Ahead In The Count

Welcome to "Ahead in the Count," presented by BIP Wealth. Our Baseball Division combines their collegiate and professional baseball playing experience with financial acumen to provide expertise in life on and off the field. We aim to give ballplayers and their families a better understanding about their unique lifestyle, the opportunities that come from playing this game, and insight into the complex financial world. This is "Ahead in the Count," hosted by Nolan Alexander, from BIP Wealth.

Every fall, while the MLB postseason grabs the headlines, some of baseball's best young players head to Arizona. The Arizona Fall League pulls top prospects from all 30 MLB clubs onto six teams for about six more weeks of games. For many players, it can be a big step on the road to the major leagues.

Host Nolan Alexander sits down with two members of the BIP Wealth Baseball Division, Kyle Schmidt and former MLB catcher John Hester. They break down how players get picked, why an invite is an honor, what pay and housing look like, and why scouts pay close attention late in the year. John also shares a funny story from his 2008 title run with the Phoenix Desert Dogs, a team that included future Cy Young winner Max Scherzer and future MVP Josh Donaldson.

• What the Arizona Fall League is and why MLB teams send their top prospects

• How teams pick players, from top prospects to guys who lost time to injury

• How the AFL compares with winter leagues in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Australia

• Why facing the best of Double-A and High-A can speed up a player's growth

• What players get paid and where they live during the Fall League

• How a longer season tests a player's body and mind, and what scouts learn from it

• How BIP Wealth uses the fall to stay close to its clients

Welcome to "Ahead in the Count," presented by BIP Wealth. Our Baseball Division combines their collegiate and professional baseball playing experience with financial acumen to provide expertise in life on and off the field. We aim to give ballplayers and their families a better understanding about their unique lifestyle, the opportunities that come from playing this game, and insight into the complex financial world. This is "Ahead in the Count," hosted by Nolan Alexander, from BIP Wealth.

In his last theme of 2026, BIP Wealth Chief Investment Officer Eric Cramer explains why energy prices touch every investor. Host Nolan Alexander and Kyle Schmidt of the BIP Wealth Baseball Division tie together the year's themes, from rising rates to new trade deals, and show what they mean for pro ballplayers heading into the offseason.

• Fixed income gets riskier

◦ Why the "safe" part of a portfolio may hold hidden risks

◦ The federal government owes more than $40 trillion, and about $10 trillion comes due in the next 12 months

◦ Why government borrowing and the AI build-out could push rates higher

• Trade deals without the U.S.

◦ Canada and other big economies sign deals that leave out the U.S., which could add to inflation

• Using math to your advantage

◦ Locking in returns above inflation as rates rise

◦ Tax-free municipal bond strategies for high earners

◦ Taking some gains after three strong years to build a cash cushion

• The midterms and the post-Trump era

◦ Prediction markets put the odds of a Democratic Senate at about two-thirds

◦ How a shift in power could change spending, debt, and policy

• Why diesel drives inflation

◦ Low fuel stockpiles heading into winter

◦ Why global markets set U.S. prices, even though the U.S. makes extra diesel

◦ Diesel near $6.25 a gallon, with a possible climb toward $7

Welcome to "Ahead in the Count," presented by BIP Wealth. Our Baseball Division combines their collegiate and professional baseball playing experience with financial acumen to provide expertise in life on and off the field. We aim to give ballplayers and their families a better understanding about their unique lifestyle, the opportunities that come from playing this game, and insight into the complex financial world. This is "Ahead in the Count," hosted by Nolan Alexander, from BIP Wealth.

The MLB postseason is here, and on this episode of Ahead in the Count, host Nolan Alexander pulls back the curtain on the money side of October baseball. Joining him are two members of the BIP Wealth Baseball Division based in Scottsdale, Arizona, and fellow Stanford baseball alumni: former MLB catcher John Hester, CFP®, and Brendan Domaracki, who spent 17 years in MLB front offices with the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks.

Together they break down how postseason rosters are set, how the MLB playoff player pool is funded and split, why clubhouses vote on playoff shares, and what the "championship season" clause in player contracts means for bonuses. They also discuss how a breakout October can turn into a bigger contract, and what back-to-back massive player pools could signal for the game's financial health heading into collective bargaining talks this offseason.

• The September 1 eligibility rule that determines who can make an MLB postseason roster

• How teams reset their 26-man rosters between postseason series

• Why specialists earn spots on playoff rosters

• Where the postseason player pool comes from and how playoff shares are divided by round

• How players vote on full and partial playoff shares inside the clubhouse

• Why front offices stay out of the playoff share vote

• Why most performance bonuses stop at Game 162, and which award bonuses still apply

• How postseason heroics become leverage in free agency and contract talks

• What record-level player pools could mean for the upcoming MLB CBA negotiations

John Hester, CFP® is a former Stanford baseball player and Major League Baseball catcher who now advises professional players and their families in the BIP Wealth Baseball Division from the firm's Scottsdale, Arizona, office.

Brendan Domaracki is a wealth consultant in the BIP Wealth Baseball Division. A Stanford baseball alumnus, he spent 17 years in MLB front offices with the Seattle Mariners (2016–2026) and Arizona Diamondbacks (2009–2016), working with players across every level of an organization before joining Hester in Scottsdale.

Inside the MLB Playoff Pool with Jeremy Hermida and John Hester : https://traffic.libsyn.com/bipwealth/editsplayoffpoolnew_atic_template_mixdown_01.mp3

Welcome to "Ahead in the Count," presented by BIP Wealth. Our Baseball Division combines their collegiate and professional baseball playing experience with financial acumen to provide expertise in life on and off the field. We aim to give ballplayers and their families a better understanding about their unique lifestyle, the opportunities that come from playing this game, and insight into the complex financial world. This is "Ahead in the Count," hosted by Nolan Alexander, from BIP Wealth.

• Brendan's path from Tampa travel ball to Stanford baseball, and what a cross-country recruiting decision taught him about evaluating opportunities
• Earning Stanford's Most Inspirational Player award and a trip to the 2008 College World Series in Omaha
• Breaking into pro baseball with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2009 and climbing into amateur scouting
• Life inside the MLB Draft war room with boards, logistics, and high-stakes decision-making
• The move to the Seattle Mariners and a decade as Director of Player Personnel under Jerry Dipoto
• How draft-day pressure and short decision windows mirror the financial decisions players and families face
• Lessons on communication, relationships, and simplifying complexity on the field and with client finances
• Why Brendan left the game for BIP Wealth's Baseball Division, and what "why now" means for players weighing big life and career decisions
• Balancing a front-office career with fatherhood, and how that shapes his approach to client families

Brendan Domaracki joins BIP Wealth's Baseball Division as a Wealth Consultant after nearly 20 years in professional baseball. A Stanford University alum, he began his front-office career with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2009 before spending the past decade with the Seattle Mariners, most recently as Director of Player Personnel. He works alongside longtime friend and fellow Stanford alumnus John Hester, CFP®, in BIP Wealth's Scottsdale, Arizona office.

Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. To get in touch with a member of today's show, visit bipwealth.com.

CONTACT For more information: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Visit: BIPWealth.com

Welcome to "Ahead in the Count," presented by BIP Wealth. Our Baseball Division combines their collegiate and professional baseball playing experience with financial acumen to provide expertise in life on and off the field. We aim to give ballplayers and their families a better understanding about their unique lifestyle, the opportunities that come from playing this game, and insight into the complex financial world. This is "Ahead in the Count," hosted by Nolan Alexander, from BIP Wealth.

• What a Trump Account is and how children born between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2028 qualify for a $1,000 government contribution
• How the account grows through tax-deferred compounding over the child's lifetime with potentially 60+ years of runway
• The conversion to a traditional IRA at age 18, and why the exact mechanics are still being finalized
• Early withdrawal rules and penalties, including the first-time homebuyer exception and why you'll still owe income tax even when the 10% penalty is waived
• Trump Account vs. 529 plan: how to decide which bucket fits your family's goals
• Tax treatment differences: why 529 withdrawals for education are completely tax-free, while Trump Account withdrawals are taxed as income
• Recent 529 plan expansions, including qualified use for K-12 private school, professional certifications, and the ability to roll over unused funds into a child's Roth IRA
• What's next, including recent guidance from the Treasury Secretary on allowing pre-tax employee/payroll contributions to Trump Accounts, similar to a 401(k)

Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. To get in touch with a member of today's show, visit bipwealth.com.

CONTACT For more information: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Visit: BIPWealth.com

Welcome to "Ahead in the Count," presented by BIP Wealth. Our Baseball Division combines their collegiate and professional baseball playing experience with financial acumen to provide expertise in life on and off the field. We aim to give ballplayers and their families a better understanding about their unique lifestyle, the opportunities that come from playing this game, and insight into the complex financial world. This is "Ahead in the Count," hosted by Nolan Alexander, from BIP Wealth.

The 2026 MLB Draft class is officially getting paid. In this episode of Ahead in the Count, host Nolan Alexander sits down with former professional ballplayers and BIP Wealth advisors John Hester and Jeremy Hermida to break down exactly what happens when that first signing bonus payment lands in a rookie's bank account — and what smart, disciplined planning looks like in the weeks and months that follow.

From signing bonus tax withholding rates to agent fees, off-season training expenses, and the classic "first phone call" about buying a new truck, this conversation is a practical playbook for first-year pro baseball players navigating the biggest financial moment of their young careers.

• Signing bonus tax withholding explained: why teams withhold 22% on amounts under $1 million and 37% on amounts over $1 million — and why that's not the same as what a player actually owes
• The gap between withholding and actual tax liability, which can run six figures depending on the player's total signing bonus
• Agent fees: the other major deduction that comes out almost immediately after a signing bonus payment
• Budgeting for the first pro off-season, including training facility costs, travel, and the difference between players living at home versus supporting themselves independently
• How high school draftees and college draftees approach their first bonus differently, including the impact of NIL earnings for college players
• The "first phone call" conversation — why buying a truck or car is often the first big financial decision a new pro makes, and how advisors help players make that decision responsibly
• Planning around the second bonus installment and the extended timeline to full tax resolution, which can stretch into the following year's April filing deadline
• Building long-term financial maturity so a signing bonus becomes a foundation for the future rather than a short-term windfall

Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. To get in touch with a member of today's show, visit bipwealth.com.

CONTACT For more information: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Visit: BIPWealth.com

Welcome to "Ahead in the Count," presented by BIP Wealth. Our Baseball Division combines their collegiate and professional baseball playing experience with financial acumen to provide expertise in life on and off the field. We aim to give ballplayers and their families a better understanding about their unique lifestyle, the opportunities that come from playing this game, and insight into the complex financial world. This is "Ahead in the Count," hosted by Nolan Alexander, from BIP Wealth.

The current collective bargaining agreement between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association expires December 1, and the posturing has already spilled into public view. On this timely episode of Ahead in the Count, presented by BIP Wealth, host Nolan Alexander sits down with former college and professional players John Hester and Chase Murray to separate real negotiating positions from opening-offer theater.

The conversation starts with the ownership proposal that would reshape amateur baseball: cutting the draft from 20 rounds to 12, eliminating high school players from the draft entirely, and establishing a minimum draft age around 20 to 21 years old. The union's response has been blunt — by its estimate, the changes would strip roughly $1 billion in amateur compensation over five years. Chase points out he never would have been drafted under the proposed structure. John notes the strange internal tension it creates: scouting directors and GMs want their hands on elite talent earlier, not later, and generational players like Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, and Ken Griffey Jr. reached the majors as teenagers.

From there, the discussion turns to the biggest sticking point in the CBA: a proposed salary cap, paired with a salary floor. Nine of the 30 clubs currently sit above the proposed cap for 2026, while twelve sit below the proposed floor — narrowing what teams can spend and what they must spend. Players have publicly held the line, and the two sides remain, in Chase's framing, in "two completely different universes." But John makes the contrarian case: if a cap is genuinely what ownership wants, the union has leverage to trade for it in earlier free agency, earlier arbitration, and a structure that could bring back baseball's vanished middle class of contracts.

The episode closes on what to actually expect between now and Opening Day. John's read: expect a lockout when the agreement expires December 1, expect the real work to happen after the World Series, and expect it to get ugly before it gets resolved — but with attendance up, broadcast numbers strong, and rule changes like the pitch clock and ABS system landing well with fans, neither side has an incentive to wreck a product that's working.

For ball players and their families, the takeaway is a financial one: bonus pools, service time, arbitration timelines, and free agency eligibility are all on the table, and every one of them changes the shape of a career's earnings.

• Why the CBA expiration on December 1 is the date that matters
• MLB's proposal to cut the draft from 20 rounds to 12
• Eliminating high school players from the draft and setting a minimum draft age
• The MLBPA's estimate: $1 billion in lost amateur compensation over five years
• Why bonus pool reduction is the quiet headline in the draft proposal
• What a draft age floor would do to college baseball rosters and the talent logjam at top programs
• Whether college development has actually caught up to pro development
• The maturity and leadership case for college baseball — and why scouts still value intangibles
• The proposed salary cap and salary floor: 9 teams above, 12 below
• Why players have historically defended baseball as the only major sport without a cap
• What the union could realistically win in exchange: earlier free agency, earlier arbitration
• Rebuilding baseball's middle class of contracts
• Lockout expectations, spring training risk, and whether regular season games get missed
• Why both sides have real financial incentive to settle

Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. To get in touch with a member of today's show, visit bipwealth.com.

CONTACT For more information: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Visit: BIPWealth.com

Welcome to "Ahead in the Count," presented by BIP Wealth. Our Baseball Division combines their collegiate and professional baseball playing experience with financial acumen to provide expertise in life on and off the field. We aim to give ballplayers and their families a better understanding about their unique lifestyle, the opportunities that come from playing this game, and insight into the complex financial world. This is "Ahead in the Count," hosted by Nolan Alexander, from BIP Wealth.

In this quarterly market update episode, Eric Cramer, Chief Investment Officer at BIP Wealth, along with Kyle Schmidt of the BIP Wealth Baseball Division hop on for a mid-2026 check-in on markets, tax strategy, and financial planning for professional baseball players and their families. The conversation covers Monte Carlo simulation and tax-efficient planning, a first look at BIP Wealth's short-term municipal bond strategy, insights on the wave of private equity exits expected later this year, a candid look at stretched valuations in the technology sector, a preview of how the midterm election landscape could shape tax and monetary policy, and a fascinating breakdown of what actually predicts life expectancy — plus why VO2 max matters more than you think.

Whether you're a professional athlete navigating a signing bonus, an investor watching the S&P 500 and Russell 2500 diverge, or just curious about the financial world behind the game, this episode blends baseball, markets, and long-term planning.

Key Topics

• Using Math to Your Advantage
• Short-Term Municipal Bonds
• Private Equity Exit Wave
• Market Valuations & Tech Sector Risk
• 2026 Market Performance Snapshot
• Political Landscape & the Midterms
• The Life Expectancy Trivia Question

CONTACT For more information: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Visit: BIPWealth.com

Welcome to "Ahead in the Count," presented by BIP Wealth. Our Baseball Division combines their collegiate and professional baseball playing experience with financial acumen to provide expertise in life on and off the field. We aim to give ballplayers and their families a better understanding about their unique lifestyle, the opportunities that come from playing this game, and insight into the complex financial world. This is "Ahead in the Count," hosted by Nolan Alexander, from BIP Wealth.

How do you decide between signing a professional contract and playing college baseball? In Part 2 of this conversation, host Nolan Alexander of BIP Wealth sits down again with former college and professional players Chase Murray and John Hester to dig into the financial and personal side of "determining your number" ahead of the 2026 MLB Draft.

The trio walks through what actually lands in a player's pocket after a signing bonus. This is once taxes, agent fees, and major purchases are accounted for, and contrasts that W-2 signing-bonus income with the very different tax picture of 1099 NIL earnings in college. They explain how agents and families can use a real bonus breakdown to compare a draft slot value against a college scholarship offer, how agents negotiate a bonus range with organizations, and how that figure can be taken back to a school to weigh both paths honestly.

Beyond the dollars, the guests get candid about the human side of the decision: why there's genuinely no wrong choice, why most young players already know in their gut which way they're leaning, and why the jump from high school to college — and from college to pro ball — is harder than almost anyone expects.

They share a blunt truth that applies at every level: nobody cares who you were before, nothing is guaranteed, and you have to protect what you've earned. The episode also unpacks a key mindset shift between college baseball (built around winning every game) and the minor leagues (built around player development), and how the modern landscape, like improved minor league pay and housing, plus expanded college scholarships beyond the old 11.7 limit, has turned this into a true win-win for today's draft-eligible players.

This is the final episode before the July 2026 MLB Draft, and the guys close with well wishes and a reminder to take a breath and enjoy a moment players will remember for the rest of their lives.

• How a bonus breakdown reveals your true net signing bonus after taxes, agent fees, and big purchases
• The difference between W-2 signing-bonus income and 1099 NIL income — and why roughly 30% should be set aside for taxes
• How agents negotiate a bonus range with MLB organizations and use it to weigh a college offer
• Why slot value is not what ends up in your pocket — and why taxes change the math
• The realities of the high school–to–college and college–to–pro jumps
• Why college baseball prioritizes winning while the minor leagues prioritize player development
• How improved minor league pay and housing plus expanded college scholarships make this a win-win era
• Why nothing is guaranteed in baseball — and how to make your earnings last

CONTACT For more information: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Visit: BIPWealth.com

Welcome to "Ahead in the Count," presented by BIP Wealth. Our Baseball Division combines their collegiate and professional baseball playing experience with financial acumen to provide expertise in life on and off the field. We aim to give ballplayers and their families a better understanding about their unique lifestyle, the opportunities that come from playing this game, and insight into the complex financial world. This is "Ahead in the Count," hosted by Nolan Alexander, from BIP Wealth.

• How NIL and revenue share have changed the "find your number" conversation for high school and college players heading into the MLB Draft
• Why today's draft-eligible players have more leverage than ever
• The case for turning pro early: faster developmental clocks, the wood-bat transition, and the jump from a college rotation to a five-man pro rotation
• The exceptions: elite, "uber-talented" prospects who reach the majors within a year or two of being drafted
• The case for choosing college baseball: education, scholarships at prestigious schools, the College World Series experience, team camaraderie, and life after baseball
• How NIL has raised the overall talent level and competitiveness of college baseball, including players using the transfer portal with Power Conference (ACC/SEC) rosters
• Why some top college players are now earning hundreds of thousands of dollars — even approaching $1 million — in NIL money, and how that complicates the pro-vs-college decision
• Chase Murray's and John Hester's own paths through Georgia Tech and Stanford, and how their college experiences shaped their post-playing careers

Chase Murray and John Hester explain how the draft conversation has shifted from "you get what you get" to a market where high school and college players can weigh NIL income, revenue-share commitments, and draft bonus money against each other — often with a program-backed financial floor for their first year or multiple years on campus.

John Hester breaks down why front offices and player development staff often push for players to turn pro immediately: more reps, a faster transition to wood bats, and exposure to a full five-man pitching rotation rather than a once-a-week college workload. He notes the exceptions — elite prospects who are major-league-ready within a year or two — but stresses that for most players, professional development reps are hard to replicate in college.

Both guests push back on the "turn pro at all costs" mindset, pointing to the value of a college degree, the buffer years between high school and adulthood, team camaraderie unique to the college game, and unforgettable moments like John Hester's freshman-year run to the College World Series at Stanford.

This conversation continues in Episode 2, where Chase Murray and John Hester go deeper into how to actually calculate "your number" ahead of the 2026 MLB Draft.

CONTACT For more information: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Visit: BIPWealth.com