Skipping summer ball to train/develop?

Why not work with a pitching coach and be a PO for the summer?  PO's usually can just show up for a scheduled game once per week.  Film the game for the pitching coach to work on during the week.

If his goals are to play college ball, the summer before his Senior year is pretty important in terms of being recruited

Be PO for club summer, and maybe for a few diff teams ? While in HS season work with top pitching coach and slowly refine mechanics so that he's prepared for summer ball.    Some changes are very simple and they can be incorporated gradually.  With velo and added command he could get some recruiting interest in the summer.

You mentioned showcase, fair assumption he wants to play in college?  If that's the case, he needs to play summer tournaments so that he can activate recruiting interest from a few schools.  Has he started an email campaign with video to colleges?  How are his grades and ACT scores?  If he's actually in touch with a few colleges those coaches could be helpful with guiding your decision making process.  BIG BUT here...only ask for feedback from colleges that are low on your son's interest.  

Sounds like you need to define what the objective is?  Be a better pitcher?  Improve pitching with hopes of being recruited and playing in college?  Get going now with fine tuning mechanics, play in the summer, then play football in the fall.  Playing football in the fall will make it difficult to attend fall baseball tournaments.

Just a few thoughts....

3and2Fastball posted:

If his goals are to play college ball, the summer before his Senior year is pretty important in terms of being recruited

Agreed!

Plus, how do you know if the adjustments are working without pitching in games? Kids can revert back to what's comfortable during adversity so games could be a good barometer. 

Play summer ball.  Work with pitching coach.  Play football in the fall.  And work with pitching coach next winter to get ready for a great sr. year. 

One obvious question is does he want to play in college? if yes you have to play this summer, it is THE summer for him. Again assuming his goal is college baseball he would be better quitting football, then taking this summer off.

If he is upper 80's he will get enough looks but here is a question, does he want to pitch? On a college staff you are one of 13 to 15 pitchers, 70% of the innings are taken by 4 or 5 kids...you have to really want it. Is he willing to work all winter, spring, travel etc to get 1.3 IP on the weekend and call it successful? Pitching if not in the starting rotation (from you have said about him to date he wouldn't in the starting rotation averaging 1 BB per inning) is tough road.

I know kids playing D3 baseball because they didn't want to pitch at higher level.

But back to the original question, no taking off this summer is not an option.

The kernels of truth picked out from above comments:

1. What sport does he want to play in college?

2. If he wants to play baseball in college Football may have to go (since he's down to his last year and SOOO close to really great numbers.)

3. You have to play summer to get the attention he wants.

4. If he isn't pitching in games it's hard to tell if he has made the adjustment.

Thanks for feedback. Yes, he definitely wants to pitch in college and has multiple d2's and a couple of d1's that have contacted or inquired about him (no offers yet because he has no history other then the 3-4 games he has thrown this year). He has very good grades and we are awaiting his ACT scores and is taking SAT tomorrow. One reason that I did not mention in skipping summer ball was that several coaches have told me that he is definitely a 90+ kid if he can get his lower-half cleaned up. Guess I was thinking that it would be easier to do that in the summer when we are not trying to work around his pitching/recovery from games and then he could attend a few showcases. However, the feedback that you are providing makes sense which will more then likely have him playing summer ball again. Thanks!

If your son is a senior to be and wants to pitch in college he must play in a visible program this summer and/or attend the right showcases. Either that or roll the dice walking on at a D3 in college. A pitcher can walk on at a D1 or a D2. But the coach mostly has his roster in mind already.

Do NOT skip summer ball.

Summer 2017 is the primary time for 2018's to be seen by college coaches.  That's typically at college camps or showcases.  Some kids are seen at team tournaments too.

It would not be the time to only train.

It would not be the time to play only on his travel team and "hope" to be seen.

It is the time to be seen by the college coaches on your son's vetted list of schools.  At camps and showcases, there will be game action.  At showcase tournaments there's game action.

More training, yes!  By all means continue to focus on individual development.   Get better.

Summer team games, yes!  Get some live work in, but don't do this exclusively.  Showcasing, training, and some additional game action.

I'm going against the majority on this one.  Yes, it is typically very important to play and be seen year of rising senior summer.  HOWEVER... the problem you are describing sounds like a significant mechanical adjustment, not a tweak.  If he is throwing upper 80's all arm, he should have 90+ in him easily if he gets his lower half involved.  We just did a transformation like this, although not quite that velo.  It took a couple months of dedicated work over the summer and fall.  This P was good before but had a very tough time with arm recovery after each game... couldn't play position and couldn't even throw for two days after each start.  Got the lower half activated, tweaked other end of the chain, now he is throwing CG's and fine to throw long toss the next day.  The other issue, IMO, if the problem is what it sounds like, he'll never make it past first year of college with a healthy arm if he doesn't get mechanics squared away.  If he makes the adjustment, he will likely creep into the 90's and, thus, still get late interest.  If he doesn't, his arm won't stay healthy enough for it to matter.

He could play some summer ball as a position player but scheduling would have to work with whatever his bullpen/training sessions are.

Sounds to me like the well known PC and the guy you respect and trust know what they are doing/talking about.

Disclaimer - haven't seen the kid throw, so I'm making some assumptions.

I am with Cabbage. If he is truly at 90+ guy get him into a good training program and working with a reputable coach. Get his velo over 90 and he won't have to go to too many events to get an offer. Better yet target the programs he wants to go to and start the conversation with the recruiting coaches directly. I would most definitely contact drivelinebaseball.com and/or  Ron Worlforth http://www.texasbaseballranch.com/  and get him into either of their programs. The combination of pitching coach and working on mechanics with weighted baseballs will help his velo and control both. If he is high academic then get to the Arizona Fall Classic Academic game. All he will have to do is throw over 90 in that game and he will have many many phone calls. 

If he plays football I would work on changing his lifting routine to work almost exclusively on lower body, Upper body football training will be detrimental to his pitching. 

Good luck!

1) This summer is critical...if you're at the right venues. If he's at the higher tier venues, he may not do as well as you'd want. And if he's at the lower tier venues, he may not be seen. Only go to the higher tier venues if at 100%.

2) At this point, you're probably looking at mid major D1 squads as well as Headfirst-type schools...and JUCOs. 

Get to 100%, then get to the late showcases, e.g., Headfirst, PG's end of year showcase, etc. And hit an ACT dinger.

cabbagedad posted:

I'm going against the majority on this one.  Yes, it is typically very important to play and be seen year of rising senior summer.  HOWEVER... the problem you are describing sounds like a significant mechanical adjustment, not a tweak.  If he is throwing upper 80's all arm, he should have 90+ in him easily if he gets his lower half involved.  We just did a transformation like this, although not quite that velo.  It took a couple months of dedicated work over the summer and fall.  This P was good before but had a very tough time with arm recovery after each game... couldn't play position and couldn't even throw for two days after each start.  Got the lower half activated, tweaked other end of the chain, now he is throwing CG's and fine to throw long toss the next day.  The other issue, IMO, if the problem is what it sounds like, he'll never make it past first year of college with a healthy arm if he doesn't get mechanics squared away.  If he makes the adjustment, he will likely creep into the 90's and, thus, still get late interest.  If he doesn't, his arm won't stay healthy enough for it to matter.

He could play some summer ball as a position player but scheduling would have to work with whatever his bullpen/training sessions are.

Sounds to me like the well known PC and the guy you respect and trust know what they are doing/talking about.

Disclaimer - haven't seen the kid throw, so I'm making some assumptions.

What about skipping the rest of HS ball and overhaul mechanics so he's primed for summer recruiting ball as a rising senior?  Play only a position in HS and mention there's a mechanical issue that could damage his arm?  Not trying to encourage BSing the HS coaches, but merely protecting and help re-position the kid.  Reasonable?

I get where you're coming from Cabbage...

Gov posted:

What about skipping the rest of HS ball and overhaul mechanics so he's primed for summer recruiting ball as a rising senior?  Play only a position in HS and mention there's a mechanical issue that could damage his arm?  Not trying to encourage BSing the HS coaches, but merely protecting and help re-position the kid.  Reasonable?

I get where you're coming from Cabbage...

Those things tend not to come to my mind right away  but, yes, a viable option.  

cabbagedad posted:

I'm going against the majority on this one.  Yes, it is typically very important to play and be seen year of rising senior summer.  HOWEVER... the problem you are describing sounds like a significant mechanical adjustment, not a tweak.  If he is throwing upper 80's all arm, he should have 90+ in him easily if he gets his lower half involved.  We just did a transformation like this, although not quite that velo.  It took a couple months of dedicated work over the summer and fall.  This P was good before but had a very tough time with arm recovery after each game... couldn't play position and couldn't even throw for two days after each start.  Got the lower half activated, tweaked other end of the chain, now he is throwing CG's and fine to throw long toss the next day.  The other issue, IMO, if the problem is what it sounds like, he'll never make it past first year of college with a healthy arm if he doesn't get mechanics squared away.  If he makes the adjustment, he will likely creep into the 90's and, thus, still get late interest.  If he doesn't, his arm won't stay healthy enough for it to matter.

He could play some summer ball as a position player but scheduling would have to work with whatever his bullpen/training sessions are.

Sounds to me like the well known PC and the guy you respect and trust know what they are doing/talking about.

Disclaimer - haven't seen the kid throw, so I'm making some assumptions.

This is spot on! My son threw on Friday and is still sore today. As reputable coach pointed out....he is 100% pushing the ball with no hip/shoulder separation. I have him seeing a PT friend of mine weekly to make sure he is doing well. We will see him tomorrow afternoon to see how he is doing. I like the idea of requesting that he only play OF during summer and/or throwing some innings later in the summer after we feel better about his mechanics. I also agree that he would never survive a year of college throwing the way he is now. We could also have him attend a couple of events later in the summer and/or something in the fall...again, after he makes the necessary changes to throw with less stress on arm. Thanks for sharing your thoughts even if it was against the majority!

Do not skip the summer.  If your son truly has the potential to be 90+, the college coaches that see him throw will see it as well.  If THEY think he has 90+ potential, he will be recruited.  If THEY do not see the potential he will not be recruited.  It's hard to be recruited if you are not seen.

So, I've read your post, looked at the options and the read the boards advice.  Good advice all around.  I haven't seen him throw but clearly he has the potential to throw the ball hard.  I think folks are making a logical leap that because he has the potential to throw the ball hard that he'll be good.  Pitching is a lot more than throwing the ball hard.  Velocity may get you some outs in high school but very few college pitchers can blow it by a college hitter when he knows its coming....most learn that in the first week of Fall College practice.  

You've told us he wants to play in college...that is the key.  If he is fortunate enough to play in college; getting significant innings takes a lot (and I do mean a lot) of hard work and perseverance.  He will be coached every day whether he is throwing the ball or getting his body in shape to throw the ball.   If this is your son's goal then I'd go all in on the pitching lessons, playing in the summer and whatever it takes beyond that.   Put football on the shelf and figure that out when you have to.

JMO.

I will give you my unvarnished opinion.

To be recruited, a kid needs to prove to the coach he can help the program.

Here, I see an athlete with an arm which currently delivers a velo which is acceptable (for a limited period of time) but whose mechanics are not only not repeatable, but sub par. The result is a limited number of decent velo pitches, poor control and command and extended soreness. This is not a recipe for recruiting or even pitching success. Add to that the clear conflict with football and a state with limited college baseball opportunities and you have sketched a very difficult path - there is simply no time left.

Pitching, like every baseball skill, is acquired incrementally. What makes it worse for pitchers is they can't throw 100 pitch BP daily - so it takes a long long time to (a) permanently fix a flaw (b) teach proper mechanics (c) physically condition for the delivery, etc. I have known players who rarely pitched in HS and went on to great pitching careers at the next level. But, all had decent mechanics, and even took lessons all through HS (perhaps they were used as closers, others were simply too good in the field on teams loaded with POs). And all were single sport players.

My S retooled his delivery completely between 9th and 10th grade. It took him six months of dedicated work to keep a semblance of the new delivery and he occasionally reverted to a hybrid for a year before the old delivery totally disappeared. 

If your son pops off some 90 mph pitches, a coach may take a no risk approach and offer him a spot as a walk-on, but research the chances of a walkon pitcher with minimal college pitching skills. Is your son willing to not pitch at all in exchange for a uniform and the right to rake and drag the field?  

Back to the present situation: can he hit well enough to get recruited? If so, get recruited based upon that and a coach may see his live arm as having development potential. So, play summer ball, showcases and camps - based on his hitting.

If he can't hit well enough to get recruited he needs to show something with his pitching and you've decribed a kid who has nothing yet to offer a program at the D1 level - which means he needs to focus totally on pitching - and that means first getting his mechanics repeatable and keeping the velo.

Without the velo, a repeatable delivery, and sound mechanics, there is no pitching at the d1 level. That is the horse; the rest is the cart.

I ordinarily advocate for "prioritizing" seasons, and shifting your focus in the lower priority seasons. For instance, a HS freshman may prioritize the HS and fall seasons, but during the lower priority summer season he focuses on strength & conditioning and is okay occasionally showing up to games sore because of the focus on strength training.

This one is a tough call though, and arguments have been made both ways. On the one hand, the summer before senior year is a critical one for recruiting; on the other, as Goosegg pointed out, what does he have to show colleges this summer? If he doesn't focus on improving mechanics now, when will it happen? Does anything preclude you from attending an occasional showcase type event even if mechanics haven't been fully dialed in? I'm not talking about playing a 50 game summer schedule, I mean a PG showcase or 1-2 tournaments.

Like I said, tough call, but I would focus on correcting mechanics this summer.

Summer ball is where most kids get recruited. The summer BEFORE the Sr. year is super important. Get on a good travel team and play evenif it is as a PO. Go to good showcases and tourneys. Make improvements during the summer when not playing. You have all day most of the week. IF you want to play in college you must be available to be seen this summer. 

What about doing a post grad year at a private school...essentially buys you another "summer before senior year"

Goosegg posted:

I will give you my unvarnished opinion.

To be recruited, a kid needs to prove to the coach he can help the program.

Here, I see an athlete with an arm which currently delivers a velo which is acceptable (for a limited period of time) but whose mechanics are not only not repeatable, but sub par. The result is a limited number of decent velo pitches, poor control and command and extended soreness. This is not a recipe for recruiting or even pitching success. Add to that the clear conflict with football and a state with limited college baseball opportunities and you have sketched a very difficult path - there is simply no time left.

Pitching, like every baseball skill, is acquired incrementally. What makes it worse for pitchers is they can't throw 100 pitch BP daily - so it takes a long long time to (a) permanently fix a flaw (b) teach proper mechanics (c) physically condition for the delivery, etc. I have known players who rarely pitched in HS and went on to great pitching careers at the next level. But, all had decent mechanics, and even took lessons all through HS (perhaps they were used as closers, others were simply too good in the field on teams loaded with POs). And all were single sport players.

My S retooled his delivery completely between 9th and 10th grade. It took him six months of dedicated work to keep a semblance of the new delivery and he occasionally reverted to a hybrid for a year before the old delivery totally disappeared. 

If your son pops off some 90 mph pitches, a coach may take a no risk approach and offer him a spot as a walk-on, but research the chances of a walkon pitcher with minimal college pitching skills. Is your son willing to not pitch at all in exchange for a uniform and the right to rake and drag the field?  

Back to the present situation: can he hit well enough to get recruited? If so, get recruited based upon that and a coach may see his live arm as having development potential. So, play summer ball, showcases and camps - based on his hitting.

If he can't hit well enough to get recruited he needs to show something with his pitching and you've decribed a kid who has nothing yet to offer a program at the D1 level - which means he needs to focus totally on pitching - and that means first getting his mechanics repeatable and keeping the velo.

Without the velo, a repeatable delivery, and sound mechanics, there is no pitching at the d1 level. That is the horse; the rest is the cart.

I am a little confused by your post. Are you saying that he has zero chance of playing d1 college baseball unless he dedicates 6 months to retooling his mechanics and skips summer ball? Or can hit and play in the field as D1 talent?  I really don't know if he will be a D1 kid but I personally know of a player who mid major D1 did take a chance on simply because he touched 90 at showcase but had very few innings on the mound in spring because he struggled with command. I don't tell you this to debate but because your post makes things sound very matter of fact and to be honest...negative.

Out where I live in the Northwest if a kid has the velo mid major and even some major colleges will offer. Have seen kids who are not pitchers throw with velocity at a showcase and get offered. Have seen position players with great arms get offered as a pitcher.

I meant to be clearer. If he is recruited as a hitter, play in venues which will get noticed. 

I have seen kids recruited who hit 90 and have very few innings; but they were hitters first who also had a cannon arm. (Coaches notice the velo of that SS's throws across the infield or outfielder's throws to home.)

On the single player you mentioned, how did his d1 career unfold? If you re-read my post, I did allow for the outlier d1 coach to recruit him; but also noted that he will not get to the college mound in the state he is now (but a coach may trade a uni for raking and dragging).

What is the point of getting on the summer mound if he can't show anything a coach needs? Upper 80s RHP pitchers are absolutely recruitable, but no d1 coach in his right mind will give a money spot for that speed without command and control (mid 90s get you there) - or at least a whiff of that.

I'm sorry if my version of reality seems negative; but this player, at this time is competing with kids who throw his velo with command and control (and his upside is just a few miles per hour more).

So, the issue is how to separate from that pack; it's either going to be velo or impeccable command and control. 

If someone can take a 2018 pitcher with a live arm (this kid) and bad mechanics, play him full time, practice as a position player, and get remote pitching lessons, while simultaneously working out as a football player and baseball player AND have a bell curve shot (not an outlier) at contributing AS A PITCHER in the first few years at D1, that coach is a miracle worker. 

I don't believe in baseball miracles. I believe that pitching improvement is incremental and nothing - absolutely nothing - can rush a player who is working every realistic moment at baseball. It's a process; a long incremental process and simply being athletic or having a live arm is but a single component in a long chain of development. 

If every live arm could be developed into a recruitable d1 pitcher in such a short period of time, we'd be hearing stories of this reality.

(PS, I have also known pitchers who were actually recruited to D1's AFTER HS graduation; but the issue is the same: if a kid wants to be a D1 pitcher he needs to get his pitching skills to that level. This kid has the potential; but nothing more - at this time. If he wants to be a D1 pitchers, he needs to work on that every single day.)

On a side note, I'd like to also emphasize that a player should be looking to attend a school where he has a legit shot to play. For you HS parents, check out the stats of a college roster and note the innings of each pitcher. After the first six guys, innings are sparse.

For you parents who know guys who didn't pitch in HS, but were recruited as pitchers, did you follow their college careers? Most college PCs are just not that good at development - which is why the good ones are quickly recognized and scarfed up by the D1 power programs.

There is way more to picking a baseball program than just getting there. No one should pick a travel program without some degree of confidence that the kid will play a lot. The same should be true of a college program - otherwise it's a full time job for little reward on the field.

And, your kid (to all parents) is in the middle of the bell curve of baseball players. If you think your kid is way above that group, you're setting him - and the family - up for a rude awakening. Citing outliers is one way to get a false sense of confidence. ("So, you're saying there's a chance," goes the famous line.)

I can appreciate your knowledge, experience, and honesty. However, you are talking with someone who has a little bit of a clue. I am a long time HS football coach who was also coaching HS baseball until I decided to give up baseball to spend more time with my family....with a little bit of pressure from the wife.  However, I do not have experience with the recruiting process in baseball having never been a HC. So again, I appreciate the honesty.

My son just started working with someone remotely and I am keeping my fingers crossed that working with this coach allows my son to be more efficient with lower-half thereby improving command and reducing stress on the arm. I have been given no guarantees but there are several simple things that we will start working on right away to see how much they impact the rest of delivery.

I personally could care less about the level of play that he gets to....I just want him to enjoy his time playing baseball. He has been coached well on the importance of work ethic in all that he does and I have no doubt that he is willing to put in the time and work. Obviously, he is like most his age and dreams of playing D1 baseball. However, he is also open to strong academic schools regardless of level.

I definitely understand how ruthless the game of baseball can be if or when a player struggles. Heck...I recently spoke with graduated college baseball player who played for 5 programs during his college career and his recommendation for my son was find a school that he really loves so that if it does not work out with baseball, he can continue on with education without traveling the country in search of scholarship money.

So really long story short, I appreciate your input but initially walked away from reading your original email thinking the worst for my son. Maybe it is my experiences watching the changes that take place in HS kids as they progress or a handful of the awesome stories of HS freshman sitting on the bench/sideline, only to see them graduate and go on to have a successful college career at a variety of levels. I will continue to think and share positive thoughts with my son while at the same time reminding him of the hurdles he must climb to reach his dreams. As long as he puts in the work, he will always be able to lay his head on the pillow at night knowing he did everything possible and have no regrets!

Now off to do one of my favorite things in the world and that is watch one of my kids play a game that they love!

This!

"As long as he puts in the work, he will always be able to lay his head on the pillow at night knowing he did everything possible and have no regrets!"

Is. All. That. Matters.

Unless he's in a developmental program that can get him exposure (similar to the one we run), it's going to be hard to pass up playing in games this summer considering his grad year. Normally I'm all about not playing extra games and training instead, but college coaches have limited time to see arms for 2018 and this is critical for him, I'd say.

He can probably split the difference if he does it right. Either way he's going to have to get in front of coaches somehow, whether that's summer ball or connections/networking with college coaches who can see him throw on the side.

EDIT: I'm not trying to pitch my summer program, BTW. We're mostly sold out of pitcher slots as it is. Just noting that most development-specific programs can't offer exposure, and most exposure-specific programs can't offer much development. It's a rock / hard place situation.

COACHLD,

I think it is great that you are looking for suggestions.  Problem is, it is difficult to suggest anything without actually seeing your son pitch.

Just because he has been told 90+ is possible with mechanical changes isn't enough.  Some mechanics are much easier to change than others.  Probably the thing you have said that gives a hint regarding his future is it sounds like he has some athletic ability.  Good athletes tend to make adjustments easier.

If you have the ability to choose a summer team, you might try to find one that has a very good pitching coach.  We have seen pitchers improve dramatically in just a few months. 

Both velocity and everything else are important, both can be improved, but in most cases recruiters that also specialize in pitching would rather work with those that show potential for good velocity over those that have other attributes without potential for good velocity.

Occasionally we see players converted to the mound even in professional baseball.  A guy that just missed being elected to the Hall of Fame the last couple years might be one of the better examples.  I'm a big believer in GOOD training and instruction.  I'm an even bigger believer in natural talent.  They are the ones most likely to benefit the most by GOOD training and instruction.  Arm care is very important, also.

No matter what you decide to do, it will involve some give and take. Of course you already know this or you wouldn't being asking for help.  Just know that the path to the next level has been reached in many different ways. A crystal ball would come in handy.  For most players/pitchers this summer would be vitally important.  However every spring players pop up and get serious recruiting even draft interest.  So if your son, for example started throwing 92-93 with command, showed some endurance and pitchability he would become a draft prospect.  At that time you will find many DI colleges knocking on your door.  Yes, early commitments are the trend now days, but late bloomers still can find a place.

If you want an honest opinion, you might want to post a video of your son pitching.  if you are uncomfortable doing that, you can send a video privately or via email to staff@perfectgame.org

Its OK if you don't want to do that.  I hope your son is successful, please let us know how things workout.

Best of luck

Kyle Boddy posted:

Unless he's in a developmental program that can get him exposure (similar to the one we run), it's going to be hard to pass up playing in games this summer considering his grad year. Normally I'm all about not playing extra games and training instead, but college coaches have limited time to see arms for 2018 and this is critical for him, I'd say.

He can probably split the difference if he does it right. Either way he's going to have to get in front of coaches somehow, whether that's summer ball or connections/networking with college coaches who can see him throw on the side.

EDIT: I'm not trying to pitch my summer program, BTW. We're mostly sold out of pitcher slots as it is. Just noting that most development-specific programs can't offer exposure, and most exposure-specific programs can't offer much development. It's a rock / hard place situation.

Thanks Kyle. I am actually a big fan of your work and just received our order of driveline plyocare balls. I can actually count on one hand the number of pitching/performance coaches that I trust and follow and you are definitely on that short list.  My son worked with someone locally on velo development after football. He is a driveline guy and my son still goes in for recovery sessions. However, he is obviously still struggling with lower-half which is effecting his command and putting a ton of stress on his arm. As I mentioned we are now working with someone remotely (I believe you both have mutual respect for each other) who has a great track record and we believe in as well. However, we will continue to follow your work and use our local driveline guy during offseason. Thanks for all you are doing for baseball Kyle!

PGStaff posted:

COACHLD,

I think it is great that you are looking for suggestions.  Problem is, it is difficult to suggest anything without actually seeing your son pitch.

Just because he has been told 90+ is possible with mechanical changes isn't enough.  Some mechanics are much easier to change than others.  Probably the thing you have said that gives a hint regarding his future is it sounds like he has some athletic ability.  Good athletes tend to make adjustments easier.

If you have the ability to choose a summer team, you might try to find one that has a very good pitching coach.  We have seen pitchers improve dramatically in just a few months. 

Both velocity and everything else are important, both can be improved, but in most cases recruiters that also specialize in pitching would rather work with those that show potential for good velocity over those that have other attributes without potential for good velocity.

Occasionally we see players converted to the mound even in professional baseball.  A guy that just missed being elected to the Hall of Fame the last couple years might be one of the better examples.  I'm a big believer in GOOD training and instruction.  I'm an even bigger believer in natural talent.  They are the ones most likely to benefit the most by GOOD training and instruction.  Arm care is very important, also.

No matter what you decide to do, it will involve some give and take. Of course you already know this or you wouldn't being asking for help.  Just know that the path to the next level has been reached in many different ways. A crystal ball would come in handy.  For most players/pitchers this summer would be vitally important.  However every spring players pop up and get serious recruiting even draft interest.  So if your son, for example started throwing 92-93 with command, showed some endurance and pitchability he would become a draft prospect.  At that time you will find many DI colleges knocking on your door.  Yes, early commitments are the trend now days, but late bloomers still can find a place.

If you want an honest opinion, you might want to post a video of your son pitching.  if you are uncomfortable doing that, you can send a video privately or via email to staff@perfectgame.org

Its OK if you don't want to do that.  I hope your son is successful, please let us know how things workout.

Best of luck

Thanks for taking the time to respond. My son and I both appreciate the time and effort that so many people are willing to take to help. I don't think I have ever had a true appreciation for the quote regarding it taking a village until my son entered high school. He has had so many people willing to help both academically and athletically. I am sending you PM. Thanks again.

Kyle Boddy posted:

Unless he's in a developmental program that can get him exposure (similar to the one we run), it's going to be hard to pass up playing in games this summer considering his grad year. Normally I'm all about not playing extra games and training instead, but college coaches have limited time to see arms for 2018 and this is critical for him, I'd say.

He can probably split the difference if he does it right. Either way he's going to have to get in front of coaches somehow, whether that's summer ball or connections/networking with college coaches who can see him throw on the side.

EDIT: I'm not trying to pitch my summer program, BTW. We're mostly sold out of pitcher slots as it is. Just noting that most development-specific programs can't offer exposure, and most exposure-specific programs can't offer much development. It's a rock / hard place situation.

I don't have as much experience as many here but from everything I've seen & heard, this really rings true

My experience with my '18 RHP. His PC could not help him gain mobility, functional strength and movement down the mound. However, his PC did help identify his hips didn't work well as they should. It took the right strength trainer to assess his strengths and weakness' in order to address imbalances and range of motion (tight hips) that were holding him back.

He spent last fall into winter (August to January) working with the trainer, three nights a week. Result, mission accomplished! His hips work with his very quick arm. Last summer he sat 86-88, now 90-91 and has touched 93 numerous times this spring.

In his experience, it was a lot of sled pushing, squats of many variations and arm care (plyo care balls, bands, med balls, shoulder tubes, ect) and some ROM sequencing set forth by the trainer, just to name a few.