Defense Is How He Stays on a College Baseball Roster

While it is true that the old saying “if you hit, you don’t sit” carries some truth, college coaches need to know your son can play a position. A bat without a position is not a good place for your son to be. Hitting for average and fielding take a trained eye to evaluate. You want someone honest who has seen a lot of players — not just a parent in the bleachers. Defense, particularly infield and catching, need to be worked on regularly.

Infield is footwork, good hands, a reliable first step, and an arm that plays from the hole. Outfield is about jumps, routes, and a throw that holds runners at the base they’re at. Catchers are a different conversation — block, receive, and throw. None of that shows up if the only work he gets is a travel weekend where defense is the thing everybody skips.

Have him take ground balls focusing on getting the hop that he wants. Fly balls are best taken during batting practice until he gets great jumps. Play catch with a plan so the arm from his position actually plays. This is the most skippable work on a travel weekend and the most obvious on a college staff’s eval sheet.

Defensive pride shows. Just like the kids who live in the cage, players who go out and work consistently on their defense stand out on the field. They are confident and consistent.

If his tools are average, defense is how he becomes serviceable to a college coach. Serviceable kids get rostered. The tools get him looked at. The glove is how he stays on the field. Stack the 20 minutes. Don’t wait for a coach to teach him the things you can do in the backyard.