Winter: An important recruiting window you shouldn't ignore
When it comes to recruiting, Winter is not a dead period. It’s a decision period.
Most families think recruiting slows down in the winter. It’s an easy mistake to make: High school seasons aren’t underway yet. Showcases feel quiet. There are fewer tweets, fewer rankings, and fewer headlines. Everything seems to slow down. Parents and players think “Nothing is really happening right now.”
After four decades in baseball and watching hundreds of recruiting cycles unfold, I can tell you this clearly: That is a big mistake that can cost you real opportunities.
Over the years I have learned that Winter is not a dead period. It’s a decision period. And players who understand that and act accordingly can quickly separate themselves — fast — from those who take the Winter off.
What Families Get Wrong About Winter Recruiting
Here’s what a lot of players and parents don’t understand — Winter looks quiet on the surface because the recruiting work shifts behind closed doors.
What I mean by that is this: college coaches aren’t traveling as much. They aren’t posting highlight clips. They aren’t making public offers. Instead, they’re doing some of the most important recruiting work they’ll do during the entire year:
Finalizing recruiting boards
Sorting real prospects from “maybes”
Filtering players academically
Filtering players by position
Filtering players geographically
Projecting rosters two and three years out
Identifying who is worth continued attention in the spring
If you are not actively helping coaches during this phase, you are often being left off those boards — not because you aren’t good enough, but because you weren’t visible or findable when it mattered.
What College Coaches Are Actually Doing in the Winter
Here’s what winter looks like from a college coach’s perspective:
1. Roster Math
Coaches are answering questions like:
Who is graduating?
Who might transfer?
Where are we thin in two years?
Where do we already have too many bodies?
This is where position projections happen — not during a summer showcase.
2. Academic Filtering
Winter grades matter. You still have to qualify academically before they attempt to qualify you athletically, because you have to be admitted to the school, and stay eligible academically, to be of value to the coach.
So, a coach who likes you athletically but sees a borderline GPA, shaky transcripts or unclear test plans will often quietly move on to a similar player who checks the academic box more easily. Typically, this comes with no conversation or no warning. Just less interest.
3. Follow-Ups on Known Names
Winter is when coaches decide:
Who looks like a fit
Who is worth continued communication
Who gets priority in spring evaluations
Who is on the “go-see” list
Who is “interesting” vs. “real”
This is what you want to remember — If a player hasn’t followed up, updated video, or communicated clearly since fall, it’s easy to drift out of consideration.
Why Players Miss This Window
A big reason I am so passionate about helping players and families with recruiting is that I don’t want them to miss opportunities they may never see again. I sincerely believe that most players don’t fail at recruiting because they lack talent. They fail because they:
Wait for exposure instead of creating it
Assume silence means “not now” instead of “not interested”
Think spring performance alone will carry them
Overtrain physically while ignoring recruiting communication
And, most of all, lack proactivity and persistence
Winter rewards proactivity, not patience. That means getting busy, and staying busy.
What Smart Recruits Do During the Winter
Players who get traction and gain recruiting ground during winter tend to do a few things very well.
They communicate clearly
Short, respectful updates to schools that already know them
Honest academic information
Direct questions instead of vague interest
They stay active with appropriate social media content
They provide accurate information
Accurate height and weight
Accurate measurable (60 time, exit velo, OF velo, IF velo, etc.)
They provide updated video content
Not highlight-reel fluff
Clean, recent swings, bullpens, defensive reps
Video that answers coaches’ questions
They embrace level and position reality
They are open to all options
They understand where a coach will likely project them
They show willingness to be flexible to help a roster
They are not just focused on playing their dream position
They use academics as leverage
They provide updated GPA
They have transcripts availability
This is how players become a “YES” on a coach’s visit list.
The Winter Mistakes That Quietly Kill Recruiting Momentum
Allowing yourself to slip into recruiting’s Winter doldrums is probably the most common mistake players make. If this time of year passes without gaining any additional recruiting traction, it’s often because you:
Wait until spring to begin reaching out
Rely on old video from last summer
Overestimate fall exposure
Ignore academics. Grades will always matter
Assume coaches will come see you when your season begins
None of those are neutral decisions. They all have consequences — most of them invisible until it’s too late.
Remember, when it comes to recruiting, there is no such thing as static — you are either losing ground or gaining ground each day.
Your key takeaway
Recruiting does not reward the loudest winter training posts.
It rewards the players who:
Provide coaches with info they need
Help coaches make easier decisions
Show maturity, honesty, and awareness
Bottom line, you are trying to create interest, so that your spring performance — when coaches you’ve intrigued come to see you — can confirm interest.
Final Thought
Here’s the fact: If your recruiting plan has nothing specific scheduled for the winter months, then in reality that IS your recruiting plan — doing nothing. And doing nothing can easily cost you options you’ll wish you had later.
So remember — Winter doesn’t always reward the most talented players, but it often rewards the most prepared players who have a plan and execute that plan.
Good luck.