What round in the Draft do you decide to go to school or go for the gold!

What round in the Draft do you decide to go to school or go for the gold and go to the team that drafts you??

What kinda money are we talking after the 10th round if any??

 

Good topic that should produce good discussions. Keep this in mind it's not always about slotted money for the round. Daniel Bard was selected in the 20th round out of HS and was offered 1st round money--just not Top 20 money.

Some players should never enter college. They are not academically college material. If that's the case, it may not matter what round they are chosen.

So if we can agree it's not about what round but how much, we can narrow the target about money. First thing you would have to weigh is how much is the college scholarship worth and how much is the college education worth?
I realize ML baseball can offer to pay your college tuition after you leave baseball (I believe you have 7 years to exercize the tuition after leaving), but the league realizes this money is rarely used. Why? Because they know when a kid reaches 23 or older, he is not going to start his college career. The one's that utilize it are the one's that have some college years already.

It is hard to say what the number is because each situation is unique. Everyone says it should be life altering money, but for some players $100,000 is life altering.

 

Arizona State's Mike Leake: From 218 to 8th!

Arizona State's Mike Leake was drafted in the seventh round (218th overall) in the 2006 MLB Draft right out of high school. 3 years later, he goes 8th overall.(Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds). The decision to go to college worked out for him. I imagine we will be seeing Mr. Leake Sunday vs. UNC on the mound in the College World Series.

 

It goes the other way as well. A family friend of ours was drafted by the Dodgers in the 6th round several years ago. The family asked for too much money, the Dodgers laughed at them, and the kid went to Clemson. He was never drafted again. There are lots of reasons for that, but the reality is that he never got a chance to play professional baseball...mostly because the family's expectations were too high.

Going pro earlier also gives the player a chance to make the big leagues earlier and get to aribitration and free agency earlier. That is when the real life altering money comes.

Braves brings up good points. The circumstances are different for each player. To me, it is more about the investment that the team makes in the player. Is it enough to where it gives the player the best opportunity to make the big leagues? Let's face it...the goal is not to toil around the minor leagues for a dozen years like Crash Davis.

 

Every situation differs. If you are a pitcher and is drafted later rounds, unless you will get money that is not in that slot, i would go to school. You can't beat the growth and maturity that you will get while in college. If you are a position player, it would depend on the money, and if you really want to attend college. I always have thought you should strike while you are hot, because it is a business so you need to treat that decision as a business. Personally i think pitchers have more to gain by going to school unless you are chosen in the early rounds. Either way it is a tough decision because you have injuries that may occur, you may have reached your peak as far as athlectically, and college is so much fun. It is a family decision and you have to hope you make the right one.

 

I bet there are many more of these type of sceanrios that never come to light because of the embarassment and hurt.

I cannot imagine any kid being happy with this "first" money anyway. .. If they get dont get to the bigs. If "we" ever got lucky enough to be drafted just give us enough for eats and rent... and we will go out from that point and battle.

 

Always heard that if you are drafted in Rounds 1-5 U Go

I always approached it based on where you are drafted and always heeded the advice that if you were drafted in the first 5 rounds, you went pro.

From there, i.e., after the first 5 rounds, it becomes more of a "what's in my best interest" and, in addition to all the stuff you guys are talking about, the position the kid plays also is very important.

Otherwise, the farther removed from the first 5 rounds, the tougher the decision, i.e., whether to go to college (if that is an option) or turn pro, as there is much to consider (team, position you'll play, maturity, etc.).

 

The factors should be many.

-Are you or your family going in debt for college?
-Are you academically inclined to want to be in college?
-Are you mature enough to handle being on your on at 18 (this IMHO should be the most important question)?
-What is your upside if you go to college?
-How much do you value a college education regardless of anything else-as Braves said, most will not go back to college at 23 or so.


As a pitcher I would think if your velocity is high, unless you are a top 50-75 guy you should go to college to learn to pitch. If you can throw 92/93+ and learn to pitch you should not drop in the draft.

Regarding the money, unless you go in the first couple of rounds most kids will not have anything other than a car to show for it in a couple of years anyway. Taxes, new car, do something nice for your parents, buy your girlfiend some bling etc and its gone.