I hear this phrase all the time concerning how scouts look at baseball players. Was hoping to get a clearer view from those that have been there about what actual scouts have said about "projecting well".
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Tall, slight build, broad shoulders, high waist, low effort delivery that produces high velocity, low effort swing that produces bombs, speed, etc.
Agree with Boddy...basically a tall athletic frame that can still add plenty of muscle and strength w/o sacrificing athleticism.
The scout is projecting the player in the World Series 6 years from today.
He cannot project the 6 tool.
Bob
I have clients in the Lakepoint area and one Friday I made the mistake of stopping at that exit to go to Chick-fil-A. When I walked in, I ran into a sea of baseball players. I would say 70% of them were taller than me. I actually noticed that at one point I couldn't see the counter due to a group of kids standing in front of me. I am 6'2".
They make them taller these days, apparently.
It's a word used by scouts to put the success of a player on the coaches and trainers.
c2019 posted:Just saying , it's only a projection ...��
Agreed - it's definitely not an exact science and as Bob said, you can't project the 6th tool.
You also can't project good luck or bad luck - right or wrong place at a particular time. The right person in the organization believing or not believing in you, injury (Wally Pip), etc.
c2019 posted:Just saying , it's only a projection ...��
One size doesn't fit all. But there is a size that is more likely to be a prospect and go on to success. All things equal I believe everyone here would put their money on the 6'2" kid over the 5'9" kid.
Please don't anyone start listing the 5'9" successes. Your list will be dwarfed by the 6'2" successes.
Projections are opinions , everyone has one . Lol
Go44dad posted:It's a word used by scouts to put the success of a player on the coaches and trainers.
Hahaha. This is PERFECT. Mind if I use this?
You have to consider how small the talent gaps are in MLB. Everyone is really good in a lot of things and many don't have one outstanding tool. There are of course guys like Chris Davis or Jose Altuve who have one really big tool but the average MLB guy is usually more average across the board and if he is missing out a tiny bit he can lose his job.
being taller is probably only a tiny advantage ( maybe less than 5%) but that is often enough to lose the job against a guy who can field and run just as well but has a little more power.
at the HS level that advantage is mostly irrelevant because the talent gap is larger and it is more important that you can field a ball, throw it and hit it. But at the MLB level everyone can field, hit and throw so that small physical advantage might tip the scale. MLB scouts or D1 scouts don't have to choose between a good small and fast player and a clumsy big slugger who can barely play first but they chose between short fast guys who can play and tall fast guys who can play.
Kyle Boddy posted:Go44dad posted:It's a word used by scouts to put the success of a player on the coaches and trainers.
Hahaha. This is PERFECT. Mind if I use this?
It's all yours!
I am surprised by some of the comments. Is there room for growth? Or should I say how much room for growth?
We have two Freshman "pitchers" who are pretty close in performance. Mid 70's FB decent control and good secondary pitches. One is 6ft 140lbs all legs and arms with peach fuzzz. The other is 6'2" 190 shaving. Who would you project to be a better pitcher in 3 years?
real green posted:I am surprised by some of the comments. Is there room for growth? Or should I say how much room for growth?
We have two Freshman "pitchers" who are pretty close in performance. Mid 70's FB decent control and good secondary pitches. One is 6ft 140lbs all legs and arms with peach fuzzz. The other is 6'2" 190 shaving. Who would you project to be a better pitcher in 3 years?
Logic would say the 6' / 140 kid but the truth is only God knows.
real green posted:I am surprised by some of the comments. Is there room for growth? Or should I say how much room for growth?
We have two Freshman "pitchers" who are pretty close in performance. Mid 70's FB decent control and good secondary pitches. One is 6ft 140lbs all legs and arms with peach fuzzz. The other is 6'2" 190 shaving. Who would you project to be a better pitcher in 3 years?
I would want to see their mechanics, and understand their drive to be good. Then I would pick.
Consultant posted:The scout is projecting the player in the World Series 6 years from today.
He cannot project the 6 tool.
Bob
What Bob said! In the scouts opinion, will a player continue to grow (physically, and mentally) to a point that he could compete at the MLB level. How far is the player from his perceived performance ceiling.
real green posted:I am surprised by some of the comments. Is there room for growth? Or should I say how much room for growth?
We have two Freshman "pitchers" who are pretty close in performance. Mid 70's FB decent control and good secondary pitches. One is 6ft 140lbs all legs and arms with peach fuzzz. The other is 6'2" 190 shaving. Who would you project to be a better pitcher in 3 years?
Part depends on who wants it. If you pulled up to the field at my son's high school you would pick the 6'4" 215 kid as the top college prospect. He threw BP (in games) at 80. His father asked me for the drills to increase arm strength and velocity. The kid wouldn't put in the work. He didn't make varsity until senior year. In three starts he didn't make it through the first inning.
RJM posted:real green posted:I am surprised by some of the comments. Is there room for growth? Or should I say how much room for growth?
We have two Freshman "pitchers" who are pretty close in performance. Mid 70's FB decent control and good secondary pitches. One is 6ft 140lbs all legs and arms with peach fuzzz. The other is 6'2" 190 shaving. Who would you project to be a better pitcher in 3 years?
Part depends on who wants it. If you pulled up to the field at my son's high school you would pick the 6'4" 215 kid as the top college prospect. He threw BP (in games) at 80. His father asked me for the drills to increase arm strength and velocity. The kid wouldn't put in the work. He didn't make varsity until senior year. In three starts he didn't make it through the first inning.
That kid doesn't project well! 
See it's easy.... LOL
Al Pedrique "projected" a 5'5" Jose Altuve at a tryout camp in Venezuela, and convinced (with difficulty) the Astros to sign him. He was originally cut at the tryout camp, but came back the next day anyway and eventually was signed for $15,000.