Question from late bloomer's Mom

Oh, forgot to mention if this, his SAT is 1,320 and gpa 3.9

Thanks again

@LateBloomerMom posted:

For the most part he has not played any HS baseball or travel baseball for a few years.

So has he been playing on a baseball team anywhere?

Initial thought (aside from academic concerns) is getting him in front of some JUCO coaches.  This could be easier in some parts of the country.  Possibly look for any uncommitted seniors opportunities - again these opportunities may be tied closely with the local JUCO community.

Make sure he can pitch (locate fastball with at least one off speed pitch) and have his eat lots.  He/you may not like the JUCO route, but this may be one avenue to get him in front of some folks soon that can help in evaluating him in real time.

@DaddyBaller posted:

So has he been playing on a baseball team anywhere?

No, not for some time. Has been working with a pitching coach past 2 months. Thinking about trying out for HS team in Spring, but not sure he would make it since he has not played there except for his freshman year on jv.

@2017 Lefty Dad posted:

Initial thought (aside from academic concerns) is getting him in front of some JUCO coaches.  This could be easier in some parts of the country.  Possibly look for any uncommitted seniors opportunities - again these opportunities may be tied closely with the local JUCO community.

Make sure he can pitch (locate fastball with at least one off speed pitch) and have his eat lots.  He/you may not like the JUCO route, but this may be one avenue to get him in front of some folks soon that can help in evaluating him in real time.

Is the best way to just call or email the local JUCO coachs? Will they be receptive you think?

@LateBloomerMom posted:

No, not for some time. Has been working with a pitching coach past 2 months. Thinking about trying out for HS team in Spring, but not sure he would make it since he has not played there except for his freshman year on jv.

IMO I think before you can start thinking about college baseball, he has to face some live competition somewhere. 87 with a coach is good, but you have to be able to throw strikes and get people out.

The good news is according to your profile you are in FL....So there is always an opportunity to play some kind of baseball year round...

This time of year all rec leagues and most high school travel are winding down.

While I normally would not recommend starting with showcases and college camps, that might be the only place he can get some live action in this period before school ball starts up in spring.   

I would look for any possible avenue of getting some game action to see where he stands now before worrying about the next level.

@LateBloomerMom posted:

Is the best way to just call or email the local JUCO coachs? Will they be receptive you think?

Really depends on the coach and program. 87 at 150lbs is fairly impressive, but not "be all" "end all" elite velocity. Especially if that's his 1 and only pitch. There is a huge difference between "touching high 80's" and "sitting high 80's". Also, most coaches don't need projects. They need players that have experience winning games.

However with all that said, not playing at all over the last couple years is going to be a huge red flag. Be prepared to answer that question.

@LateBloomerMom posted:

Is the best way to just call or email the local JUCO coachs? Will they be receptive you think?

FL  JUCO baseball programs are pretty hard to get into.

I think an email to each RC might help.

Your son can apply to admissions to the school he prefers,  have him work on his game and try to walk on next fall.

@LateBloomerMom posted:

Is the best way to just call or email the local JUCO coachs? Will they be receptive you think?

Did not notice the  Florida location - could be more difficult than some other states.  For instance, Alabama has a high school coaches association that I believe hosts two uncommitted seniors events each year - big JUCO turnout. 

You should be able to call up coaches directly as I believe they have no restrictions on bringing kids onto campus for workouts.  You might be able to piggyback on some others already scheduled.  The goal should be to get his name out in some capacity.  PBR should also be doing some winter showcases - these can be inexpensive and a decent way to get some pitching metrics posted.  You can then use these in introductory e-mails.

@LateBloomerMom posted:

No, not for some time. Has been working with a pitching coach past 2 months. Thinking about trying out for HS team in Spring, but not sure he would make it since he has not played there except for his freshman year on jv.

I would start by trying out for the HS team.   I think a lot of coaches are going to see it as a red flag so I'd be prepared to answer that question with any coach you have contact with. 

As far as reaching out, just get a good video with radar readings in the video and send it out to JUCO coaches.  You can find their contact info on each school's website. 

Wow. I really appreciate all the responses. Very helpful. 1) We will look into attending some prospect camps and showcases. 2) Getting some video on him and sending it to JUCO, D3 and D2 coaches make a lot of sense.

I understand the red flag thing. Would it make sense to tell them the truth that at the time he was just not that good and didn't make the team? Although weight gain has always been an issue, the gamechanger for him was once his boy to man strength gains came from working out and basically just maturing in general over time. At 6'3" but just 150lbs, now it seems he has the strength to really move fast and control his levers.

No D3 in FL and most of the D2 are private and very expensive.

Sent you a private message.

@LateBloomerMom posted:

Wow. I really appreciate all the responses. Very helpful. 1) We will look into attending some prospect camps and showcases. 2) Getting some video on him and sending it to JUCO, D3 and D2 coaches make a lot of sense.

I understand the red flag thing. Would it make sense to tell them the truth that at the time he was just not that good and didn't make the team? Although weight gain has always been an issue, the gamechanger for him was once his boy to man strength gains came from working out and basically just maturing in general over time. At 6'3" but just 150lbs, now it seems he has the strength to really move fast and control his levers.

Went to HS with a kid who didn't make the team his first 3 years. This is a team that was nationally ranked every year and even crowned national champion one year. Loaded with D1 and draft picks. This kid finally made the team his senior year and made it all the way to the MLB.  I think he was the only one from that senior class that made it

Unfortunately there probably aren't any D2's in Florida that are going to have much interest in a 6' 150 lb rhp throwing 87 that hasn't played on a team in 2+ years.  D2 is very competitive, especially in the south.   A local D2 here in Ohio has 5 guys that have been at 90+ this fall.  I think everyone's thoughts about JUCO are probably more realistic, though again, in FL, JUCO competition is very, very good.

He’s a senior. He needs to make the hs team before I think he can think about playing in college.

@Buckeye 2015 posted:

Unfortunately there probably aren't any D2's in Florida that are going to have much interest in a 6' 150 lb rhp throwing 87 that hasn't played on a team in 2+ years.  D2 is very competitive, especially in the south.   A local D2 here in Ohio has 5 guys that have been at 90+ this fall.  I think everyone's thoughts about JUCO are probably more realistic, though again, in FL, JUCO competition is very, very good.

D2s in Florida are mostly private and very expensive. You need a sport to get into the school unless you qualify for aid.

Jucos very affordable.

@LateBloomerMom posted:

Is the best way to just call or email the local JUCO coachs? Will they be receptive you think?

Most JuCo coaches are surprisingly receptive. They don’t have big recruiting budgets so they like recruits to come to them. On campus Workouts/tryouts are legal in JuCo. So, if I were you I would research Florida JuCos and find those that have the best reputation for developing and advancing pitchers. (Typically a JuCo will either be better for pitchers or for position players - obviously you want the ones with pitching focus. Hint : often they have a HC that was a P when he played). Have your son (not you) send emails to those schools (with video) asking for an opportunity to come to campus for a workout. Have him follow up on the emails with phone calls. If there is someone in your world with credibility and college coach connections, have that person call the coaches for your son. I have done this countless times in Texas & Oklahoma with good success.

@LateBloomerMom posted:

Has been working with a pitching coach past 2 months.

Does his pitching coach think college ball is feasible?  What does he recommend?

I'm going to guess unless he is at a powerhouse HS, if he can't make the HS team, it will be very hard to make college.  There has to be some live action as a pitcher if he has not played in 2 years.

Perhaps he could do a post grad year to extend his recruiting window and delay the start of his eligibility clock.

My 2c:

- identify the 10-12 colleges that your son would like to attend and where he has a realistic chance of playing. Might not be in FL directly, maybe include GA, AL.

- have him reach out directly to those coaches with an email entitled "2023 RHP, 6'3", 87mph, 1340 SAT, 3.9GPA". Send a *short* video with views from behind the catcher and from the dominant side.

- ask his pitching coach to reach out on his behalf. The PC is in a great spot to offer an independent assessment to whoever wants one.

- attend all the fall/winter camps you can at the targeted schools. Many schools also have "Wednesday night hacks" or something similar where coaches invite local players in (for a way smaller fee than a camp) so they can get a better look at them.

- look for uncommitted showcases. The ones from AL would prob be well worth the trip.

Good luck! Let us know where he winds up.

Thank you for such great advice, comments and thoughts. We now have a gameplan moving forward. Keep you posted as to how to turns out.

@LateBloomerMom posted:

Wow. I really appreciate all the responses. Very helpful. 1) We will look into attending some prospect camps and showcases. 2) Getting some video on him and sending it to JUCO, D3 and D2 coaches make a lot of sense.

I understand the red flag thing. Would it make sense to tell them the truth that at the time he was just not that good and didn't make the team? Although weight gain has always been an issue, the gamechanger for him was once his boy to man strength gains came from working out and basically just maturing in general over time. At 6'3" but just 150lbs, now it seems he has the strength to really move fast and control his levers.

Tell the truth. Baseball is a small world. Someone will know the truth. That he never gave up and works with a coach is a plus to sell. Now work with a nutrionist and weight trainer. Make it part of the story. Put an image in coaches minds of a 180 pound kid hitting low 90's. A kid with decent command cruising mid 80's can pitch D3 now.

Lots of good advice in this thread.  @SpeedDemon and @RJM more recently were in line with my thoughts.  There is story to tell, something to build off where your son is today, but he can put on 25+ lbs for the spring then they can get excited about his commitment and path forward.  Candidly, 150 lbs is not a good number for his age, height, and lack of recent baseball.  BUT, if you email them now with his current metrics and then they see him in the spring with his growth/development....

Good luck, I hope it works out for him.

@25Dad and @RJM spoke to a key point.  if he hasn’t already, my advice also is to have him immediately commit to a legit and intensive workout program.  He should see if the grind is for him.  College baseball is a massive grind and time commitment.   Mental and physical.   Without a lot pitching experience, it would appear unlikely he would see the field much freshman year as he will be refining.  So we are talking about 1.5 years of practice and lifting before taking the ball.  If he starts and likes the grind, he will likely bump his metrics by late winter/early spring and still time a bit of time.  This also helps him make the HS baseball team- which I also agree is important on a few levels.

Mom;

look at the positive side. He has not been "over pitched" and has a "fresh' arm and should be a asset to his HS team.

There has been 18 year old players, who had a 2 year injury or Mormon mission or Military duty and could not play baseball.

Do the best with what you have, a"DESIRE" to play baseball.

Bob

If he is legit throwing 87 mph there are literally 200 D3’s in the nation that would be very happy to have him.