Are Perfect Game Showcases Worth It?

by Editorial team July 24, 2021

For many young baseball players, the ultimate goal is to play at the highest level possible. One valuable resource that players can use to discover by professional and collegiate recruiters is Perfect Game Showcases. Recruiters trust these showcases to highlight the best talents, and therefore, they want to attend to find the brightest new talents. However, despite the many positives of Perfect Game Showcases, there are some downfalls to this showcase, most notably the cost. In this blog, we will describe Perfect Game Showcases and discuss whether or not they are worth attending.

What is a Perfect Game Showcase?

Perfect Game Showcases serve as a platform where amateur baseball players can get discovered by scouts from various professional teams and collegiate programs. These showcases give players an excellent opportunity to display their skills to recruiters. Additionally, Perfect Game hosts tournaments attended by some of the country’s premier travel baseball teams. However, these tournaments differ from Perfect Game Showcases, as they are meant for teams, whereas showcases are intended to highlight the talents of individual players.

What Happens at Perfect Game Showcases?

At Perfect Game Showcases, coaches can see how well players can bat, throw, and catch. Additionally, players are evaluated on their strength and speed. To showcase these skills, all participants can participate in a professional-style workout and play a full-length baseball game. These professional-style workouts consist of a 60-yard dash, catching drills, exercises that measure the swing, and batting practice. It is also essential for players to keep in mind that recruiters are more than just physical ability. Coaches want a hard-working athlete on their team, and, as such, there is a great deal of emphasis placed on the effort at Perfect Game Showcases. At the end of the showcase, participants are provided with both a scouting report and a PG grade that can be used to rank them compared to their peers.

Benefits of Participating in a Perfect Game Showcase:

Now that we have explained what a Perfect Game Showcase is and what happens at these events, we will discuss some benefits of participating. Many benefits come with attending a Perfect Game Showcase, and we have included what we believe to be the top four:

1. Exposure to Coaches and Recruiters

Though the number of recruiters varies depending on the event, some Perfect Game Showcases attract hundreds of coaches. Because these events are so exclusive and have such a prestigious reputation, coaches are eager to attend to identify future talents. Perfect Game reported that coaches from almost every collegiate program had participated in their showcases. Additionally, they confirmed that recruiters from every Major League Baseball team scout players at their showcases. The more exposure you have to coaches from various levels of the Game, the more likely you are to be invited to play at the next level.

2. Understanding the Abilities of Your Peers

Some of the most talented baseball players in the country attend Perfect Game Showcases, and as such, when you hear one of these showcases, you are playing with the best of the best. Though this may be intimidating for some athletes, it has the potential to be highly beneficial. Athletes at Perfect Game Showcases can watch the best athletes in their sport and learn from them. This also allows athletes to understand better where they stand in comparison to their peers. Finally, participating in a showcase with highly talented players will let athletes see which aspects of their game they need to improve upon to stand out.

3. The Prestige of the Program

Perfect Game Showcases are invite-only, and, as such, they are very prestigious. Perfect Game only extends invitations to the best of the best, as these are the players who recruiters want to watch. Each year, over 90% of the top players in the country participate in these showcases. As a result of the prestige of Perfect Game Showcases, participation bodes exceptionally well for athletes who are trying to get recruited, either by a professional team or by a collegiate program. When a coach sees that an athlete participated in a Perfect Game Showcase, it shows them that other highly qualified individuals saw potential in the player. Additionally, as these showcases are rigorous, participation illustrates to coaches that the athlete can perform at an extremely high level.

4. The Success of the Program

Perfect Game is one of the most successful scouting programs in the country. A large majority of the players who went through the program are now playing either collegiately or professionally. Since 2003, over 10,000 Perfect Game alumni have been drafted by a Major League Baseball team, with 1,000 making a professional appearance. No other scouting program can boast these same statistics. All thirty teams that play in Major League Baseball have given a professional appearance to at least 38 players who had previously played in a Perfect Game Showcase. The complete list of how each Major League Baseball team has drafted many Perfect Game Showcase participants can be found here. Additionally, there will be twenty-seven players in the 2021 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, either on the first or reserve team, who attended an event conducted by Perfect Game. Those players include:

Alex Bregman (Third Baseman - Houston Astros)
Manny Machado (Third Baseman/Shortstop - San Diego Padres)
Mookie Betts (Right Fielder- Los Angeles Dodgers)
Mike Trout (Center Fielder - Los Angeles Angels)
Francisco Lindor (Shortstop - New York Mets)
George Springer (Right Fielder - Toronto Blue Jays)
Trevor Bauer (Pitcher - Los Angeles Dodgers)
Gerrit Cole (Pitcher - New York Yankees)
Corey Kluber (Pitcher - New York Yankees)
Christopher Sale (Pitcher - Boston Red Sox)
Nolan Arenado (Third Baseman - St. Louis Cardinals)
Javier Baez (Shortstop - Chicago Cubs)
Brandon Crawford (Shortstop - San Francisco Giants)
Fredde Freeman (First Baseman - Atlanta Braves)
Bryce Harper (Right Fielder - Philadelphia Phillies)
Buster Posey (Catcher- San Francisco Giants)
Paul Goldschmidt - (First Baseman - St. Louis Cardinals)
Trevor Story (Shortstop - Colorado Rockies)
Joseph Votto (First Baseman - Cincinnati Reds)
Charlie Blackmon (Center Fielder - Colorado Rockies)
Lorenzo Cain (Center Fielder - Milwaukee Brewers)
Christian Yelich (Right Fielder - Milwaukee Brewers)
Patrick Corbin (Pitcher - Washington Nationals)
Brad Hand (Pitcher - Washington Nationals)
Michael Foltynewicz (Pitcher - Texas Rangers)
Zack Grienke (Pitcher - Houston Astros)
Aaron Nola (Pitcher- Philadelphia Phillies)

Drawbacks of Participating in a Perfect Game Showcase:

Though there are many benefits of participating in a Perfect Game Showcase, there are some drawbacks. It is essential to weigh the positives against the negatives when deciding whether or not to participate in a Perfect Game Showcase. Below, we have listed what we believe to be the most prominent drawback of attending a Perfect Game Showcase.

Cost of Membership and Attendance

A membership with Perfect Game brings with it many benefits; it does not come without cost. To participate in a Perfect Game Showcase, you must have a membership with the company. There are three types of memberships: Insider, Premium, and Scout - with Insider and Premium being the two types of accounts that a player may have. An Insider membership costs $74.99 per year and allows players to update their profiles, view tournament leaderboards, view daily draft prospect profiles, and read summer collegiate top prospect reports. Premium accounts allow users to do everything they can with an Insider account, draft top prospect lists, draft complete prospect reports, search for players, and view high school player rankings. Though this could be worth it for some individuals who are very serious about pursuing a future in baseball, this cost may not be worth it for others. Additionally, even if someone is very interested in playing baseball at the next level, they may not have the means necessary to pay these costs.

Is Participating in a Perfect Game Showcase Worth it?

The answer to this question depends on your circumstances. If you are serious about potentially playing baseball either collegiately or professionally, participating in a Perfect Game Showcase is a proven way to get discovered by scouts. However, these showcases can be very expensive, and therefore, they are not a realistic option for everyone. For someone who is not as serious about playing at the next level or cannot afford the Perfect Game subscription, there are a variety of other smaller showcases that may be a better fit. Thinking about your future with the sport and consulting with coaches can help you determine whether you should participate in a Perfect Game showcase.

For many baseball players who go on to play at the collegiate or professional level, Perfect Game Showcases played a part in helping them get to where they are now. There are many benefits of participating in one of these showcases, including increased exposure to scouts and recruiters, the ability to see how your skills compare to those of your peers, and the prestige and success of the program. However, participating in one of these showcases can be very expensive, and therefore, it is not the right option for everyone. We hope that this article was helpful if you are considering participating in a Perfect Game Showcase.

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