On this week’s episode, Erik and Travis talk with Adley Rutschman, catcher for the Baltimore Orioles. Adley was selected by the Orioles as the first overall selection in the 2019 Major League Baseball draft with the highest signing bonus ever. He joins us this week to discuss his time playing in college for Oregon State University, going into the MLB draft last year and making the transition from amateur to pro.
Adley covers a wealth of topics in this episode including:
- How to handle the public pressures of being a highly-ranked athlete
- The important things to look at when choosing an agent
- Utilizing time in college to hone in and build up skills
- The mental development and other key contrasts that accompany going from college to pro
- Walking through what draft meetings with scouts were like including some of the most unique questions he got
- Sharing how he maintained good family dynamics despite the high-stress level that comes with the draft
- What it was like on draft day
- Mentally preparing for the back-and-forth of salary negotiations
- Advice for players and their families as they’re about to enter the draft