Checking Up On Cord Sandberg
The 2015 season will be the final season of arguably the best quarterback to ever play at Mississippi State. Dak Prescott has accomplished more than most thought possible when he was a 3 star prospect in Haughton, LA. LSU did not make an offer to Prescott until late in the game, and by that time, it was too late. As we get ready to see the final chapter of the Prescott era, we look ahead to what awaits as his replacement. Williams will be given the opportunity to be the starter entering fall practice in 2016, but most people believe that either Nick Fitzgerald or Elijah Staley will be the guy to actually take the role of starter after Dak Prescott leaves.
The reason Williams is on the team though is because highly rated dual threat quarterback Cord Sandberg was drafted in the third round of the 2013 Major League Baseball draft by the Philadelphia Phillies. When Sandberg went to play baseball, Mullen went and found someone to take his spot on the team. That guy was Williams. There is always the possibility that Sandberg could elect to come back to Starkville if his baseball career didn’t pan out. Baseball would be out of the question since he signed a pro deal to play that sport, but he could fall back on football. There have been other players that have done this, most notably Chris Weinke of Florida State. So what has he done in his time in the minor leagues?
In his 2 years in the minor leagues, he has hit .224 with 8 home runs and 38 RBIs. He plays right field, but the Phillies are considering whether they should move him over to center field. The weakest area of his game is in the field, but many of the people who have seen him play attribute it to being a two sport star for his entire high school career. As a matter of fact, a lot of his deficiencies are attributed to being a two sport star in high school. Scouts and anyone who have watched him rave about his raw talent for baseball, but raw is the key word. It is going to take a few more years to get him developed and ready to play in the major leagues, even though he might have the highest ceiling of any player in the Phillies’ organization. And there is the rub for Sandberg.
It doesn’t appear that he will be in the majors until at least the 2017 MLB season, and it is more likely that he would make his first appearance at that level in 2018. His most likely landing spot this season is the Phillies’ AA affiliate and working his way toward polaying in AAA in 2016. If he could have big years at both levels, 2017 would see Sandberg likely landing a spot on the Phillies’ roster in 2017. If there are any setbacks to his development, it will likely take longer for Sandberg to get to the major league level.
It’s very possible that if Sandberg gets frustrated with the amount of time it takes to get to the majors, and the Bulldogs are struggling at the quarterback position or if whoever is the starter is getting ready to leave, Sandberg might want to change his career path. Like I said earlier, it wouldn’t be the first time it has happened. If you’re a Bulldog fan, it wouldn’t hurt to keep your eye on Sandberg. The future of quarterback in 3 or 4 years might be playing in the Phillies’ minor league organization.