What Do Baseball Scouts Look For in Prospects?

Baseball scouts are looking for prospects who have the potential to be great Major League Baseball players. But what exactly do they look for?

The Five Tools of Baseball

Scouts have been evaluating baseball players for generations using what are commonly referred to as the “Five Tools of Baseball.” These tools are hitting for power, hitting for average, fielding, throwing, and speed. Each tool is graded on a scale of 2-8, with 8 being the best. Players who grade out as a 5 or better in two or more tools are considered “solid prospects” by most scouts.

Hitting for Average

One of the five tools of baseball is hitting for average. This means having the ability to hit the ball hard and consistently make contact with the ball. A hitter who can do this is typically a strong hitter who can get on base and score runs.

The following are some of the things that scouts look for when evaluating a hitter’s ability to hit for average:

-Contact ability: Can the hitter make consistent contact with the ball?
-Bat speed: How fast can the hitter swing the bat?
-Batting eye: Does the hitter have good vision and pitch recognition?
-Hit trajectory: Does the hitter have a tendency to hit the ball in the air or on the ground?

Hitting for Power

In order to hit for power, a hitter must do two things: swinging hard and making contact with the ball on the bat’s sweet spot. Swinging hard is mostly a function of the hitter’s strength and bat speed. Making contact with the ball on the bat’s sweet spot is mostly a function of the hitter’s hand-eye coordination, ability to adjust to different pitches, and ability to keep his or her weight back while still making contact.

There are several hitting metrics that scouts use to measure a hitting prospect’s raw power potential. The two most popular hitting metrics are isolated power (ISO) and slugging percentage (SLG).

Isolated Power (ISO)
Isolated power is a measure of a hitter’s raw power and is calculated by subtracting a hitter’s batting average from his or her slugging percentage. The higher a hitter’s ISO, the more raw power he or she has.

A major league average ISO is typically between .140 and .150. Anything above .200 is considered very good, and anything above .250 is considered elite.

Slugging Percentage (SLG)
Slugging percentage is a measure of a hitter’s raw power and is calculated by dividing a hitter’s total number of bases by his or her at-bats. The higher a hitter’s slugging percentage, the more raw power he or she has.

A major league average slugging percentage is typically between .400 and .415. Anything above .450 is considered very good, and anything above .500 is considered elite.

Fielding

Most players who make it to the MLB are above-average hitters and/or above-average pitchers. A small handful of players are considered “five-tool” prospects, meaning they excel in all five aspects of the game: hitting for average, hitting for power, speed, defense, and arm strength.

Fielding is the ability to play defense at a high level. All positions on the field require some level of athleticism, but some positions require more than others. For example, a shortstop needs to have good range so they can get to balls hit to either side of them, while a catcher needs a strong arm so they can throw out runners trying to steal bases.

Scouts will often times use a metric called the “20-80 scale” to graded prospects on their fielding ability. A score of 50 is considered average, while anything below 50 is below average and anything above 50 is above average.

Here are some examples of what each score might look like:

20 – Cannot field his position at all; might as well be wearing a blindfold
30 – Has trouble making routine plays; makes a lot of errors
40 – Makes most routine plays but struggles with more difficult ones; still makes too many errors
50 – Average; makes most routine plays and some difficult ones; commit few errors
60 – Above average; consistently makes routine and difficult plays; commit few errors
70 – Well above average; makes all routine plays and consistently makes spectacular plays; very few errors
80 – One of the best fielders in the game; very rarely makes an error

Throwing

One of the most important tools for a baseball player is their throwing arm. A strong throwing arm is necessary for several positions on the field, including pitcher, catcher, and infielder. Scouts will often times judge a player’s throwing ability by their velocity, accuracy, and arm strength.

Players with a strong throwing arm are able to generate a lot of velocity on their throws, allowing them to make plays from deeper in the field and throw out runners at first base. Accuracy is also important for throws to be effective, as wild throws can often times lead to runs scored. Arm strength is necessary to make long throws from the outfield and to power through tough throws from the infield.

Players who lack one or more of these aspects can still be successful, but it is often times a difficult obstacle to overcome.

Running

In baseball, speed is everything. The game is designed so that the defense has the advantage, and the fastest players are the ones who can turn a close play into an out or turn a single into a double. That’s why scouts place such a high value on players who can run the bases well.

Scouts use a few different tools to measure a player’s speed, but the most important one is the stopwatch. They time how long it takes a player to run from home plate to first base, and from first base to second base. They also time how long it takes a player to run from home plate to second base without stopping.

The times that scouts come up with are called “60-yard dash times.” They’re not directly equivalent to what it would take a player to sprint 100 yards, but they’re close enough that they give scouts an idea of how fast a player is.

The other tool that scouts use to measure speed is the radar gun. This measures how fast a player is throwing a baseball, and it can also be used to measure how fast a player is running. Scouts will use both the stopwatch and the radar gun to get an idea of how fast a player is.

The faster a player is, the more valuable he is to a team. That’s because speed can be used on both offense and defense. A speedy player can leg out extra-base hits, steal bases, and score runs from first base on balls hit into the outfield. On defense, a speedy player can track down fly balls and make plays in the infield or outfield.

Players who are particularly fast are said to have “good wheels.” These players are rare, and they’re worth their weight in gold because of all the things they can do on the baseball field.

The Three Types of Pitchers

It is said that scouts look for three types of pitchers when looking for prospects: power pitchers, control pitchers, and pitchers who have a combination of both. Power pitchers are known for their ability to throw the ball hard, while control pitchers are known for their pinpoint accuracy.

Starting Pitchers

Starting pitchers are the backbone of any baseball team. They are counted on to pitch deep into games and to give their team a chance to win. Starting pitchers typically have three or four pitches in their repertoire and use them to retirement batters over the course of several innings.

When scouting starting pitchers, scouts look for prospects with good stuff, good control, and good command. Good stuff refers to a pitcher’s ability to throw their pitches with velocity and movement. Good control is the ability to throw strikes consistently. Good command is the ability to locate pitches where they want them, both inside and outside the strike zone.

Prospects who have all three of these traits are very rare. Most prospects will have two or, more likely, only one of these traits. For example, a pitcher might have good stuff but poor control or good command but poor stuff. It is up to the scout to decide if a pitcher’s strengths offset their weaknesses enough for them to be successful at the higher levels of professional baseball.

Relief Pitchers

There are three types of relief pitchers, each with a different role on the team. Closers are brought in at the end of the game to preserve a lead, usually in the ninth inning. Setup men pitch earlier in the game, usually in the seventh or eighth inning, to bridge the gap between the starter and closer. Middle relievers can be called upon at any point during the game to pitching multiple innings at a time.

Closers
A closer is a relief pitcher who specializes in getting the final out(s) of a game in order to preserve a lead. In baseball, teams often use a specialized relief pitcher—usually their best reliever—in situations where they have a lead late in the game (from the seventh inning on), regardless of base-out state or inning number.

Setup Men
A setup man is a type of pitchers who routinely pitches before closers in late-inning situations, regardless of base-out state or inning number. They frequently pitch the eighth inning, with rare occasions where they are asked to get more than three outs, or pitch earlier in save situations. A setup man is typically used as insurance for a team that has a one-run lead or tie going into the later innings.

Middle Relievers
Middle relievers are baseball pitchers who typically enter the game after starting pitchers and before setup pitchers and closers. They usually work ahead in favorable counts to set up strikeouts for themselves or ground balls for their defensive players. Middle relievers are often used when teams are losing close games and need innings from somebody other than their starting pitcher or when their starter does not have his best stuff that day and needs help getting through opposing lineup hitters

Closers

In baseball, a closer is a relief pitcher who specializes in getting the final out(s) in a close game when his team is leading. Modern baseball has specialized roles for defensive specialists such as closers and setup men. Closers typically haveWalker Buehlera four-seam fastball that tops out at around 100 miles per hour, as well as a wipeout slider and/or split-finger fastball that they can use to strike out batters.

Setup men are typically used to protect leads late in games, and they usually have a repertoire similar to starting pitchers. Middle relievers are used in innings where neither the game is close enough for a closer nor far enough ahead for it to be considered out of reach.

The Two Types of Hitters

There are two types of hitters in baseball: contact hitters and power hitters. Contact hitters are those who focus on making contact with the ball and getting on base. They are typically smaller and quicker than power hitters. Power hitters, on the other hand, try to hit the ball as hard as they can for a home run. They are typically bigger and stronger than contact hitters.

Contact Hitters

Contact hitters are batters who put the ball in play frequently and have a high batting average, but don’t hit for power. They use their speed to leg out infield hits and beat out throws to first base. Managers often value contact hitters because they see more pitches and get on base more frequently, which allows the team to score more runs.

Scouts typically look for contact hitters who have a good batting eye, quick hands, and strong wrists. These players usually don’t have much power, but they can be extremely valuable to a team because they help keep the offense moving.

Power Hitters

There are two types of hitters in baseball: power hitters and contact hitters. Power hitters try to hit the ball as hard as they can, for distance. Contact hitters try to make contact with the ball and put it in play, relying on their team’s defense to record outs.

There are pros and cons to each approach. Power hitters tend to strike out more than contact hitters, but they also have the potential to hit home runs, which can change the outcome of a game. Contact hitters may not have the same raw power as power hitters, but they tend to make more contact with the ball and put pressure on the defense.

Which type of hitter is better depends on the situation. In general, power hitting is more advantageous in situations where there are no runners on base, because a home run will score multiple runs. Contact hitting is more advantageous in situations where there are runners on base, because making contact with the ball can advance runners and increase the chances of scoring runs.

Ultimately, both types of hitters are important and have a place in baseball. The key is to know when to use each type of hitter in order to maximize their strengths and help your team win games.

The One Thing All Prospects Need

Every baseball scout is looking for that one thing in a prospect. The one thing that will tell them whether or not a player has what it takes to make it to the major leagues. For some scouts, it is a player’s athleticism. For others, it is their batting average. But what is the one thing all prospects need?

Passion for the Game

One of the things that all baseball scouts look for in prospects is a passion for the game. This can be seen in the way they play, how they carry themselves on and off the field, and in their willingness to work hard to improve their skills. If a player doesn’t have a passion for the game, it’s likely that they will not make it far in the sport.

Players who have a passion for baseball are those who are constantly working to improve their skills, whether it’s through practicing their batting or working on their pitching. They are also those who are always seeking out new challenges, such as playing in higher-level leagues or competing in tournaments. These players live and breathe baseball, and it shows in their dedication to the sport.

If you’re a baseball scout, keep an eye out for players who have a true passion for the game. These are the ones who are most likely to succeed at the highest levels of the sport.