Illinois Prep Baseball Report

For those of you that are considering... I say, save your money.  They had the right stats on my son posted, then changed them to the wrong ones, them then changed  back to right ones.  By the time they did this they had already made their "Top Prospect List" and "Best of the Best", so my son was not evaluated against these players because his stats were wrong when they were evaluating.   The top prospect include a pitcher who's ERA in HS was twice as high as my son's.  One of there best of the best didn't even make the HS team.

I realize that this is one persons opinion and, couldn't do anything but laugh, because he has attended University Prospect camps in our area and they will be scouting him this spring and summer.  I suggest you use the money to invest in making your own video or attending college baseball prospect camps you are interested in.  It really doesn't take that much time to make the video.   There are sites that you can post a formatted video displaying the same skills sets of your child for around $75, and the scouts don't have to pay a fee to view your son's video. Also This site(HS baseball web) has a list of colleges address that you can send a letter (there are sample letters on what to say) and you can include the link to the site or send a DVD for them to view. I have to agree with the college coach that poised the question,  "Who's doing to the evaluation and ranking??  There's a lot of groups out there that have people ranking and evaluating that have no MLB scouting experience.  How can you give a credible evaluation or ranking when you have no MLB scouting experience?"

First let me say that I know the Ohio Director (and one of the first PBR guys) very well.   I think Ohio was the first to have PBR....I could be mistaken, but I think that's correct. 

I understand your questions/complaints.  PBR in Ohio has been around for 3 years or so...so here's what I'd say regarding our experience. Maybe Illinois isn't as thorough...I have no way to know...but the Ohio PBR guys do a very nice job...both at showcases...and in sending their guys to watch HS games in the spring...and travel tourneys in the summer.

To clear up one things....college scouts/coaches don't have to pay to see PBR's info.

1) Understand that initially, the "showcase" may be the first that the PBR folks have ever seen or heard of a player.  If a kid does well at a showcase and another doesn't, then it only makes sense that one kid will be ranked above another.  Their HS era has no relevance at this point...because their's no way they would know what it is.  Also, keep in mind that PBR is about promoting kids to colleges.  Depending on who/where a kid plays HS, in most cases, HS ERA is meaningless to a college coach/recruiter

2) If PBR in Illinois is like PBR in Ohio, they will get more and more "depth" to their rankings as time go by.  Here in Ohio, they look at a lot of things...showcases, HS games and summer ball...and do a very, very good job of it. 

3) If a kid isn't somewhere PBR can see him....they can't see him.  It seems obvious, but PBR doesn't have the resources to go out and "scout" every kid in the state...and know his HS stats, etc.

Again, PBR is about getting kids names in front of college coaches...and ranking kids based on what they know.  It's up to the colleges to do the rest of the "homework".  Again, the stuff PBR shows from their showcases in most cases is more important to the college coaches than a kids HS stats.

Give them a chance to get things going...you may be surprised how things turn out.

2015 LHP never attended PBR showcase, but PBR has been very positive in promoting him through updates, etc.  Son was seen by PBR at a Spring high school game, and immediately invited to represent Illinois at the August Midwest Future Games, where over 100 scouts were in attendance and really boosted the interest in the recruiting process.  I never was caught up in the actual "ranking" of my son, and have also attended a few PG events to add to his exposure.  I don't think PBR replaces the need to play for a high-level summer/fall team that gives opportunities to play in front of colleges/university coaches.  It's another resource and I believe Illinois PBR has been very positive for my 2015's recruiting process.  Recent verbal commit to B1G school.  

I agree with Buckeye...give it some time and you may be pleasantly surprised.  

I will let it play out! I only went because my son thought those types of sites were cool!!!  I'm sure some people did get something good out of it, with any business you'll have satisfied and non-satisfied people.  And don't get me wrong, the boy that placed in Top Prospect did very well and I do think over all by views of the video he deserved his spot, and they didn't give my son a bad review. 

I just question the evaluation/ranking process... and if it is even necessary. A kids stats shows how he actually performed in real games played for the season.  It's how some kids get their name out their for scouts come to see them play at there perspective HS.  My son soft tosses to his sister all the time and she hits them great, but she couldn't hit one of his fastballs.  How are they "Ranking" based on how a kid performs hitting soft toss balls, fielding with balls hit by soft toss pitches, and 20 thrown pitches.  Not knowing their HS/Travel ball stat's and actually seeing them perform in a game.  The kid that didn't make the HS team proved that, he did good in tryouts at school that were set up the same as this showcase.  But, when the HS coach actually had the kids play games against each other in a week of tryout's he didn't do well at all. 

At the College Prospect Camps we attended, balls were hit from pitching machines, fielding balls were from a pitching machine, you displayed your pitches on the mound and an actual game was played before the Coaches decided to approach the players they felt they wanted to see more of. A friend told me that College showcases were in some aspects were similar to some of the MLB tryouts he attended. 

I had to pay $10 to view my son's video and premium sections of the site, but if it's offered to coaches free then that's great!!! My opinion is I just feel my money would have been better spent if I used it to make a video and send it out to prospective colleges like I read some where on this site.  With the HS/Travel ball team stats the coaches provide you with at the end of the season.  You live and learn!!!