quote:Is better, the right handed pitcher who throws in the low 80's, can spot his breaking ball, was undefeated in the regular season, won two playoff games, was the number one pitcher on a final four state playoff team, and most of his starts were complete games? This pitcher was also named the area's player of the year.
Or is better, a sub .500 pitcher who never threw a complete game, never won a playoff game, had a poor walks to innings pitched ratio, and was eratic with his breaking ball? By the way, this kid consistently throws over 90mph.
This is a fair question and one where the truthful answer is not always appreciated.
The kid who throws low 80's but can spot his pitches -- the question is, is he going to progress? Is he "projectable"? Has he reached his ceiling, or could he potentially still grow, especially in velocity? Because I hate to tell you, but while low 80's can do the job in high school, guys who throw it that hard tend to get absolutely pummeled in D-1 college ball. It is an application of the Peter Principle to baseball. And while I realize that the dad of this kid never wants to hear it, it's still true, and his son's recruiting woes reflect this reality. D-1 teams are often littered with the kid who was a HS stud but who never stepped up to the next level, who ends up on the bench, or buried in the bullpen, or even cut from the team.
The kid who throws 90+ though -- maybe he has a HS coach who doesn't know diddly squat about teaching the art of pitching. This guy has the natural ability. If he has the attitude to learn and to work hard, he could become something big. Maybe he will take to the role of middle reliever or even closer -- roles his HS coach never let him try. Maybe he could make a mechanical adjustment here or there and start hitting spots. Maybe he had a situation like my son had his sophomore year of HS, when his doofus coach insisted on calling curves in every count despite having the 90+ stuff there to go to, and the kid needs to get someone who knows their head from a hole in the ground calling pitches for him. In short, this kid may, or may not, have what it takes to step up his game to the next level. Someone may take him on, not as a guaranteed stud, but as a project. So yes, I would indeed expect this kid to fare better in the recruiting process.
Ideally you'd like to have both qualities -- the MPH of the second guy and all the fine attributes of the first guy. Those guys are rare, but when they surface they are highly sought after, and they command 70-90% deals. After that, the college coaches are looking for that guy they're going to spend 40-50% on, and one of the boys described above is more likely to pan out than the other.
So the reason that pitcher # 2 gets more attention has absolutely nothing to do with who he knows, how much he paid his summer team, how much he showcased, or anything like that. It comes down to the reality of who is more likely to succeed in college ball, and the coach applying the knowledge he has accumulated from years of experience to his evaluations and decisions.