PROS OR COLLEGE? DARCY DEBATES FUTURE

On June 6, 2018, AppleSox infielder Kody Darcy got the call that every kid who picked up a baseball ever dreamed of; the New York Mets had selected Darcy in the MLB First-Year Player Draft.  

Darcy, a Kent, Wash., native, was one of 12 past or present AppleSox players to be drafted. He could not have been more thrilled. 

"It was kind of a surreal moment," Darcy said. "I was expecting it, but you never really know. Then, when it happened, it was just crazy. It really was worth all the work."

However, Darcy did not immediately put pen to paper and ink his first professional contract. In fact, 19 days later, he still has not made a decision. 

Darcy committed to play baseball at Xavier prior to being drafted. After being a four-year letter award-winner at Kentridge High School by hitting a cumulative .359, Darcy has earned his place with a Division-I program.

However, the chance of playing in MLB does not come to everyone.

"It depends on if it's the right opportunity with money and playing time to take my opportunity to play professional baseball now," Darcy said. "If not, I'm just going to go to college, which is a great route.

As a late-round pick, Darcy will not be getting the same signing bonus that someone like first overall selection Casey Mize would. While getting drafted is exciting, the possibility remains that Darcy could be selected again in a few years.

Players who graduate from high school are immediately eligible for the draft and can be selected. However, if they choose not to sign with the team that selects them, they can go to college and be drafted again once they are 21 or have completed at least their junior season. 

Take former AppleSox and current Seattle Mariners left-hander Marco Gonzales, for example. After Gonzales graduated high school in 2010, he was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 29th round.

Gonzales did not sign and instead went to college at Gonzaga. However, he would later be selected 19th overall in the 2013 draft.

Going to college, like Gonzales did, could be very beneficial to Darcy.

"That's probably what I'm leaning towards now, but you never know," Darcy said. "I'll probably know in the next week or two."  

Though Darcy was officially drafted as a third baseman, he has yet to play there since joining the AppleSox. Instead, he's played the bulk of his time at shortstop, his natural position. However, one of his four starts so far was in a different position: left field.

The idea to play there wasn't necessarily his, but Darcy wasn't opposed to playing somewhere different.  

"Earlier in the day, Coach Krustangel asked me, 'when was the last time you played in the outfield?'" Darcy said. "I said, 'a couple years ago.' So he asked if I was comfortable there and I said, 'yeah, let's do it.'"

Perhaps the position change is a metaphor for the larger change that is to come for Darcy.

Whichever decision he makes for where to play after this summer, Darcy will be moving away from home. Whether it's Cincinnati, Ohio, or Kingsport, Tenn. (home of the Mets' rookie league team), he'll have a long journey to make.

"There hasn't been a day that has gone by where I haven't thought about this 24/7," Darcy said. "It's always on my mind." 

For now, Darcy is with the AppleSox. His next team will change the course of his baseball career.