If you are being recruited to play a sport in college, you could be wondering “what do I have to do to get noticed?” or, “what is a coach looking for?” College Coaches look for a lot in recruits. They have their own list of characteristics they want to see in recruits, so we're here with the top three things you didn't know college baseball coaches looked for in recruits.
A High Degree of Give a S**t
If you are going to a showcase, or you made a recruiting video, one thing college coaches will be looking for is how much you care about the game. This can be seen by how you play, how you are on and off the bench, how you react to a bad play, and how much effort you put into making your highlight video. Whether it be in the video or at the game, if you are giving 110% coaches will notice. Likewise, if you are showing minimum effort, coaches will also notice that!
Related: Dos and Don'ts of a Baseball Highlight Video
Knowledge of the Game (Baseball IQ)
Your understanding of the game matters. Knowing what to do with the ball once you get it, or which bases to cover during certain situations. Coaches look for your knowledge of the game. If you are making all the right decisions in the showcase you play in, you will be noticed by coaches. Talent and baseball IQ go hand-in-hand; if you have talent but don't know what to do with it, coaches may not want to recruit you.
Related: Navigating the Baseball Recruiting Process
Pure Talent
It's hard to ignore the obvious: pure talent. If you have a great skill set for this game and you are a 3-tool, 4-tool, or even a 5-tool player, you will get noticed by college coaches.There are only five tools which college coaches look for: speed, arm strength, hitting for contact, hitting for power, and fielding ability. Excelling at as many of these categories as you can will allow you to be noticed by college coaches.
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* Originally published on March 1, 2022, by Brendan Duffy
