Advice on exposure path

It's very very early for your son.

Have you looked at the recruiting timeline on this site which outlines some suggested steps to take in the process?  We followed that with my 2012 and 2016 and it works!

When my 2012 was in the 8th grade he was on a travel team like a lot of kids then and now.  He's one of two from that team to play baseball in college.  Some never played in high school!  Ditto for my 2016.  In his case, it's doubtful any other kids play in college.  Though on both boys' teams over the years there were a lot of kids with a lot of talent.

The recruiting timeline is a great starting point.  I'm happy (as are hundreds of others on this site) to weigh in with help if we can provide it as you go forward.

At this stage try not to get caught up in all the news you see about early commits.  I am in the northeast as well and my 2016 played on "elite" travel teams all along the way.  There is very little college recruiting of northeast players going on until Jr year Varsity HS baseball - then intense recruiting during summer travel ball between Jr. - Sr. year.  Some players may be "seen" playing between Soph-Jr year and I'm sure lots of them are doing camps, showcases, etc but I don't know of many NE players who commit that year (there are some on PG right now but not a lot).

This probably conflicts with what you're seeing/hearing about all these 2017, 2018 and 2019 commits but my take is that many (if not most) of those players are from other regions.  Even the absolute best players that I'm aware of from the NE (in my limited baseball world) signed D1 this summer (as 2016s) - I'm talking PG rated 9s and 9.5s who throw in the 90s.   We have a 2018 PG rated 9.5 player on our HS team who started last year as a freshman.  I'm very curious to see what will happen with him now that the trend seems to be early commits.  

I can't comment on the stats you listed other than to say that it seems like 14u the summer after 8th grade is the correct level (that's where my 8th grader will play) and if you are comfortable with the team and coaches and he's competitive then I would leave him there for the time being.  You have time to assess and change teams/course when he's in HS (in my opinion).

Too early to worry about college baseball recruiting. Too many variables. Just build skills, enjoy each day you can play catch with him, and hope his love for the game remains intense.

Not too early to make sure he excels in the classroom.  No variable there. Use every family trip to introduce him to various types of college campuses.

The more he excels in the classroom, the greater the number of options he may have when the time is ripe.

Enjoy the HS ride first (at least the first few years).

+1

PS:  The "time line" for things can vary from player to player depending on their skill level (e.g. a HS Freshman playing on Varsity vs. HS Freshman on JV or Freshman team).  

1738Dad,

Welcome to HSBaseballWeb. At this point, your son's most important number is that 4.1 GPA. Stress to him that high academic achievement creates baseball opportunities.

Try not to worry about 18 months out. Very, very few kids are getting interest from colleges after their freshman year of high school. Those kids are usually extremely talented and athletic, and you're only setting yourself up for disappointment if you think of that as normal.

Your son should continue to focus on improving. Especially throwing harder and running faster. Right now, he doesn't have numbers that make him stand out in a crowd. Try to put him with the best coaches you can find, without concerning yourself too much with exposure just yet. Exposure isn't really helpful until you have something a college coach wants.

I encourage you to explore past conversations on this forum. Many people have gone through this process, and many have shared what they've learned along the way.

I also encourage you to search through topics from the past few months (weeks, even), where people are discussing 2018s, 2019s, and 2020s.  You'll find that this topic has a lot of helpful commentary.

Big +1 for what Goosegg said and agree with others comments as well.  My only add would be to address that 60 time.  It is likely that the issue is a combination of running form and weight/conditioning.  It would be a shame if his game continued to progress but he didn't address that aspect.  If he is destined to be stocky but has good bat speed/pop, he doesn't have to be a speed guy but will definitely benefit from being in better running shape and not be a base clog and high hit-into-DP guy.  I've seen this happen with too many bigger kids and it has taken them out of the game before their other skills and passion level would dictate. 

Your current schedule sounds like it will help in letting him know where he stands.

Welcome to the site.

I'm not an expert with ball exit speed, so hopefully someone else will chime in... But I would think the ball coming off a -5 is a lot different than coming off wood of even a BBCOR -3... So I don't know how they could make those judgements... 

I would say the variation can be between 5-7 MPH...2018 (young 15yr old) wanted to find out the difference so we took a crap easton aluminum (-5) and a rawlings velo (-3)...the easton was consistently in the 83-86 range whereas the velo was in the 76-79 range...with wood it even drops lower. 

My guess would be that they didn't question what bat he used.  The measurement with a -5 is irrelevant when compared to others using bbcor. 

1738dad, welcome!  You got some really respected posters to post to you on this thread and they all have extensive experience and valuable knowledge......BUT.....I hear where you are coming from because I'm in the same place with my 8th grader.

While it is vital to enjoy the high school experience, it is also confusing when you think you are running out of time to lead your 2020 to the path that MIGHT get him seen by the people who can take him to the next level.

Here are some bare basics that you are probably looking for.  I would estimate 95%+ players in college were offered by a college in 10th or 11th grade.  The oddball 8th and 9th grade offers are for something spectacular like the 2020 who is currently pitching 90mph!  99% of our kids will not fall into this category, and yours, like mine isn't in that 1% so you have time to breath and he has time to grow as a player.

To be perfectly blunt, he doesn't need to be seen yet by anyone because he doesn't have a WOW factor yet. Some WOW factors would be a LHP throwing 85+, or a 60 time under 7.0, or a LHP that was expected to grow to be 6'6 and was already throwing in the 80's. The kids who get offers to play at the next level are above average.  Based on my son and seeing his team I would say his 60 time is FAR below average, data taken with a drop 5 bat is just useless, and while his fast ball is slightly above average there is too big a difference between his fastball and his curve.

It sounds like you have him on one of the best teams and that is where you need to stay as long as he is getting significant playing time.  Everyone's path to the next level seems to be drastically different.  A local high school player was offered when a local college coach saw him doing a bullpen at a practice.  Some people are invited to camps as part of a mass email and an offer came from it.  Some push videos and emails at 100's of coaches begging one to bite. Some attend one PG game and poof gets an offer, while some attend 4 PG showcases just trying to get someone to notice them.  And there are 1000 other ways.  For now, chill, let him grow, and when he is almost WOW level take him to a local college camp for experience at the assessment process.  When you and he both feel he is WOW then it might be time for a showcase, and in the meantime keep him playing high level tourneys with great competition.

From the mother of a 2020 who is 5'10, 160#, C,RHP,1B

First this statement is very wrong. For the elite maybe, but most here are not elite. 

I am with Goosegg. Enjoy the time first. There is also 1,000 X more academic money than athletic. 

Read the timeline here. Along with skills he also has to develop a crazy passion for the game. College baseball is very very difficult and most HS players and parents have no idea until they see if for themselves. Unless he develops a driving passion for the game along with skills it will be about your desires and not his. 

You found a great place for info and welcome. 

Here are the current stats on PG's website regarding college commitments of which they are aware:

Class of 2015: 4,312

Class of 2016: 2,630

Class of 2017: 682

Class of 2018: 181

Class of 2019: 18

They don't list the 2020 kids, but there are one or two, I'm sure. Of course, more kids will have been offered -- these are just the reported commitments. But I think it is fair to say that the vast majority of commitments happen junior year or later. 

It's really an identification game!  Events (showcases or tournaments), at least the ones we do, are used to identify players.  Projecting how good an eighth grader might be in four years isn't that much different than projecting how good a senior will be in four years.  So many get identified as having a certain amount of potential despite not having present "wow" skills.

Does it mean offers will be made?  No, it means you have been identified as a potential prospect and someone that should be followed to see how you develop.  This has been a gigantic advantage for many young players that didn't wait around until "wow" factors showed up.

It also creates a history that can be very valuable to recruiters and scouts as they continually project a players potential.  I have explained this many times here. Here is one example using pitchers A and B...

8th Grade

Pitcher A top velocity - 88 mph

Pitcher B top velocity - 76 mph

Freshman Year

Pitcher A top velocity - 90 mph

Pitcher B top velocity - 82 mph

Soph. Year

Pitcher A top velocity - 92 mph

Pitcher B top velocity - 87 mph

Junior Year

Pitcher A top velocity - 93 mph

Pitcher B top velocity - 90 mph

Senior Year

Pitcher A top velocity - 93 mph

Pitcher B top velocity - 93 mph

Lets say everything else is similar between these two pitchers.  Their draft eligibility year they both peak at 93 mph. Using nothing other than common sense and the 5 year history which pitcher A or B would you think will have the most velocity next year and beyond?

This history adds another important element to projection.  Now the advantage goes to the kid throwing 76 mph when he was younger rather than the kid that was throwing 88 at the same age.

I really don't care what players do.  We do not need more players to attend events.  I can understand why some might read these things and think he is just trying to get us to attend something.  Truth is, I don't care who attends other than I do like to see the best players attend.  However, I do think people need to hear how some of this stuff works and hear it from someone who has been deeply involved for many years.  

With all due respect, there aren't many parents of young kids that could possibly have this stuff figured out.  I'm sure that those parents that have actually been through it have a clearer picture.  And even then they only know how things went for them. Nearly all of them would say they really learned a lot in that time period between Little League and college or professional baseball.

So there is a reason to attend certain events, mainly to be identified if nothing more. Is it better to have your name on the list or off the list? Is it better that people know who you are or not know who you are?  Guess that depends on how you view it.

At the same time, there are reasons not to attend certain events.  Even if that event could be beneficial it doesn't mean it is necessary.  It doesn't mean your future is gloomy because you didn't attend some event.  There is no absolute path. 

Sorry BOF I meant to write 10th, 11th or 12th grade...you are very right, as usual! I was trying to highlight that the 8th and 9th grade offers are very rare.

I really truly wish someone would update that recruiting timeline though.  People keep referring to it and yet even the most respected posters on here agree it's outdated with it's talk of looking into showcases summer after 10th grade year, first showcase is summer before your 12th grade year, finding college camp info in the newspaper, and making a VHS tape, and I think the contact dates are screwy too. The concept is awesome, but you take people like the OP and they are going to take one look at that and think this website is antiquated and maybe never even post  

" Just turned 14 and is currently in 8th grad "  slow down dad.... slow slow down....

It will be ok, trust me.... I get you want the board to know his history.... but he is just too young to worry about it.   First of all I agree with BOF....and 2019Dad....

If your 8th grader is a stud muffin as a freshman or soph, you have nothing to worry about, the top 3 conferences will contact you... as well as the top travel teams.  But as CaCO3girl said 99% do not... but it takes a lot of players to fill the college rosters more than 1% so you have time.

. 

First of all I would listen to the advice about the recruiting timeline and the grades... then I would stop playing 90 games per year.... you are asking for injury...

Sounds like he is on a good travel team so just work on his skill set and don't worry about all the showcases and camps.... Then like the others when he has the WOW factor, the "it" factor take him to PG showcase.

Your son is going to change so much in the next two years.  I fully understand your excitement, but you are going to drive him nuts... right now baseball is his life, when he's a soph/jr...  cars, social life, little sally from down the street are going to be there too, and to a small degree you will not be as smart as you are right now to him.... really listen to the people on the board, don't be like I was with my 2013, 2014 , just looking for validation of my own opinions. ( not that you are)