ESPN Rise let four young sport talents explain it themselves how it is to become a professional athlete as a teenager. One of them is the 17-year-old German outfielder Max Kepler-Rozycki, who got signed by the Minnesota Twins last July for an $800.000 signing bonus. He is expected to make his pro debut in the Gulf Coast League this summer.
Excerpt:
The first thing I bought with my signing bonus was a MacBook Pro. I always wanted my own laptop. When I was in boarding school, I always borrowed laptops. It’s more relaxing to have one. I kind of thought I’d buy a car first, but I just got my learner’s permit.
When I was on the plane to Florida, I thought to myself, “Wow, this is going to be a big step. I’m going to the States and to a different world.”
I was excited. I really wasn’t thinking too much about baseball. I was thinking about school, all the new people I’d be meeting and adjusting to all that.