2021 Baseball Recruiting

I don’t have much hope for it. There are 10-12 scouts at every game he pitches. Not even joking.
Can attest to this.. watched him pitch against my brothers high school team (Lebanon) two weeks ago and there were definitely at least a dozen there. I was impressed by his fastball obviously, but for a kid his age he had a pretty good handle on the control aspect too. From what I heard was topping at 97 that night with breaking stuff around 80. Whatever the velocity was looked relatively effortless on his part as well, which is impressive.
 
Can attest to this.. watched him pitch against my brothers high school team (Lebanon) two weeks ago and there were definitely at least a dozen there. I was impressed by his fastball obviously, but for a kid his age he had a pretty good handle on the control aspect too. From what I heard was topping at 97 that night with breaking stuff around 80. Whatever the velocity was looked relatively effortless on his part as well, which is impressive.

Thanks for backing me up. It’s definitely not an exaggeration.

I coached several of his teammates. From my understanding, 97 is “dialing it back”. He’s still learning control when he really lets lose. He’s impressive.
 
Not to mention the SEC is every bit as competitive as even AA ball and SEC staffs and their resources are developing kids better than any minor league organization. A kid goes to the SEC where he will be around coaches every single day telling them what to eat, what to lift, what to stretch, and even telling them when to sleep, with the purpose of making the kid better. In the minors, your on your own, period. Your eating Wendys everyday off your $40 per diem, sleeping in crappy hotel beds, and working out (if you have time) in run down gyms while on the road. Its a culture shock for most kids too because half the kids on the team dont speak English and there is a good chance your coach doesnt speak it that well. Theres nothing wrong with that, but for most 18 year old kids who have never wanted for a thing in their life, they are lucky to make it to the 3rd year.
Its hard to turn down $4 million, but there is good reason for kids who do.

It will be interesting to see how the HS development route in the minors changes here in the next couple of years with the cutting of Rookie leagues/short season leagues. There inherently will be a higher potential to rise quicker as you may not bounce from Fall League to Rookie League to Short Season but the new Low A ball should be much much more talented and accelerated than the previous leagues.

Personally I think you are going to see this become polarized. You are going to have few kids that quickly go to High A you’re going to have a ton of kids get cut after 1 season due to them cycling in more and you may only get to hang around Low A 2-3 years if you’re a top 5 round draft pick. I think is going to be much more volatile and a risk that’ll drive more top level HS talent to college.
 
Any chance that the scholarship limit is raised from 11.3 to maybe 13 or 14 in the future?

How in the world do you give a kid .3 of a scholarship?
 
I’m still learning a bit about college baseball and how recruiting works. Will Brady House ever play for us or is he pretty much guaranteed to go straight to pro ball?
 
I’m still learning a bit about college baseball and how recruiting works. Will Brady House ever play for us or is he pretty much guaranteed to go straight to pro ball?

Ist round of MLB draft in July payouts range from 2.5 million to 8.4 million. Second round ranges from 1 mil to 2,5 mil. One mock draft has House at #8 overall pick at 5 million signing bonus. If you were House, what would you do? Take the 5 mil now or go to school for three years to try to get the extra 3,5 mil if you somehow improve and be overall #1? And if you get hurt badly, you might see zero.
 
Ist round of MLB draft in July payouts range from 2.5 million to 8.4 million. Second round ranges from 1 mil to 2,5 mil. One mock draft has House at #8 overall pick at 5 million signing bonus. If you were House, what would you do? Take the 5 mil now or go to school for three years to try to get the extra 3,5 mil if you somehow improve and be overall #1? And if you get hurt badly, you might see zero.

Yeah. Brady House will never wear Orange. It's crazy that those dudes even commit to a school knowing they have almost zero intention of ever going to college.

It's the 2nd-rounders you have to convince to stay. Those are the dudes teams like Arkansas and Vandy consistently convince to come to school instead. Vitello's "next step" is to do that. He's got about 3-4 potential 2nd rounders in this upcoming class so he will have a chance to do it soon.
 
Yeah. Brady House will never wear Orange. It's crazy that those dudes even commit to a school knowing they have almost zero intention of ever going to college.

It's the 2nd-rounders you have to convince to stay. Those are the dudes teams like Arkansas and Vandy consistently convince to come to school instead. Vitello's "next step" is to do that. He's got about 3-4 potential 2nd rounders in this upcoming class so he will have a chance to do it soon.


Yep, it's really tough to ask a kid to turn down a million or more bucks for a three year enlistment in a college program, unless their families are really wealthy. I guess the only way you do that is convince them that they are first round talent and if they develop over the three year period they will see a 4 million bonus when they enter the draft. Think of it as earning a million bucks a year while you get an education. I guess that's the pitch.
 
Yep, it's really tough to ask a kid to turn down a million or more bucks for a three year enlistment in a college program, unless their families are really wealthy. I guess the only way you do that is convince them that they are first round talent and if they develop over the three year period they will see a 4 million bonus when they enter the draft. Think of it as earning a million bucks a year while you get an education. I guess that's the pitch.

Well, there are a few different pitches to convince these kids. You can tell them that you'll get an education and be setup for life after baseball when that happens. Also, that you can develop them faster and quicker than the minor league staff. Just look at Crochet. He came to TN and developed really well. Rather than bum it in random hotels for 4-5 years in the minors, he lived a decent life on a college campus, developed into a stud and spent a handful of months in the minors before going straight to the big leagues. That is your pitch.

Minor leaguers don't get the glitz and glam. It's not a fun few years.
 
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Yeah. Brady House will never wear Orange. It's crazy that those dudes even commit to a school knowing they have almost zero intention of ever going to college.

It's the 2nd-rounders you have to convince to stay. Those are the dudes teams like Arkansas and Vandy consistently convince to come to school instead. Vitello's "next step" is to do that. He's got about 3-4 potential 2nd rounders in this upcoming class so he will have a chance to do it soon.

Convince Christian Moore, Ryan Spikes, and…maybe…Chase Burns…to come to Knoxville and you’ve got something big next year. And if Leath comes back, we’re loaded. How’s this look?

Lineup:

Kyle Booker-LF

Ryan Spikes-SS

Logan Chambers-2B

Drew Gilbert-CF

Jordan Beck-RF

Logan Steenstra-1B

Christian Moore-3B

Trey Lipscomb-DH

Charlie Taylor-C



Weekend Starters:

Blade Tidwell-RHP

Jackson Leath-RHP

Chase Burns-RHP



Midweek/Middle Relief:

Camden Sewell-RHP

Ben Joyce-RHP

Kirby Connell-LHP



Closer:

Mark McLaughlin-RHP
 
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Well, there are a few different pitches to convince these kids. You can tell them that you'll get an education and be setup for life after baseball when that happens. Also, that you can develop them faster and quicker than the minor league staff. Just look at Crochet. He came to TN and developed really well. Rather than bum it in random hotels for 4-5 years in the minors, he lived a decent life on a college campus, developed into a stud and spent a handful of months in the minors before going straight to the big leagues. That is your pitch.

Minor leaguers don't get the glitz and glam. It's not a fun few years.
Minor league baseball is hell. Some of the treatment is inhumane
 
Ist round of MLB draft in July payouts range from 2.5 million to 8.4 million. Second round ranges from 1 mil to 2,5 mil. One mock draft has House at #8 overall pick at 5 million signing bonus. If you were House, what would you do? Take the 5 mil now or go to school for three years to try to get the extra 3,5 mil if you somehow improve and be overall #1? And if you get hurt badly, you might see zero.
Go to school and get a Loss of Value or Critical Injury insurance plan.
 
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Here’s an article about drafting high schoolers:

MLB Sends a Message to High Schoolers: Go to College

That's a really interesting article, thank for sharing it. I don't think you can argue the mental component. I grew up so much in college and even after. If you're not making 7 figures out of HS, you should get an education. I know I'm sitting at home working 9-5, but there are more reasons than just maturing mentally. You make some of your best friends in life in college, you figure out who you are as a person and most of all you get an education. I don't know, I think it's tough to justify going pro at such a young age, but there are always extenuating circumstances. Looking back, Knoxville and UT shaped who I am today, which I'll never forget and will always be grateful for.
 
I don't see $1 million signing bonus as life changing money for most kids without an education. You only see about 40% of it so you are talking $400,000 that you receive. You get 3-4 years to show what you have but that is in low rent motels and you have to find your own living quarters. The average kid will spend 1/4 to 1/2 of what he gets of that $400,000 on cars and such. Plus when you are done you have to go back to school. Really tough if you do not make it to the show.
Go to college, especially SEC and live in a nice place with good food. Great training and great resources. Great competition and all the other stuff that comes with playing SEC including big crowds versus a couple of 100 at most small parks in minor leagues.
I think when you are talking $2 million plus it is life changing but I don't know that $1 million is lifechanging for a kid who can play SEC ball and get a degree.
 
I don't see $1 million signing bonus as life changing money for most kids without an education. You only see about 40% of it so you are talking $400,000 that you receive. You get 3-4 years to show what you have but that is in low rent motels and you have to find your own living quarters. The average kid will spend 1/4 to 1/2 of what he gets of that $400,000 on cars and such. Plus when you are done you have to go back to school. Really tough if you do not make it to the show.
Go to college, especially SEC and live in a nice place with good food. Great training and great resources. Great competition and all the other stuff that comes with playing SEC including big crowds versus a couple of 100 at most small parks in minor leagues.
I think when you are talking $2 million plus it is life changing but I don't know that $1 million is lifechanging for a kid who can play SEC ball and get a degree.
I’m not sure a kid is going to lose 60% of his signing bonus. There’s taxes and agent fees, but it doesn’t add up to 60%
 
It is estimated in most states, not Tennessee, that taxes for signing bonus are 50% because of luxury tax. Add in agent fees and administrative fees and the average player walks away with 40=45% of their signing bonus. I just know what it has been for almost every player I've known and it comes down to about getting 40% of the original signing bonus as money. But most of them waste a portion on nice new car and then end up using it to live on during the first couple of years because the living arrangements are horrible for most players. The average player who goes to an SEC school $400,000 is not life changing money when to succeed in life if they do not make the show they have to go back to school to get a degree at 25 years of age.
 
It is estimated in most states, not Tennessee, that taxes for signing bonus are 50% because of luxury tax. Add in agent fees and administrative fees and the average player walks away with 40=45% of their signing bonus. I just know what it has been for almost every player I've known and it comes down to about getting 40% of the original signing bonus as money. But most of them waste a portion on nice new car and then end up using it to live on during the first couple of years because the living arrangements are horrible for most players. The average player who goes to an SEC school $400,000 is not life changing money when to succeed in life if they do not make the show they have to go back to school to get a degree at 25 years of age.

You speak from experience and knowledge. That figure of 40% is shocking news to me.
 
Well, there are a few different pitches to convince these kids. You can tell them that you'll get an education and be setup for life after baseball when that happens. Also, that you can develop them faster and quicker than the minor league staff. Just look at Crochet. He came to TN and developed really well. Rather than bum it in random hotels for 4-5 years in the minors, he lived a decent life on a college campus, developed into a stud and spent a handful of months in the minors before going straight to the big leagues. That is your pitch.

Minor leaguers don't get the glitz and glam. It's not a fun few years.

I saw that Crochet was the first player since 2010 that never pitched in the minors and went straight to the White Sox.
 

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