Each year around this time, we take a moment to reflect on the upcoming MLB Draft, its importance in ball players’ lives, and what’s coming for those lucky enough to be drafted.
This year we’ll:
- Chat about draft logistics (things are different this year)
- Reflect on the draft memories of some of our Pando poolers, and
- Talk about what happens post-draft, and how Pando can fit into a Major League career
1. The Draft
The 2021 MLB Draft won’t take place until the All-Star Break. It feels weird waiting this long to talk about the draft, but here we are. It makes sense, though. This whole year has been different: the MLB season was delayed and shortened, last year’s MLB Draft was only five rounds, and there was no minor league season. At least 2021 brought some sense of normalcy back to the game (even with that new “sticky substance rule”).
The 2021 MLB draft will be held July 11 — July 13 in Denver, CO. It will be twenty rounds — a reduction from previous years, but definitely an increase from the five rounds in 2020. What our co-founder and CEO Charlie Olson wrote last year still rings true: “We can still expect to see potential draftees glued to their phones awaiting the call of a lifetime. All the usual emotions will make an appearance: trepidation, eagerness, jubilation, anxiety, disappointment, relief and pride.”
The draft is a huge milestone, followed quickly by a MLB debut — something 10 of our Pando poolers have celebrated this past season!
2. Draft Memories
As we look toward the future, we also want to take a moment and reflect on the draft moments our poolers have enjoyed in the past. Here are a few of our favorites:
Tyler Tolbert was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 13th round of the 2019 Draft.
“It’s June 2019. I’m not even paying attention to the names being called in the MLB Draft. All of the sudden, my dad jumps up off the couch. “You’ve been drafted by the Royals,’ he said. ‘You’re going to Kansas City!” I look up and see my name on the tv. That was it. That was one of the happiest, most surreal moments of my life…”
Logan Brown was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 35th round of the 2018 draft.
“My draft experience in 2018 was something else. The scouts gave me an idea of what round I would be drafted, but scouts aren’t the front office…After days of not hearing my name called, I hit the road with my mom [for summer ball], and she streamed the rest of the draft on her phone. Well, sure enough, she had the volume down low, and then all of a sudden she started screaming, ‘It’s your name, Logan!’ She tried turning it up, but instead locked her phone, ending the streaming. She was crying and kept saying ‘I heard it. I heard your name.’ While I didn’t end up hearing my name get called, like most ballplayers dream of, it still hit me that I was drafted..I knew though that this journey wasn’t over, and I’d have to prove myself at every turn.”
Barry Enright was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2nd round of the 2007 draft.
Marty Costes was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 22nd round of the 2018 draft.
“During my sophomore year at the University of Maryland, I was playing summer ball in the Cape Cod League, and I got drafted by the Houston Astros. I didn’t want to leave college and the Cape Cod league yet, so I turned them down. It ended up paying off because we ended up winning a Cape Cod League championship, and I’m glad I didn’t leave my guys. The Astros ended up drafting me again the following year. For them to draft me twice, it showed a lot to me.”
3. Draft Advice
Finally, let’s talk about what comes after the draft. At Pando, we’re lucky enough to have a few former pro ball players on our team who understand what current draftees are going through.
Evan Frederickson and Derek Eitel both have years of experience in pro baseball. Now their main job is to help ball players through the Pando pooling process, but they have plenty of draft advice from their years playing ball. Check it out here:
Derek and Evan’s biggest piece of advice for aspiring ball players, though, is to secure their financial futures. A player’s time in the minor leagues isn’t always a straight path. In fact, a career in pro ball is often uncertain, filled with unknowns and, often, low pay. (MLB’s federal antitrust exemption allows it to pay minor-leaguers below minimum wage.)
That’s where Pando can help. By joining one of our baseball income pools, you can minimize the volatility of your pro ball career, and reduce the risk of all those unknowns. We currently have a community of over 300 pro ball players all participating in Pando pools, actively taking control over their own careers.
In an income pool, each baseball player contributes a portion of their future income, over a certain threshold. Any money over that threshold is then distributed equally among all players in the pool. Think of this as a way to increase your odds of having a financially successful pro ball career.
In a simulation run by our data science team, the top 90 overall draft picks have a 75% chance of making money in a Pando pool.** And top 30 pooled draft picks are 41% more likely than top 30 non-pooled draft pics to make at least $500K in MLB dollars.
A player’s bro ball career can be uncertain, but his financial future doesn’t have to be. At Pando, we’re making players’ lives more secure, and building a future where we’re better together.
Are you a professional baseball player ready to own your odds? Get in touch — our team of former pro players and data scientists is ready to find the perfect pool for you.
