Sounds like some MLB team will offer him a tempting contract.
Texas A&M’s Kyler Murray: 5 things to know about his chances at a pro baseball career
For most college fans, the anxiety of landing a top recruit ends on National Signing Day. For fans of Texas A&M that anxiety was relieved when Kyler Murray
followed his heart, choosing the Aggies as the host of his college career.
As Chris Johnson pointed out in his
Sports Illustrated piece on Murray, the options are plentiful for the three-time state champion and the future of his athletic career. The first time around, Murray’s name on paper represented his intention to play football at A&M. Now, 30 MLB clubs have the chance to convince the quarterback from Allen to provide his signature once more, luring him away from College Station and the Aggies. Here’s five things to know as the process unfolds.
Expect his name to be called early: As Murray
told Baseball America, he’s “definitely considering the draft.†Lucky for him there are plenty of teams definitely considering drafting him.
Murray’s
prospect watch profile page at MLB.com has him ranked as the 29th best prospect even with the admission of receiving less exposure than other players due to football.
Murray’s speed ranks 70 of 80 on MLB’s scouting scale, which places him well above average. The Cincinnati Reds’ Billy Hamilton let his speed carry him to the majors while the rest of his game developed. Murray has comparable speed while being further along in other areas of his game. Teams will be chomping at the bit to make sure they land his rights.
With college remaining an option and slot bonus money playing a role, teams may draft even earlier than some expect to ensure the extra money is there to offer.
It’s a long ride either way: Should Murray arrive in College Station for football in the fall, he still will be faced with the task of overcoming sophomore QB Kyle Allen for the top spot on the depth chart. Baseball is by no means a shortcut to stardom.
“It’s just the game reps, taking what the game’s giving you and being able to adjust,†Murray’s baseball coach Paul Coe told SI. “If you haven’t seen that, it’s hard because there’s different things that rise up in the game that you can only get when you play the game and knowing how to react to a situation.â€
Baseball guarantees you’ll get your reps before seeing The Show. Even the best of the best see thousands of pitches at the minor league level before making it to baseball’s biggest stage.
Regardless of how this all plays out, Murray’s MLB/NFL debut remains a few years of hard work away.
Marketing factor: Derek Jeter stumbled through the last few years of his major league career, suffering through injuries and unproductive spurts before calling it quits. The “it†factor that Jeter had is what helped him to remain one of the faces of MLB despite his numbers tailing off. Of course, winning helps.
Murray is no Jeter. No one is. However, like Jeter, Murray is a winner. He also provides an opportunity for baseball to steal away a future NFL talent, which would be a win for the public image of the MLB.
In a sport competing with the NFL for national attention, it would be a huge win for baseball to win out on an athlete like Murray over football, and 30 teams would love for him to do it while displaying their logo. Not only is he talented, he wins and is a likable guy.
Murray has that “it†factor just as Jeter did for so many years. In the years to come, they may even share the same home at shortstop.
“He’s just an incredible competitor and a winner along with having ability,†Coe told Sports Illustrated.
Where to play: Texas A&M assistant baseball coach Justin Seely sees Murray as a “middle-of-the-field player†according to Sports Illustrated. The athlete who throws and bats right handed has the arm strength to succeed in the middle of the infield, with the wheels to find that same success roaming centerfield.
Size Matters: “Right now, a scholarship at A&M is what he has, and we’re looking forward to watching him play football and baseball at A&M,†said Murray’s uncle Calvin to Sports Illustrated. “If Major League Baseball takes him away from that, then so be it. But right now, all we have in our hands—all we know for sure—is that he can go to A&M on a full scholarship and play football and baseball.â€
At Murray’s age, no player is ready for the NFL. Even with years of development in a college program, the 5-11 QB would still enter the NFL likely considered undersized should that be the path he chose.
As for baseball, height and weight are simply numbers on a stat sheet. You can get away with being a smaller player as easily as you could be large and bulky, so the discussion of pro baseball is realistic. Safety is also far less of an issue on the diamond than on the gridiron, with guaranteed contracts to sweeten the deal.
Long term, Murray’s body frame absolutely profiles to finding more success in baseball than football, with health risks being far less severe
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