@DanJ posted:From what little I've seen and heard thus far, @d-mac 's summary above feels right. Not that going the Juco route guarantees playing time right away as a freshman, but that is one it's biggest generic selling points - that you can play right away while your peers ride the bench for their first/second years at 4-years. But given the current environment and all that has happened, it seems all but guaranteed to see less Juco freshmen seeing playing time. The extra year/s of eligibility, the transfer portal, transfer waiver, etc are all very real. We often talk about their implications in theory, but its always just a matter of time before theory gives way to actuality.
It’s always been a challenge to get on the field at the most competitive JuCo programs as a freshman position player. A realistic goal at those schools is some playing time during the first year and starter as a second year player. That’s another reason that you should always plan on JuCo being a 2 year commitment. Pitchers will almost always get more opportunities as freshmen than position players.