Blue Jays' C.J. Ebarb on Preparing for the Draft | MLB Draft Podcast
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Episode Summary
We continue our MLB Draft Podcast series as we sit down with the Toronto Blue Jays Midwest Crosschecker C.J. Ebarb. In this episode, C.J. pulls back the curtain to give players and their families valuable insight on the scouting process through the eyes of an MLB organization leading up to the MLB Draft, as well as what makes players successful once they are in professional baseball.
With so much information about mock drafts and rankings available through the internet and social media, it is sometimes hard to manage everything without being overwhelmed. C.J.’s insight into the evaluation process that an MLB organization goes through before the draft is invaluable and lends perspective on what is important, and how to take a step back and drown out the noise during the year before the draft. We also discuss how education and surrounding yourself with the right support systems before the draft and in professional baseball have helped similarly situated players be successful in their careers.
Passion, work ethic, and skill are all important attributes that MLB teams want to see and feel comfortable with before drafting a player. Throughout this podcast, C.J. talks about the importance of these characteristics, how they can ultimately positively impact the way that a team values a player in the draft enough to invest in them, as well as how these same attributes help a player achieve their full potential.
Episode Highlights
(2:30) Mock Drafts – What do they mean and do they actually impact where you will be drafted?
(3:54) Who are the different scouts that will come watch me from an MLB organization?
(5:37) What is the importance of the summer before your draft year?
(6:30) Is there an organizational philosophy on a certain type of player that you look for?
(8:30) Do MLB organizations think it hurts a player’s leverage to hire a financial team before the draft?
(11:30) In-home meetings with teams and the education process for a player - learning that baseball is a business and preparing yourself for it.
(14:25) Traits that show a team that a player is ready to handle the rigors of professional baseball.
(17:45) Is velocity the most important thing that MLB teams look at and should that be your main focus?
(21:45) The pressures that players face during the draft process from MLB teams, friends, and social media, and how to handle this.
(23:05) What makes a player have a successful transition to professional baseball?
(27:00) How MLB teams are helping develop their players in different ways to handle the workload more efficiently.
(30:55 Health is opportunity – Why and how you should invest in yourself on and off the field.
(35:08) Can my agent help me get drafted higher?
(37:40) Enjoy the process – Finding perspective in the last few months before the draft.
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+ Read the Transcript
Travis Chick (00:00): Everybody welcome back to the MLB Draft Podcast. I'm your host, Travis Chick and I'm joined today by my partner Will McGuffey, and today we're really excited for this conversation because we get to interview somebody that can actually impact where you guys get drafted. Please welcome to the show, Toronto Blue Jays Midwest crosschecker CJ Ebarb. CJ, welcome to the show.
CJ Ebarb (00:22): Thank you guys. Thanks for having me. I'm looking forward to our conversation today.
Travis Chick (00:27): Thank you. Our goal here at AWM is really just to provide you guys, the Draft guys, information that at the end of the day they can't Google. This is really unique information that we're trying to provide them and so I thought where we kick off the conversation is really just to your background. Where you're from, how you got into scouting and then give a breakdown of the different levels of scouts and what that means to the players.
CJ Ebarb (00:53): Sure. I grew up in Jasper, Texas. Played college baseball at Southern Nevada, UNLV and then finished up at Lamar. Was fortunate enough to be drafted by the Blue Jays as a senior sign and I'm dealing with the Blue Jays since 2006 as a player and a player coach one year, and then did the area in South Texas, South Louisiana 2011. Then went on the pro side for 2012 and 2013 and then I've been cross-checking the Midwest since draft to 2014.
CJ Ebarb (01:33): Just fortunate to be with the Blue Jays. They've been great. We've been lucky enough to acquire some good players out of the Midwest that I'm excited about, so yeah, things have been pretty good.
Travis Chick (01:48): Well, that's cool. Well, it's funny when Will told me that CJ Ebarb was going to be joining our show, I started thinking I'm like, "I know that name." And of course, prepared for the show, I went back and dug a little bit. I don't know if you remember, but when I was in high school, I played for White House High School.
CJ Ebarb (02:03): White House.
Travis Chick (02:04): We would come down and get our butts kicked in the Jasper tournament every year. Thanks for that. I remember the name from there. But it's fun. It kinda makes me start thinking through some of the, just the nuances that you guys as scouts and then as crosscheckers go through. Back when you and I were playing in Jasper and White House, it was probably a lot different because we didn't have the perfect games as much and we didn't have all the access on Twitter and Instagram and all that.
Travis Chick (02:34): The game has certainly evolved a ton, especially for the scouting department and from my perspective. One of the things that Will and I were talking about coming into the show is the mock drafts, the draft boards and all this stuff that we see. One of the points that he made that I thought was really interesting, that I'd love for you to hit on is, there's probably 100 names that at the end of the day have been selected in the mock draft as a potential first round pick. What stock would you put into that as somebody that can actually impact where these guys get drafted?
CJ Ebarb (03:10): The mock drafts for me personally are just more of like, hey, it's a [inaudible 00:03:15]. There's a good chance that these top 100 mocks, everyone in our organization from a scouting standpoint has probably seen them. But to me it's just a name and where that publication decides to rank that player, that's their opinion. But for us like the Blue Jays, we have our own process and philosophy of how we wish that we're going to rank that player.
Travis Chick (03:43): For sure.
Will McGuffey (03:46): CJ, for those people out there, what does the spring look like for you? What does the spring look like for you? What does the spring, as far as if I'm a player and I see somebody of the Toronto Blue Jays come out and watch me, what are the different levels of scouts? Who is going to possibly come out and watch me play? And what does it mean when an area scout comes and sees me? What does it mean when you as a crosschecker comes and see me or somebody else in the organization? Can you explain that process to us?
CJ Ebarb (04:15): Yeah, for sure. It will start with the area scout. He's the first line of defense I call it. The area scout writes a follow on the player and he puts him in a certain round range or a role grade range. Then depending on where they put that player depends on if and when I see him. The higher players on their prep list or their rankings.
CJ Ebarb (04:42): There's an urgency for me to get there sooner, just to get the balls rolling and get it started to pass a baton to the next guy who is our national guy who has a better indication of the talent around the country. Then obviously, now these days you have the scouting director that'll get out and see players. You have special assistance from different clubs that are probably honing in on 25 to maybe 50 guys, trying to hone in on maybe your potential first overall pick.
CJ Ebarb (05:20): But that's the process and then in the spring, I'll try to get to workouts early in the year just to see guys where they're at, if they're ready to go, if they're healthy. A lot of my work is done in the summer. Summer to me for the area guy and the regional guys is huge. That's where we developed that history. We developed that process of how they do things, whether it's a guy on the mound, whether it's a guy, whether it's a position player with approach concerns or defensive positioning concerns.
CJ Ebarb (05:58): We have a pretty good idea going into the spring or a hope that they going into the spring, that we can narrow our questions on the player, so that in the spring we can sit back and watch them and get those answered. And by the time the draft rolls around, we're really convicted on what we believe this player's going to be and what he can do. Then it's about making sure that we have the appropriate information to take them in the appropriate spot.
Will McGuffey (06:31): Do you think there's an organizational philosophy? You think there's an organizational philosophy that you all look for certain types of players or does that vary from organization to organization? There's a Blue Jay type of player. Certain traits that you all say, "Hey, look, we really value our player development system and these are the guys that we really like to look at and put in our system and then mold and shape in their professional career."
CJ Ebarb (06:57): I think there's probably traits in the person and the makeup in the work ethic. I don't know that there's a certain player. I just think if you pigeonhole yourself into, "Hey, this is our type of player, whether it's college pitcher, college position player, high school pitcher, high school position player." I think you end up maybe missing out on some good things.
CJ Ebarb (07:22): But I do think we value, especially myself, I have my own values and players that I elevate or that I like that maybe I push forward a little bit more, and that's just, I want to know their backgrounds, I want to know their work ethic, I want to know just everything about them to ensure that I'm comfortable acquiring this player, or recommending him to the Blue Jays for sure.
Travis Chick (07:54): I want to go back to the draft cycle that you talked about. It sounds like from the summer, you're really starting to put together the pieces of the puzzle, and then during the spring, it's basically just reinforcing what you've already... And we know that there's going to be pop-ups. There's going to be surprises, there's going to be guys that you put in the fourth or fifth round that push themselves in the first and then vice versa, guys that you've pushed in the first and go to the fifth.
Travis Chick (08:22): But one of the things that you've talked about was the interview process and some of the questions that you guys are going to be asking. To skew this temporarily just to the financial conversation because that's what we do, one of the questions and push-backs that we hear quite a bit, which is actually counterintuitive because at the end of the day, baseball is a business. Professional baseball as a business.
Travis Chick (08:44): One of the push-backs that we hear is it's okay for the players to wait till after the draft to hire a financial team. Because what it does is it signals to the teams that they really want to sign and it de-leverages their ability to maximize their dollars. Which to me is counterintuitive because if they're hiring an agent, it's signaling to the market that they're willing to sign. What would you say to a player that says, "Hey, I need to wait to make this really important financial decision until after I've figured out if I'm going to make any money or not?"
CJ Ebarb (09:19): I think it's always best to have a plan, whether it's your baseball advisor and your financial advisor, I think those things are important. Because if you decided to go to school, or if a player decides to go to school at a high school, maybe that relationship doesn't come forward now but maybe in three years after he goes to A&M or Ole Miss or wherever, that relationship can continue.
CJ Ebarb (09:53): But I think it's smart for these kids to make sure that they're taking care of their future. Not only on the field but off the field because baseball is not forever. I can at least [crosstalk 00:10:09]-
Travis Chick (10:09): We can all access to that, right?
CJ Ebarb (10:11): We can all speak to that. In fact like I said that in the high school, I was a real big golfer. I love it still to this day and I had a chance to go play college golf but I was like, "You know what, I'm going full baseball because I know I've got a certain amount of years and then hopefully I'll be able to play golf till I'm 80 or however long I live."
CJ Ebarb (10:37): But I think it's important for these kids to look after and have people around them that are looking after their best interests for their future. There's just so much information out there.
Will McGuffey (10:53): In your opinion, you never walk in when you're sitting in the draft room and dropping things and be like, well, this guy hired a financial advisor so he has less leverage? That has never come out of y'all's mouth before?
CJ Ebarb (11:04): No, it's not even something that I'm worried about. The agency stuff or if a kid has an agent or what agent it is, at the end of the day if the kid has ability [crosstalk 00:11:18]-
Travis Chick (11:17): Talent is talent.
CJ Ebarb (11:17): Yeah. If the kid has ability and he's willing to sign and his ability fits, I always call it that if the opportunity costs is right, let's go.
Travis Chick (11:34): One of the questions, and I don't want to give away too many of the Blue Jays trade secrets, but one of the things that I'm always fascinated by, and then we always hear from our clients is some of the crazy questions that get asked, basically personality type questions. I would love to hear one of questions that the Blue Jays throw at these guys, just to try to throw some of the players off.
CJ Ebarb (11:59): We don't really have any crazy questions or anything like that. It's more about, for me when I'm meeting with a player, it's about, where's your support system? Who are you going to call when you first get drafted? Who have been the biggest influences on your baseball career? What teammates have you liked the most and what about that teammate gravitated towards you? Just things like that.
CJ Ebarb (12:28): I want to, one, try to understand what makes this player tick and what type of environment he is living in and what's around him. Then also, I want to educate them on what professional baseball has to offer and especially what the Blue Jays can offer him if there's an opportunity to do that. I just think the colleges, especially in my region, just speaking of Texas in general, do a really good job with academics, facilities, coaching development, all these things and high school players, especially, are really hit with that sooner than they are professional baseball.
CJ Ebarb (13:20): What I'm trying to get our scouts to do and especially myself is the sooner we can identify a guy with potential major league talent, is to educate them, their families, so that they're comfortable making a tough decision when it comes time.
Travis Chick (13:38): I can only speak to my own personal career and I think it takes a very special person, an 18-year-old kid to be able to go straight from high school baseball and living with mom and dad to now all of a sudden you're inundated with total freedom. As a professional, they're not babysitting you anymore. It is a business and you are responsible for going out and eating right and exercising and taking care of yourself.
Travis Chick (14:05): Then also, now all of a sudden you realize that baseball becomes a business, and so you have to deal with... For many of our clients, they're 18-year-old kids tat all of a sudden get several million dollars and there's this outside pressure that they have to maybe go out and buy a really nice photograph or something. And so it's really important, that education piece.
Travis Chick (14:30): But one of the things that I'd like to hit on here is just the traits that you guys see in players that may be, especially at a high school really, more than anything that show, hey, this kid is ready to come out of high school and go directly into pro ball, or maybe the skill set... Skill sets all things equal, but what are the traits that you would see this guy's ready to go to pro ball versus, hey, he probably does need to go to college and he would benefit from that?
CJ Ebarb (15:00): For just a high school player in general, I'm looking for baseball instincts like does he know where to be before the play happens? For pitchers especially, I want, just me personally, I like good body to project on. A chance for added strength, more flexibility as added strength, happenings is happening.
CJ Ebarb (15:36): Pitchers command the ability to spin a breaking ball. Average to, well now, everyone's throwing hard so... There'll be weeks where you'll see high school guys and there won't be a pitch under 90 miles an hour and it's just like-
Travis Chick (15:55): Unbelievable.
CJ Ebarb (15:56): ... okay, everyone's throwing 90, 95, so as a scout, how am I separating those guys? It goes back to what I believe the frame and the actions are and honestly, do I think he's going to be a starting pitcher. I value personally, if I think a kid has the best chance to be a starter, then I'm probably going to rank them higher over than a guy who's just arm strength, the lever that lacks command.
CJ Ebarb (16:28): But makeup comes into it and our area guys do a great job of just developing relationships and getting to know what really makes these guys tick and getting to know their true love for the game. Then on position players, I personally like everyone, I would love to acquire middle of the field athleticism with ability to hit and play a premium position.
CJ Ebarb (17:00): However, as you continue to do this, certain guys are really good at hitting, and they have really good mechanics and their body moves really good in the box and those are guys that I'll try to hone in on as well, knowing that maybe with development or something like that, they can improve. The statement that if you can hit, we'll find a place for you, the more and more I do this, that is true. Especially for an American League club. We have the DH and if the guy can really hit, we'll find a spot for him. But those are certain things that I look for. It's not like a one-size-fits-all deal.
Will McGuffey (17:49): You mentioned that you go out and you see high school players and not a pitcher is under 90 some weeks. Then we're all together at a tournament watching in Arlington a couple of weeks ago and the velocity was incredible. What do you think some of those changes are? I think back and I tell stories about 10 years ago, back when I was in law school and I was doing some scouting, and the games just changed and the evaluation processes just changed.
Will McGuffey (18:18): But what has led to that in your mind where everybody's throwing so hard in these guys? Do you think it's just the way we work out, the way we understand the game? What is it in your mind that has led to this explosion in velocity? Do you think it's a good thing or a bad thing?
CJ Ebarb (18:35): I think it's probably... man, it's tough. It's a tough question because I think kids are training earlier to throw harder because it's cool. Like we talked about earlier, Instagram, Twitter, there's instant gratification on social media. If I hit 90 or hit 99, that's what kids want to do.
CJ Ebarb (19:04): My personal opinion, I don't think it's great, but the reason why guys are doing it, just because are transitioned to better development. Guys are training harder. They're training to throw harder and I just think it's the ability for either colleges or kids or these private training facilities that are training kids to be better, which is fine.
CJ Ebarb (19:34): But I also think it's part of the reason why you're getting uptick in TJ surgeries at a younger age. I think a lot of that's probably just due to wear and tear on kids throughout the year as they're 12, 13 and 14. I remember when I was at that age, I played baseball, but I played golf and we played football. We played other things, and a lot of these kids now, they're full fledged baseball by the time they're 12 or 13 and that's what they're doing. It's not always great but they're doing it, so that's fine.
Will McGuffey (20:17): It's incredible and I've seen this [crosstalk 00:20:19]. Go ahead Travis.
Travis Chick (20:22): No, I was just going to say, building off of that, it really resonates with me because I think back through my draft cycle back in 2002, playing against the Jasper Bulldogs down there. I just remember warming up for a game and the Scouts would all come down there and watch me warm up and I thought that that was my time to showcase.
Travis Chick (20:43): I remember specifically one outing where I'm down there and I probably threw 100 pitches in the bullpen and to the point where the scout finally comes up to me and he's like, "Hey, you might want to save some of these pitches for the game." For me, it's almost similar now, that's my Twitter back then, was being able to throw in a bullpen in front of these guys.
Travis Chick (21:04): I could try to go on air and out as hard as I could and I wonder about the pressure that these guys are under now and especially with these draft boards and the Twitter and hey, this guy hit 99 on Twitter yesterday. I got to hit 99.3 today because you can actually see 99.3 on the Rapsodos and the TrackMans and all that now. I always, if I was a scout, which I'm not, but I feel like I always value the ability to go out and compete and get guys out.
Travis Chick (21:38): Going through that, because here with us, we're trying to maximize value, we're trying to unlock your human capital and maximize value in any way possible. What would you say to those guys that are maybe hung up in that pressure of, hey, I've got to do this on Twitter. Or I've got to do this mid week. Or I've got to throw 99 in the game today. How would you just say, hey, slow down, focus on getting guys out. What advice would you give them to de-pressure the situation that they're about to go through with the draft?
CJ Ebarb (22:08): My advice would be to really enjoy it. Because you're getting a lot of attention from different clubs and different things. But just understand that this is a game, it's supposed to be fun and if you're prepared and you're competing on the mound or in the batter's box, if you're prepared and you're competing, then the scouts... Obviously most of us are trained to see good in players.
CJ Ebarb (22:41): Someone's going to see you and if it's your time to go out and sign, then that's the right move for you and your family. But I think the biggest thing is being prepared, having a routine and then going out there and competing. Trying to hit the ball hard or throw strikes or get that guy out. And honestly, having a successful team for the most part and being a good teammate and all those things go into that.
Will McGuffey (23:19): We had this conversation in a previous podcast with some coaches and it's come up. I guess we can slant this a little bit more towards a high school because college guys, they're going to go out and play. What have you seen as far as success stories? Like, hey, this guy has signed out of high school, moved into professional baseball and was successful. What have you seen from that and then the flip side is that, what about some guys that you thought were prepared and then something happened? What made them not be successful? Whether it's on the field, off the field. What are some of those stories that you can share to help shed light on, hey, if I do take this opportunity, I do sign, who should I try to emulate? How should I try to do things?
CJ Ebarb (24:06): Tough question but I think it all boils down to just being prepared, taking them very seriously. It is a job. Someone is paying you money to get to the big leagues and be a big contributor. Our job as the Blue Jays is to invest in that player. Surround him with people, staff, to make sure that he's a contributing player for the Blue Jays.
CJ Ebarb (24:36): I think where that doesn't happen, there's a few things. Talent just didn't work out, injuries and then... or maybe the kid just didn't put in the time and the effort. My biggest fear for high school guys is that first year. They got drafted, they go back home, they're the big man at home and in their schools and their communities and they don't know that, hey, I've got to develop that routine to get ready for spring training in that first full season, which was 142 games.
CJ Ebarb (25:22): That's my biggest thing when I'm trying to make a move and acquire a high school player. I really want to be sold on his work ethic, his passion and what I think his ability to be all in on training in the off season, because I think that's huge. Especially those first couple of years for a high school player, the amount of time that's going to take them to get ready for their first full year to me is important. Not only from a physical standpoint, but just a mental standpoint, because most of them are going to go out and they're immediately going to fail and they're going to be like, "Oh my gosh, this has never happened to me before." That's where [crosstalk 00:26:08]-
Will McGuffey (26:07): There's no where to hide either. It's all in the other [crosstalk 00:26:11] 170.
CJ Ebarb (26:13): Well, correct now. That's the difference now as opposed to 10 years ago. Baseball America knows that you took this kid in the second round and that he's gone out and he's played bad. They're reporting about it and they're like, "Oh my gosh, this club has missed." It's tough but what I think, and I can only speak on the Blue Jays, but what I think we're doing, I think we're doing a really good job of, is spoonfeeding some of these high school kids a little bit, getting them acclimated and surrounding them with the guys for the physical strength part, the mental side and just having an open conversation with all our players about professional baseball and the ups and downs of the sport.
CJ Ebarb (27:07): I know that's something that our ownership group and our president of baseball ops and our GM have poured money into just making sure that we're taking care of and protecting our investment and stuff.
Travis Chick (27:24): It's funny you use the word investment there, because it just brings the conversation back to the fact that this is actually a business. When I think about it as a former player, now as a parent, one of the concerns that I would have for my son is that I'm sending out an 18-year-old kid into the big world of professional baseball.
Travis Chick (27:45): You really want to make sure that, number one, you have to feel like he's mature enough to handle that from a parent's perspective and nobody knows that better than a parent. But I saw this coming up through the minor leagues myself because I was a prospect, I was a suspect and I was traded, I was released. I did it all, but I got to play with a lot of organizations and I got to see how differently these organizations cultivate their talent.
Travis Chick (28:11): How would you say the game has really evolved, not so much on the development side on the field, but just being able to, for lack of better words, nurture these young kids and mold them into being able to handle the rigors and mentally, probably more off the field, handle that rigor just like you said earlier, going through that 142 game schedule? What are some of the things you guys are doing?
CJ Ebarb (28:35): I think we're probably managing their workload a little bit better. Then as opposed to just, let's say for example if you're a pitcher, let's say you're throwing your flat ground or your long toss, or maybe we're coming up with new ideas to hone in their craft. Maybe it's special skilled play and catch or throwing a certain objects to make it competitive. But the workload is managed a little bit better while they're still trying to perfect their craft and we're just...
CJ Ebarb (29:11): I think from the Blue Jays standpoint, we're trying to figure out other ways to make it competitive and make it skilled. But without being on your feet all the time and just taking a bunch of reps. Or having one style of coaching. I think there's many different ways to coach a kid and to communicate with players. Back in the day, we all had probably [crosstalk 00:29:40] at an essay, get in it.
CJ Ebarb (29:44): For the most part, I didn't have a problem with it. But some kids, if they're yelled at or they're told they're no good and you have to do it this way, they don't react to that. I think clubs are probably doing a better job or at least I know the Blue Jays are identifying that pretty early, on how this guy can react or how he needs to train or work and we're trying to attack that immediately. To just make sure that you're exhausting all avenues to make this guy successful, really.
CJ Ebarb (30:25): [crosstalk 00:30:25] CJ Ebarb (30:27): Well, I think just the different ways of practicing and preparing, so guys stay interested in what they're doing is important. I think you see clubs doing that, whether it's machines. You go to a minor league pregame now, you'll see the machines out. Whether it's VO machines or breaking ball machine or maybe they're doing rag ball blocking with their catchers, so they're not getting beat up by real balls.
CJ Ebarb (30:59): There's just different ways to hone in on your craft without the rigors of just the grind and the beat down because workload and health is important, like I always have a saying in baseball. Health is opportunity. If you can stay healthy in your prospect, especially a pitcher and a position player and you have value, guess what, you're going to play in the big leagues.
CJ Ebarb (31:28): That's my opinion but health is opportunity, especially if you can bring something to a club. You see those guys who stay healthy and that can contribute to a club start servicing more and more every year just because there's value in that. I think I know clubs are starting to figure out how can I keep certain guys with ability healthy, and I think it's just managing the workload as much as possible.
Will McGuffey (31:56): I think one of the things that you see too is that this has just taken off and it goes back to the training aspect and people having more information available. But you see guys in investing in themselves in the off season. You see guys down at spring training, having hyperbaric chambers. In their apartments having access to cryotherapy and all these things.
Will McGuffey (32:18): It's incredible and that's what I think guys sometimes, when you're given this opportunity is as a draft prospect, it's like, hey, this is a lot of money. But one of the components you have to look at is I'm going to have to spend some of that money to stay healthy to your point of health is opportunity. I think that's one thing that the guys need to understand walking into this, is that money is, one to set you up for life hopefully, but really it's to get you to the big leagues.
Will McGuffey (32:43): It's to give you the opportunity to go be a major league player and that's one of the things we see all over baseball and not just baseball, but any sport, is sometimes people just miss out on that opportunity and say, "Hey, I'm just going to go blow this money, have fun, live a great life for like six years." Then you wash out and you turn around and you say, "What just happened?" I think that we need to make sure the guys understand, you need to go back and invest in yourself, Invest in your human capital as we call it, and take those opportunities to maximize what you have.
CJ Ebarb (33:17): No, I think it's true. I like high school players or just players in general that have, I would say advisors that have been there and done that. Because there's a reason why some of these advisors have multiple big league clients, is that their clients are taking care of their business in the off season, so these high school kids at these advisors have, the advisors have the connections and the proper resources to, "Hey kid. This is where we'd like for you to go train. This is something that we feel like really huge for your development."
CJ Ebarb (33:59): I know what the Blue Jays have done now that we just completed our brand new player development center, is that it's a place that we can have players year around. If a kid wants to take his signing bonus or whatever it is, and potentially move to Florida or stay in Florida for a certain amount of time, we have open access to our facility where he can come workout and things like that.
CJ Ebarb (34:27): But you know, the off season and reinvesting in your work habits, your diet are huge. Sleep, like all these things have shown us that they are important for performance.
Travis Chick (34:50): It's crazy. I started wearing this WHOOP band, not to endorse WHOOP by any means, but it is crazy to see, and of course not in the non-athlete at this point in my life, but it is crazy to see how much your sleep actually correlates and things like that. I think it's a testament to the evolution of baseball the fact that teams have started to, like you said, put in your own player development.
Travis Chick (35:16): I always thought that it was crazy that we send our players home for four months and just trust that they're going to go home and work out and hope they come back in shape. In what other job do you get four months off and trust that you're going to come back and do a really good job.
Travis Chick (35:33): One thing I just want to hit on as we close this out, you talked about the agents and the relationships and some of the influences that they would have there. Not to call any agent out specifically or anything like that. But as you go through the evaluation process and you know that a player has agent a versus agent b or anything like that, how much... We hear it on our side like, "Hey, they've got this agent and they can help you get drafted higher or whatever." Is there any merit to that?
CJ Ebarb (36:09): I don't necessarily think so, because if a player is good, it only takes one. It only takes one club. But I do think certain agents and certain agencies are prepared to handle certain players probably better, or just players better. Their resources, whether it's all seasoned program or just maybe it's your ability to have more contacts and player development or with teams.
CJ Ebarb (36:40): But at the end of the day, the player needs to feel comfortable with his representation and understand that that representation works for them and that that relationship is good. For the most part, if a player is good, Major League Baseball is going to invest in and they're going to pay for it because good players are good. Good winning players are hard to find.
CJ Ebarb (37:08): And equal who are doing this, I have friends with the Dodgers and I was pumped for them. I had some close friends over there. I was pumped for them to win the World Series because they've done a good job of getting some good players, develop them and then winning.
Travis Chick (37:23): For sure.
CJ Ebarb (37:23): Then that's something that we're all striving to do, is acquire good players, develop them to win a world championship. Or else, why else are we doing it?
Travis Chick (37:35): No, I agree. Well, CJ, man, I really appreciate your time. I know at AWM Capital, this is super valuable information for us to be able to get out to the draft kids. Our goal, like I said earlier, is just provide information that at the end of the day, you cannot go Google this. This is gold from us and we're so thankful and appreciative of the time that you spent with us here today. If you have any closing thoughts, we'd love you to get your wisdom from what these kids should be thinking about for the next, I guess six months now, five months until the draft.
CJ Ebarb (38:11): I guess my closing remarks would be enjoy. It feels like this is an exciting time in your life for most of you. It's your senior year in high school. Or for the other college players, it's probably your third or fourth year now. I would say enjoy it. Figure out what you can do every day to help your team win and compete.
CJ Ebarb (38:33): Because I'm pretty sure if you have talent and ability, if you can just do those things right, chances are you're going to have a chance to get drafted and play professional baseball. But hopefully this was informative to your potential clients and guys that watch the podcasts and stuff like that, so hopefully I was able to help [inaudible 00:39:00]-
Will McGuffey (38:59): No, I appreciate it, CJ. This is great information because a lot of times guys just don't get to peel it back and have these friend conversations, because they don't know the questions to ask. So we really appreciate the time and definitely look forward to seeing you out and about as college baseball gets back going to spring and high school baseball is in full swing.
CJ Ebarb (39:19): That's right.
Travis Chick (39:19): Guys, if there's any questions that you have, feel free to reach out to myself or Will. I'm sure we can get those over to CJ if there's something specific for him. I'm sure he'd be happy to answer. We'll put all the contact information in the show notes. As I close it out, I just want to remind everybody, stay humble, stay hungry and always be a pro. Thanks for listening.