Behind The Diamond

Let me say this as clearly as I can. I am not against showcases. I am not against travel teams. I am not against summer ball. Each of those things has its place in a player’s development when used at the right time and for the right reasons. But here is the reality I face every single summer as a coach. Players are flooding into showcases across the country with nothing to showcase. They show up with below average measurables, unrefined skills, underdeveloped bodies, and no real game presence. And yet they expect to be noticed. They expect to be recruited. They expect to walk away from the event with interest, attention, or even offers. Instead, they leave with silence.

This is not a judgment. It is not personal. It is an honest look at the current landscape of youth baseball. Too many players are chasing exposure when they need to be chasing development. They are putting themselves in front of evaluators before they have built anything worth evaluating. Showcases have become the default summer activity for a lot of high school players. It is the thing to do. It feels important. It looks impressive on social media. You get a number on your back, a video package, a profile, and maybe even a writeup from a scout. But just because it looks like progress does not mean it is. What exactly are you showcasing if you are not physically prepared? What are you showing if your bat speed is below average, your sixty yard dash is slow, and your mechanics are inconsistent?

I have seen it too many times. A player signs up for a big name showcase. He runs a 7.5 sixty. He throws 73 across the infield. He hits a few weak ground balls in BP. He gets beat by velocity in live at bats. He blends in with every other kid who was not ready. And worse than that, he gets labeled. Once a scout sees a kid who is not ready, that image is hard to shake. The player gets crossed off, not followed. That window of opportunity just got smaller, and the player does not even know it.

There is a huge difference between wanting to be seen and being ready to be seen. Visibility is not the goal. Readiness is. When you attend a showcase, you are stepping into an evaluation environment. This is not a place to learn, to fix things, or to get reps. It is a stage. You are being judged, timed, measured, compared. Too many players mistake attendance for achievement. Just because you are at the event does not mean you belong at the level. Just because you pay the entry fee does not mean you are on par with the kids who have trained for this. Scouts are not looking to develop you. They are looking to project you. And if what you show them is not explosive, not efficient, not competitive, you are not helping your cause. You are actually hurting it.

Every summer, players stand at a crossroads. Do I play on a summer team? Do I attend multiple showcases? Do I stay home and train? Do I work on my body and get stronger? There is no universal answer. Each player’s path is unique. But there is one guiding truth that applies across the board. If your tools are not ready, if your game is not refined, if your body is not strong, if your metrics are not competitive, you need to train. You do not need to showcase. Not yet. There is no shame in not being ready. But there is danger in pretending you are.

Parents, I understand. You want to support your son. You want to give him every opportunity to chase his dream. You hear about showcases. You see other kids going. You wonder if you are falling behind. But here is what you need to understand. Going to a showcase when your son is not physically ready is not a step forward. It is a step sideways. Sometimes it is a step backward. Coaches are not interested in potential unless it is paired with performance. They are not investing in kids who cannot move, hit, throw, or compete at the level they recruit for. You are not doing your son a favor by sending him to events where he cannot stand out. In fact, you may be closing doors instead of opening them. What your son needs is honest feedback. A development plan. Time to grow, to train, to build. Exposure will come — but it needs to be earned. Let him prepare in private before trying to perform in public.

Let us clear this up. Scouts are not looking for the best stats on your high school team. They are not impressed by your batting average or your win loss record. They are not moved by how many Instagram followers you have. They are looking for tools. They are evaluating things like arm strength, foot speed, bat speed, clean mechanics, athletic movement, body projection, game presence, and competitive maturity. They are asking themselves questions like, can this kid play at our level? Can he grow into a starting role? Does he have tools we can develop? If the answer is no, they move on. Quickly. And if your showcase performance does not provide evidence of those tools, then you are wasting your chance.

Here is what too many players ignore. The weight room is not optional. It is essential. This is where you create bat speed. This is where you create power. This is where you increase velocity. This is where you become an athlete that coaches cannot ignore. You cannot shortcut physical development. You cannot fake strength or explosiveness. The only way to earn those traits is by training for them. If you are undersized, underpowered, and inconsistent, you do not need another showcase. You need another squat rack session. You need another sprint session. You need more time under tension, more force production, more athletic movement. Build the engine before you try to race the car.

Travel baseball is not a bad thing. When done right, it gives players competitive reps, situational learning, and valuable experiences. But the travel ball scene has become so bloated with teams and events and rankings that it is hard to know if you are actually developing or just staying busy. Ask yourself, are you playing meaningful innings? Are you getting coached and corrected? Are you training during the week or just playing every weekend? Is your body improving or just surviving the schedule? If your summer team has you sitting half the games, playing random positions, or flying all over the country without any clear training plan, then what are you really doing? You do not need more games. You need the right games.

This is one of the hardest lessons to learn. Just because you are doing a lot does not mean you are improving. Going to four showcases, playing every weekend, and being constantly on the move may look like commitment. But if your body is not changing, your swing is not improving, your velocity is flat, and your results are the same — then all you are doing is maintaining the same level. Real progress is quiet. It happens in the gym. It happens in the cage. It happens in the bullpen. It happens when no one is watching. Do not mistake being busy for getting better.

Let us be honest. No one wants to hear that they are not ready. Players do not want to hear it. Parents do not want to hear it. Trainers and coaches sometimes avoid saying it. But someone has to say it. You only get so many chances to make a first impression. And once that impression is made, it sticks. If your showcase video shows poor footwork, a weak arm, or a slow bat, that does not go away with time. That becomes your baseline. Waiting to showcase is not weakness. It is wisdom. Take the time. Train with urgency. Build with purpose. Then go showcase with confidence.

Summer is an opportunity. But how you use it will determine whether you grow or stay the same. You can spend the summer flying to events, getting average feedback, and wondering why nothing is changing. Or you can spend the summer building. Train your body. Increase your strength. Clean up your mechanics. Raise your ceiling. Turn yourself into a different player. Then, when you do step onto that showcase field, you are not just present. You are prepared. You are ready to compete. You are ready to stand out. And that is when exposure actually works.

If you are a player reading this, know this one thing. You do not need to rush the process. You need to respect the process. You do not need to chase exposure. You need to chase improvement. You do not need to be seen. You need to be ready to be seen. Take pride in the work that no one sees. Embrace the grind. Earn the measurables. Train with purpose. Grow your body and your mind. Let your future self thank you for the sacrifices you make this summer. You only get one shot at this journey. Do not waste it trying to shortcut your way to the top. Be the player who shows up next year and shocks everyone with the transformation. Be the player who spent the summer in the weight room while everyone else was chasing trophies. Be the player who showcases something real.