How to pick a travel team for college recruiting

"You hit, you play." There is no other metric for college coaches (with - perhaps - the exception of catcher in a few programs).

There is no other position skill which trumps hitting - which is why every effort (money, coaching, time, discipline, focus) should be made to advance hitting. (And there are no shortcuts, no marketing strategies, no puffery, no travel program which can trump this fact.)

Personally, I would find the program which cranks out hitters. (As an aside, these show up and play programs are all fine and dandy - if you have already mastered the only metric important for college coaches; otherwise, you are selling what no one is buying.)

@Goosegg posted:

"You hit, you play." There is no other metric for college coaches (with - perhaps - the exception of catcher in a few programs).

There is no other position skill which trumps hitting - which is why every effort (money, coaching, time, discipline, focus) should be made to advance hitting. (And there are no shortcuts, no marketing strategies, no puffery, no travel program which can trump this fact.)

Personally, I would find the program which cranks out hitters. (As an aside, these show up and play programs are all fine and dandy - if you have already mastered the only metric important for college coaches; otherwise, you are selling what no one is buying.)

This ^^^

My kid has been a PO since juco but was 3B and 4 hole in HS -  he didn't make JV as a freshman, but was a varsity starting 3B as sophomore, because he worked on hitting and driving the ball (he also got bigger). That's where we spent the money on lessons, because that's what gets you on the field. Many times over the years, I've told his HS hitting coach I should get a rebate since he's not picked up a bat since the end of senior year, but the truth is he'd not been on the HS field if he didn't hit. So, if your son is not a PO in HS, I believe it's all about hitting.

Being realistic, IMO by HS you should know if your son has: the natural athleticism of an above average SS (they move differently - and SS's will be playing 2B in college), the plus arm strength and glove for 3B, the size and hit tool for 1B, the speed, athleticism or natural path to the ball to be above average in the OF. IMO you can tune and improve these gifts, but it's not likely there will be step level change from their peer group over time. Hitting is the big equalizer, do that well and they'll find a spot for you...  

Excellent posts and advice above by @JucoDad and @Goosegg.

Thank you!

Gooseegg, RMJ, Jucodad...

You know where the son played. Easy to look up team stats. Lead the team in BA and close in other metrics. Yet was sat at Vanderbilt, in the first game vs Iowa in Regionals, and many other times. Go look up stats and then explain why he was sitting. For defensive proposes the coach said.

To be clear, and say it slowly, HE  LEAD  A  SUPER   REGIONAL  TEAM  IN  BA  AND  STILL  SAT  THE BENCH...

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1611784906001923

SBD

Thanks for confirming the points RJM and I made about hitters.

This thread is about HS recruiting; the thread was not about playing time at the college level (though it's pretty clear your son had a lot of successful playing time at an extremely high collegiate level.)

It's clear your son was a very successful hitter at the college level - and I assume he didn't first learn that skill in college. My bet is he was an absolute hitting machine during his HS recruiting phase. And, as you pointed out he led his Vandy team in BA - an incredible achievement!

Now, start a thread about who plays in certain situations at the college level; it will probably bring up some interesting view points and anecdotes.

(I'll note that college coaches have many reasons for their game strategies and each is a bit different; but college coaches aren't employing college game strategies during recruiting. College coaches during recruiting are looking for hitters.)

I don't know the reasons behind what happened to your son; but those reasons are not relevant to HS recruiting  (except perhaps as a forward look to what game strategies a particular coach may employ years later.)

@Goosegg posted:

SBD

This thread is about HS recruiting;

Might want to reread the title....

That said I'll give you the "rake and you'll play" applies more to YB and HS than college. I sat in the stands this year looking at the scoreboard as the opposing team came to bat. I took note of the BA of the players after the 4 or 5 hitter. It was surprising how many were just north of or below the Mendoza Line.  There's a reason they are playing, and it's not because of what they're doing at the plate.

I also think, and told the kid when he was pissed, that I thought the transfer portal played a part. This was the kids last year and the other OF had two years left. So the coach was walking a tightrope, not wanting to lose a good player due to playing time.