Positions and Rosters in College Recruiting Pt. 3

Dan Mooney: Your Link to the Colleges

One last entry about rosters and college recruiting, guys.

Don’t expect to get recruited because you’re a utility player. College baseball rosters may include up to 35 players at the Division I level, so there is enough depth there that coaches don’t need to rely on their players covering multiple positions. There are too many players out there that are jack-of-all-trades and masters of nothing. Guys change positions all the time at the next level, and while you want to show college coaches that you are willing to do whatever you can to help the team, you still need to hone your skills at one primary position.

Most high school players should also not expect to be a two-way guy at the next level. I only played with one two-way guy during my college years, and his name was Brad Wilkerson. Brad played CF, 1B and pitched for the University of Florida before leaving as a 1st Round draft pick. Oh, and he also hit 24 home runs that year, too.

I certainly don’t want to ride both sides of the fence on this, but you may be saying to yourself that some coaches have shown interest in you being a two-way guy. So, yes, it does happen, and this is not the rule, but two-way guys are likely to get a look if one of their positions is at pitcher. You don’t see a lot of 3B/OF or SS/C running around out there. You will, however, find 1B/P, 3B/P or OF/P. Those of you who are P/C, make your mind up now, because it will not happen at the next level. You are putting too much stress on your arm- don’t expect it to last much longer then your HS years.

If you are having a hard time trying to decide whether to be a pitcher or position player, here are few things that will help. If you want to pitch, velocity will be a big factor. Yes, getting outs and having good secondary stuff is important, but coaches want velocity, period… unless you are left-handed. So, if you are 6’0 and throw 80-82 MPH, start hitting more; coaches can find those guys in every city across the country. If you are leaning toward being a position player, take a close look at your position and what is needed to be successful at the next level. For example, OF and middle guys need to have some speed, corner guys need to hit, etc. If you can flat out hit, hit and hit, just make sure you have a pulse because coaches will find a place for you.

Hopefully the last few entries have given you some extra insight into college recruiting. For reference, here are links to the previous two: Part 2, Part 1. We’d love your comments and questions.

Dan is the Senior Director of College Recruiting. Dan was drafted in the 40th round by the Chicago Cubs after his senior year at Monsignor Donovan High School, but decided to begin his collegiate career as a catcher at Brevard Junior College. He later transferred to the Univ. of Florida where he redshirted for a season, before transferring to North Carolina State University where he was a two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference performer. After college, Dan played professionally in the Boston Red Sox organization where he reached the double-A level before being forced to retire after an injury. Dan has assisted hundreds of players reach their goal of playing college baseball and has developed relationships with college coaches across the nation through his time as a player and during his career in the college recruiting department at Baseball Factory.