Scouting for Hitters

The Major League of Baseball produces thousands of incredible baseball players, some of which make it to the Hall of Fame, some that make it to a State Farm All-Star Game, and some that make it and just never continue to develop. Among these thousands of players are some that are tremendous hitters, breaking records set by previous effective players. It must make us wonder: how do these players “make it”? Are they followed from a young age in high school? What do professional scouts look for when looking at a player? How do you know that they can compete at a high level of play? Here we will look at what a major league scout looks for in a hitter and how to ensure their level of endurance in the MLB.

The Criteria

Bat Speed

One of the biggest things that a major league scout looks for in a hitter is bat speed. College hitters swing aluminum, and major league players swing wood. However, there is no distinction between these two when it comes down to bat speed. Can the player swing it or not? Eric Hosmer of the Kansas City Royals currently has one of the fastest bat speed in the major league. His average bat speed is 106mph. As a result, his swing produces many home runs and balls hit extremely well.

Stance and Approach

How a hitter stands can determine a lot. His confidence level can usually be shown in his stance. Do he look like he wants to be up there? Most exceptional hitters walk up to the plate and take on the pitch with extreme confidence. They wanna hit the ball. They have a good knowledge of where the strike zone is. There is a look. While inside the game of baseball, most knowledgeable scouts can determine a baseball player just by looking at them. A good player holds themselves differently, approaches life differently, and even looks at others differently. A good hitter has a look that can only be mirrored by other good hitters. One scout stated “A lot of what I’m looking for goes beyond what they’re doing at the plate… It’s nice when a guy passes the eye test right when he walks off the bus… At the plate, generally I’m looking at the mechanics of their swing and the bat speed that they have.”

Hands

Another major mark that a scout looks for in a great hitter is their hands. How do they grip the bat? Is it a loose grip? Loose hands on the bat allow for greater whip. The top hand on the bat should be doing a lot of the work to produce a quick swing. The scouts are looking at how quick that top hand makes it through the zone. Big-time major league hitters get their top hands through the baseball. Quick. That is why they make it to the major leagues! Their ability to produce such a quick swing gives them the access to more time to see the ball in order to hit it squarely. Arguably one of the best hitters in the major league to do perform an extremely quick swing was Ken Griffey Jr. Ken was extremely successful in the major league and was seen as an extremely good power hitter. He hit 630 home runs over his 22 seasons in the major leagues. I believe the contact that he makes with the baseball can be attributed to his bat speed due to his hands. He has a longer time to sit and wait on the ball to get into the strike zone.

Batting Practice

Another key thing for scouts to look for is how they carry out the actions previously described in batting practice. Batting practice gives scouts a first impression of the abilities of a hitter. What does their bat path look like? Do they have a good approach and stance? Can they effectively move their hands through the zone. All of these fundamentals can be seen in batting practice. While batting practice isn’t an overall indicator, it can help to influence a decision.

Conclusion

While there are many other things a scout looks for in evaluating a player’s potential in the major league, these are some of the key aspects of a scout’s agenda. This agenda and criteria may differ based on the position that a hitter plays. Scouts typically look for power out of the corner positions and for speed and quick hands out of an outfielder or middle infielders. These things can be considered after the fundamentals are established. If a guy can’t get his hands through the baseball and doesn’t have a great deal of confidence, his success in the major league will be a failure.