PG isn't needed to be discovered. There are quality regional showcases. My son was discovered elsewhere. But the competition on the field at PG tournaments validated to him and programs he could compete with the best.
PG and PG type events are part of the problem, but they are not THE problem. As a parent, you need to understand that all exposure is not good exposure. In retrospect, I would not have had my son play in any of the huge PG events WWBA, PG 25 etc.), he simply was not ready (from an exposure standpoint, he always pitched well) and all it did was just get a bunch of D1 schools to cross them off their list. That is not PG's fault, that was my fault for not realizing no one (D1, MLB, big D2) really cares about an 86 mph RHP. Had he been the pitcher he is now, it would be a different conversation.
IOWAMOM,
I love HS baseball and get to as many games as I can. Not sure which college coach said he would prefer watching competition between HS rivals over watching competition at the highest level, but that makes no sense if he is a high level college coach. Maybe in a few parts of the country where HS baseball is loaded, but that sure isn't Iowa. I know because I have lived in Iowa most of my life. It's not exactly a hotbed, though it is getting much better.
Florida won the National Championship this year. HS baseball in Florida is excellent. Yet every single player on Florida's roster attended multiple PG events. In fact they attended a total of 451 PG events between them. LSU was the runner up, they had similar numbers.
Last Thursday during the 17u playoffs there were over 80 pitchers that threw 90 or better in 60 games. They will either be pitching in college or professional baseball in the near future. Wouldn't a college coach want to see who the hitter are that can battle that, rather than play against a HS team?
There is a huge difference between the team someone played on since they were 8 and what college coaches and MLB scouts need to see. However I do think playing with the same kids that long is really neat. It's just that all those kids won't be together forever.
Also, ask scouts how many times they have gone to a HS game to see a certain player play only to watch him get intentionally walked 3 times. I remember going to watch Jason Heyward play in a HS game and the place was packed with Front Office execs and scouting directors. The team they were playing against intentionally walked him four times. That don't happen when there is a true prospect pitching against a true prospect hitter. In fact, that is when real competition takes place.
Personally I think HS baseball really isn't meant to sort out the very best players or pitchers. At least in most parts of the country. One of the things that is valuable is seeing how a player conducts himself on and off the field. You can learn a lot about a player in that way.
I agree that it is up to the parents to decide the path and the cost. Here is the way I look at it... If a player has the required talent, do whatever you can to increase his exposure and options. The more decision makers know about you the better it is. If a player lacks the necessary talent, either spend money or time on improvement, and don't waste any money exposing a lack of talent, because there wont be many options and a lot of disappointment.
High level Travel baseball and showcases are not for everyone. You either are a prospect or someone that blends in (which means you can play) or you don't belong there and it sticks out like a sore thumb.
I will say this and truly believe it... There are many more kids capable of playing DI baseball, than there are DI roster spots. There are many more players capable of playing professional baseball than there are spots for them. That alone tells me how competitive it is.
The number of former baseball players and coaches is growing exponentially. These guys all want to make a living in baseball. Expect the problem to get much, much worse.
SultanofSwat posted:The number of former baseball players and coaches is growing exponentially. These guys all want to make a living in baseball. Expect the problem to get much, much worse.
If you build it they will come. There are instructors who claim they can make a silk purse from a sow's ear. All they are really doing is putting lipstick on a pig. But it takes the parent several thousand dollars to figure it out.
PGStaff posted:IOWAMOM,
I love HS baseball and get to as many games as I can. Not sure which college coach said he would prefer watching competition between HS rivals over watching competition at the highest level, but that makes no sense if he is a high level college coach. Maybe in a few parts of the country where HS baseball is loaded, but that sure isn't Iowa. I know because I have lived in Iowa most of my life. It's not exactly a hotbed, though it is getting much better.
Florida won the National Championship this year. HS baseball in Florida is excellent. Yet every single player on Florida's roster attended multiple PG events. In fact they attended a total of 451 PG events between them. LSU was the runner up, they had similar numbers.
Last Thursday during the 17u playoffs there were over 80 pitchers that threw 90 or better in 60 games. They will either be pitching in college or professional baseball in the near future. Wouldn't a college coach want to see who the hitter are that can battle that, rather than play against a HS team?
There is a huge difference between the team someone played on since they were 8 and what college coaches and MLB scouts need to see. However I do think playing with the same kids that long is really neat. It's just that all those kids won't be together forever.
Also, ask scouts how many times they have gone to a HS game to see a certain player play only to watch him get intentionally walked 3 times. I remember going to watch Jason Heyward play in a HS game and the place was packed with Front Office execs and scouting directors. The team they were playing against intentionally walked him four times. That don't happen when there is a true prospect pitching against a true prospect hitter. In fact, that is when real competition takes place.
Personally I think HS baseball really isn't meant to sort out the very best players or pitchers. At least in most parts of the country. One of the things that is valuable is seeing how a player conducts himself on and off the field. You can learn a lot about a player in that way.
I agree that it is up to the parents to decide the path and the cost. Here is the way I look at it... If a player has the required talent, do whatever you can to increase his exposure and options. The more decision makers know about you the better it is. If a player lacks the necessary talent, either spend money or time on improvement, and don't waste any money exposing a lack of talent, because there wont be many options and a lot of disappointment.
High level Travel baseball and showcases are not for everyone. You either are a prospect or someone that blends in (which means you can play) or you don't belong there and it sticks out like a sore thumb.
I will say this and truly believe it... There are many more kids capable of playing DI baseball, than there are DI roster spots. There are many more players capable of playing professional baseball than there are spots for them. That alone tells me how competitive it is.
I think people see different attributes at each type of event, and maybe they look for different things at each event. Both have their place, both for kids, and, I suspect, for coaches.
Iowamom23 posted:PGStaff posted:IOWAMOM,
I love HS baseball and get to as many games as I can. Not sure which college coach said he would prefer watching competition between HS rivals over watching competition at the highest level, but that makes no sense if he is a high level college coach. Maybe in a few parts of the country where HS baseball is loaded, but that sure isn't Iowa. I know because I have lived in Iowa most of my life. It's not exactly a hotbed, though it is getting much better.
Florida won the National Championship this year. HS baseball in Florida is excellent. Yet every single player on Florida's roster attended multiple PG events. In fact they attended a total of 451 PG events between them. LSU was the runner up, they had similar numbers.
Last Thursday during the 17u playoffs there were over 80 pitchers that threw 90 or better in 60 games. They will either be pitching in college or professional baseball in the near future. Wouldn't a college coach want to see who the hitter are that can battle that, rather than play against a HS team?
There is a huge difference between the team someone played on since they were 8 and what college coaches and MLB scouts need to see. However I do think playing with the same kids that long is really neat. It's just that all those kids won't be together forever.
Also, ask scouts how many times they have gone to a HS game to see a certain player play only to watch him get intentionally walked 3 times. I remember going to watch Jason Heyward play in a HS game and the place was packed with Front Office execs and scouting directors. The team they were playing against intentionally walked him four times. That don't happen when there is a true prospect pitching against a true prospect hitter. In fact, that is when real competition takes place.
Personally I think HS baseball really isn't meant to sort out the very best players or pitchers. At least in most parts of the country. One of the things that is valuable is seeing how a player conducts himself on and off the field. You can learn a lot about a player in that way.
I agree that it is up to the parents to decide the path and the cost. Here is the way I look at it... If a player has the required talent, do whatever you can to increase his exposure and options. The more decision makers know about you the better it is. If a player lacks the necessary talent, either spend money or time on improvement, and don't waste any money exposing a lack of talent, because there wont be many options and a lot of disappointment.
High level Travel baseball and showcases are not for everyone. You either are a prospect or someone that blends in (which means you can play) or you don't belong there and it sticks out like a sore thumb.
I will say this and truly believe it... There are many more kids capable of playing DI baseball, than there are DI roster spots. There are many more players capable of playing professional baseball than there are spots for them. That alone tells me how competitive it is.
I think people see different attributes at each type of event, and maybe they look for different things at each event. Both have their place, both for kids, and, I suspect, for coaches.
I don't know. We had a kid in our area where the scouts followed him like flies on you know what. He no hit us. He was sitting 89. Hit a bunch of home runs too.
"I will say this and truly believe it... There are many more kids capable of playing DI baseball, than there are DI roster spots. There are many more players capable of playing professional baseball than there are spots for them. That alone tells me how competitive it is." PGSTAFF
I think this bears repeating, and understanding to the core.
Just my .02.
My 2017 just finished up his final summer/travel ball season. Four years of playing regionally, never had to fly to play. Attended one PG showcase, attended two University camps and hit a couple of other "want to" events. Far and away, the best bang for our buck was playing regionally. During the past 4 years, he played in front of at least 20 D1's and at least 4 times that many different levels of colleges with his summer squad. Some of the schools that attended my son's tournaments might have been 8 hours from home, but if we traveled four hours, they did the same. The feedback or in many cases, the lack of feedback from playing regionally made it apparent that hitting national tournaments probably wasn't going to be a good way to spend money, at least in my son's case. Most of the guys making waves at the national level are guys that could have their pick of schools on a regional level. If your son is one of those guys, and you can afford some of the marquee events, go out and enjoy. If your son, like mine is a good ballplayer that picks up some regional interest or maybe even an offer, the odds that you'll learn something new about your son by paying a few thousand to fly to Florida to be seen by a fresh set of eyes probably isn't very high. If your son has played an extensive regional schedule and isn't getting looks or doesn't have an offer, no need to pay for national exposure. JMO
This is advice I would have appreciated hearing 4 years ago. For most of us, the recruiting journey is a humbling experience and little by little, we all get to learn where are son fits in world of college baseball, if he does at all. I wish patience and peace to all those going through the process right now.
Appreciate the perspectives everyone.
At the Perfect Game 16U WWBA this week, the Top 20 pitchers are all throwing 90 mph or higher. If you are a position player aiming at D1 and you are not playing against that type of competition, you are really really behind. That is what college coaches are telling me.
Reality is, if my 2021 14 year old isn't ready to hit 90 mph fastballs in 2 years, he'll be more on the path to D3. If there is somewhere other than Perfect Game where he can consistently face that velocity, please let me know!!!!
3and2Fastball posted:Appreciate the perspectives everyone.
At the Perfect Game 16U WWBA this week, the Top 20 pitchers are all throwing 90 mph or higher. If you are a position player aiming at D1 and you are not playing against that type of competition, you are really really behind. That is what college coaches are telling me.
Reality is, if my 2021 14 year old isn't ready to hit 90 mph fastballs in 2 years, he'll be more on the path to D3. If there is somewhere other than Perfect Game where he can consistently face that velocity, please let me know!!!!
With 300+ teams at these events, you won't be consistently facing that velocity. Maybe you'll get lucky and face one. If you played our organizations team you would have seen low to mid 80s at best. And that's kind of the point. With all the teams, the talent is watered down.
Golfman25 posted:3and2Fastball posted:Appreciate the perspectives everyone.
At the Perfect Game 16U WWBA this week, the Top 20 pitchers are all throwing 90 mph or higher. If you are a position player aiming at D1 and you are not playing against that type of competition, you are really really behind. That is what college coaches are telling me.
Reality is, if my 2021 14 year old isn't ready to hit 90 mph fastballs in 2 years, he'll be more on the path to D3. If there is somewhere other than Perfect Game where he can consistently face that velocity, please let me know!!!!
With 300+ teams at these events, you won't be consistently facing that velocity. Maybe you'll get lucky and face one. If you played our organizations team you would have seen low to mid 80s at best. And that's kind of the point. With all the teams, the talent is watered down.
Depending on the reputation of the team/program has a bearing on who they play. A friend complained his son (mid level D3 recruit) played all mediocre teams on back fields never seeing a college coach.
RJM posted:Golfman25 posted:3and2Fastball posted:Appreciate the perspectives everyone.
At the Perfect Game 16U WWBA this week, the Top 20 pitchers are all throwing 90 mph or higher. If you are a position player aiming at D1 and you are not playing against that type of competition, you are really really behind. That is what college coaches are telling me.
Reality is, if my 2021 14 year old isn't ready to hit 90 mph fastballs in 2 years, he'll be more on the path to D3. If there is somewhere other than Perfect Game where he can consistently face that velocity, please let me know!!!!
With 300+ teams at these events, you won't be consistently facing that velocity. Maybe you'll get lucky and face one. If you played our organizations team you would have seen low to mid 80s at best. And that's kind of the point. With all the teams, the talent is watered down.
Depending on the reputation of the team/program has a bearing on who they play. A friend complained his son (mid level D3 recruit) played all mediocre teams on back fields never seeing a college coach.
If 20 players are throwing 90+, out of over 7,000 players (assuming just under 2,000 are POs) chances are about 1% you are going to face one of those guys. I don't think the pools are stacked to put top teams against each other, that plays out naturally in bracket play. My son, a young 16 year old 2019, played at both 17U USA Baseball and PG WWBA 17U this summer and I asked him which event had better pitching. He said PG had much better pitchers. I took him to these events for exposure first and foremost, but also to face really good competition. If you can perform on these stages, you should be sitting good in varsity baseball here in San Diego.
Next season should be a good one for my son.
Golfman25 posted:3and2Fastball posted:Appreciate the perspectives everyone.
At the Perfect Game 16U WWBA this week, the Top 20 pitchers are all throwing 90 mph or higher. If you are a position player aiming at D1 and you are not playing against that type of competition, you are really really behind. That is what college coaches are telling me.
Reality is, if my 2021 14 year old isn't ready to hit 90 mph fastballs in 2 years, he'll be more on the path to D3. If there is somewhere other than Perfect Game where he can consistently face that velocity, please let me know!!!!
With 300+ teams at these events, you won't be consistently facing that velocity. Maybe you'll get lucky and face one. If you played our organizations team you would have seen low to mid 80s at best. And that's kind of the point. With all the teams, the talent is watered down.
Ah yes. Thanks for the reality check!