What College Baseball Coaches Look For
Bobby McKinney, Pittsburgh Pirates
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What do college baseball coaches look for? Signs of maturity, both mentally and physically.
Physically
- Excellence in 5 tools of the game
- Condition of body
- Strengths & weaknesses of body
- Potential for growth
- Is this player raw or polished?
- Project how good this player can become
- Is he a worker or does he look lazy?
- How much effort does this player expend to play at the top of his game?
- Ceiling...how much better can he get given his physical body?
Mentally
- Alertness (being in the game)
- Knowledge of the game
- Ability to react correctly
- Intuit nature - Does the game come easy?
- Ability to focus
- Ability to rise to the challenge
- Does he know all that he should know about the game and what it takes to succeed?
- How often does he react correctly to a situation?
Emotionally/Socially
- Cordial interaction with coaches and teammates
- Attitude towards authority figures/coaches and teammates
- Signs of misdirected anger
- Proper taking of responsibility
- Does he make others around him better or worse?
- Is he a cause or a cure for trouble and disruptions?
- Is he a comfortable leader?
Major Questions Coaches and Scouts Will Ask Themselves
- Has he performed well in the classroom?
- Is he coachable and teachable?
- Will his personality compliment or clash with the growth of the team?
- Will he work hard both in the classroom and on the field?
- Has he demonstrated the ability to perform under pressure?
- What is his quality of character?
Anything you can do to answer any of these questions a college coach or pro scout might ask will distinguish you from the crowd.
It all comes down to a basic premise:
Prepare yourself....
Physically ...Mentally.....Emotionally....Socially
Bobby McKinney, a scout for over 15 years with the Pittsburgh Pirates, has taken his years of life experience and compiled the most complete reference guide to the making of a college or professional player. His book "A Guide to College Baseball and Beyond" is used as a reference manual at countless camps and clinics around the country and Bobby speaks to thousands of players on college campuses throughout the year.
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