Back In The Area

Believe me, I've read enough posts on this board to know that most posters are VERY smart.......so I won't have to go too slowly.

Here goes:

1. I scout tools first, with performance being a minor consideration. In order for a player to be successful at the ML level he must have tools. As the game speeds up, those who lack the necessary tools get left behind.

2. I get excited about HS position players who I feel have, or will have the strength needed to play professional baseball. Along with that, I like to see arm strength, foot speed, and especially bat speed. With pitchers, I like to see a loose arm and an athletic body. Arm speed is also very important. A pitcher can still be far from his true physical potential, but still show you good arm speed. Also, the ability to "spin" the breaking ball well sometimes lets you know that future velocity increases are there.

3. Signability....basically, can you get the player signed for what you think he is worth? Every player is signable. However, if you feel he is worth 200K, and he wants 2.5M, he's not getting signed.

4. I personally place a great value on makeup. Professional baseball is a very tough grind, and a player has to be a tough individual to stand up to the rigors of the game. He must be tough physically and mentally. The mental part is the one you worry about most. Will he be able to deal with failure? How much does he really want to play? Will he quit on you? I'd never draft or sign a player who I felt might quit regardless of his "tools".

5. If I really like a player and he is a high round pick ( top ten rounds ), I need to get him seen be people above me. However, after that, I can get players drafted without anyone else seeing them. This past year I drafted pitchers in the 22nd and 39th rounds who were only seen by me.

These are great questions and I know I could go on for hours ( and pages ) on each one of them. But remember, these are only my opinions.

 

MlbScout, Do you prefer kids straight out of HS or would you rather get them out of college?

 

That's a hard one to answer. I guess I really have no preference. If a HS player is ready both physically and emotionally, I'd like to get him into pro ball as soon as possible. However, if not, he's better off going to college. The college player will obviously be closer to his ultimate potential, and therefore a little "safer" choice. HS players usually carry the greater risk......but as in investing, the greater the risk, the greater the possible reward.

 

Great job in answering our questions, MLB. Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule. I hope you can hang around for awhile to answer more questions. Great to have you back!

By the way, did the incident with Matt Bush last year change ML's scouting of HS kids.

 

I don't think the Matt Bush incident will have any effect on those teams that continue to scout the HS players aggressively. You try to do your homework on all players that you consider drafting, especially those who are high picks.......but you never know.

 

Signability

Scout, as I recall your son was a Tampa Bay draft pick. Did you draft him? Why didn't he sign? If a player tells a team in advance that he won't sign, then why draft him? :huh:

 

Yes Papabear, he was drafted by Tampa Bay, but not by me. Hank King took him out of Surry CC. Hank took him with the idea of not signing him, but of keeping him under control of the D'Rays until a week before the next draft. This is what's known as a "draft and follow". He played his freshman year at Surry at 6'0 155 and Hank wanted him to develop more physically before he signed him. The plan was for him to get bigger and stronger over the summer and following season, then sign him just before the 2004 draft. When he went back to Surry in the fall of 2003 he was up to 183 lbs and much stronger. Then, that fall his elbow blew out and he had the Tommy John surgery.

So, I guess to answer the main question, a team will draft a player in order to keep his rights up until the next draft. This is done with HS players who will be going to a JUCO, and JUCO freshmen who can return for their sophomore year. Many times this is done if a team feels the player has the ability but is lacking in physical development.

 

Signability

Thanks Scout. I'd forgotten about those in the "draft and follow" category.

 

Brad, I sent you a PM. Did you get it?

 

No. Didn't receive it.