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Need oldtimer's help on PGame rating!

P 2012 Parent10+ posts
My son (a rising Junior, outfielder)attended his 1st Perfect Game showcase back in January...and had a terrible outing. He was recovering from a minor foot injury and we should have taken Jerry up on the offer to change his evaluation date, and you can bet that if we would have known we'd be in the rainy snow in South Florida we defintely would have rescheduled! lol!! Instead, we both got carried away with the excitement of attending, & over estimated his ability to showcase after spending ten days in a boot. (Yes, a very TOUGH lesson learned!)

Based on his performance, they were more than generous with rating him a 7. His writtten evaluation was spot on with what we saw and overall, very complimentary. However, his running and throwing numbers stunk!

Here's my dilemma and I am hoping you oldtimers can help me:

It looks like we might can squeeze the upcoming showcase into next weekend's schedule (if they still have spots available and our last minute sponsor comes thru!).

I am struggling not knowing what to do and if it would be better off to send my son to two other college showcases (same amount of money as 1 PGame)or to try and improve his rating with Perfect Game and just hit 2 of his favorite college showcases/camps...instead of the 4 we were planning on attending this fall.

My question to you is:

If his written evaluation stayed the same, but his arm velocity number went from 79 to 84/85, and his 60 time went from 7.58 to 7.05/7.1...would a former 7 be given a higher rating? (These are the numbers 2 other organizations gave him earlier this summer. He also has a glove to glove from right field to 3rd of 3.14 seconds...and his bat is stronger than before, doing pretty well at the WWBA 16 tournament.)

Again, I know his prior rating was generous and that he still has a lot to work on, (and is in no way a "super star"), but I am dying to get him down to Jupiter and if this rating doesn't increase, I doubt his chances of getting there are very high. (The clock is ticking!) He may also be looking for a new summer team, and I know how valuable PGame is in helping with that.

I'm just torn right now on where to put my limited funds and what the right thing to do is...especially considering he's a 2012, with a little more time to go...but at the same time, if we don't do this event, he won't be available for another PGame rating until next summer, and I'm worried that's a little too late.

Any words of wisdom you can share with this first time moma who doesn't quite know what to do?
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jemazjemaz1,000+ posts
A couple of things:

If your son is good enough, his talent will come through regardless of a single Perfect Game rating -- or rating by any other organization. If he is not good enough for the level he desires, it also won't matter.

Keep in mind, too, that these events first and foremost are elimination sessions. And every time he steps on the field elsewhere it is a potential elimination session. All he can do wherever he plays is his best. He will find a place if he wants it enough.
TPMTPMHSBaseballweb Member since 2003
IMO, should have taken up Jerry on his suggestion, one should never showcase recovering from any type of injury.
I am not sure, aren't PG ratings for future potential, I am sure that they take into consideration many factors, including weather? The purpose of showcase, is to take away what needs to be worked on and all players have things that can be improved.
BTW, plenty of players have done pretty well with what you feel is not a good rating, as stated, in the end, the talent will emerge and it doesn't matter until the right person sees him and likes what they see.
Your son has more than enough time, and this is the year he should be improving upon the things that will be important for next summer and senior fall.

Are you considering going to those camps for evaluation only or for instruction on what to improve upon. I hear that some folks take their sons from place to place for a better rating, all the while not working on what needs to be improved. Spned your money wisely and for the right reasons.
H Homerun041,000+ posts
2012 Parent,

Tough lesson learned about attending a showcase in top condition, but another side of the equation is if you decide to attend another PG showcase, I would attend one that will give him additional visibility to the college coaches that he would be interested in, and the good news would be the improvement in review and ratings that he could possibly get from one showcase to another.

If you decide to attend another group's showcase, my advice would be one which college coaches your son is interested in, actually attend in person or has a good enough reputation and keeps a very good data base which college coaches and pro scouts can get access to review his information.

Good Luck and enjoy the ride!
P 2012 Parent10+ posts
Thanks, you two!

Our plans for the fall included:

1) Eliminating football and spending that time on speed and strength training, as well as velocity. THIS is our main focus.

2) We planned on staying with current travel team for games and skill improvement, but the fact is...we don't have a hitting coach or someone to work with outfielders and I can't commit to another year of that. So, now we are looking for another team & are afraid our fall plans are unraveling.

3) As far as showcasing, we were just trying to get his feet wet and somehow get on the "radar". The only events he's attended so far (State highschool Top 100 & State University) have told him to work on speed and strength. Basic fundamentals seem to be in place. Our plan (if we do PGame) is to go to one college camp/showcase at Young Harris (which brings in a lot of other coaches/scouts for exposure as well as writen evaluation) and one mini camp at a college he's very interested in. (It's less than $100, but a quick "come see me" and "say hello"- and yes, I know..."give me your $60". lol! We want to see the campus, meet coach, and the $60 is not much.)

The showcasing situations are the ones we aren't quite sure of. We know he's got time, but we keep hearing how juniors are being looked at more and more and we are afraid we might not be doing all we should.

I agree with you, Coach May...PGame may have very well already compensated for some improvment by giving him the generous score, but in all honesty, it's not just about the rating right now. With this change in travel team, it is also about having a place where a future coach can verify his numbers are better. Summer ball will be here before you know it and I know that the 2011 summer will be his most important ever. We live in a rather remote area where his travel team is already the only solid one in his age group. We also don't have many "contacts" and I don't know where to start on finding him somewhere to play.

I'm just scared we aren't as knowledgeable as we need to be about what to do now, and yes, maybe somewhat confused about what is hype, what we are doing for pride, and what is truly necessary.

Too bad there isn't a guidebook for "What to do when your kid's a junior and you don't have a clue about the recruitment/scouting process"!!

Meanwhile, all I have is this board and so far, it's been extremely helpful!

Thanks again, you two!
TPMTPMHSBaseballweb Member since 2003
I am gonna have to change my quote, too many think I am Coach May. Frown
Well, that could be a good thing though! Smile

Actually finding him a place to play? This should be a joint venture, together, based on his skills, academics and where he would like to receive his education. This is the perfect time to sit down and discuss parameters, figure what you can and cannot afford, any intended major, geography, etc.

I don't think the team matters, what matters is playing and using skills, perhaps a few lessons with a hitting coach to put him on the right track, or use what is taught in camps (by the coaches). If you see no value in that, my advice is you might want to think twice, if one attends a camp and the coach is not doing what it's intended for (teaching schools) does he do it with his team.

Dom't worry about the shoecase for now, my son actually didn't even do his first until his junior year, AFTER he gained attention at WWBA in Jupiter.

Everyone should have a plan, but first sit down and talk to your son about what he would like, and HELP him find a place to play and build on that.

Everything else will fall into place.

FWI, one does not need a team to play in Jupiter, PG will place your son on one of their teams. But don't send him if he is not ready to compete, make sure all the bumps and bruises have gone away.

Good luck.
CADadCADad5,000+ posts
At my son's first showcase one of the kids on his showcase team didn't show well at all. We knew he was clearly a top talent because he was one of the top hitters in our HS league as a sophmore and our HS league is one of the toughest in the nation. We'd also run into the kid in tournaments and in PONY league and knew what he could do. PG rated him a 7.5 and were definitely factoring potential into it to give him that high of a rating. My son was actually rated a bit higher at that showcase, but we knew who would end up rated higher eventually.

A few months later the kid showcased again and was rated a 9.5.

At the moment he's probably negotiating with a MLB club as he's a first rounder.

PG is good but they can only rate on what they see and can only project so much. I'd recommend giving it another try if he's ready. You should target college camps fairly specifically anyways so a couple is probably pretty good. The other thing that could come out of this is showing improvement. That gets noticed.
B brod100+ posts
Reading between the lines, I want you to consider that you are putting the cart before the horse. Why would you want to ever go to a showcase if your son was not in great shape, threw slower than average for his age, or was smaller than the other players? The rating is mediocre, but as you admit, deserved.

You are on the right track to start an extensive weight training program, but you can't develop what's not there. Stop putting so much pressure on yourself and your son, and go back to basics. This baseball season should be your focus. Here is what you do...

Get a trainer who based on previous results will help him get in great shape

Go to Junior Days at schools you are interested in

Don't pick schools that based on your son's performance so far he would not qualify for...

Play on the best travel team he can play on this summer where he will play all the time.

Go to two college camps next summer where the academics, athletics and finances all match

Reread TPM's advice...

Relax...If you've got a good kid and you've given him a few advantages to develop his talent, it's OK he didn't get a big D1 scholarship, or get drafted.

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