Pro Looks vs. College Looks

Depends on what you mean by "pro interest?"

College coaches recruit what they see.  In general, if they have not seen them, they won't recruit them regardless of the "pro" interest.  Waiting for the phone to ring is a poor recruiting strategy.

I wouldn't say it translates, I'd say it correlates. If a pro scout sees a kid play and thinks he is worth drafting, then it's likely that many DI coaches would be interested if they were watching same performance.

Before i go any further :-) my son has happily commited to a juco so i don't want to rankle their feathers or appear ungrateful.

My question goes to the fact that he has gone to pro workouts and been contacted by a couple of pro teams.

Just seems like he would have gotten a little further with D1's.

Just trying to understand if i should be concerned for his long term D1 prospects or if this is just the nature of the beast...where D1's are looking at certain things while pros another.

My laymens assumption was if he was good enough for pro looks he should certainly get some D1 love...but maybe my description of pro looks isnt necessarily truly pro looks.  Who knows.

Not making mountain out of molehill..just know that in after we get with juco we will have to immediatly start looking for a 4 year landing spot for after his juco years.

Not knowing your son, pardon me in advance if the generalization I'm about to make doesn't apply to him. However, it's certainly the case that pro scouts come to the evaluation of players with a greater willingness to project a player's development over the course of several years; whereas, the college recruiter strives generally to bring in players who can contribute in their first year. 

The colleges simply don't have the luxury that the minor league system provides to professional organizations. If the colleges were to apply the same developmental timeline used by the pros, they'd be reaping the fruits of their efforts at the tail end of their players' 4 years of eligibility. 

Meanwhile, JUCO's a great route for so many talented players; and, with the right courses and grades while he's there, your son can end up having the best of both worlds: JUCO, then DI. Best of luck to him!

When you mean "pro looks" do you mostly mean profile questionnaires ?

I see that he went to one pro workout, but it is not unusual for top players in an area to get profile forms sent to them from area scouts. I know my son got a couple and he was not what I considered a pro prospect out of HS IMO. He filled them out and never heard anything back. 

He has gotten something from two pro teams...so i guess that is likely tepid interest.  My point is not really to brag on him getting any sort of pro interest at all and not really to lament very little D1 interest...just felt like the two would go hand in hand to a degree. Area code invitee...Texas Scout Association invitee...i guess d1's must either consider him raw or we just didnt get his name out in time.  Confident he will put up numbers and get the not at some point...just another case of an uninformed parent(me) trying to understand the process i guess.

He is 6'3" 224 and hits 92mph and has a power bat..i would think that would light someone on fire but again maybe he is raw.  No worries.

A small part is thinking there is a hitch that has turned D1's off but maybe like folks said they are just looking for an immediate help and not someone who has some quirks or possible issues to address..who knows.

monkeyboy,the only thing that comes to my mind is grades. Grades have to be there. I distinctly remember sons JUCO recruiter telling him straight out, "you have ACC, SEC talent but your not going anywhere with those grades!"

No grade issues and he isn't a malcontent. He is rated a top player in Texas 5a and a top player in state.  Again, happy with our JUCO gig but every players intent is to play the highest level they are capable of...i would think.  I think he may get looks after pro prospects who have committed end up decommitting. 

Going juco route is fine and better in many ways.  Just again trying to understand if there is an issue that schools have seen and are shying away..specifically mechanical...because pros...albeit only a couple...have shown some interest.  May just be a need to see him a little more...a lack of exposure deal.

Do you think he got enough exposure?  Did he attend any PG events or showcases other than the AC tryout?  Did he play decent travel ball?  Given the tools and the physical gifts, it's hard to believe he didn't get more contact.

I have known monkeyboy's son since he was 9.  He is a tall kid that can mash the ball, and he is a raw pitcher that reaches upper 80s.  He is a corner infielder and the only tool he is missing is speed, but again, he mashes.  He was at pro events here in metroplex and in Houston, having made the cut to play game during area code event, (and being one of the few to hit for extra bases at event)..  He got lots of exposure at pro events here in Texas, and he is one of the few kids I have seen with his size and bat strength that has not received D1 interest.  He has very good grades and is not a troublemaker.  I would love to know myself why he has not got the love from D1 schools.   .    

Obviously he has a good frame and if he's touching 90's regularly, thats certainly good too.

My only advice is to ask one of these scouts what you asked here.  I certainly can't give you much feedback based on what you've posted.  But a trained expert who has seen him play should be able too.

I asked questions similar to this along the way.  I think some are worried about what the answer may be.  Not me.  Information was gold to me…I just wanted to know.

Sure sounds like there should have been a lot of DI interest. That said, if he does his thing in Juco I would think there will be serious DI interest.

He is a 2014.  I anticipate a solid hs season and then he can roll into JUCO with some confidence and put up numbers while helping his team.

Monkeyboy, sounds like he just got missed, as strange as that sounds. He should do just fine with the JUCO route.   But as a 2014 keep checking the mailbox with spring coming. Recruiting is crazy and can drive you nuts. I am just happy my son is done with that. He went the JUCO route and is happy he did, Good luck to your son!

Thanks a bunch oldmanmoses.

I have faith in his abilities...the assumption was that since he has gotten pro looks he should get more D1 looks...i guess it could be a variety of things...the big concern is if there is something wrong with his game i want to address it and help fix what i can.

Thanks to all!

Monkeyboy, have you and or your son reached out to any D1 programs that would be of interest? Based on the numbers alone I can't see any reason why any D1 coach wouldn't at least contact your high school coach to get a little background on him. If I'm correct, I believe that they can start recruiting the boys again after March 1st. That shouldn't stop you from reaching out to some coaches to gage their potential interest though. My son's been somewhat of a late bloomer & that's how we started out last summer & he ended up getting quite a bit of D1 interest by the time the fall rolled around & signed his Letter of Intent back in November. 

Flomodad...we have been and will continue to reach out to Texas institutions and Arkansas and Louiisianna...if we are contacted from any other school we would certainly consider if it was a good fit. If its just lack of contact from schools because we have not gotten him correct exposuer i think i can handle that...i just want to make sure they are not shying away due to some sort of fundamental issue with his hitting, fielding or pitching.

Congrats on your sons signing!

Thanks Monkey Boy........I bet you that it's simply exposure. I'm sure that when it's all said & done you guys will have more than a few D1 offers to consider.