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College Baseball Recruiting Guidelines

IMG baseball player holding bat

“Am I good enough to play college baseball?” “How good do you have to be?” These are two questions that student-athletes ask most. Less than two percent of high school players go on to play Division 1 college baseball, but there are more opportunities at the other division levels. Understanding what college baseball scouts are looking for in position players in terms of skill and experience can help student-athletes better focus their school search on programs that offer a level of competition that is the best match for them.

How to use the baseball recruiting guidelines

College baseball scouts evaluate players by arm strength, fielding range, speed, and hitting for power and average. Recruiting guidelines offer a good benchmark for student-athletes to compare themselves with athletes competing at the college level. What are college baseball scouts generally looking for at each position? What skill sets should individual position players have? This section breaks down divisional recruiting guidelines to give recruits and their families a better understanding of what will be expected of them at each position. Keep in mind:

What do college baseball coaches look for in recruits?

When watching prospects, college coaches are constantly trying to project how well they are going to do at the college level. The biggest hang up recruits or parents have is that while a recruit might be really good at the high school level, if they aren’t playing against college level competition, it isn’t much help to a coach. At the college level, the game is much, much faster. Recruits need to show the strength, speed and general athleticism to make the jump. 

What will often separate recruits in the mind of coaches is how serious a prospect takes their sport. Coaches are watching, before the game, between game action and after the game to see how a prospect carries themselves. They are going to be following up with their coach(es) to see how seriously they take their training. All things being equal, a prospect who has the will to practice hard is going to be recruited over a one who has the ability but not the work ethic.

What age do scouts look at baseball players?

Coaches are going to begin looking at prospects as soon as they are physically developed enough to give a reliable estimation of how they will project as an 18- to 21-year-old player. What makes that difficult for many recruits is that some coaches are willing to project earlier than others and athletes develop on different timelines. Prospects looking to get recruited can’t control when they develop or what coaches think of them. Regardless of your age, prospects should focus on getting better and putting themselves in the right position against the best competition available. Find out more about AAU baseball teams and tournaments.

Division 1

Division 2

Division 3 and NAIA

Junior College

What do college baseball scouts look for in a pitcher?

Division 1

Division 2

Division 3 and NAIA

Junior College

What is a good ERA in baseball?

An ERA between 2.00 and 4.00 is considered good for high school pitchers. Pitchers looking to play at the D1 level should aim to reach an ERA below 2.00.

What does a D1 baseball pitcher look like? Former D1 baseball player and NJCAA coach Nelson Gord breaks down what skills D1 college coaches look for in both right-handed and left-handed pitchers.



What do college baseball scouts look for in a catcher?

Division 1

Division 2

Division 3 and NAIA

Junior college

What is the best way for high school catchers to market themselves to D1 college coaches? Check out the video below for tips from former D1 baseball player and NJCAA coach Nelson Gord.


What do college baseball scouts look for in a first baseman?

Division 1

Division 2

Division 3 and NAIA

Junior College

What skills do D1 college coaches look for when recruiting first basemen? Nelson Gord, former D1 baseball athlete and NJCAA coach, shares how athletes can catch the attention of college coaches in the video below.


What do college baseball scouts look for in a third baseman?

Division 1

Division 2

Division 3 and NAIA

Junior college

Aside from measurables, what else do D1 college coaches look for in a third base recruit? Check out the video below to hear third basemen recruiting advice from Nelson Gord, former D1 baseball athlete and NJCAA coach.


What do college baseball scouts look for in a middle infielder?

Division 1

Division 2

Division 3 and NAIA

Junior college

When it comes to midfielders, D1 college coaches tend to focus their recruiting efforts on shortstops, rather than athletes who strictly play second base. Check out the video below to hear tips on how to get recruited from D1 baseball athlete and NJCAA coach Nelson Gord.


What do college baseball scouts look for in a center fielder?

Division 1

Division 2

Division 3 and NAIA

Junior college

What do college baseball scouts look for in a corner outfielder?

Division 1

Division 2

Division 3/NAIA

Junior college