This is a topic we have talked about frequently in WebBall Insider newsletters and elsewhere on the website. Consider it the bottom line on your aspirations for a college education on a baseball scholarship or a carreer in pro baseball. It's this...

Just as much as you need to face the challenges of a curveball, you need to understand the level and nature of the competition you face from others who want what you want. Take nothing for granted and always be ready to play your best. Read the notes below. The numbers can either discourage you or encourage you. It all comes down to your motivation and intensity.

 

These charts are compiled from data available from the NCAA. They show the numbers of players involved at high level amateur baseball and the lesser percentages who go on to the next level.

Here's what the numbers mean...

• Less than three in 50, or about 5.6 percent, of high school senior boys interscholastic baseball players will go on to play men's baseball at a NCAA member institution.
• Less than eleven in 100, or about 10.5 percent, of NCAA senior male baseball players will get drafted by a Major League Baseball (MLB) team.
• Approximately one in 200, or approximately 0.5 percent of high school senior boys playing interscholastic baseball will eventually be drafted by an MLB team.
• Your chances of getting to the pros through college are a bit better than for getting there without college. And a college education is always a better option for any career path.

For a different look at the numbers, continue with Part 2.