Episode
The Car Ride Home Is Killing Your Son's Game (An MLB Agent Explains)
- Published
- May 27, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2229
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Summary
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 School, what events over the summer he should attend, what to actually say to your son after a bad game, and how to help build mental toughness in a 9-year-old who tends to melt down. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN ✓ How the 2026 MLB Draft timeline changes which summer events get heavily scouted (and which ones don't) ✓ Why the PG National Showcase is a prerequisite — but only if your son wants the PG All American invite ✓ The exact events that put your son in front of every decision-maker: East Coast Pro in Birmingham, Area Codes in Long Beach, the All American Game in Philadelphia ✓ The one question to ask yourself before you say anything to your son in the car ✓ Why questions outperform statements every time, and the gravity analogy that explains it ✓ How to handle dugout meltdowns at age 9 without coddling or breaking your kid ✓ The expectations and agreements conversation most baseball parents never have Matt Hannaford is a 26-year MLB agent who walks you through the summer draft event strategy first. He breaks down the WWBA in Atlanta, why the 2026 draft's mid-July timing affects which scouts show up, the PG National Showcase as the gateway to the PG All American Game, the East Coast Pro in Birmingham as arguably the most important event of the summer, the Area Codes in Long Beach as its West Coast counterpart, and the Worldwide Bat in Jupiter as the last-chance redemption event.…