As the first day of NFL free agency ends and former Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray remains in the spotlight, a debate show topic pops up: What if Kyler returns to baseball? Sure, he’ll almost certainly sign with the Vikings, Jets, or some other team in need of a quarterback, but… what if? Can Murray pull up the involuntary Jordan and jump from his chosen sport to his second?
Murray established himself as a legitimate two-sport prospect coming out of high school. After one full season of baseball at Oklahoma State, the Athletics rated him highly as a prospect, selecting him with the ninth overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft.
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“He’s got the power, the speed, the bat speed and the defensive ability to give you a glimpse of his potential,” a senior baseball scout told Yahoo Sports. “If it all comes together, it makes an impact — he’s got All-Star caliber potential.”
In 51 games during the 2018 Oklahoma season, Murray averaged 0.296 home runs per game, had a 0.398 on-base percentage, and a 0.556 slugging percentage. Scouts viewed him as a center fielder with the speed to chase the ball and the arm to rope it back into the infield. (Baseball bonus: Opposing players cannot intercept throws.)
Murray’s athleticism was already on track for the major leagues in college, and even now, he could establish himself as a pro-level performer in a season or so. The exception – and it’s a big exception – is contact. Hitting a baseball is one of the toughest moves in sports and requires constant repetition, something Murray simply doesn’t have as he bounces back and forth between the gridiron and the diamond.
The then-Oakland Athletics selected Kyler Murray with the ninth overall pick in the 2018 draft. (Michael Zagaris/Oakland Sportsman/Getty Images)
(Michael Zagaris via Getty Images)
“Being able to hit the ball is the biggest thing scouting-wise and the most uncertain thing for him,” the scout said. “That’s the hardest thing to predict. He’s behind in exposure, sheer at-bats and things of that nature.”
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However, the scout believes that if Murray dedicates himself to baseball, he can learn to hit in a relatively short period of time.
“Guys who can play quarterback in the NFL can probably figure out a lot of things,” the scout said. “Hitting the baseball is a very challenging thing, but I also think it’s challenging to read the defense.”
Scouts knew from the beginning that Murray preferred football to baseball, especially because football offered a more immediate financial reward. The Athletics gave him a $4.66 million signing bonus … but scouts estimated he’d have to work hard for about six years with no guarantees before signing a massive baseball contract. By comparison, the Cardinals signed Murray to a fully guaranteed rookie contract of $35 million. There aren’t many options there.
When the A’s signed Murray, then-A’s vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane called him “one of the most dynamic athletes we’ve drafted since I’ve been here.” High praise from an inspirer Moneyball.
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Although Murray returned most of his signing bonus, The Athletic still retains his rights and the club’s door remains open. “Keller is a quality NFL quarterback and I believe he has a lot of opportunities to continue his football career,” Athletics general manager David Foster told MLB.com last week. “That being said, he and his baseball representatives know that we are always open to him exploring a return to baseball with the A’s should that day come.”
Murray isn’t the only NFL standout who has a real future in baseball, should he choose to do so. To this day, scouts still wonder how high the Eagles’ A.J. Brown can rise. Some predicted he would be even more talented at the plate than Murray. Brown signed with the Padres out of high school and practiced with the team at the University of Mississippi in college, but apparently chose to stick with football.
Giants quarterback Jameis Winston’s career path is clearer. Winston’s enthusiasm as Florida State’s closer could catapult him to the major leagues. The Rangers selected him with the first pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, but Winston chose not to sign so he could continue pitching for the Seminoles…and win a Heisman Trophy and a national championship in the process.
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For old-school fans of two sports stars like Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders, the challenge facing their potential heirs is a bit disappointing. Every sport requires such dedication, such specialization and such an investment of time that it’s virtually impossible to dabble in two sports right now. But hey, if the Jets end up being Murray’s only option…never say never, right?