THE NEXT FRONTIER IN PLAYER DEVELOPMENT

Brandon Wood was 25 years old and on his ascent to stardom. The Angels’ three-time No. 1 prospect had a clear shot to play third base every day in Anaheim in 2010, following the free agent departure of Chone Figgins.

Instead, fear of seeking help for the panic attacks that struck him every time he trotted out to his position destroyed his promising career.

“I was just so light-headed. I couldn’t really breathe—I had this feeling of pure fear,” Wood said. “I have to have success here and I don’t know how I’m going to do it.”

Struggling with anxiety and uncertainty, Wood chose to suffer in silence rather than speak up. He worried that simply admitting he needed help with his mental state would be perceived poorly by manager Mike Scioscia and negatively impact his career far more than the daily panic attacks

Wood hit .146 that season. A year later he was waived. He retired from baseball before turning 30.

There’s no way