@nycdad posted:There are exceptions to every rule....But to put this in baseball terms Tim Lincecum was 5'11" 170lbs so while you don't *need* to be a large human to be a MLB baseball pitcher, you are way more likely to go further as a large human.
Putting aside labs, research, facilities, etc, you'll still have a difference in the quality of the faculty. Even if it's just compensation. You could probably argue that faculty that are more highly compensated are probably motivated todo a better job. Of course there are exceptions, and corner cases.
I think in the case of this argument, baseball parallels academics. It comes down to the coach….or the professor. The guys that are the highest paid (or have tenure) are not necessarily the best in their field. It often boils down to a personal connection. Does this coach/professor relate to your player/student in a way that accelerates their learning? That’s what you are looking for. IMO it’s just as likely to be a person that’s young in their career as a seasoned veteran.