How big do I need to be?

I was talking to my son yesterday and he said different coaches have told him that when coaches are recruiting that guys who are over 6' get a check beside there name because of there size,I told my son to just continue to work hard on improving his game and his grades and he would get to go somewhere to play at the next level he is a 180 5' 10" junior at Rockingham County high school he has a 3.312 gpa he is the catcher his 60 is 7.6 pop time is 2.0-2.01 the last batt. avg. was .441 for colt season with with 3hr and he is a quick learner that is very coachable I know there are alot of very knowledgable guys in the game of baseball on this site and i want to help him all I can any suggestions and how does his numbers look ? thanks !

 

Size can play a role, but there are many areas that can set him apart. Based on info you provided (and this is only based on that), the BA will be ignored. They will watch his bat speed and hitting approach.

His running and POP times are average, so he should continue to work on improving those. There are many catchers throughout college that fit your son's size, but they all have a special tool that sets them apart---could be speed or footwork, could be the way he handles pitchers, could be an electric bat or could be a plus arm. Tyler Tewell @ App State is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. He is the same size as your son. Tyler will make an excellent college catcher: Great bat, excellent arm strength, tireless worker and is good with pitchers.

Just like pitchers, scouts like size (they can't teach that), but many successful pitchers are under 6' tall.

 

Don't let this height thing get you and your son down! If he has the talent he will get noticed. I have seen more than a hand full of players over the years that weren't over 6 feet have great College careers. Look at MLB and see how many players that are not over 6 feet.
Just to name a few:
Pedro Martinez, Billy Wagner, Jimmy Rollins, Carlos Ruiz, Dustin Pedroia, Nick Swisher, Placido Polanco. I could go on and on, but you get the point! It's not all about the physical side (it helps) but there comes a time when you have to look into the heart! Keep working and the best of luck!

 

The two "measurements" they look at... "can play" and "can't play". The amount of work you do, plus the exposure you get, will determine the opportunities you will have.

 

Tony Womack had a nice career. He stands @ 5-9" and maybe 180lbs. He just found ways to get it done. You can't teach big. You have to work with what you've got to the best of your ability.

 

Dang, you beat me to it

Finally, something I know a little bit about and Braves took the words right out of my mouth. As it has been said, continually reinforce the fact that he can do nothing about his size, just work on the things he can control and be the best he can be; don't compare himself to others.

He can work on arm strength to make small improvements and clean up his foot work / technique. He could easily shave a tenth of a second or more off his Pop times with the right instruction, which is huge considering where he's at. Coaches love consistent Pop times below 2.0, but accuracy counts too. Speed and agility classes can improve his 60 times. If he can get down around 7.0 or below, that's plenty fast for a catcher. This should make him more agile behind the plate as well. Seek good instruction on his catching and speed training. Practice often what is learned.

Concentrate on quality at bats against the best pitching. Be aggressive without swinging at bad pitches, coaches like aggressive sticks.

In the end, you have to have something that makes you stand out; regardless of size and tools, showing how bad you want it will also make you stand out.

Good Luck, I hope his dreams come true.

 

It ain't always the size of the dog in the fight, sometimes it is the size of the fight the dog.