Congrats Coach Merc, That’s a great honor for Michael. He is a very talented player. You have every reason to feel very proud and even to brag a little.
I want to reply, but don't want this to sound disrespectful towards any outstanding players.
Whether it is Rivals, Baseball America or anyone else making a list. Who actually sees these players? Has anyone seen a Rivals scout at any event? Baseball America's scouting department consists of one or two guys who are mainly journalist.
Everyone gathers there information from basically the same source. Then maybe they might double check with MLB scouts or college coaches. Scouts and College coaches aren't giving out there top 100 list, so the names have to come from somewhere. It's very obvious to us where the names are coming from.
This probably shouldn't bother us, but we spend millions of dollars every year trying to "scout" the entire country trying to find and identify the top players. We still miss some, but just think how many would be missed if we didn't do that.
Here is what I mean...
95 of the Rivals top 100 have been to PG events, most have been to several PG events. All 100 have been ranked by pgcrosschecker. BTW, 95 of the top 100 in Baseball America also attended PG events and all 100 are ranked by pgcrosschecker.
Here is what is most revealing IMO. There was one individual showcase event held last June (Perfect Game National Showcase) at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. This was 10 months ago when most people didn’t even know about most of these players.
65 of the Rivals current top 100 were at that PG Showcase last June. There were only a few more than 200 total players at that event. Yet all of the rankings lists are dominated by those players. In addition to the 65 PG national players listed, another 16 on the rivals list were invited to the PG National last year. That would include Coach Merc’s son, who couldn’t make it due to the high school playoffs. We know he’s an outstanding player. We’ve seen him!
Baseball America’s current top 100 actually has even more players who attended that showcase in Minneapolis. 71 of Baseball America’s top 100 were at that event last June. Another 9 were invited but couldn’t attend. Over 80% of the current top 100 high school players were invited to the Metrodome last June.
For the naysayers who talk about PG playing favorites or only ranking the kids who attend PG events. While you are complaining, go complain to the others who make out their lists ranking the top players. After all, it’s their list we are talking about.
quote:
I truly do not like all these player rankings and HS team rankings--- I cannot figure out how one ranking has players in the Top 100 and in others the same kids are not in the top 500
TR,
Should everyone just keep high school baseball quiet and not talk about top teams and top players? Just let it happen in Basketball and football, but don't promote high school baseball?
Personally I think if everyone did there own work these lists would be much more different. The facts are all there for anyone to research. The thing that amazes me isn’t one player being in the top 100 on one list and below 500 in another. I actually think that is pretty close from a national perspective. With as many players out there you would think you would see new names that don’t appear on any PG list. To me the big thing is just how many of the same names appear on everyone’s list. Doesn’t that say something? The fact there are no other names anywhere besides those already identified on pgcrosschecker seems to speak volumes.
We are still identifying players every day who belong and enter in the rankings. You won’t see them in other rankings, because people actually have to find these kids. There’s no one else looking that hard, evidently! This stuff gets more and more obvious every year. In the end there was one list that was always more accurate than the others. That is why the lists are now so similiar.
As far as one player being ranked real high on one list and not so high on another... just means one list is more accurate regarding that player than the other but we have to wait to see which list that is. As far as ranking teams go... I see this as a great promotion for high school baseball. I don't see any possible harm done by doing this. It gives people something to talk about and debate.
All that said: whether we have them ranked in the top 100 or the top 1,000 most all these kids are very talented. The good thing is young players are being recognized. Some don’t like rankings, but I found out quite awhile ago that they create lots of interest. I consider that interest as a promotion for high school baseball. The more well known these players are the closer we get to high school basketball and football. Is that bad? Anyone here can do a somewhat accurate rankings list and all they need to do is go to one source. I wish some of the others would identify a new name for once.
Congratulations to all the kids who are recognized on any list. We know all of them and they are all very deserving whether the recognition comes from us or someone else. There are some others who are fairly unknown right now and some of them will become the big names in the end. These rankings (even ours) don’t determine the final results.
