I was blessed to be drafted twice by the Chicago Cubs (in 1994 and 1996). It was my childhood dream to become a “Cubbie” while watching them play day games on WGN. The 2018 MLB Draft, held this past Monday and Tuesday, was a showcase for the more than 1,000 young men from all of the world who will be getting their shot to become a Major Leaguer.
There are three “must haves” in order to get drafted:
- Habits
- Heart
- Help
Habits
Habits are things that you repeatedly do well without thought and you can’t develop habits without commitment and discipline. Commitment is a promise that you make to yourself and others. Discipline is doing the things that you need to do even when you don’t want to do it.
There are five major physical tools that Major League Baseball scouts evaluate:
- Hitting ability
- Hitting for power
- Defense
- Throwing
- Running
The MLB scouting scale ranges from 20 to 80 with average ability receiving a score of 50. You can’t simply pray for the MLB habits that you desire.
Heart
Skills pays the bills and having heart is hard work. Skills are things that you repeatedly do without thought while under stress. Being drafted is the price of admission into professional baseball and reaching the Majors is the desired outcome.
Without heart, draft picks will never reach the Majors. The heart is the engine fueled by passion. The Latin word for passion is suffering. MLB Draft picks are suffering from something. It could be a coach who said the player was too small, a teammate who was better but rude, or a parent who could have made it but didn’t. If the heart doesn’t work, the hands won’t either.
Help
Every young man who was drafted received some help. Some may lack the humility to admit it, but we all must have help in order to achieve success.
Humility asks that you think of yourself less and others more without thinking less of yourself. From experience, and I’m not proud to say it, being drafted caused me to forget where my help came from. I struggled in the Minors like all professional players and most of my help was gone.
If your name wasn’t called on in this most recent draft, and even it was, check your habits, heart and help.
Remember: Intelligence tops being smart.
For more information, visit www.diamonddirectors.com today. Also, check out our Digital Magazine.
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C.J. Stewart has built a reputation as one of the leading professional hitting instructors in the country. He is a former professional baseball player in the Chicago Cubs organization and has also served as an area scout for the Cincinnati Reds. As founder and CEO of Diamond Directors Player Development, C.J. has more than 12 years of player development experience and has built an impressive list of clients, including some of the top young prospects in baseball today. If your desire is to change your game for the better, C.J. Stewart has a proven system of development and track record of success that can work for you.
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