What is a good offer?

Although the numbers you posted are good offers, it sounds like your son should expect considerably more based on his VELO and size.

Thanks rynoattack. I guess my question should have been is there a ceiling on offers? Should we be looking for 70-80%? Do those offers exist in a sport where the total number of scholarships is so limited?

A "good offer" depends on a lot of things so it is very difficult to generalize.  But...anything over 50% is needs to be considered "good".  We have had top 10 round picks that went to school and got 60%.  Highest I have ever seen was 85% offer that was increased to 95% after the player was taken in the 11th round.  Enjoy the process and make sure your son would want to be at whatever school he picks even if he was not playing baseball.

A good offer is any offer that carries with it a legitimate opportunity to earn a place in the lineup. I have seen guys who are invited walk-ons start for three years (and then leave after they get drafted), and I have seen guys with 60 percent or more have a hard time getting off the bench. What it a good offer at one school might be viewed as not so good somewhere else. A mistake not to make is any assumption that the size of the offer is equal to the quality of the player.

I will add, too, that 88 and 89 does not blow me away. I have seen good college (and high school) hitters destroy pitchers who throw at those speeds and call it batting practice. I also have seen guys pitch their team to the College World Series championship throwing their best fastballs at about 85 or 86. It just depends on what the ball does in addition to going 85 or 88 or 89. If you're talking 95 and above, then it is a different story.

Welcome a board ne_lefty! Congrats to your son on those velo's. My LHP was 81-83 at the same age and same size.

The 50%-60% would be a real good offer at a top tier team IMHO. I know of a kid RHP well over 6'7" throwing 92-95 and he got 50% at a private PAC 12 school.

I always hear of some kids getting more than that but find it hard to believe with only 11.7 for 28 players.

Not sure it will matter in your sons case, with those velo's and his size and projectable increases, he will be drafted.

Feel free to send me a dialog if you have other questions.

Thank you jemaz. I was only giving the velo numbers as a frame of reference, not intending to blow anyone away. Hopefully, those numbers continue to improve as he matures.

Thanks for the clarification. To avoid misinterpretation, my post was not intended primarily for you but was more in response to rynoattack, who said to expect higher offers based on the velocity numbers you provided. First of all, I think the offers you mentioned are fine offers for any players. Second, those numbers by themselves typically will not produce bigger offers from any of the stronger ACC or SEC schools. Good luck to your son. I hope he is throwing either elusively or even higher than 95 in two more years and that he gets an offer that makes the both of you very, very happy.

89 for a lefty is pretty good. 

Offer also depends on how much academic money(if any) son can get toO.

In reality it depends on the balance of your bank account.

This is a generalization but typical weekend starters are 50-70%, but it depends on the program and the year. 

A sophomore lefty that is 6'2" and 215 throwing 88 will get more than 50 -  60 percent IMO, and I would be surprised if I am in the minority on that.  6'2" Leftys throwing 88 already at 15 - 16 years old don't grow on trees...

Your son has good size, throws with the correct hand , throws hard, and is young. You'll get varying offers since he's young and projectable, and not every coach projects kids the same way, but that combination of size/skill is not common, I'll say that much. 

As others said, the weekend guys get 50-70% depending on academic stuff (I have a kid getting 30% but he's a top 100 ranked guy; he has a 2000+ SAT and 3.9 GPA so he doesn't need more than that). 

Enjoy the ride, and bring lots of TUMS or Rolaids

Thank you Kyle Boddy. Tums AND Rolaids! 

Too many variables to throw a number out there for a 2016.  When the time is right, it will be all about leverage.   Who has leverage, and what other alternatives or options are available to both you and the colleges offering.   For example you may get a 40% offer from a top ACC school but 80% from a Big 10 school....which is the better offer is in the eye of the beholder.  The ACC school may have a couple other leftys in the recruiting pipeline just like your son but they prefer you son and 40% is as high as they are willing to go.  The Big Ten school sees your son as a top level recruit and potential freshman starter and is willing to go 80%.   Hopefully this is something to think about because there is no universal answer.  Sure you can ask the question, but it comes down to what you and your son want and what meets his long term goals.   JMO.

Everything is relative, and it will be about leverage.   The more interest your son can create in the next 12-24 months will help with that leverage.  Possibly he becomes a pro draft prospect, and additional leverage comes into play as the colleges compete for his services against Major League organizations.  It happens.   Good luck.

As Fenway said - its in the eye of the beholder....

The higher the % offer for my son was the lower the rank of the school and or team.  Also note that one of the lowest offers that came in was at an afforable school and was a lot less out of pocket than the highest % offer let  us with.  Son turned down several "good offers" due to not the right fit or degree he wanted to pursue not available.

Son knows Baseball is 2nd - School is first.  In four years he hopes to have a degree and lots of memories of playing basbeall.  Beyond the 4th year - baseball is a dream.  I think too many kids think college is just a means to play baseball.  Too many can't make grades and or leave saying why waste time with school when all I want to do is play baseball. 

I've seen too many top Tier 1 recurits reshirted or benched due to a new hot shot recurit or transfer student.  Some of these HS kids cannot handle the stress of college ball and the off field activites associated with it much less than the on field stuff.  Every year new recruits coming in to take your sons spot.

So even if your lucky enough to make it to the pros does not mean you will be rich.  Most of the minor leaguers give up the game cause of money (and or being cut) and have nothing to show for it but memories and scars.

My advice - for what its worth...

Pick the school he wants to attend that will help him academically and baseball wise.  Pick the school that if he breaks a leg freshman year that he is willing to stay at without baseball.

Yes we all know kids that made it.  But I can guarantee everyone here knows more kids that didn't than did by a factor of 10.  Don't want to be a downer - just a realist. 

Pick the school / program he likes and make sure its the right fit (Coach, school, program, location, etc)....Don't get hung up with a % over a perfect fit.

A good offer in my opinion would be the help of the program moving my 2016 up the admissions list. When the schools you are looking at have a 7-10% acceptance rate that help is worth more than any $$ amount in my book. 

KauaiDad,

That was also very important in my oldest son's case.  FWIW - Be careful when looking at overall acceptance numbers as they can be misleading depending on the specific college  within the University he is applying into.  Some colleges can be even more competitive than an overall  published number such as most architecture or engineering schools.  Good luck.