College Fall Cuts

My son was cut ,along with several others at the end of this year's fall season from his HA D1 program. He made it through the severe covid cuts in 2020 ( they cut 14 players) and hung in there for '21 but in the end didn't make it this round. Many factors could explain him being cut, but at the end of the day it's important to try to turn this negative into a positive and keep going.

I have been reluctant to post about it because honestly we were all pretty devastated to say the least. It now has sunk in a bit, he went in the portal asap, has been reaching out to coaches and may have found a good fit to transfer into but will mostly likely need to be an undergrad for a 5th year.

The covid year really threw a wrench in many players baseball story. It is hard because he's an academic junior and has an unbreakable bond with his team and really enjoys the school, so it's a complicated and difficult situation. The team has really come through for him in this tough time to say the least.

To echo everyone who has posted on this thread- HS seniors, ask the right questions on the official visit about roster management, try to see some games to understand coaching style and be prepared to transfer/listen to your gut if things are seeming off. Work your damn hardest in the classroom and in the gym and on the field . Examine the rosters of each team you are seriously considering and see how many freshman are still around senior year and you may be surprised, so you just have to be ready to adapt to change.

Fingers crossed he can find a good new home! Thanks for everyones knowledge and insights!

So sorry to hear that. I hope he can make a decision he is at peace with.

I’m so very sorry. :-(

@2thousand19LHP posted:

My son was cut ,along with several others at the end of this year's fall season from his HA D1 program. He made it through the severe covid cuts in 2020 ( they cut 14 players) and hung in there for '21 but in the end didn't make it this round. Many factors could explain him being cut, but at the end of the day it's important to try to turn this negative into a positive and keep going.

I have been reluctant to post about it because honestly we were all pretty devastated to say the least. It now has sunk in a bit, he went in the portal asap, has been reaching out to coaches and may have found a good fit to transfer into but will mostly likely need to be an undergrad for a 5th year.

The covid year really threw a wrench in many players baseball story. It is hard because he's an academic junior and has an unbreakable bond with his team and really enjoys the school, so it's a complicated and difficult situation. The team has really come through for him in this tough time to say the least.

To echo everyone who has posted on this thread- HS seniors, ask the right questions on the official visit about roster management, try to see some games to understand coaching style and be prepared to transfer/listen to your gut if things are seeming off. Work your damn hardest in the classroom and in the gym and on the field . Examine the rosters of each team you are seriously considering and see how many freshman are still around senior year and you may be surprised, so you just have to be ready to adapt to change.

Fingers crossed he can find a good new home! Thanks for everyones knowledge and insights!

Sorry to hear about your son.

Thank you for posting this, especially when everyone is still dealing with the grief.  I wish your kid the best in finding a new home to continue his journey.

So very sorry for your family and son. Hopefully he lands in a great spot for him! Wishing all the best.

I'm very sorry about what happened to your son and don't want to come across as insensitive. However, I couldn't help but ask. If he is at a HA school that he likes and is an academic junior, then why wouldn't he just stay and complete his degree? Couldn't club ball or a men's league satisfy his desire to play baseball while he completes his degree? Is he still hoping to become a pro prospect? Don't underestimate the benefits of graduating 2 yrs early and getting started on a  career, that is exciting too. I wish you son luck in whatever path he chooses.

To @2thousand19LHP and all:

Considering the content on this thread, starting next week (~Dec 9th)

CBI Team Roster Turnover Insights will show additional information free version

Information to be included:

Total Outgoing Players

Total Outgoing Freshman

Total Incoming Players

Just as a reminder, we've published 2021 fall rosters for all divisions were available.

The goal of publishing the fall rosters is to provide family an overview of college's roster management strategy go forth.

Please note, it is not the end all be all, but just the start of what you need to know when assessing programs.

"Trust but Verify"

  Maybe it because its our sport of choice but the baseball journey just feels different than other sports. Maybe it has to do with being labeled our national pastime. Maybe the glorious history of the game adds some weight too. But to me the baseball journey resembles a love affair or a marriage. It is a roller coaster ride of every kind of emotion. It’s exciting and disappointing and can have the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. It starts awkwardly in the beginning, you figure out how to get good at it, something happens, and it’s over in a blink of the eye. Sometimes you don’t see the end coming and you aren’t prepared.  It often doesn’t end well and it can be a loss that has to be grieved by the whole family.  Hopefully after the hurt subsides you recognize that the relationship was good for you and helped you grow as a person. It would be my wish that your son and your family can get to that point as soon as possible. There is probably no other place you could post about this where more people would understand what you are feeling.

This won't help at all with the pain right now, but may well mean something down the road.  Your courage to come here and share your painful story stands the chance of helping others.  In fact, it's already helped me.  I have a 2021 Juco son and just like everyone else, the odds are high that he'll get cut at some point.  Could be very soon.  You just never know for sure.  But like most parents/people, we tend to get a lot of mileage secretly out the "it won't happen to me" tank.  So as much pain as the situation has caused your son and family, know that real first-hand stories like this are better preparing us to support our own children and help educate others from hopefully feeling blindsided. You're positively impacting this community and I, for one, am very grateful.  Pulling for you all and sending positive thoughts your way.  Every day our kids get to keep playing the game they love is a gift and most here have family that got to play longer than most everyone else.  Always keep that front and center.

@2thousand19LHP Thank you for sharing your story and I am truly sorry that your son got cut. Unfortunately, your story is far to familiar in the collegiate baseball world. Still, that doesn't make it any easier to process. Foremost, keep your son's mental state in mind, as this is just part of his journey, and life will throw him many curveballs. This will eventually make him stronger.  It is awesome that his teammates have stepped up to support him.

I clearly remember the day I received "The Call" from our LHP of his release. He was devastated. I will tell you that there is life after release and transfer. Feel free to reach out (DM) if I can also support you and your family.

My son was cut his RS Junior season from a D1 Mid-Major.  He pitched well the season before, until a toe injury significantly slowed him down.  Even still, he lead the team in saves, had a solid ERA and very good k/9 ratio.  Despite that, he was cut in the fall.

At first, we were panicked and devastated.  But, the next day we developed a plan for his options.  His primary focus was to get stronger and throw harder and load up on classes to graduate.  He went to a baseball focused workout facility 45 minutes away and took a 19 credit semester in the spring, 4 credit "mid-term" and 6 credit summer.

Having a plan and hard work got him several dozen offers and in the end he chose one of the best P5 schools and is now in the minor leagues.

Getting cut in college is not the end, but can create new opportunities if you put a plan in place and put in the work

@314Calhoun posted:

I'm very sorry about what happened to your son and don't want to come across as insensitive. However, I couldn't help but ask. If he is at a HA school that he likes and is an academic junior, then why wouldn't he just stay and complete his degree? Couldn't club ball or a men's league satisfy his desire to play baseball while he completes his degree? Is he still hoping to become a pro prospect? Don't underestimate the benefits of graduating 2 yrs early and getting started on a  career, that is exciting too. I wish you son luck in whatever path he chooses.

Calhoun, thanks so much for your kind words. Not at all insensitive and definitely staying at his current school is not off the table ! He may try to graduate early and then still have eligibility left to play in grad school, so he'll have to weigh his options. The biggest part is if he decides to go that route , staying in shape and on a pitching program would need to be figured out since the club ball program at his school isn't very competitive.

@adbono @Suds @Picked Off @DanJ Wow, I am really humbled by everyone's kindness and I cannot thank you all enough for the support.  It is inspiring to hear from you all. Stories like Suds son's are what makes us all keep the dream alive! I have been talking to my son to monitor his mental state and he seems like he's doing well under the circumstances, that was my first concern especially with him being out of state and not being able to see him in person.

As all of you know our "normal" friends just don't fully understand this stuff (: this is really one of the only places to discuss things like this.  I am grateful for the bond my son and I have via baseball and all the amazing folks I have met along the way.

6 years of players in a 4 year window—somehow the compassion shown to the college classes of 2020 and 2021 has had trickle down effects on the underclassmen. Good luck with his studies and his love of the game! Keep grinding no matter what the future brings!

@2thousand19LHP,

Let me echo the sentiments of others. We can understand the situation and the emotions involved, and a lot of us have lived through similar times and come out better on the other side. My son was in the transfer portal last spring with no immediate prospects, but he kept working to make connections and ended up in a great program with improved educational and baseball opportunities. Let me know if I can help you guys.

Yesterday I got a call from a good friend who is an agent/advisor with a high profile sports agency. He is advising a top HS prospect on the east coast. Kid has an older brother (that can play) but needs to transfer at semester. My friend is an ex-player and a strong baseball guy. Based on his reputation and a phone call from me to a Texas JuCo HC the kid has a new home and a place to play this spring - on full scholarship. This was all word of mouth based on trust. Video that followed more than supported the decision. As a result an existing roster player will be cut and a kid that thought he was gonna be a starter in the OF will be moved to the bench. And this is how it goes at every competitive program in college baseball. Is it brutal? Yes, it can be. It’s survival of the fittest and only the very best players are exempt from it. It has always been this way and it always will be. But it seems more likely to happen now more than ever to any player that stretches to reach a program that he isn’t really good enough for. This underlines the importance of understanding what lane you belong in and staying in it if playing college baseball is important to you.

Spot on.

IMHO, the game hasn't changed, just the actors.

Coaches just have more resources to chose from.

It seems there can be a lot of turmoil during the winter, to your point, post fall season transfers.

I will also add that at no time during the conversations was there any discussion of metrics. The only things discussed had to do with in game production at the JuCo level, which was later supported by video.

Another real world example supporting going where you're loved and fishing in the right pond.  The larger/regular contributors to HSBBW are already well aware of this, so this info is really for you parents/players newer to the recruiting process.  @adbono and many others continually dish out first-hand straight dope for the benefit of you and your child.  The onus is now on you to actually act on it.  We all get it.  Since our kids left the womb, we've been conditioned to tell them they can do anything they want to do in life.  That the sky is the limit.  To go after their dreams and ignore the naysayers.  So it's incredibly difficult to fight the inertia of all that and suddenly take a hard left turn towards logic, reason and practicality.  But make no mistake - that is EXACTLY what is best for you and your college recruit right now.  The conditions and environment around college baseball - right or wrong - demand a change/augmentation to the dream.  Our kids aren't really capable of fully understanding the risks and odds.  Like it or not, we have 2 choices: 1) help them mitigate the risks by making smarter choices or 2) allow them to blindly continue chasing what is quickly becoming a pipe dream.  Choose #2 if you're hell bent on keeping the dream alive, but know that you'll be hard pressed to find much sympathy from anyone who knows you were made aware of the risks and odds ahead of time.  If you insist on building your house on the beach, you forego the right to complain when sand and water inevitably get in your house.  Know that your kid didn't necessarily get "screwed."  It's more likely that you/your kid screwed himself before he even set foot on campus.  My fun-hating, dream-killing rant is over.

Well said @DanJ, and thanks for the kind words.

@adbono posted:

I will also add that at no time during the conversations was there any discussion of metrics. The only things discussed had to do with in game production at the JuCo level, which was later supported by video.

My only question from a integrity perspective is:

What is worse?  Being included in the fall cuts or being cut after fall cuts (december) and not being able to go elsewhere

What does the coach say to players that supposedly passed the fall cuts?

Does he say that you are currently on the bubble and there might be some players that drop down?

IMHO, if the player understands what may or may not happen and if the coach has a history of recruiting players post fall cuts, then he might look to see if there are greener pastures someplace else.

No simple answer.

I don't there's much question there - it's worse for the player to be cut at xmas and stuck there for another semester.  The upside is that you've got a lot more time to find and decide on your next landing spot.  And you get to do so while only being a student.

What does the coach say to those xmas cut players?  Well, hopefully the coach was upfront with all his players if he runs a survival of the fittest at all times program.  Then it's as simple as saying "I'm sorry, but better options came along."

I think some coaches with heavy consciences will let a player know if they're bubble, but ultimately the program as a whole supersedes all.  Just like any business, the bigger picture will always win out.  And that means casualties.  There are lots of businesses/activities/etc out there with lower risks.  Choose the one you can most easily stomach in terms of risk.  Always look out for yourself and no one can let you down.  Sadly, the genie is way out of the bottle at this point.  The entire system is flooded with individuals who are going to do what is best for themselves at all times so long as other options exist.  That's just as true for the players as it is for the coaches/admin/etc.  No clue how you fix that.

It’s important to get some athletic money so the player knows the coach is invested. If a player is only getting academic money or his family has more than enough money to pay for college the player better know he’s a lock to play. Otherwise, bad things can happen.

A friend’s son was a backup first baseman for two years at a mid major. He didn’t have good foot speed. I encouraged the father for his kid to to learn how play left. He entered college competing against a top recruit first baseman/sometimes pitcher (6’2” 200) and a P5 transfer DH/P who also played first (6’3” 215). My friend’s son was 6’ 190.

This kid could pick it. He was the best I’ve seen in high school and travel. In high school, when my son was playing short he said he could come up throwing on any play knowing chances are the kid would pick it with worse case being knock it down. Twelve years later I can still mentally picture an incredible play they made on both ends. Imagine the shortstop throwing on his butt with the first baseman picking a one hop, bad hop, low throw that came straight up on him. He picked it like swatting a fly.

In limited college at bats the kid hit .400 for two years including a game winning pinch double against a ranked P5 opening day in his first college at bat. He hit the ball as hard as anyone. But he didn’t elevate the ball. The other two hit about .220 with some flashes of power playing full time for two years.

The kid wasn’t told his services weren’t needed until the coach called him into his office junior year two days before the team was departing for their opening series. The kid thought he was being told he wasn’t on the opening series travel squad.

At no time that fall and spring did the kid feel he was competing for a position. He was happy to be on the team, getting some pinch hitting appearances and getting his degree. It amazed me the kid was never used as a late inning defensive replacement. Had he been told after soph year he would have transferred to a D2.

@DanJ posted:

I don't there's much question there - it's worse for the player to be cut at xmas and stuck there for another semester.  The upside is that you've got a lot more time to find and decide on your next landing spot.  And you get to do so while only being a student.

What does the coach say to those xmas cut players?  Well, hopefully the coach was upfront with all his players if he runs a survival of the fittest at all times program.  Then it's as simple as saying "I'm sorry, but better options came along."

I think some coaches with heavy consciences will let a player know if they're bubble, but ultimately the program as a whole supersedes all.  Just like any business, the bigger picture will always win out.  And that means casualties.  There are lots of businesses/activities/etc out there with lower risks.  Choose the one you can most easily stomach in terms of risk.  Always look out for yourself and no one can let you down.  Sadly, the genie is way out of the bottle at this point.  The entire system is flooded with individuals who are going to do what is best for themselves at all times so long as other options exist.  That's just as true for the players as it is for the coaches/admin/etc.  No clue how you fix that.

@danj   Totally agree.

Are there teams (especially here in Texas) that have a reputation for limiting cuts? Conversely , are there teams that are well known for over recruiting and then cutting large numbers?

@Adams Baseball posted:

Are there teams (especially here in Texas) that have a reputation for limiting cuts? Conversely , are there teams that are well known for over recruiting and then cutting large numbers?

Yes and yes.
Do your homework on roster history and you can find out a lot.
Talk to players and parents in the programs of interest and you can find out more.                                                                 I will share what I know about specific Texas programs in PM if you like

@Adams Baseball posted:

Are there teams (especially here in Texas) that have a reputation for limiting cuts? Conversely , are there teams that are well known for over recruiting and then cutting large numbers?

It is not a foolproof method to know which schools follow which philosophy but:

If a school has a fall roster posted including incoming freshmen and transfers where the total number of players is in the 41-43 range, maybe a few more in the new pandemic era, those schools to use your term are "limiting cuts"

Be wary of the schools that don't post a fall roster or post a partial roster of just returnees.  Those tend to be the schools that are over recruiting and  throwing it against that wall in the fall to see what sticks.  Those  schools with some exceptions repeat the very same process every year because the seasons results indicate that the spaghetti they chose didn't stick long enough...

@Adams Baseball posted:

Are there teams (especially here in Texas) that have a reputation for limiting cuts? Conversely , are there teams that are well known for over recruiting and then cutting large numbers?

You can use the following insight to understand roster management.

https://collegebaseballinsight...mp;mc_eid=edeb86d5a8

Note, 2021 fall rosters were published as preliminary view where provided.  They will be reload by tomorrow.

For a couple of my son's friends who have transferred there doesn't seem to be any evidence that they were ever listed on the school's roster.  For that reason I'd advise also looking at the Perfect Game commitments to a school for a given year.

Son went to college with one of his best friends from HS, a kid who was in the starting rotation at his HS (more of a prodigy as an East Cobb Player) and he was eventually cut from baseball as a result of an injury. He stayed with his scholarship and completed school, met his sweetheart and is recently engaged, and a now a GST patrolling Richmond county. That worked out for him but he pivoted and didn't pursue the baseball elsewhere. I saw many talented, highly-touted kids cut and also have their roles diminished along the way and personally, always appreciated the time my son got to play and to contribute knowing his playing time could be affected but things outside his control.

@K9 posted:

For a couple of my son's friends who have transferred there doesn't seem to be any evidence that they were ever listed on the school's roster.  For that reason I'd advise also looking at the Perfect Game commitments to a school for a given year.

Agreed.

Note, as we understand the PG is not the full list and there is a disclosure on the PG website with respects to accuracy.

Note, coaches also manage their spring roster in an interesting way.  I've seen in many cases the coaches delete players that were inactivated, even if they have statistics.

Hi Everyone, been meaning to post this for a while now. Just wanted to say thanks to all for offering words of  wisdom and experience  during the very difficult time when my son was cut. Since then, things have been looking up....

He entered the transfer portal and was picked up by a California D3 school with a great team/coaching staff.The process was long and definitely challenging for many reasons , leaving your friends, life behind ,etc.He dropped down from a D1 to D3 ,but for him it works well and he is enjoying his new school and loving his new life out west.

Looking forward to the spring.

Happy Holidays to all!

Awesome news!