Stanford University. It may ring a bell in your ears as either one of two things:  

1. One of the top academic institutions in the country. 

2. One of the reasons that Silicon Valley was built in the surrounding area. 

Yet, when it comes to the world of college athletics, Stanford is known as one of the premier sports schools in the country.  

Since 1993, the Director’s Cup has been awarded to the college or university with the most success across all the sports that the NCAA awards championships in. Stanford dominates this award, having won 25 out of the 28 times the Director’s Cup has been given out. In 2023, it’s likely to happen again.  

Stanford’s baseball has been a critical factor in the school’s success, and it appears that the baseball team will provide the clinching points in this year’s race.  

Stanford just made its 19^th College World Series and its third straight appearance in 2023. Their 19 appearances are tied for seventh most in all of college baseball and they are currently the dominating baseball school on the West Coast. Additionally, this year Stanford is expected to have their first player drafted in the first round of the Major League Baseball (MLB) draft since 2018 – Tommy Troy. 

After Tommy Troy completed his junior year and his third year as a starter on Stanford’s baseball team, he became eligible to be drafted by an MLB team for the first time since he graduated from high school in 2020. He was not selected in the shortened draft of 2020, where COVID restricted the amount of rounds from 20 to five, due to his strong commitment to attend Stanford. However in 2023, all this has changed. 

Due to Tommy’s impressive performance playing baseball over three years at Stanford, as well as his outstanding play in the Cape Cod Summer League, he is now widely considered to be a first-round draft pick.  

Billy Quirk of AdvisorCheck.com sat down with the Stanford standout to talk about his experience playing in college, managing the logistics of being a student athlete at a top-tier university, and preparing for life as a professional baseball player.  

The Dedication Behind Tommy Troy That Propelled Him to Becoming a Top Major League Prospect (And What Made Him Stand Out) 

At Los Gatos High School, Tommy was a four-year varsity starter for their baseball team. While his senior year was cut short by Covid, his national reputation as a college prospect was already well established as he committed to Stanford during his sophomore year at Los Gatos.  This commitment says a lot about Tommy and impacts how MLB teams view him today.  

In a world where receiving a scholarship offer during your sophomore year of high school is rare, even for elite players, making a commitment to go to a particular school is even rarer. Keeping that commitment, however? It’s almost unheard of. 

Yet, when you look at the life and commitment of Tommy Troy, he did exactly that. Making this commitment even more impressive is that he made it to a first-year coach and to a program that was coming off of a few mediocre seasons. It wasn‘t like he was making it to a superstar coach with a long track record at the school.  

What does that say about Tommy’s loyalty and character? 

These traits are highly valued by MLB teams and helps separate Tommy from other top prospects 

He had an immediate impact on the Stanford Cardinals his freshman year. Tommy played in all 49 games and started in 39 of them. His efforts helped Stanford reach the College World Series for the first time in 13 years. After the season was over, he built upon his success by playing in the 2021 Cape Cod League’s summer league.  

Tommy’s contributions his sophomore year helped Stanford win both the PAC-12 regular season and tournament championships and once again qualify for the College World Series.  

That summer he went back to the Cape Cod League and had a breakout season. Tommy was named an all-star and won the award for the most outstanding pro prospect in the entire league.  

What makes this honor so unique is the exclusivity of being able to play in the Cape. Only the better of the college players are invited to play, and hitters must ditch their aluminum bats and strictly use wooden bats instead. While the NCAA does allow aluminum bats, the increased exit velocity that’s attained when hitting a ball is discounted by many pro scouts, so they tend to keep their eyes on the players to see how they hit in the summer leagues. It only makes sense, as when a player goes pro, they will be issued a wooden bat over an aluminum one as well.  

Recognition comes with its benefits. This feat put Tommy on the radar of the MLB and initiated the discussion of him being a first-round draft pick.  

That conversation didn’t go to waste either, as Tommy followed up with an outstanding junior year once again, leading Stanford to the PAC-12 regular season championship and once again to the College World Series. Unfortunately, both appearances at the world series were lost, due to the double elimination tournament. 

The Statistics that Caught the MLB’s Attention and Put a Spotlight on Tommy Troy 

Taking the championship out of the picture, Tommy reigned in once again as a PAC-12 first team all-conference player and he led the conference in batting average. He posted career highs in all major hitting categories, with:  

• A batting average at an outstanding .394
• 17 whopping home runs 
• An outrageous slugging percentage of .699 

A highly desired trait MLB teams look out for in their potential prospects is versatility. A player that is confined to one position has less value than one that can play multiple positions. An extreme example is Shohei Ohtani. He leads the MLB in both pitching and batting statistics. While not as versatile as Ohtani, Tommy added additional versatility to his gameplay in 2023. He added 3^rd base to his positional repertoire of shortstop, 2^nd base, and even played centerfield.   

With this type of performance, it is easy to see why he is a consensus first round draft pick in the 2023 MLB draft.  

Tommy Troy stated, “I've been working really hard the past few years. And then this year, just a lot more maturity and just things coming together have led to this moment.” 

How the Athletic Life at Stanford Is Different Than Other Major Universities  

It goes without question that many collegiate institutions, especially at the university level, leverage their sports programs for many other revenue generating opportunities. Open enrollment, alumni donations, endowments. These active roles that universities take tend to go much smoother with a strong athletic department leading the charge.  

Donors are more willing to hand over thousands, and in some instances, millions to have their naming rights associated to successful sports programs. Even if the naming rights aren’t on a particular stadium, they will be pleased to see their names associated with a department as well, such as sports medicine. Daniel Epstein had the opportunity to be granted naming rights over at the University of Southern California’s sports medicine department, renaming it to the USC Epstein Family Center for Sports Medicine.  

As a result of these types of endowments and other ancillary benefits, it only makes sense for a university to treat their star student athletes like royalty.  

What does that life look like? 

They live in high-end athlete only dorms, eat at athlete only training tables, have school provided tutors, required study halls and are guided to certain majors, classes, and professors. At many of these schools, the athlete experience is much more emphasized than the student experience. It makes sense. Actively enrolled students tend not to bring donors in like Epstein, who contributed $10 million for the naming rights of his sports medicine center at USC.  

At Stanford, however, this is not the case.  

Sure, athletes get some nice perks like tutors and free Nike athletic gear, but the school’s academic rigors and accomplishments far outweigh the importance of the athletic program. The list of alumnus includes presidents of the United States, supreme court justices and numerous tech CEOs far exceed the accomplishments of their alum’s athletics achievements. Against this backdrop, it is easy to understand why at Stanford the student portion of student-athlete comes first.  

Choosing an Major that Opens the Doors for Tommy Troy to Make Big Moves Beyond the Baseball Field 

Unlike many star athletes, the rigorous academic standards and the time commitments of a Stanford education did not deter him from wanting to play baseball for the Cardinals. In fact, it was one of the reasons why he was so attracted to Stanford in the first place. 

His chosen degree is in science, technology, and society, with a focus on innovation and organization. Regarding his major, Tommy said, “I can do a lot of things with it... There are a lot of computer science and social sciences classes.” Other graduates with this degree have gone on to work at private equity firms and research analyst positions. 

To accommodate for the baseball season that runs from February to June, Tommy loaded his technical and time-consuming courses in the fall quarter as much as possible. This schedule allowed him more time to better focus on baseball during the season.  

Tommy said, “The hardest part of being a student athlete is scheduling. Trying to fit certain classes in your schedule and planning around baseball commitments can be quite overwhelming, especially since we don’t have priority registration for our classes. That makes it difficult to get into the classes you want. Being able to power through that and manage my time properly has really taught me a lot of invaluable lessons,” Tommy continued. 

Baseball requires a lot of travel, along with a grueling schedule. Yet at Stanford, it’s the pinnacle of being a student-athlete. So being able to divvy up his time correctly has done Tommy wonders with balancing both schedules. 

For every away series, Tommy and his team leave campus on Thursday, only to return Sunday night. Coordination off the field is essential, as Tommy has to coordinate with his professors and teaching assistants to make up for two days of missed class time, the assignments that come alongside them, and even the tests that are mandated during those days. Compared to a football star, they leave Friday and return back on campus by Saturday night for their away games. One less day is missed in the classroom, and an extra day is fit into their schedule for studying makes their schedule easier to manage. 

Many athletes tend to take on-campus classes during the summer to decrease the pressures of schoolwork during their athletic season. Tommy wasn’t afforded that luxury, due to his involvement in the Cape Cod League. This put a burden on his academic load for the remainder of the school year. 

Bringing Home Standout Achievements in Both the Baseball Field and in Academics  

Even despite this unfortunate backdrop due to the constraints of time, Tommy still excelled at all levels at Stanford. In addition to being an all-conference baseball player, he also made the conference academic honor roll for each year he was eligible. This achievement is quite a feat at any school, yet doing this at Stanford is even more impressive. 

In July, Tommy is expected to sign a professional baseball contract, yet he still holds his commitment to finishing his degree.  

“I have plans to finish school,” Tommy stated. It isn’t going to be easy. I’ll have to attend school each fall quarter to finish my degree. This will mean that I’ll have to come back each fall for three more years. I’m honored that Stanford has such a great support system and is so willing to accommodate players like myself, who are coming back to school to get our degrees.” Tommy continued.  

Off the field and outside of the classroom, a critically important aspect of anyone’s school experience in the food. When it comes to Tommy in particular, being an athlete, the nutritional component of what food provides plays such a major role in his, or any, athlete’s performance. Stanford is a leader in this forefront, but even so, Tommy was not always impressed with the variety of offerings and tastes that the school offered. “The meal selection is honestly not the best, especially when you compare it to a lot of other big schools, especially on the side of the athletes,” Tommy stated. 

Tommy Troy’s Inspiration on the Field Comes From Alex Bregman and Francisco Lindor as He Transitions from Second Base to Shortstop and Third Base 

Tommy would like to think his playing style is best exemplified by Alex Bregman of the Houston Astros – a player who has inspired him and that he has modeled his game after 

“I love the way he plays,” Tommy stated about Alex Bregman. Like the current third baseman for the Houston Astros, Tommy is versatile in the field as both of them can play 3^rd base and shortstop – with both also being welll rounded players at the plate. While Alex Bregman may have more power in his game, having had years where he hit 31 and 41 homeruns, he carries a profile that Tommy would like to emulate in his potential MLB career.  

Beyond Alex Bregman, Tommy also loves the way that Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets plays. “He exudes so much confidence and it looks like he always seems to be having so much fun,” kind words stated once again by Tommy. Over a long 162 game baseball season, those traits are  admirable and important to the team.  

“You just have to go out there and compete,” Tommy says about the sport. While he understands the value of analytics, he believes it needs be balanced with athletic performance and playings instinctually. “Many players get caught up and absorbed in their statistics, and then become robotic and mechanical in the way they play, allowing themselves to be consumed by the numbers,” Tommy continued. 

When he does look at the analytics, exit velocity ranks as his top metric for him to pay attention to. Tommy brought his deep insights to the conversation, “If you’re hitting the ball hard, you’re hitting it square often, Statistically, you just have a much higher chance of getting more hits.” 

Right behind velocity, launch angle is the next metric Tommy keeps his eyes on. “For me, if I’m getting into a good position where I’m hitting the ball hard and consistently getting hits, then the home runs will take care of themselves. I just need to put the right work into my swing,” wise words stated by Tommy. 

Thinking of improving yourself into becoming a well-balanced baseball player yourself and perfecting your own game? 

Tommy suggests you ask yourself these questions: “What work am I putting in? Do I make myself the most balanced or am I hitting the ball as hard as I can as often as I can?” 

Bringing the Curtain Down on the Business of Baseball – College Athletics and NIL  

There has traditionally been an awkward relationship between professionalism and amateurism when it comes to college baseball. Elite high school players have always had the option to turn pro or go to college. Players have historically had relationships with advisors to help with this process. Where the NCAA rules state, players can work with advisors with no issues, but not an agent. Yet, the differences between the two roles are quite subtle.  

An advisor cannot talk directly to a big-league club, they can only talk to the player and his family. While an agent can negotiate directly with the MLB team, the same conversations occur but with the family in-between. If a player signed with an agent out of high school, he would not be eligible to play college baseball. However, if they had an advisor, they would maintain their eligibility to play in the NCAA.  

With the passing of the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) laws by most states starting in 2019, the amateur line has become murkier. Collegiate athletes are now able to make money off their NIL and they are allowed to have agents represent them in this process. However, athletes are still not allowed to hire an agent to negotiate a professional sports contract and still retain their NCAA eligibility.  

The world of NIL is still new, and it has been primarily influential in the big revenue generating sports – football and basketball – and for those students and athletes that have significant social media followings. However, the impact of NIL money is creeping into college baseball.  

Troy noted, “It hasn't impacted baseball much in this area on the West, but in schools in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), there have been a lot of players making a lot of money and getting a lot of benefits from it.” In fact, in the just completed 2023 College World Series, 5 out of the 8 teams that made it to Omaha were from the SEC or ACC. And the two teams that played for the championship were both from the SEC – Louisiana State University (LSU), who reigned victorious, and the University of Florida.  

In fact, LSU’s best player – Paul Skenes – transferred this year from the Air Force Academy to LSU and he received a substantial NIL payment to do so. A portion of what he received was donated to the Folds of Honor charity, in honor of fallen baseball colleagues who have lost their lives in service of this country. So, not only are the players benefiting from NIL money, but schools are as well. 

The Right Support Team Can Help a Star Athlete Like Tommy Troy to Be Selected in the First Round of Draft Picks and Earn Millions  

While the business of baseball has become more prominent in college athletics with NIL deals, it really amps up with the draft process. Having a professional and experienced advisor can help a player make millions of dollars by helping prepare them for this process. For example, before a player is drafted, a major league team will perform significant due diligence on a potential draftee. This includes all the on the field scouting, plus multiple interviews, a physical and an individual workout.  

Since the time between the draft and the end of the season is so short – in fact prior to this year the draft was held during the College World Series – there is not enough time to perform all of this after the season. As a result, some of the draft process can leak into the season. With the help of his advisor, Tommy was well aware of the process and said, “I wanted to get the meetings out of the way in the fall, so once the season started, I could just focus on the season.”  

Some argue that the value of a baseball advisor is lessened since bonuses are slotted by draft position, so there is limited value added when negotiating a signing bonus.  

While this is true, the value of a good advisor goes well beyond just advising on a potential contract. Preparing a player properly for the draft process can be worth millions to that player. An advisor can recommend performance coaches to help improve a player’s skill or physical movement. An advisor can provide insights on the draft process so a player is mentally prepared and will know what to expect.  

An advisor can also prepare a player for the interview process, so the player presents the best of himself in front of the team. And finally, an advisor can communicate to the player what that player’s expected worth should be based on where he is expected to be drafted and where he is actually drafted. All of this plays a role in when a player gets drafted, and that draft slot can be worth millions of dollars.  

For example, in the upcoming MLB draft, the slot value for the first pick in the draft is $9.7 million, for the 15^th pick it is $4.5 million, and for the 28^th pick it is $2.9 million. While an advisor’s value will probably not move a player from 28^th to the 1^st pick, the advisor may increase a player’s value a few slots, and thus increase their signing bonus significantly.  

Once a player signs their contract, that advisor can become that player’s agent. This typically happens before signing the contract, when the player is close enough to signing that they know they will not be going back to school. As the advisor takes on the new role of becoming the player’s agent, they can then help the player with marketing deals – baseball gloves, bats and shoes – as well as other endorsements and commercial opportunities.  

The qualities that Tommy looked for in an advisor and an agent is: “Someone who knows this stuff. Super professional and straightforward and has some good connections with teams.”  

Another critical position on a player’s team is their financial advisor. Getting drafted and receiving a signing bonus of millions of dollars can profoundly change a player’s life, and it could potentially set a player up for life depending on the amount they will receive, how it is planned to be managed and the player’s lifestyle. Players getting drafted are typically 18-21 years old, and it is not easy for anyone, yet alone someone at that age, to have the experience of managing their newfound wealth. As a result, in many cases a third party, likely a financial professional, but it could be a parent, a relative or a family friend, could help manage the money.  

In Tommy’s case, he plans on working with a financial advisor. “I'm currently in talks with a financial advisor. A close friend of my dad's has a connection with him. He is a professional who can work with me and help manage my money.” Tommy goes on to say, “I feel like I put myself in a good position with a good support group that's going to help keep me on the right track to save money and have that money last for as long as possible, in case my baseball dreams don't work out.”  

A Stanford education is not a bad fallback option as well. 

“Elite Athletes know that detailed and intensive preparation is the secret to achieving tremendous success,” says David Pickler, Esq., CFP, CPWA, ChFC, CDFA, president and CEO of Pickler Wealth Advisors. “Everyone, whether an elite performer or someone from Main Street USA, would benefit from a well conceived and well executed Financial Plan. Even though Life happens and plans must be adjusted, the process is priceless. As General Dwight D. Eisenhower stated as he led the planning for D Day ‘In preparing for battle, I have always believed that plans are worthless, but planning is indispensable,’” David continued. 

The Future is Bright Tommy Troy — What MLB Team Will He End Up On? 

As draft day gets closer, the fate of Tommy’s near-term future will become clearer. At this moment, he doesn’t know for what organization that he will be playing for, where he will be living and what team he will be with. He doesn’t know who his new teammates will be or even what car he will be driving for the foreseeable future. But what he does know is that he is “100 percent sure that Stanford was the right decision to make. The amount of people I've met here and connections I've made and just the close friendships. I mean I wouldn't trade it for any amount of money I could have made turning pro right-out high school. Coming here is the best decision I've made.” 

How many of us could look back at a decision we made when we were 15 or 16 years old and see it come to fruition like Tommy has? He is on the verge of being drafted by a Major League Baseball team, he is a year’s worth of credits away from graduating from Stanford, and he is about to take the next step in fulfilling a dream that he has had as a young boy. Life is good for Tommy Troy, but it is good because of his hard work, his effort, and his drive to be successful.  

Looking to be successful in your life like Tommy Troy will be? A financial advisor can help. Advisorcheck.com provides conflict-free data and background checks on financial advisors. Find the right financial advisor for you in your area by using our search tool. To get stories and insights about money like this delivered to your inbox, make a free AdvisorCheck membership. 

Written by Robert Patrick Lewis 

Fact checked by Dan Hattori 

Edited by Leonard Kim 

Reviewed by KJ Kim

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