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Monday, February 25
What Professional Baseball Scouts look for in a ballplayer!
Summer baseball is the time when scouts chart and evaluate the underclassmen. In January, scouts will visit with the player's, parents and guardians that they have been charting.
Suggestions to player’s with a goal at playing at the higher or next levels:
1) Always have a secondary career plan to baseball and evaluate all of your options.
2) Academics are instrumental. The higher the education that one has, the better bargaining power you will have in negotiating a contract. As an example, if you have received a full ride to Stanford, you would then have to be valued at approximately $200,000+
3) Once you attend class at a Division One School, you cannot be drafted until after your junior year.
Scouting for the Five Tool player’s:
1) Run (7.5 or better in the 60yd) 4.0 (H to 1B)
2) Hit (Contact and put the ball in play, good eye, sweet swing, raw power)
3) Hit with power
4) Field
5) Throw-Arm
To be considered a prospect you must be blessed with at least “one” of the “five tools” but tools are weighted only as 1/3 of the total evaluation.
C Catch & Throw
1B-3B Hit with power
SS-2B Run & Field
LF-RF Power
CF Run, & Field (get to the ball)
Intangible assets:
1) Mental and physical toughness
2) Will to win
3) Presence
4) Determination
5) Willing to go the extra mile
Success story:
Tommy Lampkin, former catcher with the Seattle Mariners is a great story. Never recruited out of High School, walked-on at Edmonds CC, not recruited again, walks-on at Portland State and makes it as a back-up catcher. Senior year he hit .320 and got a work out. Tommy kept working hard and worked his way through the minors and eventually up to the show. He had the mental toughness and raw guts, he was a back-up catcher with the Mariners earning $2.5m / year.
Scouts watch:
IO Infield - Outfield.
Pitcher’s effectiveness, radar gun.
Home runs.
Strike outs (how did he handle the adversity).
Mental toughness.
Hit with power, even the height of a big league pop-up.
Off field habits (good or bad)
Most prospects one way or another take themselves out of the game!
Report card:
Self confidence
Attitude
Work ethic
Personal habits
Aptitude
Poise
Instinct
Physical build
Make-up, mental toughness
Advice:
1)Have your priorities straight.
2)Family #1
3)Be accountable, do the right thing, think for yourself and make good decisions.
4)Keep your grades up and be a positive influence in the classroom.
5)Sports - Play multiple sports and have fun, High School is a special point in time to enjoy your life.
6)Consider yourself privileged to still be playing baseball because it is a top down elimination process.
Workout will be graded:
1)60yd dash
2)Home to 1B Good time down 1B is 4.0
3)Vertical jump
4)Pitching
5)Fielding
6)Arm
7)Weight - Height
8)Age
9)GPA & SAT scores
Metal Bats:
Metal .303 Batting Average 250 Home Runs vs.
Wood .205 Batting Average 110 Home Runs
Metal makes it tougher for the scout to judge power.
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