Most travel ball parents focus on the wrong things — more reps, more tournaments, more lessons, more mechanics, more "fixes." But in this episode of The Most Valuable Agent, MLB agent Matt Hannaford brings together two of baseball's most respected insiders to reveal what actually develops a player:
• Hugh Quattlebaum — former MLB hitting coach, coordinator, and father of three boys in the youth baseball world
• Gus Quattlebaum — Vice President of Scouting Development & Integration for the Boston Red Sox
Together, they break down the essential (and often misunderstood) ingredients that help players become confident, adaptable, self-aware competitors — not just hitters with pretty mechanics. Hugh shares lessons from his upcoming book on youth development, while Gus provides rare insight into how scouts truly evaluate players, what stands out, and what hurts a young athlete's projection.
You'll learn why players should fail more, why aggression beats perfection, why kids must learn to coach themselves, and why "zoo tiger" development is holding thousands of players back.
If you're a parent, coach, or player navigating travel baseball today, this is the conversation you never get — directly from the people who work with elite athletes at the highest levels of the game.
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WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
• Why "control the controllables" is the foundation of great development
• The difference between conditional vs. unconditional confidence
• Why aggression is a competitive advantage — and passivity kills performance
• How parents unintentionally create fear, confusion, and hesitation
• The power of game-like reps vs. traditional drills
• How major league teams train hitters to prepare for real in-game chaos
• What scouts actually look for: decision-making, adjustments, process
• How to teach players to coach themselves — and why it matters long-term
• Why individualization beats one-size-fits-all mechanics every time
• The dangers of TikTok hitting trends & constant tinkering
• How to design practice with the end in mind
• What it really means to "love the game more at 18 than at 8"
ABOUT GUS QUATTLEBAUM
Vice President, Scouting Development & Integration — Boston Red Sox
Gus oversees professional scouting, integration, and evaluation strategy for the Red Sox after decades in MLB scouting across multiple organizations. His career includes influential roles with the Yankees, Orioles, Expos, and Red Sox, shaping amateur, pro, and international scouting systems. He is known for his process-driven approach, holistic evaluation, and deep expertise in player projection.
ABOUT HUGH QUATTLEBAUM
Professional Hitting Coach
Hugh has coached hitters at every level of professional baseball — including serving as Major League Hitting Coach for the New York Mets and Assistant Hitting Coach for the Atlanta Braves. He has led hitting development departments, coordinated minor league systems, and built player plans for elite hitters. As a father of three young ballplayers, Hugh brings a unique blend of big-league expertise and real-world youth baseball experience.
ABOUT MATT HANNAFORD
Matt Hannaford is a 25-year MLB agent and founder of Aligned Sports. He has negotiated historic contracts, represented MVPs and All-Stars, and now delivers weekly insights on development, scouting, and the business of baseball.
CONNECT WITH MATT HANNAFORD
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