What ’ s your schools track record for developing pros ? This question applies to those who seek to play professional baseball after college . A good example of this is with Vanderbilt . Obviously there a fantastic college baseball program , but they ’ re also getting their guys drafted every single year . Vanderbilt also has a track record for developing big league pitchers ( David Price , Sonny Gray etc .). If you ’ re a pitcher and good enough go to Vanderbilt , that should be a very attractive college to attend if you have aspirations of playing baseball at the next level .
Will they place you in a good collegiate summer league ? GOOD coaches make sure each of their players are enhancing their skills over the summer by placing them in a good collegiate summer league . I think this is extremely important especially to freshman and redshirts who didn ’ t get many at bats during the college season . How are you supposed to get better if you ’ re not playing all summer ? The truth is most coaches neglect making a SIMPLE call to a league / team and placing a player . If you want to improve your skills and offer yourself a better chance of being seen by scouts make sure your college coach is willing to place you on a good collegiate summer ball team .
What ’ s the team culture like ? What I mean by culture is ; how do the players act with one another . Are they having fun ? Are the coaches constantly helping and providing an environment that breeds development of players skill set and winning ? If you ’ re at a school and you see no team unity , no coaching to enhance players skill set , and an environment that looks toxic run far far away ! How will you know ? Make an effort to go to at least one of your prospective schools ’ games or practices .
Will you get stronger , faster , and powerful ? Is there a GOOD strength coach in place for you to enhance your on-field performance ? I know , I ’ m the strength coach and I ’ m supposed to say this , but the truth of the matter is getting physically stronger , more powerful , and more explosive WILL improve your on-field play . Take a look at the players who are currently in the program . Are they strong looking , powerful , and fast ? If so they possess a good strength and conditioning coach , and that should be somewhere you should want to go .
B.Colin Smith