Why are baseball parents flying 8-year-olds across the country for travel baseball? Former MLB pitcher Jay Jackson questions the youth baseball rankings, expensive tournaments, and pressure that have become so common at an early age.

Jay spent 17 years playing professional baseball, including time with six Major League teams and in Japan. In this episode of the Chasing Baseball Dreams Podcast, he joins Bobby Minor to share what he learned about player development, choosing the right opportunities, handling disappointment, and helping young players enjoy the game.

In this episode we cover:

• Why Jay believes parents put too much importance on baseball rankings for 8U–12U players
• The money families spend flying young players across the country for travel baseball tournaments
• How Jay went from being projected as a second-to-fourth-round draft pick to getting selected in the ninth round
• Why he chose Furman University and how academics, family, and his relationship with the coach influenced that decision
• What playing professionally in Japan taught him about fundamentals and the quality of practice
• What Jay looks for in young pitchers that parents often overlook
• What a dad should say to his 12U pitcher after giving up six runs
• The emotional story of his son spending 166 days in the NICU and what Jay hopes his children remember about him

Jay also shares the years he spent waiting for his Major League opportunity, what happened when he didn't make Toronto's Opening Day roster despite a strong spring training, and why he created the S.M.I.L.E. Zone to help young players with the mental side of baseball.

If you're a baseball parent trying to decide which teams, tournaments, rankings, and opportunities are actually worth your money, this conversation will give you plenty to think about before you spend another dollar.

🎙️ Host: Bobby Minor

⚾ Guest: Jay Jackson, former MLB pitcher and founder of the S.M.I.L.E. Zone

🎧 Podcast: Chasing Baseball Dreams Podcast

Connect with Jay Jackson:

Instagram: @jaxland58

S.M.I.L.E. Zone community: https://smilezone.app/

🔔 Subscribe to Chasing Baseball Dreams on YouTube so you don't miss future interviews with Major League players, coaches, and baseball parents. You can also listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

#JayJackson #YouthBaseball #TravelBaseball #BaseballParents #ChasingBaseballDreams

Ben Jacobus started in center field, hit leadoff as a freshman, and helped Corona del Sol win the 2025 Arizona 6A state championship. Now he's committed to TCU.

His dad, Brian Jacobus, played professional baseball after being drafted by the San Diego Padres. He's coached high school baseball, run travel baseball organizations, and experienced the recruiting process firsthand as a parent.

One of the biggest takeaways from our conversation? Brian built Ben's baseball development around preparing him for high school, and he believes there are things high school baseball provides that travel ball has a hard time replicating.

In this episode of the Chasing Baseball Dreams Podcast, Brian shares the decisions they made along the way, including some he'd handle differently.

In this episode we cover:

• What Ben experienced winning a state championship as a freshman and why high school baseball was so important to his development
• What high school coaches look for when deciding whether a freshman is ready for varsity baseball
• Why Brian believes choosing the right coach matters more than playing for a famous travel baseball organization
• How Brian handled being both Ben's dad and his coach, including the mental side of the game
• Why Ben reclassified from the 2028 to the 2027 graduating class, and Brian's concerns about holding players back to gain an age advantage
• How TCU recruited Ben, what happened when other schools entered the picture, and why Ben ultimately chose TCU over Arizona State
• The red flags parents should watch for before committing to a travel team
• Why Brian believes families waste money on national tournaments and showcases before their sons are ready

Brian also shares something he wishes he'd emphasized earlier in Ben's development, even with all his years of experience playing and coaching baseball.

If you're spending money on travel baseball, preparing your son for high school, or starting to think about college recruiting, this conversation will give you plenty to think about before making your next decision.

🎙️ Host: Bobby Minor

⚾ Guest: Brian Jacobus

🎧 Podcast: Chasing Baseball Dreams Podcast

Subscribe for conversations with players, coaches, and baseball people who can help parents think more clearly about the decisions they're making for their sons.

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Some Major League players were more afraid of talking to their dads after a bad game than facing the media.

Former MLB All-Star Shane Greene saw it firsthand. And he has a lot to say about what baseball parents need to understand.

Shane spent 10 seasons in the big leagues with teams including the Yankees, Tigers, and Braves. But his journey was anything but typical. He didn't pitch a single varsity inning as a sophomore, received just one college offer, underwent Tommy John surgery, and took the JUCO route before being drafted in the 15th round. He eventually became an MLB All-Star in 2019.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why your son's performance at 12U tells you very little about where he'll end up
• How Shane handled sitting on the varsity bench for an entire season and what his dad did differently
• Why some Major Leaguers were still afraid of disappointing their fathers
• How too much mechanical instruction can hurt a player's ability to compete
• Why Shane believes the mental side of baseball is being overlooked
• What playing Cosmic Baseball and Banana Ball taught him about competition and having fun

Shane also shares what helped him through injuries, setbacks, and the pressure of professional baseball, along with his advice for parents who are worried their sons are falling behind.

If you're a baseball parent trying to figure out what actually matters for your son's development, this is a conversation worth hearing.

🎙️ Host: Bobby Minor
⚾ Guest: Shane Greene, 2019 MLB All-Star

🎧 Watch or listen to the full Chasing Baseball Dreams Podcast episode on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe so you don't miss future conversations with people who've experienced the game at the highest levels.

#ChasingBaseballDreams #BaseballParents #ShaneGreene

Your son's team plays tournaments on Sundays. Your family wants to be in church. And you're worried that missing games could cost him playing time or put him behind.

How do you handle that?

Savannah Bananas star RobertAnthony Cruz, better known as Coach RAC, joins Bobby Minor on the Chasing Baseball Dreams Podcast for a conversation about faith, family, and the decisions baseball parents face.

Coach RAC shares his journey from UC Riverside to the Washington Nationals, the heartbreak of being released from professional baseball, and how his faith helped him find purpose beyond the game.

We also talk about Sandlot Revival, the faith-based movement that grew from a Savannah Bananas team Bible study into worship nights in more than 20 cities.

In this episode we cover:

• Whether missing Sunday tournament games really puts your son behind
• How Christian parents can handle the conflict between church and travel baseball
• What conversations parents should have with coaches before committing to a team
• Practical ways families can maintain their faith and church community during a busy baseball season
• How parents sometimes make their sons feel like their love depends on baseball performance
• What Coach RAC learned about identity and faith after being released by the Washington Nationals
• How Sandlot Revival started and the impact it's having across the country
• Why Coach RAC believes developing your son's character matters more than his baseball career

Coach RAC also shares his personal testimony, what fatherhood has taught him, and why his biggest accomplishments on the baseball field don't compare to what matters most in his life.

Whether you're a Christian family struggling with Sunday tournaments or a parent trying to keep baseball in perspective, this conversation will give you plenty to think about before your next season.

🎙️ Host: Bobby Minor
⚾ Guest: Coach RAC (@coach.rac)
🎧 Podcast: Chasing Baseball Dreams Podcast

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations with players, coaches, and baseball people who can help you think through the decisions you're making for your son.

#ChasingBaseballDreams #CoachRAC #SavannahBananas #TravelBaseball #FaithAndBaseball

Six games in three days. That's the kind of schedule that makes Will Armijo question what we're doing in youth baseball.

Will believes youth baseball should be 90% focused on development and only 10% on playing games. That's a pretty strong opinion coming from someone who runs a baseball academy.

Will is a former Division II pitcher at Grand Canyon University who went through Tommy John surgery and some serious setbacks during his playing career. Today, he's the CEO and co-founder of Legendary Prep Academy in Scottsdale, Arizona, which was featured on the Paramount+ reality series Team Moms: Baseball.

In this episode we cover:

• Why Will believes young players are playing too many games and spending too little time developing
• The D1 obsession and why a bigger-name college isn't always the better opportunity
• What parents misunderstand about 13U and 14U rankings and predicting college baseball potential
• Reclassifying young players and whether an extra year actually helps
• The injury concerns that come with heavy tournament schedules and inadequate recovery
• How parents can measure whether the money they're spending is actually helping their son improve
• What Will has learned about parents, playing-time complaints, and the pressure placed on young athletes

Will also shares what it was like growing up playing baseball in New Mexico, including a high school coach who told him he'd never be good enough to play beyond high school.

If you're spending thousands on travel baseball, considering a prep academy, or wondering whether your son needs to play more games to keep up, this conversation will give you plenty to think about before making your next decision.

🎙️ Host: Bobby Minor
⚾ Guest: Will Armijo, CEO & Co-Founder of Legendary Prep Academy
🎧 Podcast: Chasing Baseball Dreams Podcast

Subscribe to Chasing Baseball Dreams Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts for more conversations about the decisions baseball parents face.

#ChasingBaseballDreams #TravelBaseball #BaseballParents

Ty Buttrey got cut from a travel baseball team, was sent down to JV in high school, and still became a fourth-round draft pick who made it to the big leagues.

Then, in 2021, he walked away from baseball.

What surprised me most during our conversation was hearing Ty admit that he never really loved pitching, even though he loved playing baseball.

Ty spent years battling performance anxiety, struggling with his mechanics, and pushing himself to get better. He eventually reached the Major Leagues with the Los Angeles Angels, but getting there didn't make those struggles disappear.

In this episode of the Chasing Baseball Dreams Podcast, Ty and I talk about his journey from getting cut to pitching in the big leagues, what he learned about himself along the way, and what baseball parents can take from his experience.

In this episode we cover:

• How Ty went from getting cut and being sent down to JV to becoming a fourth-round draft pick
• Why the wrong training program caused him to lose velocity early in his professional career, according to Ty, and what he changed
• Why Ty believes the mental side of pitching accounts for as much as 70% of success
• What parents should look for when choosing a pitching instructor, hitting coach, or personal trainer
• Why being one of the best players at 12U or 13U doesn't tell you how good that player will be years later
• How the pressure to prove other people wrong contributed to Ty's performance anxiety
• Why Ty believes American youth baseball spends too much time playing tournaments and too little time developing skills
• What he wishes he'd done differently growing up, and his advice to parents about pushing their sons without belittling them
• Why parents of 12- and 13-year-olds should think carefully before chasing social media attention and NIL opportunities

One of the most interesting parts of our conversation came when Ty talked about how much he loved playing baseball but never really enjoyed the part of the game that became his profession.

He also shares what parents should pay attention to when their sons start putting too much pressure on themselves, and why he'd encourage parents to help their sons develop interests outside of baseball.

If you're a baseball parent with a son who's serious about playing at the next level, this is a conversation worth hearing. Especially if you're trying to figure out how hard to push him, what kind of training he needs, and whether he's still enjoying the game.

🎙️ Host: Bobby Minor

⚾ Guest: Ty Buttrey, Former MLB Pitcher | Los Angeles Angels

🎧 Chasing Baseball Dreams Podcast

Subscribe for more conversations with former Major Leaguers, professional coaches, and people who've lived the game, with lessons that can help you make better baseball decisions for your son.

#BaseballParents #YouthBaseball #TravelBaseball

Your son looks great hitting in the cage. Then he gets into a game and can't buy a hit. So what's the answer? More hitting lessons? Change his swing? Find a different instructor?

Corey Hart spent 18 years coaching professional hitters in the Milwaukee Brewers, Miami Marlins, and Toronto Blue Jays organizations. He's worked with hitters like Christian Yelich and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and he's now an assistant softball coach at Syracuse University.

In this episode of the Chasing Baseball Dreams Podcast, Corey and I talk about what parents need to understand before spending more money on hitting instruction. We get into the mental side of hitting, what separates good hitters from great ones, and why some of the advice parents give from the stands might be making things harder for their sons.

In this episode we cover:

• Why a good-looking swing in the cage doesn't always translate into success during games
• How to tell whether your son's hitting instructor is actually helping him, beyond his batting average
• What Corey saw in Christian Yelich and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. that made them such special hitters
• Why getting hitting advice from multiple coaches can leave a young player confused
• The mechanical advice Corey wishes parents would stop yelling during at-bats
• How one simple hitting drill helped Martín Maldonado make an adjustment in the minor leagues
• When hitting lessons make sense for younger players and why Corey believes mindset is just as important as mechanics
• Why Corey would rather send his sons to the right college camp than spend money on showcases hoping they'll get discovered

Corey also shares what he believes separates players who eventually reach the big leagues from those with similar talent who never get there.

If you're a baseball parent spending money on hitting lessons, this conversation will give you a better idea of what to look for in an instructor and what actual progress should look like.

And the next time your son steps into the batter's box, you might want to think twice before yelling another swing tip.

🎙️ Host: Bobby Minor

⚾ Guest: Corey Hart, Former Professional Hitting Coach | Syracuse University Softball

🎧 Chasing Baseball Dreams Podcast

Subscribe for more conversations with former Major Leaguers, professional coaches, and people who've lived the game, with lessons that can help you make better baseball decisions for your son.

#BaseballParents #YouthBaseball #HittingLessons

Are baseball parents spending thousands of dollars on travel teams, national rankings, and private lessons without knowing whether any of it is actually helping their son?

Coach Jason Ferber, better known as Coach Ferber on Instagram, joins Bobby Minor on the Chasing Baseball Dreams Podcast for a conversation every travel baseball parent needs to hear.

A former San Diego Padres scout who has worked with some of the country's top young baseball players, Coach Ferber shares what he's learned about player development, youth baseball rankings, recruiting, and the decisions parents face as their sons grow in the game.

We get into why he thinks cutting 6U and 7U players is ridiculous, what parents should investigate before joining an expensive national team, and why locking a 9-year-old into one position can hurt his long-term development.

He also shares the story of an overlooked young player who became one of the country's top prospects, explains what separates a good hitting instructor from someone who's just selling a swing philosophy, and gives parents practical advice on finding the right coach.

And when it comes to college recruiting, Coach Ferber explains why he'd start with local college programs before spending thousands chasing exposure across the country.

In this episode:

• Why early baseball rankings tell you very little about a player's future
• The problem with national travel teams for 8U, 9U, and 10U players
• What to ask a travel baseball coach before committing
• Why young players need multiple positions and other sports
• How to recognize a coach who's developing players
• Red flags to watch for with private hitting instructors
• What college coaches actually evaluate during recruiting
• When a player needs more exposure and when he needs to improve
• What Coach Ferber would prioritize for his own 10-year-old son

Episode Chapters

00:00 Meet Coach Jason Ferber
02:10 Why you can't predict a player's future at 12U
07:09 The danger of playing only one position
12:08 National teams for 8U and 9U players
14:04 What young players lose without pickup games
16:24 Coach Ferber's take on cutting 6U and 7U players
18:38 Why parents need to investigate travel coaches
22:01 Questions to ask before joining a national team
25:17 Do young players really need national exposure?
29:27 Why youth baseball rankings mean so little
33:59 What parents should focus on instead of rankings
35:38 The story of an overlooked top prospect
37:43 Winning tournaments versus developing players
40:17 What good coaches should teach during games
44:26 How to evaluate a private hitting instructor
49:46 The question to ask before paying for lessons
52:43 Why talented players still need tough coaching
53:59 Tough coaching versus tearing players down
57:16 College recruiting: When showcases aren't working
1:00:07 Why recruiting should start close to home
1:02:38 Where he'd spend money on a talented 10-year-old
1:07:07 The biggest mistake well-intentioned parents make
1:11:07 Bobby's experience with his son Julian
1:12:21 Where to follow Coach Ferber

Follow Coach Ferber:
Instagram: @coachferber

Follow Chasing Baseball Dreams:
Instagram: @chasingbaseballdreams

If you're a baseball parent trying to make the best decisions for your son, subscribe to the Chasing Baseball Dreams Podcast for conversations with experienced coaches, former Major Leaguers, and people who know what it takes to develop baseball players.

#TravelBaseball #YouthBaseball #BaseballParents #PlayerDevelopment #CoachFerber