I've often read about ranking the level of importance of the 6 tools depending on the position. How about ranking them by development? Rank the tools from the easiest for a player to develop to the tool that is hardest to develop.
Do you think coaches look for players that were naturally gifted with the most difficult tool knowing the other tools can be more easily developed?
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Momball
there are no tools "easy" to develop.
1. Hitting with power, very difficult requires special coaches and high level of competition.
2. Running can be improved with a track coach
3. Hitting can definitely be improved with self development
4. Be acquainted with the fungo bat
5. Throwing depends on the defensive position.
6. the 6th Tool: Study the game, self teach, observe the weather, the field, the opposition, the pitcher "warming up", your teammates, the umpires.
"throw away the cell phone".
Bob
@Momball11, I think it not only depends on position, but also the player itself. When RipkenFanSon would go to third party showcases and events, a couple of coaches told him to strengthen a strength as one tool off the chart would get a player looks. To your last sentence, I think college coach's look for tools brought to the table and then look for what they think they can help develop. Son's RC knew son was fast, but as one of the Top infield coach's in the country RC was able to change son's arm slot on throws from second and SS to become more effective. Son was receptive to instruction and this coach took son to a different level defensively. Son is primarily a MI, though he also started games in CF last year (Milb).
HSBBWEB talks about how every recruit's journey is different, which I agree. I think players develop at different rates (focus and emphasis on different tools) as well. I can easily see that my son's #1 to develop (speed) would be a number of player's #6. I guess if you call the order of the "easiest" to develop what actually occurred, here is my son's order of development. Incidentally, development (seeking to improve) never ends.
1) Speed
2) Defense
3) Hit for average
4) The "6th tool"
5) Arm strength
6) Hit for power
All of the tools can be developmentally improved. But some of them might be there to a point naturally. You can improve speed. But you can’t teach speed. Some kids have naturally quicker hands and feet (defense). Some kids are naturally stronger (power). Some kids naturally throw harder (arm strength). But if these skills can’t be refined into a baseball player their naturalness doesn’t matter. For example bad footwork and fundamentals-can undo the advantage of quickness. It doesn’t matter if a pitcher throws hard if he can’t find the plate.
For position players none of the above matters if you can’t make quality contact. Hitting isn’t just the hardest of the baseball tools. It’s considered the single hardest thing to do in sports.
The sixth tool (instincts) comes from playing experience. For some players it never comes. It comes to the player standing on the front step of the dugout analyzing the opposing team during pregame. It’s doesn’t come to the kid screwing around in the dugout.
Instincts come from being fundamentally sound, understanding the game and observing and understanding the opposition.
I was thrilled when my son (about fourteen at the time) asked me if I ever felt like the game (any sport) was going on in slow motion around me and I had time to almost always make the correct decision. He told me he just realized it happens for him. Fourteen was when he figured it out. I noticed from the beginning he was usually one step ahead of most of the competition in any sport. When he was eleven a former minor leaguer observed he had the instincts of a high school player. Some kids never get to this point (sixth tool) in any sport.
You cant teach a donkey to be a race horse!
Skills can be improved but the best of the best was born with a gift.
"Rank the tools from the easiest for a player to develop to the tool that is hardest to develop."
1. Baseball IQ - you need zero athletic ability, skills or gifts to become an astute student of the game...if you are using the correct source materials and understanding them correctly.
2. Fielding - but with one condition, you have to be in the right position. Wade Boggs was never going to be a SS. That's why no one tried to position him at SS. He was a third baseman and inferior at it at first. But, he put in the work and got a lot better. But there was never going to be work that would allow him to be a SS because he doesn't have the skills for it. If you are in a position suitable for you, then you can get better if you put in the work.
3. Hitting for power - assuming you already can hit then you can improve your power. It requires using the gym and getting stronger, learning to use counts and situations to look for a pitch to drive and learning to hit the bottom of the baseball.
4. Hitting - many great hitters are born but many others made themselves into good hitters. If you have the eyes, coordination and required mental processing skills, you can get better at hitting with proper coaching and putting in the work.
5. Throwing - you might be able to add 5 MPH. But, you're either born with a hose or not.
6. Speed - you can improve it but not all that much. Elite speed is something you are born with...or not.
Asked the boy. In his opinion speed is the hardest to teach followed by hit tool. He thinks the rest are very dependent on the player. He initially said hit for power was the easiest to teach but then he walked it back a little.
Definitely no right or wrong answer. Also depends on what a player has naturally like what Ripkin Fan said. For my own son I'd say speed is the one that is the most difficult. I was a sprinter and form/technique can definitely be taught to improve speed. However, genetically some may not have been gifted with a lot of fast twitch muscles. Anyone can train to become an endurance runner, but you can't make just anyone into a sprinter.
His second tool that he is developing is his arm strength/throwing. I think this is just something that takes more time to develop and possibly there are physical limitations. If there weren't we'd probably continue to see faster and faster pitching, but at some point it becomes physically impossible to throw faster. Sort of like sprint speed.
So very interesting what everyone has commented thus far.
I’m going to chime in here, but I have a feeling my opinion may not be welcomed. I believe we’re all gifted with a genetic max capability on every attribute (baseball and non-baseball). I say gifted, in the sense that we don’t earn or deserve these abilities - we were born with both blessings and challenges. What I do believe is earned, is taking what we’ve been gifted, and working toward our individual physical, mental and emotional ceilings of maximum capability.
For me, I think that @Francis7 is mostly spot on with the ordering and descriptions.
My baseball kid works with a track coach to improve his running and lower body explosiveness. He’s made improvements but will always have a below average speed tool. Conversely, he’s always had a plus arm and works tirelessly on that tool too, but ultimately his starting point was a gift that he’s been able to capitalize on.
I believe that most ballplayers that make it to the higher levels are blessed with gifts they’ve worked extremely hard to refine and are fortunate to have family situations that saw and fostered that potential.
I’ve got two successful kids in opposite extreme professions. I don’t feel worthy of the blessings they have received, but I’m beyond thankful of how they have applied what they’ve been gifted.
Not much to add here, you can improve any of the 5 traditional baseball tools with good coaching and reps, but to get them to a point where a scout is going to care you have to be born with the potential--most human beings, regardless of training, will never be able to run a 6.4 second 60 or throw a baseball 90 mph or hit with 100 exit velo.
The "6th" tool (hustle or attitude or baseball IQ, depending on you talk to) requires no talent whatsoever and can absolutely be improved by anyone who puts on cleats.
2023:
recently finished the Tito Francona book "The Red Sox Years". The book ID the 6th tools on a daily basis which the GM Epstein and Tito utilized to win 2 World Series.
When we sent our American team to Australia it included his son. Tito wanted to travel and Coach, however he was in discussions with the Red Sox to be their Manager.
Observation and 6th sense are the assets of a SUCCESSFUL MANAGER!
I always believed Joe Morgan would have made a good Manager.
He and I had a discussion at Candlestick Park on his "day off". It was a classic!! Jack Clark and jim lefevere was also involved. OUTSTANDING!!!
Bob
