How hard does he throw? Others have way more experience than me, but at this stage he really needs to grow and work out more before you start worrying about recruiting. Focus on getting better and making his HS team.

He’s at 75-77 comfortably - top of at 82! With lots of growth to go. He’s is working on getting leaner, and his speed! He’s works a lot on his pitching, hitting and fielding! He’s on the younger end 14 years 1 month!

I should off word it differently - not recruiting - as much as what should I start focusing on? Or being more productive to help him on his journey!

Welcome to the site. You'll get a lot of of great advice here. But unless he develops into a can't miss P5 stud (which he may) if you want him to have great college choices in a few years this is the most valuable:

GET GOOD GRADES!!!

Good grades are a must. If he gets the opportunity to play beyond HS he will very likely qualify fit more academic money than athletic money - if his grades are good. From a baseball perspective, your job is to find him the best pitching instructor in your area. Approach this like you would a job interview. Do your research and get multiple opinions. Then make sure he clicks with your son. Until those things are in place nothing long term will be accomplished. Once you have found the right guy, focus on training and learning good pitching mechanics. Don’t chase velo numbers - especially as a LHP. Get the mechanics right and velo will come. Learn a CU before going straight to a breaking ball and learn how to throw it for a strike in fastball counts. Understand the importance of good body language. The pitchers body language spills onto the entire field at every position and it’s his responsibility to control it in a positive way for the benefit of his teammates. That ought to get you pointed in the right direction. Good luck!

@NY posted:

Question what are some things I need to start doing to get a head start in planning out a path to recruitment? Or how to get him more prepared for his journey Any tips, any help, advise or anything I should start looking into?

A few thoughts as you start to put a plan together..................

Recruited = passion + skill + exposure + persistence + luck

1) You need to start learning about all aspects of college baseball recruiting as possible to help him.   Books, websites, travel baseball coaches, etc....Begin to expose him to as many schools as possible...not just the ones on TV.  Visit colleges if you are nearby.  Begin to discuss athletic and academic requirements.

2) As others have noted....grades & academic performance can give your son additional options and possible scholarships.  Again, try to learn as much as possible about how this works.   You'll find that there is more academic scholarship money out there than athletic scholarship money.

3) Develop an exposure strategy.  Consider the best travel teams where your son will get significant playing time. 

4) Encourage your son to develop his skills and body.  Typically this is part of any high school program, but I think the best players do workouts outside of travel and high school teams.

Best of luck, and welcome to the posting world!  ;-)

I have a LHP entering 10th grade, also young (June birthday) for his grad yr age group.
I'm happy to share some of my experience as it sounds as if you are one year behind me.

Advice for the parent ...

#1 - try to stay more than a year ahead in your "thinking" about the planning, and then start doing your planning for the next year in the fall of the current year (plan, adjust, adjust the plan some more ... then just try to survive your summer of crazy baseball commitments).  To my surprise, last winter when he was still 14, my son's PG profile and PG pitching stats attracted a lot of unsolicited solicitations asking him to join a new team.  Most of the initial communications were direct to my son via Instagram messaging (super scary for me, exciting for my son).  We (my son and I together) had many phone calls with many strangers in the youth baseball business early last winter before we decided on what to do (and with whom) over this summer.  Having a plan (keep it flexible) is important, because you cannot "do it all" ... and your son will have to make real tradeoff decisions between all the PG events, PBR events, USA baseball events, and other local/regional events he or you want to target.

#2 - If your son is primarily known as a pitcher, and he plans to pitch on multiple teams, you and he need to take his arm care super seriously.  As a parent - you should become obsessed about innings pitched, pitch counts, days rest, recovery training between starts, notes on his effort, stress level and performance stats.  My son’s pitching stats from HS spring season through fall travel season will be spread out across six different Game Changer team accounts, I keep a separate spreadsheet to track it.  Keep your obsession quietly behind the scenes, while being proactive with the coach communications.  You will need to help your son bring a mature "self-advocacy" to his relationship with the coaches that ask him to pitch ... most coaches will let your son pitch too much, and will pitch him out to the point of failure.  At some point your son will not be fully recovered for the next outing, and a shitty outing on a day when a college coach is watching (unbeknown to you) will get him scratched off a college recruiting prospect list without you evening knowing about.

#3 - Keep the proper balance between school (school-work and grades) with his baseball.  The Fall WWBA Championships in Fort Myers is not more important than going to school ... no matter what your son thinks or what his travel coach implies.  My son does not particularly like the academic parts of school, and a covid-year of zooming from his man (boy) cave at home did not help his GPA.  Just recently, my son had an arranged call with a college baseball recruiting coach during which half the time they discussed academics – it was the first coach to ask my son to send transcripts. “Grades are important” just became very real for my son the summer after 9^th grade.

It's likely not the sort of "funner" guidance you or your will get warm fuzzies from, but as 9th grader, yes, grades!  We learned the hard way that "good grades" for recruiting is not necessarily the laymen's definition of good grades.  My son graduated HS this spring with a 3.2 (out of 4.0) which is a B/B+.  Naively, we figured grades wouldn't be an issue for him carrying a GPA like that, but boy, were we wrong.  Once recruiting interest picked up with D1s, the embarrassment started kicking in.  His grades were an issue.  He started school yesterday at a Juco and even his coach there is concerned about his grades.  It's been a real education as to what a good GPA is for baseball versus, say, football. 

While you won't find any shortage of people saying "get good grades," it surprises me that few, if any, actually go on to describe what good grades actually look like.  So here's my PSA.  Get a 3.5 GPA or better if you're on a 4.0 scale.  I can't speak to weighted or unweighted as my son's HS didn't differentiate that.  My advice it to just ensure that both your son's weighted or unweighted GPA's are AT LEAST 3.5.  Anything below that and no one will consider them "good grades."  Just 0.3 higher and my son would have been far more attractive as a prospect.

Other than that, he's a LHP?  Then he's already doing really well, ha!  I agree, the velo will come.  Put a razor sharp focus on developing more pitches and being able to locate them.  Do that, and he won't have to spend much time chasing a big velo.

Just a small note for anyone who might read this thread:  very few baseball players are like mjd-dad's son and talking to recruiting coordinators after 9th grade.  If your son is, that's great!  Probably many people in your area, from the HS coach up, will be giving you advice, helping, and recruiting him for their travel teams, and you will have to do all the things that he describes.  But, if he's not, he's in the majority, who don't get contacted until the summer after junior year of HS.

I was going to start with a 9th grader receiving college attention is not your typical 9th grader. Anotherparent beat me to it.

If you’re a D1 prospect chances are the right travel teams will come recruiting. If not, getting your feet wet post soph summer with the big push post junior summer is likely. Left for another day is how to get recruited.

Don’t get caught up with “he’s young for his grade.” It can only become a built in excuse. Unless you want to hold him back it’s his grade. Accept it and move on. Hopefully your son is playing travel at a grade and not age appropriate level. My son has a May birthday. My daughter (softball) has a July birthday. They were both small for athletes though 8th grade. It motivated them to push harder to compete. The effort showed through when they grew to 6’2” and 5’10”.

Get quality coaching/instruction. Get bigger, faster and stronger. Get good grades. If grades are high enough athletes can qualify for both athletic and athletic money in D1 and D2. At any level baseball can get a kid in to a college he might otherwise not get accepted.

Unless you’re a high school stud don’t get caught up in “have to play D1.” Think in terms of the best possible educational and baseball experience regardless of division level. Fit includes financial affordability, social and cultural. How far from home is too far? By cultural fit (example) will a rural southern kid fit in a northern urban environment and vice versa. My son went from a major metro area to a cornfield and loved his college experience. But he left town right after graduation to return home. My daughter went from north to south for college softball. She planned on staying. A personal relationship changed her plans. I know kids this kind of change didn’t work out.

Good luck.

Hi.  I have a 2025 LHP also.   We also stress academics to the Nth degree in our family.   Mine threw 75-79 at recent PG WWBA and maxes 80 on home measurement.  So pretty similar kids it seems.  I may be wrong  (And people here with more experience can correct me) but it seems leftys attract attention early but actually have much more time to make final decisions in terms of recruiting.  Otherwise my only regret w my 2025 is feeling a little pressured into fall ball as opposed to just having him work out more.

@fenwaysouth posted:

Recruited = passion + skill + exposure + persistence + luck

Dead. Solid. Perfect.

@Dadbelly2023 posted:

Hi.  I have a 2025 LHP also.   We also stress academics to the Nth degree in our family.   Mine threw 75-79 at recent PG WWBA and maxes 80 on home measurement.  So pretty similar kids it seems.  I may be wrong  (And people here with more experience can correct me) but it seems leftys attract attention early but actually have much more time to make final decisions in terms of recruiting.  Otherwise my only regret w my 2025 is feeling a little pressured into fall ball as opposed to just having him work out more.

I saw a commitment announced today by a 2021 LHP to a well known west coast D1.  Not typical but an illustration of the point you alluded to.  Timing is different for pitchers in the sense that it’s almost never too late.  Perhaps even more so for a LHP.  

@DanJ posted:

It's likely not the sort of "funner" guidance you or your will get warm fuzzies from, but as 9th grader, yes, grades!  We learned the hard way that "good grades" for recruiting is not necessarily the laymen's definition of good grades.  My son graduated HS this spring with a 3.2 (out of 4.0) which is a B/B+.  Naively, we figured grades wouldn't be an issue for him carrying a GPA like that, but boy, were we wrong.  Once recruiting interest picked up with D1s, the embarrassment started kicking in.  His grades were an issue.  He started school yesterday at a Juco and even his coach there is concerned about his grades.  It's been a real education as to what a good GPA is for baseball versus, say, football.

NY - DanJ is correct.  While I'm happy with the course of my 2017's HS and college careers, if I had it to over again, the one thing I would have done differently would have been to get him to meet with an independent college counselor while he was your son's age.   I just don't think my son ever took what his parents or teachers said about grades seriously.  When he finally talked to a private counselor, it was eye-opening.

FWIW my son graduated with a 3.5 GPA unweighted with a good but not crazy number of AP's.  While that, plus a good  ACT --- and coach's support --- was enough to get him into a very, very good college, had he not gotten that support, it would have been a Cal State for him and a much different professional trajectory. But with the same baseball ability plus a 4.0 GPA I'm convinced the sky would have been the limit.

@22and25 posted:

I saw a commitment announced today by a 2021 LHP to a well known west coast D1.  Not typical but an illustration of the point you alluded to.  Timing is different for pitchers in the sense that it’s almost never too late.  Perhaps even more so for a LHP.  

A 2021 that’s committing to a well known D1 today is almost certainly accepting a walk on invitation - unless an incoming recruit got drafted & signed which freed up some money at the last minute. My bet is that it’s the former rather than the latter

@JCG posted:

NY - DanJ is correct.  While I'm happy with the course of my 2017's HS and college careers, if I had it to over again, the one thing I would have done differently would have been to get him to meet with an independent college counselor while he was your son's age.   I just don't think my son ever took what his parents or teachers said about grades seriously.  When he finally talked to a private counselor, it was eye-opening.

FWIW my son graduated with a 3.5 GPA unweighted with a good but not crazy number of AP's.  While that, plus a good  ACT --- and coach's support --- was enough to get him into a very, very good college, had he not gotten that support, it would have been a Cal State for him and a much different professional trajectory. But with the same baseball ability plus a 4.0 GPA I'm convinced the sky would have been the limit.

To follow this. My 2023 is a smaller MIF w good grades.  I'm convinced, and stress to him repetitively, that academics are the key to him playing college baseball.  The pool of good players with elite grades is relatively small.  If he gets lower grades or test scores, he's now competing with a larger pool of candidates and a college is more likely to take the 6ft 2 MIF as opposed to the 5ft 9 MIF.

I will disagree with several here about when is too early.  Good LHP’s are totally different than anyone else when it comes to recruiting.  Have a plan.  Mid 80’s as a freshman will get true interest. Add in extra pitches and lots of interest. Add in control and high interest.  Grades are a must and the sad fact to some extent we found was the higher level ball the lower grades could be.  Good grades will make up for other deficiencies some times.  Less stress in recruiting.  

@PitchingFan posted:

I will disagree with several here about when is too early.  Good LHP’s are totally different than anyone else when it comes to recruiting.  Have a plan.  Mid 80’s as a freshman will get true interest. Add in extra pitches and lots of interest. Add in control and high interest.  Grades are a must and the sad fact to some extent we found was the higher level ball the lower grades could be.  Good grades will make up for other deficiencies some times.  Less stress in recruiting.  

The bolded is spot on. The truth is not every kid is HA don’t try to be what you aren’t, it will fail anyway. the grades are big but if he is 3.0 kid make sure he gets it…same with if he is 4.0

mine was solid 3.4he missed out on some HA interest just because…you know what he would of been in trouble academically anyway. You don’t have to be a STEM major…there are lots Incredibly successful people running businesses who aren’t geniuses. You read this site you start to think HA is normal…it isn’t. Schools with 17% acceptance rates aren’t populated by large numbers.

see the big picture, mine is now deans list and having grad school paid by his temporary employer but didn’t get into a couple Patriots.

Welcome and enjoy the ride. My only advice is to make sure your kid takes full ownership of his recruitment, let him learn from the mistakes. Be a good listener and consigliere, especially when the snotty knucklehead teen is irritated by his no nothing dad's advice. You came here 3 years ago so that makes you well ahead of the curve! (BTW the better half thought I was absolutely certifiable and borderline creepy lurking here when my kid was barely in middle school). Many here will share their pearls and give you an audience during this roller coaster ride. 

@2022NYC posted:

You came here 3 years ago so that makes you well ahead of the curve! (BTW the better half thought I was absolutely certifiable and borderline creepy lurking here when my kid was barely in middle school).

Awesome 👏

@adbono posted:

A 2021 that’s committing to a well known D1 today is almost certainly accepting a walk on invitation - unless an incoming recruit got drafted & signed which freed up some money at the last minute. My bet is that it’s the former rather than the latter

It easy to “yeah but it’s probably this or that” and we will never know on what terms.  The point is that the clock runs longer for pitchers and LHP in particular.  

@22and25 posted:

It easy to “yeah but it’s probably this or that” and we will never know on what terms.  The point is that the clock runs longer for pitchers and LHP in particular.  

That’s true

Yes, have a solid recruitment plan.  Yes, plan ahead.  Yes, get a good P trainer.  Yes, emphasize grades, etc., etc.  But DO NOT let your forward thinking and planning interfere with you and your son fully enjoying every aspect of his HS years.

Be a good parent.  Support him.  Love him.  Make sure he is accountable and respectful.  Make sure he is a good teammate.  Don't enable excuses.  Make sure there aren't concessions made with his household chores and other responsibilities because of baseball.  Make sure your relationship with him is such that it would be every bit as strong without baseball.  The HS years go by very quickly.  You both need to soak in the whole experience and enjoy it!

No matter how much he seems to love it now, baseball may or may not work out in HS and beyond.  SO many things can happen.  Girls, injury, job money, new sport or interest, burnout, etc.  Make sure he has balance and other interests.

And make sure you allow for baseball to stay fun for him.  Make sure the desire for advancement to the next level continues to come from him and not you.  Be a good sports parent among his teammates and their families.  Find genuine interest in other kids and root for them all as well as the team.

You striving to be the best parent you can be will go a very long way toward him striving to be the best baseball player, the best young man, eventually the best husband and father he can be.

Also avoid the crazy parents, if you are unable to identify them...then you are probably one of them

@cabbagedad posted:

Yes, have a solid recruitment plan.  Yes, plan ahead.  Yes, get a good P trainer.  Yes, emphasize grades, etc., etc.  But DO NOT let your forward thinking and planning interfere with you and your son fully enjoying every aspect of his HS years.

Be a good parent.  Support him.  Love him.  Make sure he is accountable and respectful.  Make sure he is a good teammate.  Don't enable excuses.  Make sure there aren't concessions made with his household chores and other responsibilities because of baseball.  Make sure your relationship with him is such that it would be every bit as strong without baseball.  The HS years go by very quickly.  You both need to soak in the whole experience and enjoy it!

No matter how much he seems to love it now, baseball may or may not work out in HS and beyond.  SO many things can happen.  Girls, injury, job money, new sport or interest, burnout, etc.  Make sure he has balance and other interests.

And make sure you allow for baseball to stay fun for him.  Make sure the desire for advancement to the next level continues to come from him and not you.  Be a good sports parent among his teammates and their families.  Find genuine interest in other kids and root for them all as well as the team.

You striving to be the best parent you can be will go a very long way toward him striving to be the best baseball player, the best young man, eventually the best husband and father he can be.

Best post and solid advice.

I also agree with Pitchingfan, that recruitment of an LHP is a whole different animal.

My guy is a year behind NYs, so no pearls of wisdom to share.  Just wanted to add that I like the conversation and the experiences shared by all.  Thanks!

Cabbage's reply is spot on, but I'll share our son's journey:

9th grade was pivotal for him.  Son was playing JV basketball (after coming off a middle school championship) and already had 1 year of JV baseball under his belt since 8th graders can play JV HS ball in our county.

Some of the other baseball players were working out and he wanted to join in, but I wanted to make sure he was doing workouts right and not just hanging out at the gym trying to prove something.  So we added sport specific workouts with a pro in our area during basketball season, and oh yeah, school work.

By the time baseball started in the spring, he was worn out timewise and by his sophomore year he decided to give up basketball to just do off season workouts.  (By his senior year of HS, he was playing rec league basketball which was only twice a week and loving it.)

He was a late season call up to Varsity in 9th grade and their team made it as far as the state quarterfinals.  The winter of his sophomore year, he did a February college two-day camp, the only college camp he attended.  It was mostly to see how he compared to the other players and to get a feel for what it is all about.  His sophomore HS season, things began to happen....invites to unofficial visits, etc.  He played for a competitive travel team and he committed during the summer between sophomore and junior years of high school.

NOTE: He was a middle infielder (the recruiting IS different than a pitcher's!)  and committed to a fantastic smaller academic D1, after being passed on by several top baseball programs in our state and out of state.

Postlogue to high school ball:  he wound up starting as a freshman at his college, while his friends that got recruited at those top baseball programs had to wait their turn.  He was drafted as a junior and is currently in AAA ball.

Summary:  as a 9th grader, try to get bigger, better, faster.  Play on the best competitive travel baseball team you can.  Play two sports if that is your wish.  Maybe go to a college camp or two, but it not necessary until you are on varsity.  If college ball is in your future, go to a school where you can actually play, and "if you trip on the curb and break a foot, you will actually want to stay at the college with or without baseball".