New bats-Another Question

Demand for quality pitching prospects will "allways" remain high. Changes in the offensive game will put a premium on prospects which those that recruit believe are "can't miss" prospects.

The elements that recruiters look at should not change as much as those that effect offensive players.

Just an opinion.

You could be right in that the new way of thinking will mostly effect the offensive side. I assume contact speed guys stock will certainly go up at the expense of the slow footed slugger.

More linear-less rotational, haha

Looking into my crystal ball of future college baseball:

1. The game will still have more runs scored by one team over the other. A lot of runs will still be scored.
2. Good pitchers that can throw inside with affect will be able to be more successful and throw more innings, IMO.
3. With more innings consumed by pitchers in 2. above, there will be less innings for other pitchers.

Result - front line pitchers will still be in high demand, but recruiters may now have to shift some of the scholarship money from a huge pitching staff to prime defensive players.

The guys up the middle will be more sought after for their defensive skills, much like the pre-steroid era in MLB.

It will still be just as important too to have power guys that can get the extra base hits and drive in runs, that part of the game will not go away.

I guess what I am saying is that good pitching will still be important, but the other two elements of having strong defense and smart hitters will rise. The ability to hit behind runners, sacrifice and steal bases increases in importance. And by the laws of supply and demand, scholarships will shift to allow chasing those guys.

It will take some time for the game to evolve and the priorities to shift. We have seen enough comments by head coaches this fall to know that they understand that a different approach to the college game is coming.

My take is to look at the incoming recruiting classes. They are loaded with PITCHING, PITCHING, PITCHING! Typically, classes are loaded with big horses. This will not change regardless if we are using metal or wood. In addition, college recruiters are looking for athletes who can play multiple positions.

So sometings will not change. Pitchers will need to throw plenty of strikes, defense catches the ball and hitters find a good pitch to hit. We may not see high scoring games, and the games will most likely be shorter in time.

It will be exciting to see how the season progresses.

Lefty...

I heard last night that in California the new bat change will go into effect for the 2011 season, not 2012 for high school. Did anyone else hear this?

Yes look in the California thread.