2017LHPscrewball posted:2020DAD - thumbs up! I think "measurables" sometimes get confused with stats in some peoples' minds. The occurrence of an error is one stat that helps demonstrate this. My 2017 got credited with an error in the OF the other day. He is pretty good at reading balls and is pretty fleet of foot and was able to catch up to the ball and simply dropped in full stride. Not arguing the error itself, but if he were playing MLB, you could now track reaction time and foot speed, distance covered and maybe a few more items and get some idea of how he actually performs relative to others. To bring this back to the OP, I don't understand how a few "live" action plays, seen live with no replay or secondary angle, provides a superior set of information with which to construct a development plan as opposed to some game video alongside some solid measurables. If the kid is slow, measurables will show this and indicate he needs to work on speed. If exit velocity is weak, measurables will show this and indicate he needs to work on his hitting. Spray charts can help demonstrate hitting tendencies. The list goes on and on. Don't get me started with TrackMan and spin rates (which I would love to learn more about).
Be very careful what you ask for... I have done extensive possibly even exhaustive research on spin rates! And you could not be more correct about reaction time and range measurables. It's as simple as this - do you want a guy who gets to 10 balls and makes zero errors or a guy who gets to 20 balls and makes 4 errors. If you say the guy who gets to 10 then you are just plain daft and can't be helped. But for years that's kind of the way the game was. And yes it's frustrating when that rangy guy boots an easy one right to him but you have to see big picture. Dr Alan Nathan is about all you will need for spin rate stuff. Look up his baseball physics website. And make sure you understand the concept of 'useful' spin rate. Very important. Velocity will always be king but spin rate is the crown prince! As Kyle and others studying it will tell you increasing spin rate is still unsettled science. And I know high spin rate and therefore swing and miss stuff is much sexier but there are many ways to manipulate your spin rate to be lower. That's what my son does and he was 12-1 last year and led his team in every significant pitching category EXCEPT strikeouts. Was half way through the season before even having an ERA. Hard for a 14yo to want to be the ground ball pitcher instead of the strikeout guy but with everybody chasing the high velo big spin rate... there's gonna be room for the guy (in college not MLB) who throws 84 with an insanely low 1250 spin rate and mad movement inducing one ground ball after another. Within the next few years some smart schools are going to start paying a lot of attention to this.