Which Showcase should we attend?

Well there is some very good information in the posts here.  However, some of that information is not correct.

Grading a player involves projection to some degree.  However extreme projection on some is harder than others.

using an example... The 2020 that was mentioned throwing 86 and receiving a 9 grade.  The 9 is because he is a 2020.  There are no upperclassmen pitchers that top out at 86 and get a higher grade. Depending on many things, if he were a 2017 grad, his grade could be anything from a 7.5 to a 9.  It wouldn't be surprising to see him end up at 10 or even an 8 in three years.

The one thing I wish people would quit doing is comparing prices as though everything else is equal.  Those thinking they are just doing something to gain experience, could be very surprised on how different the experiences can be from one event to another.

Also I wish people understood that we look at everything and consider everything.  Many first round picks have a weak skill.  Not every DI prospect. Throws well, runs well, or has power.  Hitting for example is probably the number one tool that both pro scouts and college coaches are looking at. Guys like Billy Butler didn't get to the big leagues based on anything other than his hitting ability.

Probably the least revealing skill/tool is speed.  By itself it is almost meaningless.  Then again if it combines with another skill or two it becomes very valuable.  Any single skill/tool stands out.  

Same thing goes for pitching.  Obviously velocity cannot be ignored.  However, if a pitcher shows outstanding command or an outstanding breaking ball, he doesn't need as much velocity to impress people.  It is not so simple that you put everyone in order based on velocity alone.  Yet, those pitchers that have the best velocity create a lot of interest.  And the biggest kicker is, you never know for sure how much velocity a pitcher might gain in the future.  But there are clues and that is what we look for. Some are much easier to project than others.

Over the years we have had people that think you show up and you get recruited.  It just doesn't work that way for everyone.  A player has to create interest. Maybe most important is they have to create interest by us.  If they can't do that, they are not going to get decision makers interested.  We would love to see every player get recruited by DI programs and/or get drafted.  Unfortunately that is not possible.

We have coaches contacting us all the time asking about players.  We have enough experience that we know if players can compete at various levels.  Many college coaches know this and even lots of DIII coaches want help recruiting kids that can help their program.

To me it is real simple... No matter what age!

A player lacks ability, really doesn't do anything that might interest a next level coach.  Perfect Game will give you every opportunity to show what you can do.  I feel sorry for the boy that parents put in an event and he just doesn't belong there.  We don't see many like that, but it's not good when we do.  Simple.... Don't spend money on Perfect Game Showcases unless you have something to show.  Have at least one skill, run, throw, field, hit, hit with power.  If you can't do at least one of those things well, you have no reason to attend any showcase and especially not a Perfect Game showcase.

A player that has excellent ability in one or more of the tools... That is the player that ends up being happy he came to a Perfect Game Showcase.  He will be known by most every decision maker in baseball.  Because our scouting service is by far the biggest one in all of baseball.  Most all colleges and all MLB clubs are subscribers.  Something that is very easy... Watching players at a PG event and knowing what is going to happen in the near future.  I actually have no problem trying to talk certain players into attending certain events.  Because I know how happy they will be that they attended.  There are even a few that have parents that post here that have experienced that.

Lastly, when it comes to baseball, I absolutely never lie.  If I do, I'm going to get caught.  That does not mean I am always correct.  I do not know everything there is to know about baseball, but due to experience and age, I do know quite a bit and I enjoy helping others.  I get quite a few private messages on this site.  Unless it is something very personal, I would rather someone just post the questions they have.  That way rather than answering for one person, I can answer for anyone that might be interested.  Also, I mean this, I get so many emails it is impossible to keep up with them.  Truth is I seldom check those private messages. At the same time I don't mind posting long replies like this one, because I can answer lots of questions people might have at one time.

PGStaff posted:

Well there is some very good information in the posts here.  However, some of that information is not correct.

Grading a player involves projection to some degree.  However extreme projection on some is harder than others.

using an example... The 2020 that was mentioned throwing 86 and receiving a 9 grade.  The 9 is because he is a 2020.  There are no upperclassmen pitchers that top out at 86 and get a higher grade. Depending on many things, if he were a 2017 grad, his grade could be anything from a 7.5 to a 9.  It wouldn't be surprising to see him end up at 10 or even an 8 in three years.

The one thing I wish people would quit doing is comparing prices as though everything else is equal.  Those thinking they are just doing something to gain experience, could be very surprised on how different the experiences can be from one event to another.

Also I wish people understood that we look at everything and consider everything.  Many first round picks have a weak skill.  Not every DI prospect. Throws well, runs well, or has power.  Hitting for example is probably the number one tool that both pro scouts and college coaches are looking at. Guys like Billy Butler didn't get to the big leagues based on anything other than his hitting ability.

Probably the least revealing skill/tool is speed.  By itself it is almost meaningless.  Then again if it combines with another skill or two it becomes very valuable.  Any single skill/tool stands out.  

Same thing goes for pitching.  Obviously velocity cannot be ignored.  However, if a pitcher shows outstanding command or an outstanding breaking ball, he doesn't need as much velocity to impress people.  It is not so simple that you put everyone in order based on velocity alone.  Yet, those pitchers that have the best velocity create a lot of interest.  And the biggest kicker is, you never know for sure how much velocity a pitcher might gain in the future.  But there are clues and that is what we look for. Some are much easier to project than others.

Over the years we have had people that think you show up and you get recruited.  It just doesn't work that way for everyone.  A player has to create interest. Maybe most important is they have to create interest by us.  If they can't do that, they are not going to get decision makers interested.  We would love to see every player get recruited by DI programs and/or get drafted.  Unfortunately that is not possible.

We have coaches contacting us all the time asking about players.  We have enough experience that we know if players can compete at various levels.  Many college coaches know this and even lots of DIII coaches want help recruiting kids that can help their program.

To me it is real simple... No matter what age!

A player lacks ability, really doesn't do anything that might interest a next level coach.  Perfect Game will give you every opportunity to show what you can do.  I feel sorry for the boy that parents put in an event and he just doesn't belong there.  We don't see many like that, but it's not good when we do.  Simple.... Don't spend money on Perfect Game Showcases unless you have something to show.  Have at least one skill, run, throw, field, hit, hit with power.  If you can't do at least one of those things well, you have no reason to attend any showcase and especially not a Perfect Game showcase.

A player that has excellent ability in one or more of the tools... That is the player that ends up being happy he came to a Perfect Game Showcase.  He will be known by most every decision maker in baseball.  Because our scouting service is by far the biggest one in all of baseball.  Most all colleges and all MLB clubs are subscribers.  Something that is very easy... Watching players at a PG event and knowing what is going to happen in the near future.  I actually have no problem trying to talk certain players into attending certain events.  Because I know how happy they will be that they attended.  There are even a few that have parents that post here that have experienced that.

Lastly, when it comes to baseball, I absolutely never lie.  If I do, I'm going to get caught.  That does not mean I am always correct.  I do not know everything there is to know about baseball, but due to experience and age, I do know quite a bit and I enjoy helping others.  I get quite a few private messages on this site.  Unless it is something very personal, I would rather someone just post the questions they have.  That way rather than answering for one person, I can answer for anyone that might be interested.  Also, I mean this, I get so many emails it is impossible to keep up with them.  Truth is I seldom check those private messages. At the same time I don't mind posting long replies like this one, because I can answer lots of questions people might have at one time.

PG 

does it help out in the recruit process if my player is selected to multi PG  - All tournament teams ? Or do they even look at certain numbers ?

RKBH posted:

I thought I would add my 2 cents.  The summer between Freshman and Soph year we took my son to a local D1 school ( about an hour away).  My husband had graduated from there and my older son is a student there.  It was a good way for my son to get used to a college camp without feeling any pressure.  Just to see what the competition was like and if he could keep up.  The coaches were amazing...and they also had some D3 coaches there who gave my son some tips.    All in all it was a great experience.  But as a caveat - my son is no longer pursuing college baseball (he is a 2017)...going to camps got to be too much for him...so be careful not to overwhelm your child.  All in all, we attended a total of about  7 college camps over the past 3 years in addition to PG event in GA this past summer, a PBR event in NY in June.   I think the summer events just did him in, too much pressure to perform and and he just stopped enjoying the process.

To me, thats a very valuable post RKBH.  Most parents that reach the point you and your son have just stop posting.  I think its very important to listen to your son(/daughter).  It has to be fun, or else...

Our older daughter is the best athlete in our family.  Easily.  She has been very good at everything she tried. Soccer, softball, gymnastics, diving, volleyball...even baseball at a young age.  She's fast, she's athletic, she works her tail off.

Yet after 4 years as a varsity HS and club diver (one of the best in our area of CA), despite her (club) coach telling her she could dive at a D1, she hung it up.  Why?  She wanted to pursue engineering and couldn't see how she could do both.  It wasn't so much "fun" anymore to her.  I was awfully proud of her decision, and she is now about a year away from graduating in engineering...and doing terrific at that too.

I'm awfully glad we listened to her.  Couldn't be happier about that.

There has been some discussion about PG going too young and maybe doing other things with a profit motive in mind, but once you read PGSTAFF's post, it really drives the point home that profit is not the #1 priority.  While the joke about parking at Lakepoint may never fade away completely, I wanted to applaud PGSTAFF for providing a very clear outline as to the purpose PG showcases serve and what purposes they do not serve.  The advice to not showcase when you do not yet have an above average tool is really good advice - and comes from THE source.

Thanks for bringing clarity to the subject.

C2019,

The best way for me to answer your question is... It sure won't hurt!

However, the all tournament teams are based on statistics.  And statistics are not the most reliable ingredient.  That said, when a player is on several All Tournament lists, it starts to mean more and more.

Any of our top prospect lists would carry a lot more weight with recruiters and scouts.  Still, I would definitely want to tell any college I was interested in, that I made multiple, or even one, PG All Tournament list. It does show that a player performed well and that always means a lot and could create some interest.

Congratulations BTW.

justbaseball posted:

RKBH posted:

I thought I would add my 2 cents.  The summer between Freshman and Soph year we took my son to a local D1 school ( about an hour away).  My husband had graduated from there and my older son is a student there.  It was a good way for my son to get used to a college camp without feeling any pressure.  Just to see what the competition was like and if he could keep up.  The coaches were amazing...and they also had some D3 coaches there who gave my son some tips.    All in all it was a great experience.  But as a caveat - my son is no longer pursuing college baseball (he is a 2017)...going to camps got to be too much for him...so be careful not to overwhelm your child.  All in all, we attended a total of about  7 college camps over the past 3 years in addition to PG event in GA this past summer, a PBR event in NY in June.   I think the summer events just did him in, too much pressure to perform and and he just stopped enjoying the process.

To me, thats a very valuable post RKBH.  Most parents that reach the point you and your son have just stop posting.  I think its very important to listen to your son(/daughter).  It has to be fun, or else...

Our older daughter is the best athlete in our family.  Easily.  She has been very good at everything she tried. Soccer, softball, gymnastics, diving, volleyball...even baseball at a young age.  She's fast, she's athletic, she works her tail off.

Yet after 4 years as a varsity HS and club diver (one of the best in our area of CA), despite her (club) coach telling her she could dive at a D1, she hung it up.  Why?  She wanted to pursue engineering and couldn't see how she could do both.  It wasn't so much "fun" anymore to her.  I was awfully proud of her decision, and she is now about a year away from graduating in engineering...and doing terrific at that too.

I'm awfully glad we listened to her.  Couldn't be happier about that.

So glad to hear it worked out for your daughter.  To be honest, I am still feeling bad that my son does not want to pursue college baseball but I am not telling him that.  I am staying on this site because I think our experiences can help others.    He will be fine wherever he decides to go to college.  The Patriot League school he is going to apply to has a club team...so maybe he will do that...but if I know him he will play rec soccer, golf and any other sport he can get his hands (or club)  on a ball!!!  My son would like to study at the London School of Economics for a few semesters...that is 1 of the reasons he is not going after college baseball...but I hear there are club/intramurals in London as well...so hopefully he will find those when he does go there.  Thanks for making me feel good about my posting.  

2017LHPSCREWBALL,

Thanks for saying that... Anyone that really knows me well will tell you I'm not motivated by money or profits.  My goals have nothing to do with personal wealth.

That said, we have created somewhat of a monster.   I don't run the business and do concentrate on the baseball.  Like any business we need to be profitable, but I was just as happy the first several years when we were going broke, other than going broke wasn't much fun.  If it wasn't for what we were doing helping young baseball players in our home state, Perfect Game would have gone out of business many years ago.

I will admit, though making a pile of money was never the goal.  I have been very lucky to have a lot of great people on our staff.  And though money was never the motivation, I'm not allergic to the stuff!  I just don't need a lot of it to be happy. 

PGStaff posted:

2017LHPSCREWBALL,

Thanks for saying that... Anyone that really knows me well will tell you I'm not motivated by money or profits.  My goals have nothing to do with personal wealth.

That said, we have created somewhat of a monster.   I don't run the business and do concentrate on the baseball.  Like any business we need to be profitable, but I was just as happy the first several years when we were going broke, other than going broke wasn't much fun.  If it wasn't for what we were doing helping young baseball players in our home state, Perfect Game would have gone out of business many years ago.

I will admit, though making a pile of money was never the goal.  I have been very lucky to have a lot of great people on our staff.  And though money was never the motivation, I'm not allergic to the stuff!  I just don't need a lot of it to be happy. 

For what its worth that coincides with what the 14/15u crowd thinks of you, that you are in it now and always have been for the love of the game and for helping kids.

RKBH posted:

So glad to hear it worked out for your daughter.  To be honest, I am still feeling bad that my son does not want to pursue college baseball but I am not telling him that.  I am staying on this site because I think our experiences can help others.    He will be fine wherever he decides to go to college.  The Patriot League school he is going to apply to has a club team...so maybe he will do that...but if I know him he will play rec soccer, golf and any other sport he can get his hands (or club)  on a ball!!!  My son would like to study at the London School of Economics for a few semesters...that is 1 of the reasons he is not going after college baseball...but I hear there are club/intramurals in London as well...so hopefully he will find those when he does go there.  Thanks for making me feel good about my posting.  

I'll add one more thing that may become relevant to your son.  A number of times our daughter has wandered by the pool and seen the diving team practicing at her university.  She will tell me things like, "I'm pretty sure I would've/could've done well on that team - but I'm happy with my decision."

We are too.

I am not speaking abt PG showcases specifically. My son has done regional and PBR showcases, and played in PG tourneys, but never a PG showcase...

A showcase is good becasue

- It's fun and interesting to see where your player stacks up against the talent. You won't find many 8th graders at showcases however.

- It's a good way to get your player to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations. It's basically tryout practice. Like taking the SATs a couple times.

A showcase is bad because

- You pay your money and your player spends most of the time waiting around for their chance to demonstrate his abilities. You will travel and wait around all day for abt 15 minutes of actual playtime. And if he's a Pitcher Only? Forget about it. One inning. Maybe two. It drives my son crazy. He hates them even though he recognizes their value. It might be nerve wracking as an 8th grader waiting around and watching 16YOs throwing 85.

- If you don't have a specific goal, like a specific school or a specific coach that you want to see your player, then it may be a waste of money. Like I said my son has done a few showcases and they have generated interest. A coach will email and say I saw you here or there, but the next sentence is usually an invitation to their college camp (for more $$$).

One thing I did with my son as an 8th grader was sign him up for a winter camp at the local small D3 state college. It was an accident actually. I thought I was signing him up for a skills clinic. Come to find out it was really a high school prospect camp. The boy was big for his age and always played up and he did fine. He was not the worst player there. It was funny though to see him want to do everything - pop times, pitch, infield, etc, while the other players were trying out for primary positions. Kids don't think abt things the same way when they are barely out of Little League!

IMO the best way to get your player ready for the next level is to have him play up and find the best competition available. And keep him busy and keep it fun. Pitch to him and play catch with him. Enjoy every moment because it ends very suddenly.

PGStaff posted:

Well there is some very good information in the posts here.  However, some of that information is not correct.

Grading a player involves projection to some degree.  However extreme projection on some is harder than others.

using an example... The 2020 that was mentioned throwing 86 and receiving a 9 grade.  The 9 is because he is a 2020.  There are no upperclassmen pitchers that top out at 86 and get a higher grade. Depending on many things, if he were a 2017 grad, his grade could be anything from a 7.5 to a 9.  It wouldn't be surprising to see him end up at 10 or even an 8 in three years.

The one thing I wish people would quit doing is comparing prices as though everything else is equal.  Those thinking they are just doing something to gain experience, could be very surprised on how different the experiences can be from one event to another.

Also I wish people understood that we look at everything and consider everything.  Many first round picks have a weak skill.  Not every DI prospect. Throws well, runs well, or has power.  Hitting for example is probably the number one tool that both pro scouts and college coaches are looking at. Guys like Billy Butler didn't get to the big leagues based on anything other than his hitting ability.

Probably the least revealing skill/tool is speed.  By itself it is almost meaningless.  Then again if it combines with another skill or two it becomes very valuable.  Any single skill/tool stands out.  

Same thing goes for pitching.  Obviously velocity cannot be ignored.  However, if a pitcher shows outstanding command or an outstanding breaking ball, he doesn't need as much velocity to impress people.  It is not so simple that you put everyone in order based on velocity alone.  Yet, those pitchers that have the best velocity create a lot of interest.  And the biggest kicker is, you never know for sure how much velocity a pitcher might gain in the future.  But there are clues and that is what we look for. Some are much easier to project than others.

Over the years we have had people that think you show up and you get recruited.  It just doesn't work that way for everyone.  A player has to create interest. Maybe most important is they have to create interest by us.  If they can't do that, they are not going to get decision makers interested.  We would love to see every player get recruited by DI programs and/or get drafted.  Unfortunately that is not possible.

We have coaches contacting us all the time asking about players.  We have enough experience that we know if players can compete at various levels.  Many college coaches know this and even lots of DIII coaches want help recruiting kids that can help their program.

To me it is real simple... No matter what age!

A player lacks ability, really doesn't do anything that might interest a next level coach.  Perfect Game will give you every opportunity to show what you can do.  I feel sorry for the boy that parents put in an event and he just doesn't belong there.  We don't see many like that, but it's not good when we do.  Simple.... Don't spend money on Perfect Game Showcases unless you have something to show.  Have at least one skill, run, throw, field, hit, hit with power.  If you can't do at least one of those things well, you have no reason to attend any showcase and especially not a Perfect Game showcase.

A player that has excellent ability in one or more of the tools... That is the player that ends up being happy he came to a Perfect Game Showcase.  He will be known by most every decision maker in baseball.  Because our scouting service is by far the biggest one in all of baseball.  Most all colleges and all MLB clubs are subscribers.  Something that is very easy... Watching players at a PG event and knowing what is going to happen in the near future.  I actually have no problem trying to talk certain players into attending certain events.  Because I know how happy they will be that they attended.  There are even a few that have parents that post here that have experienced that.

Lastly, when it comes to baseball, I absolutely never lie.  If I do, I'm going to get caught.  That does not mean I am always correct.  I do not know everything there is to know about baseball, but due to experience and age, I do know quite a bit and I enjoy helping others.  I get quite a few private messages on this site.  Unless it is something very personal, I would rather someone just post the questions they have.  That way rather than answering for one person, I can answer for anyone that might be interested.  Also, I mean this, I get so many emails it is impossible to keep up with them.  Truth is I seldom check those private messages. At the same time I don't mind posting long replies like this one, because I can answer lots of questions people might have at one time.

@PGStaff Great information and thank you for sharing it.  Quick question though, when will your Showcases be posted on the PG Website?  We live in Omaha and would like to participate either by observing or actually being a part of the process.

Thank you again!