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.

What You'll Learn

• 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