Coach told me I'm not talented enough to play

There is the possibility you’re not good enough. But you have to start asking yourself questions.

How badly do you want it? Do you prefer to play or do you want it?
Are you the first to arrive and the last to leave every practice? Do you compete in every practice like it’s the 7th game of the World Series?

What are you doing in the off-season to improve your skills? What are you doing in the off-season to improve yourself physically? Have you made yourself as physically as big, strong and fast as you can be?

You don’t get to college ball on a prayer. You have to put yourself in the right place to gain exposure. If you’ve thought about quitting high school ball you don’t have the motivation to play college ball. It sounds more like you prefer it than want it.

The coach told you you’re not good enough. Did you ask him what you need to improve to earn a position?

You haven’t had the chance as a pitcher? Who is stopping you from improving your velocity? Your mechanics? Do you even know if you have quality mechanics? If you show up throwing harder and with better command than other pitchers on the sidelines you will be put in the game.

Okay @landonb08, what is your plan?  You've shared what your coach said, and he sounds like a lot of high school coaches I've known over the years.  He's challenging you and he's probably challenging others on the team to compete for playing time.   That is what he is supposed to do to motivate you to get better.   What are you going to do to prove him wrong?  As my youngest son's hs coach used to say all the time...."figure it out".

If you've spent any time on HSBaseballWeb there are many, many stories of guys who find a way and refuse to succumb to what others think.   My oldest played on a stud national team back in the day, and all the players were recruited from top D1 schools in the area.   My son's teammate was a smallish kid, and the last to be recruited from this travel team and he was kind of an afterthought at best.  Years later, he led his D1 school in homeruns and was drafted junior year.   Before he got drafted, he and my son were the only two left playing college baseball from this elite national travel team.   They were both the last to be recruited from that travel team.  You've got to believe in yourself, work hard,  and find a way to get on that field.  Attitude is everything in life, and this is no different.

JMO, and Good luck! 

Look up "Anatoly"  He is a small guy but can lift a ton.  He puts others to shame.  You said you are small.  Get strong!  That is where your power and velocity will come from.  Like others have said, "how bad do you want it".  My oldest thought he wanted it bad, until he realized it meant giving up a lifestyle he wasn't ready to give up.  My middle son has completely changed his eating habits.  In addition to working out, you will need to eat lots of protein and calories.

Good luck!

If the coach is keeping you on the team, use the practices and games to work as hard as you can to improve, and study the game.  And for sure, try to have a conversation with him, outside of practice, to ask where he thinks you need to improve.  Can you talk to assistant coaches?  Do you stay after practice to hit in the cages, throw, field?  Injuries happen.  Be ready.

You don't say whether you do workouts, lessons, practice outside of the school team - but, right or wrong, that's kind of expected at most high schools.  Do you play in the summer at all (you said "not travel")?

I understand that it's mystifying sometimes why a coach plays certain players and not others.  My son was confused about a lot of things when he was in HS.  Later he was an assistant coach for one year.  He said now he understood and agreed with all the coach's decisions back then.

Generally speaking, coaches are trying to win, and they play the players they think will help them - but it's not always obvious what that means.  Maybe some are better contact hitters?  Maybe they hit the ball harder than you do?  Coaches always want pitchers - but probably he knows more about what kind of pitching succeeds at your HS varsity level.

"Playing in college" can mean many things.  Do you mean that you want to be on a team, even if you never play?  There are many colleges that take as many as 50+ players (i.e. paying students) - these are D2, D3, NAIA, etc.  Only nine play at anyone time, though.  It still could be a good experience, if you like being around baseball.

Just like everyone else, you’re only in control of your work ethic and choices. Neither life nor baseball is fair in the distribution of gifted attributes and lucky/unlucky breaks.

If baseball is a passion, then out work everyone else and use being overlooked as fuel – but there’s never a guarantee that translates to getting on the varsity field. However, if do you learn to outwork your competition, use setbacks as fuel while making good choices, that can translate to a foundation for lifelong success.

I'll echo what others have said about becoming a gym rat and taking advantage of every possible resource to get better.

That being said college baseball should not be on your radar. I would not consider a showcase.

Your goals should be tailored towards carving out a role on the team. Even if it's pinch running, defensive sub, inning eater, etc. Train hard in the offseason and work towards establishing a more "regular" role for your senior season.

My younger son lived for baseball.  Dropped the backpack outside at the end of the school day and hit both ways on the "hit-a-way".  Started working out in a sports specific program in 8th grade, probably because he saw other successful baseball players doing that and he wanted to be one of them (and that's about the time I joined this site).  Played travel ball from age 10-17 then played for the free American Legion team after his senior year before college. Didn't make V as a 9th grader, but got called up at the end of that season.  Committed early before junior HS year to the only college that offered.  He started at his mid-D1 college and played every game but the 2 when he had a 104 temperature.  Drafted in the 5th round, and played for 5 years (plus the MiLB-less Covid year) before being released.

My older son.....6'5".... had the desire, but not the talent as his younger brother.  Went to sign up on the "baseball interest list" for our baseball-rich high school and he said he saw 20 players better than him so he never signed up.  Wound up being the stat guy on the V bench for 4 years of HS, the stat guy for V and JV basketball for 4 years,  and (a slightly paying job as) the basketball manager at an ACC college.   Currently plays on his engineering firm's  co-ed softball team (the desire is still there).

Lesson:  play as much as you can for as long as you can, but there are other ways to be part of a team.  You are on the team....hang in there and work hard.

"Baseball is hard - otherwise everyone would do it."

"The only thing fair in life is between 1st and 3rd."

"Everyone hangs up the cleats one day"

If you love the game you'll do what you can to get better. As mentioned before it's a lot of work. Are you spending hours daily year round on improving your game, getting stronger and faster? Do you love the grind more than the actual game because that's what college baseball is. It's a job...without pay. Have you gotten other opinions of your level of play besides from your HS coach? Being smaller than average certainly can be a set back, but if you are just as fast and strong it's not something that should hold you back. I would definitely recommend being evaluated by someone that is not bias. Problem is that's sometimes hard to find because as soon as you pay someone that opinion may end up being bias. You've got to be getting reps at practice. Are you performing at the same level as the starters? Do other teammates that are starters ever question why you aren't getting more play time?

The one thing I will add is: Unfortunately, in baseball, the higher you go, the bigger kid will get more looks, chances and forgiveness than the "undersized" kid. It's not fair and it's stupid but it's reality. Hang in there and keep grinding. Best of luck.

We have teams here loaded with tall and strong boys, but a couple of the boys are not so tall.  Those boys are some of the STRONGEST boys on the teams, though.  What they lack in height, they more than make up for in strength and/or energy level.  Also, I believe that every single player that made our varsity team has been also playing travel.  I do not know that it is so much that they are "on a travel team," that is key, but they TRAIN and PRACTICE when it is not in-season for school.  So if you do not play travel, find a way or a place to train.   If you REALLY want to play, do not be deterred - control what you can, which is actually quite a bit.

Showcases are really only valuable if you have skills to showcase.  If you are hitting top numbers at something or you have a skill that would be notable, then it might be worthwhile.

Best of luck!