College baseball scouts are called college baseball analysts by some media sources. While other elements of scouting and management are called management, the analysts look at players from different angles to craft a complete profile for a player.
These include looking at a player’s height, weight, athletic ability (how strong he appears to be), intangibles (how hard he seems to be), and final product (how good he looks on the field).
Intangibles and final product are two parts of the equation that players don’t necessarily see in their early days looking at a player. This is why former players and coaches always spend time coming back into the fold to help scout and put together a quality final product.
This week, we will look at how former players help build quality profiles for players so they can find their way back into college baseball.
Contents:
Offensive skills
Creating space and getting good position are two main offensive skillsiatusista candidates for a player.
Speed
A player’s speed is important to scouts when looking at a player’s college career. If a scout sees a player run fast, they will think about how quickly that athlete can use that speed on the field and in the field to get open and make passes.
Speed is important for several reasons. First, there are times when a scout will need to make a quick decision on a player. Does this athlete have the legs to get where he wants to go with his speed?
Second, there are positions that have limited speeds such as quarterback or safety. If a college football coach can find only one person who can move at the fastest speed possible, that may be enough proof that this person can play in the NFL.
Third, since teams are looking for size now that power has been redefined, size has become an important attribute in seeking massiveness. Determining whether or not an individual has massiveness is dependent upon how fast they move, of course.
Eye-hand coordination
Body composition, muscle mass, and bone density are major considerations for scouts looking for strength in a player. A thin player who has large biceps or a thick player with strong back may be more eye-hand coordination Mbps than a slim player with good hand-eye coordination and mobility.
There are several factors that determine how muscular a person is, including their body fat percentage, muscle mass, and how much of it is fat. Fat people have very little muscle and vice versa.
The amount of muscle an individual has also depends on their age. People who were younger when they started pursuing sports might add some muscle to their bodies to stay competitive against newer players.
Some scouts look at college baseball players in terms of what position they play. Does the guy play in the field or on the mound? Does he get into the game quickly or just starts playing Saturday? These questions can help decide whether to draft a player based on his college performance only.
Power
A player who can produce power in a game is hard to ignore. A powerful player can get to many big hits with their raw power.
Some players are more developed than others when it comes to power. A player who has developed a gap-closing left-handed bat that reaches left and right field bases is more powerful than a raw, right-handed hitter with some strength who develops more on consistency and discipline.
How much power a player has can be capitalized on the Home Run List, an advanced pitching metric that ranks players by how many home runs they have on the mound compared to how many they have away from it. A .250+ list ranking is low enough to notice, but even at only .225, this player was noticed due to their list rank being low.
Advanced scouts will also look for pitchers with high home run lists as a sign of development. This shows that the individual scouts did not fully realize this player’s potential for home runs.
Base running ability
A player can handle himself on the base paths. He can run fast, and he can avoid danger in a crowd. But there are some basic base running skills that every player should have, like cutting and dodging traffic.
Many times, scouts look for a base running skill in a player because of his speed. As a player runs to take off, his speed gives scouts a boost!
In order to be successful at this sport, a player must be able to change direction and dodge traffic effectively. These skills will help him when trying to get from one side of the field to the other in less time than the other players on his team is getting ready to play!
Another key element for playing baseball is hitting. In order to do that, you need some strength and some of that hitting is taking quick hits.
Commitment to the game
A player’s commitment to the game is very important. If a player does not care about his practice time, he will be forgetful about how he spends his time in college, making it hard for him to maintain his commitment to the game.
It takes effort to keep a consistent practice schedule in college, and players must be careful about how they spend their time. Some players may only keep up their practice habits for one or two practices in a day, but that should still be enough to maintain good coverage and fundamentals of the game.
Keeping a healthy practice schedule is one way to maintain a healthy attitude and consistency on and off the field. Players who don’t upkeep their mental health can end up with low energy on and off the field, which can eventually lead to negative impacts on team chemistry and success.
Team player
Team player is an important part of what a college baseball scout looks for in a player. A scout will need to have a good idea of what qualities a player has to be successful in college baseball.
Team player is when a person works with their team members and other team members to help them succeed as a member of their team. It is important for a scout to look for this quality in a player.
Play hard and fight every game. If you are quiet, then you will not fight as hard. Make sure your players fight and play with heart and determination!
Is the player good at communicating? Being able to communicate properly is very important for teams because if they cannot tell the officials what they are thinking or saying, then they can’t defend themselves against defenders who can read them.
Leadership qualities
A player’s leadership qualities can vary based on who they are as a person. For example, if the player is seen as a quiet, hiding type of person, then the scouts will look for someone who can lead for them.
Something that leadership qualities have in common is that they are very valuable assets when evaluating players. A leader can make or break a team, and they can even change the course of a team’s season if they shine.
When evaluating a player, scouts will start by looking at how he handles himself in and out of the locker room. Heathy people seem to play with better spirits and happier personalities. How much respect he gets from his teammates is also important as it may be how secure he feels about himself as a person.
Next up are the things they notice about him. Canfield says that when she looks at players she “feels like she has entered their personal world” which can help them understand what kind of person they are and what kind of player they need to get out into the world.