Everything that has happened since 2020 has resulted in more talented players going the JuCo route. I have argued for a long time that it always should have been that way. The biggest jump a player experiences is often during his freshman year. For that to occur the player has to be playing - not watching someone else play his position. JuCo offers that opportunity. No restrictions on practice time and a full schedule of fall games allows for this to happen. As a HS senior here is the litmus test - if you are getting legit MLB draft interest, or are a legit HA student, then it makes sense to be looking at 4 year programs. If you are not in either of those categories JuCo should be your target - not your backup plan. For those that express academic concerns I would ask you to do more research. Many JuCos are very solid academically and offer similar low level courses as big state universities. With proper planning there is no academic setback whatsoever. JuCo is a more practical (and logical) path to long term success in college baseball for the overwhelming majority of players coming out of HS. Especially right now.