I attended a Minor League baseball game in Charlotte. It was a AAA team (one level away from the Majors). Most of these rosters are filled with veteran non-prospects with maybe 2 players who are expected to be future stars or at least strong contributors to the big-league team. I thought of how heart breaking it must be for these players to live and breathe baseball but after so many years, they must accept that they don't have quite enough talent to stick on the MLB roster. Some of them get a cup of coffee when a key player goes down with an injury and Pitchers are more like to get a shot than position players. Sadly, in many cases for the AAA player, even the cup of coffee never comes.
Since I had the academic skills for college, I personally would not sign a pro contract right out of high school unless I was a high first round pick and was offered upwards of $2 million dollars. It's easier to project the future of 21 year olds than 18 year olds so both the team and the player have a better idea of the odds of making it. I would take summer classes and try to finish my degree within 3 years. If I'm a few credits short, I could go back for the Fall semester of my senior year without a conflict with Spring Training.
Typically, if you are a lower draft choice, you are sent to Short Season A ball (60 games, I think) and it is sink or swim. About half of the players will be cut at season's end. If you are battling nagging injuries or illness and can't perform up to your standards, tough luck. Fortunately, there is the option of Independent League ball but very few of those players will be signed for another shot at the Minors. EDIT: As of 2021, short season baseball has been discontinued. Draftees will either play in Rookie ball or Low-A.
If you do well enough in your first year, you are then sent to Low-A full season ball. Succeed there, and you will be promoted to High-A, which is still 3 levels from the Show. Suppose that you are in your 3rd year of pro ball and still languishing in A ball while struggling to hit your weight. At 24 or 25 years old under those circumstances, getting cut is not going to hurt too much. It's clear that you are not going to make it and it's time to get on with your life's work. After being the star of your college team, it wouldn't be much fun to struggle so much in the Minors, so I think I'd know that it's best to give it up. Use your signing bonus to go back to school and get your Master's Degree.
Now, suppose that you are a solid performer in the low Minors. You hit around .270 with 10-12 HRs per year. In other words, you are not setting the world on fire, but you do well enough to climb up the ladder. Coaches will tell you that you have a realistic chance of carving out a niche as a utility player and may even earn a starting role down the road. AA is typically where you separate the men from the boys. If you are successful at that level, you've got at least a 50/50 chance of getting at least a cup of coffee in the Majors.
Now, suppose after 3-4 successful minor league seasons, you hit AAA at 25 or 26 and struggle to hold your own as the competition is just too strong. You try in vain to improve but you can't hit much better than league average. You are stuck in AAA just 1 step away from the Show and hope to get the call one day, but it never comes. Man, that would be so disheartening. Still, you will be able to tell your grandchildren that you faced future stars and perhaps you came out on top. I was a terrible Little League player but did leg out an infield single against the best pitcher in the league.
As hard as it is to make it to the Majors, it is even harder to stick. Most of the 26 or 27 year old AAA players who get their shot are marginal at best and will soon be sent back. Salaries are pretty decent in AAA and usually higher than an entry level job even with a degree. That's why so many AAA players stick around for so long. That said, once you hit about 31 or 32, nobody wants a career minor leaguer. Teams want to give a chance to younger players with potential upside. So, what do you do if you are 10 years removed from college with no experience other than playing baseball? I've met one of those guys before. He was an insurance salesman who told stories about facing Sammy Sosa and Ken Griffey Jr. in Spring Training. He seemed happy on the surface but I'm sure it was eating at him that he never made it. If it were me, I'd go back to school to re-fresh my job skills and maybe work as an assistant coach on the side.
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