TerribleBPthrower posted:CollegebaseballInsights posted:TerribleBPthrower posted:I was wondering this myself, but with baseball and basketball. My son is a catcher and worried about the hoops schedule in January interfering with his ability to catch bull pens and work with the pitching staff. He's a freshman and will most likely be JV for hoops and varsity for baseball.
The coaches seem supportive but the baseball coach seems to change his demeanor when we ask about January. I get the feeling he would prefer my son only play baseball but that he doesn't want to tell him.
Read the thread on catchers and showcasing. Your son is a freshman, will he get playing time on varsity baseball or will he just be a bullpen catcher? How much playing time does he expect as a freshman? It is all about reps. Let him enjoy school and sports. Save his knees for the summer.
His coach told me he is going to be the starter for varsity. He’s asking for his gear sizes so he can order the custom team gear for him
Question, does your son think he will be the starting catcher? Is his strength defense, offense or both for the varsity team.
Here is why I'm asking, if his strength is defense and he is not physically ready to hit varsity pitching, the coach might DH for him. Note, his defense will flourish, but his offense will need to wait for the summer.
You will also need to project how many games your son will be playing next year.
He has a high potential to hit a wall around June/July.
# of games (2020) = High School + Summer Travel + Fall Travel. So you have potentially 70 to 80 games, (assume he catches 65% of his games. He is potentially catching 45 to 50 games.
The issue for catchers is two-fold, wear and tear on knees and shoulders, specifically the labrum (SLAP tears are common)
Remember this is a marathon not a sprint, pace and balance is critical
Also, try to stay clear of talking to the coach, let your son create the relationship, as for it will prepare both you and him for what will come down the line.
Good luck.