June 6, 2011
Top high school prospects face decisions as MLB draft arrives
by Roger Brown/
Lawrence Academy's Tyler Beede - New England’s top high school draft prospect - will make his decision based on which team selects him. (photo: Dave Casanave/Lawrence Academy)
Editor’s note: This story originally appeared in the June 2011 issue of New England Baseball Journal.
Tyler Beede expects to hear his name called during Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft. Some who make their living in the world of professional baseball have even predicted that Beede will be selected in the first round.
If Beede is taken early in the draft, he will have to deal with the million-dollar question: Should he sign?
Beede, an Auburn, Mass., resident who pitches for Lawrence Academy, is one of the many high school players who will likely have to choose between college and professional baseball this summer. Beede has signed a national letter of intent to play college baseball for Vanderbilt.
“We’ll talk with Vanderbilt after the draft,” Beede said. “I’ve let them focus on their season. Hopefully, they can make it to Omaha (for the College World Series). And I’ve got my season to worry about.”
What factors come into play when a high school player has to choose between heading to college or an early entry into professional baseball? For some, such as Winnisquam Regional right-handed pitcher Jordan Cote (see Page 28), the decision will be primarily a financial one.
Cote, who lives in Sanbornton, N.H., could be taken in the draft’s top five rounds. He said money will determine whether he turns pro or heads off to play college baseball for Coastal Carolina.
“Money is definitely the No. 1 factor,” Cote said. “I wish baseball could always be for fun, but that’s not the way it is. I don’t think the round you’re taken really matters. It’s about being paid the way you want to be paid.”
Scott Cote, Jordan’s father, said a price tag already has been put on his son.
“We have a figure in mind,” Scott said. “You need enough bonus money to support yourself. They say it takes four to seven years for the average high school player to make the major leagues.
“As a family and his advisers, we’ve come up with what we think is the bottom line, or he goes to college. It’s his decision, though. Whether or not he sticks to that, I don’t know.”
Any high school player who turns pro forfeits the opportunity to play college baseball. Those who opt to play in college are not eligible for the draft again until after their junior season.
“Besides the college experience, he’d have three more years to mature and maybe do better in the draft,” Scott said.
The decision to enter college and delay the start of his professional career paid off handsomely for San Francisco Giants outfielder Pat Burrell. The Red Sox selected Burrell in the 43rd round of the 1995 draft. Three years later, the Philadelphia Phillies made Burrell the first overall selection out of the University of Miami.
“If it’s in the ballpark, if it’s around what we’re looking for, we’ll probably sit down and talk about it,” Jordan said.
For some, the decision is made by weighing the professional offer against the value placed on the college experience. For others, however, money is not the primary factor.
Walter Beede, Tyler’s father, said Tyler’s decision could depend on which major-league team drafts his son.
“It’ll be organizational specific,” Walter said. “How well they develop high school arms is the most paramount aspect of the decision — even before the money comes in.
“We have a very good idea about the development plan Vanderbilt has for Tyler. It’s been laid out for us. We don’t know which team will draft Tyler. We don’t know their philosophy with regard to high school pitchers.
“Tyler sees himself as a starting pitcher. Do they view him that way? Has there been a lot of transition? Transition in the front office can make for tough times in the minor leagues. A new front office comes in and you’re viewed as the old regime.
“It’s really about his development. We don’t want him in the major leagues in two years if he’s not ready. That’s really most important.”
If he’s selected in the first round, Tyler could be offered a seven-figure signing bonus.
“Money is a big issue for a lot of people,” Tyler said. “You have to be able to take care of yourself.
“Another big factor is the organization. Each team is different. We don’t have a crystal ball to see what will happen.”
Of course, there is more than one path to a major-league career. For some, such as St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Chris Carpenter, college wasn’t necessary.
The Toronto Blue Jays drafted Carpenter out of Trinity High School (Manchester, N.H.). He was selected with the 15th pick in the 1993 draft. Carpenter spurned a scholarship offer from Creighton University and made his major-league debut in 1997.
“He also had some scholarship offers to play hockey from Division 1 schools,” said Ed Poisson, Carpenter’s high school coach. “If he was picked in the eighth or 10th round or anything in that ballpark, he was going to college.
“The week before the draft was chaotic at my house. The phone was ringing all the time, and we were hearing a lot of different things about where he would be drafted. He didn’t know what he was going to do for sure until the draft itself. It came down to what round he was drafted in and the money.”
San Francisco Giants closer Brian Wilson, who also played high school baseball in New Hampshire, took a different route to the major leagues.
The Cleveland Indians selected Wilson out of Londonderry High School in the 30th round of the 2000 draft, but he decided to attend Louisiana State University instead.
Although he had Tommy John surgery while at LSU, San Francisco chose Wilson in the 24th round of the 2003 draft. He was converted from a starting pitcher to a reliever while in the minor leagues and made his major-league debut in 2006.
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Sam Fuld (Durham, N.H.) is another New Englander who chose the college route. Fuld played at Phillips Exeter Academy and was projected as a possible late first-round selection by some scouts, but made it known it would take a hefty financial offer for him to give up his baseball scholarship to Stanford. He was not drafted until after his junior year at Stanford.
“What we told them is if it were life-changing money he might pass up a scholarship to Stanford,” Fuld’s father, Ken, recalled. “We knew and they knew his value wasn’t that high. He was not a top-10 overall pick, and it was a wise decision on everybody’s part.
“Sam has no regrets. His experience at Stanford was a great one.”
This year’s draft will be held June 6-8 in Secaucus, N.J. Players who are selected will have until Aug. 15 to sign a contract.
Dexter School pitcher John Magliozzi (Milton, Mass.), St. John’s Prep pitcher Patrick Connaughton (Arlington, Mass.) and Lincoln-Sudbury pitcher Adam Ravanelle (Sudbury, Mass.) are some of the other New Englanders who may have to make the college vs. pros decision this summer.
“One thing that Tyler fully understands is that baseball is a business,” Walter Beede said. “We’ll utilize as much time as it takes to make sure we make the right decision.”
Roger Brown can be reached at feedback@baseballjournal.com
