Tom Brady was drafted by the Montreal Expos as a catcher in the 1995 MLB Draft. The scout ranked him a late second-round talent but placed him in round 18 - they knew his Michigan football scholarship made him impossible to sign. Brady chose football and won seven Super Bowls. Asked where baseball would have led, Brady said: "I would be selling insurance."
The Greatest QB Ever Was a Pro Baseball Prospect
In June 1995, a Major League Baseball team used an 18th-round draft pick on a left-handed-hitting catcher from California. That catcher had a football scholarship waiting and never played a single professional baseball game. He went on to win seven Super Bowls instead.
The Scout Who Found Him
John Hughes, an Expos scout, had spent time watching Tom Brady play at Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, California. Brady had moved from first baseman to catcher his senior year and hit .311 with eight home runs. Hughes rated Brady a genuine pro prospect - on talent alone, a late second-round pick. But the Expos placed Brady in the 18th round for one clear reason: everyone in baseball knew he had committed to the University of Michigan on a football scholarship and would be nearly impossible to sign.
What the Expos Saw
Hughes described Brady as already standing around 6-foot-3 with a strong athletic frame, the arm strength catchers need behind the plate, pull-side power, and a sharp instinct for the game. Expos general manager Kevin Malone went further, later saying Brady "could have been one of the greatest catchers ever." Hughes reflected on the failed recruitment with a line that captures just how unusual the situation was: "I never had as much fun scouting a player that we eventually didn't sign."
Brady Chose Football
Brady enrolled at Michigan, competed hard for a starting role, and eventually became one of the most decorated quarterbacks in college football history. The New England Patriots selected him in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft - 199th overall, a pick that became one of the most famous in league history. What followed: seven Super Bowl titles, five Super Bowl MVP awards, and a near-universal consensus as the greatest quarterback who ever played.
His Take on the Road Not Taken
When asked what his life would look like had he chosen baseball, Brady was direct: "I'd be selling insurance, man. Baseball was not my sport." When Brady retired from the NFL in February 2023, a small footnote attached to the announcement - he became the last active professional athlete drafted by the Montreal Expos, a franchise that had folded nearly two decades earlier.
Frequently Asked Questions
What round was Tom Brady drafted in the 1995 MLB Draft?
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Why did Tom Brady choose football over baseball?
What did the Montreal Expos scout say about Tom Brady?
Was Tom Brady the last Montreal Expos draft pick still playing?
Verified Fact
Verified Jun 22, 2026 · 5 sources checked
Source: CBS SportsShow verification details
Verified 2026-06-22. 5 sources checked. Primary source: Bleacher Report (bleacherreport.com/articles/2713141-before-the-goat-tom-brady-could-have-been-one-of-the-greatest-catchers-ever). Secondary: CBS Sports, Yahoo Sports, SI.com (2017), GiveMeSport. Claims checked: Draft 18th round 1995 Expos - CONFIRMED. Position catcher - CONFIRMED. School Junipero Serra HS San Mateo - CONFIRMED. Scout grade late second-round talent - CONFIRMED (CBS: Hughes said on talent alone he would have been projected a late second-round pick). John Hughes name - CONFIRMED CBS+Bleacher Report+GiveMeSport. Stats .311 / 8 HRs - CONFIRMED Bleacher Report+SI+GiveMeSport+Yahoo Sports. First-base to catcher conversion senior year - CONFIRMED (1995 San Francisco Examiner per Yahoo Sports). Kevin Malone could have been one of the greatest catchers ever - CONFIRMED Bleacher Report (exact: I think he could have been one of the greatest catchers ever). Hughes never had as much fun quote - CONFIRMED Hartford Courant Jan 2019. Brady chose Michigan football scholarship - CONFIRMED all sources. Seven Super Bowls - CONFIRMED. Brady quote selling insurance - CONFIRMED CBS+GiveMeSport (exact: I would be selling insurance man. Baseball was not my sport). Last active Expos pick at Feb 2023 retirement - CONFIRMED CBS. 6-foot-3 height - CONFIRMED CBS+Bleacher Report. Brady throws right bats left - CONFIRMED SI.com explicitly. Corrections: (1) article: left-handed catcher corrected to left-handed-hitting catcher - sources explicit Brady threw right-handed; original implied a lefty thrower which does not exist in baseball. (2) article: extended Brady quote trimmed - the clause football was the one I chose for a reason is unsourced embellishment; sourced quote stops at Baseball was not my sport. (3) source_url: updated from CBS Sports (covers only retirement angle + Hughes grade) to Bleacher Report (covers headline specifics: Malone quote, stats, grade, position, school). text and social_text unchanged - both use correct shorter quote; position stated as catcher only, no ambiguity. No scheduled_posts exist. Novelty=0 confirmed (MLB FB channels + Dec 2023 Topps ad). engine=2 correct: Brady IS the story not trivia. passes_vetoes=false (novelty + proof_photo) - filler tier correct.
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