who has hits bumps.

If drafted in any round you have a chance.  While the top rounders get many opportunities to fail all players get the opportunity to play and perform.  It is a meritocracy and sunk money often presents an opportunity playing well presents a better opportunity.

When looking at Baseball Reference you will see most players in the early rounds that make it are getting a  cup of coffee.  Only a very small percentage make it for a few years which leads to significant financial benefits.

Most high school kids are physically and mentally boys competing against men.

A pitcher drafted in any round has a chance. If he hits the organizations magic number he’s in a good position. Position players drafted late often never receive the opportunity to get past Single A roster filler.

A friend’s son was hitting .289 with 20 homers playing all over the infield in AAA. He was drafted in the 34th round. When the MLB team needed a call up for injury replacement they brought up a .240 hitter, no power, second round pick.

84% of American MLBers come from the top ten rounds. It’s why the signing money is slotted for the first ten rounds. Another 10% come from round 11-20. if pts why junior made sense to cut the draft to twenty rounds.

If a team needs Single A roster filler they can sign free agents.

@RJM posted:

Most high school kids are physically and mentally boys competing against men.



My son checked into the combine today and I think he finally gets it. Standing next to some of these college guys, they are just on another physical level. I would say the difference between the high schoolers and the college guys is the mass. A lot of the high school guys are "beach body" cut. The college guys have the mass.

@ARCEKU21 posted:

My son checked into the combine today and I think he finally gets it. Standing next to some of these college guys, they are just on another physical level. I would say the difference between the high schoolers and the college guys is the mass. A lot of the high school guys are "beach body" cut. The college guys have the mass.

My son was 6’1” 175 when he graduated high school. Eighteen months later he was 6’2” 195 and a rock.

@ARCEKU21 posted:

My son checked into the combine today and I think he finally gets it. Standing next to some of these college guys, they are just on another physical level. I would say the difference between the high schoolers and the college guys is the mass. A lot of the high school guys are "beach body" cut. The college guys have the mass.

My son’s college coach said to him “you know what’s the best thing about freshman?  They become sophomores.”

Last edited by 3and2Fastball
@RJM posted:

My son was 6’1” 175 when he graduated high school. Eighteen months later he was 6’2” 195 and a rock.

My son is similar. 6’2” 170lbs, with that beach bod. Not an ounce of fat on him. Kid has 8 pack abs. I keep telling him to trade in 2 of those abs for another 10lbs. I am hoping when he gets to school they turn him into that rock.

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