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Off of a Tee

Most college recruiters take it with a grain of salt.  It is the least important measureable at most programs, and if used at all it is used to cross a kid off the list (under 80 for instance at many places) and not as a recruiting tool that gets a player on a scout’s radar

Edit to add: 89 is very good for a 2023.  His 60 time and GPA are what could really either open or close doors for him, along with the SAT/ACT scores

IMO exit velocity recorded off a tee means absolutely nothing. It’s always generated with a swing designed to produce results for that measurement - not a swing that would reflect in game performance. Any measurables need to come from in game performance for them to matter to a college coach. I have had this conversation with more college coaches than I can count - so it’s not just me that thinks this way. It’s what you do on game day that matters.

Thx.  You should see his "modified" swing to achieve that number. Not exactly game mode. Lol.  But he practices it regularly to try and be consistent for these showcases.  With a real swing he's around 86 max.  He's 5'9  153lbs. I've been working on the premise he's a HA D3 player but he just ran 6.8, hit 88, and played well at a D2 camp and got  real interest including a fall invite.  Now I'm thinking maybe an Ivy or patriot... Just maddening.  Haha

Oh! adbono posted before I was done.  I owe him a lot of thx for advice!  Thx brother

@Dadbelly2023 posted:

Oh! adbono posted before I was done.  I owe him a lot of thx for advice!  Thx brother

Happy to help! All in a days work.

I watched some kids at HF doing the exit velo. A few were taking Happy Gilmore swings. For one reason or another my son has never been a great hitter on a tee. His exit velo on live BP is usually 10-12 faster than the tee. I don’t know what a normal difference should be but I know he just swings better on flips and live.

A College Coach will ask. “ can he hit .400?
Bob

There are plenty of players with great tee exit velocity who have a zero exit velocity (as in swing and miss) off live pitching.

@Dadbelly2023 posted:

Thx.  You should see his "modified" swing to achieve that number. Not exactly game mode. Lol.  But he practices it regularly to try and be consistent for these showcases.  With a real swing he's around 86 max.  He's 5'9  153lbs. I've been working on the premise he's a HA D3 player but he just ran 6.8, hit 88, and played well at a D2 camp and got  real interest including a fall invite.  Now I'm thinking maybe an Ivy or patriot... Just maddening.  Haha

Unless he’s a pro prospect think in terms of best education with a quality baseball experience regardless of division.

@RJM posted:

There are plenty of players with great tee exit velocity who have a zero exit velocity (as in swing and miss) off live pitching.

Got that right. Kid on my son's team last year had a 102 exit as a sophomore. PBR was pumping him up big time. His fall stats.... 1 hit (HR), 1 hbp, and struck out literally every other at bat. also terrible defensively, but as a 1b the hitting comes first.

@TerribleBPthrower posted:

Got that right. Kid on my son's team last year had a 102 exit as a sophomore. PBR was pumping him up big time. His fall stats.... 1 hit (HR), 1 hbp, and struck out literally every other at bat. also terrible defensively, but as a 1b the hitting comes first.

A 1B who has trouble making contact will have trouble drawing interest. It’s the lowest position on the recruiting priority totem pole. Coaches figure some kid who can hit and can’t win another position can play first.

One of my boys 16, 5' 6", 150 can't get out of the 70's off the tee, but in soft toss hit 87 at a recent tryout for his travel club. He generally hits .400 or above in travel and high school ball. We recently started working on developing a swing for the tee to make the numbers look better, but I have decided to stop working on that swing in fear that it will make him an inconsistent hitter. His tee swing was looking radically different than his game swing. I would rather him continue to be a consistent hitter than develop bad habits to improve one measurable. Please feel free to tell me if I'm wrong.   

Off a tee for Kvest and exit velo vs BP, same player, same day, same event. Not picking on him at all, this is just a good example of it.

When the player's strongest tool is the bat, is there a way to get the live arm exit velo noticed by a scout? Do you include PG hitting stats to get some credibility?

For example...

102 mph exit off of live arm. Hitting . 397/.484/.512 in 90+ 2021 plate appearances in PG events.

Is there a way to phrase it to get some interest from a RC?

@Triple J posted:

One of my boys 16, 5' 6", 150 can't get out of the 70's off the tee, but in soft toss hit 87 at a recent tryout for his travel club. He generally hits .400 or above in travel and high school ball. We recently started working on developing a swing for the tee to make the numbers look better, but I have decided to stop working on that swing in fear that it will make him an inconsistent hitter. His tee swing was looking radically different than his game swing. I would rather him continue to be a consistent hitter than develop bad habits to improve one measurable. Please feel free to tell me if I'm wrong.   

Hi Triple J.     If it helps, doing this hasn't hurt my 2023 at all.  He just compartmentalizes it.  He works on setting up the exact same way every time:  Tee height the same, distance from the tee, etc.  Has found that setting up closed; like really closed; is best.  Then lifts, turns, really loads the backside, then tries to hit a line drive right at the radar.  Yeah it's all goofy but I guess you have to play the game, right?    I would say that his 89 and defensive play got him some notice at Headfirst.   

Despite doing the above, had his best summer yet in a typical travel ball circuit (maybe one step below the top shelf kids' circuit):  hit .457; OPS 1.25.    Fall so far,  .433/1.06.   I understand that EV doesn't mean you can actually hit but I'm pretty sure 95+ gets some notice as it's really the only relative measure of bat speed.

@JETSR71 posted:

When the player's strongest tool is the bat, is there a way to get the live arm exit velo noticed by a scout? Do you include PG hitting stats to get some credibility?

For example...

102 mph exit off of live arm. Hitting . 397/.484/.512 in 90+ 2021 plate appearances in PG events.

Is there a way to phrase it to get some interest from a RC?

I just would phrase it:  "I'm a complete stud".  Seriously those are great numbers against what I'm sure was legit competition.  I think he could write it just like that and pop a link to his PG profile. 

I have super slow motion videos of my son hitting off a tee vs BP/live game.  Off a tee, he torques his body to the point that he couldn't see the pitcher if he tried.  Live arm, it's a lot more subdued.  He knows that he could never hit in a game the same way he hits off a tee.

Live arm adds at least 10mph to his exit velo.  There is a math formula for exit velo that requires you to know the velo of the pitcher to calculate. For the true nerds in the crowd.

@JETSR71 posted:

When the player's strongest tool is the bat, is there a way to get the live arm exit velo noticed by a scout? Do you include PG hitting stats to get some credibility?

For example...

102 mph exit off of live arm. Hitting . 397/.484/.512 in 90+ 2021 plate appearances in PG events.

Is there a way to phrase it to get some interest from a RC?

Do you have video of the 102 exit velo hit?  Other video of “loud contact”?  

I have video of virtually every hit over the last year including 4 HR's.  He sends links to his videos with every email. It's available as a direct link to the video and a separate YouTube page.

I have asked several on here to critique the videos.  PM me if you would like to review them.

I would suggest the following:

Email Subject Line: 202x (position) 102 in game exit velo with video

Email Body:  My name is (_______) and I am interested in your baseball program because of (_______). I plan to study (_______) and your school is ranked “x” in my intended major.  These are my baseball and academic qualifications:

Year, Position

Height, Weight

GPA, SAT/ACT

60 time

Position velo

Exit velo

I played for (Travel team name) this summer.  We played in x tournaments against x competition.  I led the team in x with a slash line of xx/xx/xx in xx plate appearances with 4HR, etc.. facing pitchers throwing 87-92…

You can see some key at bats from this summer here: (link to video of him smashing 10 pitches off good pitchers, game speed not slomo)

My summer coach is (coaches name and number and email)

Please reach out to him to verify the stats and results above.

If you are still looking for (year/position), I would love to talk with you.

Thanks,

Name

Phone number

You could also consider a showcase that captures exit velo from BP and in game. PBR does that around here (PA).

@Triple J posted:

One of my boys 16, 5' 6", 150 can't get out of the 70's off the tee, but in soft toss hit 87 at a recent tryout for his travel club. He generally hits .400 or above in travel and high school ball. We recently started working on developing a swing for the tee to make the numbers look better, but I have decided to stop working on that swing in fear that it will make him an inconsistent hitter. His tee swing was looking radically different than his game swing. I would rather him continue to be a consistent hitter than develop bad habits to improve one measurable. Please feel free to tell me if I'm wrong.   

You are not wrong

@JETSR71 posted:

When the player's strongest tool is the bat, is there a way to get the live arm exit velo noticed by a scout? Do you include PG hitting stats to get some credibility?

For example...

102 mph exit off of live arm. Hitting . 397/.484/.512 in 90+ 2021 plate appearances in PG events.

Is there a way to phrase it to get some interest from a RC?

The way to get a RC’s attention with video is to show clips of plays that impact the game. For example: 1) here is a clip of me busting it out of the box to turn a single into a double ; 2) here is a clip of me going 1st to 3rd on a single ; 3) here is a clip of a game winning hit ; 4) here is a clip of a defensive play that took away a hit ; etc. Video that supports performance in key moments means a lot more. It shows that you do things that help win games.

My 2 cents.... Decent ballplayer with low EV numbers..... you need to hit the gym

On a side note: It also it helps to strike the ball just slightly above the mid-line. Low top-spin line drives give higher numbers than deep fly balls. Not quite sure why, but it just does. I've seen it add a couple mph to the high number. Could be the difference in posting a 91 versus a 88.

@adbono posted:

The way to get a RC’s attention with video is to show clips of plays that impact the game. For example: 1) here is a clip of me busting it out of the box to turn a single into a double ; 2) here is a clip of me going 1st to 3rd on a single ; 3) here is a clip of a game winning hit ; 4) here is a clip of a defensive play that took away a hit ; etc. Video that supports performance in key moments means a lot more. It shows that you do things that help win games.

Do you send these clips as attachments or YouTube links?

@ReluctantO'sFan posted:

My 2 cents.... Decent ballplayer with low EV numbers..... you need to hit the gym

On a side note: It also it helps to strike the ball just slightly above the mid-line. Low top-spin line drives give higher numbers than deep fly balls. Not quite sure why, but it just does. I've seen it add a couple mph to the high number. Could be the difference in posting a 91 versus a 88.

this!!  it isn't an either/or proposition.  you can be a good hitter and a high exit velo guy at the same time. you can increase your exit velo without sacrificing batting average.  you need to get strong and flexible. my 2023 has always been bigger than his peers growing up and always had some power, just because he was stronger than them.  he's also been one of the highest batting average guys/lowest K guys amonst his friends and teammates.  recently, though, in the last year or so, the ball has really started jumping off of his bat.  since the pandemic started, he went from low 80's with metal to mid 90s with wood.  He also seems to have stopped growing taller but started packing on lbs and hitting the weight room. he and his friends play around with big leg kicks and all that stuff in the cage bc it's fun, but the numbers above are regular game type swings without the sadaharu oh style kick. if i look back at his game videos from 2020 until now, his swing is much more physical and explosive.

for showcases around here (SF bay area), PG is tee and PBR is front toss.

Links are to the actual videos not to the You Tube site.