For dads
For dads trying to get this right
Learn about foundational player development, college recruiting without the sales pitch, and tips to keep the game from coming between a great relationship between you and your son.
Relationship · August 20, 2026
The Hours in the Yard Were the Part That LastedI spent 16 years at CageRat helping players chase velo, get more reps, and find college scholarships. Looking back, the hours between fathers and sons were what lasted.
Recruiting · August 22, 2026
Are You Good Enough for College Baseball?College baseball recruiting isn’t a secret. One question matters: is your son good enough for the level he’s chasing? Measure the 60, arm strength, and bat speed before you buy another service.
Development · August 21, 2026
The 3 Measurable Tools — Where Your Son Needs to BeFive tools make a baseball player. Two of them take a trained eye. The other three you can measure — exit velocity, arm strength, and a 60 — and those numbers tell you what the level he wants actually requires.
Recruiting · August 22, 2026
5 Reasons High School Players Struggle to Get RecruitedCollege baseball recruiting gets noisy. Five reasons your son is struggling to find a school — tools, training, an honest evaluation, recruiting services, and grades — and what a dad can actually do.
Relationship · August 22, 2026
Whose Dream Is This? Love of the Game Comes FirstA lot of kids keep playing baseball because they were a little better and dad kept signing them up. Then the fire never starts. Ask him if he had fun. Love of the game is the first goal — before college, before another showcase.
Recruiting · August 21, 2026
How to Contact a College Baseball CoachYour son sends the email — not a parent, not a recruiting service. Three short paragraphs, a video they can open immediately, honest numbers, and his summer/fall schedule. Help him write it. He hits send.
Recruiting · August 22, 2026
How to Make a College Baseball Recruiting VideoYou do not need a $2,000 Hollywood recruiting video. An iPhone, a parent, and about two minutes is enough: ten swings, ground balls from his position, and a 60. College coaches give you about 20 seconds.
Recruiting · August 22, 2026
How to Be a Great Baseball TeammateCollege baseball coaches don’t just watch the tools. They watch whether teammates want to be around him. Baseball isn’t fun if he isn’t a great teammate — and a dad can teach that in the car after a game.
Recruiting · August 22, 2026
How to Honestly Evaluate Your Son’s Baseball ToolsThe most important thing you can do as a dad is look at where your son actually stands compared to the college level he wants. Measure the 60, the arm, and the exit velo. Write the numbers down. Don’t build a school list off a wish.
Recruiting · August 22, 2026
When Should My Son Start College Baseball Recruiting?There isn’t a date on the calendar that makes recruiting official. D1 coaches cannot contact players until August 1 of junior year. Until the tools are there, emails and camps are just spending money.
Development · August 22, 2026
Is Travel Baseball Worth the Money? What a Dad Should WatchIs travel baseball worth the money? Not if the calendar is the product. Stay local, age up at home if he’s dominating, and scale the miles with his age.
Development · August 23, 2026
When to Start Travel Baseball — Play Local Until He DominatesWhen to start travel baseball: stay local from 7 to 12 and age up at home if he’s dominating. Go regional at 13–15. Play a national circuit at 16–18, when recruiting is actually in swing. Scale the miles with his age.
Development · August 22, 2026
Baseball Players Are Made, Not BornAnybody can play baseball. You don’t have to be born a certain size. If the goal is college, the work is moving the 60, the arm, and the exit velo — then get him in the weight room and stack the 20 minutes daily.
Recruiting · August 22, 2026
Character Is What College Baseball Coaches Actually BuyUnless he’s throwing 95, a college coach wants to know what kind of person your son is. Hard worker or shortcut guy. How teachers talk about him. How he treats the kid who isn’t starting. The tools get him looked at. Character is how he stays.
Development · August 22, 2026
Hitting With Power — Train With a PurposeExit velocity is the number college coaches can see without arguing. Hitting power is barrel speed and hitting behind the baseball. Don’t go into the cage just to get some swings in. Have a purpose, a target, and a count.
Development · August 22, 2026
Arm Strength Is the Easiest Tool a College Coach SeesCollege coaches watch warm-ups before they watch at-bats. Play catch, long toss, then in-and-out — that’s the tryout before the game. If the arm is below average, it is a tool that needs to be trained, not a personality trait.
Development · August 22, 2026
Average 60-Yard Dash Time for High School BaseballAverage 60-yard dash times for high school baseball, by position, and how a dad can train the 60 without a fancy speed program. Street, a watch, the daily habit.
Development · August 22, 2026
Hitting for Average Is an Approach, Not a PersonalityCollege coaches will take a kid who drives the ball in the gap every day over a kid who sells out for a homer. Hitting for average is an approach: hunt the pitch he can handle, stay through the middle, and break the plate into thirds.
Development · August 22, 2026
Defense Is How He Stays on a College Baseball RosterCollege coaches need to know your son can play a position. A bat without a home is not a good place to be. Ground balls, fly balls, and catch with a plan are the most skippable work on a travel weekend — and the most obvious on a coach’s eval sheet.
Development · August 22, 2026
Becoming a College PitcherFor a pitcher the evaluation is velocity, command, an off-speed he can throw for a strike, and movement. If he throws 75 and needs 90, more camps will not get him there. Strength, weight, and long toss will.
Development · August 22, 2026
Size and Strength Separate High School From College BaseballThe first thing a college freshman notices isn’t a new drill. It’s that the upperclassmen are grown men. Size and strength separate high school from college. Get him in the weight room — or start with pullups, pushups, and pogo jumps if he’s still young.
Recruiting · August 22, 2026
Academics Count in College Baseball RecruitingStudent-athlete is the name of the person your son wants to become. Freshman and sophomore grades are the foundation. College coaches read transcripts for character, eligibility, and whether they can keep him. Getting the degree is why he is going to college.
Recruiting · August 22, 2026
The Truth About College Baseball ScholarshipsCollege baseball scholarships have changed. At bigger D1 schools, players may now be on full rides plus NIL. Playing time, a degree, and a staff he can trust still matter more than chasing the biggest number.
Recruiting · August 22, 2026
College Baseball Visits and Offers: Slow DownA camp invite is not a scholarship. Watch a weekday practice. Your son should do most of the talking. Feeling wanted is not the same as being a fit.
Recruiting · August 22, 2026
How to Choose a College Baseball ProgramFinding the right college fit is four years of his life. Can he play there? Can he graduate with a degree he’ll use? Can the staff be trusted? The right level where he can compete beats the wrong logo where he disappears.
Recruiting · August 22, 2026
He Signed. Now Don’t Coast.Signing feels like the end. It isn’t. Senior spring still matters. Keep the 20 minutes. The teammates he’s about to meet have been training like it already started. He earned a chance — now he needs to earn a job.
Recruiting · August 22, 2026
The MLB Draft, Advisors, and Why College First Is Still the PathThe MLB draft is 20 rounds and may get shorter. Most picks are college players. NIL and a National Title can beat a 5th-round high school deal. Advisors belong when there’s real money — not when a sophomore isn’t on a board.
Development · August 24, 2026
In-Season Baseball Training: Preserving What He BuiltWhen the season starts, development shifts from building to protecting winter gains. Weekly high-intent work, body weight, and mobility — plus a simple pitcher recovery circuit. Don’t coast from March to May.
Relationship · August 24, 2026
Confidence and Mental Toughness: The Two Mindset SeparatorsD1 and pro players all have tools. The separator is unshakeable confidence built from work, and mental toughness — taking the uncomfortable route. A coach telling him the swing looks good is not a foundation.
Development · August 24, 2026
Forget the Magic Pill — Baseball Development Is Built on IntentGurus sell spin rate and 12 mph in three weeks to kids with no foundation. Frequency plus intent: throw hard, swing hard, show up. Measure arm strength and exit velo before you buy advanced drills.
Recruiting · August 24, 2026
Why Paying for Baseball Player Rankings Is a Flaw in the SystemCamps that sell a higher ranking monetize parent anxiety. Coaches still look at the tools, the video, and a person they trust. Spend money on development, not a number next to his name.
Development · August 24, 2026
Individual Training vs Team Practice — Know the DifferenceTeam practice is necessary. It rarely develops raw tools. Kids who pause individual work from March to May come back with less velo and a slump. Twenty minutes in the yard after practice keeps the winter from disappearing.
Development · August 25, 2026
How to Build Bat Speed at HomeBuild bat speed at home in 20 minutes: a tee, a net, 8–10 max-effort swings per set, and a number on exit velo. Intent first. Gadgets later.
Development · August 27, 2026
Yes, Yes, Yes Hitting Approach for Young Baseball PlayersTeach young hitters a “yes, yes, yes” approach. Expect a strike, hunt fastballs on the outer two-thirds, and only take it if it is a legitimate ball. “Maybe, maybe, maybe” is how the pitch gets by him.
Development · August 27, 2026
How to Play Catch to Increase Throwing VelocityHow to play catch to increase throwing velocity: long toss, then pull-downs. Two gloves, any ball, no fake ceiling on distance.
Development · August 27, 2026
Backyard Tee Drill for Opposite-Field Line DrivesA backyard tee drill for opposite-field line drives. Rounds of eight, outer two-thirds, a net — not a $100 lesson.
Development · August 27, 2026
How to Time a 60-Yard Dash at HomeHow to time a 60-yard dash at home: 180 feet, start the watch on first movement, write the number you got — not the one you hoped for.
Development · August 27, 2026
Infield Short Hop vs Long HopInfield short hop vs long hop: take one or the other. The in-between hop is fastest and puts him on his heels. Open pocket. Beat the ball.
Development · August 27, 2026
Heavy Bat Hitting Drill for Kids Who Swing With Their ArmsA heavy bat hitting drill for kids who swing with their arms. He cannot muscle 44 ounces with his hands. Slot the back arm, then go back to wood.
Recruiting · August 27, 2026
What 60 Time Do You Need for D1 Baseball?What 60 time do you need for D1 baseball? Infield ~6.99, outfield 6.8, catcher 7.3. Time him at home and match it to the level he wants.
Recruiting · August 27, 2026
Do You Need a Baseball Recruiting Service?A yes/no checklist: when a baseball recruiting service actually helps, and when it is just a package. Most families do not need one this year.
Recruiting · August 28, 2026
Is a Baseball Recruiting Service Worth the Money?Before you pay for a baseball recruiting service, here’s what they actually do, what they can’t do, and how to tell if your son needs one at all.
Recruiting · August 28, 2026
How College Baseball Recruiting Actually WorksCollege coaches find baseball players through trusted connections, then they come see him. Here’s the real pipeline — not the sales version.
Recruiting · August 27, 2026
When Can D1 Coaches Contact High School Players?When can D1 coaches contact high school baseball players? August 1 of junior year. That is not a reason to buy a recruiting package at 13.
Relationship · August 27, 2026
Should a 10-Year-Old Play Travel Baseball?Should a 10-year-old play travel baseball? Usually no. Play local. If he owns 10U, age up to 11U or 12U at home — don’t buy the national circuit.
Relationship · August 27, 2026
The Car Ride Home After a Bad Baseball GameThe car ride home after a bad baseball game is where kids lose the love of it. He already knows he struck out. He needs his dad, not a second manager.
Relationship · August 27, 2026
How to Know If Your Son Still Wants to Play BaseballHow to know if your son still wants to play baseball: is he asking for the extra work, or are you dragging him? You cannot buy the fire with a showcase.
Development · August 28, 2026
How Good Is My Son at Baseball? Try This Ranking Exercise FirstHow good is my son at baseball? Before you chase a number, try the exercise a college roster uses — rank him against his own team and find the real answer.
Development · September 1, 2026
What Pujols, Gwynn, and A-Rod All Had in CommonAlbert Pujols, Tony Gwynn, and Alex Rodriguez were built completely differently as hitters. They shared one habit — and it’s the one most families skip.