recruiting catchers

You'll get lots of different opinions on this one. It's all about velocity, it's an easy disqualifier.  The belief is that you can be taught the other stuff. My opinion differs, but I'm not the one recruiting.

Pop time, throwing velocity, exit velocity as a hitter, and how they hit vs good pitching in scouted games are the biggest factors from what I've seen.

Unless a Catcher looks like a huge liability as a receiver, the belief is that he can be taught the more advanced levels of the receiving game.

See old discussion at http://community.hsbaseballweb...blocking-or-pop-time

I've also heard that the ability to frame and block are a nice bonus but many believe it can be taught and arm strength cannot. 

Speaking as a mom of a 2020 kid, who can't decide if he is a catcher or not, I do not think framing and blocking is such an easy thing to pick up!  The ball is hurdling at you at 85+, maybe 95+ , you don't have time to think you have to instinctively drop/block/slide...blocking is not a natural movement and I'm just glad I don't have to do it.

Catcher talking to major Virginia D1 coach

Coach's first question, what's your pop time

Coach's second question, how many home runs did you hit your HS junior year and for your travel team that summer. His response also included the following:  If your not hitting home runs, your not catching in our program.  If your a contact hitter, you play MI and then you better have a good glove and be fast or your not in our program. As a catcher you are expected to throw hard and hit home runs.

That conversation was not emotional, just plain, simple, and to the point (stating the facts). As a catcher, Velo is king, hitting for power 2nd.  (pop time has more variables than velo, but velo is king).

The higher the level you go, the greater the expectation is that you can throw hard and hit for power.  Those two attributes are expected, so now the most important thing becomes framing and handling the pitchers (MLB pitching coach - his opinion).

2forU posted:

Catcher talking to major Virginia D1 coach

Coach's first question, what's your pop time

Coach's second question, how many home runs did you hit your HS junior year and for your travel team that summer. His response also included the following:  If your not hitting home runs, your not catching in our program.  If your a contact hitter, you play MI and then you better have a good glove and be fast or your not in our program. As a catcher you are expected to throw hard and hit home runs.

That conversation was not emotional, just plain, simple, and to the point (stating the facts). As a catcher, Velo is king, hitting for power 2nd.  (pop time has more variables than velo, but velo is king).

The higher the level you go, the greater the expectation is that you can throw hard and hit for power.  Those two attributes are expected, so now the most important thing becomes framing and handling the pitchers (MLB pitching coach - his opinion).

I will agree with all you said , velo is king along with pop times , but I've seen catchers who have all the tools beside the homeruns who have gone to big D1 schools just this last year , some of these kids verbaled in thier fresh , Soph or Jr years , 

If you are talking to a coach in the ACC or SEC, many of those schools have a lot of choices when it comes to recruiting so they will always go after the most complete catcher available, and/or a raw big upside  toolsy kind of player in need of development.  They won't be going after a kid throwing 75 from behind the plate.  Its very possible a kid throwing 75 will get on an ACC or SEC team, however they will likely be paying there own way at a private school.

2forU posted:

Catcher talking to major Virginia D1 coach

Coach's first question, what's your pop time

Coach's second question, how many home runs did you hit your HS junior year and for your travel team that summer. His response also included the following:  If your not hitting home runs, your not catching in our program.  If your a contact hitter, you play MI and then you better have a good glove and be fast or your not in our program. As a catcher you are expected to throw hard and hit home runs.

That conversation was not emotional, just plain, simple, and to the point (stating the facts). As a catcher, Velo is king, hitting for power 2nd.  (pop time has more variables than velo, but velo is king).

The higher the level you go, the greater the expectation is that you can throw hard and hit for power.  Those two attributes are expected, so now the most important thing becomes framing and handling the pitchers (MLB pitching coach - his opinion).

Some of it comes down to teams' style of play.  Coastal Carolina catchers hit 2 HR all year!

Yeah but Coastal led the Nation in HR so that might not be a fair comparison 

Most real bat first catchers in pro ball are moved to other positions because they can't handle catcher and in some cases like Bryce harper to save their body and keep them in the lineup. 

There have been exceptions though,  Napoli and Vmart were great batters who stayed at least part time at catcher quite long. They were not good but it gave the teams an extra bat. 

In the last years that changed a little tough with new metrics teams put more emphasis on catcher defense.