Smitty28 posted:Steve A. posted:The Cliff Notes of the article & what a Pro Scout is looking for are here:
1: Athleticism / Looseness
2: Bat Speed
3: Some feel For the Bat Head
4: Some Sense of a Plan / Discipline / Pitch Recognition
Stats at the HS level would meaningless. It's all about projection.
Great list, thanks. So what is "looseness"? When I think of looseness I think of Ken Griffey Jr. But then I look at Mike Trout and I see short and direct but I don't think of his swing as loose. Both are obviously terrific swings.
Too funny! I thought of Trout immediately as well. I would not describe him as "loose" like maybe a Carlos Gonzalez or Griffey by any stretch. He just has a different body type; thicker; shorter arms so it looks tighter. What he does have is bat speed or quickness with no rigidity. It flows but is just so quick it looks tight I think.
So "looseness" may be a bit misleading but they want an easy swing with low effort looseness, quick hands & some pop to all fields, with ability to turn on it & jerk one out. Manny Machado comes to mind for me.