Holden Branch

Players & parents... if you need a reality check on the current recruiting landscape in college baseball, here it is. Hint: it isn't getting any easier. Impending D1 baseball roster changes will cut the current 40-man spring roster down to a 34-man yearly roster with no scholarship limit. That's around 1,800 spring roster spots in D1 baseball that will no longer be available. Then you have to factor in the fact that the fall roster is often higher than the spring roster cap. Redshirts, guys that are cut, etc. Let's assume the average D1 program is bringing in 45 guys (just an estimate... some schools have fall rosters below 40 and others are above 55). That is another approx. 1,500 guys that will no longer have a spot in the fall at a Division 1 program. That's plus or minus 3,300 spots that will no longer be available in D1 baseball. That's an almost 25% decrease in D1 opportunities. Then we look at the trickle down effect from level to level. The 35th-50th+ guy on the roster at the Power 4 school will now be making his way to a mid-major school. The 35th-50th+ guy at the mid-major school will make his way to a different school, and so on... There is a consolidation of talent that has already occurred in the past few years with shortened MLB Draft, NIL money, & the transfer portal. And an even greater constriction is on its way with these new roster changes. College baseball at every level will be more competitive than ever. With smaller rosters, coaches will be less likely to "gamble" on young players, players with bad track record, and players that aren't physical enough. Coaches won't have the luxury of recruiting 8-20 non-scholarship guys to be ready for depth purposes, redshirt spots, etc. If I could give one piece of advice to families going through the recruiting process right now... take the ego out of it, go find a place that you will enjoy being on campus & have an opportunity to develop and play. An opportunity at any level is an opportunity to develop, produce, and prove yourself. Mid-major D1, D2, D3, JC, NAIA.... you name it. There is good baseball being played everywhere. Guys at every level of college baseball are getting opportunities at high level programs. Production is the name of the game. Get better, produce, prove that you are deserving, and don't expect any handouts along the way. @KendallRogers @aaronfitt @Mike_Rooney