What Actually Matters

College baseball recruiting, minus the noise. Former pro. No showcase to sell you. Free weekly newsletter for HS parents 👇🏼

[What Actually Matters @WhatMattersBSB]

I played pro baseball.

Now I watch parents spend thousands on showcases, rankings, and recruiting services that don't move the needle.

So I started a free weekly newsletter.

Plain talk on college recruiting.

What to do by grade.

What to ignore.

No showcase to sell you.

That's what actually matters.

Subscribe free: https://t.co/K4eewV0xDe

[What Actually Matters @WhatMattersBSB]

@inbaseballhub It's impossible to overstate how important the intangibles are

[What Actually Matters @WhatMattersBSB]

Baseball parents.

What's the one thing you wish someone told you before the recruiting process started?

I'll go first this afternoon.

[What Actually Matters @WhatMattersBSB]

@Brabra_Savage24 @fletcherjr_mark This goes incredibly hard

[What Actually Matters @WhatMattersBSB]

Also coming:

Not every D1 is capped at 34.

The NAIA votes Nov. 4 on a fifth season.

JUCO is getting harder to walk into.

All of it, in plain English, in next Monday's issue:
https://t.co/QeWSo8A8pU

[What Actually Matters @WhatMattersBSB]

A lot of college baseball commitments are coming apart right now.

Not because every coach is a liar.

Because the roster math changed.

Here's what it means for your son:

[What Actually Matters @WhatMattersBSB]

So ask the coach one question every few months:

"Is he still in your plans for his class?"

And until he signs, keep two or three other schools warm.

That's not disloyal.

It's how you have to operate this space.

[What Actually Matters @WhatMattersBSB]

@RichContartesi By "say yes" you mean officially sign, right?

[What Actually Matters @WhatMattersBSB]

This morning I asked what you wish someone told you before recruiting started.

One thing that isn't talked about nearly enough:

Coaches are watching when your son isn't playing.

In the dugout.

Warming up.

After he strikes out.

I can't stress how important it is for your son to carry himself like a professional.

Everything he does.

The game is a tryout.

So is everything around it.

That's what actually matters.

[What Actually Matters @WhatMattersBSB]

@KolidaPaul @Coach_Vodka Very common strategy to put runners in motion full count, less than two outs, with a contact hitter at the plate...especially if you're trying to get your offense going.

[What Actually Matters @WhatMattersBSB]

@Coach_Vodka For sure. Simpson always makes contact and Aranda isn't a runner, so getting him in motion increases the chances of him scoring on a ball wrapped down the line. Also gives him the chance to go 1st to 3rd on a base hit.

We know ball. Lol.

[What Actually Matters @WhatMattersBSB]

@CalicoJoeMLB You don't know ball

[What Actually Matters @WhatMattersBSB]

Bro doesn't know ball

[Calico Joe @CalicoJoeMLB]

This hit and run will be talked about forever in Tampa if the Rays don’t end up winning the series

The little things like this are too substantial to overcome in the World Series

[Coach Beede @CoachBeede]

Is travel baseball worth it? It depends on the team, not the logo. Before you commit, ask the coach how he develops players and how much your son will actually play. Real reps beat a roster spot. We work through this in the Clubhouse at CoachBeede dot com.

[What Actually Matters @WhatMattersBSB]

He's right.

Intangibles are a HUGE part of this game.

[JAKE ROBBINS 🇺🇸 @jakerobbins49]

The majority of college baseball recruiting is based around trust! Personal relationships & trust between coaches will never go away! Every player at every level needs an advocate! Who’s yours that you trust with your career?
@FlatgroundApp

https://t.co/ovv9e9T7xO

[What Actually Matters @WhatMattersBSB]

A 2028 kid just committed to Vanderbilt.

He's a sophomore.

If your son is the same age and nobody's called...chill

Most players don't commit this early.

Coaches keep recruiting all the way through senior year.

They're watching how he competes, how he handles failure, what kind of teammate he is, and how he continues developing.

That shows up over TIME.

Keep grinding.

[Tennessean @Tennessean]

Pitcher Gavin Chakar, top-50 recruit in 2028, commits to Vanderbilt baseball https://t.co/mMiIHnNI9C

[What Actually Matters @WhatMattersBSB]

@TroyPSilva Gotta be a professional.

Body language is a story-teller.

[What Actually Matters @WhatMattersBSB]

I break down what actually matters in recruiting every week. Free.

https://t.co/QeWSo8A8pU

[What Actually Matters @WhatMattersBSB]

Most kids don't commit as sophomores.

Most commit late.

Some don't get a look until after their senior season.

Every year, I watch parents panic over another kid's offer.

Your son's timeline is HIS.

Keep him working. Keep him competing.

The right coach finds the right player.