Are we behind in our planning?

There is plenty of time for your 2022! All these commits are "verbal" and much could change over the next 3-4 years.  I wouldn't pay much attention to who commits when and where.  Your son should concentrate on improving his strength and baseball skills this fall and spring.  The summer between sophomore and Junior years is the opportunity to attend showcases and participate in the various travel tournaments.

After the summer you should have a good idea of what type of programs (D1, D2, D3, NAIA etc..) are showing interest and you can then "plan" from there.

Good Luck!

There are tons of threads you can search here on this topic.  No, you are not behind.  The sophomore and freshman age kids that are signing are typically both very talented and somewhat early developers and they are committing D1.  On the grand scale, it is a very small minority. ( As a side note, I would be curious to hear where you are hanging out that you are seeing all these very young commits... Big high profile events?  Or are you just reading PG profiles or something?) 

You said yourself - at least at this time, he is probably not D1 material.  He just hit a growth spurt and will likely need some time for his body to adjust to that.  For the vast majority, the window is somewhere between junior year in HS and nearing graduation.  Some are still far from being physically matured even then.  If your son was clearly a high profile D1 prospect, you may be able to have some concern about timing.  Doesn't sound like that is the case.  Don't force something that will come on it's own time.  You may even know some of those committing and it might make you scratch your head and ask questions like this.  Don't drink the KoolAid.  Stick to what applies specifically to your son.  You're a baseball guy.  You'll know.

No rush, you have time! Most of the kids my son (2020) knows who "committed" as sophomores or earlier were either nationally ranked as young players OR, more commonly, their situation has since changed and they will not be attending the original school that offered them at age 15... The summer between sophomore and junior year will be a good time to get additional exposure. Since your son now has some measurables, he can start researching and reaching out to a variety of programs. Good luck!

cabbagedad posted:

There are tons of threads you can search here on this topic.  No, you are not behind.  The sophomore and freshman age kids that are signing are typically both very talented and somewhat early developers and they are committing D1.  On the grand scale, it is a very small minority. ( As a side note, I would be curious to hear where you are hanging out that you are seeing all these very young commits... Big high profile events?  Or are you just reading PG profiles or something?) 

You said yourself - at least at this time, he is probably not D1 material.  He just hit a growth spurt and will likely need some time for his body to adjust to that.  For the vast majority, the window is somewhere between junior year in HS and nearing graduation.  Some are still far from being physically matured even then.  If your son was clearly a high profile D1 prospect, you may be able to have some concern about timing.  Doesn't sound like that is the case.  Don't force something that will come on it's own time.  You may even know some of those committing and it might make you scratch your head and ask questions like this.  Don't drink the KoolAid.  Stick to what applies specifically to your son.  You're a baseball guy.  You'll know.

I should have been clear, I'm seeing the commitments from players in my tri-state area on social media. I see them commit and look up their  measurables and can't believe they get offers. Especially the kids who haven't played high school baseball yet.  thanks for your feedback. 

Top D1 projected prospects verbal early. A verbal is not a legal commitment. If the kid doesn’t progress into a legitimate D1 prospect when it’s time to sign senior year the coach will give him a song and dance about not getting on the field. Almost all kids walk away rather than sign under these circumstances. 

At least half of D1 mid major, D2 and D3 prospects won’t verbal until the summer after junior year. There's a filtering  down process. When kids realize they’re not going to get a D1 offer they want they start looking at D2 and D3.

If your son is seen as a D2 prospect he has plenty of time. And who knows. He could turn into a D1 mid major who receives offers the summer after junior year. 

Half of all D1 situations don’t work out and the player transfers. I wonder how many of them were early commits who didn’t turn into the player the program expected them to be.

Not that many kids in the big picture are going to get a shot at pro ball. Unless it’s obvious a kid is a big time prospect he should be looking for the best academic and baseball experience  possible (with a little social thrown in) regardless of level.

I personally know 3 different 2020 kids who commited to D1 Mid Majors just this week.  There is plenty of time...

There is plenty of time. Stay focused on 2 things. 1. Getting stronger and faster. Be athletic. 

2. Where does he want to go. Be realistic and visit some schools. Not necessarily baseball, just figure out what he likes. Big school, big city? Degrees available? Close to home or distance doesn’t matter? Finances and costs?  In state vs out of state?  Girlfriend?(can be a big factor whether they admit it or not)

When you answer some of these questions, then the search is much easier. 

Some say cast a “wide net” which is fine I guess, but we chose a little more focused approach and it was not a bad process. 

The best example I could give is that we are obviously Auburn fans. It would have been my sons dream school. But in reality the cost for out of state vs in state in GA with the Hope scholarship just made no sense. Realistically, I think if we pursued it hard, he might could have gotten a walk on. Maybe played at some point, maybe not but would have certainly ended up with substantial student loan debt.  We focused on in state schools only due to that. We looked around and narrowed that list, luckily through some baseball friends, we were able to arrange a meeting with the coaches and got an offer . 

Figure out where he wants to go and what makes sense. don’t just  wander around paying for tournaments and showcases chasing offers. You have time but it is time to get started  

If he's an IF, what's his 60 time?  (you can measure it on a football field if you don't know).  If not below 7.0, think twice about doing that PBR showcase right now - the time he gets will be online until he does another one.  The time to start showcasing is when his 60-time is below 7.0, or the summer before senior year, whichever comes first.

If your son hasn't done a showcase or gotten his measurables, PBR is a low(er) cost option to get that done.  Once he has his benchmarks, continue to focus on getting stronger, faster, better.  Also, sounds like he's a good student and high academic (HA) options may be something you'll want to pursue down the road.  Lots of time for our 2022's.

You're not behind by a longshot. 

So, I've been on this site for a while, and met a lot of people that have shared their college recruiting experiences.  There are at least two stages of "planning" that eventually happen with just about everyone in the recruiting process.  Initially, you and your son don't know where to start in this college recruiting puzzle.  You go to all kinds of places, showcases, camps, tournaments...this is the (initial) default plan.    These experiences matter because they are going to help you develop the real plan later.  

You listen to the travel coach, high school coach, researching and begin reading posts and asking questions on HSBBWeb.   You get feedback on your son's skill level from the aforementioned showcases, camps, tournaments, and baseball people.   You'll begin to put the pieces together and listen to your son very closely on what he wants to do.   Then (phase two) you really begin developing "the plan".   At this latter stage, you're now targeting schools based on your son's feedback and datapoints ; skill level, academics, financial, location, relationships, specialization, etc....   You work the plan over and over and over.  Again, as a 2023 you are not behind by a longshot.

As always, JMO.   Best of luck!

I agree with Fenway,  and also with a previous post. This is the time to get solid measurables and PBR (at least in Iowa) was a quality and affordable option for that.

Once you have those measurables, you'll have a good idea of where your son will fit. 

As for scheduling my son (a pitcher) and a teammate (a middle infielder) both committed to P5 school in fall of their senior year of high school. Probably don't want to leave things until that late, but there's plenty of time.

The timeline seems to be shifting a bit.  While P5's do commit 14 & 15 year olds, there are a great many D1's who get their commitments in the summer before or fall of Senior year.

I get the sense that things were different 5-10 years ago.   And while the parents of kids who commited 5 to 10 years ago have a great deal of valuable wisdom to share, their advice that if you aren't commited to a D1 by Junior year it is "too late" is, in general, outdated while well-intentioned

anotherparent posted:

If he's an IF, what's his 60 time?  (you can measure it on a football field if you don't know).  If not below 7.0, think twice about doing that PBR showcase right now - the time he gets will be online until he does another one.  The time to start showcasing is when his 60-time is below 7.0, or the summer before senior year, whichever comes first.

As a 2022, that 7.0 number isn't as important as people want you to believe.  My son was being recruited as a 3B/2B the summer after his junior year.  He wasn't at 7.0 and it never came up once from either of the 2 most serious schools.   Sure they like speedy kids for baserunning purposes, but if you can play IF you can play 2B or 3B without being at that 7.0 number.  I wouldn't discourage anyone from showcasing just due to one metric.  Being 6'0 as a rising sophomore and 84 across the IF will get him plenty of notice even without the straightline speed

Most D1 schools want that 7.0 60 today.   If you aren't running a 7 flat or better you better have outrageous mmeasureables in another area 95 across the infield, 105+ Exit Velo... That is just the way things are trending right now today.  There are a few schools that will make exceptions on 60 time, but most won't

If you are throwing 84 across the infield as a 2022 but slow, they will either

a) take note and watch in the future to see if you develop more

b) consider converting you to a pitcher

the reason why, today as opposed to 5 years ago the 60 is a prerequisite?   Because most schools will be able to have entire commitment classes of 7 flat or better runners.  It is just the reality of things today...

3and2Fastball posted:

The timeline seems to be shifting a bit.  While P5's do commit 14 & 15 year olds, there are a great many D1's who get their commitments in the summer before or fall of Senior year.

I get the sense that things were different 5-10 years ago.   And while the parents of kids who commited 5 to 10 years ago have a great deal of valuable wisdom to share, their advice that if you aren't commited to a D1 by Junior year it is "too late" is, in general, outdated while well-intentioned

I know I said this already on another thread, but two of my son's 2020 friends just committed to P5 schools (one to a top 20 program), so D1s  are definitely still recruiting rising seniors.

The players my son knows who committed freshman year, I would say half of them ended up going to completely different schools. And we'll see about the others if they'll ever see the field. Send your son to a school where he will play. If it takes until his senior year to figure that out, that's fine.

3and2Fastball posted:

Most D1 schools want that 7.0 60 today.   If you aren't running a 7 flat or better you better have outrageous mmeasureables in another area 95 across the infield, 105+ Exit Velo... That is just the way things are trending right now today.  There are a few schools that will make exceptions on 60 time, but most won't

If you are throwing 84 across the infield as a 2022 but slow, they will either

a) take note and watch in the future to see if you develop more

b) consider converting you to a pitcher

the reason why, today as opposed to 5 years ago the 60 is a prerequisite?   Because most schools will be able to have entire commitment classes of 7 flat or better runners.  It is just the reality of things today...

The #1 rated SS (PBR and PG) in the state of Texas for the 2022 class is 85 if, 85 exit, 7.32 60.  6' 160 lbs.  He has been offered by all of the top Big 12's and some SEC teams.

22and25,

I'll bet you a dozen doughnuts (raspberry filled) if this same guy (don't know who he is) is still running over a 7.0 in a few years, he will not be the starting shortstop for "the top Big 12 and some SEC teams".   This guy was most likely recruited for his bat.  MIFs are recruited first as they project to be the most athletic.  Almost all of my son's D1 position teammates were recruited SSs in high school.  However there can only be one SS in college.  In college, typically the incoming freshmen were given a chance to hit college pitching and play the OF until an infield position became available.   If the freshmen didn't hit, well then they didn't play the OF.    This happens in a lot of places.  My son's travel teammate played at South Carolina back when they were winning back to back national championships.  This guy was the #1 catcher in Virginia when he was being recruited.   He was a physical specimen.  When he occastionally found the starting lineup it was in the outfield.   Same deal. 

Indyball,

Don't concern yourself with the recruiting noise of other players and parents.  Players and parents tend to exaggerate.  Focus on your son and his goals.   Your son will have eyes on him next month at PBR and you'll get a sense of where he fits.  Your son "hits well and has gap power. 4.0 honor student".  If this is true there will be opportunities for your son to find a fit somewhere.  The college baseball universe is pretty big.  You just need to know where to look, and get the necessary exposure to the schools that are looking for your son's skillset.   Keep asking questions that are relevant to your son, and don't concern yourself with others...it is not worth your time and distracts your son from the end goal.  

Good luck!

fenwaysouth posted:

22and25,

I'll bet you a dozen doughnuts (raspberry filled) if this same guy (don't know who he is) is still running over a 7.0 in a few years, he will not be the starting shortstop for "the top Big 12 and some SEC teams".   This guy was most likely recruited for his bat.  MIFs are recruited first as they project to be the most athletic.  Almost all of my son's D1 position teammates were recruited SSs in high school.  However there can only be one SS in college.  In college, typically the incoming freshmen were given a chance to hit college pitching and play the OF until an infield position became available.   If the freshmen didn't hit, well then they didn't play the OF.    This happens in a lot of places.  My son's travel teammate played at South Carolina back when they were winning back to back national championships.  This guy was the #1 catcher in Virginia when he was being recruited.   He was a physical specimen.  When he occastionally found the starting lineup it was in the outfield.   Same deal. 

Indyball,

Don't concern yourself with the recruiting noise of other players and parents.  Players and parents tend to exaggerate.  Focus on your son and his goals.   Your son will have eyes on him next month at PBR and you'll get a sense of where he fits.  Your son "hits well and has gap power. 4.0 honor student".  If this is true there will be opportunities for your son to find a fit somewhere.  The college baseball universe is pretty big.  You just need to know where to look, and get the necessary exposure to the schools that are looking for your son's skillset.   Keep asking questions that are relevant to your son, and don't concern yourself with others...it is not worth your time and distracts your son from the end goal.  

Good luck!

 

 

I hear ya, and I am sure you are right but the topic of conversation was what gets recruited right now.  Of course a 6.50 60 with a 90 plus if velo and 105 exit gets offered but to say without 2 of those 3 you land on a watch list for later seems to be an over generalization.  This kid has no measurables in the range of what you stated and is not a giant body.  He can just flat out play the game.  ++defender with a solid bat and game IQ through the roof.  Call it intangibles or maybe they see projection in him, whatever it is, pretty much every college coach that has watched him play has offered him, without the prerequisite measurables.

The kid could absolutely be a bust without further gains but whatever he is doing now they all seem to like it...a lot.

And for PG and PBR to both have him as #1 in a state full of guys with better measurables that tells me it's not just these coaches that are looking beyond the stats.  Will eye popping stats get you offered quicker, sure but pushing the idea that only eye popping measurables get offered is simply not true.  Can you get offered without some off the charts measurable....it appears so.

The player in question may have relatives who have made it at least to the D1 level college sports. Relatives may be a size that project well for the kid. Instincts and athleticism are great for projection. But when D1 ball comes around the kid better have the bat speed and quickness. If he doesn’t knock considerable time off his sixty chances are he’s moved to the corner of the field in college. 

If coaches project wrong he’ll get the “I can’t see you getting on the field here” pitch before NLI day. Early verbals work 99% in favor of the coaches. They have nothing to lose. The kid has taken himself off the market. If kids don’t project as high school seniors as they did as committed freshmen they often end up at JuCos.