Surprised ... and advice pls

What other positions does he/has he played? How many kids are on the freshman roster?

I would think it has more to do with the needs of the team, from the coach's perspective.  For instance, in my son's case, he came in to his HS as a junior transfer.  He has always been a primary pitcher and was never much of a hitter, and he told the coach as much when he first introduced himself.  The team, however, was loaded with pitchers but didn't have enough quality outfielders.  My son is a very good defensive outfielder and he found himself starting in RF.  He went on to hit over .400 and ended up making second team all-state.  Oh, and he only saw the mound for 2/3 of an inning all season.

 

So, I say there is nothing to really talk about.  He should work as hard as he can, prepare himself for whatever opportunity comes his way, and make the most of it.  Train hard, play hard, be a great teammate, and the coach will do what he feels is best for his team.

Is the HS big/successful enough to have POs at the varsity level?  It is becoming more of a trend, it seems.  If the coaching staff sees him as a stud pitcher then maybe that is their reasoning.  Either way, as you say, roll with it.  He should get plenty of reps at the plate this summer and fall on the travel circuit, no?

You're asking a lot of questions that nobody here can know the answer to. The only way to find out the coach's thinking is for your son (not you) to ask him, either now or at the end of the season.

 

Even though he's not pitched much the coach apparently thinks your kid's arm is among the best he's got. At some schools, there is a culture of pitchers not hitting, even when they are good at it.   But that's just a guess.  Only the coach knows for sure.

Agree w others, have son ask, do not get involved.

what happened as an 8th grader has no bearing on HS team. Did son get opportunity to show coach how he hits in practice, tryouts, BP, etc. 

if u feel son is good hitter and he doesn't get to hit on HS team, just P, then find best Summer team that will take him. Things could change w HS as son develops his skills. 

Good luck

Thanks for the replies.

 

The HS is 4A sized (~1800 students) and has V, JV, Freshmen team. Each team has 15 players. Freshmen has their own tryout and no freshmen are considered for V or JV team.

 

My son normally plays 3rd base, but he's willing to play any position, if that gets him into the batting lineup.

 

I am wondering whether the coach has this "pitcher doesn't bat" rule in his head. In Varsity team, they have quite a few POs. If that's the case, I either need to develop his pitching more, or don't try out for pitcher next season.

 

Anyway, I think the consensus is to have the kid talk to coach to get the answers. I'll probably let him do that after the season is over, just ask the coach for some advice on whether to develop as a pitcher or back to 3rd base/batting.

Some would say your kid obviously sux at hitting and to leave the coach alone. 

 

I'm going to guess that his coach is still trying to figure out who the kids are and what they can or can't do.  He may have made his decision based on a quick first impression.  There should be no issue with your son having a mature conversation with the coach.  Good luck.   

Situation sounds similar to our school. One of the top baseball programs in state. Fields Frosh, JV & Varsity. For the most part players don't play up with a few exceptions. They normally let pitchers play & field until moved to Varsity. Have a handful that are two way but aren't primarily pitchers. 2017 played JV Freshman year with limited at bats and field time. Soph year he's splitting time between Varsity & JV and moved to PO. He's always been a strong hitter but not going to get a chance here other than pitching, just the way the coach runs things and hard to argue with his success. Son's not ready to give up hitting & fielding and will get plenty of reps on his summer team. Not sure if this is your sons situation but could be.

Hypothetically....and let me say I have no experience in this....but it is possible that:

 

1. Out of 15 "freshman only" there are very few pitchers that can get it over the plate or get it over the plate hard, and possibly a low end puberty curve.  If your boy is bigger than most this makes more sense.  Technically you have 1800 students to pull from but really you only have the freshman class for this team.  Maybe he is the best pitcher they have.

 

2. If #1 is true it is entirely possible that the coach sees it as an unnecessary risk to have your kid hit.  Hitting can affect the elbows and hands and in some RARE cases pitchers elbows are aimed at by the opposition when they are up to bat.

 

3. As long as his summer team lets him play at other positions why not let him enjoy the PO life to see if he likes it?  With a greater pool to pull from next year he may not be a pitcher when he moves off of the "freshman only" team.  I have also heard that kids who can play a position and pitch are considered a bonus, so what's the harm in honing his pitching skills?

No need to read any further than this one.

On #2, now that you mentioned it, I think it makes sense. During yesterday's game, son pitched a shutout inning, retiring the top 3 batter. Bottom of the inning he's up to bat, and on the second pitch he got hit on the arm. The next inning his pitches just seemed off the mark and the other team got 3 runs out of it. I didn't link the two events, until reading your post. Maybe at this stage kids do intentional hit pitchers? Or is it a signal from the opposing coach? (I know football and soccer coaches tell their players to "hurt" the other team players; never heard of baseball coaches doing so though.)

There are such things as coincidence...and I did say it was RARE, but yes I have heard of pitchers elbows getting targeted.   Also though, think of the force on an elbow if he really gets a hold of a ball..the lifting of the bat as the ball is trying to be pushed in the opposite direction....maybe the sting of the bat if it's an odd hit...there are MANY factors that can contribute to a coach not wanting their pitcher to bat, those are just a few.  And once again, the hit was likely not intentional on your son...but if you were a coach wouldn't it make you think twice?  Is he more valuable as a pitcher or a hitter?

Also, if he is that good of a hitter, it will show in batting practice.

As a coach, I prefer the direct approach on this topic, but you might want to take into account the players relationship with the coach.    I do not mind a parent asking in an open minded way.  However it has also been my experience that many coaches don't care what you did in travel ball.  We have had kids hit .400 in travel ball (little league age range) and come to JV and can't hit an older pitcher.  So I would not approach is as a problem but I think it is justified for parent to inquire as to what their kid needs to do to improve in that area.  Coaches are much less likely to get offended as long as there is no "attitude".