Showcase Tournaments

Carolina HS prospects are fortunate to be in close proximity to tournaments organized by Impact (NC), the Diamond Devils(SC) and the WWBA (Atlanta).
Do players get more exposure in these showcase tournaments or in standard showcase events ? Will these showcase tournaments eventually replace showcases ? Which format do college recruiters prefer ?

 

Most coaches like to watch games. In a showcase tournament event (you're not playing in order to place 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc), players will substitute in so that 10-14 guys on each team appear in the contests. Pitchers are normally on pitch counts so each team will showcase at least 2/game. That does increase your exposure/game. Players prefer to play the game also. There is a difference sometimes between the performance at a showcase versus a tournament.

That being said, you can't see as much at a tournament. The position player you came to watch may never get a ball hit to him the entire game. The players that you can tell the most about in a tournament are the pitchers and catchers. The rest of the team just doesn't get enough chances.

If you want to see a pitcher/catcher, you want to see them in game situations ... for position players, a showcase event increase the likelyhood of exposure. You will always need at least some form of both.

Then there is the blended showcase/tournament. The position players run the 60's, time the catcher's throws, take BP, take ground-balls and throw from the OF. The pitchers DON'T throw a bull-pen, instead, they face live hitters in games where each pitcher will face between 6-9 hitters total.

It's not a real game situation ... more of a simulated game. Some guys do well in that environment, others don't. There isn't a best way. Talk to a pitcher and he'd probably rather do just tournaments. Talk to an OF and he'd probably rather increase the number of showcases.