Jay Weitzel
Northeast Area Scout, Minnesota Twins (15th year)

Through the Eyes of the Scout

A breakdown of what professional scouts look for by position:

As a professional scout, there are many things that I look for in a potential position player, but the most influential are the five tools of baseball: fielding, throwing, running speed, hitting for average, and hitting for power.  While each of these tools is important, the position of the potential player dictates the order of importance of these tools.  Remember, this is the template used to scout players and there are always exceptions.

Second Base - Second base has become the one position that can be tricky to profile.  I would say it is the one position where the profile has evolved in the recent history of the game. Originally, the position was based solely on defense, with any type of offense out of the position being a bonus. But recently, the position has began to change to more of an offensive position.  To this point, in the scouting industry we often profile players as an “offensive” or “defensive” oriented second baseman. So for this profile, I will go with what we use most often.

First off, second base holds its spot as a defensive position in my mind as the number one tool we look for is fielding. To be a good fielding second baseman, the player should be able to dominate the routine play. By this, I mean the balls that the player can get to with normal effort should become outs. A good defensive second baseman will also be quick at turning double plays. Two things I look for in a player being quick on double plays are a quick transfer and good footwork around the bag.

The next tool looked at when grading out a second baseman is hitting.  As stated before, the position is evolving and second basemen are now expected to hit.  They should be able to hit for a solid average and also bring bat control to the table. 

The next tool that comes into play for a second baseman is running speed.  While straight-line speed is not a total necessity, having quick feet is vital for a second baseman as he maneuvers around the base. 

The fourth tool that is looked at in evaluating is throwing arm.  While a strong throwing arm is not necessary on most ground balls because of the close proximity to first base, a strong arm comes in very handy when finishing off a double play. 

The last tool that we look for in second baseman is power, and it is seen as mostly a bonus to anything the second baseman already offers. 
+ Through the Eyes of the Scout: Catchers
+ Through the Eyes of the Scout: First Base