Not The Only One

NOT THE ONLY ONE is the raw, unfiltered, deeply human story of how a young boy from Canada, armed with nothing but obsession, stubbornness, and a mind that often worked against him, carved out a place in one of the hardest industries in the world: Major League Baseball representation.

Derek Marques didn't grow up surrounded by scouts, coaches, or baseball families. He wasn't raised inside the sport, didn't inherit a network, and never fit the traditional mold of a future agent. Instead, he found himself battling anxiety, OCPD, and depression long before he ever stepped into a negotiation room. For years, he felt like an outsider looking through a fence at a world that wasn't built for someone like him.

But he walked toward it anyway.

From the quiet childhood moments that shaped his ambition, to the psychological war of the MLBPA certification process, to rebuilding overlooked players and losing one immediately after his MLB debut, Derek's path was anything but easy. He faced betrayal, loneliness, financial risk, overwhelming pressure, and an industry that often rewards flash over heart. Yet through all the chaos, he discovered that the same mind he once viewed as a weakness became his greatest competitive advantage.

This book peels back the curtain on the sports agent world, the parts no one talks about. The long nights. The panic. The heartbreak. The quiet victories. The loyalty that arrives when you least expect it. And the powerful realization that success doesn't require a perfect past, just the courage to keep moving forward.

At its core, NOT THE ONLY ONE is more than a sports memoir. It's a story about mental health, resilience, purpose, and the belief that no dream is out of reach for someone willing to knock on a door long after everyone else stopped trying.

For anyone who has ever felt different, doubted, overwhelmed, or out of place, this book is a reminder:

You're not the only one.

And you're far more capable than you think.