At my son's school, it is now clear, after a season in the program, that JV players are basically being given an extended tryout. After the JV season ended, the guys were called in one by one for "exit" meetings and given very frank and direct advice as to what they needed to do to stay in the program. 2 of the guys were sort of semi "called up" to the varsity for the rest of the year -- except that one of the 2 was called up only to practice with the varsity and not to suit up for home games or travel to away games. The other was called up because of an injury to a bench player. The remaining players all got the message that nothing at all was guaranteed to them for next year. They were "welcome" to try out again next year. But the coaches said to them all, I gather, some version of "You have to realize your position. We are not promising your anything. We are always looking to replace you with an upgrade. And unless you get better in these ways..... (this was specific to the player), we likely will replace you."
Seems clear in retrospect that this is more or less standard procedure for this program. Bring in a LOT of guys -- both transfer and freshman. Cut about 40 - 50 % of "recruits" in the fall. Place a few of the recruits on varsity as either starters or bench players. Then give a significant number of especially the remaining freshman (but also some transfers) an extended tryout via the JV process. A few of them will make the varsity next year. Most of them will be given a handshake at the end of the year with no promises about the future.
Repeat the following year.
My son had sort of figured this out from just the way things were going. He concluded from early on that the ethos of the program is "produce or be replaced by somebody who will, kid." But it was a little jarring for him to be told this point blank in such stark terms.
On the semi- positive side for him personally, they told him that he has a ton of raw talent, and a tremendous upside, but they also said, "unlike High School, raw talent doesn't last in college."
They specifically want him to work on refining his footwork in the OF, improving his routes, and on hitting the ball to all fields, rather than being what they see as too pull happy -- and this even though he put up pretty gaudy numbers on offense.