How The Pro Scouts Grade Player Prospects

There's actually a generally accepted rating system used by the fulltime scouts that applies to all players -- prospects and veterans alike. It is true that until the ultra-lively baseball came along in the late 80s, the overall requirements were somewhat different according to position. Until just a few years ago the scouts nearly always looked at potential big league quality infielders with this overview: Power on the corners (first and third), and speed and defense up the middle (second and short).

There are, of course, exceptions to this sort of generalization. Ernie Banks and Alex Rodriguez at shortstop and Ryne Sandberg and Rogers Hornsby at second, are poster children for the power-laden middle infielder class.

A Universal Comparison System Is Needed

Every scouting combine, regardless of sport, has to have a generally understood numerical basis for comparing players, especially since different scouts see these guys at different times under different circumstances.

They're all similar, but the one called "The Yankee System," or "The Yankee Profile," gets the most publicity. That's the one we'll talk about because it dominates our own thick file on scouting tactics. (We're aware, as you are, that owner George Steinbrenner will still tell the teams whom to draft, but at least he'll get to first examine reasonably uniform recommendations if he cares to.)

The standard 20-80 scale:

80 - Outstanding

70 - Well-above average (plus-plus) 60 - Above average (plus)

50 - Major league average 40 - Below average

30 - Well below average 20 - Poor

This is essentially a profiling system designed to unite the efforts of the player development and scouting departments. It's an all-out attempt to get everybody in the organization who is involved in talent judging on the same page.

The Universally Accepted 'Five Tools' Of Baseball

The five tools of a position player -- hit, hit with power, run, field and throw - are prioritized by this sort of scouting profile.

For one of the fairly recent issues of Baseball America, John Boyd polled scouting executives from a number of major league teams to determine a position-by-position profile overview, the results of which are very interesting.

The priority tools, usually the top two or three at any position, can be weighted so that a first baseman like Jason Giambi with 70 power and 70 hitting isn't penalized for the rest of his tools. Otherwise his lack of speed, defensive shortcomings and substandard arm strength would bring down his overall grade and cost a major league team the services of an overall very productive player.

According to Boyd, "most organizations that use this method stipulate the top two tools should add up to at least 120." One team's crosschecker (highest ranking scout who usually has the final word on the talent aspect of a high draft pick or a player trade) says that the majority of players on championship clubs exceed the 120 total for two tools, as well as the 170 total when the third priority is included.

If you enjoy baseball and enjoy an occasional look behind the scenes, it is informative to study the five tools, position-by-position, in the order that scouts rank them:

Outfielders Infielders

Left Field Center Field Right Field Third Base

1. Hitting 1. Fielding 1. Hitting 1. Hitting

2. Power 2. Hitting 2. Power 2. Power

3. Fielding 3. Speed 3. Arm strength 3. Fielding

4. Arm strength 4 Power 4. Fielding 4. Arm strength

5. Speed 5. Arm strength 5. Speed 5. Speed

Infielders (Con.) Catcher

Shortstop Second Base First Base

1. Fielding 1. Hitting 1. Hitting 1. Fielding

2. Arm strength 2. Fielding 2. Power 2. Hitting

3. Hitting 3. Power 3. Fielding 3. Arm Strength 4. Speed 4. Speed 4. Arm strength 4. Power

5. Power 5. Arm strength 5. Speed 5. Speed

There are no surprises here in the order of skill preferences, but if we just use some current and recent Cubs players for examples, we can readily see that all good players don't necessarily match these ideal order of skills.

First baseman Mark Grace was hitting one and fielding two, and not much else. Our own five-tool rating of Grace, in the first baseman's order above, would have been: 70-40-80-50-30=270. Catcher Damian Miller is fielding one, arm strength two and hitting a too-distant third. At third, Aramis Ramirez's skills are in the perfect order. If we were rating Ramirez we would also give him a total rating of 270, based on 60-60-50-60-40 ratings in the order listed above.

The latter-day Sammy Sosa has fallen from a genuine five-tool player to a power one, hitting two or three, and everything else barely average at best.

A-Rod and Pujols Near Perfection

It is probably true that only shortstop Alex Rodriguez, at this writing still a $25+ million-per-year member of the Texas Rangers, would come close to, if not reach, the perfect profiling system total of 400 (five times 80). The Cardinals' Albert Pujols, if and when he arrives at a permanent fielding position, will be very close behind.

The same crosschecker quoted above, says this about the effect that the recent huge increase in run production has had on player acquisition goals. "The bat plays. I don't care how good a fielder you are, if your bat is a 20, you can't play-you won't get out of Double-A."

Don't Just Bring Along The Glove

Another way of saying this, is that the day of the defensive specialist as an everyday regular is becoming rare indeed. No team wants a lineup that has an automatic out. The 2003 Cubs' 7-8 hitters were easy outs. You want everyone to be a tough out.