For us to most accurately evaluate a player we need to see him play in games and run through the skills. The showcases have games, but those games are not quite the same as watching a player compete on a team that is trying to win. Therefore we like to see players at both a showcase and at highly competitive tournaments. It gives us the best opportunity to see and evaluate a player.
That is our side of things!
The problem is this stuff can get costly. So sometimes it is important to understand what you are dealing with.
If a player is outstanding in competitive games, but lacks the ability to run well or throw well or hit with power (those things that can be measured and used for comparison) He might be best off concentrating on "team" play. But someone has to be at those games and see him perform.
If the player has adequate tools (doesn't have to be super tools) he should go to individual events (like showcases and Tryouts) but only if those events provide exposure in some way to decision makers. Then he should still get on the best possible team that plays in the best possible events for exposure.
Where I often disagree with others involves the highest level talents. These guys are hurting themselves if they don't attend the best possible showcases and tournaments. People argue that things worked out, he was drafted and is committed to a good college, things have turned out well. My argument is they will never know what they might have missed out on. Check out the difference between first round money and 5th round money. Whose to say, that every powerhouse college program would have wanted him, if they would have had the chance to see him. Truth is, and it can be proven, almost every kid drafted in the first round out of high school has in fact attended these showcases and/or has played on a summer team that plays in high profile events. If you are one of the best, do you want 10 decision makers to know about you or hundreds of decision makers to know about you? And how do those decision makers know how you compare to the other most talented kids in the country?
So of spending your money wisely is important to you... Find out how your son compares to others. Buy a stop watch and time him. If he runs an 8+ in 60 yards, he will not compare favorably with the fast kids. If he throws 65mph from his position, he will not compare well to those with good arms. If he has trouble hitting the baseball out of the infield, he shouldn't be going to individual showcases. No matter how well he might do in the actual games, he will not create much interest.
The one thing that is important to understand that contradicts the above... Hitting stands out in every case. If a player is one of the best hitters, the other things become less important. But once again a hitter is easier to evaluate when you watch both BP and game performance. That is why scouts come early to watch prospects take BP. This is another area that makes showcases more important. Scouts also watch infield before games. After all, an outfielder could play several games before he has a play that will show off his fielding skills or arm strength. Just as a hitter might play a whole game without seeing a good pitch to hit. Bottom line... The games don't give an evaluator everything he needs to know for an accurate assessment of the player.
Back to the original poster... Pop times in the 2.0 - 2.1 range without cheating are good times. Sure, there are some that will be better, but so what If they are. As an underclassman those are even better times. The late TR (RIP) and I used to debate about this. He would say he didn't care about pop times, all he cared about was whether or not the runner was out. I understood where he was coming from as a coach. However, we can't accurately evaluate a catcher based whether or not the runner is thrown out. That would be the result of what the pitcher did and how good the runner is. We need to know if the catcher is capable of throwing out a fast runner that gets a good jump. A 2.5 pop time will not get that done and the runners at each of the next levels become better. So what works now might seem good, but the same thing might not work very well at the next level. There is the "now" player, he is fairly easy to evaluate. Then there is the question of how good might the player become In the future. That one is a lot tougher to be accurate about. Anyway, that is why statistics, while still important, can't be relied on. The statistics that matter the most are how well do you run, throw, field, hit and hit for power. Those 5 tools, or a combination of those tools will determine how good a prospect you might be. Then other things like size, body type, bloodlines, and makeup help determine how your projection might be considered.
Finally, If you go to a showcase and your skills are far below others at that event. There is no reason to spend money going to more showcases. Much better to spend your money on good high quality instruction And playing as much baseball as possible. Just make sure you are getting the good stuff... All instruction is not equal. If you get a lot better, then you can think about another showcase.
I have a standard reply when someone I don't know asks if their son should attend a showcase that is open to anyone. Possibly someone here has heard it. Anyway here it is... If your son has talent you will be very happy you attended. If your son lacks talent, you will be throwing your money out the window.
I've seen a few that lack talent in every area once they have shown up. When that happens we are all asking each other... Why is he here? But for the most part, all the kids we see have next level talent. Obviously some better than others, but most everyone shows some skills in one area or another. I think that is a result of the cost of attending the event. But you can't buy your way to the top as a baseball player.
I hope somewhere in this long winded post, someone gained something helpful. It doesn't matter whether it is something that causes you to spend money or save money. I have no interest in your money, we do fine without it. But if your son has a lot of talent we want to see it. Doesn't matter if it is a PG event or another event that we scout, like the Area Codes, East Coast Pro, Tournament of Stars, etc.
