7 Ways College Coaches Evaluate Hitters

7 things college coaches look for in a high school hitter:

Let me first start by saying that this process is MUCH more complicated for a college coach to evaluate than a pitcher.

I've talked to college coaches who say they need to see 15-20 ABs before they decide on a hitter.

And sometimes, they're still wrong.
It's hard.

1. Movement
Some high school hitters have had good success, but a college coach will pass on them if they don't move well.

Here's why:
The pitching only gets better the higher up you go, so if you don't move well, your chances of hitting well are slim.

(When I say movement, I am talking about mechanics)

So what does moving well look like?

Is it:

- Smooth
- Fluid

Or is it:

- Tight
- Jerky

Let's review some 3 movements a college coach looks for in a hitter.

Gather

Do they sway over their back leg or properly load into their back hip?

Launch Position

Do they land in a balanced position, or has their lower body already started to open up too early toward the pitcher, causing them to fly open?

Lunging

 "Lunging" is a term used in hitting to describe a situation where a hitter drifts over the front side.

This happens when, after the initial move, the hitter's front leg and side don't stabilize. Instead, the pelvis keeps sliding towards the pitcher; sometimes, this is referred to as a 'hip slide' during the swing. 

College coaches go off of past experiences.

A particular hitter is built similarly to a former player they recruited, and they didn't turn out well, so they'll pass on him because of recency bias.

(Because of recency bias, every college coach would benefit from reading the book: 'Thinking Fast and slow,’ but that's a topic for another day)

2. Swing Decisions

Can you control the strike zone?

Let's be honest; nothing else matters if you're not swinging and striking and taking balls, especially when the pitching you're facing could be better.
You can have all the power in the world, but if you can’t control the strike zone, it will never translate into the game.
 
3. Bat-Ball Skills

Aka, do you hit a lot of barrels?
Or does it have to be in the perfect environment for you to hit?
Good hitters hit everything:
- Slow Pitching
- Fast Pitching
- Good Pitchers
- Bad Pitchers
Hitter's hit.

4. Can you get to 2nd base?

I had a recruiting coordinator tell me he always looks for players who can independently reach second base.

There are 2 ways:
Power
Speed

You need one of those.

Note: Power doesn't just mean home runs; 2Bs also work. 

5. Strength

The most significant difference between a D3 player and a Power 5 hitter is often strength.

If player A can hit a ball at 105 EV and player B can only hit it at 90 EV, player A can miss balls and still be at 90.

Looking the part matters:

I'm not saying I agree with this, but I can tell because I've seen it with my own eyes how a hitter fills out their uniform plays a role.

6. Mental Game

The physical tools are on the floor. You must have those to get a look. But, to make a coach a true believer, you need to be able to answer the questions they're asking themselves about you.

- Do you compete?
- Do you make excuses?
- Do you panic when you fail?
- Do you have a plan at the plate?
- Are you looking for ways to get better?
- Are you a good teammate when you’re NOT playing well?
Those are all questions they're asking themselves about you.

7. Left Handed Hitters

One thing that has surprised me more than anything else since I’ve been helping high school baseball players in recruiting for the last four years is college coaches’ obsession with left-handed hitters.

You have a leg up on all the right-handed hitters if you’re a left-handed hitter.
Here's why:

Most pitchers at the college level are right-handed so that a left-handed hitter will have an advantage. But that’s not the main reason why college coaches love left-handed hitters.

It is...
The bullpen.

At the college level, you’re not facing many nasty left-handed pitchers out of the bullpen late in the game. If a school has an excellent left-handed pitcher, they’re usually starters.

So late in the game, when everything is on the line, they would rather have a left-handed hitter facing a nasty right-handed pitcher.

I don't blame them. Facing a nasty slider for the right side is no fun.

This isn't to say that if you're a right-handed hitter, you're screwed.
Heck no!

I was a right-handed hitter and played college baseball.

I'm just letting you know why a left-handed hitter, who may not be as good a ‘hitter’ as a right-handed one, is getting more attention from college coaches.

Conclusion

That's all for today. Hopefully, this helped you understand what college coaches look for when evaluating a hitter.

Whenever You're Ready, There's 1 Way I can help You.

1. PJB Recruiting: College Recruiting Service. Work with me 1-1 to help you find the right college fit. I will contact college coaches on your behalf and help guide you through the recruiting process.

* What college coaches are looking for

* How to communicate with college coaches

* The timeline of the recruiting process