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The Art of Baseball Scouting

 

            Baseball is a game won in between the white lines of a diamond. The players are grown men playing a kids game for millions of dollars. On the surface fans only see throwing, catching, and hitting but much more is put into America's pastime. There's an art behind the game which has been reformed over the decades to adapt to the mid-90s fastballs and the 500 ft. home runs that disappear into the summer sky. This art doesn't involve painting or drawing but is simply the opinion of a man on another man. This art is called scouting.
             Baseball players are evaluated on a scale of 20-80. The 20-80 scale is set up to determine present and future potential of the player. A 20 is the minimum number a player can receive in a single category and 80 is the highest. Position players will be graded by their hitting, power, throwing, fielding, and speed. Pitchers will be graded on their velocity, movement, control, arm action, and mechanics. If a player receives an overall grade of a 66-80 he has the potential to be a MLB all-star. These are the Mike Trouts of the world that have hall of fame potential. A player that receives a 50-65 grade has the potential to be an average MLB player. These players' names are not remembered in history books or Cooperstown but are remembered by fans for their role in helping a team to a World Series win or Pennant. An overall grade of 40-49 means that the player has the potential to contribute to a MLB team and be a solid backup. These players are the starters' best friends. They make the starters better during Spring Training and give them a day off during the season. If a player receives a 30-39 grade then he has the potential to play minor league baseball and maybe can develop into a back-up eventually. These players "hang it up" after a couple of years and move on with their life because they can't make it in the game any longer. .
             Pitching wins championships and is very valuable on the trade market.


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