Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These estimates of velo needed for pitchers are wild. My kid is about to start his Freshman year as a D3 pitcher. His fastball velo now sits 81-82. It was probably 70 as a high school freshman. He didn’t even START pitching until he was 14. Velo isn’t everything.

My kid’s high school wasn’t a baseball powerhouse, so he was able to play and develop with lots of playing time. He has been doing weekly lessons with a pitching coach for many years as that has been his focus. I’d get your son a hitting coach and work with them thought the fall and winter. Many high school teams have a fall ball team of some sort, often specifically to integrate freshman into the program. Your son could email the coach and ask.

Not OP but thanks for this. My 2028 kid played some Perfect Game tourneys this summer and there are kids who are 15 throwing 88 (checking out the FB velo page was eye-opening). It really does skew one's perspective.

You are very welcome. Those 15 year olds throwing 88 are definitely out there! More power to them. But they are so, so rare. My kid has tracked the “average” for a pitcher his age - you can look up the averages. But you know what? The average pitcher plays, and if you are a pitcher with age-average velo on a high school team that plays in a lower league you can be a standout if you can command the ball. Stay on the average (getting faster every year) and you end up an average college player, and that is a fabulous, rare thing to be.

Anonymous wrote:These estimates of velo needed for pitchers are wild. My kid is about to start his Freshman year as a D3 pitcher. His fastball velo now sits 81-82. It was probably 70 as a high school freshman. He didn’t even START pitching until he was 14. Velo isn’t everything.

My kid’s high school wasn’t a baseball powerhouse, so he was able to play and develop with lots of playing time. He has been doing weekly lessons with a pitching coach for many years as that has been his focus. I’d get your son a hitting coach and work with them thought the fall and winter. Many high school teams have a fall ball team of some sort, often specifically to integrate freshman into the program. Your son could email the coach and ask.

Not OP but thanks for this. My 2028 kid played some Perfect Game tourneys this summer and there are kids who are 15 throwing 88 (checking out the FB velo page was eye-opening). It really does skew one's perspective.

I do this for a living. This is false that you can’t play for a Whitman, WJ etc if you aren’t playing seriously by 12.

The X factor is what kind of athlete are you? What is “serious”? I’m assuming serious is high level travel?

If you are athletic and have played mid level baseball (“select”) and have the motivation to train and develop your skills you very much have an opportunity to make these teams.

There are way too many athletes that think if they aren’t proficient in a sport by 8th grade they are out of luck. Definitely not the case and this is the issue with youth sports and parents. Be athletic - if you are, you can close the gap quickly and excel in any sport.

Very much depends on the school. In MCPS, you aren’t playing for Whitman, Walter Johnson or Sherwood if you were not playing seriously in 12/13/14U. But you could easily make JV and eventually start varsity for some of the other MCPS schools.

These estimates of velo needed for pitchers are wild. My kid is about to start his Freshman year as a D3 pitcher. His fastball velo now sits 81-82. It was probably 70 as a high school freshman. He didn’t even START pitching until he was 14. Velo isn’t everything.

My kid’s high school wasn’t a baseball powerhouse, so he was able to play and develop with lots of playing time. He has been doing weekly lessons with a pitching coach for many years as that has been his focus. I’d get your son a hitting coach and work with them thought the fall and winter. Many high school teams have a fall ball team of some sort, often specifically to integrate freshman into the program. Your son could email the coach and ask.

Anonymous wrote:He has to stand out in SOMETHING. Size, speed, velo, bat speed, power, hands. Even just looking really athletic while showing signs of strength in one or more of those things. Get with professional trainers/coaches who work with high school and college players. I am in Maryland and do not know who those people are in Virginia but they definitely exist and can help guide you and him.

+1
I agree with this. My son is not particularly tall (but is stocky) and most important very fast and can steal bases etc. Fastest kid in his high school. Bats leadoff, doesn’t necessarily hit for power, but gets on base and can score runs.

Find your kid’s “niche” and exploit the crap out of it to stand out

He has to stand out in SOMETHING. Size, speed, velo, bat speed, power, hands. Even just looking really athletic while showing signs of strength in one or more of those things. Get with professional trainers/coaches who work with high school and college players. I am in Maryland and do not know who those people are in Virginia but they definitely exist and can help guide you and him.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:6 months until tryouts. Double caloric intake and 5 days/week in the weight room. Needs to gain 25 pounds. Batting coach in the fall. Start throwing program Thanksgiving week. Grind and repeat.

Thank you. This will give him something to work towards.

This. Your kid basically has to be able to be able to hit or pitch at JV level at a school where it’s competitive to make the JV team. For hitting will need to be able to regularly hit line drives coming at 75-85 mph pitching in a batting practice to make a team. With a quality nice swing. So if it’s for real possibility if he’s generally athletic - batting coach for hitting for developing a swing with good mechanics. Then reps reps reps and weights/strength training.
If he has potential for pitching instead - could do similar of building mechanics with a coach, reps and strength (and lots of arm care)
Lots of teams have kids who are “pitcher only” PO - and a lot of teams will carry a couple kids who can come in to relief or pitch some innings - and then they sometimes get some other opportunities in less competitive games.
Hitting Clinics with multiple kids can be good for reps but worth doing a coach to get his swing down.

I was shocked by how focused the baseball thing is for high school. I think I’ve spent the equivalent of buying a car on hitting coaching!