Do I have a shot?

TheUndiscoverd, our experience a couple of years ago was this:

Son was on good a travel team, had several high prospects on team. Was selected for Area Code team and attended games, got several questionnaires from several teams, but did not have a D1 commitment. Did not have banner senior year in HS but did attend Jupiter and East Cobb. Never heard from MLB since then.

Son is not a pitcher, but a fairly talented catcher with a good arm.

From all that I've seen and heard, you need to throw harder and put on some weight (muscle) in order to get on their radar. If you have not been contacted by scouts or agents (advisers) then I would say its not going to happen. Most of the players that went to the Area Code games were D1 commits. MLB takes that as a sign of good baseball talent. By no means do I consider myself an expert here, just letting you know how it went for our son and the patterns I've observed.

You have a good frame, concentrate on your college career, you'll have another chance after you have matured fully. Best wishes on your baseball/college journey.

TheUnDiscovered,

You are right, this is THE place to find out all sorts of high school, college, and pro related info about baseball. Welcome to the site! Now without seeing you actually pitch it's hard to have a feel for what you've got as far as pro prospects are concerned. Pop Up Hitter Dad makes some good points. As a righthander, I would tend to feel that to interest ML scouts AT THIS TIME, you would need to throw a little harder truthfully with both your fastball and your slider. But there are some things in your description that may bode for more interest later. At 6ft 3in and 160lbs, you definitely need to fill out and that's exactly what a college weight program will do for you. You seem like a guy who does have the possibility of great upside. The main thing is to not get discouraged if you aren't drafted this summer and use the college time to not only work on your education but do the things you have to do to become a more polished pitcher. As Pop Up stated, there should already be some interest shown by scouts if they consider you a draft possibility this coming summer.

The Perfect Game event should give you a better look at where you stand measured against other talented players. No matter what, this is early in the journey, not the end of the journey, so get out there and work to become even better over the next 2-3 years. Good Luck!

Good response Three Bagger, going to a showcase is a good way to see how one stacks up against other prospects.

I agree with pop up hitter, your fastball isn't there yet. You have a nice frame but as mentioned you need to add some weight, but can be easily added with a good diet and hitting the weights hard. I'm not sure what you will gain out of a showcase but it will be a good experience for you and can't hurt. Just remember to work hard in school, in the gym and on the diamond, if it doesn't work out at least you will have a good education and gave it your all.

quote:

Just remember to work hard in school, in the gym and on the diamond, if it doesn't work out at least you will have a good education and gave it your all.

Great stuff Penn13, I think oftentimes, many players forget that education is so important. Most of us will be working men longer than we will be baseball players. However inevitable, there still comes a day when we will not be able to play ball.

Sounds like a promising report! Was that the World Showcase in Ft. Myers? We had a great time at that one, very exciting time in a ballplayers life.

Congratulations and good luck in your upcoming season!

You are correct floridafan. Thank you!

TheUndiscovered,

Sounds like you had a very good showing--way to go. Good luck this spring!

quote:

Originally posted by TheUnDiscovered:


Here's what PG had to say:
He could be a very dominant pitcher at the DII level right away with his present tools and skills.

This report more or less gives an answer, they have not mentioned anything about pro potential.

This is not meant to be negative, but positive for you to know that if you keep working very hard (and that means going to school and working hard at improving and coditioning) you could have a shot.

I understand that every young man wants a shot at pro baseball. IMO, it's very important to understand that there is a right time and place for everything, and that even includes getting drafted. It's important to understand all that going pro means.

Have a great season.

I don't know if you have pro potential or not. But my question is how do you have a PG evaluation already? My son did the Underclass showcase a couple weeks ago and we did not receive anything. Is it different at the World Showcase?

Three Bagger- Thank you!

TPM- I see what you are saying and I agree. Thank you!

2013 Dad- I just posted what was said in the PG scouting blog.

Undiscovered,

I read your blog on PG, congrats, you had a good showing. My son is your age and has attended a few PG events. He's filled out about a half dozen pro questionaires. Some scouts see him strictly as an outfielder and others as a pitcher. His velocity numbers are similar to yours, but you have more physical projectability with your current height, and it appears you have plenty of room to fill out.

I like what TPM has to say, her son went to college, is currently playing pro ball and very close to attaining every young man's goal.

The advice I've given to my son is have fun and enjoy your senior year of high school. He's going to college to get his education and obtain his degree. His goal is to be drafted after his junior year of college...but right now, just have fun, work hard, and good things will happen...you never know what the future holds for you?

I am a big believer in not stressing about it, things seem to take care of themselves, if it is meant to be, it will work out, if not, then you have a great option (college ball).

quote:

Originally posted by TheUnDiscovered:
Hello everyone I'm new here, looks like a great place!

I would like everyone to tell me if they think I have a chance to be drafted this upcoming draft.

I'm a senior in high school and recently signed my letter of intent to play DII baseball
6'3" 160 lbs - I believe I have tons of upside
RHP
Velocity: 2 seam with good movement 85-87 on stalker
Curveball thrown with good control low 70s
Slider sweeps through zone but is slower than average around mid 70s
Changeup with good arm speed and movement

I'm attending a PG showcase in a few weeks.

Thank you for your time!

I have to ask if you can throw a four seam and if so what is the reading?

Not to upset you but here it is:

Will tell you until you hit 90 mph as a right hander the scouts will not come as that is their cut off for an R/H pitcher. But don't give up as 6'3 you have the height and most pitching coaches (good ones) can get 3-5 mph on average out of a young pitcher like yourself. As we say in the south you are a dime a dozen right now and need to work on getting stronger, learning to use your legs/ hips as that is where velocity comes from. To show you what I mean I had a young pitcher like you this year play for me in the fall 6’6 R/H who throwed like you at 85 -87 mph and he signed after working with him with a D1 college in November after hitting 93 mph and yes the scouts are now looking very hard at this kid. So it can happen if you want to work at it and learn how to pitch both body and mind. Good luck and remember that Rome was not built in a day.

10.5% Chance

Don't let anyone get you discouraged. At this time I would say, that your college option is probably in your best interest out of HS. Pro ball is very difficult, especially for those that get drafted in lower rounds.
Keep working on your stuff, keep following your dream and get back to work on that 4 seam.

You’re right TPM on the pro ball for a pitcher, seen guys cut that should have not been there. As such they had lost their college playing and it was over. Most high school kids and most people just don't know what it takes to stick with a team and produce every day. The start pay sucks and the cubbies fees add up plus you get all of the bus rides you can stand. Did I also say anything about the sleeping six deep to a room? (Back in the good old days) Times change but some things stay the same.

All joking aside it does come down to where you are taken in the draft as to what you will get as a bonus but MLB does give now days a good college pay deal to all players so players can get a college education. Just remember if you go to college that at a two year college you can be drafted the first year there and at a four year college you have to be a junior to be drafted. (Unless NCAA or MLB has changed that rule since last year) Right now you’re a 5 but from watching your film (you really need to get a better film person by the way) I would say a 6 is in your reach on the grading scale. Take care and enjoy playing the game.

Pony.
It's clubby.

And you do not have to sleep 6 deep in a room.

Minor league has changed probably since you know it, but one thing remains, college for most out of HS is the best option.

Are you an internet scout?

Pony- Your post confused me as well...Are you referring to the MLB used 20-80 rating scale? What does bus rides and hotel stays have anything to do with a player's drive and dedication to the game? Road trips are just as glamour-less at most colleges too.

As TPM pointed out, college for most is the best option. Are there certain circumstantial differences? Sure. A lot of HS draftees that sign are successful and happy in whatever way they see fit. But for the vast majority, the college route is the best option.

TheUndiscovered- I admire your quest to gain more information and to attempt to get better. I don't want this to sound harsh in any way, but after seeing your videos, reviewing what you've said, and analyzing everything together, it doesn't seem that you are a professional prospect at this present point in time. I could be wrong, being that everything I've seen is over the Internet, and I am not a scout. But the velocities you've listed, the build you've described, the mechanics you've displayed, etc. don't necessarily match up to a typical professional pitcher's profile.

You are very fortunate to have a live arm and a lanky frame. Use the opportunity to pitch at the collegiate level to your advantage. Get yourself on a strength and conditioning program, work to fine tune mechanical aspects of your delivery. Continue to strive to get better, seek advice, soak in ideas. Prove to the world, and to yourself, that you do belong playing the game as far as you see yourself fit to. And if you do all those things, then there is a good possibility those things can work out for you.

The work ethic that you create for yourself in your upcoming college years will determine your ultimate fate...not only in baseball...but in all facets of life.

quote:

Originally posted by TPM:
Pony.
It's clubby.

And you do not have to sleep 6 deep in a room.

Minor league has changed probably since you know it, but one thing remains, college for most out of HS is the best option.

Are you an internet scout?

TPM,
Nope not an internet scout and this is the first I have ever heard that expression as to an internet scout but do know some scouts and will help who ever I can. I do watch a lot of baseball players during the baseball season and set down with the powers to be and go over what I have seen. You are correct about the times changing from the 70’s to now. If you had read a little down you would also see where I said, all joking a side and the good old days. Now days the young men drafted are better off than the ones before them in everyway. From reading some post I get the impression TPM you have a son that was drafted, am I correct on this?

JH,
On pitching like other scales MLB does use a 2-8 scale and right now his velocity is tops 87mph which grades him on that scale a 4 for his velocity along but I think he is a 5 with a 6 in velocity reachable for him with work.

The only thing I am saying to this kid or anyone who wants to play the game is that after high school the going gets tougher for them and they are going to have to work harder to make it. Ever player on a college team was a star somewhere or they would not be where they are and that baseball is second to the college work they will have to do as well.

College by far is the best option for most kids coming out of high school but there are times when they need to take the plunge if that is what they want as life is short. Hope this answers your questions.

Pony- I agree, although to be honest I have questioned the MLB scale in the past. I know it is widely used and makes sense, but in my mind it is a little broad. Take the case of TheUndiscovered for instance. He has said that his FB tops out at 87 mph, which as you said, is a 4 on the scale. He is tall and lean and 17 years old. The projection is that he can develop a 5 or a 6 fastball, which translates to "MLB average" to "slightly above MLB average". But in my mind, MLB average velocity varies. A lot of having a successfully overpowering fastball has to do with deception, angle and spin. In 2010, Jered Weaver threw his fastball nearly 60% of the time, and the average velocity out of all the fastballs he threw was 89.9 mph, which would be quantified as a 5 on the scouting scale, MLB average. Yet led the league with 233 strikeouts. He's 6'7", long and lanky and has very deceptive mechanics, with very solid offspeed offerings as well. But throwing a fastball 60% of the time, he was able to strike out 233 hitters in one season. If you said that sentence to someone that didn't know anything else about him, they'd probably think he throws very hard.

I'm not arguing with you, just questioning the accuracy and the generality of the MLB scale.


And for the record, TPM's son is a former 1st round draft pick out of an ACC program that makes frequent Omaha visits and is currently progressing through the MiLB. He's a 7 on the velocity scale.

Pony,
I asked you about being an internet scout because you were grading theundiscovered based on his reported velo without seeing him actually pitch. I think JH did a good job of explaining that above.

Theundiscovered, JH provided some info but let me explain. In HS my son was ranked as a top 100 out of HS, and projected a 6-10 round pick. He attended
Clemson University and in his junior year he was draft 71st (second round that year). So that is my reason for telling you to concentrate on your last HS year, go to college, if it is meant to be it will happen. FWIW, my son now hits 96-97 and lives in the low 90's zone, on the 40 man roster but still has not made it to the show. Please understand how very hard it is to accomplish that, even with those tools.

One more thing, posting your information here really does nothing but expose yourself unnecessarily, there is really no one here that can help you to move to the next level, so I would be careful about posting your personal info. JMO.

Good luck.

TheUndiscovered- I am under the impression that you are really reaching by flooding the boards with your clips and your information. You've provided several different videos with various feedback. You've already committed to college. You've been to Perfect Game showcases and received (really good) ratings. What else do you want? You say you are looking for feedback, but I don't see anyone else being able to provide you with more feedback to be honest. Get after it in your senior season, get in the weight room, keep fine-tuning and then head to college. Once you're there, the workload will be tenfold, and continue to bust your a**. Enjoy yourself, and let things fall into place.

quote:

Originally posted by J H:
TheUndiscovered- I am under the impression that you are really reaching by flooding the boards with your clips and your information. You've provided several different videos with various feedback. You've already committed to college. You've been to Perfect Game showcases and received (really good) ratings. What else do you want? You say you are looking for feedback, but I don't see anyone else being able to provide you with more feedback to be honest. Get after it in your senior season, get in the weight room, keep fine-tuning and then head to college. Once you're there, the workload will be tenfold, and continue to bust your a**. Enjoy yourself, and let things fall into place.

Often it is said that a fastball is graded by velocity alone. This isn't necessarily true.

Using the MLB grading system I could see a pitcher with 90-91 mph velocity and simply grade him a 5. But that grade pertains to velocity alone.

The same pitcher might grade out a 7 in life/movement. That means he might have a 6 fastball. I could raise or lower the grade based on other things as well.

Also, I think many who have seen enough pitchers can project future velocity fairly accurately. However, without knowing the pitchers work ethic and desire, you can easily be wrong. That's without considering injuries.

I see pitchers all the time that IMO are going to throw in the 90s despite they being mid 80s now. Same goes with upper 80s and 90 guys now that are going to throw mid 90s. There are others who throw 90 now, but you don't see them improving all that much. Slow arm guys that aren't especially athletic despite throwing upper 80s now are not likely to improve much. Athletic kids with fast arms and room for physical development will almost always add quite a bit of velocity.

No scout discounts future potential. Some just see it better than others.

Good stuff PG, thanks!

quote:

Originally posted by TheUnDiscovered:
A lot of feedback so far and I would like to thank everyone for the compliments, comments, etc.

Here's my evaluation from Perfect Game from the World Showcase ( I figure it would be better to have them tell about myself rather than me)

http://www.perfectgame.org/Pla...ofile.aspx?ID=286715

With the videos I posted the best one of my mechanics in my opinion is the skillshow video:

http://www.baseballwebtv.com/Video.aspx?videoID=50616

Another note is my velocity numbers are from this past fall and this winter so I'm hoping I can bump it up a few this spring.

Thanks!

Great write up and rating! You must be really skinny to be 6-3 and only 165. Once you pack on the weight look out.
I see no reason you sohuld not be drafted somewhere. My kid got a 8.0 with a good write up, but I dont think he will be drafted.

quote:

Originally posted by bballforever:
Great write up and rating! You must be really skinny to be 6-3 and only 165. Once you pack on the weight look out.
I see no reason you sohuld not be drafted somewhere. My kid got a 8.0 with a good write up, but I dont think he will be drafted.

There seems to be some misunderstanding about what gets one drafted, especially right out of HS.

Does the player have a strong college commitment, does the player display something that stands out, high velocity, what about his other pitchers, are they just ordinary or do they wow the scouts, does he field his position well?

We all do like to dream...
...
...

Undiscovered,
You are getting some wonderful input from people with experience. They have sons who are there or have been there.
One thing that has been suggested but not specifically stated is the fact that MLB scouts are going to be the only one's who have input to your posted question. An 8 or a 9 at this stage from PG is great, but isn't all that important for the question you are asking.
Even scouts cannot provide guarantees of being drafted. They make recommendations but, as bbscout pointed out many times on this site, that input is not followed on many occasions by those who make the draft day decisions.
There are many, many players who are filled with hope for 3 days in early June and their hope gets dashed when the name isn't called and the phone does not ring. There are plenty of others who are told 10th round who are anxious as all get out when nothing has happened and it is round 45 before they hear their name.
Frankly, even if the answer was yes, I would suggest you need a lot more solid and reliable information about life in Milb. Milb is not college, it is business.
If you stay on this board, there likely will be some moving posts in April. They will present the toughest side of life in Milb, the end, when a large population of players get released; very, very good players most of whom are done with baseball, some after only 2-3 years, some even less.
If you are on the board in May/June, or go back to years in the past, you will be able to appreciate the risks involved for a HS player who might sign if they are picked between the 15th and 50th round.
To me, to be asking the question about having a shot means MLB scouts are not contacting you to answer that for you. If they don't between now and June, that probably is a very good thing for you, in my judgment.
If they do, it would be prudent to start learning far more about what happens in Milb, the business side of baseball, the travel, and all that goes along with it. It is a tough adjustment for many who have 2-3 years of college and are ages 20-21.
It can be even tougher for an 18 year old, depending on the organization.
Here is the best advice I can provide and our son learned it in Milb: pay attention and focus on only what you can control, i.e., being the very best player/pitcher you can be. Don't pay attention to the things you cannot control, i.e., whether a scout sees you, likes you, wants to draft you, or asking "do I have a shot," or, frankly, any of the nice and flattering posts you might read from those trying to help.
By focusing on getting your talent to a higher and better level, the items you cannot control, including the question you are asking, are likely to be more achievable.
By losing focus to the question of a PG 8 or 9, and whether "I have a shot," you end up where there are no answers and where you have no control.
Good luck. Enjoy that senior year in HS. Then get focused on getting ready for that 1st year in d2 baseball.
If you have a shot, it will find you, when you are ready.

quote:

Here is the best advice I can provide and our son learned it in Milb: pay attention and focus on only what you can control, i.e., being the very best player/pitcher you can be. Don't pay attention to the things you cannot control, i.e., whether a scout sees you, likes you, wants to draft you, or asking "do I have a shot," or, frankly, any of the nice and flattering posts you might read from those trying to help.
By focusing on getting your talent to a higher and better level, the items you cannot control, including the question you are asking, are likely to be more achievable.

That is the very best advice somebody can possibly give to another imho.

I have viewed some of the videos on the Undiscovered and am impressed. Go out and focus on those controllable things like infielddad noted and let the chips fall where they may.

IMHO, the things you can control are attitude and effort. Not always easy to do especially when you are an 18 year old freshmen trying to figure a way off the bench and on to the field in place of a more-experienced and much likely stronger 21 or 22 year old player.

infielddad, excellent post.
Undiscovered, there is absolutely no way to tell whether or not the draft is in your future. Enjoy your last high school season on the field. Get yourself excited about college in the fall, and enjoy your cake. Anything else is frosting. You've made it to the next levelmany players won't.
And don't try to do to much, just be the player that you are, and enjoy the ride.
Good Luck to you and be thankful for the next opportunity. Enjoy the season.

I am a firm believer that a lot of people take the PG ranking into account way too much when evaluating themselves. I've had teammates that literally view it as the be all and end all of their future baseball careers.

PG is an excellent resource and in my opinion, the #1 amateur baseball service in the nation. They give players an enormous amount of exposure in situations the player and their families deem fit for them, and provide feedback according to their observations. The PG grade is very much an evaluation from the perspective of a professional scout.

Ie: 6'6" RHP that is throwing 85 and receiving grades of 9. He seems to struggle with repeating his motion. While a 5'10" RHP throwing 87 receives a 7.5, despite having good off-speed offerings. (I don't have proof of this occuring, but I assume that it has). Is PG right or wrong in their evaluation? No. No one has a definitive answer to that question, because evaluations of talent are solely opinion-based in all aspects of scouting. In this particular instance, the assumption is that the grades are based on PG's foreseeability- their opinion of the player's future skill set and possible level of play.

A professional scout bases their evaluations on what they see a player's ability to be in the future. PG grades the same exact way.

TheUndiscovered's grade of a 9 means that the scout(s) evaluating him view him to be a "potential top 10 round pick and a top DI prospect." Obviously, that is a very good ranking. Does that mean that TheUndiscovered is destined for a new Ferrari and a Nike endorsement deal in a few years? No. Does it mean that TheUndiscovered is destined for splinters in college or being cut from the team? No. Success comes with hard work, consistency and motivation. The PG grade of 9 is one evaluation from one tool of evaluation. Is it positive? Sure, it's great. But it doesn't guarantee anything.

Let the kid ask any question he likes.

quote:

Originally posted by SultanofSwat:
Let the kid ask any question he likes.

Who said he couldn't or shouldn't. In fact, his obtaining further information was encouraged. It was suggested he stay close to the board and posting come April and again come June.
It was also suggested the more information he has the better it will be for him as time progresses.
Not sure what you mean.

JH,

Good explanation.

quote:

Originally posted by PGStaff:
JH,

Good explanation.

In keeping with another thread in the general forum about life after baseball, maybe JH could seek employment with Perfect Game someday

Hmm, I've never been to Iowa before...

How about Georgia?

Seriously, you never know. JH would be a great candidate. However, I predict bigger and better things for him.