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Aiden McIntyre was benched in high school, cut in college, and still drafted by the Oakland A’s. How much are baseball parents spending because they’re afraid their son is falling behind? The former professional pitcher and baseball YouTuber joins Bobby Minor on the Chasing Baseball Dreams Podcast to talk about late-blooming players, travel baseball costs, and the pressure parents feel to keep up. Aiden was a 5-foot-2 high school freshman who struggled throughout high school. He transferred three times in college before being selected in the 2018 MLB Draft. He shares what his parents got right during those difficult years and why being one of the best players at 12 tells you so little about what happens next. We get into private pitching lessons, $500 baseball bats, youth player rankings, and baseball showcases. Aiden explains why he wouldn’t consider a showcase before 16, why players need something to show when they get there, and how the fear of falling behind pushes families into spending they don’t need. For pitchers and their parents, Aiden walks through the development that took him from the mid-80s to the mid-90s, his experience with Driveline, and how baseball analytics helped him understand his strengths. He also explains why he’d rather face a hitter swinging for the fences than a scrappy hitter who refuses to strike out. We talk about minor league baseball, the injuries that helped him decide to walk away, and how a job at vidIQ helped him build a full-time YouTube career. And stay for his story about giving up eight runs without getting out of the first inning. A Dodgers scout was watching. What that scout told him afterward is something worth remembering the next time your son has a bad game. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Meet Aiden McIntyre 01:47 Late bloomers and judging players too early 05:04 Chasing big dreams while being honest about your ability 08:58 Supporting your son without adding performance pressure 14:31 Pitching development: how Aiden reached the mid-90s 17:35 Pitch design, baseball analytics, and the hitters he hated facing 22:31 Minor league baseball, injuries, and knowing when to stop 27:06 From professional pitcher to full-time baseball YouTuber 31:28 Youth baseball costs: $500 bats and private lessons 34:21 When should players attend baseball showcases? 36:38 FOMO, falling behind, and the pressure to “make it” 44:20 Why Aiden opposes ranking young baseball players 46:15 Your son doesn’t have to be the number-one player 49:11 Looking ahead to the Field of Dreams event 51:20 In-and-Out: pitching velocity, statistics, and handling failure 53:28 Going 0-for-5 and still being a great teammate 55:02 What a Dodgers scout saw in Aiden’s worst outing 58:18 Favorite baseball memories and a first-year Triple-A win 59:36 Wrigley, Fenway, and favorite MLB ballparks 1:01:44 Where to follow Aiden McIntyre What’s one thing you’ve felt pressured to pay for because you were told your son would fall behind? Tell us in the comments. Subscribe to the Chasing Baseball Dreams Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts for more conversations that help baseball parents make better decisions for their sons. #BaseballParents #YouthBaseball #AidenMcIntyre
Aiden McIntyre was benched in high school, cut in college, and still drafted by the Oakland A’s. How much are baseball parents spending because they’re afraid their son is falling behind?
The former professional pitcher and baseball YouTuber joins Bobby Minor on the Chasing Baseball Dreams Podcast to talk about late-blooming players, travel baseball costs, and the pressure parents feel to keep up.
Aiden was a 5-foot-2 high school freshman who struggled throughout high school. He transferred three times in college before being selected in the 2018 MLB Draft. He shares what his parents got right during those difficult years and why being one of the best players at 12 tells you so little about what happens next.
We get into private pitching lessons, $500 baseball bats, youth player rankings, and baseball showcases. Aiden explains why he wouldn’t consider a showcase before 16, why players need something to show when they get there, and how the fear of falling behind pushes families into spending they don’t need.
For pitchers and their parents, Aiden walks through the development that took him from the mid-80s to the mid-90s, his experience with Driveline, and how baseball analytics helped him understand his strengths. He also explains why he’d rather face a hitter swinging for the fences than a scrappy hitter who refuses to strike out.
We talk about minor league baseball, the injuries that helped him decide to walk away, and how a job at vidIQ helped him build a full-time YouTube career.
And stay for his story about giving up eight runs without getting out of the first inning. A Dodgers scout was watching. What that scout told him afterward is something worth remembering the next time your son has a bad game.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Meet Aiden McIntyre
01:47 Late bloomers and judging players too early
05:04 Chasing big dreams while being honest about your ability
08:58 Supporting your son without adding performance pressure
14:31 Pitching development: how Aiden reached the mid-90s
17:35 Pitch design, baseball analytics, and the hitters he hated facing
22:31 Minor league baseball, injuries, and knowing when to stop
27:06 From professional pitcher to full-time baseball YouTuber
31:28 Youth baseball costs: $500 bats and private lessons
34:21 When should players attend baseball showcases?
36:38 FOMO, falling behind, and the pressure to “make it”
44:20 Why Aiden opposes ranking young baseball players
46:15 Your son doesn’t have to be the number-one player
49:11 Looking ahead to the Field of Dreams event
51:20 In-and-Out: pitching velocity, statistics, and handling failure
53:28 Going 0-for-5 and still being a great teammate
55:02 What a Dodgers scout saw in Aiden’s worst outing
58:18 Favorite baseball memories and a first-year Triple-A win
59:36 Wrigley, Fenway, and favorite MLB ballparks
1:01:44 Where to follow Aiden McIntyre
What’s one thing you’ve felt pressured to pay for because you were told your son would fall behind? Tell us in the comments.
Subscribe to the Chasing Baseball Dreams Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts for more conversations that help baseball parents make better decisions for their sons.
#BaseballParents #YouthBaseball #AidenMcIntyre
You're spending thousands a year on travel baseball. A better team. A bigger showcase. More lessons. A higher ranking. And you still have no way to know if any of it is actually working.
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That's not an accident. That's the machine.
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Chasing Baseball Dreams is the only baseball parent podcast hosted by someone with no financial stake in where your money goes. I don't run a travel team. I don't sell lessons. I don't coach for an org. I have no reason to steer you in the wrong direction. I'm Bobby Minor... former Division 1 player, 35+ years coaching select baseball and high school, former travel organization director, over 1,000 college recruiting assessments, and a college baseball dad who almost lost 2 sons to this game for 2 very different reasons, with one currently playing college baseball.
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Every episode, I sit down with former Major League players, college coaches, scouts, and baseball dads who've lived through the same grind you're in right now. People who've been inside this industry long enough to tell you the truth about how it actually works.
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Here's what you can expect.
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Real conversations about what actually matters at each age from 8U to signing day. The questions you should be asking before you commit to a team, a coach, or a showcase. The stuff the industry doesn't want you to hear, from people who've been inside it long enough to say it out loud. And the truth about recruiting, development, and where your money is actually going.
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No hype. No recruiting promises. No "get your son seen" nonsense. Just the one voice in this space with full-stack credibility and no financial tie to the machine that's taking your money.
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New episodes weekly. Follow @chasingbaseballdreams on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook for daily content between episodes.