Most athletes coming out of high school often hope to play in college. Playing in college allows student athletes to establish a strong academic foundation for their career after sports, while also providing resources to develop athletically if they choose to pursue a professional career down the line.
However, in baseball, high schoolers can go straight to the professional level, where they can get a head start in their development and get acclimated to the professional sports environment. In addition to getting a year of professional experience under their belt, younger athletes can also make a steady income without having to go to college. In this article, we are going to discuss the option to play baseball professionally to help you decide which is the best path for you.
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MLB's First Year Player Draft
In MLB's First Year Player Draft, players who have graduated from high school and have no prior experience at the collegiate or junior college level are eligible for the draft. Many high schoolers declare for the draft to get Minor League experience under their belt and get acclimated to the high level of play.
To put this into perspective: 19 out of 30 total selections in the first round of the 2021 MLB First Year Player Draft, highlighted by players such as Marcelo Mayer and Jackson Jobe, had just graduated from high school. Baseball players who play in college instead of going pro out of high school are not eligible to declare for the MLB First Year Player Draft until their Junior or Senior year in college.
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The Minor League
Major League Baseball is unique compared to other sports because prospects who are drafted inevitably play at the Minor League level for several years in order to get acclimated to the professional level. Even the best prospects, no matter their talent level or age, start at the lowest level in the minors and have to work their way up through A, AA, and AAA with consistent play and constant improvement.
Baseball players who choose to play in college are obligated to do so until their Junior or Senior year, which could be time spent working your way up the Minor League system. Thus, high schoolers often choose to go the professional route after they graduate so they can speed up the development process.
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Signing Bonus
Another appeal to going to the MLB out of high school, is that players receive large signing bonuses and steady incomes, especially if they are drafted early, as opposed to relying on NIL deals and sponsors in college.
While there seem to be plenty of benefits to declaring for the MLB Draft, there are also potential risks and consequences. When a player declares for the draft out of high school, they are betting on themselves and must be confident in their ability to acclimate themselves to the highest level of baseball. Making the jump to professional baseball involves playing against full-grown men who have years of experience under their belt, which is much more difficult than playing against similar-level competition in college.
College players have time to refine their skills with less at stake, whereas high schoolers who commit to play at the professional level may struggle with confidence and pressure from the organization who invested their money and draft pick on them.
All in all, declaring for the draft out of high school is a gutsy move, but players who can keep up with the speed and talent in the MLB at a young age are often a step ahead of their collegiate counterparts.
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* Originally published on February 8, 2022, by Dylan Tehada
