This is a story about alignment. When the game you love turns into the work you do, you realize the path wasn’t random… it was training. And for those aiming for a career in the sport you love, this grind has a curriculum.
THE APPROACH: It starts with buy-in.
Breaking into MLB isn’t a job search; it’s a grind. The rejection, the travel, the long stretches with no replies, the hours, the doubt that creeps in after a rejection, and the commitment it takes to post every day. It’s game study without a scoreboard, it’s knowing relationships matter more than many other factors, and the constant recalibration between confidence and reality. This grind looks different from what it does on the field, but it rhymes with the game: small wins, bad days, good days, and the pressure of knowing you’re always being evaluated. In the end, you still decide to forge ahead because there’s no other place to be but in this game. Baseball doesn’t just test talent; it tests stamina. As Athlete Lab Founder & CEO Collin Murray says, “Trust the process”.
Collin Murray, founder of Athlete Lab, understands this because he has lived it twice: first as a player who took his lumps and was cut repeatedly, and later as a coach and builder who learned the hard truth about pro sports careers - if you don’t build a good process, the process breaks you. That’s why Athlete Lab doesn’t feel like another course. It’s a training facility for the other side of the game— a structured environment designed to turn ambition into output. Collin brings credibility and builds for the future with education and development. This was built by someone who fought his way in, learned what the industry really rewards, and turned that hard-earned knowledge into a system that now has tangible outcomes.
THE GRIND: Process over results, or you’ll drown.
Murray’s story begins where most people quit. He grew up in Boston and committed early to baseball; he even had the opportunity to attend a private high school specifically for baseball. Then came the gut punch: he was cut, all four years.
As a high school athlete, a cut can be devastating or even an ending. For Murray, it became a purposeful switch in mindset. You either accept the verdict, or it lights a fire. Murray chose the second path and said, “I’m either going to get this, or I’m going to die in the process of getting it.” That kind of mentality isn’t motivational jargon; it’s evolution. It forces you to stop living in outcomes and start living in controllables. Baseball players have to make constant adjustments. If you’re in the thick of searching for your baseball job, how is it any different for you?
It simply became result-based thinking, which has to become process-based thinking. That lesson is why he connects so naturally with people chasing baseball jobs; the emotions are identical. Players deal with slumps, and candidates deal with ghosting or no replies. Players handle a bad inning or an at-bat; candidates deal with one brutal rejection that makes them question everything. And the advice is the same in both worlds:
You won’t be perfect
You will fall off- get back on! The skill is how fast you can regain your balance and momentum
Consistency isn’t a vibe, it’s the standard
You only need that one yes
Athlete Lab is built with that reality in mind. It doesn’t sell flashy trinkets or pipe dreams. The program builds competence and repetition that holds under pressure. The confidence part is on you, because the industry doesn’t reward the most hopeful; it rewards the most prepared. Even those with untraditional paths.
THE CREDIBILITY: Education and experience, without arrogance.
Athlete Lab isn’t built from theory, and it wasn’t created from the outside looking in. After playing collegiate baseball at McGill University, Collin entered affiliated ball and coached in the minor leagues with the Tigers and Orioles. He lived the rhythm of pro baseball: fundamentals to work on, not enough time, information overload, staff and player dynamics, and the constant demand to turn insight into action. Relaying data and information to a player and creating action can be challenging. That’s where Murray developed the skill that now separates Athlete Lab from most career development programs: Translation.
Data literacy is no longer a differentiator in baseball; it’s the default. TrackMan, Hawkeye, biomechanics, and A.I. have changed the sport. The evolution is not optional, and it’s here to stay. As Murray put it, some highly knowledgeable people get left behind not because they don’t understand baseball, but because they can’t translate modern information into something usable for players, coaches, and decision-makers. That gap is the market Athlete Lab attacks. Murray teaches people to build the hard skills, data, visualization, and coding foundations, but he emphasizes what teams actually hire for once the baseline is met: communication and clarity.
A phrase that belongs in every candidate’s head: data is the entry fee. Translation is the separator. Athlete Lab trains candidates to produce work that plays and that teams can consume quickly. Not long wordy reports, or long emails that sound like every other submission. In modern hiring, standing out is paramount. Baseball departments are flooded. Teams don’t have time to scout and discover you. They need you to be obvious, credible, and fast. Collin and Athlete Lab teach how to do that without begging. Murray’s guidance is tactical:
Short, visual messages beats long, vague messages
Don’t simply ask for a job; create, inquire, stand out
“Portfolio is your game film.” - Collin Murray
Make it easy for them to evaluate you
That approach humanizes candidates in a process that more often than not dehumanizes them. A one-page resume is just another addition to the pile. A sharp project plus a short video explanation becomes a beacon, and it attracts the viewer to investigate further.
THE PROOF
Plenty of programs sound great, but Athlete Lab has delivered. What started as Collin helping a couple of people after a podcast quickly turned into a repeatable and easy delivery: help candidates with non-traditional backgrounds land starting full-time roles. Then more, then many more.
Collin states it plainly- “Over 100 people have gotten jobs through Athlete Lab in the last two years, with placements reaching all 30 MLB organizations.” That doesn’t happen by accident or because the industry suddenly became fair. It happens because it’s built around the fundamentals of baseball hiring. Teams don’t lack applicants; we all know this. They lack the time and personnel. Collin described the cycle: departments may have 1,500 applications for a role, and weeks, not months, to act. That forces a reality: teams rely on referrals, a quick signal, and candidates who are easiest to evaluate and trust. Athlete Lab’s system is designed for that:
Build skills that match modern front office expectations
Produce portfolio work that demonstrates ability
Package and distribute it in a way hiring managers will actually consume
Use a feedback-first approach
Recently, Athlete Lab launched a platform that takes this a step further: a destination where candidates can be seen, and teams can engage directly. Within days of launch, teams were already using it to find and move candidates. This is the part that makes the “Lab” different. It doesn’t only teach, it creates momentum. Murray’s secret isn’t hype. It’s his knack for fine-tuning talent, helping people reduce noise, sharpen the signal, and present themselves like baseball professionals before they’re hired as baseball professionals.
If you want to work in pro baseball, Athlete Lab doesn’t promise magic. It offers something more useful: A system that gives you reps, direction, and a real shot. In baseball, players learn early: if you don’t like the results, adjust the process.
Athlete Lab teaches the same lesson and gives you the reps to live it.
“If you don’t like the outcome… play better.” -Collin Murray
Connect with Collin at Athlete Lab:
Instagram: @athlete__lab
www.athletelab.io
LinkedIn: Collin Murray / AthleteLab
If you reach out: Tell Collin you came from 9inningnomad and share what role(s) you’re chasing (player dev, scouting, ops, analytics, etc.) and a link to your best work/portfolio.