Pro Baseball Representation

Directional Coaching's professional representation division was born from Coach Hank Gonzales' own pursuit of professional baseball.

During the 2017 and 2018 seasons, Hank generated interest from professional scouts and appeared on the draft boards of multiple MLB organizations. Although he ultimately went undrafted both years, the experience gave him something that would later become invaluable: relationships.

Rather than allowing the process to end when his name wasn't called, Hank continued networking. He stayed in contact with scouts, front-office personnel, coaches, and baseball professionals he met throughout his career. Over time, what started as a handful of contacts became an extensive network throughout professional baseball.

In 2020, Hank was preparing to travel to Nicaragua with hopes of earning an opportunity with the Nicaraguan National Team and World Baseball Classic program when COVID-19 shut down baseball around the world and put his playing career on hold.

When baseball began reopening, the landscape had dramatically changed. The MLB Draft had been reduced from 40 rounds to just five, leaving an unprecedented number of talented college players without professional opportunities.

Hank immediately recognized a problem he understood personally.

Talented players were going undrafted — but going undrafted didn't necessarily mean they weren't good enough to play professionally.

So he decided to use the relationships he had built while pursuing his own career to create opportunities for someone else's.

The first Directional Coaching Professional Free Agent Workout was held in San Diego, California.

What began as an idea quickly attracted representatives from 11 MLB organizations, two Mexican professional organizations, and one organization from Japan.

Several players earned opportunities in Mexico from that first event.

More importantly, it proved the concept: Put talented players in front of the right people and give them a legitimate opportunity to be evaluated.

Word began spreading throughout the baseball community.

Directional Coaching expanded its workouts outside California, hosting additional professional showcases in Arizona and Texas and continuing to build relationships with scouts, coaches, general managers, and professional organizations.

Those relationships soon produced Directional Coaching's first MLB organizational signings:

• Matt SwilleySan Diego Padres
• AJ CandelarioMiami Marlins
• Gaylan YoungNorthern Colorado Owlz — Pioneer League

The network continued expanding into independent professional baseball as well. Directional Coaching's first independent signing came when Gaylan Young joined the Northern Colorado Owlz of the Pioneer League, managed by former Major Leaguer Cory Snyder.

What started as one workout for overlooked players has grown into a respected professional baseball network built around one mission: Creating opportunities.

Over the past five years, Directional Coaching has helped facilitate 80+ professional signings and opportunities across MLB organizations, independent professional baseball, Mexico, and winter leagues throughout multiple countries around the world.

Today, Directional Coaching works with free agents, released players, undrafted college athletes, independent professionals, and players pursuing international opportunities.

And the philosophy behind the representation program hasn't changed since that first workout.

Coach Hank knows firsthand what it's like to have the ability to play professionally but need someone willing to open the right door.

That's why Directional Coaching doesn't simply represent players.

We create opportunities for players who are still chasing theirs.