Rylan McMahan, Class of 2027

2027!!??? = The kid is 13. Who knows if he'll be any good in 3 years.

 

Anybody up in the Green Cove Springs area seen this kid? Obviously he's special to get this kind of attention at his age. What high school will he attend since he is not in high school yet??? LOL

 

Lefty with a decent delivery at 13 sounds like a good pickup.

 

I guess I get this in today’s world but I’ve got to say an awful lot can happen between 13 and 17 years of age (athletically as well as maturity and drive).

It’s surprising to me anyway that a higher touted D-1 baseball program would be spending substantial time on 13 year olds.

 

Crazy, but if they don't someone else will. I hate it, but you have to take a kid and then hope he develops as expected or you process him out later

 

Again, I kinda get it but I have to admit I was playing at 13 years old I loved the game, loved hunting and fishing, and had absolutely no clue what college baseball was going to be about—truly I had no idea what high school or American Legion baseball was going to be for me or if I would be good enough for that……but college, not even on the radar.

 

At 13 there is nothing to not like in that video

 

Chase Fuller (class of 2027) considered the number 1 player in that class, committed to FSU last night. His Dad is Corey Fuller who played there and now coaches there. Still amazing to think these kids are committing in the 8th grade....

 

When I was a kid, there was a Little League pitcher/hitter, a lefty, who made the front pages of the local news very often. No hitters after no hitters. I fact he threw a perfect game, I think 7 innings with I think 20 Ks of 21 outs. He was deemed the next great one....sure fire in high school then onward to MLB.

Except for one minor detail. With all the effort, he did not improve. He became an average high pitcher in my high school, one yr behind me. Really nice guy. But not maturation, simply peaked too soon

 

Without calling names, schools, etc., I watched a kid (LHP) start on his HS Varsity baseball team as a 7th grader-he was the best arm they had but he was peaked at his 10th grade year and done by his 11th grade year…..pitching two games a week was so disheartening to watch.

Glad not to be a part of it.

 

In 1975 my brother, a junior who was All-State that year, pitched a complete game, 13-inning game in the state semi-finals for Santa Fe HS against St. Pete Catholic and won 1-0. He must have thrown 300 pitches. They won the state championship the next night against Pt. St. Joe, the first in any sport for Santa Fe. Then he pitched American Legion ball that summer. He was very good, but not great his senior year and ended up going to the Police Academy and becoming a cop after not getting offered by UF, his dream school. UF's coach wanted him to go the JC route and he originally accepted then turned down a scholarship at CFCC in Ocala. He turned down offers from many other schools before just giving up baseball. I have to think that overthrowing his junior year hampered his development and may have even set him back some. That was then and this is now, but young arms should not be exposed to too much too soon.

 

Truth!

I taught from the book titled “Nolan Ryan’s Pitcher’s Bible” for 20+ years.

You can count on everything in that book…..

 

In the late 90’s our away game with Immokalee was rained out so we were playing a double header at our place. Our first game went 10 innings before we won. He threw all 10 innings plus the 7 innings in the second game. That kid could bring it but I’m sure that kid’s arm was toast down the road.

 

Yep—knowing all along that coach had the player’s best interest at heart……

 

Amen about treating kids arms right. I had a great Little League coach who said to me "If I ever see you trying to throw a curveball you will NEVER pitch for me again."

Not all coaches are like that.

I feel blessed that we have Sully as our head coach. He has a great rep with treating kids arms right and not overworking them.

 

At 13 I wanted to be a professor in Chamical Engineering. Instead I became a college professor in Engineering Mechanics/Aerospace where combustion was my main research interest. Not that far off.

I loved baseball back then and I had some pitching talent but back then there wasn't that much money in baseball unlike today so for back then I made the smart move.

Given the way the game is now I might have given baseball a shot. Like buying a lottery ticket.

 

Corey - football right? His son baseball or football?

 

Baseball

 

Completely agree Lurk—still though, you’ve got to be fortunate enough to have one of the bodies that will hold up to the grind…..regardless of your talent.