Marketable Positions

[Cannonball]

My DD was recruited to be a college OF. She does not have great speed. She takes great angles on the ball, has a very good first step at the ball, is not afraid to dive, communicates, and has a cannon for an arm. Yes, colleges want speed. However, they also have other desires in OFers. Sluggers is right that 1st base seems to have a stigma attached to it. DD plays OF but mostly 1B in college. For 1st, the ability to scoop, dive, defend the bunt, throw and be in the cutoff position are all important. Also, don't disregard the ability of a 1B to go get the fly ball in foul territory.

For a lot of teams 1B and 3B type players are similar. Also, catcher and 1B are similar. One school recruiting my dd kept putting her at 3B in their camp ground ball work. That coach said it would be a shame to waste her arm at 1st. So, I guess what I am saying is that you have to look at your child, be honest, and then decide what her true assets are and then pick a position where she can best showcase them. You never know what a college coach may be thinking.

 

[flipper14]

I've heard a major d1 coach make the statement. I recruit pitchers,catchers, and SS. I want the best athletes on the field. I can teach the SS to play the other positions.. I've also heard the statement coaches recruit 4 positions. P,C,SS and CF.

If you are going to hang your hat on first base you better be able to mash. While I'd prefer a big lefthander at first base, that position has to hit. Watching the PGF 16U national title game on TV this past weekend, the Beverly Bandits centerfielder is an outstanding high school shortstop. Their third baseman, who is committed to LSU, is a catcher in high school. P,C, SS, and CF are where the athletes are so, yes, coaches are going to gravitate in that direction. The more positions someone can play well the better.

 

[BusterT]

My DD was recruited to be a college OF. She does not have great speed. She takes great angles on the ball, has a very good first step at the ball, is not afraid to dive, communicates, and has a cannon for an arm. Yes, colleges want speed. However, they also have other desires in OFers. Sluggers is right that 1st base seems to have a stigma attached to it. DD plays OF but mostly 1B in college. For 1st, the ability to scoop, dive, defend the bunt, throw and be in the cutoff position are all important. Also, don't disregard the ability of a 1B to go get the fly ball in foul territory.

For a lot of teams 1B and 3B type players are similar. Also, catcher and 1B are similar. One school recruiting my dd kept putting her at 3B in their camp ground ball work. That coach said it would be a shame to waste her arm at 1st. So, I guess what I am saying is that you have to look at your child, be honest, and then decide what her true assets are and then pick a position where she can best showcase them. You never know what a college coach may be thinking.

My DD played college ball also, and I witnessed very similar circumstances. I also respect the coach who values "first step" and angles to the ball in OF as being equally important as speed - both are definitely important. As a side note: A pitcher on my DD's college team wound up excelling in RF. Go figure!

Overall, I think the two most highly recruited qualities are athleticism and "game smarts". Those qualities make a coaches job MUCH easier when teaching a player the fine points of any field position.

 

[chinamigarden]

I disagree with Sluggers on his assessment of 1st base. You see my daughter plays 1st, why.. Great glove, plays smart, always thinking of trying to get the lead runner out. Great arm with accuracy, her and our 3rd baseman had 6 DP's of girls trying to take 3rd on a bunt attempt. Oh, and she has a great bat, not power but makes contact, moves runners, bunts, OBP in WS was 761. 3K's only 2 in the last game against the eventual 2nd place team. Maybe your team that's the case but I and my other coaches never like anyone else at 1st. I've tried to put other people there they just don't have that "it" thing there. She is also lefty, her throws to 2nd are easier to make on when moving to her right. She also plays LF, excellent 1st step.

If you can work the OF with her make sure she takes that 1st step back and don't back peddle. Watch Jessica Mendoza video on OF on you tube. She is the best at explaining how important the OF is.

My dd plays first. Best first baseman on the HS team. Even the HS baseball coach will tell you that. She had the highest slugging percentage and the highest on base percentage on the team. She was all county, all league and all district as a right fielder this year. She didn't play an inning at 1st, because a girl who really can't play anywhere else who had a decent bat needed to be in the lineup. My dd can play just about anywhere, so because of her arm she wound up in Right.

First base is the spot that coaches will put the least athletic girl who can hit the ball hard. Its not to say that there aren't athletic first-basemen, there are lots of them. But as the girls get older that spot is often used to put a less athletic girl, so make sure your athlete can play other spots.
I think the ability to play multiple positions infield and outfield, and if you can fill in at catcher. Is much more "marketable" then having one position.

 

[Pdiddy]

My dd plays first. Best first baseman on the HS team. Even the HS baseball coach will tell you that. She had the highest slugging percentage and the highest on base percentage on the team. She was all county, all league and all district as a right fielder this year. She didn't play an inning at 1st, because a girl who really can't play anywhere else who had a decent bat needed to be in the lineup. My dd can play just about anywhere, so because of her arm she wound up in Right.

First base is the spot that coaches will put the least athletic girl who can hit the ball hard. Its not to say that there aren't athletic first-basemen, there are lots of them. But as the girls get older that spot is often used to put a less athletic girl, so make sure your athlete can play other spots.
I think the ability to play multiple positions infield and outfield, and if you can fill in at catcher. Is much more "marketable" then having one position.

I totally agree....I've seen a lot of top level softball over the past few years (USSSA and ASA USA Nationals).....and the top teams in the country, for the most part, have their bigger, less athletic girls at 3rd and 1st....and most athletic at C, SS, 2B and CF....RF tends to get a lot of action if you have pitchers that can bring it....if not LF does and the opposite for "lefty loaded teams" who play big girl ball....

That being said....you got to hit to get on the field first, plain and simple, we have a big 3B and catcher who struggled all year at the plate and had three scholl back off on offers, but still has a chance because of her size and arm and can play multiple positions. If you are a big girl who only plays 1B....you have to be a big production power hitter....same for 3B IMO.....

 

[SCDad]

That is the hardest thing to explain to the young ballplayer/parents. LF and RF can be better than 3B and 1B? Does not make any sense, but is true in many ways for the larger bodies with good speed.

 

[MsDinosaur]

That is the hardest thing to explain to the young ballplayer/parents. LF and RF can be better than 3B and 1B? Does not make any sense, but is true in many ways for the larger bodies with good speed.

I think that's absolutely true. A good LF or RF could learn to play 3B or 1B at the college level. Look at Raven Chavanne from Tenn. She started playing for them as an outfielder, but became an amazing third baseman. The reverse is not true for a lot of girls. A girl with the wheels to play outfield is lucky, lucky, lucky IMO.