I just committed to a very good D1 program in the northeast and want to begin to transition to the next step by getting my name out there. How is this done? Im very new to all this.
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What year are you? Do you play travel in New England in the summer?
You don't really have the option of getting your name "out there" as far as pro scouts....unless you are invited or attend events where they are going to be in attendance. They typically will find you either by seeing you in person or having someone who has seen you play let them know.
You now have an opportunity to compete at the D1 level. Your next step is to prove you belong in D1 ball and can contribute. Half of D1 players don’t get it done and transfer within two years. Being physically and mentally prepared for opportunity at all times is a must. After the first few studs on the team (relative to the competition) the next twenty to twenty-five are fairly equal in talent. Then there are a few long shots at the end of the roster. The mentally strong and prepared survive.
Then, excel in college ball and display pro potential metrics. Keep getting bigger, faster and stronger. Pro scouts are everywhere. Chances are one of the umpires is an associate scout passing on leads.
It will probably be up to your coach where you get placed in summer ball. Unless you’re playing at BC or UConn you’re not facing top D1 competition. How you compete and where in summer ball becomes very important.
If you’re a pitcher, throwing 92+ with movement is 92+ with movement no matter where you do it. If you’re a position player the quality of pitching you face becomes an issue.
There are two phases to it: high school and then in college. I am presuming by your question that you have not had any contact with pro scouts in your high school years, so that eliminates that phase where scouts see you play in high school through things like Area Code or the top travel team events like PG.
When it comes to college baseball, as others note, they will find you. Were you to play in the SEC, ACC, Big 12 or Pac12, there is a very good chance there would be pro scouts at every game because the talent level is so deep and they can scout multiple players efficiently. It does not sound like that applies to you, so it is a bit harder to be seen by pro scouts during the season in the lesser leagues and down the divisions, but it happens. There are kids drafted highly from all types of colleges but they really need to be studs, and then the scouts will come see them.
You may have the Summer college league options--Cape Cod is obviously the elite league but there are others where if you play really well in the Summer, you may be seen by pro scouts as well. You will need your college coach to support you with the Summer league options, and then you must star there.
It is a worthy goal but incredibly difficult to get a chance to play pro ball. As hard as you worked in HS to get the opportunity to play college baseball, figure it to be at least twice as hard in college to be able to play well and succeed. Good luck on the journey.
To the original poster: you didn't say what year you are in high school. Congrats on the commit!!! That is a big step...
To get on the pro scouts radar you will need to either have a travel coach with connections recommend you for stuff like Area Code or East Coast Pro. Even a recommendation from a travel coach won't necessarily get you in, but it can help.
The D1 commitment can potentially open doors to events like Perfect Game National or PBR Super 60, where you can get seen by pro scouts, or show out at travel events where Pro Scouts are, such as WWBA in Atlanta or Jupiter. Again it depends on how old you are....
Let me know your age in school (do you graduate high school in 2019? 2020?) and what position you play and I will give you some more specific ideas.
I am a 2019 SS here are my numbers IF velo:90 60: 6.81. This was my first summer playing travel ball and I only started in July. Thanks for all for replying!
BaseballAddict1020 posted:I just committed to a very good D1 program in the northeast and want to begin to transition to the next step by getting my name out there. How is this done? Im very new to all this.
You go to school and play baseball at a high level.
My son has had the good fortune to hit in the offseason and play in a fall league ran by an MLB scout. Assistant to the Director of Scouting no less. He was kind enough to sit down with the kid and go over offers. Of course the topic of exposure came up. He told us, no matter how obscure the college, if a player has the skills we'll find them.
BaseballAddict1020 posted:I am a 2019 SS here are my numbers IF velo:90 60: 6.81. This was my first summer playing travel ball and I only started in July. Thanks for all for replying!
Congrats, that's awesome!
As a 2019 graduating in May, there won't be as much time to get in front of pro scouts before the draft next June. The pro scouts will certainly see you plenty in college provided you earn playing time.
The mistake a lot of high school kids make is they forget the goal is to play College Baseball. They think the commitment means they "made it". Don't be one of those kids! Keep working super hard because you are gonna be in a dog fight for playing time a year from now when you start your college career.
Anyways, back to your original question: if you are going to do travel ball this Fall, there are plenty of pro scouts at Jupiter for WWBA. If you haven't done a PBR Showcase, you might be able to get invited to the PBR Super 60 if you do well at a PBR showcase.
If your travel coach has connections with pro scouts, that will likely be your best bet to get on their radar and scout your high school games next spring, or just be aware of who you are....
"The mistake a lot of high school kids make is they forget the goal is to play College Baseball. They think the commitment means they "made it". Don't be one of those kids! Keep working super hard because you are gonna be in a dog fight for playing time a year from now when you start your college career."
It is not my intention to sound like cop-out answer, but IF you PROVE you have the talent in college, the opportunities will come. Strive for perfection and be the best on the team, even if a freshman. At the end of the season the accolades will start to roll in (all-conference, freshman of the year, etc) and that is the first step. Next season try to improve on the previous season, you may end up at Cape Cod in the summer, or even Team USA National Collegiate Team. That is the next step. Jr year improve on the previous 2 years. You are already on the radar of scouts/agents/advisors by now. Scouts love a proven track record, not just 1 great season, which can be a fluke. It is rare that a player can find a scout on their own, majority comes by recommendations, play, and accolades. It is amazing the "snowball effect", when a few accolades are given, more and more follow, then scouts will be seen at many games. Play to make your teammates better and in return you will be seen in a different light. Good luck. PS this also applies to high school if there is still time.
An area scout's continued employment depends upon him finding EVERY "prospect" in his area. A prospect is a player who demonstrates to the scout at least one POTENTIAL MLB tool.
An area scout has developed a large "feeder network" of people who report on local players: associate scouts (unpaid, unless a player is drafted and signed), HS and college coaches, travel coaches, umpires, heck even the local batting cage owner. Multiply this by 30 teams and you realize that not a single potential prospect is missed. Add to this local network the scouting done on summer collegiate leagues and you have the ultimate belt and suspenders approach - an entire industry devoted to finding a nugget. Scouts never, ever, slack off (apart from vacations); six or seven days a week they work.
Getting found by pro scouts DOES not depend upon playing for a particular HS, travel or college team. Getting found depends upon a player's potential, his talent, and showing that off at the right time.
So, control what you can control: maximizing your potential. Outwork your peers; when you take a day off some other player isn't.
(As an aside, remember this: even if you get drafted, the overwhelming probabilities say you will be out of baseball by the time you turn 26. That means you will be working a regular job or career for over 40 years. In addition to working on your baseball skills, figure out how to position yourself for those four decades - a solid analytical major will accomplish that.)
Congrats on the offer; enjoy that accomplishment and move forward to the next goal!
The simple answer here is to simply kick a** every time you have the opportunity to step on the field & the rest will take care of itself. You will not go undiscovered.