Is it ever to late to be recruited?

GreeningJ - Welcome to the High School Baseball Web. You're asking some good questions.

There is no one set answer. I know of a local kid who didn't play varsity until his junior year in HS and really didn't pitch much until his senior year in HS and he was drafted in the 2nd round as a pitcher...signed for 100's of thousands of dollars. But he's probably a rare exception.

I know another kid who didn't make varsity until his senior year in HS and he's on the pitching staff at one of the top D1's in the nation.

There is no shame in not playing varsity until your junior year. Everyone progresses at different times and some get better earlier rather than later and vice versa.

As you read more and more of this site, you will learn that being seen on your HS team is one way...but many, maybe even most players are "found" on their summer teams. Why? Thats when the college coaches have the most time to get out and see HS players.

I don't know where "Bowie" is, but I would try and find the best 2 or 3 summer travel teams in your area and ask for a tryout for them. It doesn't matter if they're 16U as they'll progress up the ranks in the next 2 years. Just try and make one of those teams and from that you will find out where you really stack up against players your own age...and if the answer is good, the college coaches will notice.

Good luck!

Greening - Like JustBB says, you've still got plenty of time for exposure. As he says, the summer between soph and junior years is a great time to be seen. In my area, it's an unusual thing for a sophomore to be on Varsity - especially to be a starter. Get your name out there for your junior year including contacting schools. Then you continue that contact and work over the summer after your junior year as that's when the real contact can occur. Make sure you read the timeline in the recruiting tips on the front of the site. Good luck to you!

Never. Check out BA articles on Chris Lambert from NH. Wasn'trecruited out of high school. Went to a PG showcase after he graduated from hich school.Was recruited by Boston College two weeks before classes started. Three years later was drafted in first round. It is never to late.

BB27, Thanks for the reminder about Chris Lambert.

Please excuse anything that sounds like PG made Chris Lambert a success (simply not true). Chris just like all players deserves ALL the credit for his success! (with a lot of help from Boston College) Here is a story that has been untold until now (I think)

In July of 2001... One of our scouts was at a Legion Game somewhere in the Northeast. He told us he saw a kid (shortstop) pitch that no one knows about and he was getting him at 92. Problem was he was a graduated senior.

Through “suggestions” Chris Lambert’s dad contacted us and asked if Chris could attend the PG NE Showcase in Wareham, MA. His dad said Chris was planning to attend a year of prep school because he had no college offers. Of course, we said we would except him into the showcase.

About 2 weeks before the event Chris’s dad calls me saying Chris will not be attending the showcase. This was because a college had made a very small offer (books) and Chris was planning in accepting that offer or planning to play college hockey.

I asked his dad, “Does Chris always throw as well as what we saw?"? He replied, “Yes, he usually 92 whenever there is a gun around.”

Hardly ever, do I go so far as to try to talk a player into attending one of our events. Just figure, it’s up to them whether they want to or not. However, I told his dad. “I still think it will be in Chris’s best interest to attend unless he has made the commitment to the college that made the small offer”. I remember telling his dad “If Chris throws that well at this event, he will get serious, though last minute, interest from some of the top colleges in the country” “And if he’s interested, he might even get some offers to sign with MLB clubs being he is a free agent”. Lucky for everyone concerned his Dad decided to go ahead and attend. He did ask me if Boston College was going to be in attendance, as that was Chris’s favorite college. I told him I couldn’t guarantee it, but figured they would be there.

Chris Lambert showed up and threw somewhere around 93-94 with a very sharp breaking ball and he looked very competitive. Perhaps a bit on the raw side because he was basically a high school shortstop with very little pitching experience. Too make a long story shorter… Chris was offered free agent signing opportunities by more than one Major League Club (of course, the money offered wasn’t mind boggling), he also instantly became the the #1 hottest recruit left available that year. Extreme interest was shown from colleges like Clemson, LSU, and many others national powers. But Boston College and Pete Hughes WERE there and in short order Chris Lambert’s dream of going to Boston College was a reality. Three years later he became a millionaire when St Louis picked him in the 1st round.

Moral of the story… It’s never too late… But you have to develop and display the talent!

Here is the BA article Chris Lambert Article

This is exactly the kind of story I've been talking about why a PG event can literally change a young man's life. Great story!

Guess its never to late for anybody with the right people behind ya

Shep

Greening.....In many high school programs.... good baseball players do not make varsity until their junior year....depends on the strength of the players ahead of them.....and who wants to ride the bench just to say...."I made varsity"....

You need to go to the site menu here....upper left of the page....and go over the recruiting articles....and then get busy.....good luck.

Great story PG.....

GreeningJ: I highly recommend you contact AL MCCORMICK, who is a regular on this site, particularly the Maryland and Mid-Atlantic areas. He is right up your neck of the woods and will give you some great advice.
http://hsbaseballweb.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/8006002...381031941#4381031941

GreeningJ, great question and thoughts. IMO, you are definitely not late.
Our son did not get the opportunity to play varsity until an injury to the 3rd baseman brought him up for 3 games at the very end of his sophomore year. After high school, he went to a very high quality DIII. At the end of his junior year in high school, he had never even heard of the school and his future college coach had no knowledge about him. Ended up with a very fine DIII career and a chance to play even beyond college.
I know the Chris Lambert story very well. Son played a lot against him in summer ball. My view is that situation and Coach Hughes being in the right place/right time is not the norm but shows it happens. Most who throw 92 are known to everyone. Those who do not have that one top skill like Chris did are the norm...and there are plenty of spots open for them and for players who do not play varsity as a sophomore. Good luck and work hard. Seems you are at a school that has good success with opportunities beyond high school. That should also help if you continue to improve and have success on the field and in the classroom.

I also know a player who is a freshman pitcher for a D1 school this year who never played an inning of high school baseball-for several reasons mostly beyond his control. He played for a traveling team several years and was noticed by the college coach and recruited from there.