A Very Real MLB Experience

by SSTN Admin

June 10, 2023

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We saw this on Twitter and decided it is worth sharing:

I was one of the highest-paid high school draftees in MLB history at $5,500,000.

I signed at 18, made my big-league debut at 20, and was hanging on to my career by 25.

What you don’t hear about the draft, signing for millions, and professional sports:

1. YOU ARE FLYING BLIND The MLB draft is like Houdini’s black box. You never know what is going to happen. Teams know everything, agents know pieces, and players know nothing.

2. NEED TO KNOW ONLY Professional sports = Business first. MLB teams turn into professional stalkers, keep your circle small. Assume everything you say is public information.

3. LEVERAGE IS EVERYTHING To get paid in the draft you MUST craft a story that exudes leverage. Teams negotiate on nostalgia, emotion, and a little boy’s dream coming true. To get paid ignore the noise and create leverage.

4. THE RED CARPET LASTS TWO DAYS Draft euphoria will last 48 hours. I went from high schooler to big leaguer (so I thought) to rookie league ball boy in the time it took my first check to clear.

5. MILLIONS OF DOLLARS CHANGES EVERYTHING AND NOTHING I got my first check for $1,200,000 in 30 days. It changed everything, yet I woke up on day 31 feeling the same. Money is a tool we all need in life but putting it in the proper perspective is key.

6. ATHLETES PAY A LOT OF TAX There is no debate athletes certainly pay their fair share. I paid roughly $2,000,000 to Uncle Sam from my bonus. The contract number shown is a mirage, cut that by 50% and you will find reality.

7. YEAR 1 MONEY TRAP Year 1 money is rolling in and your career will "never end." Just remember at some point the playing career ends and so do the big checks.

8. TRAVEL GRIND Baseball travel is nothing like the LIV golf jet. The minor league travel schedule is intense and features the worst flight times, long bus rides, and motel accommodations.

9. THERE ARE NO EMOTIONS Imagine doing your job only to hear your boss trying to find a replacement. My “no emotion” night came after struggling against my hometown team the St. Louis Cardinals. A few hours after celebrating my family being there, I was sent down to AAA.

10. WINNING TRUMPS EVERYTHING If you produce, you play and if you play you get paid. The fact is teams do not care “how you get it done” as long as you are “getting it done.” The truth is winning on the field trumps everything.

Professional sports is the greatest job in the world. Yet what you see on draft night or

@SportsCenter.

Top 10 is just the tip of the iceberg.