Most Valuable Agent with Matt Hannaford

MLB just proposed ending the high school draft, and before you panic, you should understand what is being negotiated. MLB agent Matt Hannaford breaks down the proposal to eliminate high school draft eligibility, cut the draft from 20 to 12 rounds, and slash signing bonuses, and he explains why he reads it as a negotiating tactic rather than a done deal. If you are a baseball parent or player, here...

Travel baseball can cost you tens of thousands of dollars, and the real bill is bigger than the checks you are writing. Here is what you are actually paying for.   MLB agent Matt Hannaford adds up the real cost of travel baseball so you can stop overpaying and start spending on what actually develops your son. Subscribe for the insider playbook on recruiting, the transfer portal, and the MLB Draft...

You think the $45,000 travel team is buying your kid a shot at the next level. A former pro hockey player explains why that promise is youth sports' biggest lie. Every youth-sports parent gets sold the same promise: pay for the elite travel team, the tournament, the showcase, the year-round travel — and your kid will get seen, get recruited, get to the next level. In this conversation, a former NH...

If you are a baseball parent waiting on the MLB Draft, the wait is the hard part — and rushing it is the mistake. MLB agent Matt Hannaford breaks down what actually happens in the months and weeks before draft day, so you know what to do when a team starts testing your number.   Most families think a scout in the stands means their player is on the radar. Matt explains why that depends entirely on...

A former MLB player who coaches travel baseball says winning tournaments is quietly stunting your kid. Subscribe for the insider playbook.   Most travel baseball parents measure a weekend by the scoreboard. Danny Espinosa measures it differently. A former MLB infielder, Long Beach State Dirt Bag, and owner-coach of the OC Crush, Danny sat down with MLB agent Matt Hannaford to explain why a team ca...

You think MLB scouts are evaluating your son. They are. But they are evaluating you just as carefully — and what they see in you can move your son's draft stock up or down by hundreds of thousands of dollars.   MLB agent Matt Hannaford sits down with Mike Liguori to break down what scouts actually watch for when they evaluate a draft prospect, why the in-home visit matters as much as the at-bat, a...

What you say to your son on the car ride home after a bad game can either build him up or push him out of the sport. MLB agent Matt Hannaford gives you the framework to get it right. In this solo Q&A episode, Matt answers three of the most-asked questions from parents and players: If you have a son who's a draft prospect, already committed to a college, and is heading into his senior year in High...

You think you know what's wrong with your son's swing — but an MLB agent says you're solving the wrong problem.   MLB agent Matt Hannaford answers three questions baseball parents keep sending in: how to tell if your son is losing his love for the game, whether you should coach his swing at home, and how to handle the toxic parents at the travel ball field.   WHAT YOU'LL LEARN ✓ The 'carry the tor...

You're probably spending too much on travel baseball for the wrong reasons — and the people telling you it's necessary are the ones who benefit when you do. MLB agent Matt Hannaford answers three listener questions that hit the same nerve every travel ball parent shares: how much is too much, when does specialization actually make sense, and what do you do when a coach is treating your kid unfairl...

Kevin Gergel played at Georgia Tech, became an All-American catcher at Kennesaw State, was drafted by the Seattle Mariners — and saw his pro career end almost before it really began. So when his son Kellan was four years old and starting T-ball, Kevin and his wife Teal created their philosophy that has shaped every decision they've made around travel baseball ever since:  The goal was not to raise...

Almost every pro baseball player Matt Hannaford represents has the same wound — and it traces back to their relationship with their dad. In this live event, MLB agent Matt Hannaford and high performance coach Jo Martinez Killian sit down with parents and young athletes to walk through the pattern Joe has seen in nearly every major league locker room he's ever worked in, and what actually breaks th...

Your son may play 80 games in a single summer, but he can't tell you what he worked on at practice last week. Sound familiar?   Today's guest is Justin Cryer, former professional player, Ole Miss Rebel, former Houston Astros area scout, and now Director of Sports Marketing at Marucci.   Justin joined Matt at Marucci's newly opened Hitter's House in Scottsdale, Arizona, during Spring Training for a...

Struggling to get recruited for D1 baseball? Subscribe and watch — an MLB agent with 26 years of experience answers the recruiting questions every family is asking.   You throw 87 mph. You've been to showcases. You've sent 50 emails. And still — nothing from D1 programs. Sound familiar? In this Q&A episode of The Most Valuable Agent Podcast, MLB agent Matt Hannaford breaks down exactly why the "ju...

Is your son playing too many travel baseball games? MLB agent Matt Hannaford answers real questions from travel ball parents about burnout, choosing the right program, and when exposure actually matters. Subscribe for insider advice every week. In this Q&A episode, Matt is joined by producer Mike to tackle three questions submitted by travel baseball parents from across the country. If you have a...

Should your son play baseball year round? MLB agent Matt Hannaford breaks down why scouts and college coaches actually WANT to see multi-sport athletes — and why the pressure to specialize at 10-12 years old is doing more harm than good.   WHAT YOU'LL LEARN ✓ Why MLB scouts and college recruiting coordinators attend players' OTHER sports ✓ The real reason year-round baseball pressure exists (and w...

Your son's baseball coach doesn't see what you see — so how do you help without making things worse? Matt Hannaford, an MLB Agent, answers real parents' questions about the #1 mistake baseball moms and dads make.   WHAT YOU'LL LEARN ✓ Why your son listens to coaches but tunes YOU out — and how to fix it ✓ The strategy that helps you build up emotional equity with your son that leads to him  actual...

How should parents act at baseball games? MLB agent Matt Hannaford shares the honest truth about what your game-day behavior is doing to your son — and his recruiting future. If you've ever felt the urge to yell coaching advice from the stands or voice your frustration about the lineup, this episode will change the way you show up to every game. Matt breaks down exactly why negative sideline behav...

An MLB agent answers real questions from baseball families across the country.  Your son's off-season work ethic, his playing time battles, navigating tough coach conversations — these are the issues that keep baseball parents up at night. In this special Q&A episode of The Most Valuable Agent Podcast, MLB agent Matt Hannaford sits down with producer Mike to answer real listener questions with 25...

Is your son being recruited for college baseball? This is the NIL conversation his future depends on. Subscribe for weekly college baseball insights.   If you're a parent trying to decode scholarship offers, revenue sharing, outside deals, and cap space — or your son is deciding between the portal and the draft — Georgia's Deputy Athletic Director just laid it all out.   WHAT YOU'LL LEARN   ✅ The...

MLB draft or college baseball? If your son is a high school player facing this decision, don't wait until draft day to figure it out. Subscribe for weekly baseball career advice. In this episode, 25-year MLB agent Matt Hannaford breaks down exactly how families should navigate the NIL, college baseball, and MLB Draft decision — and why money alone should never drive it. ✅ Why your signing bonus s...

75% of top-drafted pitchers never make it to the big leagues. If your son is a pitcher, this episode could change everything about how you approach his development. Subscribe for weekly baseball career insights. Former first-round pick Justin Orenduff had the GM of the Dodgers watching him pitch in Double-A. Then his shoulder gave out. That injury sent him on a decade-long quest to understand why...

Most baseball families believe the path to success is more reps, more pressure, more seriousness — but former World Series champion and MLB manager Kurt Suzuki sees it differently. In this special episode of The Most Valuable Agent, MLB agent Matt Hannaford sits down with Kurt Suzuki and his 12-year-old son Kai for an honest, refreshing conversation about youth baseball, parenting, pressure, and w...

Most baseball families think "insurance" only becomes relevant after a player signs a pro contract — but the truth is, disability insurance is already shaping decisions in high school recruiting, NIL negotiations, and college roster building. In this episode of The Most Valuable Agent, MLB agent Matt Hannaford sits down with David Brookbank, co-founder of Income Protection Consultants (IPC), one o...

Most families enter youth and travel baseball thinking the goal is exposure, scholarships, or "getting paid" someday — but the financial reality of the game starts long before a player signs a pro contract. And when money finally shows up (NIL, draft bonuses, big-league paychecks), it often hits fast, loud, and overwhelming. In this episode of The Most Valuable Agent, Matt sits down with Kyle Ours...

Most parents want the roadmap — the blueprint that turns a young athlete into a confident, motivated, successful player. But very few families truly understand what the journey demands emotionally, mentally, relationally, and financially. In this episode of The Most Valuable Agent, Matt sits down with MLB All-Star Austin Riley and his parents, Mike and Elisa Riley, for an unfiltered, start-to-fini...