There is a TON of confusion among parents and players as to what differentiates some events from others. As you can see to the right, the NCAA definition of a showcase is very broad. Anything involving “competition between student-athletes” is technically a showcase.

So what exactly is the difference between going to a Best in the US event, going to a Perfect Game showcase, or going to an individual college’s camp?

There are many differences… but it always comes down to the attending college coaches.

To simplify things, we like to break down these events in 4 different categories:

#1. A Showcase Camp with College Coaches Attending (like Best in the US!)

#2. A Showcase with No Coaches - done for a ranking or for metrics

#3. A College Program’s Camp

#4. A Fully Instructional Camp

Our events, are (by NCAA standards) a showcase camp with college coaches attending. They are showcase camps, meaning that coaches are hired to work the event. For events like ours, that means taking care of their travel, lodging, meals, etc.

That is the reason why when you attend a Best in the US event you will see 50+ coaches lined up and down the foul lines watching and evaluating the athletes!

Parents are always very surprised to see that many coaches, because they have been to so many other showcases where there are 0 college coaches in attendance and the athlete is being evaluated by a member of that company’s staff.

Without going into specifics of other event or showcase companies, let’s talk about some of the valuable pieces of showcases YOU need to look for when making your decision!

As we have previously mentioned, there are a TON of showcase options out there for you. You get bombarded with emails and it can be overwhelming!

When looking at a showcase event it is always vital to ask yourself two very important questions.

#1. What’s included with this event?

#2. How will this event help my son continue his baseball career?

While that may seem pretty simple, analyzing the value is extremely important for the players and parents to save you time and money.

Let’s start with #2!

Ultimately helping the athlete is the main goal! What helps your son’s baseball career is NOT always attending a Best in the US event or ANY event! Sometimes it’s best to say “he’s not ready yet”! We always say “you should not go to a showcase if you don’t have the skills to showcase!” Sometimes that money and time would be better spent at an instruction-focused camp where the athlete can improve.

Next, let’s think about “What’s Included” in a showcase event and sift through some of the items of value that can be included in different showcase events to benefit your baseball career.

#1. Access to College Coaches

• This is an easy one! No matter how much technology has changed the world, the majority of recruiting is done by a coach with his own two eyes!

#2. Video

• Having a skills video used to be a cool extra resource for players. It is now mandatory for players interested in college baseball to have a high-definition skills video to send to colleges.

#3. Verified Metrics

• How do college coaches know you are legit? They see verified results from verified sources. We use Trackman at our events which is trusted by all 30 MLB teams and 100’s of colleges. Being able to provide a coach or scout verified information they know is accurate is a game-changer.

#4. GamePlay & Gameplay Footage

• In addition to a skills video, Covid-19 has created a need for game-footage! At an event, playing in a live game is a HUGE plus… but having that game footage afterwards is incredibly valuable.

#5. Post-Event Recruiting Help

• The more resources you can be given, the better, especially for younger athletes.

#6. First Class Venues

• Some times you just want the opportunity to play at your dream colleges field or an INCREDIBLE stadium! Professional environments are a great plus as opposed to playing on your local high school field!

While there are a ton of credible events out there, it is up to YOU to ask the right questions before signing up for ANY event! Here are a few questions to ask and downfalls to avoid:

#1. What is the roster size? How much playing time will the athlete receive?

• We’ve ALL seen it! The 300+ player events with the player given jersey number #326. If there are 300+ players at an event you will be overlooked. In order to get all of the players their time, it needs to be taken from someone’s playing time.. probably yours!

#2. What are the add-on costs? Future events?

• Everyone hates purchasing something they think it $350, but then getting tacked on with so many add-on fees they ended up paying $800! At showcase events, when determining your budget think about the value that is included or needs to be tacked on. For instance, an event that is $399 with 25 coaches in attendance may seem more do-able than an event that is $599 with 55 coaches and video included… but if the $399 event charges $199 for video and $50 for your Rapsodo data then all of a sudden you are paying MORE for an event with LESS coaches!

• It’s also important to map out the long-term goals of the event. Is it trying to get you to go to more and more events for your “ranking” or for a “tryout”? A $199 event sounds like great value until they want you to come to 4-5 more events to “qualify”. Rankings serve no benefit to the athlete and are designed to appeal to the ego of the parents.

#3. Actual College Coaches in Attendance

• This is something we are passionate about because we know the amount of work it takes to gather such a large group of college coaches in one spot. The relationships and prep it takes into gathering large numbers of D1, D2, JUCO college coaches in one spot takes a LOT of work! Which is why it is up to YOU to ask the event who will be there, which member of the staff, and if they can guarantee it (barring any job changes).

Look at the four showcase events below (these are 4 real life events.. shoot us an email and we’ll happily let you know which is which!)

Which event provides the most value ?

Which event is best for you in your current place in the recruiting process?

There is no right or wrong answer! It all depends on where you are in your recruiting process and what you are looking for.