The Scouting Trail: Week Nine
Prospects David Seifert spent the last decade working as an area scout and crosschecker with the Philadelphia Phillies. Before getting into scouting, he spent nine years as a junior college and Division I baseball coach. Now he’s beating the bushes on the scouting trail for D1Baseball and Prep Baseball Report. This weekend’s stop was Ozark country: Oregon State at Missouri State and South Carolina at Arkansas. Now that we’ve passed the halfway point of the college season it’s time for a slight change of format. With the recent release of our Midseason Top 150 Prospects, our focus will shift to the evaluation and statistical analysis of these top prospects, with an occasional note of any late “pop-up” prospects that every season brings. Our preseason statistical analysis for both hitters and pitchers was very well-received and we will continue to give our readers another valuable tool that gives additional insight into what helps determine a prospect’s draft value. Our criteria for pitchers are broken into three categories: Zone Control (K%, BB%, HB+WP%), Pitchability (ERA, WHIP, OppAVG, OppSLG), and Durability (GS and IP). Criteria for hitters is broken into three categories: Plate Discipline (K%, BB%), Hit Ability (BABIP, OBP, SLG), and Game Power (ISO, HR%). Later this week we will release our updated statistical rankings, which will be weighted towards this season’s performance, while also considering a prospect’s overall statistical history. With an opportunity to see 15 of our Top 150 in a single weekend, I headed to Fayetteville, Ark., for an SEC Thursday night game with Blaine Knight on the bump for the Razorbacks. Friday morning took me to Springfield, Mo., to see Dylan Coleman and the Bears matchup against Luke Heimlich and the Beavers. My plan to catch a night game back in Fayetteville was spoiled by tornadoes in the area, and the game was rescheduled for a noon doubleheader on Saturday. Game one brought a Kacey Murphy vs. Adam Hill matchup. Game two pitted Isaiah Campbell against Cody Morris. As for tools and talent, here’s what I saw:
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