@ReluctantO'sFan posted:I don't actually disagree with you as talent will always win out, but only to a point. Very few things in life are absolute, and never underestimate the weight that hype can carry. Many of these kids gain a reputation not for their own skills, but the team for which they play. Either way I refuse to go down this rabbit hole, as I was just agreeing with @CollegebaseballInsights, mainly because what he wrote mirrors exactly what I have seen over the last several years. (especially the age to grade comparison in relation to A or B team placement)
Which all falls back to do the appropriate investigation before selecting a travel program. We quickly eliminated one of the 17u programs looking at my son due to their reputation for throwing paying customers under the bus for non paying top ranked college/pro prospects. I wouldn’t have discovered this reputation without a visit to the facility and a couple of phone calls.