Future Shock

Taking A Step Back, Part Two

by Kevin Goldstein

After taking a look at how scouts evaluate players when they have a bat in their hands, today I'll look at the "non-bat" tools, and how those tools are weighed once you have a complete feeling for a player's abilities.

Running:

Pretty self-explanatory. Can he run fast? Is he a burner or a base-clogger? The overwhelming majority of this score is measured by the player’s recorded time from home plate to first base. Average (50) is generally considered 4.3 seconds from the right side, and 4.2 from the left. Times under four seconds earn the rare 80, while times over 4.5 can get 20. Speed is one of the only tools in baseball where there are a number of players in the major leagues with 20s. Another unique aspect of speed is that it is the only tool where it is somewhat common to find scouts awarding a future score that is lower than a player’s present score. While power may be the last tool to arrive, speed can be the first to go as players fill out and their body matures. Scouts need to be able to look at a player's build (some even look at their parents) and recognize those who will keep their speed well into their career and those who will not. Other considerations--such as a player’s instincts on the base paths and ability (or inability) to read pitchers and steal bases--can bring this grade up or down a tick.

Some Prospects With Very High Running Scores: Brett Gardner, Eric Reed, Denard Span, Corey Wimberly.

Fielding:

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