College catcher

As all position players. hitting is a very high priority. I think from there is arm strength and POP, foot work, receiving the ball and intelligence.  Physically it matters because of wear and tear over a long game or season. The less strong you are the more wear and tear, hence not being able to hit/receive/ throw as well as game / season goes on

My son is a college pitcher who happens to have an excellent catcher on his team who will in all probability get drafted in high rounds in June. He is by far the best hitter of the catchers and actually probably best hitter on team. Came out of HS at about 6' 165-170 from what I have been told (my son is a year behind him in school), now still 6' but 215-220. all muscle. This is as of end of sophomore year. Did most of that during freshman year and summer after. From what I understand it was because he got worn down his freshman year some, so worked hard to make sure he was a physically able as possible. I can tell you from watching last year, it worked well for him

Just my opinion

http://www.ncsasports.org/recr...ll-catchers-pop-time

I don't know how accurate it is but it seems to be from a reputable source, and of course there are always going to be exceptions to the rule.

My son was recruited at C before a knee injury moved him to 1B. My experience was exactly like CHEFMIKE7777 describes. High to mid level DI catchers share many of the same traits that CHEF describes. Hitting for average and power is #1. Durability is another big one.

I don't think parents of high school players (in general) appreciate how much college coaches value specific traits for each position. Most college catchers have a look. They bat 3-6 in the order. They are built like linebackers and they're tough as nails. They throw darts. They take charge on the field.

I know there are exceptions, so no need to point them out to me. Like with all positions, the lower the college level of play, the more you see players deviate from the archetypes. Look at college rosters, but focus on the guys with the ABs and IPs.

I know more than one parent of a HS catcher who thinks their son has college talent because he "blocks everything" and is great at framing. The harsh reality is that if he's 5'9" - 155 lbs and throws 75 mph; nobody cares about those things.

I would never discourage anyone from trying to beat the odds, but I also think people should know what they're up against before choosing to do so.

MidAtlanticDad posted:

 

I know more than one parent of a HS catcher who thinks their son has college talent because he "blocks everything" and is great at framing. The harsh reality is that if he's 5'9" - 155 lbs and throws 75 mph; nobody cares about those things.

I would never discourage anyone from trying to beat the odds, but I also think people should know what they're up against before choosing to do so.

It's a common thing though...  I've lost count of the conversations I've had with parents who focus on one good trait their son has and ignore everything else.

Yes, your son receives well - but go take a look at the guys behind the plate at the local Div 1 college games.  They receive well too - plus they have a cannon arm, are 6'2 210 lbs, and can hit the ball into orbit.

My son took lessons from a guy who was a catcher in the Yankees organization.  We were talking one day about the different skills used by a catcher at different levels.  He said that he was a great receiver and could out block anybody he played with.  The problem is that as you go up the levels - the pitchers get better.  He said he would go entire games without having a ball in the dirt that he didn't actually call for.  So the fact that he was good at blocking certainly didn't compensate for the fact he was a sub .200 hitter with no power.

I agree with midatlantic and chefmike - if you hit, you play.

I'd add, however, that the physical attributes of a HS catcher are only important at maturity. I've seen many a HS varsity catcher (like the 5'9" 155 lb catcher referenced above) enter college at 6' 1" and 180 (in great HS physical shape but not scratching man strength yet) and return as a 6' 1" 200 lbs specimen sophomore. 

Like many other positions, projections are important. To me, hitting and athleticism are critical. As skills required of a catcher move from "genetic" (nature) to "teachable" (nurture), devining whether a player can be taught those skills (e.g., behind the plate skills (blocking, ball transition, framing)) become a question a coach needs to determine.

But it all boils down to hitting; anyone who hits will find a place in the starting line-up and catchers are moved frequently to third or first (or in Biggio's case to center and second).

Size and durability are #1 for D1, then hitting for power and arm strength.  While blocking is important, they will pick the cannon arm over excellent blocking skills every time because it's easier to teach a big guy to block than add arm strength, plus blocking isn't as big of an issue as the pitching gets better.   My guy is going thru the recruitment right now, he's one of those 5'9", 150 lb kids who hits all of the "magic" numbers except for size and has drawn no interest from D1s.  Actually, was at Big D1 camp last weekend and they loved him, until they realized he was a 2017.  For some reason they thought he was a 2019, lol.  Darn peach fuzz!  I'm putting his example on here not to whine about "why don't they like him?"...we know why they don't like him.  It is what it is.  Rather than complain, he is working his tail off on getting stronger, faster, bigger.  He wants them to look at his numbers this summer and say "that can't be right; who is this kid?".

The good news is there is a college spot for just about everyone.  If you're willing to work hard and study hard you can find a home.   The game will let you know where you belong.  

See the discussion at http://community.hsbaseballweb...07#22834385150115507

It helps to be able to legitimately play additional positions such as OF or 3rd.

BaseballChauffeur posted:

Rather than complain, he is working his tail off on getting stronger, faster, bigger.  He wants them to look at his numbers this summer and say "that can't be right; who is this kid?".  

With that attitude, I'm sure he'll end up playing somewhere.

MidAtlanticDad posted:

BaseballChauffeur posted:

Rather than complain, he is working his tail off on getting stronger, faster, bigger.  He wants them to look at his numbers this summer and say "that can't be right; who is this kid?".  

With that attitude, I'm sure he'll end up playing somewhere.

My 2017 son is experiencing the same thing as a pitcher @ 5'11" 185.  Not getting any love thus far with recruitment. All of the commits or high follows are 6-1 plus, lanky, "projectable" etc. They can throw 85 max and get the accolades. It frustrates him but I told him you can't worry about those guys, just yourself and work to prove them wrong. He's just afraid he will get overlooked and miss out on an opportunity.

CollegeParentNoMore posted:

See the discussion at http://community.hsbaseballweb...07#22834385150115507

It helps to be able to legitimately play additional positions such as OF or 3rd.

 

I used to follow Vanderbilt closely. For about ten years I knew kids who played there. At one point they had four stud recruits who could catch. On top of that they converted an outfielder to catcher. These guys could hit. Aside from catching they played first, third, right. left and DH. They all turned pro. Two played positions other than catcher in the minors.