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My 2019 is aglow this Monday after having had his first serious in person conversation with a very interested D1 coach over the weekend.  Numbers were discussed, UV was offered as soon as possible, and HC wants a phone call early this week.  But my question for the sages is this:

Son is a 6'4" 210 R/R with a power bat (latest exit velo 90).  That's what every coach and scout for two years has noticed first and foremost, and liked.  He runs a 7.15 60 and is an athletic kid... quarterback of his football team, a big on the basketball court.  Historically he's been used as a RHP and then put in the OF when not pitching.  Spring of his sophomore season, however, he played 3B and so we showcased him there.  (Arm from 3B was 85).  Feedback was, generally speaking, that recruited SS's will be more easily slotted into 3B and that he's likely an OF.  Fine.  This summer he scheduled to be playing and showcasing as an OF with a decent arm (88 from the OF) who takes good angles and gets good reads.  But...

This spring the catcher on his high school team was injured and the coach asked him to fill in.  He was happy to.  He had caught a handful of games as needed in his first two years, but doesn't even own catching gear.  What's increasingly apparent though this season is that he's far and away the best catcher in the league and teams, just on seeing his warm up throws to second are not running.  His team is undefeated in games where's he been at catcher and best of all he says he really enjoys it because he's calling the pitches and because of the banter with the umpire.

I think he and I both realize that catching is a very specialized art and that catching skills are honed over years.  He realizes there's a lot of tricks he doesn't know and that it would likely take awhile to learn.   So my questions are these:  Is it too late for a junior in high school to make himself into a catcher?  Should he even mention to college coaches (he hasn't so far) that, oh yeah, he can catch decently too?  How to handle his newfound catching skills and interest?  Does he let his travel coaches know or does this risk him being put into situations at a higher level of competition (WWBA, BCS, etc) where he will be made to look inadequate at best, incompetent at worst?  What factors do we weigh to know whether we have a fresh-kneed catcher in the back of our SUV?

Thanks in advance for any insights from recovering catchers, or failed ones!

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90 isn't a "power bat" at a D1.  90 is bare minimum, foot in the door, you just barely got past the disqualifier. 

7.15 is a very good 60 for a 3B/1B.  And it is an excellent time for a Catcher.

Being far and away the best catcher in the league means very very little at the next level.

Athletes are converted to catcher at all levels.  If I'm not mistaken, Buster Posey wasn't a catcher until college.

7.15 is usually considered too slow to be an outfielder at most D1's.  I'm sure there are exceptions.

Most likely they are projecting with him.  That he'll get the 60 under 7, that the Exit Velo will creep into the upper 90's... 6'4" 210 is a good size.  I'm sure they love the athleticism.  

Where is your son at with his strength development?  That would be my first & foremost concern.  Can he put on 15-25 pounds of muscle and become a beast and cross over the threshold into becoming a true impact player on a D1? I would focus on that and on displaying the skills he has already developed this summer, and keep playing catcher as a backup plan (and find a great catching instructor to show him the ropes)

Last edited by 3and2Fastball

Congrats on the interest and some very good questions.  Where did the D1 interest like him?

One thing that comes to mind instantly for me is the QB correlation.  I personally thing this is a great connection.  Yes, catching skills and knowledge of the position take time to fully develop.   But I have had the hardest time getting catchers to grasp the leadership, seeing the whole field, total game awareness aspects much more so than teaching a strong athletic kid proper catching mechanics.  Also, an athletic QB with football mentality will likely pick up on drop-n-block, quick feet, quick release and other important aspects of catching much more quickly than others.  Love it.  And, if he can play corners AND catch well on top of his size and big bat, that's a pretty valuable package he has to offer.

First question... what's the status of his pitching? From a pure numbers standpoint, pitching is your best option for getting recruited.
Next, from your description, your son really sounds like a CIF. IMO, you don't move away from your best position just because there will be competition. Plenty of SSs will also transition to OF in college. Now, if knowledgeable people think that he will be able to develop into a D1 COF because they think he'll get faster, or they can see that his 60 time is not an accurate measure of his OF speed, then that may be a good reason to choose OF as a primary position. But as of today, his 60 and velo are not great for a D1 OF.
Regarding catcher, is there any reason not to discuss this with the travel coach before making any decisions? If he's a knowledgeable guy, he should be able to give you some valuable feedback. He might say... I always thought he'd make a great catcher, or he might say... there's no way we can turn him into a D1 catcher in the next 6 months. D1 catchers have a "look". The ease with which they move in the squat, the way they carry themselves, their quickness, etc. If your son doesn't have some hint of the natural tools of catching, I don't think it would make sense to put a lot of effort into that move. Now if he's already decent, then maybe the travel coach could work some games and practice into his summer plans, and see how he develops. I doubt the coach is going want him behind the dish at a LakePoint game if he's going to embarrassing himself (or the team).
Best of luck.

Is it too late to become a catcher as a 2019 grad?  No.  Is it too late to become a really good catcher by this summer, maybe, but it goes back to what you see on this board frequently....tools matter.  If your son has quick feet, he has quick feet whether he has caught one game or 200 and next level guys can see that tool.  If your son has really good natural arm strength, they can see that too.  Even without polish, quick feet and a strong arm are the tools that project(at any position)   

My recommendation.  Find an instructor to get foundational instruction for footwork/exchange and blocking/receiving. Then have your son raise his hand to catch as many bullpens as possible.  Everyday catchers will gladly let you take some of the load off of them and allow him to work on his receiving.  Most of the really good catchers that I'm aware of also work on blocking in the bullpen.  Not fun by any means but its one thing to block, another thing to kill the ball consistently about two feet in front of the plate, ready to recover.  It takes time but full contact bullpen sessions can accelerate the learning curve and if your son is really athletic, that will help but it will be a grind no matter what.  Best of luck to your son. 

Thanks to everyone for the thoughtful responses so far.  The coach he talked to over the weekend didn't specifically discuss positions.  We assumed he has him pegged as an OF, but could be wrong about that. 

He talked mostly about his bat and the fact that he likes to recruit big guys.  He said every guy comes in wanting to be a two-way but it's not going to happen.  Son tops out at 82-83, so we knew pitching is off the table at the D1 level.

Strength and development will continue to be a priority; he made big strides over this past offseason.  Based on the above, we'll mention the catching option to his travel coach and see what he thinks.  Great suggestion that he volunteer to catch bullpens.  And I love the analogy between quarterbacking and catching in how perfectly it sums up the leadership and mental demands of the position.

Does he like pain?

Old catcher speaking here. I loved it, or most of it. The collisions at at the plate, gunning out a base runner, calling pitches, pitchouts, fielding a bunt, chatting up the umpire...  Your running speed and  hitting will take a dive. Fingers and thumbs will be constantly sprained, knees will hurt, and you will have bruises all over. Hopefully no concussions from bats and balls. I didn't  mind most of it- it was the closest thing to hockey for me.

Turnoffs;

Pitchers who don't throw strikes.

Doubleheaders on hot days.

Always having to worry about getting your gear on and off.

Wild pitches by lousy pitchers(if you've got a stud you put up with the odd bad one). 

Getting crossed up.

foul balls off sensitive areas... and  I don't mean the butt.

I discouraged both my sons from playing catcher. One was simply too fast to waste back there, and the other other has a low pain tolerance, and is all skin and bones... no padding.

 

Last edited by 57special

Something to keep in mind. College coaches usually recruit position players based on their athleticism and specific skills and being able to hit. Being able to play multiple positions is a plus. 

Definitely would further pursue learning how to catch. Most programs do have guys who can catch if needed. 

Jeff, I would suggest going to CatcherMtrx, they have affiliations all over NY/NJ. Athelite player development (Chris Reyes) is the founding org.  http://www.athelitepd.com/.  I hope this is Kosher, if not my apologies to the admins. Best of luck to your boy, it is a grind being behind the dish and it will definitely test your kid's love for the game. My kid has plus speed for his age but loves the position and so far his coaches have kept him there.

Last edited by 2022NYC

To coach of interested D1:

"Coach, I've been working a bit behind the plate - should I put some time in getting better there, or do you think I should be focusing on something different?"

That will probably give you an idea of at least where this coach projects your son. Use that to help guide you in the decision making process. Also take a look at prospective schools. Do they recruit catchers or do they seem to convert a lot of guys? Do they use underclass catchers or a lot of JC transfers? If a coach has been at a school for a while you can get a feel for how he develops his roster. It takes a lot of research, but this is important information.

It certainly isn't too late to become a catcher. Guys make the switch even later and turn out fine. It just takes work.

Versatility is a good thing.  If he can hit D1 pitching, the coach will find somewhere to put him. Best to have as many potential positions as possible really.

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