Has anyone ever had any experience with Baseball Factory? Seems like a reasonable price, but not too sure.
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Use the search function here, lots of info. Widely considered a money grab and a waste of time unless you get to play in their one big event each year.
@22and25 posted:Use the search function here, lots of info. Widely considered a money grab and a waste of time unless you get to play in their one big event each year.
I disagree with your summary description of Baseball Factory. Some of their events are good values and can be helpful. The initial individual showcase tryout (used to be $99) is a cost effective way to get a baseline to start from. If you show well enough initially it can lead to opportunities in invitation only events that aren’t expensive - like Futures Games, which are well scouted. The expensive events (Preseason All American Games, etc.) are money grabs and we avoided all of those. Like PBR, Baseball Factory is better in some states than others so what’s true in Texas may not apply in California.
My son did it as an 8th grader ($99), which I thought was a good value given it was run just like a showcase would be. No college coaches, just UA/Baseball Factory staff. My son enjoyed it, got video, and had his first "showcase - type" of event under his belt. Fast forward to the start of summer after junior year and son reaches out to Baseball Factory about an invite only event (that he was not invited to) and he is allowed to attend - top players from So Cal. Multiple college scouts and a few MLB scouts at this event. Son did very well and connected with a couple of D1 colleges that followed him the rest of summer (one of which eventually offered).
2025, given your other question about Stanford camp, Baseball factory is as good a place as any for that first showcase experience. It's reasonable, local, and there will likely be other "younger" guys like yourself there. Just be very careful about committing to BFs more expensive stuff. The WestCoastPapa plan sounds pretty good to me!
2025 I don't know much about Baseball Factory, but for a fairly cost-effective way to dip your toes into the showcase pool in CA I would recommend doing a Trosky camp. They are very well run. You'll get some numbers and you might even learn something.
BTW you're still very young and still have plenty of time to develop, but if your sights are set on high academic D1's like Stanford, at this point you should already be one of the best players on one of the best travel teams in your area. If you're not, that's what you need to be working toward.