“This was a kid who wanted to play football” - When Detroit Tigers scout opened up on drafting Patrick Mahomes for MLB

Patrick Mahomes is probably one of the best quarterbacks of the current generation. With a resume boasting three Super Bowl rings and five AFC titles, he is right on track to be a part of the GOAT discussion. However, Mahomes made a critical decision back in 2015 that changed his destiny and that of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Mahomes was a three-sport prodigy who excelled in basketball, football, and baseball. Although Mahomes left basketball behind after joining Texas Tech, he was still caught between baseball and football till he made a difficult decision to prefer football while rejecting an MLB offer from the Detroit Tigers.

Recalling the decision, Tigers scout Tim Grieve opened up in an interview in January 2020:

“You knew what it was. This was a kid who wanted to play football. The draft pick at the time was more [about], ‘You deserve this.’”

Patrick Mahomes was selected in the 37th round (no. 1120 overall) of the 2014 MLB draft. The draft lasts 40 rounds, and most teams are settled by the last five rounds. So, the teams often select rookie players, hoping to build and develop relationships.

Grieve emphasized that this may be the case with Mahomes’s unexpected draft. He said:

“Let's be that team that starts laying the foundation so if he goes to Texas Tech and football doesn't work, or if he decides he likes baseball, you've already started the relationship.”

Tim Grieve praises Patrick Mahomes for a successful career transition

Eventually, Patrick Mahomes rejected the offer, citing a college degree as the reason, and later pursued a football career. Although his father Pat Mahomes, a former MLB pitcher, was disappointed by the choice, Mahomes Jr.'s achievements were too good in the end. Grieve praised Mahomes and said:

“I'd be lying to you if I said, ‘Hey, I thought he was going to be this good.’

“That being said, he showed you the things you see from him today: the creativity, the athleticism, the confidence, the charisma.”