Infielders:
Position players are graded on the following five tools.
Hitting - Approach to hitting (load, stride, lower body action, bat path), balance, quality of contact, consistency
of contact, hand speed, bat speed, hand-eye coordination
Power - How far the player can hit the ball, action of the ball off bat, type of swing, speed of bat through the
zone, strength in body that is translated to ball at contact
Fielding - Ability to use feet, ability to use hands, range, ability to control body, fielding position, approach to
ball, pace of play
Throwing - First 10 feet of throw out of hand (Velocity), last 10 feet of throw into target, arm angle at release,
arm action, speed of arm through release, amount of effort exerted during throwing motion, amount of time
taken to release of throw
Running - General/overall speed (60 yards), baseball/usable speed (Home to 1B)
Importance of tool by position:
1B 1. Hitting 2. Power 3. Fielding 4. Throwing 5. Running
2B 1. Fielding 2. Hitting 3. Running 4. Throwing 5. Power
SS 1. Fielding 2. Throwing 3. Running 4. Hitting 5. Power
3B 1. Hitting 2. Fielding 3. Power 4. Throwing 5. Running
1. Ability to use hands/glove - play on ball, exchange from glove into throwing hand
2. Ability to move feet - athletic ability/agility, overall quickness, life in steps
3. Arm strength - speed of the ball out of hand, action of throw into target and ability to make throws off balance and on the run
4. Footwork/body control - understanding of routes and body position on variety of plays
The most common faults among young infielders include:
1. Playing flat-footed or on heels/stationary feet. Successful infielders are able to keep their feet moving,stay on the balls of their feet and maintain an athletic position.
2. Deep and defensive play on ball - glove under body lets ball get in on body. Infielders must be aggressive with hands and use the glove. They should also make a play on the ball instead of reacting to what the ball does.
3. Exchange/Release with too much wasted motion. The game speeds up as you move up levels. Get rid of the ball quickly - no one can outrun a thrown ball so get it on the way quickly