Rhett Wiseman doesn't want to think about the MLB draft

What's your number? Just about everybody has a number.

It's no different for Buckingham Browne & Nichols (Cambridge, Mass.) baseball standout Rhett Wiseman, one of the top prospects in the country who is projected to be selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

Wiseman, a centerfielder at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, is on everybody's radar. A .447 hitter last season, he has the speed and range – and most importantly the makeup – that scouts covet in high school players. More importantly at this stage, he has their attention.

Since he was 13 years old, he's been on the circuit, playing in the Dominican Republic, on elite travel teams for MLB scouts and working out for anyone who wanted to gander at the skilled outfielder. He had a whirlwind summer in which he played in New Jersey, Florida and California for one travel team.

"The only days we had off were the days we were traveling," Wiseman said. "And that usually followed a practice."

The Mansfield, Mass., 17-year-old has had 26 of the 30 professional baseball teams visit his home. And they're saying all the right things, pointing to the projections and prodding the prodigy.

If Wiseman is drafted in the first round, he'll be the first Massachusetts position player to be selected that high in more than a decade.

So what's his number? You know, the amount of money that needs to be offered for him to forgo his commitment to Vanderbilt – he made a verbal commitment when he was a sophomore and signed a National Letter of Intent in November – and enter the minor leagues.

Not even Wiseman knows. He hasn't even thought about it. And it's something he wants to put off for as long as possible, especially with baseball season heating up.

"No, it's early still," Wiseman said of coming up with a number, just two days before traveling to Florida again with his BB&N baseball team. "That's a decision my family and I will make. But it's not about the money. It's about whether or not I want to play."

Wiseman figures he'll make all the tough decisions in June, after BB&N's baseball season.

"During the season, I'm not even going to be thinking about the draft."

But he did see what fellow Massachusetts and Independent School League rival Tyler Beede did last year. The Lawrence Academy (Groton, Mass.) graduate was selected No. 21 in the MLB draft by the Toronto Blue Jays but declined to go pro. Beede, a right-handed pitcher, is now playing for Vanderbilt. He was the only player that didn't sign after being selected in the first round of the 2011 draft.

"I think every situation is different," said Rick Foresteire, Wiseman's coach at BB&N. "He's a very good student and it just comes down to what he wants to do. A million is difficult to turn down. But I think he's excited for the challenges ahead."

Instead of thinking about what's possible – and how much it will cost – Wiseman is zoning in on this season for BB&N. It's a rebuilding year for the Knights, who lost four top seniors, including Andrew Chin who is now playing at Boston College. Chin was drafted by the Blue Jays in the fifth round of 2011 draft.

"We're gonna be scrappy," Wiseman said of the younger team. "We're gonna be in every game."

Meanwhile, everyone is watching and waiting until the June draft to figure out what exactly Wiseman is going to do, and whether or not he'll pull a Beede.

Zuri Berry is a sports writer and producer for the Boston Globe and Boston.com. You can follow him on Twitter @zuriberry, and reach him via e-mail at zuri@zuriberry.com.