Tips on being Scouted - travelballselect.com

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Tips on being Scouted

Are you looking to move to the next level? Here are some facts about scouting you will want to consider.

Who gets scouted? Getting to be a pro prospect, or considered by the right college is the aim/dream of every young player - and of his parents who may otherwise be facing a $25,000 yearly college expense. The MLB Scouting Bureau spends the summer looking at what they call 'follows', mostly 15 and 16 year-olds - younger prospects they didn't have time for before the June draft. They develop a follow list by the end of the summer or the early fall each year which may have 500-600 players that will be eligible for the next June's draft. In addition, they'll have lists of players eligible for two years ahead. (In Spring, prior to the draft, MLSB scouts are busy looking at those eligible for that year's draft, so if that's not you, then relax and enjoy your Spring ball as a teaching/conditioning time, gearing yourself up for the summer 'all-star' season when your performance really counts.)

When does scouting take place? Best advice: Play summer ball at the highest level possible: The better the competition the better you become, and the more likely a scout may be in the crowd. (They watch for the big guns at tournaments and regional play-offs, even for those as young as 14.) But that's not enough. You can't wait for them to find you. Scouting often happens at try-out camps. (The MLSB has 35 tryout camps in June throughout the country and the pro clubs hold camps as well.) Attend try-out camps beginning with the summer between your sophomore and junior years. Attend as many as possible (only one team has to like you). Watch the newspapers for the announcements of try-outs, or write the MLSB , NCAA or we at TBS-USA can provide players with a list for tryout camps. There are also private showcase events that have been great for younger kids. They have the chance to compete against the top kids in the country. The more visibility [a kid] has to the scouts, the better. Also, these camps and showcases are a chance for a player whose team won't be competing for national honors, to be seen and show what they can do. However, private showcases may be more expensive.

What are scouts looking for? Hitting ability, power, running speed, arm strength, fielding, and of course pitching. All the skills are needed, and scouts will be on the look out for all of them. Some skills can be evaluated purely by the numbers - with a stop watch, for instance. A scout may clock batter's speed to first base on a hit, from the crack of the bat to when the foot hits the bag. Or the catcher's throw down to second base, measuring the time from mitt contact to glove contact. And of course, pitchers will be measured on their fastball heat. But there are other skills and attributes that a scout will judge based more on experience. Hitting ability, for instance, is the most difficult tool to scout because they have to judge how a hitter will do at the pro level by watching them hit against amateur pitching. So the scouting process will look at the technique and also some measurable results. And finally, there are 'generic' qualities that apply to both position players and pitchers - things like aggressiveness, instinct, dedication, and work ethic. The scouting bureau uses a scale of 2-8 in each category to grade players and come up with an OFP (Overall Future Potential) rating. A total range of 40-80 covers Major League prospects. Forty is the minimum for our category of a Major League prospect. We have fringe, average and definite prospect [categories]. As the number gets higher, the better the prospect is.

When are they watching you? Always. There are stories of kids who blew their best chance because of a late arrival or an indifferent effort during pre-game or pre-tryout warm-ups. Scouts like to come early, observe warm-up, get the gun out, and check pitch velocity early. If the velocity isn't there then, the scouts tend to leave early. So, anyone who put down relief pitcher as a scouting prospect on the survey was wrong - there may be no scouts at the park by the 6th or 7th inning. Likewise a hitter going 3 for 5 won't help himself if the two outs are early on strike-outs - even if he later winds up the hero of the game! So, best advice...Don't wait for tomorrow to get in shape. Spend time on a good training program; work with the Tee and in the batting cage or on the mound well in advance of the outing. (Whatever you do, don't practice for 4 hours the night before - don't hurt yourself for one day.) Arrive early, stretch and thoroughly loosen-up - take even that seriously, both because it will help your performance and because it shows your work ethic. The pre-game infield-outfield is just as important. When scouts are evaluating a player for skills like arm strength it is usually then. A scout will get to see several throws by the outfielders to second, third, and home plate. If a player has a good arm, chances are he will show it here, particularly on throws to home plate. It also gives him a chance to look at infield skills - Quick Feet, Range, Soft Hands and Quick Hands. In fact, the scouting process here is not so different from what a good opposing coach will do during a typical pre-game. Teams will often decide whether to run against you by the strength of the arms demonstrated before the game. Scouts might also be looking for bat speed - measured with a radar gun, perhaps during the pre-game B.P.

What about during the game? Clearest advice we've heard - 'stay within yourself'. In other words, hot-dogging is not going to help. So 'playing consistently' was a good choice on the survey. But also remember, the comments about scouting happening early. One error can kill your chances that day. Is that fair? Maybe not! Does that put extra pressure on you? That depends on your make-up. But if you can't handle competitive pressure (Travel Ball experience should help with that), you're not going to make it anyway. Hitting will be judged more during the game, mostly on your ability to get the inside breaking pitches. Why? Because that might be all you'll see at the higher levels (pro or college) unless you can show an ability to connect consistently with power on curveballs and sliders. (Remember Michael Jordan's attempt to become a baseball player? A steady diet of junk pitches did him in.)
One other important point here....If possible, ask your coach to play you in more than one position. Why? Because if a player can hit with authority, a scout may want his bat in the line-up, but only if he can fit into the current squad. (If they don't need a second baseman it doesn't matter how good you are there. So you have a better chance if you can play in both the infield and the outfield, left side or right side - contrary to what the survey results suggested.)

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