September 1 has come and gone so it is officially recruitment time for us 2021s. I thought it might be good for us 2021s to have a dedicated thread where we can share our experiences and ask questions. Hopefully this will help us all gain a “big picture” of the recruiting scene as it unfolds. Good luck to all the 2021s as we begin the adventure.
If you are new here, welcome! Just be mindful of what details you share because this is a public forum and baseball is a very small world.
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Thanks for starting this. Count me in...
Sure thing, in. Broad details...primarily invitations to camps.
Hi Wechson, if you are comfortable sharing some more broad details...
Are those individual camp invites sent specifically to your son or the mass email invites? If they are individual invites, how did he get on their radar? (Just to be clear, I'm talking in broad terms such as you emailed the coach or he saw player at a tourney, not asking for any type of identifiable info.) Knowing how other players are getting on a school's radar could be helpful.
All we have received is the generic email invites. We did respond back to 1 of them with basic measurables because it is a school he would be interested in exploring. We have not contacted any other schools yet.
For my kid, the one camp that he attended last month (Mid Major D1) was after they saw him play at a Perfect Game WWBA tournament in Iowa (we noticed one of the coaches watching a couple of his games). He received an email the next day saying they liked what they saw, & could he come to camp. The coach mentioned a couple of specific at bats from the tournament. My son really liked the camp, he got a positive evaluation afterwords and they said they want to stay in contact & follow him.
The other camp invites we've received have been a part of a response after he's sent out emails to recruiting coordinators. In the emails he includes a video (usually of a BP swing or Game swing) & his updated measureables & GPA. Several of the coaches have expressed interest in staying in touch and being updated more in the future, even when he has said he can't make it to the camp.
I get the picture that the coaches like his size, & his swing, and the travel program he is a part of lends some credibility. Everyone wants to see what happens with his measureables over the next 6-12 months to see where he's at, so he's focusing on getting Bigger Stronger Faster.
In general (at least at this stage of the game for my kid, where it is more about getting on the radar of coaches), I like the camps/showcases where a lot of coaches attend. He did one of those in early August, where he met an RC from a different mid major who emailed him right after the camp saying they are interested and to stay in touch. That Coach has said he'll be coming out to a couple of Fall Tournament games this month to see him play.
@Zia2021 - of course. My son attended HF in August. Primarily a pitcher, although he does hit and measured a 88 exit velo. In fact all of his measurables during the combine like program they did for pitchers were great, he either was top of chart or top 5 (other than 60). So they get that he’s big, strong and an athlete.
As for pitching he did very well, struck out over 1/2 the guys he faced. His velo is still not off charts so that’s the main thing for him to work on and probably main reason he’s not in deeper conversations yet. Still, a lot of HA D3 attention and a few solid HA D1 Ivy/Patriot as well.
Follow up was a mix of generic camp invites and responses to my Son’s emails saying they liked what they saw at HF and encouraged him to come to their camps. Lots of those exchanges. He has told them he wants to focus on prepping for his standardized test and refining his mechanics/getting more explosive. So essentially he’s telling coaches to keep him on their radars and let’s all reconnect in the spring when he’s a bit further along. Coaches have been mostly responsive to that approach.
@3and2Fastball - feels like are guys are in a very similar place
Wechson posted:@3and2Fastball - feels like are guys are in a very similar place
Sounds like it, yes...
So here’s my dilemma. Maybe someone will have some advice. When should he start reaching out to coaches? His speed is his only measurable that’s where it needs to be. He’s got a 6.6 60, but his OF velo is 75 and exit velo 80. He got off track from training the past year and was already the youngest in his class. So he’s got some ground to make up this fall. I’m worried that if he sends those measurables out it will look bad. Thinking maybe he should wait 2-3 months (right before winter camps) to contact them when his measurables are hopefully a little better.
We're finding that many of the mid-major D1's and lower tier D1's are not done with their 2020 class, let alone their 2021's. Plenty of time left to find a good fit. A lot of the Power Fives are still working on their 2021 class, too, especially outside of the SEC.
Zia - he should contact coaches right now. The 6.6 will draw interest, and they will want to follow him & stay in touch.
This summer was a big season for my C to get noticed, he has about 9 D1 schools he is talking to now. Sorry I'm unclear on what constitutes a P5 or mid D1 but the schools seem to be sprinkled over different leagues and varying success in playoffs.
Most of these schools had started the conversation with him before 9/1 but a few more contacted on 9/1 or a few days later and we have school visits in the works for a few. A few others asked him to go to their winter camp even though he's been to their summer camps the past 3 years so not sure of the true interest or wanting to fill out a camp.
A few of the things I think that helped him:
- His measurables were already at or near what folks on this board have said D1's are looking for as a HS sophomore.
- He played on a good travel team in our area with coaches that are respected in the baseball community (a few of the coaches are former MLB and now scout for MLB teams etc... so good connections).
- The team has a history of players committing to colleges, that also helps with the connections.
- The team played in tournaments were lots of college coaches attended.
- A pitcher on the team was touching 90's so that drew many of the CC to the games. And my son caught for this pitcher most of the time in game.
- He played on a few regional teams that went to heavily scouted tournaments.
- He hit well at tournaments. Always made top 20 in the PG all tournament list when playing those tournaments.
- He received AC tryout and call back for the 2020 class. Amazed at how many scouts and CC were at those.
- He has a great personality:-) I don't think this gets mentioned much but have those good interpersonal skills that can leave a good impression with a coach when they interact with you can really help.
@Catcher-in-the-Rye - 1st off, great handle. And to your last point, thats a BIGGIE. Coaches want the talent of course. But they are looking at having kids on their team who they know will be adults, leaders, and fit into their culture. If your son has more of an outgoing personality, that certainly doesn't hurt, as lots of kids can be shy or intimidated by the process. From my pov, the interaction with coaches at Head First was one of the great components of that event..lots of practice interacting with coaches. Highly encourage parents to work on this with their kids, literally practice interactions, this will be valuable for them.
Catcher - that sounds fantastic. Congrats! It sounds like he is well on his way. There is definitely a certain "threshold" of measureables that schools are looking for, and once you are within or above that range, a lot of doors open...
by the way: The Power Five (P5) conferences are the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Big Ten Conference, Big 12 Conference, Pac-12 Conference, and Southeastern Conference (SEC).
Zia2021 posted:So here’s my dilemma. Maybe someone will have some advice. When should he start reaching out to coaches? His speed is his only measurable that’s where it needs to be. He’s got a 6.6 60, but his OF velo is 75 and exit velo 80. He got off track from training the past year and was already the youngest in his class. So he’s got some ground to make up this fall. I’m worried that if he sends those measurables out it will look bad. Thinking maybe he should wait 2-3 months (right before winter camps) to contact them when his measurables are hopefully a little better.
Zia, your son and my son are very similar! He has gone ahead and started to reach out to coaches, highlighting his positives. My son knows he needs to get bigger and stronger, and he will work on that over the fall and winter. The goal is to get on their radar with the 60 time (and any other good things) and hopefully by next summer, his other less than D1 measurables will be a little more in line with his speed.
2021- Getting ready to go down to AZ for the Senior Fall Classic. Alaska combines juniors and seniors on one team. The talent pool is not at the same level as the lower 48.
He has started to fill out recruiting questionnaires for the colleges he would like to attend. A couple of DII and Juco's. Dream School is Cal Baptist. Building a video.
RHP/SS
60: 6.6
Infield velo 86
Outfield Velo 89
FB 86 Sits 83-84 CB 72 CH 73
Exit Velo I've seen as high as 94 but avgs 88-90.
Working on strength and getting bigger. 21 is only 6'1" 155 lbs soaking wet....
Wechson posted:@Catcher-in-the-Rye - 1st off, great handle. And to your last point, thats a BIGGIE. Coaches want the talent of course. But they are looking at having kids on their team who they know will be adults, leaders, and fit into their culture. If your son has more of an outgoing personality, that certainly doesn't hurt, as lots of kids can be shy or intimidated by the process. From my pov, the interaction with coaches at Head First was one of the great components of that event..lots of practice interacting with coaches. Highly encourage parents to work on this with their kids, literally practice interactions, this will be valuable for them.
Boy, this can make for another great topic... I mostly agree but lots of exception scenarios come to mind. There is a big difference between a great personality and a big personality 
Both are outgoing. One is almost always a positive. One can really go either way, often a big negative. I also agree with helping kids with their social skills but, as it applies to the setting among teammates, I think most often, they are going to learn that lesson far more from being among teammates than from the encouragement and/or advisement of parents. That's part of the beauty of team sports, particularly at a competitive level. They are with each other for hours every day. The shy, talented player will eventually have his hidden personality pulled to the forefront. Those kids often end up being the favorites among teammates and coaches. Love it when that happens!
Sorry, slightly veering off topic maybe.
ALASKAN : sounds great. Your son is in a great place with his measureables. Should get a lot of attention moving forwards. I have heard great things about the Arizona Fall Classic!
My 2019 got a offer there and alot of attention while there as well last year. One of the best experiences/tournaments I've witnessed. Hoping for the best for 2021. The Academic game is something to watch as well.
Lots of great info here already! There are many aspects of the recruiting journey we can’t control, but the more info we have the better off our kids will be.
Can you cite to measurables taken by his HS coach? Or should we only use those taken at an event?
