So....
8U (Coach Pitch) 1B, 2B, 3B SS, RF, CF, C, LF
1B is most important - because 9/10 outs are probably there so you absolutely have to have someone who catches the ball. There simply isn't enough plays at C to justify having a good player there. And if you have a player who can make the throw from 3B to 1B on those mis-hit bloopers you have a big plus on most teams and will get a lot of outs most teams can't get. SS is less important because the P is further back and covers a lot of balls that normally go there - I may be overrating SS in 8U to be honest. And LOTS and LOTS of balls go to 2B - second only to the P. RF is more important than CF because there is a LOT of overthrows at 1B
10U: C, 2B, SS, 3B, CF, 1B, RF, LF
First year of drop third strike, bunts and catching wild pitchers, stealing and passed balls. In this age group I'll take a blocker over someone who regularly throws out runners on steals because the pitchers are younger, wilder and the batters have tiny strike zones. SS might be your elite athlete, but 2B is the girl who knows instinctively how to play the game - there is more outs and more plays made at 2B in 10U than at SS and there is lots of coverage decisions to be made. 3B and CF are about equal if I have some speed on the girl in CF - otherwise I sacrifice at 3B before CF. Finding 3 girls who track fly balls well in this division is tough and power it highly erratic so you need some speed to run down the big hits when they happen.
12U: SS, 2B, C, CF, 3B, 1B, RF, LF
Give me a solid catcher and elite SS and 2B and I am good. Love a great catcher, but I can make do with good here. Limit passed balls, throw some runners out and start to call a good game and all is good. CF is covering all sorts of ground. More and more bunting in this division and more pressure on 3B as the P is further back and less able to get to bunts that they might get in 10U. We also start to see more slapping in this division.
14U/HS: C, SS, CF, 2B, 3B, RF, 1B, LF
Getting harder as the ball can and will be hit anywhere. Catcher becomes more important as now you need to throw runners out, run the game, call the game and everything else. SS is still an elite athlete. CF is cheetah-fast or at least gazelle-with-good angles fast.
Catcher is the hardest one to rate because it is a specialist position but often you can make do with just 'good' rather than 'great'. I'd rather have an elite-SS and a good-C than the other way round but the issue is that there is a bigger pool of SS's to pull from.
And in all age divisions - the moment you try and hide someone the ball will find them like a magnet.
Most positions have a profile of the prototypical player you want there. The transition to other positions is not as easy as most coaches think and in a lot of cases it is the player who makes the transition effort themselves to get playing time over any coaching. And some players are just not meant to be at certain positions.
I find a lot of positions do get underrated but I also know that not all coaches are looking up the middle. I was talking to a lower-D1 coach a few weeks ago - she said her program is not likely to get the GOLD or even the top 18U SS/C/CF so she is looking for players who REALLY know how to play their position. She said one girl on her team got an offer from her because she had a big bat and she told her that "For four years, you wont ever have to worry about who will play 1st base because it will be me"
I have seen 3B played by an absolute animal who had played the position since she was 11 (she is now 21) - no way does even an elite SS transition into this girl's level. Not to say the transitioned-SS wont be good - but they wont be this girl. I have also seen a 1B who is probably worth 2-3 extra outs per game over just someone they put there.
8U (Coach Pitch) 1B, 2B, 3B SS, RF, CF, C, LF
1B is most important - because 9/10 outs are probably there so you absolutely have to have someone who catches the ball. There simply isn't enough plays at C to justify having a good player there. And if you have a player who can make the throw from 3B to 1B on those mis-hit bloopers you have a big plus on most teams and will get a lot of outs most teams can't get. SS is less important because the P is further back and covers a lot of balls that normally go there - I may be overrating SS in 8U to be honest. And LOTS and LOTS of balls go to 2B - second only to the P. RF is more important than CF because there is a LOT of overthrows at 1B
10U: C, 2B, SS, 3B, CF, 1B, RF, LF
First year of drop third strike, bunts and catching wild pitchers, stealing and passed balls. In this age group I'll take a blocker over someone who regularly throws out runners on steals because the pitchers are younger, wilder and the batters have tiny strike zones. SS might be your elite athlete, but 2B is the girl who knows instinctively how to play the game - there is more outs and more plays made at 2B in 10U than at SS and there is lots of coverage decisions to be made. 3B and CF are about equal if I have some speed on the girl in CF - otherwise I sacrifice at 3B before CF. Finding 3 girls who track fly balls well in this division is tough and power it highly erratic so you need some speed to run down the big hits when they happen.
12U: SS, 2B, C, CF, 3B, 1B, RF, LF
Give me a solid catcher and elite SS and 2B and I am good. Love a great catcher, but I can make do with good here. Limit passed balls, throw some runners out and start to call a good game and all is good. CF is covering all sorts of ground. More and more bunting in this division and more pressure on 3B as the P is further back and less able to get to bunts that they might get in 10U. We also start to see more slapping in this division.
14U/HS: C, SS, CF, 2B, 3B, RF, 1B, LF
Getting harder as the ball can and will be hit anywhere. Catcher becomes more important as now you need to throw runners out, run the game, call the game and everything else. SS is still an elite athlete. CF is cheetah-fast or at least gazelle-with-good angles fast.
Catcher is the hardest one to rate because it is a specialist position but often you can make do with just 'good' rather than 'great'. I'd rather have an elite-SS and a good-C than the other way round but the issue is that there is a bigger pool of SS's to pull from.
And in all age divisions - the moment you try and hide someone the ball will find them like a magnet.
Most positions have a profile of the prototypical player you want there. The transition to other positions is not as easy as most coaches think and in a lot of cases it is the player who makes the transition effort themselves to get playing time over any coaching. And some players are just not meant to be at certain positions.
I find a lot of positions do get underrated but I also know that not all coaches are looking up the middle. I was talking to a lower-D1 coach a few weeks ago - she said her program is not likely to get the GOLD or even the top 18U SS/C/CF so she is looking for players who REALLY know how to play their position. She said one girl on her team got an offer from her because she had a big bat and she told her that "For four years, you wont ever have to worry about who will play 1st base because it will be me"
I have seen 3B played by an absolute animal who had played the position since she was 11 (she is now 21) - no way does even an elite SS transition into this girl's level. Not to say the transitioned-SS wont be good - but they wont be this girl. I have also seen a 1B who is probably worth 2-3 extra outs per game over just someone they put there.
