AboutTom O`Leary Expertise I am am best suited to answer questions regarding minor league baseball prospects.
Experience Originally, i started doing this because i became engrossed researching prospects for a fantasy league. Back then all i really wanted to do was answer questions about baseball prospects.
Funny how time flies but twelve years later i have been asked questions regarding the negro leagues, what minor leaguers get paid, why players don't rub their injury when they get hurt, and how players can tryout for the minor leagues to name only a few. i was recently in correspondence with a father of a marine who lost several fingers while in Iraq; he was later drafted by the padres and is playing in their minor league system. additionally, i get a lot of questions from guys asking me if i think they can be successful at these tryouts or if they should tryout at all.
I do my best to answer every one's question without overstepping my bounds of knowledge. *sometimes i have to tell people that i just can't answer their question.* And sometimes i have to tell people that they just aren't good enough to be a professional ball player.*
most recently i have received two negative feedbacks from people who didn't like my response. one 30 year old guy who hadn't played since he was a teenager asked me if he really had a shot at making the tryouts. realistically, i said no. i guess he didn't appreciate my bluntness but what would you have wanted me to say?
i am not really an 'expert' in anything. i just answer people's inquires, give some conservative advise or tell them 'i don't know.' after twelve years i have realized that i do fulfill most most questioners satisfactorily which keeps me doing this.
My name is Mike and I recently joined an adult baseball league here in Las Vegas. It reminded me how much I love playing baseball. I am going to tryout for the MLB next year. I will be 26 years old. My questions is there any chance that I will get signed. I know they say there is no age limit to trying out but I am sure age has some bearing on whether or not they will take me seriously. I was trying to find information somewhere that shows who gets drafted from open tryouts. This way I could see the average age of players that they sign. Thanks for the help.
Answer Mike,
without knowing how good you are, and I'm not an scout anyway, your chances are about 1%. age weighs heavily on potential. i don't know if info exists because the tryouts are conducted independently by each team. you could try contacting MLB.com to see if they have the stats you are asking about. good luck.
