Alex Swenson breaks down what D1 coaches want in catchers: receiving and blocking pitches, pop times around 1.9 seconds, throwing accuracy, leadership with the pitching staff, and hitting ability. Catching fundamentals matter more than bat at the highest levels.
Chapters
Just got done looking at a high school catcher and he's pretty good. He's going to be able to play at the next level. And there's certain skills and attributes that college coaches look for in a high school catcher that want to go on and play at the next level. And the beautiful thing is there's all different types of levels, right? There's the D1 power fours, there's the D1 mid majors, there's D2, D3, NAI, JUCO, there's a lot of different levels out there. Now. What are the skills and attributes college coaches are looking for? Number one, it gets overlooked. Way too much is receiving. You got to be able to receive well against high velocity guys with movement. Number two, you got to be able to block well. The pitching staff, most importantly, have to trust you to be able to throw that breaking ball, to throw that change up in the dirt with a guy on third with two strikes. Okay, number three. Yes. Pop times, you got to be able to catch and throw. What are some of those pop times that college coaches look for? For D1 power fours and D ones kind of in general, 1 9ish is right around there. Good accuracy there that the 1 eights and 1 sevens guys don't. Those are pop time. In showcases that just kind of get out of hand. Guys are like halfway down to second base and they're already turned. Okay, don't get so caught up. One nine on the bag. D2s. Hey, two. Zero right on the bag. D3s. Two zero to two one. Same with Nai and Jucos at two zero to two one. You're gonna be in a good position there. Now if you then leadership back there guys, you got to be able to lead, control your pitching staff, know your pitching staff, get the most out of your pitching staff. And from a hitting standpoint, yeah, you got to be able to hit. If you're going D1 Power Fours, you got to be able to hit for some power and you got to be able to hit for some average. At the college level, D1 mid majors, you can be more of like kind of a dirt bag, if you will and add all these other levels. D2, D3, they still want you to hit, right? But it is definitely a bonus. You got to be able to catch first and then hitting for average and for some power. Great at D1 mid majors and then D2s, D3s, those dirt bags out there that kind of get it all. The hit and run guys, right, get on base, can be able to bunt, do all those things at the next level and be a leader back there. Good luck.
