The Major League Baseball regular season got underway this week and several former football recruits find themselves as prominent MLB players. We take a look at several current MLB players who opted for a professional life on the diamond instead of the gridiron. MORE: Will it be baseball or football for five-star QB?



As a recruit/football player: Samardzija was a three-star in the 2003 class and chose Notre Dame over Indiana, Northwestern and Purdue. The chance to play both sports in South Bend was a major appeal for Samardzija, who went onto have a terrific career as a wide receiver, posting back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons in 2005 and 2006. In MLB: After deciding to pass on a potential NFL career, Samardzija was drafted in the fifth round of the 2006 MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs. He started off his career as a relief pitcher and before transitioning to a full-time starter. He earned all-star honors in 2014 and has played for the Cubs, the Oakland A’s, Chicago White Sox and San Francisco Giants, his current team. Smardzija, who has a career record of 68-87, will start the season on the disabled list after suffering an injury during spring training.

As a recruit/football player: Giancarlo "Mike" Stanton was unranked in 2007, mainly because it was assumed he would pursue a career in baseball. That ended up being the case as Stanton turned down overtures from UNLV, USC and UCLA to go pro after being drafted by the then-Florida Marlins. While at powerhouse California high school program Notre Dame, Stanton played baseball, basketball and football and had 11 touchdown catches in his senior season. In MLB: One of the faces of the game, Stanton clearly made the right choice by sticking with baseball. He’s a three-time all-star who finished second in national league MVP voting in 2014. Stanton made baseball history when he signed a 13-year, $325 million contract following the 2014 season. He was traded from the Marlins to the Yankees during the winter and pairs with fellow slugger Aaron Judge to form one of the best 1-2 punches in the MLB.

As a recruit/football player: Hamilton was a two-star wide receiver prospect in the 2009 class and actually committed and signed with Mississippi State. But after being selected in the second round of the MLB Draft by Cincinnati, he elected to skip college football to head straight into the Reds organization. As a high school athlete, Hamilton was all-state in baseball, football and basketball. In MLB: Hamilton worked his way through the Reds organization and broke into the majors in 2013. Known as one of the fastest players in the game, Hamilton has dazzled with his base-stealing ability and his highlight-reel catches in centerfield. He has finished in the Top 10 in the majors in stolen bases each of the last five seasons. For his career, Hamilton has 243 stolen bases.

As a recruit/football player: Bradley was a three-star quarterback in the 2011 class and was expected to play both football and baseball at Oklahoma. While he didn’t put up gaudy high school stats, Bradley was an Elite 11 finalist and was expected to be part of the Sooners' future quarterback battles. However, after being selected No. 7 overall in the 2011 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, he elected to turn pro and focus on baseball. In MLB: After working his way through the minors Bradley made the Diamondbacks opening day roster in 2015, quickly becoming one of the team’s best young arms. His career was derailed when he was struck by a line drive that same season, but after missing an extended period of time he recovered and started 26 games for the team in 2016. Bradley moved to the bullpen in 2017, making a career-high 63 appearances. He’s expected to have a similar role in 2018.

As a recruit/football player: Several FBS programs took a long look at Szczur as a recruit, but in the end FCS program Villanova was the only school to offer a scholarship. The move turned out to be a wise one for the Wildcats, as Szczur became a star, playing quarterback, wide receiver and running back as well as serving as the team’s primary kick returner. He led Villanova to an FCS national championship in 2009 and was awarded MVP honors after recording 270 all-purpose yards in the team’s victory. In MLB: Szcur also starred on Villanova’s baseball team and was a fifth round selection of the Chicago Cubs. After signing a contract with the team he skipped the NFL Combine and committed fully to baseball. He broke into the majors in 2014 and became a regular player for the Cubs in 2016, appearing in more than 100 games during the club’s run to a World Series victory. Szczur was traded by the Cubs to the Padres during the 2017 season, playing in a career-high 119 games between the two teams.

As a recruit/football player: A two-star quarterback in the Class of 2006, Smith nabbed several offers, including Central Michigan and Toledo. But the chance to stay in-state and play for Pittsburgh was too much to pass up and he committed to the Panthers during the spring of his junior year. After redshirting as a freshman, Smith stepped into the starting role in 2007, following an injury to then-starter Bill Stull. Smith struggled in five appearances, throwing for 415 yards with one touchdown with four interceptions. He appeared in one more game in 2008, before electing to shift his focus to baseball full-time. In MLB: Smith was drafted in the seventh round of the 2011 draft by the Chicago White Sox and spent the next four years working his way through the minors. He finally broke through to the big leagues in 2016, struggling with injuries before finally making his major league debut in September. Smith began the 2017 season with Triple-A Charlotte before being promoted to the majors again in April, where he earned a consistent role, batting .283 while appearing in 87 games. Smith is likely to begin the 2018 season on the disabled list due to an injury suffered in spring training.