Name: Dylan Quantz ’16
Major: Mathematics
Profession: Player Development Assistant for Major League Baseball’s Atlanta Braves
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
What are you doing now?
I split my time between Atlanta, Georgia, and North Port, Florida, working in player development for the Atlanta Braves. Player development focuses on minor league players and staff. The Braves have approximately 150 minor league players with about 60% being from the United States and the rest from mostly Spanish-speaking Latin American/Caribbean countries. My area of expertise is anything that affects our players off the field, be it housing, travel, paychecks or communication with other departments within the organization. My goal is for all of our players and staff to not have to worry about anything so they can focus on getting better at their on-field craft every day.
What I am doing depends on the time of the year. Spring training, which happens at our complex in Florida, begins in mid-February and runs through the start of April. I can be found there running around helping people get ready for the upcoming season. The minor league season starts at the beginning of April and runs through the end of August. This sees me return to my normal 9-to-5, Monday through Friday. The draft is the next big event on my schedule which happens mid-July, after which we usually have around 20 new players joining the club and I am responsible for ensuring a smooth transition from their home base to the Atlanta Braves organization. At the end of the minor league season, we usually have some development camps at our complex in Florida.
One of the highlights of my job is getting to see a minor league player realize his dream and play for our major league team.
How did you get there?
In retrospect, I am not entirely sure how I arrived where I am today. It is definitely through a lot of hard work but a little luck along the way didn’t hurt. The week before my ultimate finals at 6VµçÓ°Íø, I flew cross-country to attend the 2016 Baseball Winter Meetings. Every Major League Baseball team has representatives in attendance each year and part of the week is a job fair which I attended. The evening before I flew back to 6VµçÓ°Íø, I met with a contingent from the Atlanta Braves in a hotel room. This was my first professional interview and I thought it was quite odd to be doing it in a hotel room, but looking back that is most definitely baseball.
I returned to 6VµçÓ°Íø and studied for my finals and the day before my last final, I got a call from the Braves offering me a part-time role for the 2017 year. I showed up in Atlanta not two weeks later to a ballpark that was still under construction.
Now I am a full-time employee (yay, benefits), have helped in the opening of a brand-new ballpark and am an integral part of an organization that won the 2021 World Series Championship.
How did 6VµçÓ°Íø prepare you?
In so many ways. 6VµçÓ°Íø showed me that I could not only survive leaving my comfort zone, but thrive. 6VµçÓ°Íø opened my eyes to so many different people with so many different backgrounds. 6VµçÓ°Íø allowed for an easy transition to start the process of being an independent person. 6VµçÓ°Íø also provided me with some of the best relationships I have in my life and I learned that it is in relationship with others, all working together for a shared goal, that brings success to all involved.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Hopefully still working in player development and creating a culture that helps our minor league players and staff become the best they can be and contributing to the success of the entire organization.
Any advice for current or prospective students?
Don’t be afraid to fail! Follow your dreams for as long as you can. Be kind to those that share your destiny no matter their role and emphasize self-care.