Freshman PO????

I think as far as position goes I would let your son fight those battles.

If it is arm health (pitch count, pitching after catching, rest between games) I would speak to the coach on behalf of your son. 

Is it possible you and your son are getting ahead of yourselves and worrying about something that may not ever happen or hasn't happened yet?   Regardless of your answer, your son needs to be the one to approach the coaches after tryouts with any questions or issues.   Your job as a high school parent (in this context) is to cheer for your son's team, and get involved if there are any medical issues.   JMO.

These are opportunities for growing up for your son. Let him figure it out with his coaches, encourage him and help him, and stand back and watch him grow into a man. You will likely be surprised with the results.

BTW coaches see all kinds of things in players that us parent may or may not agree with. He will figure it out, if he wants to hit then keep working on hitting on the side, if he can hit, he will play. HS team positions, particularly for younger players is based on team need, not individual want. Enjoy the time as it goes fast. 

When I was a head coach in Kentucky there was one year on the first day of tryouts I had about 5 guys at first base and very few in the outfield.  I took two freshmen and pulled them aside and asked them "you both weigh 110 lbs and run very well - why don't you go take some flyballs in the outfield".  Reason being is because I had a guy at first who could mash but was the prototypical 1B who was bigger and not mobile enough to be an OFer.  Well you thought I tried to cast a voo doo spell on those kids according to their parents and here they came saying they played 1B all their life.  I told them they could either be on the field in a secondary position or they could battle it out to be the number one back up at first on the bench.  As freshmen they both started in the OF and one ended up playing OF in college while the other had a very good HS career.

The moral of the story is to relax and let it play out.  The HS season is short and he will have all summer (possibly fall if he doesn't play a fall sport) to work on being an OFer.  This may be the best move for him and this coach can see that or has been around long enough to know to take a chance on it.  Sometimes these guesses don't work out and we're wrong but in those situations it may not be our fault due to the kid / parent not embracing the opportunity.  Then there are the times we just whiff and we are just flat out wrong.  It happens.

I agree with the others that your son should be the one talking to the coach about playing OF.  It's his playing time on his team with his coach - not yours.  Now you as the parent should help your son in what / how to say.  Don't let him go in there without any preparation because 9 out of 10 times he will go in and sound like a complainer because kids just don't know any better.  Teach him to go in and ask what he has to do in order to compete for an OF spot.  The coach will now (probably) listen.

All this being said - maybe the coach is an idiot who has no clue.  That could be a possibility but it doesn't change anything in how to handle this.

I agree with both previous posts....no need to get worked up at this point.  Unless your kids school has a large number of players, and deep in talent, your son will probably get a chance to do both.

Do not be so quick to judge the coaches, they may be thinking the same way, how to free the kid from being held back.  It is quite possible that you have a slanted view of your sons talent, let the coaches determine where and when they need to use them in HS...if your not happy after the season, find a quality summer team that your kid can get play time in the position he wants to play, but keep in mind that it may not be the position he needs to play to further his baseball ventures.

Does your son want to be a pitcher in future? They r invaluable to teams. If he does use off season to find pitching coach and see if he advances before Spring. Teams need 3 OF as opposed to battling for specific IF position. Son went to showcase once and got to play more than a lot of others because they all were shortstops(or so they all thought)and he played OF. He played every inning of two games while others were subbed in. your son is still young.Coaches  may see something diff in him during Spring. I wouldnt interfere at all now. If he does get stuck in HS look for good Summer travel team that plays him in other ways. Good Luck

I'd worry about making the team first, position and playing time will come later.  Coach may see something you do not see.  FWIW - my son started at a different position every year in HS (JV and Varsity).  Catcher/3rd base in JV, catcher as a sophomore on the varsity, 3B his junior year, 1B his senior year.  Need to be a team player and play where the team needs him.

I don't necessarily see it as holding him back.  More of the coach has a need and sees one way to fill it.  Could it be he is weak on pitching and needs to develop additional pitchers?

Let your son talk with the coach about these issues.  It's not your place.  As mentioned your job is to cheer from the sidelines.  It's tough, I know.  Been there and done it.  Relax and enjoy the ride.  As others mentioned, it goes by fast.

Another factor to consider is that the coach is responsible for putting together a team, and sometimes individuals sacrifice for the sake of the group . He may have 3 other kids that can play outfield and hit, but can't pitch. Ultimately he has to do what is best for the program, not necessarily each individual player.

My freshman son was told over the summer that he would be coming into his HS program as a PO. He was told this by the varsity HC, who also happened to be the coach of his summer team.

In the HS program, the better pitchers are all PO, so my son took it as a compliment. 

From my son's experience last year all of this is very much in flux as they develop.

As a freshman pitched on varsity through the tournament and non district schedule on varsity.  After district started he wasn't getting any time on the mound so he asked to be moved to JV.  Played SS there and pitched every other game.  Never played an inning of SS ever before this.

Summer rolls around and he went back to what he and I always thought his primary position was and that was catcher.  Caught all summer and pitched a little bit but pitched more towards the end.

Fall season they combine the 2016s and 2015s.  2015 group has two solid catchers and he gets some starts on the mound in PG tourneys and does well.  Starting to get some solid interest on the mound and looking more and more like if he plays after HS it likely will be on the mound.

This spring he hears from HS coach expect to be on the field most every game but it is going to be some LF/3B/C/P and likely not the same place two games in a row unless the returning senior catcher can't get back from a knee injury.

Initially like the OP I was really stressed about the whole HS baseball thing.  Freshman year went by really fast as I was so hyped up about the whole thing.  In hindsight it is not a big deal.  Enjoy it, relax and everything will slow down a bit.  Sounds like your son has some ability to help his teams in multiple ways.  Seems like those kids always play a lot so my guess it will all shake out just fine.

Good luck.

Your son is a Baseball Player, learn as much as you can about the game and play whatever position is asked as best as you can.  His HS coaches will probably change their minds about positions 3-4 times before the season starts. My 2016 looked at himself primarily as a 1B, RF,P with 3B, LF, 2B as secondary positions.  With his size, leadership skills, presence, and control they're working on converting him to catcher.  So, as a frosh he played C, 1B, P, LF, RF, 3B with two innings at 2B.  Seeing as he only had two more positions to play he asked if he could get an inning at CF and SS if they were up a few runs.  His coached saw the humor and put him in at CF and SS in the last game of the season, in meaningful innings.  He played well at those positions too.  Know the game, know the positions, you never know what you'll be asked to do.

" His travel team has him in the outfield but no pitching."

sounds des to me like you have the best of both worlds.  work on pitching for HS and play OF for travel.  What's your beef?  

I have always told pitchers who are worried about being classified as PO too early, that HS coaches want / need to win.  If you can hit, they will always find a piece of grass, or dirt for you to occupy.....  Most want to focus on what position they are playing....that will normally work itself out, but if you can rake, you will be in the lineup, even if your primary position is P.

My son's freshman year at college (JUCO) was evidence of this.  He was the primary backup for 1B, but became the starting DH for most games due to his hitting (.303 avg for the season).  This year as a sophomore he's on track to be the starting 1B.

To the OP - you may want your son to play the position he prefers, but sometims you have to do whatever you can do to get your foot in the door (like a job) and then work on winning the preferred position.

Just let him play where the coach puts him. 

My kid's philosophy has always been, when the coach asks what position he plays, he says he'll play anywhere.  This fall season he played seven positions and was our number one in the pitching rotation.  Coach says he's one of the few players he's had that he feels completely comfortable putting anywhere on the field.

Like all of 'em, he just wants to play.

OP mentioned JV coached liked him at a position. My sons team in HS had several kids that played positions for JV and were pulled up to varsity when needed to pitch. Is it possible that could be the plan for this young man?