Taking the JUCO Route

It’s no secret that the overwhelming majority of baseball college draft picks come from Division I (D1) schools, where competition is much closer to pro baseball. After all, scouts have an easier time evaluating the readiness of players for the pros at this level. 

“For players serious about turning pro, being evaluated against other D1 players is an important part of the journey to the pro level,” said Dan Blewett, a former professional baseball player and baseball academy owner who regularly works with wannabe MLB players. 

However, for players who only have D2 or D3 offers out of high school, junior college (JUCO) serves as an intermediate step to develop better skills before hopefully transferring to a D1 school.

“Now that JUCO doesn’t count against the four years of college eligibility, more and more players will choose it over ‘settling’ for D2 or D3, even though playing at any collegiate level is a wonderful and admirable accomplishment,” Blewett said. “It’s unclear, however, what these athletes will do if they plan to spend six years in college—how they will afford this expense and if they’ll take on graduate degrees to fill the extra two years of academic life.”

The Appeal of JUCO

JUCO baseball has the widest range of any collegiate level. There are JUCO teams that would lose to excellent high school teams and JUCO teams that would win a three-game series against lower-tier D1 teams. The variance depends on location, resources, coaching, and program history.

For example, Iowa Western Community College is one of the top JUCO programs in the country. They’ve seen players like Jon Lieber, Erik Swanson, and Dan Johnson get drafted and reach the Majors and had 18 Division I commits on its 2024 team.

“From a high-profile high school player that has MLB draft aspirations to an academic-first student on a budget, to an undersized, underdeveloped, below-the-radar player, junior college makes sense to a lot of different people,” said Ryan Cougill, head baseball coach of Iowa Western. “The talent level ranges from professional draft prospect to a player whose only option out of high school may be a local JUCO.  [The JUCO level of play] can test some of the best D1 transfers but is inviting enough that you can play through struggles.”

He added that the majority of junior college players gain important exposure to recruiters, especially those playing at the top programs. 

“A major recruiting tool for our program is our ability, tradition, and network to help move our players on to the four-year level through a proven process of readiness and development,” Cougill said. “That is what a large majority—if not all—of our players have goals set on as they commit to us and move through our program. Because of the success of our former players, the radar from professional scouts and Division I programs highlight Iowa Western as a place to seek out talented, prepared, and impactful transfers.”

Keep in mind that junior college has the most turnover of any level. Therefore there is a demand year in and year out for consistent and immediate value on the field.  

“There’s not much training that replaces being on a field, competing, and figuring it out,” Cougill said. “Your scale of readiness determines your playing time. Even if you’re able to go out and compete with someone 3-plus years older than you, you may still find a lot of value in developing at a JUCO and then resetting your evaluation to an even higher level when aspiring for a four-year. Can you earn a legitimate opportunity, and can the level of play test you enough that you develop? In JUCO, yes.”

Mike Orchard, president of College Athlete Advantage, has more than 16 years of coaching and recruiting experience, most notably as the recruiting coordinator and pitching coach at Central Arizona College, an annual Top 10, nationally-ranked contender in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). 

He noted the JUCO path may make sense if a player is not getting the attention that they want from four-year universities. 

“If a player has aspirations to play D1 but is not being heavily recruited, then a junior college may help him develop his skills,” Orchard said. “A lot can happen in two years at a junior college. You can get bigger, stronger, and faster, all of which can impress a D1 coach who may not have had that level of interest initially.”

Plus, unless players are among the elite, going to a D2 or D3 school means competing against athletes who are three to four years older with significantly more experience, making it less likely they’ll start or get much playing time early on. At a JUCO, players get more opportunities to develop on the field through actual game experience, which is crucial for improving their skills and preparing for the next level. 

Another positive of JUCO is it allows kids the chance to play close to home, providing opportunities for players who may not have the money for a four-year college program or the housing that comes with it. Orchard noted that by living at home, these students can still attend college and continue their baseball training. 

Maybe the most important factor for an aspiring Major Leaguer is that a JUCO player reserves his draft status. This means he can be drafted at any time, compared to NCAA players, who are not eligible for the draft until after their junior year or 21st birthday.

Another interesting dynamic is the re-emergence of the draft and follow, where an MLB team can draft a high school player and reserve the right to sign them for a calendar year. In this case, that player could elect to enroll at a junior college, be evaluated over that year, and have the opportunity to sign his contract from the previous year’s draft. 

Finding a Program

The first step for any player considering a JUCO is to make a list of the schools they are interested in and find out as much about the coaching staff and program as possible. 

“Most players don’t envision themselves going to a JUCO out of high school; therefore, it may be a fallback plan,” Orchard said. “The biggest difference is most of the recruiting for these programs don’t start until senior year.” 

From there, marketing themselves is no different than what they would do for any college.

“Players need to email colleges they’re interested in with video, stats, grades, and their summer schedule,” Blewett said. “Players should ‘recruit the school’ and express interest by making contact and keeping in contact.”

Some important considerations players should keep in mind when choosing a JUCO are the division the school plays in, the program’s history, the percentage of players that move on to four-year schools or get drafted, academic offerings, housing, and scholarship opportunities.

Orchard noted the most successful schools—especially in states like Florida, California, Arizona, and Texas, where more MLB scouts are—are the most advantageous for getting discovered. 

Scholarship Structure

NJCAA Division 1 programs can offer athletic aid packages that include any percentage or combination of tuition, housing, board, and books, and each school has 24 maximum allowable scholarships. NJCAA D2 programs can offer up to 24 tuition and book waivers, while NJCAA D3 cannot offer athletic aid of any kind.  

“Outside of athletic aid, institutions can still scholarship an athlete, but it is not athletic aid, and it comes from scholarship opportunities that are equal and available to any student at the institution,” Cougill said. “Generally speaking, the cost to attend an NJCAA is cheaper than a University, but a large majority of JUCOs do not offer 24 full scholarships per team.”

Many JUCO players also have an opportunity to receive a higher NCAA D1 scholarship than they did directly out of high school.

“The reason for that is the JUCO player is now an upper-classmen and recruited for an immediate need at the university, which often results in a higher scholarship offer,” Cougill said. “There are always exceptions, but that trend has been consistent for my players over the years.”

Aspiring professional players should consider the JUCO route not only because it provides a valuable opportunity for skill development and competitive play but also because it’s a strategic pathway to increase the chances of securing a place on a D1 roster or advancing to the professional ranks. 

If you want more content like this delivered straight to your inbox, be sure to subscribe to the Travel Baseball Guy weekly newsletter.