i realized i wasnt a high level SS after my junior year. Took the summer fall and winter to develop as a pitcher. Added 8 mph and got an offer to a good D2 school my senior year. Recognizing that SS wasn't for me was the best thing I ever did
@@nofurtherwest3474 Dude probably had a cannon arm but not enough pop to move to 3rd or athletic enough to stay at short. So, man was smart and said, let me use my cannon and pitch.
I did. But throughout my whole LL career I also was batting .600 with a nearly 1.000 on base percentage and was the fastest kid on the team. Coaches kids usually have WAAAAY more training that kids with parents who don’t coach.
@@jaketalbot1863 last time I checked the other team pitches to the kids so how was my success or any other coaches kid that was actually good, handed to them? You must have played left bench
I'm lucky to have the opposite problem. My kid has been pitching the most on the team, and then he goes to SS, then first. I'll enjoy it while it lasts.
I’m gonna restart playing baseball after not playing for 2-3 years soon and i don’t really care what position I play but ss 3rd or first is what I would like to play because what I played a couple of years ago
All parents of youth baseball players should see this video. The same could be said of any position. Playing time is earned. What happened to making sure your name is in the lineup so you can help your team?
As someone who played SS in high school, I definitely knew I wasn't good enough to play SS at a higher level. a) I was a bad hitter, and b) I definitely wasn't the best SS in my county. My high school wasn't exactly producing next level talent in baseball, or any sport for that matter. I was a small kid, and there were other SS's in our league that were over 6 feet with at least as much speed as I had.
My youth career as a shortstop fit all of these characteristics, then I packed on the pounds and became a 6’4” offensive guard who played a little 3rd 😂
@@DanBlewett Football was always more my speed, I liked the violence and only now that my official playing time is over have I gotten back into baseball. Playing short was awesome, but by the time high school came around I and everyone else knew focusing on football was the way and short wasn’t where I’d slot on the baseball team if I’d continued
You should really make a video about the importance of proper footwork. You could be a fast shortstop with a cannon, and if you have sloppy footwork, scouts won’t even bother. They are looking for players that they don’t have to develop, and already have the necessary skills hard-wired into their brain.
Yep. I've seen it too often that part of the reason the kid's parent is coaching is so he/she can make sure their kid is playing shortstop, catcher, pitcher or whatever. Go to any LL game and you can just about bet the coach's kid is playing one of the key positions and higher up in the batting order.
I am the coaches kid and I have told my dad to take it harder on me than my teammates and I still pitch the most by far on my team not just because I am the coaches son
True. We eventually left a 7U team because coach’s son played SS. I believe I’m fair and unbiased (based on my military values) but he was the slowest most un-athletic player on the team. I know, only 7 but my goodness.
Everything this guy said is true!!!… I coach little league and I’m hard on my boys. Half of the parents hate me because I only put my best 4 players at SS,CF,3rd and 2nd and when I have to put other kids at those positions due to one of those other kids pitching… it’s error city!
Great video! We had to quit travel ball because the coaches son was at short. Not saying my kid should have been there but his definitely shouldn’t have been. Got tired of losing.
I played SS for 8 straight years all the way up to 18 years old….it was very tough to find another SS on days I pitched so they sometimes would use me as the closer instead of starting pitcher….but above the high school level it gets real competitive after high school at SS.
I am a consistent player and I play up to these standards and start at 2nd or 3rd base but on my team there are people who are really good and athletic and they are the ones playing SS and CF like you mentioned.
This totally reminds me of the first all star team practice around middle school. The coach asked us what position we played, every kid on the all star team answered short stop. Some of us pitched too. The coach was delighted haha.
@@DanBlewett For sure, I didn't mean to come off like I was anything special. Just little league stuff, I never made a travel team, and that was my first all star game after a growth spurt haha!
@@nofurtherwest3474 That's a funny observation for sure! This is going back to the 80's, so I really can't remember. I had some experience at catcher, 2nd, 1st, 3rd, and center though. Just mainly played shortstop every year, and was the closer to keep our starters pitch count down. Maybe there was a kid who caught more than he let on? not sure!
I was primarily a pitcher who played shortstop because I was "the best fielder" on my team up until JV. I had a very good glove, a great arm, and very bad foot speed. My hand-eye coordination was also very good, and once I got to a level with better athletes I moved to 3B on days I wasn't pitching. I also was not much of a hitter, so it was really just a stop gap to the higher level, because my pitching was top tier for the level at that time. I could have worked my ass off to try and be a pro pitcher, but I ended up ending my baseball aspirations to focus on my studies, and I think this is an incredibly useful insight to understand how to transition from being the best player on your team to understanding how to hone your talents to continue to mature as a baseball player. The MLB is full of little league shortstops, but the sooner you learn another position, the more ahead of A+, A, AA, etc ball you get if you want to try to be a professional. This is the video you won't find anywhere else, but absolutely need to see if you want to consider making a career out of baseball.
Good video. Unfortunatly it appears that alot of people are missing the point you are trying to make. I agree with the majority of what you are saying. Parents are often too blind to see or do not want to admit that their kid is not good enough. Or their kids just dont put in the work or they believe that since they paying hundreds upon thousands of dollars for lessons and select baseball, thier kid SHALL be granted any position he wants. While my child is not the best on his team he is a quality defender and plays 2B. I as a parent realize that given his genetics, he most likely will not be a SS due his parents being short shits. I coached his team and he was not good enough to play SS and he also batted 7th in the lineup becuase he is not a consistent hitter and cannot be dependable to hit lower in the lineup. Being blind to your kids actual talent only hurts them in the long run. I am not saying discourage you kid but find ways to be honest about their talent so they do not have a false sense of confidence, ability, and accomplishment. Be thier #1 fan, but also be thier #1 critic.
My daughter plays 3rd, she is athletic but has a cannon, always has. In rec ball growing up, I needed someone that could throw from 3rd to 1st, usually she was the only one. She is also a pitcher and does some spot work catching. She was coach’s kid, but you’d never know it by her work ethic on and off the field.
Played SS and pitcher when i was younger. Stopped to play football instead because i was so much bigger than every other kid until about 10th grade came around and i stopped growing and everyone else started growing. And now i regret more than anything in my life that i quit playing baseball. I know i could have gone somewhere as I've always been the best player on any sports team ive been on. I know that sounds conceited, but it was true and upsets me from time to time. My parents are both tall. My dad being 6'4 idk why I stopped growing at 5'9 but it is what it is. Maybe my son will be tall lol
Thank you for this video this is really gonna help me try to hone in on those missing keys to play short Hope you have a great day keep up the great vids
This is definitly valid info, ill take it into consideration as i want to play baseball for a college in the united states. Thanm you, the video was great
Good point about true shortstops being rare. By the time an SS is at the MLB level they’re almost a super player in the field with unreal fielding/throwing ability
My younger son plays catcher, third, second and occasionally first. For first second and third he finished the last _season_ with 2 errors total for all three positions and the second highest batting average. He's shorter and quick footed, amazing reflexes, muscles have muscles for a youth player and has a cannon for an arm with great accuracy. I have no idea if he'd be good on short because he's never played it, the coach has two kids in the team. Our shortstops, have a lot of errors.. This coaches kid business really needs to stop being a thing, when I first got into baseball I thought it was just a joke.. 😑
Just practice with him 1 on 1 will get him so much more than any practice with a full team. Yeah I had the same problem with coaches kids and baseball politics I was batting .450 and had a 1 ERA don’t think I’m the next shohei it was bad comp but I ended up not making all stars nor did the 2nd best player because of “the selection process”, even high school has politics try to get him into a winning program he sounds like a great player and I hope you find a good place for him 😊
Always wanted to play SS but had some arm injuries and arm felt dead the longer I played. So enjoyed the hell out of playing 2B for years until I stopped playing. Kids should just have fun while playing and everything will sort itself out like it always does. My last year playing I had to play SS a few times and was dreading it knowing the throws they make. My arm was killing me after haha but still great times, nothing that high of level just having fun. My brother was better than me and pitched and played SS so he had the arm for sure. But I agree with video SS is no joke and you cant afford to not have your strongest arms and players there. Gets magnified like crazy the higher you go.
Shortstop/ center field/ and catcher beyond athleticism it's about being a leader/ captain of the infield and outfield. I do think there are alot of guys that could play shortstop that they make 2nd baseman at the pro level.
My son is his 13u's ss. I'd say our catcher is physically stronger and a bit faster when it comes to base running but I checked off every other box. He is also lead off as he has great discipline on the plate and a great stick to compliment it. No I'm not the coach but I did coach in the past and we put in the work to keep him mentally and physically prepared. I really enjoyed the video and all the info. I'm actually going to show him this video just to keep him on his toes and working extra hard if he wants to continue in this position. Thanks again for the info
And this is why we stress to the kids, and parents, that at the youngest levels they need to learn some about every position. You never know what puberty brings.
You’re absolutely dead right coach. When I played little league back in the early 80’s the best kid in the league by far was a shortstop and I played shortstop as well. He went on to play at Mississippi State and start at shortstop as a freshman alongside Will Clark and Raphael Palmiero… he was drafted by the Orioles and if I remember correctly never made it out of AA. Most parents are clueless
Grew up playing SS. At 14 was switched to 2B. At 16 was switched to OF. What this man is saying is the truth. The only thing that kept me moving up even though my position changed? Gotta rake, son.
Sometimes even at the college level or higher they can change where you play if the coaches see something. Years ago I coached youth baseball with Tom Brunansky who played with the World Champion Twins in the late 80's. He told me all through his youth and high school he played first base. In the minor leagues, already an adult, he was switched to the outfield. The rest is history.
Most teams I was on stuck me at SS but I always thought of myself as an average fielder. If the ball was hit hard I wasn’t getting in front of it I’d try to Olay it every time. Always wished I was a CF
If you’re an infielder, you should mode yourself to be a short stop. Not saying you will play at a SS but nearly every higher level tryout has players taking ground balls at the SS position because it is one of the tougher positions. My kid has primarily played 3b most of his baseball life but will take infield practice at short and plays SS on occasion.
If this is disappointing news for young folks out there, keep in mind, Mickey Mantle was a shortstop until he hit the bigs...there's no shame in not being the right fit for SS. Willie Randolph - who had an amazing career and had one of the best arms of any 2Bman I've ever seen - started off at the youth level as a SS, but he has told the story of how a scout early on pointed out his inadequate arm was going to eliminate him as a candidate for SS at the next level. Humbling, but this video does an excellent job explaining how you can make the best contribution once you're matched to the right position.
Great vid. Baseball was my whole life; I got called up to varsity to be the starting shortstop my sophomore year. I was doing well at showcases in the meantime, starting to hit home runs from both the left and right hand side of the plate on the big field and I was in great shape. My arm strength continued to increase and at 16 I was able to hit 89 mph across the diamond. Things were looking up. My high school coach was big on CrossFit, and we never took ground balls at practice or had any hitting practice aside from side toss with smoosh balls. I began to argue with him a bit over this, and by the same time the following year I found myself at third base. In the summer I was a leader on my teams and played very well with and against people I watched on tv in this most recent a college World Series. It was impossibly frustrating to be keeping up as a starting shortstop with a team full of d1 commits in the summer, and not even be earning the starting role on my high school club. After this I became lazy, a lot of my muscle turned to fat and by the end of my junior year I was lucky to see an inning per series at shortstop. As we missed the playoffs for the 15th year in a row (as our jv team had won their 4th consecutive playoff series’), I cursed out my coach and quit. It always pains me to see these videos and think of what could have been. Players I’ve played with at a high level are being drafted and making their major league debuts (Nolan Gorman), and now I’m an overweight 22 year old who hasn’t stepped on a diamond in almost 5 years. Life is crazy. If you have a talent, don’t let anything stop you from pushing yourself to be the best you can
My son is 12 has played baseball for 13 months. Plays 13u is already starting at shortstop unbelievable athlete. Oh he was born in Venezuela 😂 so it's got to be in his DNA 😂
I always played third or center had great speed for the outfield and a great arm but i never had that falshy side in the infielder I was a good third baseman and really good at pretty much anywhere from the outfield threw a few guys out backed up against the outfield wall straight to home so had a the arm my issue was being able to have the guts to lay myself out in front of some of the balls that's why I was okay with third it took less flash and just more reaction but really I was happy with any position had the most fun at third though
Yes my question would be what happens when at every practice the kid is by far beating out the others. Everything from timing the transfer to 1st, the balls caught, the range, the knowledge of the game and also the strongest arm. But come game time the kid with the weaker arm, the slower transfer and forgets bag coverage plays short and the stronger player goes to 2nd? How do you even handle that? Just keep quiet and watch as the spot earned is given to the weaker player?
I have all the traits except number 1 must be the most athletic. Also I am not too fast(sprint times) but I have some of the best range on my team. So as a result in my 14u team I am 2b/CP/backup catcher.
My JV coach forced me to be a shortstop when all I ever done was pitch, catch, and play a bit of 2nd. I SUUUUCCCCKKKEEDDD. But he insisted me to play there for whatever damn reason I hated it.
My son is a slow runner😢, he’s good at catching and throwing… he’s recruited by a travel ball coach, we have all the good players who played several more seasons than him, but coach made him play SS. We have 6 coaches in the team and my husband is not a coach. I don’t know why coach picked him to be SS. He’s doing good job for now at SS. But he’s just not fast. So maybe as he gets older he won’t be able to play SS. I always thought he’s a good fit for 3rd base.
My son’s blessed & constantly does want you described with ease … when he makes the ridiculous plays look super dope easy there’s nothing more exciting to see on Diamond for me
@@ruf_youngmont3293 lol nah he’s pretty fly but I’m not certain baseball something he’s even going to pursue. I hope he does because he’s also go an amazing bat too…batting .600
Throughout the majority of baseball history SS was a defense 1st position like catcher. Any offense was a bonus. Now it’s the sexiest position, but defensive ability is still what’s most important. Nobody cares if you can rake when you’re giving up extra outs every inning, even if it’s not an error.
Especially in the playoffs, to prime of a position on defense to be giving the opposing team extra outs, doesn't show up much in regular season if your SS can mash and iffy on defense but in the playoffs when you're playing against a good team every single game your SS has to be able to catch/throw .
the only reason this is a problem is because the coaches son is generally the SS .. doesnt mean that they dont deserve it .... but ive never seen a coaches son playing 2B
Many natural shortstops don't get the opportunities to show what they can do. A lot of poor youth coaching going on and it's getting worse.. It's a shame really.
yeah thats mostly true - many players who were drafted or recruited to college as shortstops move to 2nd if they dont have enough arm strength at the new higher level
Coach blewett, I have a dream of making my son a major leaguer. What do you think it is the one most important thing as a parent to help him achieve that level?
100% on point. i've been a great outfielder and was asked to play short on a co-ed adult team. While I may have been the best SS for that team, I was not what the team needed at short.
Played corner OF/1B in high school and actually got cut from the team my senior year. Went on to get recruited as a first basemen for my college, worked my ass off and converted back to RF during my redshirt year and won a starting spot in the lineup my freshman year playing next to the best CFer in the conference for his senior season (and best defensive player I ever ended up playing with throughout my career). I took over for him in center after he graduated and ended up winning a gold glove that season along with all conference mentions. I finished my college baseball career in center and I understand I am the exception to the rule explained in this video, but it goes to show that if you put in the hard work, you can still win a spot at SS/CF at the next level. If any of you younger guys have questions feel free to ask me anything :)
Is this different for other positions? Also how much harsher would this video be if you were referring to being drafted to mlb instead of college? Also you said colleges mainly pick SS's what would the order be like SS, 3b, Cf maybe catcher and pitcher earlier depending on a teams needs?
It's not really harsher, the standard is the same for being a starting shortstop at any level - if you're asking those 5 questions at 14U, ask them at 16U, ask them at D1, ask them in Single-A, they still apply. They're going to take the best overall infielder and stick him at short. When I said they mainly draft SS, that really only meant when they're looking for middle infielders or third baseman - vast majority of best available amateur infielders play short, and then they'll be converted to 3B or 2B if they aren't quite good enough in pro ball. Does that make sense?
But you could say that pro teams will draft the most Shortstops and Centerfielders because they'll be able to convert to other positions, but that's a little less true of outfielders because guys with big power in college wont be fast enough to play center, but generalizing, SS, CF, C, 1B and P are the most draftable positions because they're the hardest to fit those molds for a pro player.
@@DanBlewett thanks for clearing that up, I have an unrelated question, I'm 15 and plan on trying out for my sophomore team this upcoming school year (depending on the tryout date I may be 16 by then ) I haven't played on an actual team in a few years and I played rec league then, but for the past year or two I've been practicing on my own time fairly regularly (exercise, long toss, BP, batting cage, hitting from a tee fielding grounders and popups that are thrown to me) I'm a shorter player (5'6 or so) and heavier (but have been losing weight via exercise and putting on muscle) I'm a pretty solid hitter and have been working on fielding, and tbh my footwork is nothing special, but id say I have a strong arm and am decent at fielding most balls hit to me, I have experience in OF but feel I lack the speed, and I'm not big enough for first rn, is it a long shot that I make the team ( including lower levels jv, or sophomore b team) I'm not sure what position would be a good fit for me, maybe 3rd if i sharpen up my fielding? Or 2nd if I cut weight? Or outfield where I have experience (maybe rightfield.) Are you familiar with the difficulty of sophomore tryouts? Is my lack of team practice and lack of good genetics the nail in the coffin or do I have a shot? I know there is no easy position and I wont make it if Im not good wherever I'm placed, but I feel I have the mentality and drive to really get good if I can make the team, I'm just unsure about my position and have to practice more which is hard by myself
Issue is usually, when a player is shorter they make up for it by being quick and light on there feet, as a shorter heavier player, I need either a growth spurt or to get in shape
@@michaelbalasis7308 offence is king. If you can hit, they will find a position for you. Could be DH, or even situational pinch hitting. But if you can hit.......
Playing SS is the equivalent of being a SG in basketball. At the top level most guys who were SG in high school and even recruited as such will move to PG...90% of the top ranked SS in high school end up being 2nd baseman or outfielders. BJ and Justin upton were the #1 SS in america in high school. I do think in baseball their are guys who play 2nd who could play SS at the MLB level. Example Willie Randolph was def good enough to be the yankees SS and was usually better than everyone who played SS and covered just as much range. Same with Pokee Reese.
Strongly disagree with the “If not now?” portion of this video. As a college baseball player myself, I can promise any parents out there that your sons 12u or 14u travel season and ability level do not mean anything when it comes to the future of their playing career. When I was 12, everyone thought I would be a pitcher, I am not. As a freshman in high school I was told I would never play D1 baseball, I did. Point is that it is silly to project young kids into the future and does not benefit the player. Best advice I can give to parents of young players or young players themselves is to embrace your individual journey and enjoy the time you get together because it will be over before you know it. I don’t remember any scores or games I played when I was that age but I do remember traveling with my dad and having a good time with my friends.
you missed the point. obviously kids can improve. but today, if you lack those skills, don't expect to be playing the top infield spot. And the majority of kids who can't start at 12U wont be able to at 14U, etc. etc. that's the reality for most, but most dont want to face it. Maybe you made big turnarounds, but thats not the norm and too many people have delusions instead of realistic expectations. When parents think their kid will go D1 but he's a 4th outfielder in 14U...they're dreaming the wrong dream.
@@DanBlewett I hear you man. It’s just tough with kids that age because it’s a weird time where some kids are more developed physically than others. There is plenty of guys who are 14u all stars because they hit puberty earlier than others. But I hear you, too many people want to be a D1 caliber guy without putting in the work or understanding that that level is not for everyone. I appreciate the response to clarify what you meant
Did I say yes to all these questions? Nope. Do I play SS as much as I want? Nah. But am I working on it? You bet. I’m doing everything I can to improve. I wanna play that spot…
even with constant training and reps outside of games or team practices, do these questions still apply? the way you speak makes it seem as if all hope is lost if you answer "no" to any of the questions and the players CANT get any better and CANT improve their game....
this video is not about the future - you can improve most of those skills. its about your skill level today. and yes, it still applies. Practice doesnt entitle you to anything. It helps you earn playing time but you still may not be good enough. thats life.
