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There was always a strong chance that Houston (Texas) St. Pius X quarterback and Texas A&M signee Kohl Stewart would opt to skip college football and play professional baseball instead. That possibility will become a reality in the near future.
Stewart held a press conference in College Station a day after he was selected as the fourth pick in the 2013 MLB Draft by the Minnesota Twins to speak about his future.
One statement seemed to convey his intentions, officially confirmed later in the press conference:
"It's time for me to focus on baseball and give that my best effort"- Kohl Stewart
— Taylor Hamm (@TaylorHamm247) June 7, 2013
Even though the new CBA isn't as friendly for players like Stewart, who have significant leverage as two-sport stars, it was hard to imagine in the moments after Stewart's selection that he would turn down millions of dollars to play football and baseball in college. After all, the slot bonus in 2013 for the fourth pick is over $4.5 million. And so he will not.
Stewart's choice of attire at the press conference heavily suggested his intentions as soon as he walked in:
#khou #twins St. Pius HS pitcher Kohl Stewart obviously wants to play in the MLB. He's wearing a Twins cap at n/c. pic.twitter.com/BqhkRqhL9T
— Matt Musil (@KHOUSportsMatt) June 7, 2013
A consensus four-star prospect as a quarterback who held offers from schools like Florida, LSU, Notre Dame, and Ole Miss, Stewart ended his recruitment early as an Aggie legacy. He signed as part of the 2013 A&M recruiting class that also included Southlake (Texas) Carroll's Kenny Hill, another football/baseball star who is highly unlikely to leave for the MLB.
As much as Stewart's seemingly inevitable departure may hurt the Aggies, the presence of Heisman winner Johnny Manziel on campus with three seasons of eligibility, the presence of Hill, and the recent pledge of 2014 star Arizona pocket passer Kyle Allen all give Texas A&M some hope for the position's future, even without Stewart in the mix.
As for the Twins, they should be signing a pitcher in the near future who has a 96-mph fastball, a good slider, and two other potentially functional pitches in his curveball and changeup. He may be a bit more of a risk than some other pitchers in the draft, but he has just as much upside as any, if not more -- a big part of the reason why the Twins made him their first pick.
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