OUR MISSION
At Baseball Spy we offer in-depth analysis of professional and amateur baseball players that you can't find anywhere else. Our team of former REAL Major League Baseball Scouts with over 50 years of combined "baseball spying" experience have been instrumental in countless MLB transactions. Our team is comprised of former baseball executives, major league and minor league scouts, amateur scouts, and international scouts. Sign-up today, for free access (limited time) to our premium content that includes analysis and projections of top Major League prospects, under-the-radar minor league players, and select U.S. amateur and international players.
We also provide travel tips on where to stay, where to eat, where to drink, and other recommendations for baseball stops across the U.S. and in international markets as well.
Our service is discreet, honest, and informative for MLB front-offices, scouting personnel, baseball writers, publications, and baseball fans.
What are you waiting for? Sign-up today and become a member of the "Baseball Spy" community.
SCOUTING PHILOSOPY & GRADING
At Baseball Spy we seek to provide traditional scouting grades, streamlined and simplified.
Our premium content (free after sign-up) will provide a collection of evaluations on professional, international, and amateur players graded on the Major League scale by REAL MLB evaluators.
The overall grade is derived from the collective measurable tool grades (see below), along with mechanics, athleticism, body-type, and baseball movements - and the unmeasurable tool grades such as the players makeup (baseball acumen, intelligence, desire, creativity, etc.). Taken together, and within the context of their position, we give a future role grade based on the historic "2 to 8" grading scale, that does not use half grades:
8 - Hall of Famer / One of the best players in baseball
7 - Elite Performer / Top 2-5 players at position
6 - Above Average Major Leaguer / All-Star Caliber
5 - Solid, Major League Average / Starter on any Major League team
4 - Slightly Below Average Major Leaguer / Part-time or Platoon position player / Not a starter on a playoff caliber club
3 - Bench Player / Role Player
2 - Fringe Major Leaguer / Up and Down Value / 4A (just a notch better than 3A but not a player who can stay on a big league roster throughout the year)
Our tool grades measure a players' skills through a subjective scouting analysis. For position players those tools are hitting, power, running, fielding, and throwing. For pitchers the tools correspond to the overall value of each pitch they throw - which include the quality of movement, the velocity, the appearance of the pitch to the hitter, the result it produces at the plate, and separately how the pitcher commands each pitch. The tools are graded on the 2-8 scale as well with the following terminology applied for each corresponding numeric value on the Major League scale:
8 - Best in baseball
7 - Elite
6 - Above Average
5 - Average
4 - Fringe-Average
3 - Below Average but usable
2 - Not usable at Major League Level
While many publications and websites are incorporating and utilizing advanced metrics and technology to surmise a players tools and overall value, here at Baseball Spy, we do not discount that method, but we do purposely leave out the statistical analysis. At Baseball Spy, we only seek to provide a subjective scouting analysis that Major League Baseball Scouts, Evaluators, Coaches, and Executives have used for drafting and acquiring talent for generations. Our analysis is based on what we see on the field and what we predict that player to be based on our experience, knowledge and insight of how baseball is played and what is necessary to win at the Major League level. You won't be able to find this information and depth of analysis anywhere else outside of Major League Baseball scouting departments.