The Making of a Catcher

90 isn't a "power bat" at a D1.  90 is bare minimum, foot in the door, you just barely got past the disqualifier. 

7.15 is a very good 60 for a 3B/1B.  And it is an excellent time for a Catcher.

Being far and away the best catcher in the league means very very little at the next level.

Athletes are converted to catcher at all levels.  If I'm not mistaken, Buster Posey wasn't a catcher until college.

7.15 is usually considered too slow to be an outfielder at most D1's.  I'm sure there are exceptions.

Most likely they are projecting with him.  That he'll get the 60 under 7, that the Exit Velo will creep into the upper 90's... 6'4" 210 is a good size.  I'm sure they love the athleticism.  

Where is your son at with his strength development?  That would be my first & foremost concern.  Can he put on 15-25 pounds of muscle and become a beast and cross over the threshold into becoming a true impact player on a D1? I would focus on that and on displaying the skills he has already developed this summer, and keep playing catcher as a backup plan (and find a great catching instructor to show him the ropes)

Congrats on the interest and some very good questions.  Where did the D1 interest like him?

One thing that comes to mind instantly for me is the QB correlation.  I personally thing this is a great connection.  Yes, catching skills and knowledge of the position take time to fully develop.   But I have had the hardest time getting catchers to grasp the leadership, seeing the whole field, total game awareness aspects much more so than teaching a strong athletic kid proper catching mechanics.  Also, an athletic QB with football mentality will likely pick up on drop-n-block, quick feet, quick release and other important aspects of catching much more quickly than others.  Love it.  And, if he can play corners AND catch well on top of his size and big bat, that's a pretty valuable package he has to offer.

Is it too late to become a catcher as a 2019 grad?  No.  Is it too late to become a really good catcher by this summer, maybe, but it goes back to what you see on this board frequently....tools matter.  If your son has quick feet, he has quick feet whether he has caught one game or 200 and next level guys can see that tool.  If your son has really good natural arm strength, they can see that too.  Even without polish, quick feet and a strong arm are the tools that project(at any position)   

My recommendation.  Find an instructor to get foundational instruction for footwork/exchange and blocking/receiving. Then have your son raise his hand to catch as many bullpens as possible.  Everyday catchers will gladly let you take some of the load off of them and allow him to work on his receiving.  Most of the really good catchers that I'm aware of also work on blocking in the bullpen.  Not fun by any means but its one thing to block, another thing to kill the ball consistently about two feet in front of the plate, ready to recover.  It takes time but full contact bullpen sessions can accelerate the learning curve and if your son is really athletic, that will help but it will be a grind no matter what.  Best of luck to your son. 

Thanks to everyone for the thoughtful responses so far.  The coach he talked to over the weekend didn't specifically discuss positions.  We assumed he has him pegged as an OF, but could be wrong about that. 

He talked mostly about his bat and the fact that he likes to recruit big guys.  He said every guy comes in wanting to be a two-way but it's not going to happen.  Son tops out at 82-83, so we knew pitching is off the table at the D1 level.

Strength and development will continue to be a priority; he made big strides over this past offseason.  Based on the above, we'll mention the catching option to his travel coach and see what he thinks.  Great suggestion that he volunteer to catch bullpens.  And I love the analogy between quarterbacking and catching in how perfectly it sums up the leadership and mental demands of the position.

Does he like pain?

Old catcher speaking here. I loved it, or most of it. The collisions at at the plate, gunning out a base runner, calling pitches, pitchouts, fielding a bunt, chatting up the umpire...  Your running speed and  hitting will take a dive. Fingers and thumbs will be constantly sprained, knees will hurt, and you will have bruises all over. Hopefully no concussions from bats and balls. I didn't  mind most of it- it was the closest thing to hockey for me.

Turnoffs;

Pitchers who don't throw strikes.

Doubleheaders on hot days.

Always having to worry about getting your gear on and off.

Wild pitches by lousy pitchers(if you've got a stud you put up with the odd bad one). 

Getting crossed up.

foul balls off sensitive areas... and  I don't mean the butt.

I discouraged both my sons from playing catcher. One was simply too fast to waste back there, and the other other has a low pain tolerance, and is all skin and bones... no padding.

57Special says it getter than I could, but that speaks to why I'd be hesitant to have a 7.1 sixty kid who is already getting D1 interest get behind the plate.

Something to keep in mind. College coaches usually recruit position players based on their athleticism and specific skills and being able to hit. Being able to play multiple positions is a plus. 

Definitely would further pursue learning how to catch. Most programs do have guys who can catch if needed. 

Jeff, I would suggest going to CatcherMtrx, they have affiliations all over NY/NJ. Athelite player development (Chris Reyes) is the founding org.  http://www.athelitepd.com/.  I hope this is Kosher, if not my apologies to the admins. Best of luck to your boy, it is a grind being behind the dish and it will definitely test your kid's love for the game. My kid has plus speed for his age but loves the position and so far his coaches have kept him there.

To coach of interested D1:

"Coach, I've been working a bit behind the plate - should I put some time in getting better there, or do you think I should be focusing on something different?"

That will probably give you an idea of at least where this coach projects your son. Use that to help guide you in the decision making process. Also take a look at prospective schools. Do they recruit catchers or do they seem to convert a lot of guys? Do they use underclass catchers or a lot of JC transfers? If a coach has been at a school for a while you can get a feel for how he develops his roster. It takes a lot of research, but this is important information.

It certainly isn't too late to become a catcher. Guys make the switch even later and turn out fine. It just takes work.

Versatility is a good thing.  If he can hit D1 pitching, the coach will find somewhere to put him. Best to have as many potential positions as possible really.