Home Park Determines Future Recruits
Dec 27, 2024
One of the things that can be frustrating for players in the recruiting process:
You see someone you know you're better than.
But they get offered, and you don't.
That leaves you frustrated...
But here's what you're not considering.
How a college program's home park plays makes a big difference in who they recruit.
Here's an example:
Recently, one of my friends who is a D1 recruiting coordinator told me:
"I'm not looking for ground ball pitchers, I'm looking for fly ball pitchers," meaning he wants a pitcher who gets their outs primarily via fly balls over ground balls.
Here's why:
1. His home park has turf, and the turf plays fast, so if they recruit a sinkerball pitcher (more prone to producing groundballs), those ground balls are much more likely to get through the infield.
2. His home park is a graveyard. Meaning the ball doesn't carry in the air, it just dies. So, recruiting an over-the-top, high-induced vertical break pitcher makes more sense.
So now, going back to my first point, you might be a better pitcher than the high vertical break pitcher, but they're recruiting to their home park, so they're going to take the pitcher whose stuff plays better at their park, not necessarily the pitcher with the better stuff.
The same concept applies to position players.
Does the ball carry in the air?
Or is it a graveyard?
Does it play better for a RHH or a LHH?
If you're a hitter who doesn't have much power but excellent bat-ball skills, the park that plays like a graveyard fits you better.
Lastly, the coach's philosophy.
Specific college programs prefer certain types of players.
Some schools love players who can play defense and have speed.
They're not as worried about the bat.
Others love power hitters or pitchers who throw hard and feel they can develop the consistency.
Figuring out what home field, program, and coaching style fits your skill set is half the recruiting battle.
You could be wasting your time going to camps at schools that don't match your skill set.
If you want help figuring out what program and coaching style fit your skill set, sign up for a time to speak with me to see if we would be a good fit to work together.