75% of top-drafted pitchers never make it to the big leagues. If your son is a pitcher, this episode could change everything about how you approach his development. Subscribe for weekly baseball career insights.

Former first-round pick Justin Orenduff had the GM of the Dodgers watching him pitch in Double-A. Then his shoulder gave out. That injury sent him on a decade-long quest to understand why some pitchers stay healthy and others break down. His answer is backed by data from 1,100 drafted pitchers and published with Duke University.

✅ Why 75% of top-drafted pitchers never reach the big leagues — and only 2–3% become everyday starters

✅ How college innings count against a pitcher's professional career before it even starts

✅ What the DVS score is and how it quantifies injury risk on a 0–24 scale

✅ The free training tool every youth pitcher already has access to that nobody talks about

✅ Why velocity and longevity don't have to be mutually exclusive

Justin Orenduff was a first-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers who had his career derailed by a shoulder injury. After surgery, his surgeon told him something that changed his entire mindset: the way he threw the baseball caused the injury. That single phrase launched Justin into years of research, eventually partnering with Duke University to publish a formal study on pitching mechanics and injury risk.

His study tracked the top three pitchers drafted and signed by every MLB organization since 2013 — over 1,100 pitchers total. The findings were staggering: nearly half arrived in professional baseball already carrying arm injuries from their amateur careers. College pitchers who needed surgery had accumulated only around 320 total innings, and that number includes their college workload. The professional runway before a major injury was shockingly short.

From that research, Justin built DVS — the Delivery Value System — a biomechanics scoring model that rates a pitcher's delivery from 0 to 24 based on injury risk and mechanical efficiency. Pitchers like Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw, and Mariano Rivera all scored above 16. Justin himself scored a 7 before his surgery and climbed to 17–20 after learning how to move differently — throwing harder at 35 years old than at any point in his professional career.

The conversation also dives into the USPBL, a four-team developmental league where Justin runs pitcher development. Unlike traditional independent baseball, the USPBL prioritizes skill development days, individualized plans, and a culture where committing to growth matters more than winning that night's game. So far, 52 players have signed with MLB organizations and 7 have reached the big leagues.

Matt and Justin also tackle the uncomfortable reality behind youth pitching culture: training programs that chase velocity to validate their own business models, not the pitcher's long-term career. And they explore a simple thought experiment that every baseball family should consider: if you had to choose between a coach who promises 100 mph and a coach who promises health, which would you pick? Scroll down to the timestamps to hear why that's the wrong question.

If this episode changed how you think about pitcher development, share it with a baseball family who needs to hear it.

RESOURCES

→ DVS Baseball: https://dvsbaseball.com

→ Justin on X/Twitter: @JustinOrenduff

Matt Hannaford is a Major League Baseball agent with 25+ years of experience advising families on baseball career decisions. Justin Orenduff is a former first-round MLB Draft pick, pitching biomechanics researcher, and head of pitcher development for the USPBL.

Most baseball families believe the path to success is more reps, more pressure, more seriousness — but former World Series champion and MLB manager Kurt Suzuki sees it differently.

In this special episode of The Most Valuable Agent, MLB agent Matt Hannaford sits down with Kurt Suzuki and his 12-year-old son Kai for an honest, refreshing conversation about youth baseball, parenting, pressure, and what actually builds confident, resilient players.

This isn't a highlight-reel interview — it's a real look inside how a big leaguer thinks about development before the stats, rankings, and expectations take over. Kurt opens up about the mistakes he made as a player, the lessons he wishes he learned earlier, and why his number-one rule as a dad and coach is never telling a kid to "do more" after a bad game.

Together, they talk through the emotional side of baseball: handling failure, separating identity from performance, why fun matters more than trophies at 12 years old, and how parents can support growth without accidentally creating burnout. Kai shares what it's actually like growing up around the big leagues — from clubhouse prank stories to what helps him stay loose when games get tense.

If you're a parent, coach, or player navigating travel ball, pressure-filled weekends, and the constant feeling that your kid should be doing more — this episode brings clarity, perspective, and a much-needed exhale.

Subscribe for weekly insight on player development, mindset, recruiting, and the business of baseball — with conversations families rarely get to hear this honestly.

• Why "having fun" isn't soft — it's a competitive advantage
• How Kurt separates being a dad from being a coach
• The one phrase Kurt refuses to say after bad games
• Why practice should be intense — but games should be free
• How kids absorb pressure even when adults think they're hiding it
• Why winning at 12 doesn't matter as much as learning how to win
• How to teach confidence without tying identity to performance
• What youth players actually need after failure
• How clubhouse culture translates directly to youth baseball teams
• Why burnout often starts with good intentions from parents

Kurt Suzuki is a former MLB catcher, World Series champion, and current Major League manager. Over a 16-year big league career, he became known as a leader, game-caller, and teammate-first professional. Today, Kurt brings those same principles to coaching, player development, and parenting — emphasizing preparation, mindset, and respect for the game.

Matt Hannaford is a 25-year MLB agent and founder of Aligned Sports. He has represented MVPs, All-Stars, and World Series champions, and now shares weekly insight on youth development, recruiting, mindset, and the business of baseball through The Most Valuable Agent podcast.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mfhannaford/
Website: https://www.aligndsports.com/
YouTube (subscribe for weekly insight): https://www.youtube.com/@mostvaluableagent

#YouthBaseball #TravelBaseball #BaseballParents #PlayerDevelopment #MentalGame #BaseballMindset #MostValuableAgent #ParentCoaching #BaseballCulture

Most baseball families think "insurance" only becomes relevant after a player signs a pro contract — but the truth is, disability insurance is already shaping decisions in high school recruiting, NIL negotiations, and college roster building.

In this episode of The Most Valuable Agent, MLB agent Matt Hannaford sits down with David Brookbank, co-founder of Income Protection Consultants (IPC), one of the most trusted independent voices in the disability insurance space for elite athletes. David has spent 30+ years inside disability policy structure, claims, and underwriting — and he's also deeply plugged into sports law and the business side of college athletics through Arizona State's sports law ecosystem.

Together, they break down what disability insurance actually is (and what it isn't), why "loss of value" is the most misunderstood term in amateur baseball, and how families can avoid the biggest mistake: listening only to the person selling the policy.

You'll learn the real layers of coverage (Permanent Total Disability, Critical Injury, Temporary Total Disability), how policy language can completely change whether a claim gets paid, why illness claims can be bigger than injury claims, and how universities are now using disability policies as a tool to attract and retain draft-level talent.

If you're a parent, player, or coach trying to understand what happens if he gets hurt — and how to protect a future before the draft/NIL money shows up — this episode gives you the roadmap.

Subscribe for weekly insight on player development, recruiting, and the business of baseball — with the truth families rarely hear early enough.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• What disability insurance is in sports — and why it exists
• The 3 core layers of coverage: PTD vs Critical Injury vs Temporary Total Disability
• Why most policies cover athletes 24/7, not just during games
• The biggest misconception: why writers and families wrongly call everything "loss of value"
• How Tommy John/UCL coverage varies dramatically based on policy wording
• Why "required within 30 days" vs "performed within 30 days" can decide a claim
• Hidden fine print that can void a payout (ex: % of season missed requirements)
• The real claim rates David sees across hundreds of athletes each year
• How universities handle insurance options (and why they can't "direct" one policy)
• Why disability insurance is becoming part of NIL and revenue-share negotiations
• How high school draft prospects use disability coverage as a college decision lever
• What premiums can look like for pitchers — and why pitchers are the most expensive to insure
• Why policy honesty matters: applications, medical records, and avoiding claim denial

ABOUT DAVID

David Brookbank is the co-founder of Income Protection Consultants (IPC), a specialty consulting firm that analyzes and advises on disability insurance policies for elite athletes across high school, college, and professional sports. David began his career in disability insurance over three decades ago and now focuses on independent policy review, education, underwriting guidance, and claims navigation — without selling the policies himself. He holds a master's in legal studies with a concentration in sports law and contract law and is deeply connected to the sports business ecosystem through Arizona State.

ABOUT MATT HANNAFORD

Matt Hannaford is a 25-year MLB agent and founder of Aligned Sports. He has negotiated historic contracts, represented MVPs and All-Stars, and now delivers weekly insight on player development, recruiting, and the business of baseball through The Most Valuable Agent podcast.

CONNECT WITH MATT
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mfhannaford/
Website: https://www.aligndsports.com/
YouTube (subscribe for weekly insight): https://www.youtube.com/@mostvaluableagent

#YouthBaseball #TravelBaseball #BaseballParents #MLBDraft #NIL #DisabilityInsurance #TommyJohn #CollegeBaseball #MostValuableAgent #BaseballBusiness