2020 Grad- 3B/RHP

My son had several sessions with a running "specialist".  Took down his time immediately.  The tips for starts and where to position arms/hand, etc...can help tremendously.  Some have recommended a session or two with the high school track coach which may help.

Does your son play varsity yet?  When he does, that is the time to showcase, if he has something to showcase.

Those are certainly solid numbers for a 2020 grad all around.  The key will be getting an eval from a coach to see if they think it's the 6'1/220 that is the cause of the numbers, or if it's the 6'1/220 plus the skill set that is the cause of the numbers.  What I'm talking about is the magic crystal ball of projections.  Do his skills project out to develop into a D1 player? That can't be answered from stats alone.  The stats right now are not D1.  However, that does not mean he can't progress into D1.  

The key will be finding a third party opinion who will shoot you straight.  Going to a camp with 20 major D1's will probably not get you the feedback you are looking for since 76-80 will not put your son in the top half of their recruiting pool for 2020.  

Going to PG to record an 80mph arm velo, and a 7.8 60 time will only result in one thing......going to another PG event to try to get the numbers up.  Wait for PG until the numbers will really pop.  You can also accomplish many of the same things by uploading a video to YouTube, and sending out your velocity in an email....these are also free and won't cost you a years tuition to "chase a ranking" from a showcase ranking company. 

All around, the size, exit velo, and arm velo show that the boy has some ability.  Worry more about progressing than being recruited.  Good luck! 

Your son sounds like a pretty talented player. As far as D1 baseball goes , For a 2020 it's about working to improve the skill set,  staying healthy and doing well in the classroom. D1 ball will show up if he's compatible at that level. THEY will let you know. As far as foot speed, my son didn't really have great speed until he spent a summer at UCLA working w/ a track coach.

As far as D1 qualifications go it's subjective to the school or conference the school plays in. USC recruits a different player than New Mexico State. And Vanderbilt recruits a different guy than Georgetown

A couple of stats that seem to hold true for guys recruited at D1 level:

RHP's min Velo 88 mph ( preferably 90 )

LHP's min 85 ( preferably 87)

Min 60 time 6.9 ( gotta break a 7 )

The rest of the stuff depends on what level D1 program is watching , Top level ( Vandy, UCLA ) Mid - level and lower levels all recruit different guys

Most the guys that get recruited at the big powerhouse top 20 programs are MLB draftable coming out of high school.

Kyle31, I have a 2020 and have been told that getting on Varsity can be subjective depending on the school.  Also, the best time to start showcasing is 10th grade, providing you have something to show, which he does.

My son had numbers similar to what you posted when he was 15U.  Major difference was he was 6'2" at the time and about 175 pounds.  He continued to develop, but gave up pitching.  In the end he attracted the attention of mid to low level D1 coaches and many, D2, D3 and NAIA coaches.  In the end he made the decision to not play college baseball.  This decision was made prior to the summer between Jr and Sr HS years which is the major recruiting year, so we are not 100% certain where he would have ended up if he pursued playing in college.  My guess is a mid to lower level D1 school.  

The real thing here is how your son continues to develop.  The numbers you posted are decent for his age, but not at a level that most D1 schools recruit at.  He needs to continue to develop and improve those numbers.  Development over the next couple of years is crucial.

Unless your a top stud, its a little early for recruiting of 2020's.  Most colleges will concentrate on the 18's and start looking at the 19's this summer.  What you are going to find is that as you attend events that attract the college coaches they are going to mostly ignore the 2020's at this point.  Unless you have a top 25 player on your team, or the team that you are playing has one.  And then for the most part the coaches will show up to see him play and leave when he is done.  

Based on what I now know about the process I would have your son spend this time developing his skill set and working on improving his numbers.  In addition you and your son should spend time reading through this website and others to educate yourself on the college recruiting process.  As he hits 16U, and his numbers improve, it would be a good time to start reaching out to the colleges he wants to target to play at.  IMO that would be an appropriate time to start opening up a communications line with the schools that fit his skill level.  When it comes to recruiting its about skill set, but you still need to market yourself to the colleges.  Don't wait for them to come to you. 

Going to add one more thing, start looking into how to make a recruiting video.  Some are way more effective then others.  For the most part its not what you think.  No splash screens, no music, no subtitles, no game video.  For the most part it should be a series of quick cuts of him taking BP, taking grounders, and pitching.  Video should be no more then 2 to 3 minutes.  Many schools that my son was in contact with asked for him to send video.

Good feedback above.  Big kid for 2020 with upside; time to focus on strength, nutrition, speed, and continued skill development.  Finding the best hitting, fielding, and pitching instruction will reap dividends. 

Make sure your son works with trainers dialed into strength moves appropriate for baseball players. To help find the right training facility, ask who the older recruited players are working out with?  (When the collegiate players come in town for the off season and holidays they typically go to a dedicated training facility.   

It takes commitment to get stronger, faster, and improve the skills.  You'll quickly find out how motivated your son is.  

Great advice by others.  I would add..  yes, a track coach can work on speed and running form but it would also benefit to include agility as part of the focus (most track coaches can accommodate - just be sure to bring it up).  A big guy doesn't have to be straight-line fast but is much more attractive and effective if he can maximize his athleticism and move fairly well.  This can also help a young athlete navigate the  awkward growth stages with a bit more grace, among other performance benefits.

I think we are all assuming he is getting good pitching instruction.  If he is attending those team events with that size and those numbers now, I'm guessing you will know when it's time to start pushing the contact buttons and hitting the PG events.  PG will rightfully argue that there can certainly be benefits to early participation.  Smart spending is a factor for most.  

Kyle31, welcome to the site!

What does your son's coaching staff say about him being on track to go D1? From what you've described, it sounds to me like he's at a transition point. He could continue to be big and slow, or he could develop into big and athletic. I've seen kids his age go in both directions. If he wants to be a D1 position player, being slow is going to severely limit his options. That's going to matter much less if he pitches, but he'll still need to get much stronger to get that velo up to D1 standards.

Sounds like you have him on a good team that is hitting the right tournaments. IMO, showcasing this year is not a smart use of your baseball funds. (A personal trainer would be more beneficial.) No one will care about his 14 year-old PG profile numbers if they see him hitting bombs or throwing 88 at the WWBA this summer.

Good luck and please continue to visit and learn from the many knowledgeable contributors on this forum.

A lot of your decisions should depend on where he is in his growth cycle; is he full height or will he be 6'8" and 220 in two years?I

If he's full height, he should start to rearrange the bulk - which is not a quick process, but coaches will notice as his body begins to take on a different form. Also, since most boys his age do not really enjoy hard physical training, the discipline needed to rearrange his body will be a great start on a long road.

As a HS freshman, most of his peers haven't really begun to physically mature and as those boys do, his size advantage may begin to close, so he needs to really take his individual skills to a new level. If money is a limiter, I'd focus on physical skills and not get caught up in the high end travel ball scene; if not, NBD. You didn't say if he started and played every inning - if so, fine; if not the team rankings will do him little good and he should go where he plays every inning.

In any event, you have plenty of time. At his age, his size will be noticed, and coaches will follow to see if his athleticism will improve.  And, it's never too early to make sure his classroom effort matches his baseball effort - the better that area, the more options.

Going to agree with the others....there's really no way to know based on numbers alone.  Being fast and a good glove won't help if he can't hit.  Hitting the cover off the ball and being a 7.5-7.6 kid won't work either.  80 as a freshman RHP is probably the best stat you've mentioned so far...especially for his size.  Keep in mind that it's not impossible....but is VERY uncommon to play both ways in college.  My son was an all state SS and RHP.  Hit .478 with 16 doubles and 4 HR's his senior year.  Also threw 90.  He is a pitcher...though he did get to DH a couple times last summer.  There just isn't enough time in practice/workouts/etc to do both....he actually gave up hitting this year.   Another thing to consider....most D1's recruit shortstops and move them to other positions.  My son's freshman class had 6 kids....5 were all state SS's.  Not trying to discourage you, but he will need to be a VERY good  fielder and VERY mobile third baseman to get recruited to play third in college.  Good luck....keep working and see what happens

Buckeye 2015 posted:

Going to agree with the others....there's really no way to know based on numbers alone.  Being fast and a good glove won't help if he can't hit.  Hitting the cover off the ball and being a 7.5-7.6 kid won't work either.  80 as a freshman RHP is probably the best stat you've mentioned so far...especially for his size.  Keep in mind that it's not impossible....but is VERY uncommon to play both ways in college.  My son was an all state SS and RHP.  Hit .478 with 16 doubles and 4 HR's his senior year.  Also threw 90.  He is a pitcher...though he did get to DH a couple times last summer.  There just isn't enough time in practice/workouts/etc to do both....he actually gave up hitting this year.   Another thing to consider....most D1's recruit shortstops and move them to other positions.  My son's freshman class had 6 kids....5 were all state SS's.  Not trying to discourage you, but he will need to be a VERY good  fielder and VERY mobile third baseman to get recruited to play third in college.  Good luck....keep working and see what happens

+1

KYLE31, it's still early to conclude much about your son as there's a lot of physical and mental maturing that occurs over the next few year.   As other's have mentioned, keep working on the skills . . . particularly those "5 Tools" that are so important where  it's good to be really good at just one of those tools.

do PO  running times matter as much?   Im guessing you dont want to be stuck in the mud,  but does he need to be sub 7.5?

gunner34 posted:

do PO  running times matter as much?   Im guessing you dont want to be stuck in the mud,  but does he need to be sub 7.5?

God, I hope not as the parent of a PO who runs an 8.11.

gunner34 posted:

do PO  running times matter as much?   Im guessing you dont want to be stuck in the mud,  but does he need to be sub 7.5?

The short answer is no.  However, college coaches will take a player's 60 time into consideration, as a piece of their eval, when considering a player's overall level of athleticism.  (or lack thereof)

As with everything, other considerations apply.  If he throws 97, he can run a 9 flat 40 time, and still get a lot of love.  If he's more of a "stock righty", the balance of all of his attributes will come into comparison with others.

StrainedOblique posted:

Your son sounds like a pretty talented player. As far as D1 baseball goes , For a 2020 it's about working to improve the skill set,  staying healthy and doing well in the classroom. D1 ball will show up if he's compatible at that level. THEY will let you know. As far as foot speed, my son didn't really have great speed until he spent a summer at UCLA working w/ a track coach.

As far as D1 qualifications go it's subjective to the school or conference the school plays in. USC recruits a different player than New Mexico State. And Vanderbilt recruits a different guy than Georgetown

A couple of stats that seem to hold true for guys recruited at D1 level:

RHP's min Velo 88 mph ( preferably 90 )

LHP's min 85 ( preferably 87)

Min 60 time 6.9 ( gotta break a 7 )

The rest of the stuff depends on what level D1 program is watching , Top level ( Vandy, UCLA ) Mid - level and lower levels all recruit different guys

Most the guys that get recruited at the big powerhouse top 20 programs are MLB draftable coming out of high school.

Strained, I agree with your whole post with one exception -- the average MLB sixty time is 6.9 - 7.0. That is a 50 grade on the scouting scale (see www.fangraphs.com/blogs/scouti...0-80-scouting-scale/). It is impossible that the average MLB time is the same as the minimum time for a D1 recruit. Particulary since the OP's son is not a MIF or CF . . .