Is the Perfect Game Worth It?

Is a Perfect Game Showcase worth it?

Their website implies a lot. Millions of pageviews, well over 10,000 PG attendees were drafted, 300,000+ college commits, and access to college coaches, to say nothing of guys like Bryce Harper and Manny Machado who attended these things. How can it not be worth every penny you’ve got?

But…

In the majority of cases, the answer is ‘probably not.’

4 Major Misperceptions

Here’s why:

1. You won’t get a scholarship here.

That’s not how these things work. Even if they do attend, coaches aren’t waiting to see you take a few hacks at a tourney in South Florida with a checkbook waiting for that perfect swing. For 99% of future college players, getting a college scholarship to play baseball or fastpitch is a process [start that by checking this out] that is independent of hitting a couple of doubles one weekend at a PG Showcase. The 300K college commits didn’t happen BECAUSE of PG.

2. Don’t expect to play in better competition than you do in your local weekend tournaments.

These are pay-to-play tournaments, so you’re not playing the best nationwide. You’re playing the kid with parents who have enough money to make it happen and like baseball enough to commit a week to it. That’s not the same as the best and, in some cases, far from it.

3. You won’t be scouted here.

If you’re good enough to stand out in a crowd of 200 kids, the scouts/coaches have already found you. If you’re not, and your goal from this showcase is to be, then a showcase isn’t the route you should go anyways. If you’re attempting to get in touch and be seen by college coaches, there are way more efficient ways to do so [see here].

4. The coaching is good, but it isn’t groundbreaking.

The coaches and clinic drivers at this showcase are perfectly reasonable individuals who know plenty of baseballs.

Is it too expensive?

This is a personal question. While undoubtedly renowned, the Perfect Game Showcases exhibit a propensity for being excessively priced, to put it one way. Acknowledging that Perfect Game operates as a privately held, profit-driven enterprise might be useful. Well-intentioned parents with hopes and aspirations for their kids may be exploited because they can’t afford to make the trip but sacrifice too much.

Again, if your goal is to get a college scholarship or meet college coaches hoping you’ll get picked out of the lineup, this is not the way to go about it.

But if it’s worth it to you will depend on the next three things you might get from attending a Perfect Game Showcase.

3 Things You Will Get

1.  A reasonably cool experience to play with kids from all over the country. As we mention, these kids aren’t the best of the best but the ones that can afford a trip like this. But it’s still fun to play with kids from all over the country that, if nothing else, love baseball. And it’s always fun to get some ABs.
2. A family vacation. Travel ball and baseball, for many, are synonymous with family vacations. So, if you want a reason to go to Disney World, this might be it.
3. PG does offer a profile page and the ability to record metrics and track that on a nice page for you to send some coaches at some point. (So, if you can sit on an airplane or car for an 8-hour drive and then run your best 60 times, by all means, go, go, go!). But note, you’ll be the one sending it out (PG does not do this for you), and the coach you send it to likely wants you to go to his camp anyways so he can record you with his own eyes.

Walter Beede at beedebaseball.com offers up some more encouraging answers too, might be worth a look. Of course, getting in more baseball or fastpitch, seeing different pitchers, and having a family vacation are all fun. And if you’ve got money to spend, go for it. So, in that vein, the showcases can very much be ‘worth it.’ And you wouldn’t be the first to go and have a grand old time. Baseball is fun, remember.

Should You Go to Perfect Game?

The decision to attend a Perfect Game Showcase depends on your goals and expectations. However, considering the limitations and potential costs, it is often unlikely to be a worthwhile investment for most individuals doing it to advance their baseball careers. While there may be some enjoyable aspects, such as playing with peers from different regions and combining it with a family vacation, the showcases generally do not track towards scholarships, offer the highest level of competition, or provide groundbreaking coaching. Therefore, carefully considering the associated factors is advised before participating in a Perfect Game Showcase.

Commonly Asked Questions

What Is the Perfect Game Showcase?

The Perfect Game showcases are baseball events intended and pitched to offer high-school athletes a platform to demonstrate their skills against their peers. Over the years, they have seen many participants play college baseball; some are selected in the MLB draft, with numerous alumni making their mark in the big leagues. These tournaments are also relatively expensive. PG has positioned these showcases, commendably so, as the Ivy League of youth baseball and fastpitch tournaments.

Isn’t the Perfect Game Where a Bunch of MLB Players Went?

Yes. But here’s the rub. They weren’t drafted or recruited to college ball because they went to a PG showcase. They were already on everyone’s radar. So, when PG Showcases say they have thousands of players drafted, what they are implying isn’t true. They weren’t drafted because they went to the PGS. They went to the PGS because they were getting drafted. The distinction is everything.

Does everyone get Invited to a Perfect Game Showcase?

Generally, yes. These are pay-to-play showcases where you will get invited if you have the means or the connection. The draw is that “big-time” prospects will be there, and PG does a good job of getting some to attend and play. Depending on the showcase type, PG does try and require some qualifications to attend. But, in the end, this is a privately held for-profit institution looking to maximize its revenue. They will not go with spots unfilled.

What do you get at a perfect game showcase?

Usually, a lot of swag. We were given a bat bag, a couple of uniforms, some batting gloves, a cool PG hat, and a batting helmet when we attended one. There were likely some other baseball-level promotional items in the bag too.

What’s the cost of attending a Perfect Game Showcase?

It depends on what showcase you attend, but excluding travel, you can expect to pay anywhere from $250 to $750.