Why am I not standing out?

My advice: relax. There is lots of relevant info we don't know. What year are you? What position? How many showcases have you actually been to? What showcases were they?

Regardless of these answers, the recruiting process is an exercise in finding a program that sees what you have to offer that others may not.

Believe it or not, they are not all there just looking for HR hitters and power guys. Especially now, with the BBCOR bats.

If you can compete at the D1 level, they will see it.

Thanks for the advice. I am 2013 outfielder so I realix=ze there is alot of time for me. I have been to 4 showcases. One at a major D1, one at a mid-level D1, one local showcase with about 20 low-level D1 and JUCO schools there, and one was a tryout for a top level travel that also had many D1 schools and pro scouts in attendence

Hey DLock, I know this is off topic, but have you found a summer team yet? I'm curious about you. As a 2013 I am impressed with your initiative on this site.

Where are you in terms of the other 4 tools? How much speed do you have, how good are your hands, how's the arm strength and do you hit for average?

Reason I ask is there is more to the game than just hitting for power but some of these things can't be taught or they can only be taught to a certain degree. Guys who can crush baseballs are doing something most people can't do so they get looked at more hoping they can be taught the other stuff. Best example is why teams give those who can throw 95 more chances although they couldn't hit a strike zone as big as a barn while the guy who throws 85 but gets everybody out gets fewer chances.

I wouldn't get into a huge worry just yet because you still have time but make sure you have more to offer than just power. But keep making sure power is coming along.

Coach2709,

I have above average speed for my class (6.9 in the 60), I am an average fielder (I am no Willie Mays in the Outfield, but I make every play that has to be made), I have an average arm, but I just started a long tossing program about a month ago so my arm should improve, and yes I can hit for average (combined JV and Varsity average this season is .407)

2013 Dad,

I have not committed to a team for the summer but 3 different teams have asked me to play. I am open to exploring more choices if they are available.

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DLOCK...

There are a great many pre-conceptions and biases out there...some are real, some are imagined...the trick is to spend your energy in as positive a direction as you can developing your game and your skills, and while you cannot help but be aware, do not let the rumors, and bias get in the way of what you have to do develop your skills...and staying thrilled about who YOU are and what YOU bring. You do that and you will be successful in baseball, and in life...opportunites will open for you.

44
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quote:

Originally posted by observer44:
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DLOCK...

There are a great many pre-conceptions and biases out there...some are real, some are imagined...the trick is to spend your energy in as positive a direction as you can developing your game and your skills, and while you cannot help but be aware, do not let the rumors, and bias get in the way of what you have to do develop your skills...and staying thrilled about who YOU are and what YOU bring. You do that and you will be successful in baseball, and in life...opportunites will open for you.

44
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Oustanding advice as usual.

I tell my son all the time, "Don't try and be Derick Jeter or Dustin Pedroia"... "just be yourself"

Every individual brings something unique to the game. That is what stands out. I agree with the coach2709 and the other poster's above who say to work on the five tools.

Beyond that and perhaps more importantly, how are you going to communicate those attributes about yourself that make YOU standout?

Are you gonna show up like a prima donna with an attitude and say "Look at me, I am doing you all a favor by gracing my presence before you!" or... are you going to try and communicate other things like work ethic, hard-nosed play, diving for a ball if necessary, being the first to arrive and last to leave, showing hustle at all times, showing respect for your coaches and other competitors, showing respect for the game with 100% effort at all times, getting your uniform dirty, never hanging your head, running hard even if you are out,...

I am sure you can think of thousands of types of things like I have listed that you can communicate to those watching. Those things that will tell people who YOU are. Always, always use your actions to do the communinicating. Talk is cheap.

Right now you already have something more powerful than home run power although that certainly may develop. You have competitive juices flowing in your veins. You look in the mirror and say, "Why not me!" "Why these others?" Those juices will feed your desire.

Everything else will fall in place in due time. If you want to, get ticked off about it, carry a little chip on your shoulders, I'm not talking arrogance here, I'm talking a quiet confidence. Don't sell yourself out though, you gotta build the foundation strong and then set that immaculate house right on top where everyone can see what you've done. You didn't settle for cheap fixtures, you got top of the line material inside and out. You don't have to set out any roadsigns either. Everybody in the neighborhood will know where your house is and people will come to see it.

If you do this, if you have the will to compete, and the humility to accept setbacks, the confidence to keep getting up and the determination to continue through the hard times, the storms, the days when nobody seems to care what you are doing.....then you will eventually sit on the front porch of that house, sipping on your favorite drink and watching people drive by slowly and just gaze.

Once you have done that then you will look around for others who are digging a foundation and you will go help them build a house too. Remember, hope is always a choice and luck is just an effort away.

It is very difficult to tell what a certain coach is looking for at a showcase. Having attended more than my fair share of them ( I played for Binghamton University from 2005-2009) I was amazed when some coaches immediately contacted me after a showcase preaching why a certain school was made for me, while other coaches, who saw the same exact performance from me!, say I didn't look like a good fit.
Yes, some coaches demand that their players can hit homeruns, and with metal at bats I understand where they are coming from. On the other end, there are coaches out there looking for "value", aka players who are very good but who aren't getting recruited by the big time programs. So in response to the original post, yes home runs are always good, but if you are not a home run guy then perhaps speed, consistency, or even a solid player with grades good enough to get into a top academic school is enough to get noticed.
I just wrote a book about my experience playing college baseball that I think you might get something at. It is called "Going with the Pitch: Adjusting to Baseball, School, and Life as a Division I College Athlete". It talks about the showcase where I got signed out of and to the point of another post here, it definitely talks about developing your skills to find your strengths. For your reference, the book is for sale on Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Going-Pi...id=1303526288&sr=1-1

I hope this helps you a little! Best of luck and enjoy the process!

quote:

Originally posted by DLOCK15:
Every showcase I go to, I always hit 7 or 8 out of 10 balls hard in batting practice with 2 or 3 hit deep into the gaps. As good as this may be, the attention at these events always goes to the guys who are hitting home runs. Even if they only hit 4 or 5 out of 10 balls hard, but hit 3 home runs, the coaches are pretty much lined up to talk to these guys after the showcase is over. Why is this? I know home run hitters are important for every team to have, but it just doesn't make since that 4 hard hit balls is better than 7 hard hit balls.

Have you had anyone who really knows hitting analyze your swing? The college coaches may not believe you will be successful at the next level based on your swing.

Even though my son was already a very good hitter I had him take hitting lessons from a former college coach and current pro scout. He saw two minor flaws he fixed. These were minor flaws a college coach would notice. One I had noticed but couldn't convince my son to change. I used to tell my son, "I would pitch you like this and you would find life difficult." I'm sure a college coach would have seen the same thing. Now what I once considered a flaw is one of his favorite pitch locations.

My hitting instructor won 2 national championships while working as the hitting coach at a major D1 school and I have been working with him since I was 8 years old, so I would say my swing is good.

quote:

Originally posted by DLOCK15:
My hitting instructor won 2 national championships while working as the hitting coach at a major D1 school and I have been working with him since I was 8 years old, so I would say my swing is good.

I didn't ask about your instructor's history. I asked how your swing is viewed by an expert. You told me your swing is good. You didn't tell me your instructor said your swing is college material. I wish I had a dollar for everyone who made claims about the instructor rather than the personal results achieved.

I'm not picking on you. I'm trying to get you to look at everything. Ask your instructor if you have a swing that would impress college coaches? And at what level? Don't be afraid of the truth. You may not like the truth. But avoiding the truth can send you down the wrong path.