Scouts Page:
WHAT PRO SCOUTS LOOK FOR WHEN THEY DRAFT
A PITCHER
YOU NEVER KNOW WHO'S WATCHING
WHAT PRO SCOUTS
LOOK FOR WHEN THEY DRAFT A PITCHER
-
Velocity: This is a key component. It doesn't mean you have to
throw 90 mph because if you are a high school pitcher they will project whether
this pitcher might throw harder later because of maturity and growth.
-
Movement: Does the ball sink, tail or is it straight? They definitely
are looking for movement.
-
Overall mechanics: Is his delivery smooth with good rhythm? Is he
low or high 3/4 or over the top, sidearm or submarine? Is his delivery
fluid or forced and labored?
-
Arm Action: Is it smooth and effortless? Does he get to full extension
at ball release? Is his arm action herky-jerky or fluid? Does he look like
an arm injury waiting to happen?
-
Breaking ball: Does the ball have good rotation and
bite (sharpness), with good depth (two plain break)? How much does it break?
Does he give it away or does he throw it from the same arm angle as his fastball?
-
Other pitches: Does the pitcher have any other pitches such as a change-up
or splitter or forkball that he can control?
-
Change-up: This pitch is considered vital for success
in professional baseball. How often does he use it? Can he control it? In
what situations does he use it?
-
Control: Does the pitcher have command of his pitches
or is he just maxing out? It takes control to be successful at the professional
level.
-
Type of pitcher: Is the pitcher overpowering, a finesse
type with good control, and does he know how to mix his pitches well?
Remember: with a high school pitcher, scouts will project.
In other words, the pitcher has more time to develop. So, his low 80’s
fastball might end up low 90’s five years from now.
Ref: Breaking Into the Big Leagues, Al Goldis and Rick
Wolff. Leisure
Press.
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of page
YOU NEVER KNOW WHO'S WATCHING
by: Bob Howdeshell
High School Baseball Web
The
statement above is a common one used on this web site. It means that a player
should hustle and give his best effort every time he steps on the field.
That includes practice and games. Because You Never Know Who's Watching
This
past weekend I was fortunate enough to be allowed to sit with several college
coaches as they evaluated talent at a very good high school baseball tournament.
This was a small tournament with only six invited teams, held at a major
division 1 college campus. A "showcase" tournament.
No
player’s names are being used, no teams are being mentioned and
I will try to stay as generic as possible with the description of these players.
The focus of this article is to make a point, not to embarrass any particular
player.
The following are some
of the comments and discussions that I was allowed to listen in on:
The
first involves a player with a "national reputation" listed
as a top prospect in several sources that I am familiar with. He is a position
player. The coaches were in agreement that this player had several nice tools ….
Good arm strength, good glove and good speed. The question that each of them
had was his ability to hit at the upper end of college baseball.
Some
coaches told me that the solid tools that the player had would make him a
prospect to them even without "plus" hitting abilities.
What
happened next amazed even me. The player was struggling with his bat but
showed flashes of an "upside." However on defense the player
did not move well. Did not show good anticipation, did not follow foul balls
(showing a jump). More often than not only moved from his position if he
was involved in the play.
Some
of the coaches REALLY did not like the "lazy" (their words – not
mine) attitude shown. On a couple of stolen base attempts (where the player
was covering the bag) he did not make an attempt to stop a "less than
perfect" throw. Basically he flagged at the ball and got out of the
way.
One
coach told me that he wanted players that were interested in "sticking
their nose in there and getting dirty." This coach is with a team that
would be considered a "national power."
Some
of the coaches told me that they would have to see the player again – later
this summer before making any decision regarding a potential scholarship
offer. Other coaches told me that they probably would not pursue this player
any further.
Next
Up - A right handed pitcher that was throwing solidly in the upper 80's.
He has a slight movement on his fastball, an okay breaking ball and a fair
change-up.
This player however did
impress many of the coaches. WHY ????
He
did not have his best control at times. At times was getting penalized by
a "moving" and
small strike zone, and had 5 errors made behind him, by his defense.
What
caught the coach's attention was his ability to battle and keep
challenging the hitters. He did not drop his head or slump his shoulders
when things went against him. He showed no expression when a ball was called
on an obvious strike.
He even went so far as
to walk over and speak to his second baseman, after a costly error and then
pat him on the back as he walked away. The coaches I was sitting near did
not miss this!
Each of the coaches that
I spoke to admitted that they did not have the player on their lists of potential
recruits. Each also said that they would be making a point to see the player
pitch again this summer.
This
player became a prospect with several "big time" schools
on a day when he was the losing pitcher and did not have his best stuff.
Because of his attitude and the heart he showed.
Third
Example: Is a big first baseman. This young man does not run like a gazelle,
does not have a great arm. (average at best) He is not what you would term
"athletic" but
he is not fat. However he made points with several of the coaches in attendance.
Of
course you have guessed it by now …. The young man can hit with
the best of them.
There
is a little more to the story though. He can hit to all fields with power.
He displayed a good ability to "go with a pitch." He showed
a good knowledge of the strike zone. I personally did not see him chase a
bad pitch.
With runners on second
and third and no outs in a one run ball game this young man hit a ground
ball to the right side of the infield. He did this with a 2-strike count.
He made an out and the run scored. He did his job for his team.
He
hit a home run or two over the weekend, a double or two to the spacious gaps,
had several "screaming" singles, but more importantly he
hustled!
This
player ran hard on and off the field, every inning He did not quit as most
of his teammates did in a blow out loss at one point in the tournament. As
one pro scout commented to me …. "A "player" never
changes his game, no matter what the score. A "player" plays
as hard if his team is behind seven runs or ahead seven runs, or if his team
is in a one run ball game."
If
you think that college coaches and professional scouts do not notice the “little
things" you are mistaken. As one coach told me …. "We
have to pay attention to each of the intangibles, it is the only real separator
between some of these guys." He went on to explain that each recruiting
year they will have several players on their board that are essentially equal
in athletic skills and ability. What then makes the difference is the "Little
Things."
So
the next time you think that it doesn't matter how you hustle or
present yourself maybe you should revisit that part of your game. As another
coach told me … "A player can hustle and give his maximum effort
even on a day when he and/or his team is not playing their best game. It
doesn't take any athletic ability to hustle."
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