Texas A&M’s Justin Seely on Navigating the Draft | Travis Chick, Will McGuffey | MLB Draft Series #12

Seeking qualified advice is the best way to remove emotion from the upcoming business decision you will be faced with when deciding to sign with the MLB team that ultimately drafts you. In this episode we sit down with Texas A&M University Recruiting Coordinator Justin Seely who shares experiences and lessons from players and families who have gone through the MLB Draft process over his last 11 years. 

Coach Seely has had a front row seat to watch over 60 of his players from Texas A&M get drafted and receive over $37,000,000 in signing bonuses. He has also been involved with numerous others who had committed and signed at Texas A&M that were ultimately drafted out of high school and joined the professional ranks immediately. His insider’s perspective gives a unique view into the decisions that families face and the successes that he has seen. 

Properly educating yourself and seeking qualified advice is the best way to remove emotion from the upcoming business decision you will be faced when deciding on whether to sign with an MLB team or attending college.  While we often hear from families and agents that “we don’t want to put the cart before the horse” or that “hiring a wealth management team costs you leverage with teams”, this episode will show you that those lines of thinking are incorrect and that you need to fill your cart with knowledge and education to actually gain leverage and better prepare for making the most important decision of your life.

AWM Capital's Will McGuffey and Travis Chick interview Coach Seely  and cover topics and questions like:

(00:35) Coach Seely’s background and experience navigating the draft(3:38) How to properly value yourself as a player(5:35) When should I start looking for financial advice, and who should I look to for that advice? How do I better educate myself about the financial implications of becoming a professional now?(7:34) Where should I look for information about the business decision I am about to make?(10:16) The importance of removing emotion from the decision making process(11:23) What have players in my situation done that has helped them be successful?(15:28) How do I place a value on the university that I plan on attending?(21:28) How can I avoid mistakes in the MLB Draft process that will impact my life?(25:59) What is the College Education Plan offered by MLB?(29:30) Important qualities and experience in the professionals that a player surrounds themselves with when seeking advice on the MLB Draft(33:05) Who has worked with people in your situation? Who understands what your career actually looks like?