Separating From the Pack
February 6, 2018
One of the best weeks of the year, for myself, is the week of the Super 60 in Chicago, IL. That week, PBR Directors from across the country converge on Chicago. During the week we all sit in meetings, learning about our business practices and meeting with corporate sponsors. But the big thrill during the week is meeting with the other directors as we talk about baseball players, development, and evaluations. The hours pass quickly, which can lead the alarm clock going off well before we are ready. But with the knowledge that is being shared, it is difficult to go to bed early.
As we were discussing scouting, grading players, and evaluations, some of us began to talk about the rankings process and how we work through the massive number of players that we see on a yearly basis. Within the rankings, many directors work to put player grades on prospects we have seen. Whether the directors are using a 20-80 scale, a 1-10 scale, or just a plus/minus system there are log jams in certain areas of the list. As we discussed our ability to sort 20 players that may have the same grade, the realization hit us that recruiting coordinators are doing the same thing in their offices yearly.
The big difference would be that a specific school may not have to rate two very different types of players. It is possible within the player rankings for a state director to deal with two players with an average grade. The first is a right handed hitting catcher with a pop time of 2.10, showing good accuracy and average carry. The second, a left handed hitting corner outfielder that has barrel ability but does not drive the baseball. For PBR directors, this can present an issue as we sort our player rankings. Each player has an average grade, but we really are comparing apples and oranges at times. For recruiting coordinators, they may not have this specific issue as they may not recruit a corner outfielder without power, for their system. However, college coaches do have players with similar grades on their board and they work to sort this list in any way possible. The question becomes how can a player bump his grade a half of a point, to move ahead of all the average grades.
Separating Values
Many factors can allow a player’s grade to bump up.