He's just signed on with Major League Baseball club Philadelphia Phillies, now Canberra teenager Mitch Edwards has given himself eight years to make it to The Show.
The 18-year-old catcher got a $US100,000 ($131,000) signing bonus and he'll leave for Philadelphia's minor league complex in Clearwater, Florida, in a few weeks.
He'll start by playing in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League, the lowest level of the minor league system, and from there he hopes to slowly work his way up the ranks until he makes it to the Majors, a process that usually takes at least five years.
Canberra's Mitch Edwards has signed with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Photo: Jamila Toderas
Edwards had earned a full scholarship at Arizona Western College, but opted to sign a professional contract instead.
His deal also guarantees him $US80,000 ($105,000) to fund his university if he is released before his deal expires in seven years or he doesn't reach the majors.
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He played three games for the Canberra Cavalry in the Australian Baseball League in 2016-17 before shifting to the Sydney Blue Sox last summer.
"If I went to college Id have to focus on school and baseball," Edwards said.
"Now I can go straight to professional ball, I dont have to worry about college, I can give it everything and give my all to baseball.
"I think school is very important and youve got to have a back-up plan so that was a big part of the contract, I wanted schooling money."
Edwards hopes to get to the majors by the time he's 26, but he knows that he's got a long road ahead of him and wouldn't care if he didn't reach the pinnacle of baseball until his 30s.
Despite the long road ahead, Edwards has already come a long away and one man who has been by his side for the whole journey has been his dad.
His father John Edwards also played minor league baseball for the Minnesota Twins and the Colorado Rockies and he's given Mitch every chance of rising up the rungs of American baseball.
"Hes given me a lot of advice with how to cope with life over there and how to deal with playing over there, its a different culture and youve got to get used to it," Edwards said.
"My dad has been a big part of my life and my baseball, without him I wouldnt be where I am so I have to give credit to my dad and my family, my nan and pop and all them."
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